Saag Paneer

As a hands-free alternative to frying the paneer, you can cut it in cubes and roast it on a nonstick or oiled baking sheet at 425° for 15-20 minutes until brown. No extra oil necessary--the paneer gets nice and crisp on the outside while still milky inside. You'll know it's done when the paneer cubes start jumping and flipping themselves.

A touch of fenugreek leaves and about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of buttermilk (or the leftover liquid from making the paneer if you're making it from scratch) goes a long way in perfecting a Saag paneer recipe.

Hi, I'm from India and here is a better way: Steam the spinach by putting a little water in a pot (1-2 T) and adding the spinach. Cover with a lid and put on medium-high heat. Cook a few minutes, periodically opening the lid and stirring the leaves around till fully wilted / cooked (good quality frozen spinach, whole leaves, work great). Puree. I typically, move the leaves from the pot to a mixing bowl and use an immersion blender. Follow the recipe above but cut the ginger in half.

I make a similar version of this but generally add other versions of greens like chard or (my personal favourite) beet greens, in addition to the spinach. Also, after I fry the paneer and it’s still hot, I sprinkle it lightly with Garam masala and chili powder (hot Indian chili powder, not the tex-mex stuff) and kosher salt. This is from a Madhur Jaffrey recipe for saag paneer, and the paneer itself so delicious you’ll find yourself snacking on it!

We do this with tofu if we don’t have paneer or enough milk to make paneer

Substitute a 15 oz. can of chick peas {garbanzo beans} for the paneer and you have an even better dish of Chana Shag!

Megan’s note about fenugreek leaves is spot on. You can buy these dried if you have an Indian grocery store you can find. It’s called “Kasoori Methi”. Add a couple tablespoons at the very end to get a unique aroma and taste. It will actually remind you of restaurant Indian food - it is always finished with Kasoori Methi.

For vegans, or people without access to paneer, use tofu. Firm best, either as is in cubes or better, slightly browned ahead of time after dredging in plain cornstarch or cornstarch with curry powder or cumin and coriander. Also, frozen spinach is fine.

Queso fresco, available from the cheese case in most supermarkets, is essentially the same as paneer. Unless you are avoiding dairy, it is preferable to tofu and gives a much more authentic result.

When served, squeeze fresh lemon over, really adds to the flavour.

Cooked home style by my north indian ancestors : paneer or the tofu substitute should never be cooked, grilled or fried. Always soft and creamy and added last to soak in the flavors. Also add a little sarson or mustard greens if that flavor is appreciated. I use baby kale and fine shredded collard along with large leaf spinach. And since I don't eat alliums since childhood so I never developed a palette for it, I skip the onions and garlic.I don't like cumin nor coriander so I use fennel seeds

Made this for lunch because it looked quick and because I had all of the ingredients on hand. Wanted minimal clean up so I just chopped the spinach fine on a cutting board. Really quick, one pan meal I ate without rice or bread. Will make again for dinner with rice and bread.

Making homemade paneer is exceptionally easy using whole milk (don't use ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurized milk) and cheesecloth, and really elevates the recipe.

Delicious but I wouldn’t say this serves 4. Fed 2 of us well with just a bit leftover. Double for a hearty meal for 4.

Thinking of making this tonight but subbing the paneer for tofu, the heavy cream with coconut milk and a little corn starch to thicken and olive oil for the ghee.