Saag Paneer Recipes

SAAG PANEER

Steps:

• Melt the ghee, whisk in with the turmeric and chilli powder, then add the cubed paneer and toss well. Set aside. If using frozen spinach, microwave for 3-5 mins, then place in a sieve and squeeze out most of the water. If using fresh spinach, place in a colander, pour over boiling water, drain and cool, then put in a tea towel and squeeze out most of the water. Roughly chop.
• Blitz the onion with the garlic, ginger and green chilli. Cook the paneer in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat for around 8 mins, tossing the pan so they become golden all over. Remove and set aside on a plate, leaving spices behind in the pan. Tip the onion mix into the pan, add a pinch of salt and turn the heat down. Fry until caramel coloured, around 10 mins, adding a splash of water if it looks a little dry. Add the garam masala, stir to coat the onion mix, fry for 2 mins.
• Add the spinach and cook for a further 2-3 mins, adding 100ml water to release all the flavours from the bottom of the pan. Add the paneer and cook for 2-3 mins to heat through. Spoon into bowls and squeeze over a little lemon juice, to serve.

SAAG PANEER

Steps:

• For the paneer: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spread ricotta cheese in a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper so it's about the thickness of a French fry. Bake for 50 minutes.
• For the saag: In a large pot, bring two inches of water to a boil. Add the spinach, cover, and steam until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain and place in a food processor, then purée until smooth; set aside. Add 2 tablespoons canola oil to a wok or kadai, then add cumin, chilies, fennel, cloves, cardamom and asafoetida. Turn heat to medium to "bloom" the spices until they are fragrant and jumping, about 5 minutes. Add ginger; stir and continue cooking until aroma is released and its texture is slightly crispy, 1-2 minutes. Add puréed spinach (with 1-2 tablespoons of water, optional, to remove the spinach from the food processor). Add salt and continue mixing; then turn off the heat, cover, and set aside.
• Add the fenugreek and 2 tablespoons canola oil to a small skillet and place over medium heat to roast. Add 1-2 tablespoons water; stir and continue cooking until it sizzles and releases a slightly bitter aroma, 2 minutes. Add to spinach mixture, stir and set aside. Remove the paneer from the oven and cut into 1-inch squares.
• Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to a nonstick skillet; over medium heat, fry the paneer cubes in a single layer until crispy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. For the tempering oil: In the small saucepan, heat the ghee over medium heat; then add cumin, fennel, chilies, and asafoetida and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon of water (to keep the cayenne from burning) and set aside.
• Place saag in a serving bowl, then top with paneer cubes, followed by more spinach. Spoon tempering oil over the top before serving.

SAAG PANEER

Steps:

• In a food processor, working in batches, pulse spinach until minced but not puréed. Do not pack the spinach too tightly or it won't get evenly chopped. You should have about 3 packed cups of minced spinach.
• Heat 1 tablespoon ghee over medium in a large nonstick skillet. When it shimmers, add paneer and cook, turning occasionally, until golden all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs or a fish spatula, transfer cheese to a plate, leaving as much ghee as possible in the skillet.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, add the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee and the onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add ginger, garlic and chile, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and well incorporated, 1 minute. Stir in coriander and cumin until well blended.
• Add minced spinach and 1/2 cup water, and increase the heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is completely soft and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in heavy cream and paneer until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Divide rice and flatbread among 4 shallow bowls or plates. Pass the saag paneer to spoon on top.

SAAG PANEER

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, toss in the spinach and blanch for 1 minute until very tender. Dump the spinach into a colander and press firmly with the back of a spoon to extract as much water as possible, set aside.
• Heat the ghee in a deep skillet over medium-high flame. Add the cubed paneer and fry for a couple of minutes until light brown on all sides, gently turning to avoid breaking up the cubes. Remove the cheese from the skillet and set aside.
• Return the skillet to the heat and sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir for about 5 minutes until soft. Sprinkle the mixture with the curry powder; continue to stir to marry the flavors, about 1 minute. Fold in the chopped spinach and give everything a good toss. Shut off the heat and stir the buttermilk and yogurt into the spinach to incorporate. The mixture should be creamy and somewhat thick. Gently fold in the fried paneer cubes, season with salt, to taste, and serve with steamed basmati rice and/or flat bread.
• Put the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, swirl the pot around to ensure that it melts slowly and does not sizzle or brown. Increase the heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is covered with foam, stir gently and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Gently simmer, uncovered, and undisturbed for 45 minutes, until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown and the butter on top is transparent. Strain the ghee through a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth. The ghee should be perfectly clear and smell nutty; pour into a glass jar and seal tightly.
• Toast the whole spices (coriander, cumin, fennel, cloves, mustard, cardamom and peppercorns) and the chiles in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, shaking the pan often to prevent them from burning. Toast for a couple of minutes until the spices smell fragrant. In a clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together to a fine powder. Add the turmeric and give it another quick buzz to combine. Use the spice blend immediately, or store in a sealed jar for as long as 1 month.

SAAG PANEER

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons vegetable oil. Drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.
• Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes, then transfer to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Puree in a food processor until smooth. (Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.) Set aside.
• Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes, flip the paneer; each piece should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so and then remove the paneer from the pan to a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the pan. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, chile and a pinch of salt. Now here?s the important part: Sauté the mixture until it?s evenly toffee-colored, which should take about 15 minutes. Don?t skip this step?this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
• Add the coriander, cumin and garam masala. If you haven?t already, sprinkle in a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cooks out and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Stir in a little salt and 1/2 cup water. Cook 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Stir in the yogurt a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 2 minutes.

AUTHENTIC SAAG PANEER

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook spinach and fenugreek in the boiling water until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor. Puree until finely chopped, about 5 pulses.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry paneer cubes, stirring constantly, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in the skillet and fry the cumin seeds until lightly toasted and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add onion; cook and stir until onion begins to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, garlic, tomato, garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne pepper; cook and stir until tomatoes break down and onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in spinach and fenugreek, cream, paneer cubes, and salt to taste. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.