While my six-week course on India has just come to a close, I’m already ecstatic in experimenting with new dishes, spice mixes, sauces, and more. A classic take-out staple that I got a chance to partake in creating last week was Saag Paneer, a gravy of spinach that incorporates chunks of that ubiquitous Indian cheese. I have dipped my feet into the dish in the past only to screw up the spinach-to-cream ratio and create a rather disappointingly thin brine instead of the hearty green sauce many associate it with. The secret to ensuring your spinach retains that deep verdant shade rather than a depressing brownish color is to boil it, than shock it in a bath of ice before running it through the food processor. Then again, maybe this isn’t a secret at all. Maybe I’m just ignorant. Who knows.
The homemade paneer was also a vital addition to the saag, although you could use other forms of protein as well, including lamb, chicken, or shrimp. Similarly to Daal Tadka, another growing favorite of mine, homemade paneer includes a minimalistic list of ingredients (a gallon of milk, some salt, and a few tablespoons of white vinegar) and is more about the method. One needs to sit by and wait until the milk just starts to boil, then incorporate the vinegar and stir very gently in order for the whey and curds to separate. Our instructor at CSCA recommended stirring the nascent paneer in a matter similar to rowing a boat, moving the ladle backwards and forwards in a manner similar to an oar.
The weekend after the class ended, I took to making the Saag for myself, and while the paneer was a bit more crumbly likely due to not enough moisture having been drawn out of it, it was still a delight. Not only for the nose and the mouth, but, thanks to the deep-green hue of the gravy, also the eyes.
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| Saag Paneer at Class |
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| Saag Paneer at Home |
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