Looking for a vegetarian curry recipe? Or are you trying to incorporate cheese in everything that you cook? Look no further than this quick, vegetarian Paneer curry.
About the recipe
Vegetarian curries are such a big part of the culture in India. Traditionally, they feature a variety of vegetables cooked with spices. But Paneer Curry (Saag Paneer in Hindi) celebrates protein in the form of Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and spinach.
This particular recipe, inspired by Delicious UK is so quick and easy that you can save it for those nights when you don’t feel like cooking.
Ingredients
Sunflower oil
226g pack paneer, cut into chunks
40g bunch coriander, roughly chopped
½ small bunch mint, leaves picked
5cm fresh ginger, grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Juice 2 lemons and 1 lime
100g (about 8 tbsp) Greek yogurt, plus extra to serve
4 handfuls baby spinach leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tbsp garam masala, plus extra to serve
¼ tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp desiccated coconut, toasted in a dry pan
Method
1
Heat sunflower oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the Paneer on all sides until brown and crisp. This might take up to four minutes on each side.
2
Season with ground black pepper to taste.
3
In the meantime, put the coriander, mint, ginger, garlic, half the lemon/lime juice, yogurt, half the spinach and all the spices in a food processor. Season with salt to taste, then blend to a smooth purée.
4
Using a spatula, transfer the sauce into the pan, then stir to coat the paneer. Gently cook for a further couple of minutes until uniform.
5
Add the remaining lemon/lime juice to taste. Then stir in the remaining spinach leaves and cook until just wilted.
6
Scatter toasted coconut and extra garam masala, then serve with steamed basmati rice and the extra yogurt and mango chutney on the side.
Paneer
Paneer is a fresh acid-set milk cheese that finds its roots in the Indian subcontinent. Locals make it with either cow or buffalo milk. In fact, its production is very simple and involves adding a fruit or vegetable derived acid (e.g. lemon juice) to fresh milk. This separates the curds (solids) from the whey (liquid). Then, the cheesemaker drains the curds in muslin or cheesecloth and press out the excess water.
Due to its mild flavour, and buttery texture, Paneer is very commonly used in cooking. As it cooks in a curry sauce, it absorbs a lot of the flavour while still retaining its shape and consistency.
Some popular local dishes that feature this delectable cheese are Palak Paneer (with spinach) or Mattar Paneer (with peas). Furthermore, Paneer can be sweet (e.g. Shahi Paneer) or spicy (e.g. Chilli Paneer).
Recipe card
Quick Vegetarian Paneer Curry
Ingredients
- sunflower oil
- 226 g Paneer cut into chunks
- 40 g coriander roughly chopped
- ½ bunch mint
- 5 cm ginger grated
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 lemons juiced
- 1 lime juiced
- 100 g Greek yoghurt
- 4 handfuls baby spinach leaves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tbsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut toasted
Instructions
- Heat sunflower oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the Paneer on all sides until brown and crisp. This might take up to four minutes on each side.
- Season with ground black pepper to taste.
- In the meantime, put the coriander, mint, ginger, garlic, half the lemon/lime juice, yogurt, half the spinach and all the spices in a food processor. Season with salt to taste, then blend to a smooth purée.
- Using a spatula, transfer the sauce into the pan, then stir to coat the paneer. Gently cook for a further couple of minutes until uniform.
- Add the remaining lemon/lime juice to taste. Then stir in the remaining spinach leaves and cook until just wilted.
- Scatter toasted coconut and extra garam masala, then serve with steamed basmati rice and the extra yogurt and mango chutney on the side.