Saag Paneer ! Golden roasted ricotta cheese floating in a savory spinach sauce is a protein packed family favorite. Saag Paneer or Palak Paneer is a popular dish one might order at an Indian restuarant, but it is super easy to make at home too. My Sunday Supper team is doing a Cheese, Cake and Cheesecake theme ! What’s not to love about cheese ? I decided to make Saag Panner ! It’s a little different Mutter Paneer a creamy dish with peas and tomatoes which I make more often, another popular dish in my home. This protein packed dish is perfect for meatless Monday or that meal when you want to skip the meat, but still get your protein. I make my own paneer using ricotta cheese and it has a fresh taste that tastes great simmered in a spinach sauce. I also use coconut oil which gives it a rich but unique flavor ! After I started making Saag Panner at home my family stopped ordering it at the Indian restaurant 🙂 !
Just a note about paneer !
You can get paneer at Indian stores but you can make your own fresh paneer using these methods. Let’s see, you can use this method with fresh milk like my friend Amy. You can also make panner by baking ricotta cheese in an oven like my recipe below. Third you can get really ” From Scratch” and make your own ricotta cheese like my friend Susan did before you turn the ricotta into paneer. Any of these methods would work for this dish, but let me tell you there is something very fresh and wholesome about home made panner. I rarely buy the store bought paneer any more. Look at my golden roasted ricotta paneer !
Nutrition Wise !
Paneer is loaded with protein and calcium and is healthy meat alternative for vegetarians. Spinach is a store house for many phyto-nutrients that have super health benefits and disease prevention properties. High in iron, vitamin A, C and K it can make your body alkaline which is good for optimum health. Combining paneer and spinach together gives you a complete protein.What is lacking in paneer can be found in spinach turning this dish into a healthy protein packed dish.
Saag Paneer
Print recipe
| Serves | 6-8 |
| Dietary | Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Main Dish, Side Dish |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Freezable, Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot |
Ingredients
- 6 Cups fresh spinach (chopped)
- 1 onion
- 1 Tsp cumin powder
- 2 Tsp chili flakes
- 1 Tsp turmeric
- 1 Tsp garam masale
- 2 Tsp ginger paste (or grated ginger)
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil (divided)
- 16 oz ricotta cheese (2 cups)
Directions
| Spread ricotta cheese thickly on a greased pan and bake for 1 hr at 350 degrees. Leave for 1 hr in the refrigerator or 20 minutes in the freezer to set a bit. Remove from fridge/ freezer and cut into cubes. | |
| Heat 1 tbsp oil. Saute onions, ginger, spices for 2 minutes. Add chopped spinach and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree to a smooth paste. | |
| Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the pureed spinach and salt and cook for about 6-8 minutes. Gently fold in the ricotta ( paneer) cubes and take off the fire. | |
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Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. This week we will be sharing our love of Cheese, Cakes AND Cheesecakes! Our weekly chat starts at 3:00 pm AKST ( 7:00 pm EST)!
Hi there! I’m Sunithi, AKA Sue, a registered dietitian with a sweet tooth and a passion for eating healthy (quite a combo) currently working as an independent consultant in the DC Metro area. I’m also a blogger, health nut, nutrition geek who jogs to keep sane :)! I love to revamp recipes and add some ‘Nutrition Bytes’ to them. All my recipes are gluten free! I also blog on natural health and fitness! Visit often and drop me a note if you have any nutrition queries!
I love making my own ricotta, and this recipe is like a dream to me! Especially since I´m always looking for new ways to eat spinach and lentils (I tend to become anemic quite often). Love this recipe Suni! And by the way, I´m drinking your celery/apple/cucumber/ginger juice very often and am totally smitten with it.
This recipe looks really interesting. It’s great that you paired the cheese with a spinach sauce. It looks good and I’m sure it tastes wonderful too.
I’ve never heard of Saag Paneer before!! Can’t wait to try this! I bet we would love it!
Ricotta and Spinach…. two of my favorite things! Yes, please!
SO divine. I’m just lapping up all of these cheesy recipes!
Perfect! I am making this soon. Love your easy suggestion for making homemade paneer using ricotta!
Thanks to this great concoction. I simply got there that’s why sampled terrific: -) Excellent web page by means of torte directions other people when you’re planning to pursue. I have a blog with cake recipes myself if you are interested. You can find it at http://recipes-for-food.com/
This savory dish looks wonderful. Yum! I’ve been eating a ton of spinach lately and looking for new ways to enjoy it – I love Ricotta too, so I’m pretty sure I’m on board for this whole thing. 🙂
What a great dish! I love spinach, and this looks so flavorful and healthy… the perfect dinner or lunch!
I discovered paneer recently at this Indian restaurant that opened near my house. I love it and can’t get enough. All hot and gooey in your savory spinach sounds like a dream to eat.
It would be an understatement to say that I love saag paneer. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this dish! It’s one of my favorites and after learning how to make it on my own, I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make. When I make it, I usually eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No joke.
I am not a huge fan of spinach, but I have a friend who loves this dish, and orders it all the time!!
Look at all that wonderful spinach! I bet this dish tastes awesome! No wonder you don’t have to order it anymore!! LOL!
Oh this is my husband’s favourite! I am totally making this dish for his birthday.
You always know how to make good for you food delicious!
This sounds like my kind of dish. I love both ricotta cheese and spinach. This is a winner!
Cheese with spinach go great together, Sue!
I have never had this before, but am dying to try it! I think I could even get my little guy treat spinach this way!
Yes, it would be tasty but both spinach and paneer are full of iron and calcium. That’s why, doctors do not recommend this to those who having bone problem.
LOVE your food…like I would never leave your house. You would have a new roomie! Cant’ wait to make Suni!
Can I come live with you, Sue, and eat all of your amazing, delicious, nutritious meals? I’ll be eternally grateful. My husband might want to tag along too, just a warning 😉 I love saag paneer – I wouldn’t want to order it out either if I could make it at home!
I really wish we lived closer so I can come over to your house every night for your delicous Indian food. I have never tried this dish but it sounds wonderful. We get Indian food every Tuesay at work but I haven’t had my Indian food fix because we had snow days 3 Tuesdays in a row. 🙁
Wish !!!!
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Hey Sunithi,
Saag is one dish which is a regular feature of my home during the winters. My mother always prepares saag at least once in two weeks. We all are a fond admirer of this great archaic dish. Saag is high in proteins and other essential things which is the reason I prefer munching in saag. You have provided the recipe a refreshing change. I would incorporate it when I prepare saag at home during next winters. Thanks for the refreshing recipe.
Ah the traditional saag paneer with a new touch…..seems like a yummy combination indeed. Thanks for the share.
I had no idea you can make your own paneer using ricotta and baking it… that is so great! I love saag paneer and cannot wait to give this a try. So glad to be introduced to your site– thanks for the recipe!
I love this Sunithi!. I tried to make paneer from scratch a few months ago, and it didn’t work out. I need to take another run at it. I can’t remember what went sideways on me, but something. This looks like a perfect vegetarian meal to me. Perfect.
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