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!!
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!
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. Itโs spot on perfect every time! ๐ I often donโt have fresh tomatoes, so I always keep some canned petite diced tomatoes (no garlic or basil flavors), and Iโm happy to report it works in a pinch. You can also add a little cornstarch slurry to make it creamier too! Iโve also used coconut milk. Basically, this recipe is foolproof, adaptable, and perfect, and Iโll 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 couldnโt 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!!ย
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 havenโt tried it, Iโm 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? ย Like donโt 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.ย