master

An Indian dish with plenty of flavour, saag paneer is a well-loved vegetarian side. It's rich in calcium and folate from the spinach and is gluten-free too

Saag paneer

ghee

turmeric

Kashmiri chilli powder

paneer, cut into 3cm cubes

spinach, mature fresh or frozen

large onion, finely chopped

garlic cloves

thumb-sized piece of ginger

green chilli, roughly chopped, (include seeds for extra spice)

garam masala

lemon, juiced, to serve

Melt the ghee, whisk in with the turmeric and chilli powder, then add the cubed paneer and toss well. Set aside. If using frozen spinach, microwave for 3-5 mins, then place in a sieve and squeeze out most of the water. If using fresh spinach, place in a colander, pour over boiling water, drain and cool, then put in a tea towel and squeeze out most of the water. Roughly chop.

Blitz the onion with the garlic, ginger and green chilli. Cook the paneer in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat for around 8 mins, tossing the pan so they become golden all over. Remove and set aside on a plate, leaving spices behind in the pan. Tip the onion mix into the pan, add a pinch of salt and turn the heat down. Fry until caramel coloured, around 10 mins, adding a splash of water if it looks a little dry. Add the garam masala, stir to coat the onion mix, fry for 2 mins.

Add the spinach and cook for a further 2-3 mins, adding 100ml water to release all the flavours from the bottom of the pan. Add the paneer and cook for 2-3 mins to heat through. Spoon into bowls and squeeze over a little lemon juice, to serve.