Saag (Spinach) Paneer – Easily a Recipe Repeat

I have been making a decent amount of paneer-based dishes of late, most with a tomato base.  With some leftover store-bought paneer in the fridge, I decided to mix things up a bit and try a different sauce.  Given my past success with palak makai, an Indian spinach and corn dish, I settled on a saag (spinach) paneer recipe I found on the Food Network website.

(paneer pictured on left)

I made a number of modifications to the recipe, and was generally happy with the results – it was creamy (maybe a little too creamy?), flavorful and a great meal on a cold night.  I look forward to adding this dish into my dinner rotation!

Saag Paneer

Ingredients:

• 1/2 block of store-bought paneer, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 thai green chile, coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp. minced ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala
• 1 – 2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup sour cream, or to taste (I may have used too much – recommend reducing to 2 – 3 tablespoons)
• salt, to taste

Directions:

• Microwave the spinach to package instructions, and drain.
• At the same time, heat oil in a saute pan on medium heat.  When hot, add onion, chile, ginger and garlic.  Cook for 8 – 10 minutes, or until onion becomes translucent and slightly browned.
• Add the spices, and cook for 1 – 2 minutes or until spices are fragrant.
• Add the spinach and cook for 5 – 7 minutes.  
• Stir in the sour cream and cook until mixture is boiling. 

• Then add the paneer and cook for another 5 – 7 minutes, or until the paneer is warmed through.  Season with salt to taste and serve.