This is probably the best saag paneer you’ll ever make. Trust me.

Ingredients:

1 small square of paneer

1 large onion
1 lb spinach, roughly chopped
4 quarter-sized slices of ginger
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Del Marie yogurt

2 T. vegetable oil
1 T. ghee (you can use butter in a pinch)
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cracked-open cardamom pods
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 T. ground coriander
1 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. fenugreek powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 clove minced garlic
4 dried red chilies (such as chile de arbol)

**Paneer can be purchased at an Indian store or homemade with this recipe. If you decide to make your own paneer — and I recommend you do — start it ahead of time. It takes about an hour of draining. Queso blanco is a good substitution for the cheese as well.

Put the onion, spinach, ginger slices, garlic cloves and water into a heavy bottomed pot. Cover and boil for 10 minutes. Let the spinach cool a bit and pulse in food processor. Don’t get it too smooth, you want some chunks left. Return the mixture to the pan and stir in the yogurt.

Heat up a sauté pan with the vegetable oil and ghee.

Add the cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, ginger matchsticks and sauté 1-2 minutes.

Add the coriander, garam masala, fenugreek, salt and minced garlic and sauté for a few seconds:

Clear out the pan and add a small amount of oil and sauté the dried red chilies until they are very dark. You want them to look a bit burned.

Gently stir in the spices, oil and chilies into the spinach. Don’t over mix.

Add ½” x 1” x 1” chunks of paneer that have been lightly salted anad fried in a bit of oil or ghee.  Serve with basmati rice.

- daphne