Chana Saag

Saag is literally any curry dish that has cooked greens as the star ingredient. This could be any leafy green from spinach and mustard leaves to fenugreek leaves (methi) and beet greens. If you’re familiar with Punjabi food, you’ve probably heard of a particular food synonymous with the Punjabi culture – saarson da saag and makki di roti (mustard leaves and corn rotis).

This nourishing Chana Saag is one such variation, though not popular in the Indian households, like Saag Paneer you will find this on the restaurant menus outside India. Most Indian curries or stews have a base sauce or gravy. Some like the simple saag or my chana saag, use a spiced curried greens and tomato base to add richness and tang to the dish.

About Chana Saag

Chana Saag is an Indian dish where cooked chickpeas and leafy greens are immersed in a tomato-onion gravy that has been steeped with aromatic Indian spice powders. It makes a good meal prep option as you can cook the different elements in advance and then bring them to a simmer on the day you serve. You can batch cook this tasty side to rice or rotis for potlucks and family get-togethers.

This chickpea and spinach side can be cooked on the stovetop or the Instant pot and takes 40 minutes to prepare and serve. Serve this with plain basmati rice, butter naan, plain parathaor roti.

My Recipe

What makes my recipe unique is the tadka or tempering that I often add to take this recipe to the next level. You can, of course, skip this step without losing out on the authentic taste.

I do recommend using the fresh and organic greens (spinach in this case) if you can find. Saag (mixed leafy greens) not only provide the vibrant green color to the curry but maximize the amount of nutrients in this dish. Frozen spinach is an excellent option when you’ve run out of fresh greens. Use either baby spinach or the bigger leaves, or better still, a mix of both.

Expert Tips

• Use green chilies with caution. Saute 2, blend one & set aside another. Use the other one only if required later. You may just chop and add it later.
• For add ½ cup of methi or fenugreek leaves. You’ll be sauteing the methi in oil and before cooking tomatoes. This helps remove the slightly astringent flavor of fenugreek leaves.
• If you don’t have picky eaters at home, you can simply skip sautéing and pureeing onions with spinach. Instead saute the chopped onions before the tomatoes. This also adds some texture to your saag.
• Don’t have the time to soak and cook chickpeas? Use 3 cups of canned chickpeas in a pinch. If you’re adding the liquid from the can, go easy on the salt and reduce the amount of water mentioned in my recipe.
• For extra saag (gravy) in the recipe, reduce the chana to 3/4 cup or 2 cups cooked.
• Use the tangier chole or chana masala instead of garam masala.
• Make it vegan by subbing the ghee and butter in the tempering with oil.