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Cheesy Vegetarian

30 Minute Saag Paneer (Cheese and Spinach Curry)

I am a creature of habit, so I often order the same few things when I see them on a menu. And for me, Indian food pretty much always means saag paneer – cheese and spinach curry.

Spinach + cheese + a tasty, creamy sauce = absolute heaven.

Why should I ever choose anything else?

Creamy saag paneer (spinach and paneer curry) in a frying pan.

Saag paneer is really easy to make – as usual, I’ve tried to make my recipe as straightforward as possible, and this version can be on the table in just 30 minutes or less.

I regularly use frozen spinach for spinach curries (I often use it in saag aloo too), partly because it’s really convenient (no chance of it wilting in the fridge!), but also because it gives the perfect texture for a dish like this. However, if you do have a big bag of fresh spinach in the fridge, this is a great way to use up the whole lot in one fell swoop.

🍛 What is Saag Paneer?

Saag paneer is a vegetarian curry from India, and it’s made with spinach and paneer cheese.

In the Western world, the dish is also often called palak paneer, and although there are technically some differences between saag and palak, here the two terms are generally used interchangeably. My recipe is by no means an authentic Indian recipe – just my own quick and easy version of my favourite Indian dish.

🧀 What Does Paneer Taste Like?

Paneer cheese is mild and milky. It doesn’t have a strong flavour on its own, just a wonderful creaminess that is a great contrast to the rich, spiced tomato sauce.

Some people say paneer cheese is similar to halloumi cheese, but I have to disagree. Paneer has a much milder, less salty flavour, and is softer than halloumi. They’re both delicious, but not the same.

Creamy saag paneer with naan bread.

🍚 How to Serve Saag Paneer

This creamy curry can either be served as a side dish or as a meal in its own right.

If you’re serving up an Indian feast, it would be great to offer this spinach curry alongside a vegan dal, some pilau rice, and some vegetarian samosas.

Alternatively, the saag paneer is tasty enough to serve as the main event, with just a bit of naan bread for scooping the curry and mopping up the plate.

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🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for saag paneer laid out with text overlay.
  • frozen spinach – fresh spinach will also work, but I love the texture frozen spinach gives, and it’s so handy to keep in the freezer!
  • paneer cheese
  • onion – I used half an onion for this recipe. You could use a whole small onion instead, if you prefer.
  • tomatoes
  • tomato paste
  • cream – you can skip this if you like, but it really lifts the saag paneer to the next level of deliciousness!
  • garlic (I used garlic puree)
  • ginger (I used ginger puree)
  • curry powder

Becca’s Top Tip

For simplicity’s sake, I decided to use a generic ‘curry powder’, which is already a blend of various spices – mine contained coriander, cumin, turmeric, star anise, and more. If you’d prefer to mix up your own blend of spices, go ahead.

📹 Recipe Video





A portion of creamy saag paneer with naan bread on a plate.

🖨 Printable Instructions

A portion of saag paneer with naan bread.

Print

30 Minute Saag Paneer

This easy saag paneer (cheese and spinach curry) is an unbelievably tasty vegetarian curry that can be on the table in just 30 minutes!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3
Calories 318kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 1/2 onion (or 1 small onion), sliced or diced
  • 200 g (~ 7 oz) paneer cheese, cut into bitesize pieces
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1/2 tsp ginger paste
  • ~ 5 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 560 g (~ 1 1/4 lb) frozen spinach
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp single cream

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat, and add the onion and cubes of paneer cheese. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent, and the cheese is lightly golden.
    Paneer cheese and onions cooking in a frying pan.
  • Add the curry powder, garlic and ginger, and cook for a couple more minutes, until fragrant.
    Spiced paneer and onions cooking in a frying pan.
  • Next, add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, and mix to combine. Cook for 5 more minutes.
    Paneer cooking in a rich tomato mixture in a frying pan.
  • Add the frozen spinach to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid to help the spinach defrost – it will probably take 5 minutes or so.
    Blocks of frozen spinach added to a frying pan with a tomato mixture.
  • When the spinach has defrosted, remove the lid, and allow to cook for a few more minutes, until everything is piping hot and some of the excess liquid has cooked off.
    Saag paneer (spinach and paneer curry) cooking in a frying pan.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add the cream. Simmer gently until you’re ready to serve.
    A plateful of creamy saag paneer (spinach curry with paneer cheese) and naan bread.

Video





Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.5g | Protein: 17.1g | Fat: 20.2g | Saturated Fat: 10.1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 579mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5.4g | Calcium: 532mg | Iron: 7mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare saag paneer in advance?

Yes! Cook it fully, then cool, and store in an air-tight tub in the fridge until you’re ready to reheat and serve.

How should I reheat any leftovers?

Leftovers can be reheated thoroughly in the microwave, or in a pan on the stovetop. Ensure the curry is piping hot before serving.

Can I make saag paneer vegan?

Paneer cheese is not vegan, but you can use cubes of tofu instead if you’d like to make a vegan version. You’ll also need to use a vegan cream (or skip the cream entirely).

🥬 Other Spinach Recipes

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A portion of saag paneer with naan bread.

30 Minute Saag Paneer (Cheese and Spinach Curry)

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The post 30 Minute Saag Paneer (Cheese and Spinach Curry) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

Just like vegetable lasagne, vegetarian moussaka is one of those dishes that I adore, but I rarely cook for myself, because it always seems like such a huge effort. Cooking lentils, boiling potatoes, grilling slices of eggplant, simmering tomato sauce… the vast majority of the time, I really, truly can not be bothered.

That’s why this vegetable moussaka casserole is such a revelation! It’s a casserole-style version of my favourite veggie moussaka, which tastes just the same, but is so much less effort to make! Just stick everything in a baking dish and let it do its thing, casserole-style.

