Saag Paneer

Indian · Winter · 40 min · Serves 4 · By Sofia Ricci

Spinach gets all the credit, but the best saag leans on a mix of greens for depth. Searing the paneer first gives it a golden crust that holds up in the sauce, and a final swirl of cream or butter rounds out the spice. This is comfort food that still tastes like it came from somewhere.

Ingredients

• 500g spinach, washed
• 200g mustard greens or kale, washed
• 250g paneer, cut into cubes
• 3 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1 green chile, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• Sea salt, to taste

Method

1. Blanch the spinach and mustard greens in boiling water for one minute, then plunge into cold water. Drain well and blend to a coarse puree.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a wide pan and sear the paneer cubes until golden on two sides. Lift out and set aside.
3. Add the remaining ghee to the pan. Soften the onion until golden, then stir in the ginger-garlic paste and green chile and cook for a minute.
4. Add the cumin and garam masala, then pour in the green puree. Simmer gently for 8 minutes, stirring, until the rawness cooks out.
5. Fold in the seared paneer and season with salt. Simmer for five more minutes so the cheese drinks up the flavor.
6. Swirl in the cream off the heat and serve hot with rice or naan.