Saag Paneer Recipe
No Naan-sense
What is special about this saag paneer recipe?
Creamy, dreamy, and packed with spinachy goodness! 🥬🧀 This Saag Paneer recipe gives you the cosy bowl of comfort you’ve been craving.
You’ll love it if…
… you’re looking for your favourite Indian restaurant flavour, at home. Saag Paneer is earthy, velvety, and irresistibly creamy.
Do you have those quotes from random movies you watched obsessively during childhood that pop into your brain at random moments? Well I do. Mine is Miss Piggy lovingly telling Kermit the Frog “I just love your eyes. They’re like two ping pong balls floating in a pond of green algae.”
This is what I thought of when I saw this saag paneer. Kermit the frog, not algae. But you have to admit, the brilliant green of the spinach and the white of the paneer cheese, it really is mesmerising.
It’s also the perfect cosy bowl of comfort. Curried smooth spinach meets delicious melty paneer.
Indeed, a feast for the eyes and for the tongue. I can only hope that you have the same enduring love for this saag paneer recipe that Miss Piggy has for Kermit the Frog.
Gather the Ingredients, Blanch the Spinach
Blanch the spinach by putting the leaves in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, strain and then submerge in a bowl of ice water.
Prepare the Spinach Purée and Paneer
Lightly brown paneer cubes in a pan with cooking oil.
Blend spinach, mint, coriander, and green chili into a smooth purée, adding a little water if needed.
Sauté onions, ginger-garlic paste, and spices in ghee until translucent and slightly caramelized. Mix in the spinach purée.
Combine
Stir in the paneer.
Finish with fenugreek, butter, lemon zest and juice, and cream for a rich, flavourful curry.
Serve and Enjoy!
Optionally temper some whole spices in hot ghee till they sizzle and pour over the saag paneer.
- Blanch the spinach : I really recommend not skipping this step – blanching helps retain the vibrant green colour and reduces bitterness, enhancing the dish’s appearance and taste.
- Puree for texture : You can leave the spinach without pureeing it, but the texture is more velvety if you blend it.
- Use other green leafy vegetables : traditional saag can have various leafy greens like mustard greens, kale, or fenugreek leaves. Try any green leafy vegetables you enjoy
- Choose whether you fry the paneer or not : You can use the paneer without frying it in curry, but leave it in to absorb the flavours a little longer. It will be less firm and more soft than using the pre-fried paneer.
Saag Paneer
Ingredients
- 3 cups spinach blanched chopped (for instructions on how to blanch see recipe)
- 200 grams paneer
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves chopped
- 1 cup fresh coriander chopped
- ½ cup spring onions finely chopped
- ½ cup red onions finely chopped
- ¼ cup ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 2 tablespoons tomato purée
- 1 tablespoon black pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped green chilli
- ½ lemon zest and juice
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup cream
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- Salt to taste
For Tempering (optional)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 8-10 curry leaves
- 1 dried red chilli cut into 3-4 pieces
- 2 tablespoons ghee
Instructions
To blanch the spinach
- Put the uncooked spinach leaves in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes until the colour darkens.
- Remove from the heat, strain and immediately submerge into a bowl of cold water (ice water preferred)
For the Curry
- Purée 3 cups blanched spinach, 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, 1 cup fresh coriander, 1 tablespoon chopped green chilli. To help it blend you can add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- In a non stick pan on medium heat, add cubes of paneer and some cooking oil and lightly brown the paneer.
- In a fresh non-stick pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon ghee. Once hot add 1/2 cup each of chopped spring onions and red onions and 1/4 cup ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 30 seconds. Add in 1 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves, 2 tablespoons tomato purée, 2 tablespoons garam masala, 1 tablespoon black pepper powder and 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey.
- Sauté until the onions are translucent.
- Cook for another few minutes until the onions slightly caramelise.
- If you want a smooth finish, purée the onion mixture, but if you want a chunkier finish leave this as it is.
- In the same pan, turn the heat to low and add the spinach purée into the onion mix. Stir well for 2 minutes. Add in the browned paneer cubes and mix, stirring for another 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves, 2 tablespoons butter and the zest and juice from 1/2 lemon. Mix in for another 30 seconds.
- Turn off the heat and mix in 1/4 cup cream.
- Serve hot or leave for half an hour for the paneer to absorb all the flavours.
Optional Tempering Spices for finishing
- Two minutes before you’re ready to eat, in a small saucepan on high heat melt 2 tablespoons ghee, add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds.
- Once it starts to splutter add 8-10 curry leaves, 1 dried red chilli cut into 3-4 pieces.
- Once the curry leaves stop spluttering, swirl quickly for 5 seconds and immediately pour over the palak paneer curry.
- Serve and enjoy
Video
FAQ
Yes, traditional saag can have various leafy greens like mustard greens, kale, or fenugreek leaves. Feel free to mix them for a richer flavour.
Avoid overcooking; lightly brown the paneer and add it to the dish towards the end of cooking to maintain its soft texture. You can even use the paneer without frying it in curry, but leave it in to absorb the flavours a little longer. It will be less firm and more soft than using the pre-fried paneer.
Blanching helps retain the vibrant green colour and reduces bitterness, enhancing the dish’s appearance and taste.
Yes, substitute paneer with firm tofu and use plant-based alternatives for butter, ghee and cream to create a vegan version.
Serve it hot with naan, roti, or steamed basmati rice to complement the rich flavours of the dish.
