Saag Paneer is a savory dish that varies from region to region in India, but the heart of it is always the same. Saag can be made from a variety of leafy greens, including spinach, mustard leaves, nettles, kale, or even broccoli, along with added spices; and paneer is a pressed Indian cheese. Saag paneer can be more textured with tomatoes or onions, and it can also be pureed. It’s chef’s choice.
Ingredients
- 500 g (18 ounces) spinach leaves
- 1/2 tsp cumin whole
- 1/2 tsp coriander whole
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek whole
- 1/2 tsp mustard seed whole
- 1 TSBP Ghee
- 1 onion, red
- 5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 200 g tomatoes chopped
- 3/4 inch ginger minced
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 8 oz paneer cubed
- 1/2 gallon whole milk
- vinegar or lemon juice
- How to make Paneer (farm cheese)
- Add 1/2 gallon of whole milk to a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat
- Let the milk come to a boil, stir often so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the milk has come to a boil, turn off the heat and start adding vinegar (or lemon juice), little at a time.
- At one point, the milk will curdle and you will see the whey separate. At that point, stop adding the curdling agent and wait for 5 minutes so that the milk curdles completely.
- Pour into a cheese cloth and Press under heavy weight (i.e. books) to squeeze out water.
Instructions
- If using fresh spinach, blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, then rapidly chill in ice-water for 2 minutes, drain, and chop. If using frozen spinach, then thaw and drain as much as possible.
- In a large, dry skillet, add cumin, coriander, fenugreek and mustard. dry roast until fragrant and remove.
- Next, heat the ghee in the skillet on low heat, and gently saute the onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, mustard, and fenugreek until the onions are beginning to turn brown and the spices are very aromatic.
- Stir in the tomato, ginger, and garam masala and bring to a simmer. Then add the spinach.
- Cook until the spinach completely wilts and the liquid has reduced. Then fold in the paneer, being careful not to break it. Stir gently until paneer is heated through. Then salt to taste and serve.