A North Indian delicacy, it’s hard not to love the rich, thick creamy spinach with succulent, almost melting Paneer chunks ready to be scooped with an Indian Flatbread.
A dish that packs plenty of flavor, saag paneer is a well-loved vegetarian side dish, made of spinach and other leafy greens (saag) and paneer (Indian cottage cheese). The word saag is derived from the Sanskrit word shaak (??ka) meaning leafy green vegetables.
The fresh vibrant color just brightens up any plate and can make anybody hungry. Its a weekly staple in our house since my kids adore this dish so much.
Easy Saag Paneer
- Total Time: 26 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
A North Indian delicacy,its hard not to love the rich, thick creamy spinach with succulent, almost melting Paneer chunks ready to be scooped with an Indian Flatbread.
Ingredients
Scale
- Fresh Spinach-2 Packets (6oz each)
- Paneer- 250 gms
- Cumin Seeds-1 tsp
- 2 medium Onions-chopped fine
- Crushed Ginger- 2 tsp
- Crushed Garlic-2 tsp
- Tomato – 2
- Ground Coriander-2 tsp
- Ground Cumin- 1 tsp
- Garam Masala-1/2 tsp
- Red chili powder-1/2 tsp
- Sour creme or heavy cream-1 tbsp
- Oil-3 tbsp
- Salt- to taste
Instructions
- Boil the spinach for two minutes in a cup of water.Once its cool, puree until all smooth.
- Puree the tomatoes.
- Cube the paneer and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a deep skillet and add the cumin seeds.
- Once it splutters add onions and saute until slightly golden.
- Add ginger and garlic and saute until raw smell disappears.
- Add the tomato puree and spices,salt and cook on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the pureed spinach and paneer and let it simmer on medium heat until paneer is soft.Add a little water if its too thick.
- Add the sour creme or heavy cream.Turn off the heat.
- Serve hot with Roti or Naan!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 6 mins
- Category: Side
I made this for dinner last night. Super Yummy, but it was waterier than I remember. Was I supposed to drain the spinach after boiling it?
Hi Michelle,yes you just need a little water to make the spinach paste.Maybe my instructions weren’t clear.Glad you liked it :) Thanks!
Hi, can potato be substituted for the paneer in this recipe?
Yes you can use potato.Peel the skin and dice the potato.It’ll be a totally different dish but that’s also yummy..:)
This turned out very well. I didn’t have garam masala so i used tandoori masala instead. Next time I will get garam masala and follow your instructions closer, I bet it will be even better!
This is the BEST saag paneer recipe I’ve ever made! It’s a family favorite now and we make it whenever we make Indian food. Tonight I made it as an accompaniment to Instant Pot chicken Biryani! Thank you!
Terrific dish. Everything was perfect, the consistency, spice and appearance. And it’s healthy!