Description
Saag Paneer is a popular North Indian vegetarian dish made with paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cooked in a spiced, creamy spinach-based sauce. It’s hearty, flavorful, and pairs beautifully with naan or rice.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 250g paneer, cubed
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 1 green chili, chopped (optional)
- 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped (or 2 cups frozen spinach, thawed)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cream or yogurt (optional, for creaminess)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat oil or ghee in a pan and lightly fry the paneer cubes until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
- Add onions and sauté until soft and golden.
- Stir in garlic, ginger, and green chili. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted (or heated through if using frozen).
- Transfer mixture to a blender and blend into a coarse or smooth paste, as preferred. Return to the pan.
- Add coriander, turmeric, garam masala, salt, and water. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in cream or yogurt (if using), then add fried paneer cubes and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Finish with lemon juice, garnish with more cream or cilantro if desired, and serve hot.
Notes
- Paneer can be soaked in warm water after frying to keep it soft.
- Blend spinach to your preferred texture—smooth for palak paneer style or chunky for rustic saag paneer.
- This dish can also be made with mustard greens or a mix of leafy greens.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 360mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 60mg