Sometimes, when I’m suffering from a creativity block, all I need to do is take a stroll through the freezer aisle. Yesterday, as I was perusing the freezer goods, I saw a frozen dinner called Chana Saag. I didn’t look too closely, I just saw chickpeas and spinach and knew that’s exactly what I wanted to eat. So I adapted my Indian Style Creamed Spinach recipe by adding a can of chickpeas to make it a more filling meal, and this Chana Saag was born. And whoa, is it good!!
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Is Chana Saag Spicy?
This recipe can be made either hot or mild depending on what type of curry powder you use, but either way the fragrant spices will be heady and flavorful. The coconut milk adds just the right amount of natural sweetness and creamy flavor to balance the warm spices.
How to Serve Chana Saag
I suggest serving this over rice or with some homemade naan to sop up the sauce. I served mine with some rice and while I usually go for jasmine rice, the Chana Saag was so flavorful that plain white rice did the job nicely.
Can I Substitute the Coconut Milk?
Absolutely. The original version of this recipe used a 12oz. can of evaporated milk in place of the coconut milk. I’ve since grown to love coconut milk with curry powder, so I now prefer that, and it makes this recipe appropriate for both vegans and vegetarians, so I went with coconut milk. But it tastes great both ways!
WHAT KIND OF CURRY POWDER DO YOU USE?
I prefer to buy mild curry powder, that way I can make both mild and hot curries with it by adding my own cayenne pepper for heat, when I want. For this recipe, I used Sharwood’s mild curry powder. Or you can try making your own curry powder using this recipe for Easy Homemade Curry Powder from Spiceitupp.com.
Chana Saag Curry
Servings 6Ingredients
- 1.5 cups long grain white rice ($0.95)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger ($0.30)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 Tbsp curry powder hot or mild ($0.30)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 3/4 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1 tomato ($0.31)
- 1 lb. frozen chopped spinach ($1.60)
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas ($0.49)
- 1/2 cup water ($0.00)
- 1 13oz. can coconut milk ($2.79)
Instructions
- Begin the rice first. Add the rice and 3 cups water to a sauce pot. Cover with a lid, place the pot over high heat, and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off, and let the rice rest for 10 minutes, undisturbed, with the lid in place. Fluff with a fork just before serving.
- While the rice is cooking, begin the curry. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to a large skillet with the olive oil and sauté over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. While these are cooking, dice the tomato.
- Add the curry powder and cumin to the skillet and continue to stir and cook for one minute more. Add the diced tomato and salt. Continue to cook for about five minutes more, or until the tomato has broken down.
- Drain the chickpeas in a colander and give them a quick rinse. Add the rinsed chickpeas, frozen spinach, and a half cup of water to the skillet. Stir everything together and then bring it up to a simmer over medium heat. Let the mixture simmer for five minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- After five minutes, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the coconut milk. Depending on how thick you want the sauce, you can either just heat through or let it simmer until thickened. Leave your chana saag chunky ,or, if preferred, use an immersion blender to purée some of the mixture. Once it’s heated through, adjust the salt to your liking.
- Serve the creamy chickpeas and spinach over a bowl of warm rice.
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How to Make Chana Saag Curry – Step By Step Photos
Begin the rice first. Add 1.5 cups rice and 3 cups water to a sauce pot. Cover with a lid, place the pot over high heat, and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off, and let the rice rest for 10 minutes, undisturbed, with the lid in place. Fluff with a fork just before serving.
First dice one yellow onion, mince 2 cloves of garlic, and grate about one Tbsp ginger. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to a large skillet with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger over medium heat for a few minutes, or until the onions are soft.
Add 1 Tbsp curry powder and 1 tsp cumin to the skillet and sauté for a minute more. The spices will stick to the bottom of the skillet, but it’s okay because the juice from the tomatoes in the next step will dissolve it off. Just make sure that the heat is not up so high that they burn.
While the onions are sautéing, dice one tomato. Add the tomato to the skillet with 3/4 tsp salt and sauté for about five minutes more, or until the tomatoes break down a bit.
After five minutes it looks something like this. It will smell pretty amazing at this point!
