saag paneer

The wonderful thing about saag paneer—the Indian staple of greens and fresh cheese in a creamy sauce—is that, in my experience, it's almost universally loved by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. But what if we wanted to make a completely dairy-free version, so that vegetarians, meat-eaters, and vegans can all enjoy a meal together? This recipe recruits the power of cauliflower, a variety of greens, and marinated tofu to do just that.

Creamy Vegan Saag Paneer (With Tofu) Recipe

(350 grams) extra-firm tofu

(15 grams) yellow miso paste

(45 milliliters) vegetable oil, divided

salt and black pepper

cauliflower florets

garlic (about 20 grams), finely minced

(1-inch) knob ginger (about 20 grams), peeled and finely minced

coriander seed

cumin seed

turmeric

cardamom pod, smashed

(225 grams) mature spinach, curly if available (see note)

(225 grams) arugula

For the Tofu "Paneer": Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Press tofu firmly between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Cut into 1 1/2–inch cubes and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together miso paste, 2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add tofu and toss to coat. Spread tofu evenly over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Sauce may darken a little against the foil; this is fine. Set tofu aside.

Meanwhile, for the Cauliflower Purée: Combine nut milk and cauliflower in a small saucepan. Season with salt and bring to a simmer. Cook until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Purée mixture using a hand blender or countertop blender. Set aside.

For the Spinach: Heat remaining 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil in a large saucepan or saucier over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic, ginger, and chilies and cook, stirring, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cardamom pod and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach and arugula or mustard greens one handful at a time, stirring and adding more as the greens wilt (see note).

Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are fully wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in cauliflower purée and continue to cook until greens are very tender, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in tofu cubes and heat through. Stir in remaining lemon juice, season with salt, adjust consistency with a little water if necessary, and serve.

Palak Paneer - Pan-seared Paneer is bathed in a smooth and luscious spinach sauce infused with Indian spices. An easy authentic recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners. This is an adaptable recipe, perfect for mixed households, see notes.

Palak Paneer (Paneer in Spinach Sauce) 

recipe

ghee

onion,

ginger, rough chopped

garlic cloves, rough chopped

jalapeno

cumin

coriander

garam masala

black mustard seeds (optional)

spinach

water

yogurt

cashews

salt

sugar

lemon (optional)

In a large skillet, (a non-stick works great here) heat a few tablespoons oil or ghee and season the oil generously with salt and pepper. Pan-sear the paneer or crispy tofu until golden and crispy, and set it aside, covered with foil.

Wipe out the skillet, heat 3 tablespoons ghee over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, garlic and chilies, and sauté until deeply golden and fragrant, stirring often, about 15 minutes, taking your time here.

Add the spices (coriander, cumin, garam masala and mustard seeds) and sauté 2-3 more minutes.  Add the frozen spinach and cup of water, lower heat and simmer uncovered until the spinach is just thawed.

Place this in a blender, (see notes) topping it with the yogurt and cashews. Add the salt and sugar. Blend well, until silky smooth. If the mixture is too dry to blend, add just enough water to get the motor going.  Taste, and adjust the heat by adding a little cayenne if you want more of a kick. Add a squeeze of lemon if you want it tangier.

The sauce will seem slightly salty at first but once you add the paneer, it will soak up the salt.

Place the blended spinach sauce back into the pan uncovered, on med-low heat. (Covering it will lose the lovely vibrant color ). Warm it up gently and slowly, stirring often so it doesn&#8217;t burn. Add the pan-seared paneer and continue cooking until the paneer is warmed just warmed through.

Enjoy this over Fluffy Basmati Rice, with Naan Bread, over Quinoa or cauliflower rice.

Next time I'll add more salt and more jalapenos. Great recipe though!

OMG!  Made this tonight and it was SO delicious!  Everyone at it up... including the kids - such a good way to get some greens in their little bodies.  This is definitely a keeper!

This was a delicious dinner!  I chose to use a combination of seared chicken and roasted veggies (cauliflower, carrot and potato) instead of the paneer.  I also made the ghee and would suggest making this ahead of time if you are making this for a weeknight after work meal.  We made on a Sunday and I roasted the veggies ahead of time too.  I highly recommend  the squeeze of lemon to top it off!  Awesome flavor and I can't wait for my leftovers tomorrow.:)

Thank u so much for sharing this amazing recipe wid us. Really appreciate ur efforts. It came out to be very delicious. Keep sharing more of such recipes.

We have made this recipe a few times now and love it more and more. We ended up reducing the garam masala to 1 tsp because it was a little clove-y and sweet for our taste the first time, but not all garam masalas are the same so I wasn't surprised. Also, we found that Panela cheese is easier for us to find, and a very flavorful substitute for the paneer!

This turned out great! The only reason I'm giving 4 rather than 5 stars is that the amount of fresh baby spinach was off for my preferences. 5 oz (much less than 1.5 lb) was plenty and fit in my blender to boot. Any more and I would have been swimming in it!

