The Ultimate Saag Paneer
The Ultimate Saag Paneer recipe is pure MAGIC! Soft paneer chunks in a creamy mustard greens & spinach sauce. Every bite will melt in your mouth. A true Indian comfort food meal.
Servings: 6
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 300 g mustard greens washed, roots trimmed
- 300 g spinach leaves washed, roots trimmed if using mature spinach
- 2 large onions cut into chunks
- 4 large cloves garlic peeled
- 6 cm piece ginger peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 green chillies chopped
- Small pinch baking soda
- 250 ml water
- 2 tbsp fine cornmeal
- 25 g ghee or unsalted butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 450 g shop-bought or homemade paneer cubed
- 2 tsp oil
For the tadka:
- 100g g ghee or unsalted butter
- 1 dried red chilli whole
- 1 black cardamom whole
- 2 large onions finely sliced
- 3-4 green chillies chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic finely sliced
To serve:
- Red onions finely sliced
- Chopped chillies
- Extra ghee or butter
Instructions
To prepare the mustard greens and spinach
- Wash the mustard greens and spinach thoroughly to remove any dirt or grit. Drain. Finely chop the stalks and then chop the leaves into 1cm shreds. If you're using baby leaf spinach, there's no need to trim or chop it — just add it in whole.
- In a large pressure cooker, add the mustard greens, spinach, onions, garlic, ginger, water and baking soda. Fix the lid onto the pot and cook for 10 minutes (4 whistles). You can also simmer in a pot with a tight-fitting lid for 25-30 minutes or give it 5 minutes of high pressure in an Instant Pot.
- While this cooks, pan-fry the paneer on all sides until golden. Once golden, put the paneer in to a large bowl and add enough boiling water to cover. Soak for 10 minutes and then drain. This will make the paneer chunks extra soft and remove any excess oil.
For the tadka (tempering)
- Melt 100g ghee in the same pot and add the dried red chilli, black cardamom, sliced onions and salt. The salt will help the onions cook quickly. Sauté over a med-low heat for 20 minutes until the onions are lightly golden brown and then add the sliced garlic and chillies. Cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Pour in the blended saag and garam masala. Cook for a further 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and check there's enough salt for you.
- Add the paneer, heat through and serve. This recipe pairs perfectly with paratha, makki ki roti (cornmeal roti) or wholewheat rotis.
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
- Freeze the Saag Paneer in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and ensure food is piping hot before serving.
- For a vegan option: Replace the paneer with firm tofu (no need to soak in water after browning) and use vegan butter.