If you love Indian Saag from your favorite restaurant, try making it at home using my easy spinach saag recipe. Pair this curry with restaurant-style Indian basmati rice or soft chapati and enjoy a delicious, comforting, nutritious meal.
In this post, I will show you how to cook a basic saag recipe with detailed steps. Using this as a base curry, you can make Saag Paneer, Saag Tofu, Chana Saag, and Saag Aloo.
Saag is a classic Indian dish made using different leafy green vegetables and aromatic spices. As we make this saag recipe with spinach, this will be spinach saag. If you love spinach-based dishes, explore my Indian Spinach Recipes collection for flavorful curries, dals, and chutneys.
Every household makes this curry differently depending on the greens available in the Indian markets. In the northern region of India, they make this curry with mustard greens, called "Sarson ka saag." This recipe is my version of saag, which uses spinach and basic Indian spices that I learned from my mom.
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Really lovely, easy to follow recipe - l will definitely double up next time to keep half as a base sauce in my freezer.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For exact ingredient quantities, see the recipe card below.
Spinach: I have used only fresh spinach in this recipe. But you could use any of these leafy greens - mustard leaves, radish leaves, kale, fenugreek leaves, swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens. And the final taste of saag will depend on the greens used. If you use more mustard greens, radish, and kale, saag will be pungent. You can also use fresh baby spinach leaves.
Spices: Like many Indian curries, this recipe uses dry spices like ground coriander, garam masala, ground cumin, and turmeric powder. Usually, we use green chilli for spiciness and avoid red chili powder to keep the curry's vibrant green color.
Aromatics: Onion, garlic, and ginger add so much flavor to this curry. If you don't have them handy, avoid them or use powdered versions.
Detailed Steps
Step 1: Heat a large saucepan. Once it is hot, add oil, finely chopped onion, ginger, garlic, and sliced green chili (use jalapeno for a less spicy version).
Step 2: Over medium heat, cook the onion mixture till it turns translucent. I cooked for around 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add turmeric powder, ground cumin, coriander powder, and salt to this onion mixture.
Step 4: Mix everything well and make sure that it isn't burnt. If the pan is too hot, add a tablespoon of water to avoid burning the spices.
Step 5: I used spinach leaves along with their tender stalks. So I added finely chopped stalks first and cooked them for around 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 6: The finely chopped spinach goes, and cook it on high flame for about 5 to 6 minutes.
Step 7: By this time, spinach will be wilted and cooked entirely, and you will not see any water in it. Indian-style spinach saag is ready, and you can serve it with this texture.
Step 8: Restuarant-style Indian saag will be smoother in texture, so blend this cooked spinach mixture using a handheld blender or a standalone blender.
One Saag Base, Many Everyday Meals
I use this spinach saag base to create several simple and comforting meals at home. With one batch ready, you can quickly turn it into a complete lunch or dinner using paneer, beans, or vegetables.
Saag Cauliflower: Lightly roasted cauliflower florets hold their texture and add depth to the saag.
👉 Make this Saag Cauliflower recipe for a veggie-forward meal.
Saag Paneer: Soft homemade paneer cubes simmered gently in the saag until they soak up the flavors.
👉 Try my Saag Paneer recipe for a classic Indian meal.
Saag Chana: Cooked chickpeas make this version hearty and filling, perfect for busy weekdays.
👉 Check out this Saag Chana recipe for a plant-based option.
Saag Mushroom: Earthy sautéed mushrooms pair beautifully with spinach for a modern twist.
👉 See my Saag Mushroom recipe for a quick dinner idea.
Loved this dish?
Please leave a comment and rate the recipe below to help others discover this tasty creation!
Recipe FAQs
You can use frozen spinach to make this Indian spiced spinach saag.
Yes, I also use spinach stalks in this curry. Chop them finely or roughly grind the curry to adjust its consistency.
Saag is the name of the curry that uses green leafy veggies. We can make the saag using only spinach as well.
Recipe
Easy Indian Saag Recipe (Indian Spiced Spinach Curry)
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Ingredients
- 12 ounces spinach
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 2 green chili or jalapeno
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cleaning and chopping
- Clean the leafy greens a couple of times. Drain the water completely from the cleaned leaves. You can dry them on a kitchen towel or a paper towel to remove the excess water.
- Now chop the greens. I also use the tender stalks.
Saute the aromatics
- Start by heating a skillet or a large frying pan over medium heat. Add oil, finely minced onions, ginger, garlic, and thinly sliced green chili (use jalapeno for a milder spice).
- Over medium heat, sauté the onion mixture until it turns golden brown. I usually saute the onions on a medium flame for about 5 minutes.
