Saag Paneer Recipes

Steps:

• Melt the ghee, whisk in with the turmeric and chilli powder, then add the cubed paneer and toss well. Set aside. If using frozen spinach, microwave for 3-5 mins, then place in a sieve and squeeze out most of the water. If using fresh spinach, place in a colander, pour over boiling water, drain and cool, then put in a tea towel and squeeze out most of the water. Roughly chop.
• Blitz the onion with the garlic, ginger and green chilli. Cook the paneer in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat for around 8 mins, tossing the pan so they become golden all over. Remove and set aside on a plate, leaving spices behind in the pan. Tip the onion mix into the pan, add a pinch of salt and turn the heat down. Fry until caramel coloured, around 10 mins, adding a splash of water if it looks a little dry. Add the garam masala, stir to coat the onion mix, fry for 2 mins.
• Add the spinach and cook for a further 2-3 mins, adding 100ml water to release all the flavours from the bottom of the pan. Add the paneer and cook for 2-3 mins to heat through. Spoon into bowls and squeeze over a little lemon juice, to serve.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons vegetable oil. Drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.
• Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes, then transfer to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Puree in a food processor until smooth. (Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.) Set aside.
• Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes, flip the paneer; each piece should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so and then remove the paneer from the pan to a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the pan. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, chile and a pinch of salt. Now here?s the important part: Sauté the mixture until it?s evenly toffee-colored, which should take about 15 minutes. Don?t skip this step?this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
• Add the coriander, cumin and garam masala. If you haven?t already, sprinkle in a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cooks out and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Stir in a little salt and 1/2 cup water. Cook 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Stir in the yogurt a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 2 minutes.

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook spinach and fenugreek in the boiling water until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor. Puree until finely chopped, about 5 pulses.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry paneer cubes, stirring constantly, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in the skillet and fry the cumin seeds until lightly toasted and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add onion; cook and stir until onion begins to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, garlic, tomato, garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne pepper; cook and stir until tomatoes break down and onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in spinach and fenugreek, cream, paneer cubes, and salt to taste. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Steps:

• In a food processor, working in batches, pulse spinach until minced but not puréed. Do not pack the spinach too tightly or it won't get evenly chopped. You should have about 3 packed cups of minced spinach.
• Heat 1 tablespoon ghee over medium in a large nonstick skillet. When it shimmers, add paneer and cook, turning occasionally, until golden all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs or a fish spatula, transfer cheese to a plate, leaving as much ghee as possible in the skillet.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, add the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee and the onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add ginger, garlic and chile, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and well incorporated, 1 minute. Stir in coriander and cumin until well blended.
• Add minced spinach and 1/2 cup water, and increase the heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is completely soft and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in heavy cream and paneer until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Divide rice and flatbread among 4 shallow bowls or plates. Pass the saag paneer to spoon on top.

Steps:

• 1) Make onion paste. We made tons - 5 onions sliced, put oil in pot on med/high. Cook, stirring occasionally, for "a long time maybe 10 mins", well past onions are translucent, instead they should be carmelized and turning brown. Add water until it is mushy. Then use a hand blender or a food processor and turn it into a paste.
• 2) Add 1/4 cup oil to the pot. Add onion paste, we added 1 cup which is probably 1 1/2 onions. Add 2 tbsp ginger paste, 1 1/2 tbsp garlic paste. Cook for 5 - 10 mins "The cook time is very forgiving, and is the base of most pakistani food. If you added meat, you would do it now.".
• 3) Turn to low heat. Add 5 dried red peppers, 2 bay leaves, 2 whole cardamoms, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 3 whole cloves, 1/8 tsp tumeric, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp coriander, 2 tsp cumin.
• 4) Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, then add 4 diced roma tomatoes. Heat back up to med-high. Cook 3-5 minutes, mush tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup water. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste. Add 24 oz frozen mustard leaves (2 bags) and 48 oz frozen spinach (2 jumbo bags).
• 5) Boil for half an hour (from frozen state, with lid on). Once it is done, add 2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp butter. Cook some more, maybe 15 mins, to boil off the last water. "Cook until any more would burn the food. Get rid of most the water. Leave some for paneer to absorb.".
• 6) Fry the paneer. Cut 12-16 oz of paneer into cubes, splash bottom of wok with oil. Add 1 tbsp salt. Fry, stirring frequently, until edges are brown & crusty.
• 7) Add fried paneer to the pot. Cover and simmer for approx 20 minutes Let the paneer "absorb the juices".
• 8) Serve with naan (Indian/Pakistani flatbread).

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup water to boil in a pot big enough to hold the spinach. Add the spinach, chopped pepper, and fenugreek. Cover the pan and cook gently for 25 minutes.
• In a separate pan, heat the oil, add the onions, and fry until they start to brown. Add the ginger and tomatoes, and cook at low heat for 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens a bit. Remove from heat or time this to be done once the spinach is pureed (below).
• When the spinach is done, make it into a coarse puree (people disagree on how pureed it should be, use your own taste). I recommend a stick blender right in the pot you cook it in, or a masher can work as well. The amount of liquid present determines the consistency of your saag. Add the cornmeal, and cook the spinach gently for another 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato mixture to he spinach. Then add the salt, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and cook gently for another 3-5 minutes. Add the paneer, and cook for another 5 minutes, covered.
• Serve with rice.