Saag paneer
Saag paneer
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Kitchen Indian cuisine
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Allergens Milk
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For who Vegetarians
The dish
Saag paneer is a vegetarian Indian dish from the Punjab region in the north of the country. Cubes of fresh, unsalted cheese (paneer) are served in a velvety, creamy sauce made from puréed leafy vegetables (saag). These often include spinach leaves (palak), fenugreek leaves, purslane and/or mustard leaves (kaisoi). The dish is eaten in winter, when the leafy vegetables are easily available, and is usually served with wholemeal roti, a kind of flatbread.
East vs west
Although saag paneer was originally made with a mixture of leafy vegetables, in the West, we use spinach (palak) almost exclusively. Since spinach was much easier to obtain than the other leafy vegetables typical for this dish when the recipe first arrived from the East, in restaurants outside India, saag paneer and palak paneer have become interchangeable.
Preparation
First, the paneer is made. By heating milk and mixing it with vinegar, it separates into solid and liquid components; curds and whey. After being left to cool slightly, the mixture is poured into a cheesecloth, wrung out and drained, then left to cool fully with a weight on top. The resulting white slab is crumbly and similar in appearance and texture to Italian ricotta or thick cottage cheese. This is then cut into cubes and baked in oil until it turns crispy and golden brown.
For the sauce, spinach (and/or other leafy vegetables) is blanched and then finely chopped or puréed. Onions, garlic, ginger, chilli (and sometimes tomatoes) are baked, before the finely chopped spinach and a selection of spices – roasted cumin, garam masala and turmeric – are stirred through. The cubes of paneer are then heated in the sauce. Some chefs swear by a dash of cream or a spoonful of yoghurt as the last step, while others stick to a drier variant.
How to eat
We see saag paneer as a side dish, but in India, it is eaten as a full main meal. Stuffed with nutrients and vitamins, saag paneer is a delicious dish, no matter what the serving size.
Attention!
Saag paneer is usually served with Indian bread: Chapati, roti, paratha or naan.