Add 1 lb. frozen spinach (no need to thaw), one 15oz. can chickpeas (drained), and ½ cup water. Stir everything together and then bring it up to a simmer over medium heat. Let the mixture simmer for five minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
After simmering for five minutes, turn the heat down to medium-low and add a 13oz. can of coconut milk. Depending on how thick you want the sauce, you can either just heat through or let it simmer until thickened. Leave your chana saag chunky, or, if preferred, use an immersion blender to purée some of the mixture. Once it’s heated through, adjust the salt to your liking.
Whatever texture you choose, it’s freaking delicious.
Serve over rice or with a piece of naan for dipping!
I need to watch my saturated fat intake. Is there a substitute for the coconut milk that is low in saturated fat? Even the lite version of coconut milk has quite a bit, and obviously cream or half and half has a lot too.
Cant wait to try this. Thank you so much!
This was delicious!
I used fresh baby spinach instead of frozen, and light coconut milk to save on the fat content…but still very tasty!
I like everything that is in your recipe, will try it ,thanks for sharing.
Super easy and delicious! I added 1/2 an onion more, more ginger and garlic and seasoned with more curry power and a dash more cumin to taste. Instead of rice I made quinoa. I’ll be adding this to a regular dinner rotation. Thank you so much!
This was restaurant-quality! It’s an ideal recipe: easy, inexpensive, vegetarian, one-pot, and delicious. I tried it with fresh spinach, but I’m not convinced that doing this added nutrition or deliciousness, and it did add to the preparation time, since I couldn’t add it all at once.
I’m going to try the recipe next time with a bag of frozen chopped spinach. I did add a few grinds of black pepper and did use my immersion blender.
Did not taste like anything…
This recipe is BOMB!! A delicious recreation of one of my go-to’s at middle eastern restaurants. I added cubes of paneer cheese towards the end–just because I was feeling extra. For the curry powder I used Garam Masala. I added some turmeric and an extra pinch of Cumin. And finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Highly recommend!!!
Ridiculously delicious! Followed your recipe to the tee!
I’m a happy girl! Thank you! Yum!
OMG! Freaking delicious!
Thank you! Yummiocios!
I was super excited to make this but it had no flavor I even added goat cheese and more curry powder. Flavorless. Very disappointed.
Hi, I’m dying to make this, but I have an odd question. Does it freeze well? (minus the rice, of course)
Yes, that would be fine!
Could I use low fat coconut milk?
We really like using full-fat, but if you want to use low-fat just keep in mind that it will be a bit less rich and more liquidy!
Delicious!
I make it every now and then. Once everything was added, I put the frying pan in the oven for 1/2 h, at 180 degree Celsius.
I added one tsp. of ginger marmalade in the end and some coriander leaves.
Very easy to make!
I don’t normally bother to comment on Pinterest. But I had to on this one for future views. Sorry to rant and moan but here goes….i followed this recipe to the letter and it tasted of nothing, zilch! No taste of spice, or anything. I don’t usually adapt recipes, but I had to for this one.
I added-more curry powder, garam masala, mild chilli, cumin, garlic salt, paprika, tamarind, you name it I chucked it in to try and get some flavour and more spice.
😬
Hi
Can this be frozen
For sure!
This is Marvelous,delicious,easy,and is going on the weekly rotation,thank you..I use dried chick peas and cook a couple of Lbs a week to prep for quick use.Soaking and rinsing them gives less bloat and gas..but in a pinch at times I use canned chick peas..
Delicious! How big is one serving? 1 c or 2?
I would say about 3/4 cup of rice and 3/4 cup of curry!
Nice and easy, we loved it!
Really good! Smelled and tasted like something I’d get at an Indian restaurant.
Quick and tasty! I love this for when I’m at a loss for what to make because it comes together so easily and I always have the ingredients.
This is the second time I’m making this dish- it is delicious and very easy!
Delicious!
Like others have said, making this per the recipe would be very bland. You’re tasting as you go though, right? I ended up adding probably 3 times more curry, some garam masala and some Kashmiri chili powder. Really, really good. Oh yeah, ffs don’t drain the chickpeas and then add water! Chickpea liquid aka aquafaba is like elevated pasta water. Use the whole can, it will make the sauce silky and delicious. And if you use fresh spinach wait until everything is reduced until you’re ready to serve before adding it for 2 minutes.
