Saag can be made with any number of different greens, predominantly spinach, but also with added kale, collards, or my favorite, mustard greens. Mustard greens give it that authentic Indian flavor that will take you back to….Mumbai? Well…maybe to your favorite Indian restaurant. Either way, if I ever come across fresh mustard greens, which is not often, I always get them just to make Saag.

Indian Saag

2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 cup ghee or butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cayenne pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups finely chopped fresh mustard greens
4 cups finely chopped fresh spinach

In a large sauce pan, dry fry the cumin seeds and mustard seeds until they are fragrant and start dancing and popping in the pan. Add the butter, then the garlic, onion, ginger and chili pepper. Continue to sauté until onions and garlic start to soften. Add the dry spices and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

Finely chop the spinach and mustard greens.

Add the greens to the pot and let cook down for about 5-10 minutes, until wilted.

Reduce heat to low and let simmer an additional 15 minutes.

Saag is typically smooth in texture so now is the time too get the handy chopper or emulsifier out. Puree to a nice smooth blend.

Serve immediately alone, with an entree, or Basmati rice.

Basmati Rice

1 cup Basmati Rice
1 3/4 cup water
A pinch of cumin seeds
A couple pinches of salt

Cooking rice does not normally require instructions…and you can make your rice any way you want. But Indian chefs are very picking about how to cook Basmati rice. Here’s my stab at it. Rinse the rice thoroughly. The starches in the rice are what make the rice sticky, which you don’t want for Indian Basmati.

Perfectly cooked rice grains are like brothers, close, yet separate,
and definitely not stuck together.
– Indian proverb

Rince through a metal strainer for half a minute, then to preserve your precious tank water, put the rice in a pan, cover with water, swish around a bit, then drain. Repeat this a couple times until water runs clear.

Then soak the rice in 1 3/4 cup cold water for 30 minutes. Add a pinch of cumin seeds and the salt.

Bring rice and water to a boil, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. Reduce heat to very low. Cover the pan and cook until much of the water is absorbed and little steam holes appear, about 15 minutes.

Give it a quick little stir, cover and continue to cook for one more minute then remove from heat, keeping it covered. Let stand for five minutes then fluff with a fork.

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Indian Saag with Basmati Rice

Traditional saag made with spinach and mustard greens

Author: GalleyPirate

Ingredients

Indian Saag

• 2 tsp Cumin seed
• ¼ cup Ghee or butter
• 2 Cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Grated ginger
• ½ cup Onion, chopped
• 1 Cayenne pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Ground coriander
• 1 tsp Salt, or to taste
• 4 cups Mustard greens, Fresh, finely chopped
• 4 cups Spinach leaves, Fresh, finely chopped

Basmati Rice

• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 1 ¾ cups Water
• Pinch of cumin seeds
• Couple pinches of salt

Instructions

Indian Saag

• In a large sauce pan, dry fry the cumin seeds and mustard seeds until they are fragrant and start dancing and popping in the pan. Add the butter, then the garlic, onion, ginger and chili pepper. Continue to sauté until onions and garlic start to soften. Add the dry spices and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
• Finely chop the spinach and mustard greens.
• Add the greens to the pot and let cook down for about 5-10 minutes, until wilted.
• Reduce heat to low and let simmer an additional 15 minutes.
• Saag is typically smooth in texture so now is the time too get the handy chopper or emulsifier out. Puree to a nice smooth blend.
• Serve immediately alone, with an entree, or Basmati rice.

Basmati Rice

• Rince through a metal strainer for half a minute, then to preserve your precious tank water, put the rice in a pan, cover with water, swish around a bit, then drain. Repeat this a couple times until water runs clear.ice sticky, which you don't want for Indian Basmati.
• Then soak the rice in 1 3/4 cup cold water for 30 minutes. Add a pinch of cumin seeds and the salt.
• Bring rice and water to a boil, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. Reduce heat to very low. Cover the pan and cook until much of the water is absorbed and little steam holes appear, about 15 minutes.
• Give it a quick little stir, cover and continue to cook for one more minute then remove from heat, keeping it covered. Let stand for five minutes then fluff with a fork.

Notes