Palak Paneer or Saag Paneer is a vegetarian Indian recipe made with a simple type of cheese called Paneer, in a thick, richly spiced, pureed spinach sauce. A quick and easy recipe, it is loaded with a variety of healthy vegetables; spinach, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, onions, and spices. My Palak Paneer recipe is not as spicy-hot as some recipes I’ve tried, but not mild either. I add a nice spiciness to my rice to accompany the Palak Paneer and the Indian Spiced Rice recipe is equally simple and delicious.

I serve my Palak Paneer recipe with not only the Indian spiced rice but also freshly baked Naan (which I love). This recipe can easily be made vegan and dairy-free by substituting tofu for the paneer and eliminating the cream or yogurt.

I love Naan!!!

My Naan recipe is awesome. I’ve made a lot of different Naan recipes throughout the years, tweaked them here and there to get to the perfect recipe. This naan recipe is easy, and delicious, and nothing beats the smell of a yeasty flatbread baking in the oven, pulling it out, and eating it while it’s still piping hot.

Here’s my Palak Paneer recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Pound Fresh Spinach, rough chopped
• 1 Cup Fresh Tomatoes, diced
• 1 Large Onion
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 ½ Tablespoons Garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, grated
• ½ Cup Water
• 1 Lemon, juice
• 3 Birds Eye Chilies
• 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1 Teaspoon Turmeric
• ½ Teaspoon Ground Red Pepper (I use Kashmiri pepper)
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Coriander
• 2 Tablespoons Yogurt, Heavy Cream or Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• ½ Pound Paneer, in cubes
• Fresh Cilantro, garnish

PROCESS:

-Add olive oil to a large covered skillet or pot over medium-high heat

-When hot, add chopped onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft

-Add garlic, ginger and birds eye chilies, stir for 1 minute

-Add tomatoes, water, lemon juice, and salt, bring to a boil

-Add spinach and spices, cover and let steam for 10 minutes

-Transfer spinach and yogurt to a food processor and pulse briefly to roughly chop the spinach, you still want there to be some texture, not completely smooth

-If you have soft paneer, skip this next step

-For firm cubes of paneer, In the same pot that you steamed the spinach, add 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat

-Add paneer cubes and briefly fry for 1-2 minutes

-Add the pureed spinach mixture and stir to combine

-Serve hot with either rice or naan, or both

Here’s my Indian Spiced Rice recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Jasmin or Basmati Rice
• 2 Cups Water
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ Cup Diced Onion
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic, crushed and chopped
• ½ Teaspoon Fresh Ginger, grated
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• ½ Teaspoon Cardamom
• 1 Teaspoon Turmeric
• ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin or Cumin Seeds
• ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Birds Eye Chili

PROCESS:

-In a small saucepot over high heat, add the olive oil

-Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft

-Add garlic, ginger and birds eye chili, stir for 1 minute

-Add the rice, water and spices, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover

-Cook the rice for the appropriate time based on the instructions on the box

Here is my Naan Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup Warm Water, 115°F
• 3 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
• 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• 5 Tablespoons Plain Yogurt
• 3 Tablespoons Ghee, Melted
• 1 Egg
• 4 ¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Salt

PROCESS:

-Preheat oven to 450°F, place a pizza stone in the oven so the stone is very hot when baking

-A stand mixer with a hook attachment is best, but this is easy to do by hand as well

-Add warm water, yeast and sugar to the mixing bowl, let stand for 4-5 minutes until foamy

-Add all ingredients, if using a stand mixer, knead for 5 minutes, by hand, knead for 10 minutes

-The dough should be soft and not sticky

-Place in an oiled bowl in a warm location, let rise for one hour

-Divide into 8 pieces, flatten each piece into a 6-inch round

-As the dough is about to go into the oven, stretch one end of the 6-inch round so the dough has a teardrop shape to it

-Bake for 7-8 minutes

-Try not to eat it all before dinner, enjoy!