Best 7 Saag Paneer Panir Indian Spinach And Cheese Recipes

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Saag paneer is a classic Indian dish that combines the flavors of spinach, paneer cheese, and a variety of spices. It is a versatile dish that can be served as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. Saag paneer is typically made with fresh spinach, but frozen spinach can also be used. The paneer cheese is a type of fresh cheese that is made from cow's milk. It has a slightly tangy flavor and a firm texture. Saag paneer is often served with rice, naan, or roti. It can also be served with a side of yogurt or raita.

Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!

SAAG PANEER



Saag Paneer image

Saag refers to an Indian vegetable dish in which spinach or other dark greens are stewed with ginger, garlic, fresh chiles and spices until meltingly soft. As the name suggests, saag paneer includes paneer, a mild Indian cheese that is firm enough to cook without melting. The heat of the serrano chiles balances the creamy richness, but for a milder dish, remove the seeds before mincing the chiles. The fresh greens are finely chopped before cooking, to help them break down faster into a silky gravy. Thawed chopped frozen spinach can be used to save time, but make sure to drain well and squeeze out the excess liquid first. Finish the dish with a little heavy cream (or plain yogurt) to lend body and richness.

Provided by Kay Chun

Categories     dinner, one pot, vegetables, main course

Time 35m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 pound fresh baby spinach (about 8 packed cups)
2 tablespoons ghee
8 ounces paneer, cut into 1-by-1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly grated peeled ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
2 teaspoons grated garlic (from about 3 cloves)
1 serrano chile, stemmed and minced
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup heavy cream
Steamed rice and Indian flatbread, for serving

Steps:

  • In a food processor, working in batches, pulse spinach until minced but not puréed. Do not pack the spinach too tightly or it won't get evenly chopped. You should have about 3 packed cups of minced spinach.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon ghee over medium in a large nonstick skillet. When it shimmers, add paneer and cook, turning occasionally, until golden all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs or a fish spatula, transfer cheese to a plate, leaving as much ghee as possible in the skillet.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, add the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee and the onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
  • Add ginger, garlic and chile, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and well incorporated, 1 minute. Stir in coriander and cumin until well blended.
  • Add minced spinach and 1/2 cup water, and increase the heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is completely soft and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes.
  • Stir in heavy cream and paneer until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl.
  • Divide rice and flatbread among 4 shallow bowls or plates. Pass the saag paneer to spoon on top.

AUTHENTIC SAAG PANEER



Authentic Saag Paneer image

Saag paneer is a classic Indian dish of cooked spinach studded with cubes of fried paneer cheese. Thickened with cream or coconut milk, it's a hearty and filling vegetarian meal.

Provided by Allrecipes

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     Asian     Indian

Time 1h

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 bunches spinach, roughly chopped
1 bunch fenugreek leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ pound paneer, cubed
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
2 teaspoons garam masala
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup heavy whipping cream
salt to taste

Steps:

  • Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook spinach and fenugreek in the boiling water until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor. Puree until finely chopped, about 5 pulses.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry paneer cubes, stirring constantly, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in the skillet and fry the cumin seeds until lightly toasted and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add onion; cook and stir until onion begins to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, garlic, tomato, garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne pepper; cook and stir until tomatoes break down and onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in spinach and fenugreek, cream, paneer cubes, and salt to taste. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 299 calories, Carbohydrate 18 g, Cholesterol 29 mg, Fat 19.9 g, Fiber 5.2 g, Protein 17.1 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, Sodium 479.9 mg, Sugar 2.9 g

SAAG PANEER



Saag Paneer image

Eat homemade Indian food tonight with Aarti Sequeira's Saag Paneer: Spinach with Indian Cheese recipe from Aarti Party on Food Network.

Provided by Aarti Sequeira

Time 1h20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces paneer, (Indian cheese, either store-bought or made from my recipe, recipe follows), cut into 1-inch cubes, see Cook's Note*
1 (16-ounce package) frozen chopped spinach
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 (1-inch thumb) ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green serrano chile, finely chopped (seeds removed if you don't like it spicy!)
1/2 teaspoon store-bought or homemade garam masala, recipe follows
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred until smooth
Cheesecloth
8 cups whole milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed, see Cook's Note*
3 large cinnamon sticks (if you have the kind you get at Indian stores, it's about 3 tablespoons of cinnamon bark bits)
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

Steps:

  • 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 if you're using the homemade kind. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.
  • Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes on high, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.
  • 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.
  • Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chile. Now here's the important part: saute the mixture until it's evenly toffee-coloured, which should take about 15 minutes. Don't skip this step - this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
  • Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven't already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add a little salt and 1/2 cup of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.
  • 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.
  • Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.
  • In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose). This will take a little while so be patient!
  • Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect!
  • Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta!
  • Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.
  • Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth!) and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.
  • Combine the cinnamon sticks, cloves, green cardamom seeds, black cardamom seeds, if using into a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind until fine. Store the spice mix in an airtight container away from direct sunlight.

