Name: Saag paneer
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp ghee or cooking oil; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or regular chili powder; 1 lb paneer cut into 1in cubes; 1 lb 2 oz spinach (fresh or frozen); 1 onion finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves; thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger root; 1 green chile pepper roughly chopped (include seeds for extra spice); 1 tsp garam masala; ½ lemon juiced, to serve

Saag paneer

An Indian dish with plenty of flavor, saag paneer is a well-loved vegetarian side dish. It's rich in calcium and folate from the spinach, and is gluten-free, too

30 min total 10 min prep 20 min cook 6 326 cal

Instructions

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1 Melt the ghee, whisk in with the turmeric and chili powder, then add the paneer cubes and toss well to coat. Set aside. If using frozen spinach, microwave for 3-5 mins, then put in a sieve and squeeze out most of the water. If using fresh spinach, put in a colander, pour over boiling water, drain and cool, then put in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out most of the water. Roughly chop.
2 Put the onion, garlic, ginger and green chile pepper in a blender and blend until finely chopped. Cook the paneer in a large frying pan over medium heat for about 8 mins, tossing the pan so the paneer turns golden all over. Remove and set aside on a plate, leaving the spices behind in the pan. Tip the onion mixture into the pan, add a pinch of salt and turn the heat down. Fry until caramel-colored, about 10 mins, adding a splash of water if it looks a little dry. Add the garam masala, stir to coat the onion mixture, and fry for 2 mins more.
3 Add the spinach and cook for a further 2-3 mins, adding ⅓ cup water to release all the flavors 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.