Chana Saag
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds spinach
- 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes, or 3 ripe tomatoes, roughly pureed
- 1 jalepeno pepper, seeds removed and minced
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1-inch piece ginger, minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 3 green cardamom seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetida powder
- 4 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
Instructions
Melt butter in microwave and clarify (to make clarified butter/ghee).
Sautee spinach (covered) in half of the clarified butter until it wilts. Place in a food processor along with the jalepeno pepper, and process until smooth, adding a bit of water only as necessary to create a puree.
Heat the other half of the clarified butter over medium-high heat in a large deep skillet or dutch oven. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cardamom and asafoetida and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onions, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until onions start to brown around the edges, about 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, coriander, cumin powder, turmeric and cayenne. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the spinach puree, salt and chickpeas. Partially cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes, adding a bit of water if mixture seems too thick. Add garam masala, heavy cream, and additional salt if needed.
Excellent with Basmati Rice
Source
Adapted from WhatWouldCathyEat.com