Fantastic dish, will absolutely make again!
Amazing! I made two tiny tweaks—I added a jalapeño for some extra spice and a dash of nutmeg. I will definitely make this again! It’s a great way to use up any spinach you have that’s a little past prime.
This sounds delicious! Would it be good over quinoa maybe? We haven’t been eating much white rice and I don’t like brown rice, but we love quinoa!
Delicious! I used part curry past and part powdered curry. Also added more cumin and curry than called for, boiled eggs and curry chai Pow yu.
Can this recipe be frozen? Sounds delicious 😋
I haven’t tested freezing this one, but my guess is that it would probably freeze pretty good. You might just need to give it a good stir to smooth it out after thawing and reheating.
Really great and fairly easy to make! It was missing heat though.
This is so yummy! I’ve made it often & have to toss in a big pinch of red pepper flakes with the other spices to toast, because (duh!) Thanks Miss Beth — you are my hero!
This was so delicious!
This was delicious. You always encourage us to use what we have, so while I had all the ingredients, I didn’t have them all in the form called for. Substituted powdered ginger for fresh (we always have fresh ginger stuck in the freezer—couldn’t believe we were out), canned diced tomato for fresh (this time of year fresh tomatoes are not that great in Colorado) and fresh spinach for frozen. Sooo good. Your website is my go to for dinner inspiration. Thank you.
Not a great recipe unfortunately. Kinda like watery spinach soup.
Could I use fresh spinach in place of the frozen spinach? If so, how much?
Hi, Corrie Beth! You sure can substitute fresh spinach! 1 pound of frozen spinach is equivalent to around 1 1/2 pounds of fresh spinach. ~Marion :)
This recipe is one of my new faves! I didn’t have a tomato so I subbed a tablespoon of tomato paste and I thought the results were great. Thank you for sharing this with the world!
I made this for the second time today. This is easiest and most delicious Indian dish that I’ve made at home so far!! I plan to plan to eat this with homemade mashed potatoes instead of rice, this coming work week for my lunches. I do use a small can of tomato sauce instead of tomatoes. I also throw in some fresh spinach and extra water to make it go further. Extra cumin and curry powder too. Because I’m a big fan of Indian food and getting in my vegetables. Very happy with this!!!
Just made it so good I add some extra veggies like Mexican Squash, sweet peas, carrots and fresh spinach👌🤨😍☺️
Easy to make and full of flavor! The nuttiness of Basmati Rice sends it over the top!
Great! We added a little more salt but we really like salt here hah. But toddler approved again!
So easy and absolutely delicious!
This was a good recipe, but I’d recommend kicking the spices up a bit. I started out with sautéing about a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of mustard seeds and coriander seeds (could add more depending on personal taste). Then, go with the rest of the recipe, and at the end, put in about 1/8th teaspoon ground cloves. I made this once without those additions and while it was overall good, I did find it a bit bland. Adding mustard/coriander/cloves made a huge difference.
I have to add my voice to those finding this bland. I’m not sure why. I’ve made this twice, and it’s been bland each time. The second time I tried cranking up the spices a lot, but didn’t seem to help. Maybe my spaces are weak?
Hi Eric! I know you’re a veteran around here, so hopefully I’m not telling you something you already thought of! I do think maybe your spices being weak could be part of it, but also maybe it just needed a bit more salt to help those flavors pop? Between the fresh garlic, ginger, curry powder, and cumin, there should be a ton of flavor unless, of course, it isn’t salted well.
very good!!! and genuinely SO FAST!! you’re a blessing :) i’m indian so i took the liberty of freestyling the spices. But its so versatile and can handle a variety of spice combinations
Reading the other comments before making this dish was very helpful! I found the curry to be on the lighter, more refreshing side in terms of flavour, but it was delicious nonetheless. I served this curry with garlic chapati and white rice, yum!
These were my alterations:
• I am very sensitive to spice so I used 2 tsp mild curry powder instead of 1 tbsp.
• I added 10 curry leaves in at the spices stage and 1/2 tsp dried green mango powder at the end of cooking.
