Saag Paneer

 Saag Paneer is a traditional Punjabi delicacy that is eaten in winter. The reason behind eating sarson ka saag in winter is very simple, it helps keep our body warm plus it is packed with micronutrients and antioxidants. Traditionally it is made with mixture of sarson(which is called as mustard greens), spinach and bathua(another winter leafy vegetable) but living in the US it is hard to find bathua, at least I have never seen it in the store where I shop. So adjustments had to made to enjoy this beautiful delicacy by using whatever greens I can find. 

Greens that are used in today's recipe is mustard greens(the star ingredient), methi leaves and spinach. But I think you can also add any greens that is available like green swiss chard, collard greens. Let's get started!

Ingredients

1 bunch mustard greens

1 small bunch spinach or 5 oz prewashed baby spinach

1/2 bunch methi leaves or a handful of methi

1 green chili

5 garlic cloves roughly chopped

1 inch ginger roughly chopped

1 medium size onion chopped

1 medium size tomato chopped

Salt as per taste

1.5 tbsp Makai ka atta or very fine Corn Meal whatever is available

1.5 tbsp ghee(clarified butter)

1/2 cup cubed paneer(for homemade paneer recipe click here)

For Tempering

1/2 small onion finely diced

1 small tomato finely chopped

2 small garlic cloves finely chopped

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

Method

First thing you will need to do is separate mustard leaves from stems, and discard the stems. Do the same with methi leaves, pick leaves with young stems. Same for spinach if not using already washed and trimmed stems.
Wash all the greens nicely for 3/4 times to wash away all the dirt.

Roughly chop all the greens and add it to the pressure cooker. Add chopped onion, green chili broken into half, chopped tomatoes, garlic cloves and ginger. Add about 1.5 cups of water. 

Close the lid and on medium high flame give 4 whistles and then keep the flame on low and let it cook for 5 more minutes. After 5 minutes shut off the gas and let the pressure drop naturally. 

Once the pressure is dropped and mixture is cool take all the water out and save little bit and keep aside. Grind the mixture roughly in a blender or mixer. We like coarse texture for the saag so I just pulsed it few times to keep the grainy texture.

Take a kadhai and put it on medium flame. Add a teaspoon of ghee, add chopped garlic and let it brown lightly, next add chopped onion and saute it for a while until translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till mushy. Take this tempering out into a bowl. 

In the same kadhai add 1.5 tbsp ghee. Add grinded or pureed saag mixture to kadhai and mix. Cover it with lid and let it cook for 3/4 minutes. 

Next mix makai atta or fine corn meal with little bit of saved water from pressure cooker to make a paste. Add this paste to the saag and mix nicely to combine everything together and cook again with lid on for 4 to 5 minutes so that makkai ka atta cooks nicely and saag thickens a bit. 

Next add cubed paneer to the saag and let it cook for a couple minutes just to soften the paneer.

Lastly add earlier prepared tomato, onion mixture on top to garnish. This is completely optional but this step takes saag to the next level!

Notes-: Adding paneer is optional, Sarson ka Saag can be made without paneer but I feel it's a great addition to the saag and hey who doesn't like paneer :)

Addition of the tomato onion topping is optional as well but as I said both these options take saag to the next level!