I was not positive I'd like this - often I order saag paneer for the cheese and suffer through the sauce. But, man!! I could have left the paneer out and been just fine. This is SO good! I love the vibrant green, the creamy, punchy, bright flavor of the palak, and pan-searing the paneer is inspired! We paired it with your grilled tandoori chicken recipe and a quick Indian Tomato Salad. What a feast! Thank you for another beautiful recipe.

Love this!! It also freezes well (freeze the sauce only, without the paneer). I add fresh coriander (cilantro) in the blender, as I love the taste of coriander.

Dear Sylvia, 

I so appreciate you sharing your recipes through the Internet. Whenever I cook from your website, I am delighted by the wonderful flavors and feel so nourished. For the first time, I can reliably reproduce the flavors of Indian cooking at home. This palak paneer is a favorite, and, as you say above, the sauce is wonderful on any protein or starch, not just paneer.

A hundred thanks to you,

Hayden

I have made quite a few recipes from the blog (all super delicious), but this one is the crown jewel. I can't stress enough how extremely delicious the sauce is. I lived in India and this recipe takes me right back. Very easy to put together, too. 

Thank you so much!

I have been testing several Palak Paneer recipes lately trying to find "my recipe." This one is by far the simplest and tastiest of all I have tried. 
I highly recommend using whole cumin and coriander seeds to give the flavour "bursts" that make this dish so succulent!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/7IMlcNHq.mp4

Palak Paneer is a popular Indian dish made with cubes of cheese are simmered in a creamy spinach sauce infused with fragrant Indian spices. Fast and easy, this Keto-friendly, vegetarian meal is also Gluten-free! Video 

Palak Paneer Video

Saag paneer is traditionally made with cubes of paneer cooked in a sauce made of green leafy veggies.  A delicious, comforting, vegetarian curry that is better than the restaurant version!

Saag Paneer Recipe

Paneer

fresh spinach leaves spinach

tomato (chopped)

fresh ginger (finely chopped)

green chili (finely chopped)

garlic (finely chopped)

bay leaves

Ghee

red onions (chopped)

Turmeric

Garam masala

Salt

Start by browning the paneer. Heat a pan on the stovetop. Add a little ghee or vegetable oil and once hot, add the cubes of paneer. Let the paneer brown gently on one side, then and flip on each side to brown evenly. Once the paneer cubes are evenly browned, keep aside for later.

In the Instant Pot, add the ghee, and hit Sauté. Once hot, add the bay leaves and the whole cumin. Once the whole spices start turning aromatic (after 1 minute), add the chopped onions, ginger, garlic and green chilli.

Sauté for 3-4 minutes until onions start to turn translucent. Then add the chopped tomato, turmeric, garam masala. Sauté for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to soften. If they stick to the bottom of the pot, add a tablespoon of water and deglaze the pot. Any residue stuck to the pot can trigger the ‘Burn’ notice.

Add the spinach leaves. Give it a mix and put on the lid of the IP. Hit ‘Pressure Cook’ or ‘Manual’ mode and set the time for 1 minute. Once the cooking cycle is completed, immediately release pressure and open the lid of the Instant Pot (Quick Release).

D2i0card the bay leaves. Using a stick blender (hand blender), blend the cooked ingredients up to form the sauce. Tip: add 3-4 ice cubes at this stage to quickly bring down the temperature of the sauce. This helps in retaining the green color of the spinach.

Add the sautéed paneer, add the salt and hit ‘Saute’. Let the paneer simmer in the sauce for 3-4 minutes. Once cooked, garnish with cream and serve with naan or rice.

Make your own Indian food with this easy homemade saag paneer – plus substitutions if you have difficulty finding paneer.﻿

Easy Homemade Saag Paneer

cayenne pepper

kosher salt,

vegetable oil

paneer,

medium sized onion, diced

ginger,

garlic cloves, diced

In a medium bowl, whisk together the turmeric,...

In a medium bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, salt, and oil.  Drop in the cubes of paneer and toss to coat with the spice mixture.  Let this marinate for a few minutes while prepping the rest of the ingredients.

Cook the spinach in a microwave-safe dish, either...

Cook the spinach in a microwave-safe dish, either according to package directions (if frozen) or microwaved for a few minutes with a few tablespoons of water (if fresh).  Drain the spinach, squeezing out all excess moisture with a kitchen towel, and chop finely.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. ...

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the paneer as the pan warms.  After a few minutes, flip the paneer; each piece should be golden brown on one side.  Fry for another few minutes, then remove the paneer from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan.

Add the onions, garlic, and ginger to the...

Add the onions, garlic, and ginger to the remaining oil.  Saute this mixture for several minutes until dark brown – about 15 minutes.  If the mixture starts to dry out, add a few tablespoons of water.

Add in the garam masala, coriander, and cumin. ...

Add in the garam masala, coriander, and cumin.  Sprinkle a little water in to keep the spices from burning.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until fragrant, stirring frequently.

Add the spinach and stir well.  Add a...

Add the spinach and stir well.  Add a little salt to taste, a quarter cup of water, and cook for 5 minutes.

Turn off the to low and stir in...

Turn off the to low and stir in the yogurt.  Once the yogurt is mixed with the spinach, add the paneer.  Cover and cook until everything is warmed through.

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