• I omitted the water and used 400ml can of coconut milk instead.
• After turning the stove off I added a generous squeeze of lemon juice which helped to tie all the flavours together.
Another excellent and easy recipe that tastes so good! This one is also gluten friendly and dairy free which is perfect for my diet.
So delicious, cheap and easy! I used my immersion blender on part of it so it’s like a half soup half stew. Very comforting.
Easy, quick, healthy, and delicious! Definitely a keeper that I’ll make over and over. Thank you!
A recipe like this always inspire. All the steps are very helpful and mind blowing pictures. Looking forward for more such delicious recipes in future too.
A wonderful recipe – it’s creamy, dreamy, spicy perfection and after trying it once, I’ll definitely make it again. It’s perfect for a weeknight when you’re too tired for anything more elaborate, but you also get a warm, cozy and comforting dish in no time.
Thanks for sharing this, looks good, I would prefer to add more spices (as I like them a bit more)
This recipe came together beautifully, I will very happily recommend it particularly to friends new to Indian cooking. But mine came out unaccountably bland, I have no idea why. I’m going to add some lemon or lime and maybe a little garam masala. There’s just no there there
If you like authentic Indian food, don’t use this recipe. WAY too much curry powder and basically no other spices. The ratio of spinach and milk to chickpeas is also way off. Definitely not for us
Definitely agree with increasing amount of spices and salt. I also threw in some cayenne and only used about an 1/8 cup of water. Subbed a 9 oz bag of fresh spinach and added in some paneer our grocery deli recently started selling. We soaked the paneer in water during cooking and added it in at the end after allowing the curry to reduce down for about 10 minutes. It only took simmering for about 5 minutes to get delightfully soft. My fiance and I LOVED it.
Made with a few modifications based on what I had on hand:
-1.5x the spices (I like a lot of spice)
-canned fried roasted tomatoes instead of fresh (drained)
-fresh spinach
-omitted the water
It was excellent, spicy, and it froze and reheated well!
We all loved this but I think we needed 1.5 tsp of salt. The kids wouldn’t eat it at first bc it was bland to them so I added salt to everyone’s plate. The kids gobbled it up after that.
Loved this recipe! My only changes were subbing half a can of diced tomatoes (drained) for the tomato and only using the solids from the coconut milk because I wanted to keep it thick. I only had a 12 oz bag of spinach. This was definitely a winner, so delicious and filling!
This recipe is amazing! The brand of curry powder I used didn’t have the punch I was looking for so I doubled it and added 1/4 tsp of cayenne. So good!!!
Good but disappointingly bland. Wondering if I didn’t toast the spices enough. Salt and sriracha went a long way.
Super bland. The only thing I didn’t follow exactly from this recipe was adding tomatoes, but I don’t think that would add too much more flavor.
This is SO GOOD! I did use frozen spinach, I was out of fresh, which worked great. Its filling and delicious! I’m printing off the recipe to add to my favourites. I’m trying to eat 100% plant based meals and this is perfect!
Thank you!
I skipped the tomatoes and shook in some red chilli flakes. Served mine over brown rice tonight and you’re right – it was freaking delicious! Thanks for another great and easy recipe!
I made some adjustments based on what I had on hand… I used basmati rice, red onion, canned diced tomato, and coconut cream instead of the listed respective ingredients. I also only had 6 oz of spinach in my freezer so I had to make do with only that. It turned out great! Super quick and easy to throw together, even with significantly less spinach than I would’ve liked to use haha!
This meal is absolutely delicious! I’m a big saag paneer fan and the chickpeas are such a similar consistency that it might even fulfill your paneer! I’ve made this a few times without a tomato (quarantine) and it came out just fine!
I add the spinach and cook through, then puree with the stick blender before adding the coconut milk and chickpeas. Sometimes I add yogurt instead of coconut milk depending on what I have on hand.
This recipe is so good and I will defiantly make again. Great as a left over too.
Great recipe! Thanks so much this was my first time making a favorite dish I usually order out, absolutely delicious. I added more spinach and spices as per the other reviewers. Also added oat milk in addition to the coconut milk to create more sauce and added in a little flour to thicken it. It was perfect.
