Saag Paneer

Saag paneer or spinach and cheese curry is one of my favourite things to eat.  I'm not a vegetarian but forget all ideas on vegetarian curries being only for sandal wearing sack cloth dressed hippies (before I carry on, perhaps I should point out some of my best friends are vegetarian and none wear sack cloth...)  Anyway, there is something uniquely satisfying about paneer in a curry.  It's a great source of protein and it absorbs flavours fantastically.

Cheese in a curry if you've never tried it might sound strange but paneer is not cheddar.  If you've ever tried halloumi, it's a similar idea.  It holds it's shape, doesn't melt and, although I keep meaning to try it but never have, it's even possible to make at home.

Saag Paneer - Serves 1

Ingredients

80-100g, 3-4oz Paneer
2 tsp Gram flour (or plain flour)
2 tbsp oil

For the sauce

1 tsp oil
1/2 onion grated or finely chopped in a food processor
Pinch cumin
1 tsp grated or chopped ginger
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp mango chutney
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes (approx 200g, 7oz)
50-100ml, 1.5-3 fl oz water
1 dried chilli
40g, 1.5oz frozen spinach
1/2 tsp garam masala
A handful of fresh coriander (cilantro)

Method

Grate the onion and fry with the tsp of oil until browning.

In the meantime, cut the paneer into approx 1-2cm, around half an inch, cubes.  Dust in the flour.  (Any left over from the pack can be frozen.  It freezes really well, just defrost before cooking.)

Once the onion is browned, add the cumin, ginger, garlic, ground coriander, turmeric, crush the chilli into the pan and give a stir.  Then add the tomato, water and chutney.

Bubble away for 10 minutes adding further water if needed.  It should be reasonably thick by the end of the cooking time.

While the sauce is cooking, fry the dusted paneer in the oil until browned drain for a couple of minutes on kitchen roll.

Once the sauce cooking time is up, add the spinach and fried paneer with a little water if needed.  Bubble away until the spinach is melted and cooked and the paneer heated through.

Once the sauce is ready, stir in coriander, garam masala and a little salt if liked.  Serve with rice or chapattis.

I found this really difficult to photograph so I apologise.  not because of how it looked but because I was just dying to eat it.  I hope you'll excuse me.  It was delicious.

I have linked this up to Flashback Friday