This aromatic Indian dish is now lectin free thanks to A2/A2 paneer cheese. It's easy to make popular restaurant cuisine at home. Get the recipe today.
Saag paneer is a classic Indian dish featuring paneer cheese marinated in signature ethnic spices, browned to a delicate crisp and suspended in spinach, caramelized onions, garlic and ginger all in a creamy yogurt sauce. The dish is simple to make and only takes about 15 minutes. The secret to making this dish Plant Paradox compliant is the cheese. I found some lovely paneer made from A2/A2 cows. I'll tell you where to get it and score a sweet discount, too. Read on for the recipe.
My first time eating saag paneer was at Copper Onion located in downtown Salt Lake City. The place doesn't even specialize in Indian food, but this dish tasted legitimate. I couldn't get enough of the warm, toasty cheese that holds its shape while taking on all the Indian spices. A hint of mace, cardamom, turmeric, a little heat, IT'S ALL IN THERE. The dish is healthy too with all the green spinach, onions, garlic and ginger. The only problem in the restaurant version is the cheese. It's likely made from the wrong breed of cow.
Most cows today have an A1 casein gene marker. Studies show this casein can wreak havoc in our guts and cause inflammation. The healthier option is to find dairy made with milk from animals that have the A2 casein gene marker.
Chemically speaking, there is only one difference between A1 and A2 beta casein: the amino acid in position 67 in that long chain. A1 milk has an amino acid called histidine in that position. A2 milk has one called proline. And, you guessed it, histidine is a problem. Human studies show that people with self-described milk intolerance did better on A2 dairy. And further research shows histidine is likely to blame for a whole slew of adverse digestive issues and even more serious health problems.
So, when a mindful American farm emerges with A2 cheeses, I'm buying them. Miller's Bio Farm produces a whole line of handcrafted cheeses from A2 cow's milk.
I love their paneer cheese I used for this recipe. They also have shredded mozzarella, smoked cheddar, camembert, and many other cheese styles to choose from. They are a bit on the pricey side, but I think it's totally worth the indulgence once in a while for quality, compliant cheese, don't you?
Just visit them online at http://millersbiofarm.com to see all their A2 cheeses. And here's that exclusive discount I promised. Be sure to enter this special code LECTINFREE for 10% off your first order.
Now, let's get to the recipe.
The Recipe
Makes 2 servings
LFG Saag Paneer
6 oz Miller's Bio Farm A2/A2 Paneer Cheese (1/2-inch cubes)
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/4 tsp Cayenne
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Small Yellow Onion (diced)
1/2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger (peeled and grated)
2 Cloves Fresh Garlic (minced)
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1/4 Tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1/4 Cup Water
8 oz Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed)
1/2 Cup Plain UNSWEETENED Compliant Yogurt
Step 1: Marinate the Paneer
On a cutting surface, cut the paneer into 1/2-inch cubes. Then in a medium bowl, add turmeric, cayenne, salt and olive oil. Whisk well. Drop in cubed paneer and toss with fingers to coat well in the spiced oil. Set aside to marinate.
Step 2: Prepare Ingredients
While paneer is absorbing all those aromatic spices, dice the onion, peel and grate the ginger, and peel and mince the garlic. Make sure your spinach is thawing. Next measure out the coriander, paprika, cumin and garam masala in a small bowl. Finally, measure the yogurt into a small bowl. You have lots of options here. Goat, pili nut, almond, coconut, sheep yogurt all work great. Just make sure they are UNSWEETENED and PLAIN. Read the ingredients! A lot of the dairy alternative yogurts have sweeteners and vanilla flavors. And we don't want that for this dish.
Step 3: Brown the Paneer
Heat a skillet on medium low. Dump all the marinated paneer cubes into the skillet. Brown each cube about 2 minutes before flipping. Once two sides of each cube are browned, remove from skillet and set aside on a plate.
Step 4: Caramelized the Onions, Garlic and Ginger
In the same pan, dump the prepared onions, garlic and ginger. Turn the heat up to medium and sauté to a caramel brown.
Step 5: Add Remaining Spices
Dump in the remaining spices into the caramelized onion mixture and stir to distribute. Add about 1/4 cup water to keep spices from collecting on the pan.
Step 6: Add Spinach and Yogurt
Next, add the spinach, and stir to distribute. Then, add turn off heat and stir in the yogurt a little at a time to prevent curdling. Finally, add the browned paneer on top. Cover and turn down heat to low. Heat 5 minutes until nicely warmed for serving.
ENJOY!