Saag Paneer with Chickpeas
and rice
We're excited to bring back this authentic Indian meal of cheese (paneer) and chickpeas in a rich spinach sauce. This Cook Smarts classic was last featured in 2021, but we've added rice to this version for an even heartier meal. Fragrant spices add color and flavor to the dish.
Ingredients
- Rice, uncooked white or brown - 1 cup
- Onions, medium - 1 , diced
- Jalapenos - 1 , diced; seeds removed for less spice
- Garlic - 2 cloves , chopped
- Ginger, fresh - 1 tsp , grated
- Frozen chopped spinach - 16 oz , defrosted and drained of as much liquid as possible
- Tomatoes, diced (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can
- Cheese, paneer - 8 oz , cubed (sub extra-firm tofu)
- Cilantro leaves - 1/4 cup , chopped
- Beans, garbanzo (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can , drained and rinsed
- Turmeric, ground - 1 Tbsp
- Oil, cooking - 2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
- Coriander, ground - 2 tsp
- Cumin, ground - 1 1/2 tsp
- Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
- Yogurt, plain or Greek - 1/4 cup (plus more for serving)
- Naan (opt) - 4 rounds
Prep
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Rice - (If making Thursday's meal, make rice for that night at the same time.) For white rice, rinse until clear. Fill a saucepan or Dutch oven (or rice cooker) with rice, water (use 2:1 ratio for water to rice), and some salt. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, stir, lower heat to a low-medium, and cover. Check white rice after ~20 min; brown at ~45 min. Rice is done when it's absorbed all the water. If it's not done, leave the cover on until all water has been absorbed. Take cover off to release steam and fluff with a wooden spoon after 5 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Onions / Jalapenos/ Garlic / Ginger - Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Spinach - Defrost spinach in microwave or in a bowl of warm water. When completely thawed, drain well in a colander. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make sauce - Combine spinach and tomatoes (including liquid) in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead).
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Paneer / Cilantro - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Beans - Drain and rinse.
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Season proteins - Toss paneer and beans with turmeric and some salt. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.
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Make
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Heat a large nonstick pan with first part of oil over medium heat (using a nonstick pan will really help to prevent paneer from sticking, but you can also use extra oil and sear the paneer and beans in the same pan you’ll use to cook the sauce). Add paneer and beans. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
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Heat a Dutch oven with second part of oil over medium heat. Add onions, jalapenos, garlic, and ginger. Saute until very tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with some salt.
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Add in ground coriander, cumin, and garam masala. Saute until fragrant, ~1 minute more.
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Pour spinach and tomato sauce over aromatics, stirring well to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.
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If rice was made ahead of time, warm it in the microwave (remember to reserve Thursday's portion if making that meal).
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Warm naan (if using) according to package directions.
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Remove sauce from heat and stir in yogurt. Gently fold in paneer and beans. Season to taste with some more salt and more spices if you’d like.
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Serve Saag Paneer over rice and top with cilantro. Enjoy with naan on the side.
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