A spoon taking a scoop from a baking dish of cheesy moussaka casserole.

This moussaka casserole has two sections:

  • a tasty tomatoey layer underneath, made with all the usual ingredients you’d expect to find in a vegetable moussaka – tender lentils, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant and roasted potatoes, cooked in a rich tomato sauce
  • a thick layer of creamy bechamel sauce on top

As you scoop into the casserole, the creamy sauce drips down and smothers the tomatoey layer. It. Is. Delicious.

⭐ How is this Easier than a Regular Vegetarian Moussaka?

I’m not going to lie, this vegetable moussaka casserole takes quite a long time to bake, and the ingredients list is a fair bit longer than the majority of my easy recipes.

However, I stand by the fact that this is so much easier to make than most moussaka recipes. Although it takes a while to cook, it’s almost all hands-off time, where you can go and relax / do some other useful jobs / play with your kids / whatever else you like to do with your life.

Vegetarian moussaka casserole topped with sliced tomato.

This vegetarian moussaka casserole is easy to make because:

  • using canned lentils mean there’s no boiling required.
  • the vegetables are roasted in the oven, rather than the more hands-on method of cooking them on the stovetop.
  • there’s no fiddly layering of sliced ingredients – it’s all baked up together.
  • even the tomatoey sauce is cooked right there in the oven with the other ingredients.

It’s definitely not a quick weeknight dinner, but if you’re at home over the weekend, it’s the perfect dish to have baking in the oven while you’re busy with other things.

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Overhead shot of a cheesy topped moussaka casserole with sliced tomatoes.

🥗 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for vegetable moussaka casserole laid out with text overlay.
  • potatoes
  • eggplant (aubergine)
  • canned lentils (mine were green lentils)
  • onion – I only used half an onion (a small onion would also work!)
  • canned tomatoes
  • tomato paste
  • garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar (my favourite time-saving ingredient!)
  • dried herbs – mint and oregano. I very rarely use dried mint but trust me, it tastes amazing in moussaka! Not a hint of toothpaste, I promise.
  • tomato – to slice up for the topping
  • milk, flour and butter – for the creamy white sauce. You can add a pinch of nutmeg to it as well, if you like.

Becca’s Top Tip

I used the same baking dish to roast up my vegetables, and then to cook the casserole itself. If you’ve got a little less time on your hands, the veggies will actually roast a little quicker if you spread them out on a baking tray – but I wanted to save on dishes to wash! I love a one pot meal.

📹 Recipe Video





Overhead shot of a portion of vegetable moussaka with salad.

🖨 Printable Instructions

A large spoon taking a scoop of vegetable moussaka casserole.

Print

Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

This vegetable moussaka casserole is a much easier version of a vegetarian moussaka – but is just as tasty, with a luxurious creamy topping!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek, Middle Eastern, Turkish
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 4
Calories 523kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the lentil layer:

  • 1 medium eggplant (aubergine) (~ 250g / ~ 9 oz)
  • ~ 500g (~ 1 lb) potatoes
  • 1 medium onion (or 1/2 large onion)
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 400 g tinned lentils, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp dried mint
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the topping:

  • 60 g (~ 2 oz) butter
  • 60 g (~ 2 oz) plain flour
  • 500 ml (~ 2 cups) milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 large tomato, sliced

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
  • Cut the eggplant, potatoes and onion into 2cm dice (I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes). Toss them in a little oil, and add to a baking dish – mine measured approx. 8 x 8 inches.
    Diced potato, onion and eggplant in a baking dish.
  • Roast the vegetables in the centre of the oven for around 50 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, or until the vegetables are fairly soft (the potatoes might still be a bit al dente). If you decide to spread the vegetables out onto a baking tray instead of using the dish, they will cook more quickly.
    Roasted potatoes, onion and eggplant in a baking dish.
  • Add the tinned lentils, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, and dried herbs, and mix well to combine.
    A baking dish with roasted vegetables and lentils in tomato sauce.
  • Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened up into a rich sauce. Mix well.
    Roasted eggplant and potatoes in tomato sauce.
  • To make the béchamel topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and add the flour. Mix to create a thick paste (a roux), and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth each time before adding more milk. Season to taste with salt. If you need more detailed instructions, check out my white sauce recipe.
    Homemade white sauce in a saucepan.
  • Pour the béchamel sauce over the lentil mixture, and top with a few slices of tomato.
    Uncooked moussaka in a baking dish topped with sliced tomatoes.
  • Return to the oven for a final 25 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.
    Cooked moussaka casserole topped with sliced tomatoes.
  • Allow to stand for a few minutes, then serve.
    A portion of vegetable moussaka with lentils and eggplant, topped with sliced tomato.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 68.4g | Protein: 16.6g | Fat: 22.6g | Saturated Fat: 10.3g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 281mg | Potassium: 1542mg | Fiber: 15.8g | Sugar: 15.1g | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 5mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare moussaka in advance?

Absolutely! The casserole can either be cooked entirely and then reheated when needed, or you can assemble it, then do the final bake just before serving.

Can I freeze leftover moussaka?

Moussaka is perfect for batch cooking – just transfer any leftovers to a freezer-safe tub, and freeze. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave.

🍆 Other Eggplant Recipes

Vegetarian Casserole Recipes
A large spoon taking a scoop of vegetable moussaka casserole.

Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

Cheesy Eggplant Bake

Cheesy Eggplant Bake

Roasted Vegetable Fattoush

Roasted Vegetable Fattoush

One Pot Rice and Vegetable Casserole

One Pot Rice and Vegetable Casserole

The post Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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