Spinach & Potato Curry – Saag Aloo

Jump to Recipe It’s sort of magical to me how the same spices used in so many different Indian curries can still lead to dishes that still have such unique flavors. This recipe uses one of the most basic combinations of seasonings, but the combined flavors and textures still make it stand out.

Each time I’ve served it I’ve seen people quickly going back for seconds after they taste it. I’m glad we doubled it this time. I definitely wasn’t surprised to see there were far fewer leftovers than most of the other dishes we served, despite making 7 different curries and at least doubling each one.

ingredients (doubled)

Spinach and Potato Curry

Servings: 4
Time: 30-40 mins
Difficulty: medium
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A favorite veggie curry with surprisingly complex flavors for such simple ingredients.

You could use a package of thawed, drained frozen spinach if you need, but give enough time to defrost it without heating since you don’t want overcooked spinach.

Ingredients

1 lb fresh spinach
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds (Yellow will taste fine but not give the color contrast)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1″ root ginger, finely chopped or grated
1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, cut into 1″ chunks
1 tsp chille powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

Directions

If you are using fresh spinach in the recipe, wash it thoroughly, then blanch it just until it wilts – a little water in a big pan (for the volume of leaves) and a lid will usually take just a couple minutes. For frozen spinach, try to set it out early enough that it can defrost without needing to heat it up – either way, it should still be bright green.
For freshly blanched or defrosted frozen spinach, drain thoroughly and squeeze out extra juice. Set aside until the end.
Heat oil and mustard seeds in a large pan over low heat until they begin to sputter (about 2 minutes). You can put the lid over them to keep them from popping out, but move it around a bit to keep them from sticking.
Add the sliced onion, garlic, and ginger to the mustard seeds. The ginger and garlic are the ingredients most likely to stick, so try to make sure they don’t get left under the onions. Once the onions start to soften and juice comes out it will be easier to keep it from sticking. Cook them for at least 5 minutes together.
Add the potato chunks with the chili powder, salt, and a little water to pick up the spices and mix well. Be sure they aren’t sticking to the bottom – cook for another 8 minutes or until you can see them softening – they will have softened edges and look less opaque. You don’t want them to be so soft they start to get mushy, though.
Add the drained spinach and mix well. Simmer until