Saag Paneer

Rustic Punjabi mustard greens and spinach slowly cooked, lightly blended and finished with tender paneer, ginger and ghee tempering.

Jump to ingredients | Jump to method

Pakistani saag should retain the character of the leaves rather than becoming a perfectly smooth bright-green sauce. Mustard greens bring pleasant bitterness that butter, maize flour and slow cooking balance.

Ingredients

• 600 g Mustard greens (washed thoroughly and roughly chopped)
• 400 g Spinach (washed and roughly chopped)
• 350 ml Water
• 2 Green chillies (slit; reduce for mild)
• 30 g Ginger (half chopped, half cut into matchsticks)
• 6 Garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1.25 tsp Fine salt (divided)
• 2 tbsp Maize flour (mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water)
• 400 g Paneer (cut into 2.5 cm cubes)
• 3 tbsp Ghee (divided)
• 1 large Onion (finely chopped)
• 1 medium Tomato (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 0.5 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (optional)
• 0.5 tsp Garam masala

Step-by-step method

1. Wash the mustard greens and spinach in several changes of water until no grit remains. Thick mustard stems can be stringy, so remove the toughest lower parts before chopping the leaves.
2. Put both greens in a large pot with water, green chillies, chopped ginger, half the garlic and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes, until the mustard leaves are completely tender.
3. Cool for 5 minutes, then pulse with a stick blender until thick and coarse, not perfectly smooth. Return to low heat, stir in the maize-flour slurry and simmer for 8 minutes so the raw flour taste disappears.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Brown the paneer on two sides for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook it. Move to a bowl of warm salted water if the paneer feels firm.
5. Heat the remaining ghee in a wide pan. Add cumin seeds; when they sizzle, add onion and cook for 6 minutes. Add remaining garlic for 30 seconds, then tomato and optional chilli powder; cook until the tomato softens.
6. Pour the cooked saag into the tempering carefully and stir well. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then drain and fold in the paneer. Warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes without breaking the cubes.
7. Stir in garam masala and taste for the remaining salt. If the mustard flavour seems very bitter, add a small knob of butter rather than sugar.
8. Rest covered for 5 minutes, garnish with ginger matchsticks and serve with makki ki roti or chapati. Reheat slowly because thick saag can spit and catch on the base.