Paneer Saagwala – Paneer cubes cooked in a delectable gravy made using the winter greens – mustard leaves (sarson), pigweed (bathua) and spinach (palak).
Come winter and the markets are flooded with fresh leafy greens such as mustard, bathua, roselle leaves, spinach, methi etc. Though the regular leafy greens like methi, spinach are available round the year, mustard leaves and bathua are special winter greens and I like to make the most of it in this season. The two must prepare dishes, using these leafy greens, in this season are Sarson ka Saag and Saagwala Paneer. Saag Paneer is a green gravy made of sarson, bathua and palak. Paneer cubes sautéed in ghee is cooked in this gravy.This saag pairs excellently with Makai ki roti. Here goes the recipe:
Step-wise recipe with pictures
Wash the sarson, bathua and palak well and chop them.
Add chopped greens into a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water. Cook for 2 to 3 whistles.
Strain the cooked leaves. Reserve the water for later use.
Blend the cooked leaves to a smooth puree and keep aside.
Heat ghee in a pan and saute paneer cubes for 2 to 3 mins on both sides. Keep aside.
Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds.When the seeds start crackling, add chopped onion and saute till the onions turn soft and translucent.
Now, add the chopped tomato. Saute and cook till the tomatoes turn soft.
Now add ginger, garlic and green chilly paste and cook.
When the whole mixture is cooked well, add the leafy greens paste.Add the reserved water (in which the leafy greens were cooked) as per required consistency.
Add cumin coriander powder, garam masala, salt and mix well. Cook on a low flame for 8 to 10 minutes.
Now, add sautéed paneer cubes and mix.
Cover and cook for 5 more minutes on low flame.
Serve Paneer Saagwala with makai roti.
Recipe:
Ingredients
2 cups of mustard greens (sarson)
1 cup of pigweed (bathua) (Scientific name: Chenopodium)
1 cup of spinach (palak)
1 onion, finely chopped (pyaaz)
1 tomato, finely chopped (tamatar)
2 green chillies (hari mirch)
1 inch ginger (adrak)
5 cloves of garlic (lehsun)
1 tsp cumin coriander powder (dhaniya jeera powder)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
250 grams paneer, cut in to cubes
Salt as per taste (namak)
3 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
Method
- Wash the sarson, bathua and palak well and chop them.
- Into a pressure cooker, add the chopped greens and 1 cup of water.
- Close the lid and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles.
- After the steam escapes fully, open the pressure cooker.
- Strain the cooked leaves.
- Keep the water aside for later use.
- Blend the cooked leaves to a smooth puree and keep aside.
- Blend the green chillies, ginger and garlic to a coarse paste and keep aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan.
- Add paneer cubes and saute.
- Cook the paneer cubes on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Keep the sautéed paneer aside.
- Next, heat a pan.
- Add 2 tbsp ghee.
- When the ghee melts, add cumin seeds.
- When the seeds start crackling, add chopped onion and saute till the onions turn soft and translucent.
- Now, add the chopped tomato.
- Saute and cook till the tomatoes turn soft.
- Now add ginger, garlic and green chilly paste and mix well.
- Cook for 2 more minutes till the raw smell of ginger, garlic disappears.
- When the whole mixture is cooked well, add the leafy greens paste.
- Add the reserved water (in which the leafy greens were cooked) as per required consistency.
- Add cumin coriander powder, garam masala, salt and mix well.
- Cook on a low flame for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Now, add sautéed paneer cubes and mix.
- Cover and cook for 5 more minutes on low flame.
- Uncover and give a stir.
- Paneer Saagwala is ready to be served.
- Serve hot with makai ki roti.
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