Coconut Saag

Name: Coconut Saag
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons coriander seeds; 3 green cardamom pods or ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (freshly ground is best); 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped; 1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 pound mustard greens, tough ends trimmed and greens roughly chopped, or fresh baby spinach (10 to 12 cups); 1/2 lime, juiced; 1 small Indian green chile, serrano chile or Thai bird’s-eye chile, roughly chopped; 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (such as Morton); 1 (13-ounce) can coconut milk; 1 (12-ounce) block extra-firm tofu or 1 (8-ounce) package paneer, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil; 2 teaspoons cumin seeds; 1/4 teaspoon asafetida (optional, but really fantastic); 1/4 teaspoon red chile powder, such as cayenne or Kashmiri; Rice or roti, for serving

Instructions

Prep:10minCook:25min

Saag paneer is a classic North Indian dish — but it’s also endlessly riffable. Swap out the paneer for feta or halloumi, the mustard greens for kale or spinach, and so on. This is a particularly stellar riff, in which coconut milk enriches an already aromatic and verdant sauce that can be paired with either the traditional paneer, or extra-firm tofu. The final hit of coconut oil infused with smoky cumin seeds and red chile powder adds loads of depth, making this dish quite possibly the most luxurious way to eat a pound of greens.

Updated at: Wed, 02 Apr 2025 01:31:22 GMT