Saag Paneer
OK, this has got to be my all time favourite curry.
If it is on the menu when eating out I will always order it and if I am inviting friends around for dinner it is frequently on the menu.
Yes, I have made my own paneer BUT life is to short!!
The key to tasty paneer is frying and then chilling the cheese first.
Have fun with this dish and I hope you like it as much as I do.
Enjoy
L xx
Ingredients
3tbsp coconut oil
1tbsp turmeric
1tsp chilli powder
450g paneer, cut into 3cm cubes
500g spinach (frozen or fresh)
1 large white onion
3 garlic cloves, finely rated
thumb-sized piece of root ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger
1 green chilli, roughly chopped, (include seeds for extra spice)
1 tsp garam masala
½ lemon, juiced
6 salad tomatoes, skinned and chopped
Method
1. Melt 1tbsp of coconut oil in a frying pan. Add a few chunks of paneer into the pan at a time, careful it likes to spit!! Frying on all sides until brown. Once all the sides are brown quickly add to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
2. In a lager pan heat the remaining oil and once warm add the dry spices and cook until they start to release their smells.
3. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and green chilli. Cook until the onion begins to soften and take up the spices.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and allow to cook down.
5. If using frozen spinach, microwave for 3-5 mins, then place in a sieve and squeeze out most of the water. If using fresh spinach, place in a colander, pour over boiling water, drain and cool, then put in a tea towel and squeeze out most of the water. Roughly chop. If using baby spinach just use as it is.
6. Add the spinach and cook for a further 2-3 mins, adding 100ml water to release all the flavours from the bottom of the pan. Add the paneer and cook for 2-3 mins to heat through. Spoon into bowls and squeeze over a little lemon juice, to serve.
Be creative with your spices. I often add cumin, coriander and mustard seeds to the oil at the beginning of cooking process. This adds a little crunch to the finished curry.
If you like it a little spicier, add a red chilli rather than a green.
If you like more of a milder curry a tin of coconut milk added with the spinach rather than the tomatoes makes a lovely creamy curry.