What a way to pack in the spinach!! I love this dish. I used evaporated milk and tomato paste.
Really good! Heavily modified with my quarantine pantry ingredients!! I used tomato paste instead of tomatoes and whole milk instead of coconut milk. To make sure the milk didn’t curdle, I added about 2 Tbsp. Of flour with the curry paste, I slowly heated the milk in a separate saucepan and added it when it was hot, never had it above a very slow simmer, and only added salt and red pepper flakes at the very end.
I just made this, and it was definitely much improved by some lemon juice! It’s slightly bland on its own, but the lemon really brings it all together. Plus a wee bit of cayenne pepper.
Would fresh spinach work?
Yes it would be great!
What a great recipe! Thanks. I’ve been a reader now for a while and I just wanted to say that you are really creative! Loving your stuff. However, I’m not a fan of coconut milk so I have come up with an alternative non dairy milk. I’m LOVING barley milk! Yum… very similar to cows milk BUT even better for anything sweet, think coffee creamer, is peanut milk! I’ve been lactose intolerant since way before there were any options available other than soy milk. I thank you for helping to open my (and the worlds) eyes to all the possibilities! Keep up the good work.
What can be substituted for the chick peas? Would canned small white beans work? Thanks!
Admittedly, so many of the recipes I’ve tried on this site have been amazing that I think it’s likely a took a wrong turn somewhere along the path to the end of this recipe. That’s not to say it’s “bad” (definitely would work well as a side to another spicier Indian entree – like the masala or some sort of spiced meat), it’s just a little “blah” for my tastebuds as directed. Needs either a lot more curry and garlic and salt, or it’s specifically designed to be much more subtle. Great as a filler for those who don’t like spice though :)
I’m sorry to hear that Catherine! Let me know if I can help troubleshoot the recipe in any way.
how does this keep as leftover/future meal? thank you!
It should keep just fine in the fridge for 3-5 days.
I like to freeze it in portions too and it heats up well in the microwave
So good! Substituted in coconut milk and added more garlic, ginger, and spices.
I always make this as a side to my weekday Indian feasts. It’s spot on perfect every time! 😄 I often don’t have fresh tomatoes, so I always keep some canned petite diced tomatoes (no garlic or basil flavors), and I’m happy to report it works in a pinch. You can also add a little cornstarch slurry to make it creamier too! I’ve also used coconut milk. Basically, this recipe is foolproof, adaptable, and perfect, and I’ll always use it! <3
Made this last night along with Homemade Saag and Easy Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala. This was delicious! I substituted coconut milk, per an earlier comment and response, otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. So warming and hearty and such a fabulously well-rounded and complex flavor! Thanks for the incredible recipe!
I stumbled on this post and made this recipe today and it is simply fantastic !!! I did use coconut milk instead of the evaporated milk , and I couldn’t be happier with the results ! I even made homemade whole wheat Chapati bread to accompany it! Yum !!! Highly recommend and loved the ease of using a frozen bag of spinach !! Yes!!
Can coconut milk be substituted for the milk in this recipe? I love saag but happen to have a lactose sensitivity.
Yes, coconut will go very well with these flavors. :)
Does this freeze well?
Although I haven’t tried it, I’m willing to bet that it would freeze well. :)
Yes! I freeze it in portions and heat it up in the microwave and it does great!
Any modifications before freezing? Like don’t add coconut milk until thawed, etc?
Can I used canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh? Would you use the juice or not? How much?
I suppose you could, although they will have a slightly different flavor. I’d probably drain off most of the juice, leaving just a little.
I use canned diced tomatoes and the juice as a replacement for the water. I love this recipe and serve it with yellow jasmine rice and naan.
This recipe is bomb!! I used a little less condensed milk than the recipe called for because it is very sweet. Vegan version could work well with an agave-coconut milk mix!
I think you confused evaporated milk with sweetened condensed milk
This is one of those rare occasions in which I had all the ingredients (well, most with reasonable substitutions). I didn’t have spinach but I did have fresh baby kale (which I suppose doesn’t make this a true saag, but was delicious nevertheless) and I used leftover coconut milk that I had in the freezer. Delish! Can’t wait to make it again with spinach.
