We love this recipe for Saag Paneer (aka Palak Paneer). This is especially true during the colder months when I think Saag Paneer (and bowls of Moong Dal ) is an ultimate comfort food. Considering it is winter here in Australia, I want to eat saag paneer every other day. After all what’s not to love in a bowl of pureed & blanched spinach leaves simmered with warming spices in ghee and cubes of Indian cottage cheese (Paneer).
Whole Spices in Saag Paneer
An important aspect of this recipe for saag paneer is to use whole spices tempered in ghee. While the list of spices may seem long, try to buy fresh spices from any Asian grocery shop and store them in air-tight containers. Also if you refrigerate spices, then you can improve their shelf life even further.
A key spice to use here is Kasoori Methi . These sun dried fenugreek leaves go a long way in this dish. They help to give those aromas and flavours of a top restaurant quality saag paneer. Kasoori Methi is also used in various Indian flatbreads, naan breads. You should be able to find it in any Indian or south asian grocery store outside India, so try to put in the effort to source it if making this dish.
Making the Recipe Vegan
The cottage cheese (i.e. paneer) and ghee are the only dairy products in this recipe. Hence making it non-vegan. To make this recipe vegan, omit the paneer for firm tofu or cubes of potatoes that have been pan fried. In place of ghee, use virgin cold pressed coconut oil or a neutral oil like virgin peanut oil.
Serving Suggestions for Saag Paneer
Serve saag paneer with fresh Indian flatbreads (rotis / chapatis / naan breads). In addition, I love making a cucumber raita and serving this dish with a lemon pickle and some papadum.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator to use as lunch the next day. I know folks who like freezing big batches of saag paneer, but I am generally not a big fan of freezing meals. So if this works for you, then you can do so.
Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions or if you have any easy dinner recipes to share. If you like this recipe, please do leave a rating below. Don’t forget to tag #urbanfoodlover and follow along on Instagram for lots of foodie inspiration 🙂
Recipe for Saag Paneer
Ingredients
- 2 bunches English Spinach Leaves
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 thumb-size ginger smashed
- 2 medium green chilies chopped
- 250 grams Fresh Paneer or Indian Cottage Cheese cut in cubes See notes for vegan option
- 2 tbsp ghee See notes for vegan option
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp Whole fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1-2 dry bay leaves
- 2-3 pods green cardamom
- 2 pods black cardamom
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2-3 black cloves
- 1 tbsp kasoori- methi (sun-dried fenugreek leaves ) See notes
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Sea salt or more as per taste
Instructions
- Fill a deep stock pot with boiling water and add in the washed clean English spinach leaves. Blanch for a couple of minutes
- Add in the blanched spinach leaves in a blender to make a puree. Keep aside as we prepare the tempering in the next steps
- In a mortar and pestle smash the garlic cloves, ginger , coriander seeds and green chilies together
- In a large stainless steel frying pan warm the ghee for a few minutes. Then add in and saute the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and chopped onions in that order. Sprinkle some salt on top and continue to saute for 3-4 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Then add in the smashed ginger-garlic-chili mix from the above step and continue sauteing
- Next add in the whole spices i.e. bay leaves, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and continue to saute for 1-2 minutes until the lovely aroma of the spices begin to circulate all around you Then add in the chopped tomatoes, kasoori methi , turmeric powder and remaining sea salt. Continue stirring for 4-5 minutes (or more) until a mashed spices-tomato chunky sauce is formed. Sprinkle some water in in the pan in case the mixture starts drying and sticking to the pan
- Once a chunky blend of the spices, onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic is formed , mix in the pureed and blanched spinach. Stir thoroughly until the spinach is nicely coated with all the spice sauce mix
- Add in the cubes of the fresh paneer in the final step. Let the pan simmer for few minutes before serving it.
Notes
- Make it Vegan : The cottage cheese (paneer) and ghee are the only dairy products in this recipe. To make this vegan, omit the paneer for firm tofu or cubes of potatoes that have been pan fried. In place of ghee, use virgin cold pressed coconut oil or a neutral oil like peanut oil
- On Kasoori Methi : The sun dried fenugreek leaves go a long way in this dish. They really lift the flavours and help to give those aromas and flavours of a top restaurant quality dish. You should be able to find it in any Indian or south asian grocery store outside India, so try to put in the effort to source it if making this dish.