Saag ("Creamed" Indian Spinach)

For this leafy green delight, I have started with Rick Stein's recipe and modified it by doubling the amounts and swapping some of the ingredients.  It goes great with the Paleo Flatbread from my last post and it cooks down really small in no time.  With this recipe you can feed about 5 adults as the main meal.  You can also add chicken, lamb, or homemade cheese to this dish for some protein.

Saag

Ingredients

5 oz Ghee or grass-fed butter
1 and 1/2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 oz fresh ginger, grated
10 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp Garam masala spice mixture
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
2 and 1/4 lbs (or about 3 large bunches) of fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk**
1/2 cup coconut cream**
Handful of cilantro (coriander leaves), chopped

Directions

Heat the ghee or butter in a large heavy-bottom fry pan or wok over medium heat.  Add the onions, ginger, and garlic to the hot butter and cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until the onions are soft.

Stir in the spices (turmeric, garam masala, and chili powder) and protein (if adding any) and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the spices have evenly coated the mixture.

Add the salt, spinach, coconut milk and coconut cream.  Allow the spinach to wilt (use a lid if possible) and then cook the mixture another 3-4 minutes or until it has reduced to a thick and creamy sauce.  At this point I usually give it a few whirls with the immersion blender to get it to the right consistency and not so chunky or leafy.

Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve!!

Notes

**Originally, the coconut milk and coconut cream are replaced with yogurt and double (heavy) cream, but the substitutions I made help get the consistency and flavoring right.  You can experiment with your own raw milk products if you are so inclined.  Also, the spinach can be substituted with kale, chard, or any other leafy green; just remember to cook the hardier greens for a bit longer so that they are not too tough.  Refer to my post on Kale Chips for a quick and easy way to de-stem leafy greens.

Enjoy!!