This take-out staple is easy enough to recreate at home and fantastic for family dinners. If you’re looking for a comforting vegetarian weeknight meal, this stripped-down version is the ticket—it takes little time to prep, is both budget- and pantry-friendly (thanks to frozen spinach and canned chickpeas), and always goes down a treat. If you have kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves, crumble a healthy pinch into the spinach when you’re blending the mixture. It’ll make the saag even more fragrant and delicious. Leftover saag, if any, tastes even better the next day.
Find more delicious vegetarian dinner ideas here: Gochujang-Butter-Braised Tofu; Crispy Tofu With Peanut Sauce; and Sheet-Pan Gnocchi With Soy-Dressed Mushrooms.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
2
1
8
1
2
2
¼
½
½–1
1
½
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a medium skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add 1 large white onion, thinly sliced, 8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, one 1" piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped, 2 tsp. cumin seeds, and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and tender, 8–10 minutes.
Step 2
Uncover pan and add ¼ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt and ½ tsp. ground turmeric. Cook, stirring often, until yogurt is slightly thickened (it will split into tiny curds), about 2 minutes. Let cool a few minutes, then transfer to a blender; reserve skillet.
Step 3
Add ½–1 serrano chile (depending on the spiciness of your chile and your heat preference), one 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed, and ½ tsp. garam masala to blender; blend until mixture is very smooth, about 3 minutes.
Step 4
Return purée to reserved skillet and add one 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed. Cook saag over medium-low heat, stirring often, until heated through (do not bring to a simmer or saag may split).
Step 5
Transfer saag to a medium bowl. Serve with steamed rice and/or warm naan, lime wedges, and more yogurt alongside.
Do Ahead: Saag can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool. Transfer to an airtight container and chill. Reheat over medium-low heat before serving.