Heidi's recipe for Sag Paneer from Near & Far. Homemade paneer really makes this dish shine.
One of my favorite Indian dishes is sag paneer. Unfortunately, finding a deliciously satisfying version, either in recipe form or at a local restaurant, is quite a challenge. That is until I made Heidi's Sag Paneer. The recipe calls for homemade paneer, loads of fresh spinach, a bit of onion, a few spices, and a good squeeze of lemon. The paneer is totally worth the bit of effort it requires and a hand blender makes whizzing the spinach into a chopped state a breeze.
After only a few minutes of sauteing and stirring it all comes together. As I put the finishing touches on mine and took a taste, I pronounced "This is how I always imagined it could be!" and waltzed, spoon in hand, around my husband in the kitchen. Bright, earthy, warming, a touch spicy and yes, actually green. The paneer tastes like fresh delicious cheese and oh it is a glorious moment when you find there's a piece of it on your fork! The toasted cumin seeds, enshrouded in the gnarly gorgeous sludge of spinach and onion, are reminders of how lucky you are to be eating this. And guess what... no grease pools! Heidi, being the beauty lover that she is, tops hers with chive blossoms. I hope to do that one day soon too, if I can ever find those precious purple pom poms. But until then I'm reminded to always be hopeful and to keep seeking. Those bright, delicious, satisfying recipes are out there!
SAG PANEER
— from Near and Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel by Heidi Swanson (Ten Speed Press, 2015)
Makes about 3 cups
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil or ghee
- 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach, well washed
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 1 scant teaspoon red chili flakes
- 4 medium cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 small white onions, minced
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- Lots of fresh lemon juice
- 6 oz fresh paneer
- Chives or chive blossoms, to serve (optional)
METHOD
Place 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium heat-high heat. When hot, add the spinach and stir until it begins to collapse. You may need to add it in tow or three additions, but get all the spinach in the pot as quickly as you can. Once it has collapsed, but is still bright, a couple of minutes, remove from heat, drain, and blend to a puree with a hand blender. Set aside.
Give the pot you cooked the spinach in a quick rinse, and the place it over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the cumin seeds, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic and onions. Cook until the onion is translucent, a couple of minutes. Stir in the garam masala, dial back the heat, and stir in the spinach. Gradually stir in the buttermilk and bring to a simmer. Stir in a couple of big squeezes of lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning, fold in the paneer (or sprinkle it on top), and finish with a sprinkling of chives or chive blossoms.
Notes from Leslie