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SaggSagg or saag in Indian cuisine is a dish primarily based on curry and spinach leaves. Actually, it can be any vegetable-based dish. It is usually mixed with other spices and then eaten with various types of bread such as the roti which is flat, unleavened bread and the naan or the pita bread. This dish is also eaten with roasted lamb together with the flat breads. Sagg is also composed of an Indian cheese called paneer, some garlic, ginger, yogurt, buttermilk, red chili powder or flakes, and garam masala (a seasoning made out of grounded spices like cloves, Cardamom, black pepper and cumin). Some forms of Sagg also contain a little turmeric. The following are the steps on how to make your own sagg at home: Mash garlic, onion and ginger using a mortar and pestle until paste is formed. Set it aside. Use a saucepan to simmer the spinach, yogurt, buttermilk, chili powder or flakes, garlic, onion and ginger paste and the garam marsala. Cook for twenty minutes under medium heat. (Heat is a big factor when cooking sagg. Always use low to medium heat to prevent burning the spices). After twenty minutes, mash all the ingredients using a potato masher (you can also use a handheld blender if you have one) and simmer it again for 10-15 minutes to achieve a creamy consistency. Add the paneer cheese, and then season with salt according to your taste. One of the most delicious partners of sagg is lamb, and it is
cooked using the tandoor, a cylindrical Indian oven made out of
clay. The crisp skin and succulent meat of the lamb plus the fluffy
naan bread and the sagg makes a complete, delicious meal. Sagg
can also be added as a dressing to salads. Today, few remaining
Indian restaurants serve this kind of meal. Why not try making
it at home? With its traditions and flavors combined, you really
can’t go wrong.
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