Ingredients
1 red onion, chopped
4cm fresh ginger, grated
2 green chillies, chopped
6 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other mild flavoured oil)
2 tbsp mustard oil (or other flavoursome oil)
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp curry powder
Salt and pepper
275g chard, finely chopped
¼ pack solid coconut cream, finely chopped
250g paneer cheese, chopped to 1.5cm cubes
200g potato, chopped to 1.5cm cubes and cooked
Chutney, rice or naan bread to serve
Here is a recipe for Saag Aloo Paneer, which I made from locally grown onion and chard from STAA at St Ann’s Allotments.
Tools needed
Large frying pan
Large jug
Stick blender
By Stuart Bower, volunteer
- In a large frying pan, fry red onion with ginger, green chillies and garlic for 5 minutes over medium heat using vegetable oil and mustard oil.
- Add turmeric, cumin, coriander, fennel seeds and curry powder with salt and pepper, and continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, taking care not to let the mixture catch on the bottom of the pan.
- Add chard (white stalks, green leaves and all). Mix well, then cover and allow chard to wilt thoroughly on low heat until soft.
- Pour mixture into a large jug, add coconut cream and blitz to speckly green (but not smooth) texture with a stick blender.
- Return to the frying pan and add paneer and potato cubes.
- Cook for a further 20 minutes on low heat for the flavours to soak into the paneer, then serve with chutney, and rice or Indian bread.
The chutney I made was a mango chutney recipe, but I substituted mango for rhubarb.
