Chickpea Saag
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
Ingredients · Servings 4
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1 1" piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
- 2 tsp. cumin seeds
- 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
- ¼ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, plus more for serving
- ½ tsp. ground turmeric
- ½–1 serrano chile
- 1 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed
- ½ tsp. garam masala
- 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed
- Steamed rice and/or warm naan and lime wedges (for serving)
Method · 45 min
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
