Easy Chana Saag (Indian Chickpea Curry with Spinach)
Chana Saag, made with dry chickpeas and fresh leafy greens is a popular Indian recipe. Simmered in coconut milk, onion, garlic, tomato gravy, and Indian warm spices, this is a comfort meal with rice or paratha for busy weeknights!
Equipment
- 1 heavy bottomed wok
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Pressure Cooker if your are boiling chickpeas and not using canned. In that case add 2 hrs to the prepping time- soaking dry chickpeas in hot water for 1-1.5 hrs and then boiling in pressure cooker for about 20 min.
Ingredients
- 5 cups boiled chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 2 cups dry chickpeas would yield approx 5 cups of boiled chickpeas
- 1 cup spinach leaves sorted, washed and chopped
- 1 cup mustard greens sorted, washed and chopped (100-150 gm)
- 2 medium red onions
- 1 medium tomatoes (chopped) add 2 tablespoon of tomato paste and 1 cup of tomato puree as a swap
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 small green chili chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic grated I added it to chickpeas while boiling
- 2 tablespoon coconut milk
- 2 teaspoon red chili powder adjust the heat
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon chana masala you may use any curry powder
- 2.5 tablespoon Desi Ghee
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Wash and chop the spinach leaves, mustard greens, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and green chili. I have already boiled the chickpeas in the morning.Place the washed and chopped spinach mustard greens in a colander to drain excess water. If you are using frozen leafy greens, make sure to thaw them and blanch them for a few minutes before using them.
- In a heavy-bottomed wok, heat ghee and sauté the onions, garlic, and green chili until golden. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they soften.
- Add spices and salt, chopped, washed leafy greens, and add coconut milk. They would leave water. Simmer for about 5 min for the mixture to absorb the flavors.
- To the gravy, add boiled chickpeas and mix well. Cook with a lid on slow flame for about 2-3 min.
- Serve the Chana Saag with rice or your favorite Indian bread for a wholesome meal.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Try to use fresh spinach and mustard greens as they add the best flavor.
- Cleaning the leafy greens can take some time. You may do that a day in advance and wrap it without washing it in a clean dry newspaper. In winter, the sorted leaves can be left at room temperature. In summer, you might need to keep them in the refrigerator.
- Cooking on a slow flame in a heavy-bottomed wok is suggested.
- If you are using saag in a puree form, then evaporate the extra water carefully as it splatters.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 bowl | |
| Servings: 6 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 314 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 10.8g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat 4.8g | 24% |
| Cholesterol 14mg | 5% |
| Sodium 27mg | 1% |
| Total Carbohydrate 43.2g | 16% |
| Dietary Fiber 12.7g | 45% |
| Total Sugars 8.1g | |
| Protein 13.8g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 91mg | 7% |
| Iron 5mg | 28% |
| Potassium 717mg | 15% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |