Status: Alpha

Makes: about six servings

Takes: about 1 hour

I’m referring to this as “saag whatever” because whether to add mixins – such as paneer, potatoes, or vegetables – is up to you. The recipe doesn’t particularly care as long as your mixins don’t add a bunch of liquid. Boiling or roasting some small potatoes in advance, or alongside, makes for an easy saag aloo.

This calls for frozen spinach as a hack to reduce prep time and keep the result green. (Fresh spinach can go gray-brown during cooking if you’re not careful.)

This is adapted from a friend’s unwritten recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
• ghee (as needed)
• 16 oz frozen cooked spinach (chopped or full leaf, doesn’t matter) - do not thaw
• Whatever mixin you’re wanting. Paneer and potatoes both work well. Cook in advance or alongside.

Volatiles Group (combine):

• 2 inch ginger, peel, matchstick
• 6 cloves garlic, peel, fine dice
• 2ish jalapeños - seeds optional depending on how spicy you like - fine dice

Masala Group (combine):

• 2 Tbsp garam masala
• 1/2 Tbsp dried turmeric
• 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 Tbsp ground coriander

Finishing:

• 1/2 C whole milk
• 1/2 C yogurt

Procedure

• Put a medium dutch oven or large sauce pan over medium high heat.
• Add onion and a tablespoon or so of ghee, saute on medium high until translucent (about 5 minutes).
• Add Volatiles Group, cook ~5 min.
• Add Masala Group, plus some ghee if the pan seems dry. Cook until onions darken, 8-10min. You will want to add some water as things start to look dry.
  • Adding the water is also a great opportunity to deglaze the onion residue off the pan.
• Put spinach in food processor and grind into green, icy powder.
• Add frozen spinach powder to pot and follow with milk. This immediately takes the temperature down. Stir to let it heat back up to serving temperature (~140F) and thicken.
• Kill heat. Stir in yogurt a spoon at a time to prevent separation.
• Add your mixins and toss thoroughly.
• Serve.