Cooks Club

Saag Paneer

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At a Glance

Difficulty
Moderate

About this Recipe

Of all the things Rosie makes with paneer, this is the one she calls possibly her most favourite. In her words, it is delightfully simple but combines spices, textures and flavours in such a delicate way. Cubes of paneer are tossed in ghee with Turmeric and Indian Cayenne, fried until golden, and folded through spinach cooked down with onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli and Indian Garam Masala.

Make it with the paneer from her recipe, chilled first so the cubes hold together in the pan. The step that matters is the onion. Give it a full ten minutes over low heat until it turns toasted and caramel in colour, since that's where the sauce gets its depth. Then taste and season before the paneer goes back in, as Rosie tells every home cook to do.

Instructions

1

In a large pan, melt the ghee or oil.

2

Whisk in the turmeric and chilli powder.

3

Add the cubed paneer and mix well.

4

Set aside.

5

Place the fresh spinach in a colander, pour over boiling water, and drain.

6

Cool the spinach, then put it in a tea towel, making sure to roll and squeeze out the water.

7

Roughly chop the spinach.

8

Finely chop the onion, the garlic, the ginger and the green chilli.

9

Cook the paneer in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat for around 8 minutes, making sure to toss the pan so that the paneer becomes golden all over.

10

Remove the paneer and set aside on a plate.

11

Add the spices to the pan.

12

Tip the onion mix into the pan, add a pinch of salt and turn the heat down.

13

Fry the mix until it becomes toasted and caramel in colour, about 10 minutes. (Add a spoonful of water if it looks dry.)

14

Add the garam masala and stir to coat the onion mix.

15

Continue to fry for 2 mins.

16

Mix in the chopped spinach and then cook for another 2-3 minutes. (If you add 100ml water, it will help to release all of the flavours from the bottom of the pan.)

17

Season to taste.

18

Add the paneer and cook for another 2-3 minutes, making sure that the mixture is hot.

19

Spoon into bowls and add a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.

Notes & Tips

  • Frozen spinach: You can use frozen spinach in this recipe. Just microwave the spinach for 3-5 minutes, then place it in a sieve and chop, and then start at step 4.
  • Making the paneer ahead: Rosie's paneer keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, and chilling it before cooking helps the cubes stay intact.
  • More heat: Leave the seeds in the green chilli.

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Ingredients

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