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Serves
4 as a side salad, 2 as an entree
Author Notes
I love saag paneer, but during the height of summer I also like to savor the flavors of fresh greens and sweet cherry tomatoes, so I decided to create a "raw" saag paneer salad: spinach and cherry tomatoes topped with cubed paneer cheese sauteed in a jalapeno, ginger, and spice-infused oil. I made this salad with bietola greens from my Farmers market, which are a dark Tuscan beet green, but it would also be delicious, and more authentically saag, made with spinach leaves. —Fairmount_market
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Ingredients
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1 pint
cherry tomatoes
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1 bunch
bietola or spinach
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2 tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
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1
jalapeno
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1
inch ginger root
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1
clove garlic
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3 ounces
paneer cheese
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1
green onion, large outer leaves removed
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1/4 cup
neutral oil such as grape seed
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1 teaspoon
black mustard seeds
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1 teaspoon
fenugreek
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1/2 teaspoon
cumin seeds
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1 teaspoon
garam masala
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salt
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freshly ground black pepper
Directions
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Wash the bietola or spinach, slice the leaves into 1/4 inch strips, and discard the stems. Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes. Toss the greens and tomatoes with the lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a large serving bowl.
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Seed the jalapeno. Peel the ginger and the garlic. Mince all three finely (you could do this in a food processor or mini-chopper). Chop the paneer cheese into 1/4 inch cubes. Chop the white and tender inner green leaves of the green onion into narrow rings.
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Just before you are ready to serve the salad, heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the black mustard seeds, fenugreek, and cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 1 minute. Add the jalapeno, ginger, and garlic mix and cook for a minute. Add the paneer cheese cubes and a pinch of salt and saute for a minute. Add the green onions and cook for a minute. Add the garam masala and saute for a final minute, until the cheese is well coated with the spices and the oil is bubbling and fragrant.
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Pour the spiced cheese cubes and oil over the greens and tomatoes. Toss and serve.
I'm a biology professor and mother of two, and in my (limited) free time I love to cook, which is much more forgiving than laboratory science. Last year I helped start a farmers market in my neighborhood, and to promote it, I created a food blog: fairmountmarket.blogspot.com. I enjoy the challenge of coming up with recipes for local, seasonal ingredients and finding fun ways to cook with my children.
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