Best Saag Paneer?

[wysiwyg]

where do they make the freshest, homemade cheese saag paneer? thanks!

[financialdistrictresident]

I really liked Graffitti's version.

[JulesTei]

I love the one that they serve at Indian Curry Mahal on Second Ave. It's really creamy and spiced very well.

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=sa...

[wysiwyg]

Thanks everyone, for expanding my dining options and views on saag paneer!

[Olive123]

I never particularly felt the love for saag paneer until I had it at Utsav. Wow. But also quite pricey.

[anil]

If you really want a good saag paneer; you'd have to qualify it - what kind of greens :) Most punjus have mustard greens and not spinach as their favorite saag. Others mix both kinds of greens when making a saag. Many saags have other vegetables and legumes like daal mixed in while cooking. Finally, corn flour is considered an essential part of cooking saag.

Much of what is served in NYC, is not what you'd find in North Indian homes or dhabas.

[hungrycomposer]

I had some last week with mustard greens from the Pakistani deli on 2nd avenue between 12 and 13 street (next to little poland). It was good, but won't necessarily make your "best of" list, location and convenience added to my enjoyment. They don't always serve it, but I would definitely pop in to see if they have it in the future.

[shivohum]

The saag paneer at Polash near E 119th St. is actually very delicious, and unlike a lot of places, doesn't overmush and overcook the spinach. The spinach is shining, green, and a lot more flavorful as a result.

[bigjeff]

ever had the buffet? went by today and surprised to see the place; one of very few indian places in harlem i'm sure.

[Nehna]

go to Spicy Mina's in queens......hers is absolutely amazing.

[david sprague]

no doubt, it is worth the -- very very easy -- trip. "easy" means 100 feet or so from the R/V 65th street stop. easier than getting from LES to UWS or vice versa.

amazingly spiced, and her homemade paneer is among the best i've had.

[Miss Needle]

I haven't been there in a while but used to love her palak paneer. Easily the best rendition I've had in NYC.

Have you been there recently? I found this picture of her palak paneer, and it's very different from what I remember. I remember the spinach being more creamy, and the paneer were cut into large chunks and seared. This picture spells something different.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2028/2...

[david sprague]

i've had a variety of preparation there. as a rule, i recall what you describe -- and, in fact, my last visit (early feb, i guess) was just that. but i have had a kind of paneer crumble as well. prefer the former, but this is one dish (along with the whole fish) that's never disappointed.

[Yaqo Homo]

Please see my angry Saag Paneer thread, where the pros and cons of Mina's completely unconventional version are discussed in detail:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/553369

In Mahattan, I like the saag paneer at Minar.

Finally, I completely disagree with the statement "Saag paneer is not a very difficult dish to make, and I don't think I've ever had a bad one". I've had more icky and uninspired preparations than I can count.

[Simon]

while i'm generally not so happy w/ Indian food in NYC (or really in restaurants anywhere, compared to homemade stuff), i've had acceptable saag paneer at:

-- Earthen Oven...Columbus/72nd...a little pricey, but solid...

-- the taxi cab places on First St/AveA

-- and believe it or not, the Whole Foods version used to be ok, but when i recently tried it at Columbus Circle, it tasted like they changed the recipe (for the worse)...

[JungMann]

I recently had the saag paneer at the Houston Whole Foods and it was just as good as I remembered it. A bit heavy on the turmeric, but otherwise rather satisfying, on par with the saag I get at vegetarian restaurants like Tiffin Wallah.

[deam]

Saag paneer is not a very difficult dish to make, and I don't think I've ever had a bad one. Really the only way you can go wrong with this dish is if it is over spiced, as I had happen in India a couple of times.

Just make sure you don't go to a Pakistani place if you want paneer with your Desi food, as the Pakistanis don't "do" paneer.

A cheap option is the lunch special at Curry Express on 29th street and lexington. I am sure most of the restaurants in the area can make a decent saag though, give Tiffin Wallah a try.

[Simon]

while i agree that it's a fairly easy dish to make (i used to cook it a lot myself, especially my first year or two out of college), i've nevertheless had many many bad versions at restaurants...

some places make it extremely buttery so it's on par w/ eating the richest steakhouse-style creamed spinach: fine if you like that sort of thing, but personally i think that ruins it...other places will oversalt...

and in addition to spice levels, diff saag paneers will also vary in the consistency of the spinach, the quality of the paneer, and general freshness...

[wysiwyg]

Simon, you expressed exactly what was on my mind re good saag paneer. Any specifics on which places around 1st and avenue A? I'll definitely give Earthen Oven a try when I'm next in that neighborhood.

[Simon]

i haven't been to the taxi places in a long time: there are two right there, i think: where the taxi's idle on that little strip of First Street that's almost a tributary of Houston St...(the food places are in the middle between Ave.A and First Ave)...

re: Earthen Oven, when i had the saag paneer there i asked them if they could make it w/o butter and they told me that they use only oil anyway...but then the waiter said "And no cream?"...me: "Yes, no cream either"...what came out was very good, but i can't be totally sure if it would have been substantially different if i hadn't stated my preferences...

At Earthen Oven, i was also happy w/ the lamb vindaloo, which was very very spicy, as requested...the only things i don't like about Earthen Oven is that a) it's a bit overpriced, esp for delivery, b) i think the bread is not very good...

[deam]

I actually think a very creamy version is how it is cooked at more high end restaurants in India. I had an extremely spicy dish of it at a very expensive (for India) restaurant near JNU in Delhi. Beyond the heat level, which was off of the charts the consistency was almost at a creamy level, much more so than I've ever seen at Indian restaurants in this country.

[sugartoof]

As I recall Tiffin Wallah made a very bland, underspiced, no cream version that was on the bitter and clumpy side. Mind you, that is likely someone's preference, but it's a different style then most places make.