Made this tonight for the first time and it was SO GOOD. Thank you!
Can I use fresh spinach? How does that modify the recipe?
You can chop the fresh spinach and add it to the skillet at the same time that I added the frozen spinach, and simply sauté until the spinach is wilted down, then move on to the next step.
Made this by subbing coconut milk for evaporated milk. SO GOOD- simple and fast. Definitely putting this in the permanent rotation
You should try the vegan version of this which uses full fat canned coconut milk. One can is enough. Trust me when I say that the flavor is magical. Also add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cayenne for some kick. Kale also goes very well in this dish.
This is a great recipe base. Try with coconut milk instead of the evaporated milk and add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like it more spicy!
I am living in Spain with 3 girls and 2 meat loving boys. Is there a way to add chicken to this?
By the way, we take turns cooking dinners and 100% of mine have been Budget Byte recipes and always successes! Appreciate this site very much Beth! :)
You could dice up some chicken and brown it in the skillet just before adding the onions and other aromatics. :)
I made this tonight for the first time and was blown away. I only had a small can of chickpeas so I added a diced white potato and half an eggplant diced. Instead of evaporated milk, I added coconut cream, which I had on hand. This was really, really good. Thank you.
I like to prepare this recipe through step 3, freeze it, then warm it and add heavy cream in place of the evaporated milk. I’ve made this twice in the last few weeks for friends who just had babies. It was a hit!
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve made this. At this point I’m uncomfortable when I don’t have an extra serving or two ready to go in the freezer. This was my first attempt at cooking an Indian dish and it was pretty much life changing. Love it! After experimenting a bit, I typically go with 10-12 oz spinach and 15 oz chickpeas just because I enjoy the texture better with a little more sauce to go around. Thank you so much for this recipe and all that you do! You’re amazing!
Used ginger powder instead of fresh ginger. Still waiting for my next chance to make this. :q
So when my best friend first shared this recipe with me a few years ago, I was like no way Jose. It just didn’t sound like a good combo. But then I made it. Omg. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve made it now over the past couple years. I love it!! Currently simmering away on the stove. Serving it over some cauliflower rice tonight
I’m going to put it over cauli rice tonight too:)
Super tasty! Per some other comments, I subbed canned tomatoes & increased the curry powder. Also doubled the chickpeas, added some cubed paneer cheese and added another half pound of spinach. Made a ton (which is what I was going for!) and ate with the BB curried coconut lentils, naan and rice. An Indian feast in my kitchen!
great recipe!!
I used can of diced tomatoes (drained), subbed fresh spinach, subbed 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger, added 1 tsp garam masala & 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper, extra salt, and a little bit of lime juice.
I made this today! It was sooooo good. I followed the recipe to a T other than adding a bit more curry powder. I had it over rice with homemade Naan (added a little garlic and butter to that). Will DEFINITELY be making this again in the near future. Thank you!
This is awesome!!! I love it so much. And once again, all my kids loved it too! I love how many veggies they are eating thanks to your recipes
This was so good! My husband loved it, but his only complaint was that he thought it needed meat. What kind of meat would you recommend? I was thinking either ground beef or shredded chicken.
I think shredded chicken would go a little better.
Made this tonight and it was delicious!
Hiya,
Made this recipe today and really enjoyed it. Didn’t have enough Spinach and ended up using potatoes in it as well. It was lovely! Thank you for putting this up :)
Love it! This is one of mine and my husband’s favorite cold, rainy day comfort food meals. We just serve over some jasmine rice and devour. So good!
This is ridiculously good. One of my favorite indian-style recipes on BB. I’ve eaten it 3 days in a row now, and I wouldn’t mind a 4th :)
We budget eaters are always looking for ways to make rice and beans more interesting. This did the trick as well as anything! I added some paneer to stretch this for a couple more servings. Really satisfying.
I made this just last night and it was fantastic! I agree that the longer it sits the better it gets!
I love this recipe and make it all the time! I’ve noticed I like it best when it simmers a while, thickens up and the flavors really develop. In light of that, do you think it’d be possible to do this in a slow cooker? How would you go about that? Perhaps don’t add the evaporated milk until later? Same with the chickpeas?
