Garam masala, coriander, ginger, and garlic flavor this creamy, spinach-based saag dish with seared pieces of paneer cheese. The recipe can be adjusted to be served with chicken, if desired.
I was introduced to Indian cuisine a few years after I had left home. It was during a college road trip: cars brimming with bodies, the trunk packed with an assortment of duffel bags as none of us even owned proper luggage at that point nor had the desire to use it.
There was a drive across the flat, Midwestern expanse that surrounds the Twin Cities as we headed for a bigger city and better adventures that would surely be had if we could only reach them. The windows were rolled down, letting the current of air carry us forward, whipping hair in our eyes leaving us blind but for our desire to leave behind what we knew.
We ended up in Chicago, two carfuls of shorts-clad legs, our heads precariously balancing on top, full from the weight of the world our coursework was trying to cram into them. We explored the shoreline of Lake Michigan, the wicked wind slapping our faces raw, and then we headed down Devon Avenue towards Little India.
Not even a block in, the smells started to overwhelm our nose. Coriander and cumin, cardamom and cinnamon, the sharp tang of garlic, their individual scents melding together into something warm and round wafting down the street, causing your stomach to rumble in anticipation.
The menu gave no description, just foreign words on yellowing cardstock, but bowls of basmati rice and white porcelain dishes filled with brightly colored sauces holding chunks of meat and paneer started to arrive, as well as a basket of fresh naan, gleaming from a healthy brush of ghee across the top.
In an instant, what was unfamiliar became comforting.
Indian food has a distinct aroma, the mixing of toasted spices that knocks you over on impact. These days I just need to open my windows to have my neighbor’s cooking invade the house. Warm, comforting dishes and tandoor-seared meats served with soft breads of naan and chapati have become my go-to dishes for late family meals, and saag, with its springtime greens cooked down has become a favorite to serve on the patio when the chill is still present in the spring air, mimicking the shores of Lake Michigan.
Notes:
- This dish can be made with chicken or another meat. Simply replace the paneer cheese with 1″ chunks of chicken, sear, and then add back into the spinach along with the water and cook through.
- It is not necessary to serve this with both rice and roti, but oven-baked naan or chapati are both commonly served. I made chapati this time, which I’ll be sharing later this week.
- I had the recipe call for ghee or coconut oil, but you could also use a vegetable oil. Making your own ghee is pretty easy, though, if you’re so inclined.
5 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust amount to personal heat preference)
10 ounces paneer, cut into 1″ cubes
1 onion, diced
1 2″ knob ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic
1 serrano chile, minced (can substitute a jalapeño)
4 whole black peppercorns
3 green cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
salt
Rinse the spinach and remove any touch stems, but do not dry. Add the spinach to a large sauté pan and cook over medium heat just until wilted. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add in 3 tablespoons of the ghee or oil. In a bowl, combine turmeric and cayenne. Toss the paneer cubes in the mixture and then add to the pan.
Cook the paneer, stirring after one minute to flip the pieces and allow them to brown on the opposite side. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining ghee/oil to the pan along with the onion, ginger, garlic, chile, peppercorns, cardamom pods, and cloves. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the onions start to caramelize slightly, adding a tablespoon of water if the mixture starts to dry out. Mix in the garam masala, cumin, coriander and continue to cook, 3-5 minutes.
While the spices and aromatics are cooking, chop the wilted spinach or puree it in a food processor or blender. Add the spinach and the tomato to pan with the onion and spices. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until the water has cooked into the dish.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the yogurt, honey, and the paneer pieces. Return the pan to the heat and cook until heated through. Salt to taste and serve.
Makes 4-5 servings.
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[…] then a few more to let it rest and soften as you prepare the rest of your dinner. (May I suggest a saag paneer to dip warm rounds in?) Chapati also make a good vehicle for lunch wraps filled with any variety of […]
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[…] cheese experiment has been extremely impressed. After making the cheese, I used it in a Saag Paneer recipe that was a major hit with […]
Wow, my meals are never this exotic! I need to change that ASAP.
Wow, my meals are never this exotic! I need to change that ASAP.
So hungry now, even though dinner was steak. You can cook me Indian any time, my friend. Gorgeous!
We are big fans of Indian food over here too!
I need to make this. I have tried Indian food in a restaurant and loved it, now I need to introduce my family to those wonderful flavors!
Shaina, it was so good to see you last weekend!
Indian food is truly one of my comfort foods, and your photos and descriptions are making me hungry.
Addition of curd is new for me ,curry looks delicious
The way you describe the Indian Food is MAKING ME HUNGRY!
Oh how I love paneer. Definitely comforting and it’s definitely been too long since I’ve had it! Fixing that soon.
I love Indian food as well. I first tried it through some friends that I met who were Sikhs. I remember thinking it was the most disgusting looking food I had ever seen but I couldn’t refuse trying it because my friends had gone to so much work. It didn’t take long before I fell in love with it. Truly delicious stuff! Thanks for this recipe – can’t wait to try making it myself!
YES. YES. YES. I am so excited for this. Ugh!
Oh I’ve been wanting to make my own saag paneer but haven’t gotten around to it yet. This looks too good for me to wait on any longer!
These flavors have me drooling. I wish I had a plate of this right now!
I’m so glad you posted this recipe b/c when I saw it on instagram I got an instant craving for Indian food! I was just introduced to it a few years ago, and LOVE it. The spices are so intriguing to me and I am really trying to learn to cook it at home. This looks so delicious!!
This is one of those meals I’d never think to cook at home! Although I have made naan, that’s about where my specialty cuisine ends in my own kitchen 🙂 I do love eating it out though!
thanks……now I’m hungry!! looks amazing Shaina
Wow…you had me right there with you…walking into Little India. This sounds lovely and something I want to try.
My coworkers and I just had this for lunch! You’re right — I love how the unfamiliar can become comforting so quickly. This looks beautiful.
I recognized 3 of the 5 words in your title, so thats an improvement. 🙂 Sounds delish!
Hilarious. Three is better than none, though, right?
I always love Indian food, but enjoy it far too little. This dish sounds awesome, especially with visions of MN college kids wandering through Chicago.
Confession: I really don’t go out for Indian food that much because I’m always afraid the food will arrive with heaping helpings of cumin, a spice I detest. This? I can make it exactly how I want it… or you can just make it for me.
Where would one get paneer? I would love to challenge myself to make my own… I love Trader Joe’s paneer dish in the frozen food section, hah
Love those spices! Super-comforting dish. Thanks for the recipe!
Saag Paneer is one of my favorite Indian meals – looks fantastic!
This look delicious! Yum!
Star anise makes everything better in my opinion. Love the flavor profiles!
Sounds amazing! We’ve been trying more Indian dishes lately and this is going on the list, although I’ll probably have to do the chicken version for the hubby. 😉
Looks absolutely delicious. Keep up the good work.
Made this tonight and it was soooo delicious! I will be adding it to my favorite recipes. Thank you for sharing.