I love saag. It is delicious, versatile and (can be) beautiful to look at. My base is spinach. I love using my home grown or Farmer's Market spinach, but when not available, there are many decent brands available year round. I make 3 versions, chicken, aloo (potato), and shrimp, each slightly different. For all of them I seweat a chopped onion, add a garlic and ginger paste and a list of spices including cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala. For the chicken, I add cinnamon, the shrimp get fenugreek, and the potatoes, get a touch of fennel. These are personal preferences, so feel free to add or subtract.

The chicken can be marinated in the spices for an hour before sautéing in either ghee or oil. The potatoes should be parboiled, but the shrimp will only take a few minutes at the end to retain their crunch.

Bright Green

It rarely is in restaurants, you know, but mine is. I just blanch the spinach a minute or two in boiling water and then right into an ice bath before putting it in the processor or blender. I don't add it until the end and I don't cook it very long. All of these heresies combine to make a brilliant dish, bright in flavor and color and incorporating the classic and the present into a harmonious meal.