Saag Paneer

By Andrew Zimmern

A beloved vegetarian dish of spinach and mild fresh cheese, saag paneer is one of my favorites from the Indian repertoire. This is my version, the result of several years of testing and tweaking different saag paneer recipes, reading cookbooks and gathering inspiration from Indian restaurants. I think you’ll love it.

Watch Andrew make this recipe:

Saag Paneer

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

Paneer

10 cups whole milk
2 cups warm water
10 tablespoons white vinegar

Spinach

1/2 cup olive oil
2 onions, diced
Salt
2 tablespoons ginger, grated
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons chile powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
Pinch of ground clove
1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
Pinch of chile flakes, or more to taste
3 pounds frozen and thawed chopped spinach, squeezed dry
10 ounces coconut milk
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Make the Cheese

Bring milk and water to a simmer in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the vinegar to the pot and slowly stir. You will see the curd start to separate from the whey. Season liberally with salt. Strain the curdled milk through several layers of cheesecloth, draining thoroughly.

Let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, you can cook with it, but it will crumble (I personally love this version). If you let it sit in the cheesecloth for a couple more hours, it will harden and you will be able to cut it into cubes.

Make the Spinach

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and cook for about 3 minutes. Next, stir in the grated ginger and garlic cloves. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, then add the chile powder, turmeric, clove, coriander seed and chile flakes. Cook until spices become aromatic, about one minute, then add the spinach. Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine. Cook for another minute then add the reserved paneer cheese—either crumbled or cubed, whatever you prefer. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

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