Saag

Saag is the heavenly spinach and mustard green puree native to the Punjab region of India. In restaurants, menus typically inelude saag with paneer, but my advice is to drop the paneer. Our bod- ies will absorb the nutrients of the greens better without the extra dairy. In homes in Punjab, saag is cooked long and slow until it turns dark green. I prefer mine just barely cooked to preserve the bright emerald-green color. Serve it with roasted butternut squash or other vegetables of your choice I have honed this recipe over the years and I will usually enjoy a version of it at least two times a week. When my friend Emmy Vest was the executive chef of NASA, she used my saag recipe to create food for astronauts for their outer-space missions. I love it smooshed onto toast with a fried egg on top, simply with roti, cooked with shrimp or fish, and stirred into pasta or noodles with diced cherry tomatoes. I have made saag with everything from fennel to collard greens, kale, and rainbow chard (prep just like the mustard greens). It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days without losing its bright green color and can be frozen for up to 3 months

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Step 1

Discard the bottom 2-inch stems of the spinach bunches. Cut out the large central veins of the mustard green leaves and, finely chop the leaves. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat until hot. Add the minced garlic and cook for a few seconds, until it turns white or light golden brown. Quickly add the ginger puree, onion puree, chile, fenugreek leaves, and salt. Cook for a few minutes, then add the spinach and mustard greens, increase the heat to high, cover, and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately turn the heat off. Stir the garam masala into the greens and let rest, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes to cool slightly. Preserve any of the liquid the greens may have given off, transfer to a food processor or blender, and process until g a smooth yet evenly grainy. (If using a blender, make sure not overblend. to If you are not serving right away, refrigerate or freeze the saag. 'Transfer or the saag to a pot over medium-high heat, stir in the heavy cream, drizzle with the ghee, and serve. Variation Plant-Based Saag: Replace the heavy cream with cup ground sesame seeds or cashews or cup tahini, and instead of the ghee, top the finished dish with 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.