Saag Paneer

KevEats Recipe • Weeknight Indian Comfort

Spinach + Mustard Saag • Paneer (or Feta) • Garlic Naan

Spinach & Mustard Saag with Paneer (or Feta) + Homemade Garlic Naan

Deep, cozy saag energy without the heavy cream. Spinach + mustard greens cooked down with garlic, ginger, and warm spices, then finished with paneer (or feta) for a creamy, macro-friendly plate. Served with soft homemade garlic naan because we’re not pretending this isn’t the whole point.

Yield: 4 plates Target: ~540–620 kcal • ~30–35 g P per plate (with 1 naan) Prep: 25 minutes Cook: 35 minutes

Print Recipe

Macros (per plate – approx.)

Calories ~560 kcal

Protein ~31 g

Carbs ~55 g

Fat ~23 g

Estimates include 1 bowl of saag (¼ batch) + 1 homemade garlic naan (¼ batch). If your naan portions are larger, scale calories up slightly.

Ingredients

Scale: 1x 2x 3x

The Saag (Spinach + Mustard)

• 10 oz spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 6 oz mustard greens, roughly chopped
• ½ cup water (for steaming/blending, as needed)

Aromatics + Spices

• 1½ tbsp olive oil or ghee, divided
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½–1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (or mild chili powder)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ cup water or low-sodium broth (to loosen)
• Kosher salt + black pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp garam masala (finish)

Paneer (or Feta) Finish

• 12 oz paneer, cubed (or 6–8 oz feta, crumbled, tangier/lighter swap)
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (nonfat or 2%)
• Lemon wedge (optional but very nice at the end)

Homemade Garlic Naan (Macro-Friendly)

• 1½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp sugar (optional, for browning)
• ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2–4 tbsp water, as needed
• 2 tsp olive oil or melted butter (½ tsp per naan), for brushing
• 2–3 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
• 1–2 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)
• Pinch salt

Instructions

1. Make the naan dough

   In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar (if using). Add Greek yogurt and olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then add water 1 tbsp at a time until it comes together. Knead 60–90 seconds until smooth. Cover and rest 20–30 minutes.

2. Steam the greens

   Add spinach and mustard greens to a large pot with a splash of water. Cover and steam until fully wilted (3–5 minutes). Transfer to a blender and blend until mostly smooth with a little texture. (If needed, add 2–4 tbsp water to get it moving.)

3. Build the flavor base

   Heat 1 tbsp oil/ghee in a wide pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add sliced onion and cook 6–8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.

4. Toast the aromatics + spices

   Add garlic and ginger and cook 45–60 seconds until fragrant. Stir in coriander, turmeric, chili powder, tomato paste, salt, and black pepper. Cook 1–2 minutes until the tomato paste darkens slightly and everything smells toasted and deep.

5. Simmer the saag

   Pour in blended greens plus ½ cup water/broth to loosen. Simmer 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavor rounds out and the saag thickens to a spoon-coating consistency.

6. Finish creamy (without heavy cream)

   Reduce heat to low. Slowly stir in the Greek yogurt until smooth and creamy (don’t boil after this). Taste and adjust salt. Add garam masala to finish.

7. Add paneer (or feta)

   If using paneer: optional but great—quick-sear cubes in a nonstick pan with the remaining ½ tbsp oil for 2–3 minutes to get light browning. Fold paneer into the saag and warm 3–5 minutes. If using feta: stir it in at the very end off-heat so it softens but doesn’t fully melt into the sauce.

8. Cook the garlic naan

   Divide rested dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each into an oval (about ¼-inch thick). Heat a dry cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook naan 1–2 minutes per side, until puffed with brown spots. Mix brushing oil/butter with garlic + pinch salt, then brush naan while hot. Finish with cilantro if using.

9. Serve

   Spoon saag into bowls and serve with 1 garlic naan per person. Optional: squeeze lemon over the top to brighten everything and balance the mustard greens.

macro note: Want this leaner? Keep paneer to ~3 oz per plate and use a thinner naan (roll it out more). Want higher protein? Use part-skim paneer or swap in ⅓ extra-firm tofu. If using feta, start smaller (it’s salty/tangy) and add to taste.

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