Channa Saag is a classic Punjabi curry from North Western India made with channa (chickpeas) and saag (greens). If you ever had green leafy vegetables sitting in your fridge and couldn't decide what to use them in , then this is the perfect dish to use up all of them. This vegan, gluten free dish is full of protein packed chickpeas and packed with flavors that will have you licking your fingers. The greens used in channa saag is usually a combination of spinach and mustard greens. However it can be made with just spinach. Thanks to the green leafy vegetables, it is a fantastic source of nutrients. So whether you fresh or frozen spinach this is probably the best channa saag you will have at home.
Ingredients for channa saag
The ingredient list might seem like a long one but the actual dish is quite simple to make. Have all your ingredients ready to use and the dish will come together quite quickly. I have listed the major ingredients below with substitutions wherever possible.
Chana (Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans) - You can cook chana from dry beans or use canned chickpeas to cut down on time. I am partial to the former because it tastes way better and also works out cheaper for the amount of cooked chana you can make. Check my notes in the recipe card for a quick run down on how to cook chickpeas.
Greens - Typically different greens like spinach, mustard, turnip greens and lamb's quarters (bathua) are used in saag. Many of these are winter greens which is the season when saag is made. I have only used fresh baby spinach in this recipe. You can also feel free to use kale, chard, collards, beet greens etc if you have it on hand. You can also use frozen spinach. Make sure to thaw it and squeeze out the excess moisture before using it.
Aromatics - We will use ginger and garlic paste. You could also use premade ginger-garlic paste but I decided to use finely minced fresh ginger and garlic. We also add onion while making the base.
Vegetables - Besides the greens, we will use finely chopped tomatoes. This adds a bit of tang to the curry. Any variety of tomato will work.
Whole Spices - We will use cumin, fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon.
Powdered Spices - You will need turmeric, cumin powder, coriander, chilli powder and Garam masala. We will also use plenty of Kasuri Methi( fenugreek leaves) which adds a beautiful finsishing touch and flavor.
Looking for other similar recipes? I have listed a few recipes below that you might enjoy exploring
Authentic Vegetable Korma (Vegetable Stew)
Quick overview of the process
Blanch greens - Bring water to a boil and quickly blanch the spinach and/or other greens for a couple of minutes. Remove from water and keep aside to cool. Grind to a smooth paste once cool.
Tempering - Temper the whole spices in oil before adding chopped onions, tomatoes and the powdered spices. Take time to let the spices cook well and the tomatoes break down.
Add the pureed greens and chickpeas- Mix in the pureed greens and mix well. Season well and let the mixture cook for 5-7 minutes. Now add the chickpeas along with garam masala and let simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Add the finishing touches - Finish with a few generous pinches of Kasuri Methi. Squeeze some lime juice before serving hot with chapati/roti/makki roti. You can also top with fresh julienned ginger.
Tips for storage/freezing and reheating?
You can store the chana saag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat it in the microwave or over the stove top until completely warm. Sprinkle some more kasuri methi on top before serving. Chana tends to pop and splatter in the microwave so do keep that in mind.
Channa Saag stores beautifully in the freezer for around 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as above. If you need to reheat right away, then pop it in the oven at 350 deg F for 45-50 minutes until fully thawed and warmed.
Meal Preparation
You can meal prep for chana saag in multiple ways. If you are cooking chickpeas from scratch then you can prepare that and finish cooking the rest of the steps on the day of cooking. You can also prep the saag up to different steps and quickly bring the dish together.
Prepping Chickpeas - After cooking the chickpeas you can either store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze it up to for 3 months. While using it to make the saag, simply add the refrigerated or frozen chickpeas directly to the gravy and cook until completely warm.
Saag Meal Prep
Option 1 - Blanch the spinach or other greens. Let it cool down to room temperature and then grind in the blender until completely smooth. Store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and use it as suggested in the recipe.
