An Indian dish with plenty of flavour, saag paneer is a well-loved vegetarian side dish. It’s rich in calcium and folate from the spinach and is gluten-free, too
Prep:10 mins
Serves 6
2 tbsp ghee, or cooking oil 1 tsp turmeric1 tsp chilli powder or Kashmiri chilli powder450g paneer, cut into 3cm cubes500g spinach, mature fresh or frozen1 large onion, finely chopped3 garlic clovesthumb-sized piece of ginger1 green chilli, roughly chopped, (include seeds for extra spice)1 tsp garam masala½ lemon, juiced, to serve
STEP 1Melt the ghee, whisk in with the turmeric and chilli powder, then add the cubed paneer and toss well. Set aside. If using frozen spinach, microwave for 3-5 mins, then place in a sieve and squeeze out most of the water. If using fresh spinach, place in a colander, pour over boiling water, drain and cool, then put in a tea towel and squeeze out most of the water. Roughly chop.STEP 2Blitz the onion with the garlic, ginger and green chilli. Cook the paneer in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat for around 8 mins, tossing the pan so they become golden all over. Remove and set aside on a plate, leaving spices behind in the pan. Tip the onion mix into the pan, add a pinch of salt and turn the heat down. Fry until caramel coloured, around 10 mins, adding a splash of water if it looks a little dry. Add the garam masala, stir to coat the onion mix, fry for 2 mins.STEP 3Add the spinach and cook for a further 2-3 mins, adding 100ml water to release all the flavours from the bottom of the pan. Season to taste. Add the paneer and cook for 2-3 mins to heat through. Spoon into bowls and squeeze over a little lemon juice, to serve.
