At times I find the terms used interchangeably but I assume that its better to know that there is a difference, albeit minute, between Palak Paneer, Saag Paneer and Sarson Ka Saag.
1) Palak Paneer

Difference between Palak Paneer, Saag Paneer and Sarson Ka Saag

Palak Paneer (Palak = Spinach and Paneer = Indian whole milk ricotta cheese) is a gravy based dish made from pureeing cooked Spinach with minimal spices. Cubed paneer is added towards the end of the cooking. Some versions insist on frying the paneer before adding it to the puree but my personal opinion is that it tastes better without the frying in this dish.

2) Sarson Ka Saag

Difference between Palak Paneer, Saag Paneer and Sarson Ka Saag

Saag refers to any gravy based dish (Origin: Punjab,India) that's made from green leafy vegetables. Sarson (Mustard Leaves) Ka Saag refers to a green side dish made predominantly with Mustard leaves. Since the Mustard leaves are pungent and peppery, its mostly cooked along with little spinach to tone down the bitterness.

3) Saag Paneer

Difference between Palak Paneer, Saag Paneer and Sarson Ka Saag

As defined before, Saag refers to any green gravy. So Paneer cooked in a green leafy gravy makes Saag Paneer. The greens can be varied to include mustard greens, spinach, fenugreek leaves or even something like mint/cilantro.

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3 Comments

By Gautham on Sep 20, 2017

Wynelle, Tofu palak AND Saag Tofu would be the names, these are not traditional Indian dishes, though !!, Sarson ka Saag will stil remain the same - as it doesn't contain PANEER/ Cheese or Tofu. Bon apetit. "Gee". By Wynelle on Jun 5, 2017 Thank you for defining the differences between these quite tasty dishes! My family doesn't eat any animal products at all so I usually add a medium/firm tofu instead of paneer. Would a dish with tofu substituted for cheese have a more accurate name as well? Thanks again for clearing up the confusion.

By Wynelle on Jun 5, 2017

Thank you for defining the differences between these quite tasty dishes! My family doesn't eat any animal products at all so I usually add a medium/firm tofu instead of paneer. Would a dish with tofu substituted for cheese have a more accurate name as well? Thanks again for clearing up the confusion.

By Olivia on Sep 8, 2015

Thank you so much for explaining. I have always wondered the difference