Hmm, I think using a slow cooker would actually make it more complicated. You definitely want the direct heat of a skillet for the first few steps, so you’d have to then transfer it to the slow cooker, simmer, then add the milk at the end. But you can do all that right in the skillet, so the slow cooker seems like extra work. :P
I used dried ginger and canned tomatoes because I was out of fresh. I also used coconut milk (added after I took it off the heat) and out Sriracha on mine (not my daughter’s :) It was amazing! I’ve never had a dish I liked whole chickpeas in, so this was a pleasant surprise!
*Put Sriracha not out :)
Also meant to add my star rating!
Could this be made using canned coconut milk instead of evaporated milk?
I haven’t tried that, but I think I have seen recipes similar to this that use coconut. The only thing you have to be careful of is not letting the coconut milk boil because it can curdle.
I made this recipe using half coconut milk and regular half milk instead of the evaporated milk. It turned out great!
I am vegan and instead of the milk I used a tub of Tofutti cream cheese and half a can of coconut milk (that’s all I had laying around) and it was FANTASTIC. The vegan cream cheese broke down as it cooked really well.
I tried this recipe today, and it was wonderful! It was quick, easy, and very flavorful. Thanks for the great recipe!
Absolutely delectable. Leftovers were an absolute treat. I put about half a teaspoon of chili paste in my bowl today and it gave it a small, great kick.
This stuff is yummy. I don’t mind the evaporated milk taste but when I make this I usually end up with 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons curry powder.
I add a little pineapple, green onions and raisins to this dish before serving. My mom serves chicken curry with those so I tried the Chana Saag that way. I think I’ll try it with peanuts next.
Okay, I kind of loved this. I made it exactly per the recipe and it was great. I ate it atop some crusty bread because that’s what I had – can’t wait to try it on flatbread or rice.
Once I can find some paneer, I think I’ll add some of that and see how that works.
Tried this last weekend and I could eat it everyday for a week! Unfortunately (or fortunately) my family also loved it and there were no leftovers. Even my 11 year old loved it! I’m always trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our diet for the health benefits but I tend to meet resistance from my husband and oldest daughter – not this time though! Thanks for the awesome recipe Beth!
Think fat free or low fat evaporated milk might work well?
Low fat evaporated milk might, but it will definitely be less creamy.
Made again. Not even a full week later. Love this recipe!
My son passed this recipe to me and I’m very impressed. It was delicious. Like the other reviewer I had run out of curry powder and used garam masala instead. Result!!
This was wonderful. I only added about 2/3rds of the evaporated milk, and I let it cool just a bit before serving over brown rice. It sold my fiancée who is always on the fence with Indian cuisine. And now I have super tasty leftovers (and I usually hate leftovers).
Omg delicious. Omg. Been wanting to make this for months but just never had chickpeas on hand. Finally! Your recipes neverrrrrr disappoint!
I am a Chana Saag fanatic and when I saw this super simple and cheap recipe I had to try it.
Oh.
My.
God.
This is the BEST Chana Saag recipe ever.
LOVE IT, love it, love it and will be making it all the time.
Thank you for such a kick ass recipe!
I gotta say, I was skeptical when I initially tried the finished product. On the stove, it tasted way too creamy and fairly bland. I added more curry powder and a few dashes of cayenne and still wasn’t impressed. Luckily, I was steaming my rice so I had to let it sit for another 20 minutes.
When the rice was done, I gave myself a tiny portion–and then immediately went back for a heaping bowl-ful. It was spicy, flavorful, and filling. Like one of the other commenters said, the spices build on one another as you eat and it tastes very authentic.
I think one of the keys to a flavorful curry is to let it sit and really blend the flavors, and I’m glad I (accidentally) did this before casting my verdict. This is a perfect weeknight curry that doesn’t require a lot of cutting and prepwork, and I will definitely make it again. Possibly with coconut milk.
Beth, I love your blog. It is wonderful. I’ve made many of your recipes in my versions and I just love them!!!
Thank you for posting your creations, you inspire me when I’m without a clue to what to cook, I just take a look at your website and that’s it!
