Saag recipe - Palak Methi saag
A vegan & complete vegetarian dish - use it as a base for palak paneer or palak chicken and even gosht or just have it plain with a spicy tadka of garlic, cumin and red chilli powder
Ingredients
- 1 bunch spinach leaves i used baby spinach leaves
- 1 bunch methi/fenugreek leaves
- 1 handful coriander leaves
- 1 small sized onion finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger
- 4-5 green chillies
- 10-12 garlic cloves 4-5 whole, rest halved or thinly sliced
- 1 + 1/2 tbsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 3-4 tbsp oil
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala optional
- water for blanching greens
Instructions
- Place a pot of water with 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and bring to boil. Add the washed spinach and methi leaves and blanch(cook in boiling water) for 2 minutes
- Drain immediately and add the leaves to a pot of ice cold water
- Puree the leaves in a blender along with the garlic, ginger, green chilli and coriander leaves
- In a pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds letting it sizzle
- Add the pureed paste into the pan and stir to mix. Do this on a low to medium flame
- Tip in the spices (red chilli powder, turmeric powder) and salt and let it combine
- Add the finely sliced onions to the pan and let the mix cook until you see oil floating on top
- Adjust the consistency by adding some water to the pan. Add some more cumin powder and a touch of garam masala. Simmer this for couple of minutes and switch off
- As a final flourish, heat some oil in a small pan. Add few more cumin seeds and sliced garlic cloves. When the garlic starts to crisp up. switch off the flame and immediately add a tsp of red chilli powder. Pour this flavoured oil on top of the saag.
Notes
- For Palak paneer - add the paneer cubes to the pan before adding the water. Let the green masala/saag coat the paneer cubes for a minute or two and then add the water to make a thick gravy.
- For Palak Chicken - Cook the chicken separately, by frying onions and tomatoes in oil with some ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. When the chicken is half cooked, add the fried green paste to the chicken mix.
- You can choose to avoid the garlic and use it only while blending/pureeing the greens.