Saag Paneer
Modified from the Food Network recipe by Aarti Sequeira
There are several unusual ingredients in this recipe.
• Paneer is an Indian cheese, available at many ethnic grocery stores. Farmer cheese, dry curd cottage cheese, and firm versions of quark are good substitutes but are also not common in most mega-markets. On the other hand queso blanco or queso fresco are readily available in many parts of the US and they have a similar flavor profile, but are more crumbly than paneer. Paneer can be made at home, but that is another recipe for another time.
• Peppers are called for and you can use almost any type of pepper in this dish. Choose by the level of heat you like best. Serrano chilies are a good place to start. For hotter recipes try Thai chilies or some of the hot Hatch chilies you can purchase in the late summer here in Texas. Anaheim and poblano peppers will decrease the overall spiciness of the dish.
Removing the seeds also decreases the “heat” and bitterness in the finished dish. We keep a box of “exam” gloves (available in the paint section at Lowes or Home Depot if you don’t frequent medical supply houses) in the kitchen to use when we prepare hot peppers. It makes taking your contacts out at night much less painful!
• Garam Masala is found at most ethnic groceries or it is better to make your own (see below). There are as many variations on this spice blend as there are Indian chefs!
• For best flavor we prefer to use whole cumin seeds and grind them when we need them. Put them in a dry skillet and cook over medium heat until you get a whiff of toasted cumin and the seeds are just a bit darker than before. Then grind them in an impact mill. (We use a cheap coffee mill dedicated to spice grinding, but a blender or even a mortar and pestle will work.)
• Yogurt is called for and this is best with full fat yogurt (4% milk fat) but that can be hard to find and non-fat yogurt will work. However, this little bit of fat makes a lot of difference in the smoothness of the finished flavor.
Yield: 4 smallish servings or two entrée size meals.
Time: 1 hour from start to finish, less if you use prepared spices.
Ingredients
12 oz (or so) paneer, cut into 1-inch cubes.
1 tsp turmeric, ground
1/2 tsp cayenne
Kosher salt to taste
4 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb fresh spinach, coarsely chopped. (Frozen chopped spinach is a fine substitute)
1 med white onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger root, peeled and minced (about a 1-inch thumb))
4 – 8 clvs garlic, minced
1 lg green serrano chili, finely chopped
1/2 tsp garam masala.
2 tsp coriander, ground
1 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 large cinnamon sticks or 3 tablespoons of cinnamon bark bits. In a pinch, a 1 ½ tbsp. of ground cinnamon will also work)
3 tablespoons whole cloves
1/4 cup green cardamom pods, shelled, husks discarded (about 2 tablespoons of seeds)
4 large black cardamom pods, shelled, husks discarded (about 1 tablespoon of seeds), optional
Preparation of Masala:
Combine all ingredients and pulverize in an impact mill, blender or mortar and pestle until ground fine. Will store well for several months at room temperature if tightly sealed, but the best flavor is obtained when prepared fresh.
Saag Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss, taking care not to break the cubes too much. Marinate the paneer while completing your mise en place.
Chop spinach (thaw first in the microwave if using frozen spinach). Some people like to puree the spinach, but we find the texture a bit too much like baby food for our liking.
Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.
Turn the heat down to medium low and add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chili. Sauté the mixture until it's evenly toffee-colored, which should take about 15 minutes. If the mixture appears to be drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. Continue to sprinkle a little water into the mixture to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often for 3 to 5 minutes.
Chef Sequeira says that the mixture is done when it smells harmonious, Chef Indalita would call the same thing “marrying the flavors”.
Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add 1/2 cup of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off. Salt to taste.
Turn the heat off. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve.
Serve with your choice(s) of Basmati rice, naan or roti these last two are styles of Indian bread, flour tortillas are a good substitute). We like to pair it with quinoa to up the protein content of the dish. A cucumber salad with yogurt dressing makes a nice side dish.
A simple variation is to omit the paneer entirely and use this as a side dish to something else. Traditionally, Indian cooks will use many different kinds of greens in place of spinach, including fenugreek and sorrel as well as a lot of others I have never seen in the US.