Thank you, Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks, for getting me over the hump of thinking that Indian food was too complex to tackle at home.  If you’ve had similar thoughts, I highly recommend this recipe for Saag Paneer (similar to palak paneer).  We ate this last night and it went over very well.  We’ll definitely return to it with some frequency.  Compared to the Palak Paneer that we’ve ordered at our local Indian restaurant, this is not as spicy (good!), and probably not as caloric (this contains just 2 tablespoons of butter in a recipe that serves 6.

The day that Heidi’s recent post about saag paneer caught my eye, I made the spice blend and put it in the spice cabinet.  It really helps me to break down recipes like this.  It is not a long list of spices, and it is quick and simple to mix it up, but nice to have it done ahead of time.

Paneer, shown here cubed and browned in butter, is a very simple Indian cheese that doesn’t melt, so ideal for cooking.  I used an Oregon-produced paneer, but will absolutely consider making my own next time.  Since paneer doesn’t melt, it holds up and provides texture and chew for Indian recipes that are vegetarian.  But it’s also pretty bland, so by making it yourself, you could add salt or seasoning.  I found this step-by-step recipe in The Oregonian’s Mix Magazine.  Paneer is one of the simplest cheeses you can make -- basically simmered milk, addition of vinegar and then drained through cheese cloth. 

As a Louisianian, I also couldn’t help thinking about the addition of cooked shrimp or crabmeat to this flavorful spinach, instead of the paneer.  That is something I’ll be testing! 

One more note:  Heidi doesn’t say to, but before adding the paneer to the pot I used an immersion blender in the pot of spinach and onions to blend it just a little - you can see from this photo, I didn’t blend it all the way smooth, but left plenty of texture.

Saag paneer, lovely with a sparkly glass of Crémant de Bourgogne from Huber-Verdereau!