Made my first ever SAAG PANEER recently whilst away at Forever Sunday, and I absolutely loved it. Definitely a few steps that I adjusted to make work with what I had and the fact I didn’t want to spend too much time cooking or washing up, but soaking in the beautiful countryside and property instead. It turned out better than I had thought it would and it’s a definite make again recipe.
SAAG PANEER
Serves 2
Gluten free : Vegetarian
280g baby spinach, washed
2 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
pinch chilli flakes
250g paneer cheese, cut in 2cm cubes
1 small onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp grated ginger
2 1/2 tsp garam masala spice mix
To serve: lemon wedges, roast pumpkin pieces and brown rice
Place baby spinach in a large colander, pour boiling water over the top to blanch it (make completely soft) and then use your hands to squeeze as much of the liquid out as possible. Roughly chop and set aside. Melt the ghee and add turmeric and chilli flakes. Toss the paneer through the golden spice and ghee and set aside to marinate whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Grate the onion, garlic and ginger and combine in a bowl. Heat a small to medium size saucepan on medium heat, and add 1 tsp ghee to coat then add the paneer, with the marinade, and cook 1-2 minutes each side until golden. Remove from pan, then add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook on a low heat about 6-8 minutes until golden, add the garam masala and cook 1-2 minute, stirring throughout. Add the baby spinach and about 200ml water and stir all the ingredients together (you can also use coconut milk here if you wish – not traditional but is delicious). Place the paneer back into the pan, gently toss and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Serve rice and pumpkin into bowls and divide the saag paneer between them. Give each dish a big squeeze of lemon and serve with extra chilli flakes if desired.
