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Saag Paneer is a vegetarian Indian dish in which spinach or other dark greens are stewed with spices, ginger, garlic, and fresh chiles.

Paneer is an unaged, non-melting cheese that is set with vinegar or lemon juice (rather than rennet) to create the curds. You’ll find cubed paneer in the freezer sections of Calgary’s South Asian groceries and at Superstore.

Catherine spent time in India during the holidays one year. Read more about her adventure here: A Tale of Christmas in India.

saag paneer
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Saag Paneer

Servings 6
Author Catherine Van Brunschott

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • 400 g cubed paneer
  • 2 Tbsp ghee
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp ginger, crushed
  • 1 serrano chile, diced fine
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 450 g spinach and/or mixed greens (kale, mustard greens, chopped

Instructions

  • *Melt 2 Tbsp of ghee in a medium bowl; stir in turmeric and chili powder.
  • Add cubed paneer and toss to coat. Allow a few minutes to absorb the flavours, then cook paneer in a large non-stick pan over medium heat, turning often until lightly golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • In the same pan, melt 2 Tbsp of ghee over medium heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds. When seeds start to pop, add onion and salt and cook until just starting to turn golden. Add garlic, ginger, and serrano chili and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garam masala; cook one minute.
  • Add spinach and cook until soft, stirring in a splash of water from time to time in order to release flavours from bottom of the pan and to maintain the consistency you like.
  • Stir in paneer and cook 2-3 minutes to heat through. Spoon into a bowl and serve with naan.
  • *Omit this step if you are in the mood for a milder, creamier flavour. Simply add paneer to the cooked spinach at the end and heat through.