Saag paneer pilau
Traditionally saag paneer is cooked as a curry, here I have added rice to the mix to make a one-pot easy pilau, giving you the most vibrant-green and flavourful pot of rice.
For this recipe you will need a blender.
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp ghee
- 4 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 brown onion, grated
- 225g/8oz paneer, cut into cubes
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú spinach
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 2 tsp salt
- 400g/14oz basmati rice
- 800ml/1â…“ pints hot water
To serve (optional)
- 6 large free-range eggs, at room temperature
- pickled red cabbage
Method
Start by putting the ghee in a large non-stick pan that has a lid. As soon as the ghee is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them bubble away for 1 minute. Add the garlic and onion and cook over a medium to high heat for around 5 minutes until golden. Add the paneer and cook for 2–3 minutes until it takes on a golden colour.
Blend the spinach to a paste with a splash of water. Add the spinach and lemon juice to the pan, season well with the salt and cook until the mixture is dry.
Add the rice and cook for 1–2 minutes, or until you see it start to get a brighter white in the centre of the grains (if you look hard you will see the change, just ever so slightly). Pour in the hot water and bring to the boil. As it boils, the liquid will reduce. When the water is thick and the rice visible (about 5 minutes), reduce the heat to the lowest you can get it, cover and leave to steam for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, soft-boil the eggs by dropping them into a pan of simmering water and cooking for 6 minutes.
After 30 minutes, take the lid off the pilau, leave for 10 minutes and it’s ready to serve. I like to serve this with a sprinkling of pickled red cabbage and the soft-boiled eggs cut in half.
