Easy Indian Saag Paneer

Saag paneer served in a white bowl with a side of parathas.

You are going to love this healthy saag paneer which is an easy, Indian recipe thats full of flavor and uses a combination of mustard greens or arugula and spinach. It's gluten free, ready in 30 minutes and is perfect with naan or parathas.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, North Indian, Punjabi

Keyword: indian curry, paneer curry, saag paneer

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: Portions

Calories: 447kcal

Author: Richa

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Butter
2 teaspoons Oil divided
8 Garlic Cloves minced
2 Green Chillies finely chopped (reduce if you like your food less spicy)
1/2 cup Onions finely chopped
1/2 cup Tomatoes finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
2 cups Spinach finely chopped
2 cups Arugula or Mustard Greens finely chopped (Mustard Greens are more authentically used)
1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek leaves or Kasuri Methi optional
2 tablespoons Cream
Salt to taste
2 cups Paneer cut into 1 inch cubes

Instructions

Heat butter and a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add minced garlic and saute till the garlic is a light golden brown.
Add green chillies and onions to the pan and cook till the onions are translucent. To this, add tomatoes, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Cover and cook till the tomatoes break down and turn pasty. This should take about 7-10 minutes.
While the tomatoes are cooking, add a teaspoon of oil to a non stick pan and add the paneer cubes, making sure not to crown the pan. Flip when the bottom is brown. Once both sides are golden brown, take the paneer out on a plate. This step is optional and you can skip it and use the paneer as is.
Add spinach and arugula leaves (or mustard greens if using) and mix well. Cook for 10 minutes till the leaves are cooked through. Mix in kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and cream. Add paneer, mix gently and serve immediately.

Notes

You can reduce the amount of green chillies in the recipe if you don't like the heat
Paneer can be easily substituted with tofu, butter with oil and cream can be substituted with coconut to turn this into a vegan saag paneer recipe
Mustard greens would be the best choice for this recipe, but arugula works well as well when mustard greens are not available
Serve saag paneer with naan, parathas or basmati rice

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