If I’m at an Indian restaurant, I’m pretty much always ordering saag paneer with roti chapati. I wanted to learn how to make this comforting Northern Indian dish at home, so I turned to one of my best friends from high school (Priyanka) for a recipe. Priyanka’s mom is an amazing cook and I still think about all of the delicious Indian food I ate at their house! So I took the recipe she gave me from her mom and adapted it so that it’s a little bit easier to make at home using simple ingredients.
This dish is so easy to make and packed with protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin K, and iron. In a way, it’s similar to creamed spinach but has so much more complex flavor. Lots of ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and warm spices get toasted in butter for a super flavorful base. Pureed spinach gets stirred in with a firm Indian cheese called paneer and simmered to marry all of those flavors together.
The best way to eat this is with roti (an Indian whole wheat flatbread), but since this is difficult to find, you could also use a whole wheat tortilla or thin pita bread (see recipe note).
P.S. I get the Gopi brand paneer at Costco, but you can also find it at an Indian grocery store or in some specialty grocery stores. See recipe notes to get ideas for substitutions.
Ingredient highlight
Paneer! This firm and mild Indian cheese is made by curdling milk using heat and an acid like lemon juice. It’s actually fairly easy to make at home if you’re looking for a fun project! It’s unique in that it does not melt when heated, so it’s perfecting for simmering or pan-frying. It’s also a great source of protein and calcium. Just 3 oz of paneer will give you 21 grams of high quality protein.
I buy my paneer at Costco (Gopi brand), but you can find it in some speciality grocery stores or international/Asian/Indian grocery stores.
Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 20 minutes Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen spinach, thawed
- ¼ cup water
- 4-6 tbsp ghee or butter**
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2- inch knob ginger, cut into thin strips (see video)
- 2 medium tomatoes (about 12 oz), chopped (about 1 ½-2 cups)
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 10-12 oz paneer, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2-2 ½ cups)***
- Flatbread or cooked rice, for serving****
- *We’re using frozen spinach to keep it easy. If you want to use fresh greens (spinach, kale and/or mustard greens) you’ll need about 1.5-2 lbs worth and you will have to cook them first before blending them up.
- **One of the reasons why this dish tastes so good at a restaurant is because they use a lot of ghee and/or stir in heavy cream at the end. Do not skimp on the ghee or butter!
- ***I get paneer at Costco. If you can’t find paneer, you can substitute with halloumi, extra firm tofu, or cubes of feta cheese (about 2 cups worth). The feta will melt more and be more delicate. Alternatively, you could substitute with cubed chicken breast (about 1 lb) to make chicken saag.
- ****Saag paneer is traditionally served with an Indian flatbread called roti and that’s my favorite way to eat this. You could order it from any Indian restaurant if you can’t find it in the store. An easy alternative is to use a whole wheat tortilla or thin pita bread (warm them up in a skillet first).
Instructions
- Add the thawed spinach and ½ cup water to a blender and blend until relatively smooth.
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt the ghee or butter. Add cumin, garlic, and ginger and cook/sizzle in the butter for about 3-5 minutes or until very fragrant and softened, stirring often.
- Add tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to medium and cook for 5 more minutes or until tomatoes soften, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat back down to low and stir in the coriander, turmeric, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the spinach and remaining ½ teaspoon salt until combined. Gently stir in the paneer to coat in the sauce. Give the pan a shake to evenly distribute everything, then cover and simmer over low or medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, giving the pan a shake halfway through. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
- Serve with warm flatbread or rice. If using flatbread, tear off a piece and scoop the saag paneer into the flatbread. It’s the perfect vehicle for this dish!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Thaw and blend up 1 lb frozen spinach + ¼ cup water
- Chop 3 cloves garlic
- Cut 2-inch knob ginger into thin strips
- Chop 2 medium tomatoes (about 1 ½-2 cups)
- Cut 10-12 oz paneer into ½-inch cubes (about 2-2 ½ cups)
- Cook rice, if using instead of flatbread
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, use a vegan butter and sub the paneer with cubed extra firm tofu.
- To make gluten-free, serve with rice or a GF tortilla.
- Use 1 lb of frozen kale in place of spinach (or any other frozen leafy green).
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftovers in the microwave until warmed through, stirring every 30-60 seconds. Serve with warm flatbread or rice.
- Option to top with Greek yogurt for some creamy tang.
leave your comments!