Authentic Saag Paneer Recipe

Saag paneer (and palak paneer) are vegetarian Indian dish made of curried greens and fried paneer cheese. You’ve likely come across the dish at your favorite Indian restaurant, but now’s the time to try making authentic saag paneer at home! 

What is saag paneer?

Saag paneer is a popular Indian vegetarian dish made of spinach and other leafy greens (called saag) and paneer (Indian cottage cheese).

The greens are ground into a paste, and seasoned with spices. Fried paneer is then added on top. 

The origin of this dish is from the province of Punjab in northern India.

In this saag paneer recipe, the paneer is cubed and then shallow fried, after which it is added to the saag mixture.

Also Read: Bruschetta Recipe

What type of greens can be used in saag paneer?

Ideally, saag paneer should be made from a mix of leafy greens, the bulk of which would be spinach. A ratio of 2 parts spinach to 1 part other leafy greens is best.

Other leafy greens that can be used in saag paneer are mustard greens (sarsoon), chenopodium (bathua), purslane (kulfa), and fenugreek leaves (methi).

Authentic Saag Paneer Recipe

Recipe by RecipeWikkiCourse: MainCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

460

kcal

Saag paneer is a popular vegetarian Indian dish made using spinach and other Indian leafy greens and paneer (Indian cottage cheese). The greens are ground into a paste, and seasoned with spices. Fried paneer is then added on top. Serve with naan and roti.

Ingredients For Saag Paneer Recipe

• 2 bunches spinach, roughly chopped

• 1 bunch fenugreek leaves, roughly chopped

• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

• ½ pound paneer, cubed

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

• 1 tomato, diced

• 2 teaspoons garam masala

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream

• salt to taste
  
  

Directions To Make Saag Paneer

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil; add spinach and fenugreek and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain well; transfer to a food processor and blend until finely chopped, about 5 pulses.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add paneer cubes and fry until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer paneer onto a plate.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil in the same skillet over medium heat; add cumin seeds and fry until lightly toasted and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and stir to coat. Stir in tomato, garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne pepper; cook until tomato breaks down, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in pureed spinach mixture, paneer cubes, and cream; add salt to taste. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  

Notes

• *Substitutions for fresh spinach leaves: Ideally fresh and mature spinach leaves should be used. Baby spinach can be used but it will give a milder flavor to the dish and may need an adjustment in salt and spices. In case fresh spinach isn’t available, frozen spinach can be used. Frozen spinach doesn’t require blanching, but it might require a longer whiz in the blender to create a smooth saag paneer base. Another substitution option is canned saag available at Indian grocery stores. A combination of greens, this can be used in place of the ground spinach and fenugreek paste in this recipe. Some brands of saag may already have salt and spice in it, so adjust seasonings accordingly.