saag paneer

[Suvir Saran]

Click Here for recipe for the above Saag Paneer that Prasad posted a picture for.

Thanks Prasad!

[Haggis]

There appears to be an error on the recipe. One of the listed ingredients appears as: 2 Table spoons (Optional)

Might this be black pepper? It seems a huge amount of black pepper, but I would not complain if I ate it, because I love black pepper. Anyway, the recipe description does go on to talk about when to include the black pepper, but it is not mentioned in the ingredient list. Could Prasad offer his correction? Recipe sounds great, by the way.

[Suvir Saran]

2 Tablespoons of black pepper seems doubtful. It would be overwhelming.

I loves the pictures posted in this thread. Make saag paneer seem like what we ate in home in India.

[Haggis]

In re-reading Prada's recipe, I think the 2 mysterious tablespoons must be the cream he calls for later to be added to the spinach mixture when the paneer is added. I hope Prasad will confirm this, as I want to try this recipe soon. Also, what sort of cream should I use - heavy whipping cream, sour cream, creme fraiche?

[Suvir Saran]

Heavy whipping cream would be what I would use if I am using cream.

Prasad, what do you use?

[prasad2]

2 Tablespoons of black pepper seems doubtful.  It would be overwhelming.

I loves the pictures posted in this thread.  Make saag paneer seem like what we ate in home in India.

Suvir,

Thanks for correcting my post to get this recipe going. Thanks for the compliments on the picture saag paneer. BTW all these pictures are self generated at the restaurant. When I open my post it's looks blurred to me?

Yes, the mysterious 2 table spoons is HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM .

Also if you notice there is no coriander of any form in this recipe. This recipe was created for a special guest of the frequent guest of Thali who hates coriander. A pinch or two of roasted coriander powder along with the other spices would enhance the flavor a bit more.

Most of my recipes are unedited, so you are going to find these mysterious things. Thanks to the egulleteers support and this is one of many reasons, I like to share things on this forum.

Haggis please make it soon and enjoy it and please share your experience with the recipe.

Please forgive....

[jokhm]

Prasad,

I love the look of the restaurant! The dishes as well, looks fantastic!! I am a frequent Indian restaurant eater in Montreal and I have yet to go to any restaurant that includes traditional Indian food presented in a modern restaurant look; specifically in the plate preparation. I always imagined that for this to be done, the traditional food would have to be dropped in favour of something that combines a north american/european look and taste. Maybe someone here has been to such a place around my area and could direct me.... otherwise I'll have to remember next time I take a trip nearby.

Joel

[jokhm]

Maybe that phrase sounds a bit misplaced. No I do not eat restaurants.

[torakris]

Made Prasad2's recipe last night

it was wonderful

thank you!

[prasad2]

Made Prasad2's recipe last night

it was wonderful

thank you!

Kris: Thank You, I am so glad you made Saag Paneer and enjoyed it. Did it look the same way the picture looked? I am just curious. What kind of bread you made and how was it?

Please do not hesitate to ask for more info. Always happy to share.

[prasad2]

Prasad,

I love the look of the restaurant! The dishes as well, looks fantastic!! I am a frequent Indian restaurant eater in Montreal and I have yet to go to any restaurant that includes traditional Indian food presented in a modern restaurant look; specifically in the plate preparation. I always imagined that for this to be done, the traditional food would have to be dropped in favour of something that combines a north american/european look and taste. Maybe someone here has been to such a place around my area and could direct me.... otherwise I'll have to remember next time I take a trip nearby.

Joel

Joel,

Thanks for your compliments on my restaurant and the looks of it.

Yes, there are ways to present this flavorful, authentic Indian food in modern settings.

Yes, it's hard but not impossible. I certainly enjoy what I do and take it as a challenge.

no no no no we don't drop any flavors of the food, infact keeping the authenticity of the food being our priority, the presentations are equally treated.

I am not sure what's in your neighborhood, I am a bit far away.

You are more than welcome to visit us and it will be our pleasure to see you.

[torakris]

Made Prasad2's recipe last night

it was wonderful

thank you!

Kris: Thank You, I am so glad you made Saag Paneer and enjoyed it. Did it look the same way the picture looked? I am just curious. What kind of bread you made and how was it?

Please do not hesitate to ask for more info. Always happy to share.

It was similar to the picture yes, except I had more paneer, I made more then I needed but decide just to use all of it.

I also didn't chop the spinach as finely as I should have, so it didn't "sauce" as well as it should have, good lesson learned: don't always take the easy way out!

I didn't add the cream, so it was a little darker in color.

Wish I had a camera, it was gorgeous though!

I ended up making naan, as I was out of whole wheat flour!

more talk of that on the Indian bread thread.............

[PCircles]

I often make saag paneer (I call it palak paneer) for Holi and Diwali parties. Since I cook for about 35-40 people all by myslef, I have come up with a recipe that is very low-maintanence and is simply divine. Well, it gets polished off everytime!

Ingredients:

4 or 5 lbs of fresh well-washed spinach

1 packet paneer from the local Indian store

1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)

2 or 3 tsps Red chilli powder

3 or 4 tsps Garam Masala

1 big Onion (I am punjabi, so I can never have too much onion!)

1 or 2 cups (depending on your taste) of crushed tomato

2 tbsps ghee

1 handful of any daal - I normally use washed masur daal (this is totally optional)

Procedure

1. Put the ghee in a large pan

2. When the ghee is hot, add the jeera

3. Once the jeera is splutter fried, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until they are translucent.

4. Add the spcies and make sure they look cooked (they get darker)

5. Add crushed tomato and cook until the tomato has heated.

6. Start putting the fresh spinach in until it has wilted. Cook it until it has just wilted and then take it off the gas.

7. Once it has cooled a little, puree it in the blender - make sure it is a consistent paste. Yyou should not see any of the individual ingredients in it at all.

8. After blending, return to the gas and simmer for as long as you can. I simmer from anywhere between 30 minutes (great) to almost 1.5 hours (fabulous!).

Better yet, make it one or two days before your party and let it sit in the fridge after you have finished cooking it. Once it sits for a few hours even, the spices and flavors blend to creat an unbelievebly complex yet light flavor!

For the paneer, just cut up the package paneer in nice chunks and drop it in the hot saag. The paneer wil cook a little, but will become very soft as the saag heats it.

Easy, right?

[Suvir Saran]

Welcome to eGullet and the Indian forum.

Thanks for sharing the recipe. Sounds wonderful.

We called it Paalak Paneer for the most part when I was growing up in Delhi.