At-Home Saag Paneer Recipe

When a dish includes cheese as its star ingredient, you know it's gonna be good. Paneer is a soft and crumbly cheese used in many Indian dishes, and is considered a grilling cheese, which stays firm when heated (via Jamie Oliver). This dish is incredibly easy to make, as well as super versatile. You can serve it as a main course, side dish, or even as an appetizer. 

Recipe developer Ting Dalton of Cook Simply came up with this killer recipe, and she can't help but gush over all the reasons why it is a standout dish. "This is a fantastic vegetarian curry recipe. It's amazing how a few spices and aromatics can turn plain paneer cheese and spinach into something so full of flavor," Dalton raves. "And what's so great is it even tastes better a few days later as leftovers."

Keep reading to find out how to make this at-home saag paneer.

For this dish, you will need paneer, onion, garlic, tomato puree, ginger paste, cumin seeds, garam masala, ground turmeric, frozen spinach, half-and-half, sea salt, black pepper, and vegetable oil.

Once you have those ingredients, you can cook this at-home saag paneer.

First, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a skillet, and heat on medium-high. When hot, add the cubed paneer and cook on each side until browned, about 5 minutes. Then, remove the paneer from the pan, and set it aside. 

Add the remaining oil into the same pan, and decrease the heat to medium-low. Add the cumin seeds, fry for 1 minute, then add the finely chopped onion, and cook for around 5 minutes, or until softened.

Then, stir in the chopped garlic, ginger paste, garam masala, tomato puree, and turmeric with the onions and cumin seeds. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the frozen spinach, and sautée, covered, for 10 minutes. "The reason I use frozen spinach is that it releases water while cooking, so it adds some extra moisture to the dish," Dalton notes. "You could use fresh spinach, but you would need to add extra water to the paneer as you're cooking it."

After, add the half-and-half, cooked paneer, and a splash of boiling water if needed. Reduce the heat, and cook uncovered for 5 minutes, or until it reduces to a creamy consistency. 

Remove the saag paneer from the pan, and season it with sea salt and pepper to taste. "Be generous with the seasoning too, as paneer is quite plain in flavor," Dalton notes.

This paneer makes a great side, but "You can serve this with some rice, poppadoms, or even naan bread," Dalton shares. Be sure to save any potential leftovers. "You can freeze this for up to 3 months, or keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days," Dalton says.