Saag paneer is an Indian dish consisting of a pool of soft spinach stew studded with cubes of firm paneer cheese. The spinach is “saag” and the cheese is “paneer.” Here spinach is enriched with mustard greens which add deep mineral green flavor. I made this mustard green saag paneer twice over the holidays because my family kept requesting it.
I am sometimes cautious about ordering saag paneer in restaurants because the flavor can be bland when prepared for timid American palates. However I was fortunate to discover this perfect and vibrant recipe in Raghavan Iyer’s cookbook 660 Curries, which is also the source of the fabulous and spicy version of muttar paneer that I shared over the summer. Not only is the spice blend here lovely, but Iyer’s insight to add mustard greens makes the dish more pungent and flavorful. This is a wonderfully enjoyable way to eat your greens.
For those of you unfamiliar with paneer, it’s a dense Indian cheese that holds its shape when folded into hot curries. It is often pan-fried before being added to curries (although many Indian restaurants cut corners by tossing in small cold cubes). You can find paneer in Indian groceries, and some Arab markets in my area carry it as well. When I visit Indian groceries, I often buy several packages of paneer, and store it in the freezer so that I always have it on hand. If you freeze yours, remember to thaw it before using. If you are unable to find paneer in your area, the greens in this dish are so delicious that you could easily enjoy it without the paneer. Sometimes I substitute boiled quartered potatoes, which turns the dish into “saag aloo.”
Ingredients
- 6-8 ounces fresh spinach leaves
- 1 large bunch mustard greens
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 cloves
- cardamom seeds from 3 green cardamom pods
- 1 dried red chili
- 1 medium onion
- 6 medium-size garlic cloves
- 2 inch piece of ginger
- 2 tablespoons light oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1.5 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 14-18 ounces paneer cheese
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
