Craving Garhwali cuisine this Saturday? Whip up Saag Paneer and tick nutrition for the day

It is important that the meal you eat before sleep should ensure a healthy digestive system and paneer does not only that but also makes teeth and bones strong along with aiding weight loss and reducing the risk of breast cancer. Since it is also great for those having diabetes, make sure you check out the recipe of Saag Paneer here and serve a bowl of goodness to your family.

Winter is still here and so is the excuse to indulge in all things green and leafy including palak or spinach, the vegetable that is abundant during this season and is loaded with amazing health benefits. If Popeye came to India, he’d surely binge on this dinner recipe of Saag Paneer and we wouldn’t be surprised.

Ingredients:

FRESH MUSTARD LEAVES 100 GMS

FRESH SPINACH LEAVES 25 GMS

FRESH BATHUA LEAVES (LAMB’S QUARTER) 25 GMS

GREEN CHILLIES 2 NOS

PANEER CUBES ( 6 NOS ) 60 GMS

CHOPPED GARLIC 25 GMS

CHOPPED GINGER 15 GMS

DRY RED CHILI 02 NOS

CHOPPED ONIONS 50 GMS

DICED TOMATO 20 GMS

RED CHILI POWDER 80 GMS

SALT TO TASTE

TURMERIC POWDER 10 GMS

BUTTER 20 GMS

GHEE 15 GMS

REFINED OIL 25 GMS

Method:

Pluck the leaves from the vegetables and discard the stems. Wash thoroughly, add green chillies and boil. Strain the water from the boiled leafy vegetables and give it a quick blitz in a grinder just to break down the leaves.

Set a pan on heat, add oil and saute dry chilli, garlic and ginger. Once browned, add onions and cook till done. Add the processed vegetables and paneer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, add the spices and cook further till water is lost.

Add tomatoes and cook, adjust the seasoning. Finish with a dollop of butter and ghee. To be packed in a 350ml paper container and accompanied with 2 missi roti in butter paper pouches.

(Recipe: Chef Sujit Kumar Dey)

Benefits:

Paneer is loaded with the goodness of healthy fats and milk proteins and helps builds a strong immune system which is on everyone’s top priority currently amid the Covid-19 pandemic, aids in the normal functioning of the digestive system and builds better bones and teeth courtesy its rich calcium content. It is not only an essential component in weight loss programs but is also an ideal food for diabetic patients and reduces the risk of cancer.

As for spinach, apart from being cheap and easy to prepare if not served raw, it is known to contain 28.1 milligrams of vitamin C in a 100-gram serving as per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Since it is high in fiber and water, it promotes a healthy digestive tract by preventing constipation.

The leaves of spinach are also rich in protein, iron, vitamins and minerals. The vitamin A in it moisturises the skin and hair while the vitamin C in it provides structure to skin and hair and the iron content keeps hair loss at bay. It not only helps in managing diabetes and preventing cancer but also helps prevent asthma and lowers blood pressure.