I am a creature of habit. I'm not the kind of person who opts for something new and unusual on a menu - I'm much more likely to go for something I've had and enjoyed before. Why choose something you might not like, when you can have an old favourite instead? So for me, Indian food pretty much always means saag paneer.
Spinach + cheese = heaven. Why would you go for anything else?
This saag paneer took me about 30 minutes to make because, if I'm honest, I can be quite slow in the kitchen and it takes me forever to chop an onion (...should I be admitting this as a food blogger?). I know the 'proper' way to do it, but it still takes me ages - and it doesn't help that I get distracted every few seconds and stop to do something else, like jotting down the recipe or cuddling the dog. If you're some kind of onion chopping ninja and you have an attention span of more than 30 seconds, you could probably get your saag paneer on the table in more like 20 or 25 minutes. Perhaps we should have a saag paneer-off.
However long it takes you, this saag paneer is really easy to make. I used frozen spinach because it's really convenient, and it also gives the texture I wanted. You could use fresh spinach instead if you prefer, but it may end up looking slightly different. If you have a big bag of fresh spinach in the fridge though, it is a great way to use up the whole lot in one fell swoop.
Saag paneer is a really simple curry, with only a few major ingredients. The creamy paneer is an amazing contrast to the spicy spinach (drooling a little as I type this...). It can either be served as a side dish or as a meal in its own right, with rice or naan bread for dipping. Either way, it's delicious.
30 minute saag paneer
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 225 g paneer cheese, diced (~ 1 ⅔ cups when diced)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ginger puree
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 500 g frozen spinach (~ 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon creme fraiche (I used half fat)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and add the sliced onion and diced paneer. Cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until the onion is soft and the paneer is starting to turn golden brown.
- While the paneer is cooking, start to defrost the spinach in a bowl in the microwave. Don't worry if it's still a little bit icy - I cooked mine for about 3 minutes.
- When the onion and paneer are ready, add the garlic, ginger, spices, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for one more minute to toast the spices.
- Next add the tomato puree and maple syrup, then the defrosted spinach (including any liquid). Mix well and cook for 5 more minutes, until everything is piping hot. You can add a dash of water if the mixture seems too dry (though the creme fraiche will loosen it up a bit too).
- Remove from the heat, and stir through the creme fraiche. Serve warm.
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for ⅓ of the recipe.
Frozen spinach is also perfect for making my healthy spinach dip - it gives a brilliant texture!
Jet says
Thanks for this post. I really want to try making saag paneer.
Charlie @ The Kitchen Shed says
This looks amazing. I am still yet to try paneer! I love saag aloo though so I imagine this can only be better!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Saag aloo is great, but cheese beats potato for me ;)
[email protected] says
Hi Becca, this looks so good. Definitely going try this soon. I can't believe I haven't found your blog sooner being a cheese loving vegetarian myself :)
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Well I'm glad you've found me now :)
janie says
So glad I'm not the only one that gets sooooo easily distracted!
Janie x
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Haha definitely not, it's so hard when you're your own boss - nobody around to tell you to focus!
Annabel says
I haven't tried sag paneer yet, although I have used spinach in other curries. I've only recently started to like it - I used to find the taste too overpowering, but the baby spinach they sell in packs is just about right. I must try this, and see what I think....
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
That's really interesting because I don't find spinach has much flavour at all! I can imagine the texture might put some people off, but I love it :)
Kate @ VeggieDesserts says
Oooh, this saag paneer looks absolutely delicious!
SAR says
OMG!! I love saag paneer. I have some paneer from the Indian market in my freezer. Yum! Thank you!!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I've never even thought of freezing it - good tip :) It usually doesn't last that long in my house!
Sarahd says
I love saag paneer! But I can think of ONE reason not to order it every time: veggie korma! If you've never had it, trust me! So good!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Haha! I actually find a korma a bit too rich sometimes!
Dan Humphreys says
Oh wow! I'm cooking my first rogan josh and the weekend and this saag paneer is going to go perfectly with it. Thank you so much!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Enjoy! :)
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says
We always get saag paneer as a side - one of my favourites - paneer is so good in a curry.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I often get a saag paneer side and a tarka dal side, and don't bother with a main course :) It's always a winner!