Saag Paneer

Hey you guys, Happy Friday!
Today, I present to you, my go to recipe for Saag Paneer.  Saag, quite simply, refers to mixed greens (spinach, mustard greens, fenugreek leaves etc.). Saag Paneer is an all time favorite among my friends and family and makes regular appearance at dinner parties and regular weekday dinners. The recipe below is my version of Saag Paneer which does not include heavy cream and does not involve frying paneer unlike the restaurant dish. The end result is still delicious if not better – a thick, silky smooth green curry simmered in spices with cubes of paneer. It’s like a flavor explosion in the mouth. The very same curry can be used to make Saag Choley or Saag Aloo. For Saag Choley, substitute paneer with organic canned chickpea and for Saag Aloo, substitute the paneer with potato. The cooking time for Saag Aloo is a little longer as potatoes take more time to cook.
In order to make this recipe, there is no need for a gazillion complicated ingredients. You need some basic spices and ingredients that are readily available. If you don’t have mixed greens, feel free to use all spinach. I used frozen spinach and fenugreek leaves, you can use whatever you have on hand. Play around with the spices and make it the way you like it. Trust me, the outcome will be delightful!
Hope y’all have a great weekend! xx

Ingredients
2 Cups Frozen Mixed Greens, thawed (I used a mix of spinach and fenugreek leaves)
1 Small Onion, chopped
1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
1  Small Tomato, chopped
1 Cup Paneer, cubed
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Turmeric
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder, or more to taste
1 Teaspoon Gram Flour/ Besan
1 Tablespoon Low Fat Plain Yoghurt
Salt to Taste
1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala or Achaar Masala, optional
2 Teaspoon Cooking Oil

Process

1. Heat oil in a shallow pan on medium-high heat and add cumin seeds.
2. Once the cumin seeds, start to crackle, add onions and salt, saute for 2 minutes. Now add ginger garlic paste and chopped tomatoes and cover the pan. Cook for another minute.
3. Add the greens to the pan and stir well. Cover and cook for five minutes.
4. Turn the heat off, and the let the mixture cool down slightly, for 5 minutes or so.
5. Add the mixture to a blender and make a paste.
6. On medium heat, pour the mixture in the same pan, and add the dry spices (chili powder, ground coriander, ground turmeric and garam masala if using). Stir everything well.
7. Add the gram flour into the pan and mix well making sure that no lumps are formed. Add yoghurt and a cup of water and cover the pan. Let everything simmer for 6-8 minutes.
8. Add the paneer cubes to the curry, stir gently and cook for another minute.
9. Serve warm with your choice of naan or roti. (Leftovers stay for up to a week in the refrigerator).

Enjoy! 🙂