SAAG PANEER



Saag paneer image

An Indian dish with plenty of flavour, saag paneer is a well-loved vegetarian side dish. It's rich in calcium and folate from the spinach and is gluten-free, too

Provided by Elena Silcock

Categories     Lunch, Side dish

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
450g paneer, cut into 3cm cubes
500g spinach, mature fresh or frozen
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves
thumb-sized piece of ginger
1 green chilli, roughly chopped, (include seeds for extra spice)
1 tsp garam masala
½ lemon, juiced, to serve

Steps:

  • Melt the ghee, whisk in with the turmeric and chilli powder, then add the cubed paneer and toss well. Set aside. 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.
  • Blitz the onion with the garlic, ginger and green chilli. Cook the paneer in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat for around 8 mins, tossing the pan so they become golden all over. Remove and set aside on a plate, leaving spices behind in the pan. Tip the onion mix into the pan, add a pinch of salt and turn the heat down. Fry until caramel coloured, around 10 mins, adding a splash of water if it looks a little dry. Add the garam masala, stir to coat the onion mix, fry for 2 mins.
  • 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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 326 calories, Fat 24 grams fat, SaturatedFat 15 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 4 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 3 grams sugar, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 22 grams protein, Sodium 0.2 milligram of sodium

SAAG PANEER (PANIR) - INDIAN SPINACH AND CHEESE



Saag Paneer (Panir) - Indian Spinach and Cheese image

Make and share this Saag Paneer (Panir) - Indian Spinach and Cheese recipe from Food.com.

Provided by Bunny Erica

Categories     Spinach

Time 30m

Yield 3 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup chopped tomato
10 ounces chopped spinach
1 cup cubed panir (fried til golden)
1 cup plain yogurt
salt

Steps:

  • Fry the onions, garlic, ginger and spices in oil for around 5 minutes.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, making sure the heat is down to a simmer.
  • Add the spinach and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes.
  • Add the paneer and yogurt and simmer for around 5 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 103.2, Fat 3.5, SaturatedFat 1.8, Cholesterol 10.6, Sodium 121.2, Carbohydrate 14.1, Fiber 3.5, Sugar 6.7, Protein 6.6

SAAG PANEER



Saag Paneer image

Provided by Tyler Florence

Time 40m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

2 pounds fresh baby spinach, washed and stems trimmed
1/4 cup Ghee, recipe follows
1/2 pound cubed paneer cheese
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon Curry Powder, recipe follows
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
Salt
1 pound unsalted butter
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 dried red chiles, broken in pieces, seeds discarded
1 tablespoon turmeric

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, toss in the spinach and blanch for 1 minute until very tender. Dump the spinach into a colander and press firmly with the back of a spoon to extract as much water as possible, set aside.
  • Heat the ghee in a deep skillet over medium-high flame. Add the cubed paneer and fry for a couple of minutes until light brown on all sides, gently turning to avoid breaking up the cubes. Remove the cheese from the skillet and set aside.
  • Return the skillet to the heat and sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir for about 5 minutes until soft. Sprinkle the mixture with the curry powder; continue to stir to marry the flavors, about 1 minute. Fold in the chopped spinach and give everything a good toss. Shut off the heat and stir the buttermilk and yogurt into the spinach to incorporate. The mixture should be creamy and somewhat thick. Gently fold in the fried paneer cubes, season with salt, to taste, and serve with steamed basmati rice and/or flat bread.
  • Put the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, swirl the pot around to ensure that it melts slowly and does not sizzle or brown. Increase the heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is covered with foam, stir gently and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Gently simmer, uncovered, and undisturbed for 45 minutes, until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown and the butter on top is transparent. Strain the ghee through a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth. The ghee should be perfectly clear and smell nutty; pour into a glass jar and seal tightly.
  • Toast the whole spices (coriander, cumin, fennel, cloves, mustard, cardamom and peppercorns) and the chiles in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, shaking the pan often to prevent them from burning. Toast for a couple of minutes until the spices smell fragrant. In a clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together to a fine powder. Add the turmeric and give it another quick buzz to combine. Use the spice blend immediately, or store in a sealed jar for as long as 1 month.

INDIAN SAAG PANEER (LOW FAT CHEESE WITH SPINACH)



Indian Saag Paneer (Low Fat Cheese With Spinach) image

I took this from the Betty Crocker cookbook for Indian food and modified it for a lower fat version. This is an amazing recipe! See my cheese recipe for reduced fat paneer (#246295).

Provided by deinemuse

Categories     Curries

Time 1h

Yield 3 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup cubed panir (optional)
1 cup low-fat whipping cream
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps:

  • Use cooking spray and heat garlic and ginger over medium-high heat till golden brown.
  • Stir in tomato sauce, coriander, cumin, pepper, masala, salt, and reduce heat to low. Partially cover and summer for 8-9 minutes stirring frequently.
  • Stir in spinach. Simmer 8-10 minutes until spinach turns olive green.
  • Stir in whipping cream.
  • Stir in cheese. Simmer for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is hot and remove from stove.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 46.4, Fat 0.9, SaturatedFat 0.1, Sodium 673.6, Carbohydrate 7.8, Fiber 3.7, Sugar 2.5, Protein 4.3

Tips:

  • For the best flavor, use fresh spinach leaves. If using frozen spinach, thaw it completely and squeeze out any excess water before using.
  • Use a good quality paneer cheese. Look for a paneer that is firm and has a slightly crumbly texture.
  • Don't overcook the spinach. It should be wilted but still have a slight crunch.
  • Add the paneer cheese at the end of the cooking process so that it doesn't become tough.
  • Serve saag paneer with basmati rice or naan bread.

Conclusion:

Saag paneer is a delicious and healthy Indian dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. With its creamy spinach sauce and flavorful paneer cheese, saag paneer is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

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