My daughter has been having this green goo for ages at our local Indian restaurant but I haven’t been able to eat it as it is way too salty.
Saag (or Saagwala) is a north Indian side dish is made on a combination of greens.
Sarson ka saag is made mainly of mustard leaves. For this recipe I used kale and spinach and added chicken to extend it in to a more hearty dish. Palak or spinach is added to balance the bitterness of the mustard leaves.
Instead of chicken you can use Panir (Indian cheese) this dish is called Saag panir or Palak panir (if only spinach is used).
Ingredients
2 tbsp ghee
1 red onion finely chopped
5cm knob ginger grated
7 cloves garlic minced
1-2 long green chillies finely chopped with or without seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
3 green cardamon pods
1/2 tsp chilli powder or cayenne
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
500g chicken thigh fillets
400g tin diced tomatoes
400g mustard greens (or kale) rinsed
400g spinach (sliver-beet) rinsed
Add later
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp garam masala
Pinch of fenugreek leaves
Instructions
Set the slow cooker to high for 1 hour, add 2 tbsp ghee with the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, and spices. Stir and close the lid.
Remove the stalks from the greens and rough chop. Add to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the pot to the boil without the lid and cook for 5 mins.
NOTE: leave the lid off for the entire time to retain the green in the vegetables. Yes it will take longer.
Once the greens are on, cut the chicken up and add with the tomatoes to the slow cooker after about 30 mins.
Drain to greens and let cool before blending. Add some of the curry juice to the blender to help break it down.
Add the blended greens to the slow cooker, use 1/2 cup water to wash residue through. Set to low for 2 hours.
After 2 hours add 2 tbsp ghee, garam marsala and fenugreek. Stir and cook for another hour. This final hour can be just before ready to server and extend time to 1 1/4hr.
To Serve
Serve with a dollop of ghee, steamed basmati rice and roti.
Storage
Once cool divide up in to single serve zip lock bags and freeze for that rainy day.