Today I’ve made this Chana Saag with homemade chickpeas and fresh spinach accompanied by brown rice. Mmmm it was simply delicious!
Just tried this one tonight with a mix of fresh spinach and kale since that’s what I had on hand. It was so good!
Thank you for this recipe! I was out of curry powder, so I used garam masala instead, and kept everything else in the recipe the same. It was really good! My Indian neighbor brought over some fried paneer earlier in the day so I threw that in at the end too. Yum.
I made a slightly slapdash version of this the other night and it was delicious. I usually steer away from really creamy curries because I can’t quite manage the idea of eating 1/2 a cup of cream at a time, so I really like the idea of using evaporated milk instead – all of the creaminess for a fraction of the calories/fat. In the Netherlands evaporated milk apparently goes by “Coffee Milk,” which I was a bit skeptical about, but it worked really well. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been on a quest for a good saag recipe for years and I’ve finally found it! Thanks so much for sharing.
I just made this recipe-very delicious but I think (or at least for m taste) there is a bit too much spinach. It takes away some of the flavor, so I think next time I’ll add like half a pound instead of the whole pound of spinach. With that said-I love how you make these recipes so simple and easy to follow yet delicious (and still healthy).
I tried this tonight and I liked it, but it was a little bland for my taste. I followed the recipe exactly too! Any tips on making it a bit spicier? I added more curry powder, but that didn’t really help.
Yep, just add a little cayenne pepper and that will give it a fantastic kick! :)
I ground up a whole dried chili. It gives it the perfect heat.
Made this last night and turned out pretty well! I thought it was a little too milky tasting so next time I won’t add an entire can of evaporated milk. It was still very tasty and easy, though, and I’ll definitely come back to it.
I just made this for dinner tonight, and all I have to say is WOW! It tastes super authentic, and we very easy to make. Thank you for sharing!
Wow – this sounds amazing! Definitely going to give it a try. Any thoughts about using fresh spinach rather than frozen? We tend to keep fresh baby spinach around the house so I’d probably try to use that if I can.
Swapping fresh for frozen spinach should be very easy. Just add the fresh spinach at the same point that I added the frozen spinach, and cook it down until wilted. You might want to add just a few handfuls at a time and let it wilt before adding more, though, so that your skillet doesn’t overflow. :)
Wow! I had a tupperware of frozen leftovers of this that I wanted to use. But I thought it needed something extra. So i added shrimp, more fresh ginger, kale, and served it over a bed of brown rice. Oh my, it seriously transformed into a completely different and equally satisfying meal. I LOVE taking leftovers and making it into something new :)
Loved this recipe too! My husband was very suspicious, especially at the tomato-onion part, which he said looked “already eaten,” ha. But by the end, he was a fan. I love that the dish is so concentrated with greens!
Hi Beth! This recipe looks yummy! A question about the curry powder–what brand do you use? Also, what is in it? Thanks!
It’s a brand called Sharwood’s. I really don’t know anything about that brand in particular, I just picked it up from the ethnic aisle at my local grocery store :) It is pretty good, though! Curry powder can be made a million different ways, but it’s usually a blend of spices like corriander, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, pepper, and/or several other things. It’s a very versatile spice blend – give it a try!
Hi Beth, I am a big fan of your site! Was wondering if I could leave out the evaporated milk?
The evaporated milk is really key in this dish. If you want to avoid dairy or just don’t want to use evaporated milk, you can use coconut milk instead. Just make sure not to let the heat get too high on the coconut milk or else it will curdle.
Would this freeze well?
Although I haven’t tried it, I’m willing to bet that it would freeze well. :)
this looks delicious…I have all the ingredients in my pantry…going to make it this weekend. I’m going to have it with jasmine rice and maybe some naan bread.
Out of the park flavor! Made enough for 5-6 single girl meals and was a lot of fun to make. I really like the building of flavors that happens with Indian spices and this is a great way to experience that
This is INCREDIBLE. Love your blog!
This is heating up on my stove right now :) Doubled the curry powder and sautéed the onion, garlic, ginger (added a bit of shallot) in peanut oil. Yum!
At this all week last week as leftovers! soooo yummy!
Looks wonderful!