Option 2 - Follow the steps in option 1. Follow the recipe till step X. Turn off the stove and let this gravy cool down to room temperature. You can store this in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze it for future use for up to 3 months. You can also make a double batch of this gravy and use the second half to make one the variations listed below
Variations and what can you serve alongside channa saag?
You might also have heard of channa saag's famous cousin saag paneer or palak paneer. If you are not vegan, try making the same dish by replacing channa with fresh cubed paneer which is a non-melting cheese or even halloumi. You can also use cooked diced potatoes for saag aloo, try making it with tofu (Palak Tofu) or soy chunks for other vegan versions.
I love saag with roti or naan. I also serve it some butter milk (or vegan buttermilk), lassi (salted or sweet yoghurt drink) to help balance the heat from the spices. Saag traditionally is served with makki ki roti (cornmeal flatbread). So give it a try with it if you can.
If you made this recipe, don't forget to leave a comment or question below with a rating! It really helps me understand what recipes you are loving. You can also tag #dillandthyme on Instagram or follow me @dillandthymeblog on Pinterest!
Recipe
Channa Saag
Ingredients
- 3-4 cup channa (chickpeas) cooked
- 1 lb spinach(or any greens) chopped
- 1 medium Red or Yellow Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 3 medium tomatoes finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 2-3 Indian green chiles finely chopped (adjust according to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Jeera(Cumin seeds)
- 1 teaspoon Saunf (Fennel seeds)
- 2 teaspoon Powdered Dhaniya (Coriander Powder)
- 5 Whole Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1-2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- 3 + 1 teaspoon Kasuri Methi (Dry Fenugreek Leaves)
- ½ Lemon optional
- 1-2 cup water for cooking
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil or ghee
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a low boil. Add the spinach or combination of greens to the water and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Do this in batches depending on how much greens you are cooking. Remove from water and let it cool down.
- Once the greens have sufficiently cooled down, place in a blender and puree until completely smooth. Keep aside.
- Heat oil in a dutch oven or similar sized pan. Add the cumin, fennel seeds,cloves and cinnamon to the oil. Wait until you can see the seeds splatter in the oil a little.
- Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and ginger. Saute for couple of minutes until lightly browned.Now add the tomatoes.
- Add green chiles followed by turmeric, chili powder and coiander powder. Let this simmer at medium low heat for 10 minutes.
- Now add the pureed greens. Season with more salt if required. Add some more water if the gravy needs it and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Mix in the cooked chickpeas, garam masala and let it all cook for 3-4 minutes. Depending on the consistency you want, smash in a few chickpeas to thicken up the liquid.
- Top with lots of Kasuri Methi and with a squeeze of lime/lemon juice before serving.Serve with roti, naan or makki ki roti (cornmeal flatbread)
Notes
- Feel free to use any greens you have on hand if you don't have access to mustard greens or spinach. Traditionally saag is made with mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach and other greens including bathua (lamb's quarters). These are winter greens. In my version here, I have used baby spinach. Feel free to use any of these or even chard, kale, collards, beet greens etc.
- Chickpeas can be replaced with paneer, tofu or even potatoes. They will taste equally great in the saag.
- Serve with chopped chiles, raw onion, cucumber slices and a few pieces of lime.
- I love cooking chickpeas from scratch. There are times when I used tinned chickpeas. However I like the texture of home cooked chcikepas so much better. I also prefer being able to control what goods in to it. Not to mention, you get a better bang for you buck buying bulk dry chickpeas and cooking it. I have listed a quick walk through of cooking chickpeas in an instant pot below.
- Rinse 2 cups of dry chickpeas and soak it overnight or for at least 4-5 hours. Add the chickpeas and 6-7 cups of fresh water to the stainless steel. Close the lid and set to "sealing" mode and select "pressure cook" option and set the time to 18 minutes. Once the cook time is up, let the steam naturally release for 20 minutes before force releasing the steam. Use immediately or store for future use in the refrigerator or freezer. You will get around 7-8 cups of cooked chickpeas.
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