- Add spice powders and salt to this onion mixture.
- Stir everything together. If your pan seems too hot, add a tablespoon of water to prevent burning.
Add the greens
- I added finely chopped stalks first and cooked them for around 2 to 3 minutes.
- Now goes the finely chopped spinach or other leafy greens if you use them.
Simmer the curry
- Cook this green leafy mixture on high flame for 5 to 6 minutes.
- By this time, spinach greens will be wilted and cooked entirely, and you will not see any water in them.
Adjust the consistency
- Your homemade Indian-style spinach saag is now complete, and you can serve it as is with its delightful texture.
- Blend the spinach mixture if you like the restaurant-style saag with a smoother consistency. I usually use a handheld immersion blender, but a standalone blender or a food processor also works.
- Once blended, you'll have a creamy Indian saag, ready to be enjoyed on its own. Alternatively, this delicious dish can be a flavorful base for different dishes.
Notes
- You can use a potato masher to mash the saag for the desired consistency. If you chop the spinach very finely, you need not use a blender to make this saag sauce.
- Want to make it rich like Indian Restaurants? Use 2 tablespoon fresh cream to make this curry rich. You can also add 2 tablespoon cashew cream, coconut milk, or whole milk at the end and cook it for around 3 to 4 minutes on low heat.
- Want to elevate the taste of the saag? Add a teaspoon or two of lemon juice just before serving.
- Want to use this saag sauce for meal prep? Freeze this curry base in ¼ cup portions and take the required quantity when needed.
- This base curry is vegan and gluten-free. Once this saag sauce is ready, you can make saag chickpeas, vegan saag paneer with tofu, saag aloo, and saag paneer.
- Check out the Indian Spinach Recipes collection if you love to try other spinach recipes.
Nutrition
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Serving Tips
The classic way is to serve saag with Indian flatbreads like Chapati, Naan bread, and cornbread (called makki ki roti).
It also pairs well with cooked quinoa, millet, Indian basmati rice, or jeera rice. If you want a quick meal, make basmati rice in a rice cooker and enjoy a restaurant-style Indian meal at home.
Creative Leftover Tips
If I have a small amount of saag left, I never throw it away. These simple ideas help me turn every spoonful into something useful:
- Spinach Rice: I mix about a cup of saag with cooked basmati rice for a quick and satisfying lunch.
- Spinach Paratha: I knead leftover saag directly into whole wheat dough to make soft, flavorful parathas.
- Spinach Balls: I combine thick saag with chickpea flour and bake them for an easy, crispy snack.
- Spinach Raita: A few tablespoons stirred into yogurt makes a simple, savory side dish.
If you find my kitchen-tested tips helpful, click the button to see more of my recipes first when you search on Google!
Phillip Henwood says
We loved this thanks!
Sravanthi Chanda says
I’m so glad that you enjoyed this dish!
Pat says
Absolutely loved the ease and authentic saag recipe. Next time I’ll triple it - absolutely delicious.
Sravanthi Chanda says
Thank you so much for sharing the feedback! I am so happy that you liked my recipe!
Émily says
This recipe is absolutely delicious!! We just made it for the second time this week and we can’t get over how great and balanced the taste is!
My husband and I are avid wild food foragers and we were looking for a way to use our bags of yellow dock leaves. This saag recipe worked more than perfectly for that. We are very pleased and grateful for your creativity. Thank you! We’ll look more into your website now that we found you.
Take care and keep up the good work 💛
Mari says
Made this just now. Delicious. Simple recipe. Thanks Sravanthi.
Lorraine says
Really lovely, easy to follow recipe - l will definitely double up next time to keep half as a base sauce in my freezer.
Sravanthi Chanda says
Thank you so much Lorraine, for sharing the feedback. I'm so happy that my recipe helped you 🙂
A Bee Made It says
I love this recipe that’s made without using whole spices that I don’t have access to. I can easily make this favorite with what I have on hand. I’m excited to try it asap, thanks!
Naveen says
I made this today and it turned out delicious. Thank you so much for sharing this easy recipe…
Sravanthi Chanda says
Its my pleasure and I am so happy that you liked my recipe!
Rae says
Hi Sravanti
I’m just harvesting a bunch of spinach and will make this saag. Does it freeze well?
Thank you
Sravanthi Chanda says
Yes, it will freeze well. And I often use this saag to make Saag Chickpeas.
Laurin Houghton-Paranihi says
Beautiful, especially with spinach straight from the garden. I served it with boiled potato cubes mixed in, feta cheese and cucumber on the side. I used 1 tsp green Thai curry paste as I had no green chilli and sprinkled red chilli on the plated meal.