If you haven't guessed by now, I love a takeaway. I particularly love getting an Indian takeaway, and have done for as long as I can remember. As I mentioned in my last post, I really appreciate the plethora of flavour combinations that exist in Indian food. What I've also come to realise recently is that it's relatively simple to whip up my own versions of my favourite Indian cuisine at home, which is great for my health and my bank account!
Saag aloo is usually a side dish available from Indian takeaways and restaurants, and is something my family and I always saw as a must-have alongside our curries. If you've never tried it, or never heard of it, it's a potato and spinach dish rich with subtle spices and immense flavour. To this day it's the first thing I think of when someone says "fancy an Indian?" (Side note: yes I do - always)
You probably get it - I love saag aloo. That's why when I saw this recipe in one of my cookbooks I was over the moon. I'd never thought of putting paneer in the dish, but in my effort to eat less meat I had tried paneer a couple of times and really liked it. I mean, it's cheese so of course I did...
So, I decided (after an Indian takeaway one night last week) to give it a go myself, and let me tell you I was impressed. The paneer works really well to complement the flavours of the saag aloo, however its not totally essential so if you're vegan or don't eat dairy then you can certainly still enjoy this dish. Check out my step-by-step video and read on for the full ingredient list & method.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
1 teaspoon of garam masala
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of garlic paste
1 teaspoon of ginger paste
Half a teaspoon of ground turmeric
100 grams of paneer
2 to 3 large handfuls of baby spinach - remember when spinach wilts it gets really small, so make sure these are laaaarge handfuls
Half a white onion, finely chopped
A sprinkle of chilli flakes (the original recipe uses half a red chilli so you can do so too - I just have the spice tolerance of a newborn baby so use chilli flakes instead)
150 millilitres of boiling water
Salt for seasoning
Method:
Chop your half onion and baby potatoes - I did them in quarters - and chillies if you're using fresh rather than chilli flakes
Then chop your paneer into cubes of about two centimetres
Pop your coconut oil into a bowl and stick it in the microwave for about 30 seconds until it's all melted
Spoon roughly half of the oil into a lidded saucepan, then add your turmeric to the remaining oil in the bowl and give it a good stir
Chuck the paneer into that bowl and give it a mix so the paneer turns bright yellow
Leave the paneer to the side and pop the saucepan on a medium heat
Add your onion and a big pinch of salt, making sure to coat all of the onion
Leave this to fry for two to three minutes, then add your garam masala, cumin seeds, chilli flakes, garlic & ginger pastes and finally your potatoes
Stir occasionally for about three minutes, meanwhile boil your kettle and pour 150 millilitres of water into a measuring jug
Pour the water into the pan once three mins is up, cover with the lid and cook on a medium heat for eight minutes
Whilst that's cooking, pop a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and add your paneer (note: the oil will likely have solidified so make sure you use a spoon to scrape everything in the bowl into the pan)
Fry the paneer for around two minutes on each side (careful - it spits!) until it's a nice gold colour and all crispy, then turn the heat down to the lowest it can go to keep the pan warm
Check your potatoes with a sharp knife after eight minutes to make sure they're cooked through - if they are, grab your spinach (remember - BIG handfuls!) and chuck it in the pan to wilt
Once wilted, dish up into bowls, throw the paneer on top and enjoy!
Although it may not seem it, this recipe was a little more adventurous for me as I'd never cooked with paneer before! However, it was super easy and tasted great, so I'm very pleased with how it all turned out. It's great to know that I can whip up a yummy Indian dish in the comfort of my own home. Now just to master the rest of my usual order. Anyone got a good recipe for the great onion bhaji?
Maybe the joy I associate with Indian food and my urge to try my hand at cooking it stems subconsciously from witnessing my dad struggle to manage THE hottest curry our local takeaway had to offer, gulping down gallons of water (should have been milk) as my mum filmed him and I watched on in fits of laughter. So, thanks Dad, for the memory and the inspiration.
If you love Indian food like me, why not give this recipe a go? I've adapted it slightly, but you can find the original in VEGGIE LEAN IN 15 by Joe Wicks. As I mentioned in my previous post, this book is great for those of you that want tasty meal ideas and to know more about nutrition and fitness training. Highly recommend.
If you do try your hand at this dish, give me a shout in the comments or on any of my social medias and let me know how it goes!