Saag Paneer

This is a classic North Indian dish of spinach and paneer.
I got this recipe from discussions with my sister and her mother in law.

Ingredients
5 tablespoon oil, divided
1 14 oz block of paneer, cubed
3 whole cardamon pods (preferably black, but green will do in a pinch)
1/2 inch stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon chopped peeled ginger
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 small onion, large dice
1 small onion, sliced
1/4 cup chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour, farina di ceci, gram flour, or besan)
16-20 oz fresh spinach
2-4 oz fresh curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 roma tomatoes

1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt

1. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a cast iron skillet. When the oil is hot and shimmers, gently add the paneer in a single layer, making sure the hot oil doesn't splash you. It's best to only fry a few cubes at a time, around 5 or 6 in total. The oil will spatter because the paneer will be cold. Watch out and don't get burned!

I purchased a set of three splatter screens from Bath, Bed and Beyond. They work just fine and definitely much better than having hot oil spat on your skin!





Check regularly to see when the sides have browned. I find it most useful to do this with a pair of long cooking chopsticks. Flip when they have browned nicely. Once 2 sides are browned, move to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with some salt.

2. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to a wok. Swirl the wok around to coat with the oil. Add the cardamon and cinnamon and toast for a few seconds. Add ginger, garlic and cubed onions and saute until onions are translucent and fragrant. Add the chickpea flour and stir constantly. The flour will brown slightly and release a nutty aroma. Transfer to a small bowl and cool.






3. Add spinach, curry leaves and 1/4 cup water to the wok. Mix the spinach around to make sure it gets coated with the water. Cover and cook till the greens are wilted. Its a great deal of spinach, so I usually do this in batches. The spinach should cook down but still retain a vibrant green color. Remove from heat and let this cool slightly.






4. Add the onion-chickpea flour mixture to the blender and blend smoothly. I find that chopping up whole cinnamon sticks in my nice blender dulls the blade, and the cinnamon gets stuck on the blade. I suggest you use an electric spice grinder for the cinnamon and cardamon. After grinding the cinnamon and cardamon, add it to the onion-chickpea flour mixture. Blend until completely smooth (it should look like a paste).






5. Add the cooked greens. You do not want to puree the greens, so use your blender's pulse function. You want the spinach to be chopped up finely, but still retain some sense of texture. If you keep your blender on full, you will end up with spinach soup and it will ruin the texture for this meal!


















6. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the cumin seeds and toast till their aroma is released, insuring that you do not overcook them (they should turn golden brownish).

Once they reach that state, add the turmeric. Add the sliced onions and stir fry for a few minutes.

Next, add tomatoes. Stir fry for a moment to incorporate them, then add the paneer cubes, chili powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes.



















7. Add the cooked spinach, 1/2 cup of water and salt to taste. Gently stir for a few minutes ( making sure not to break up the paneer) to let the flavors combine and absorb.

Serve with rice, chapatti or naan. I also like it with Istu, a south Indian coconut and potato stew!

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