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We're two best friends, Kelly and Suanne, who love to cook! We have a passion for fresh food, complex flavors, and saving time. We'll share with you what's for dinner (really!) as well as how we made it and how we can make it better.

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Friday, January 20, 2012

Saag Paneer (Spicy Indian Pureed Spinach with Cheese)

Saag Paneer is my go to Indian dish. Its vegetarian, rich in flavors and aroma, and has a luxurios consistency that makes it a very satisfying dish. Its incredibly healthy, relying on spinach, tomato, garlic, and onion, as well as paneer, which is a type of lacto-vegetarian cheese. Paneer is available in Indian groceries. In my case last night, I was too lazy to get actual paneer (and risk having some leftover) so I substituted for mozzarella. Not really pari passu, but I really just wanted the spinach!

My recipe for Saag Paneer is from my friend Neha, who has a gorgeous blog about homemade Indian food. Her recipe involves making a spicy tomato onion paste, which is incredibly pungent, but is absolutely necessary to make this dish's complex flavor and balance. I would advise against cheating if you want it to be authentic! The tomato paste can be frozen for future use and is the most complicated part of this dish.

Serve with rice or bread (naan is best!)

1 comment:

  1. Modifications:
    1. Can substitute spinach for collard greens and a few carrots (for sweetnesss)
    2. Can be baked with an egg for a great breakfast.

    ReplyDelete

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