My Easy Saag Chole Recipe is the stuff dreams are made of. Inspired by the iconic dish Saag Chole it is the perfect foray into curry for beginners. The ingredient list is short but the preparation time is even shorter. It is one of my oldest and best Indian inspired curry recipes. The recipe's nutrition profile is on point! Beans and Greens are always a power pair for plant lovers and in this dish they shine.
I start this Easy Saag Chole recipe like all of my Indian inspired curries with the holy trinity of aromatics: garlic, ginger and onions. I like to mince mine but if you prefer you can blend them instead. To this recipe I add fresh turmeric. If fresh is unavailable, just add extra ground. Cooking these aromatics is the longest step of this recipe as you need them to be browning and super fragrant. Do not rush!
Next I add the chickpeas without draining. Make sure to use organic chickpeas which taste better since they have only chickpeas and salt. In this Easy Saag Chole, the chickpeas are the "meat" of the recipe. They fill you up with fiber and protein. I love chickpeas because of their neutral flavor profile and their texture. If chickpeas are not your favorite, you can substitute a softer bean like white beans in this recipe with a delicious result.
The tender baby greens are imperative to produce the silky texture of this Easy Saag Chole. If a power greens mix is unavailable, spinach works well. Chop the greens small in order to produce a smooth and creamy texture when combined with the plant milk and yogurt. Since this dish is so smooth serve it with some rice for extra bulk.
Easy Saag Chole
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp Fresh ginger minced
- 1 tsp fresh turmeric minced
- ½ yellow onion small dice
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 15 oz organic chickpeas
- 4 cups power greens or spinach chopped fine
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp plain plant based yogurt
- Salt to taste
- Pinch Crushed red pepper
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Start by heating your wok or saucepan on medium heat with the oil, then add garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric (if unavailable and add extra 1 tsp dry when adding dry spices)and yellow onion and cook stirring often until browned and super fragrant about 10 minutes
- Add chickpeas and greens and cook 2 mins until all greens have wilted
- Add plant milk and tomato paste and bring to a boil
- Add turmeric powder, garam masala, ground cumin, crushed red pepper, salt and ground black pepper.
- Let simmer 5 mins and stir well to incorporate all spices.
- 6.Turn off heat and add plain plant yogurt and stir well for extra creaminess
Leslie
I liked this a lot! It’s going into the rotation at my house. It came out just like the photo! I think it was missing a little bit of brightness/acid - so will increase the tomato paste closer to 2 tbsp next time. Or maybe throw in some tomatoes? Thanks for the great recipe.
Sara Tercero
Hi Leslie so glad you liked it! Thanks for the feedback.