Indian Spinach Recipe
I have a confession to make: I actually love greens in most all forms. Green smoothies, raw salads, baked kale chips, etc. Personally speaking, I don’t have too much of an issue getting in my greens. But I realize that I’m not the norm, and while my kids will eat un-dressed salads without a wimper (shocks me – seriously – and I always offer them dressing!), I’m all about trying to get more of that green goodness into their growing bodies. So I’m super excited to share an Indian spinach recipe that I’ve enjoyed for years that I finally got the courage to try to make. Spoiler alert: it’s beyond easy!
What is Saag?
Saag is an Indian spinach (and often other greens) dish that is traditionally eaten with bread, such as roti, naan, or atop of rice. It can be combined with paneer (Indian cheese), which is what my mom traditionally made when I was growing up. But alas, since I have always been lactose intolerant, I always had to pick the paneer out. Sidenote: saag paneer is a FAVORITE of my husband’s, so I sometimes add it in. The last time that I visited India (update Jan. 2020 – we just got back!!), one of my aunt’s made saag dhal, which is lentils with spinach. This was also the cat’s meow. But today’s recipe is an easy starter for you to build upon. And if you’re looking for new recipes to make in your Instant Pot, here you go.
A few notes about Instant Pot Saag:
- Yep, I mention the Instant Pot, which is one of my favorite appliances of all times. I’ve had it for 3 years now and use it at least 4 times/week. It serves as a slow cooker, steamer, rice cooker, yogurt maker and sautes, too. I highly recommend this appliance.
- Feel free to adjust the ginger as desired. I personally love ginger, so I go with the 2 TBSP, but it’s totally up to you.
- Make sure to use fresh spices for the best end result. Garam Masala is a mixture of spices that can be used in other Indian-inspired dishes (or otherwise!)
- Feel free to switch out that 1/2 pound of spinach for other greens, such as mustard leaf, collard greens, etc. to get variety. So that would be 1 pound spinach plus 1/2 pound other greens as listed.
- Blending after cooking is essential. This can be done in a high-speed blender, but honestly, an immersion blender makes it so much easier, IMO.
- 2 TBSPs coconut oil
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1-2 TBSP ginger peeled and diced
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 1/2 pounds spinach
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Press the “saute” button on the Instant Pot and add the oil. Once it melts, add the onion and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add spices to the pot and stir-fry an additional minute. Hit Cancel.
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Add 1 lb. of the spinach, stirring until it wilts (and to prevent onion/ginger/spices from catching) until there’s enough room to add the remaining spinach.
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Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and press the Manual button. Adjust to 15 minutes.
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Let cool for 10 minutes before reducing pressure.
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Remove the lid and use an immersion blender to puree the contents of the pot Alternatively, you can pour the contents into a blender and then serve.
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Serve over rice or riced vegetables or with a side of naan.
If you are looking to get more greens into your diet, if you have a hankering for some tasty Indian food, or just want to try something new, I highly recommend this one. And if you are looking for more ways to use your Instant Pot, look here! Would love to hear how you like this Instant Pot Spinach recipe.:)
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Can you use frozen spinach?
Hi! While I haven’t tried it, it should work with frozen spinach. Let us know in the comments if you try it!