Description
Sag Aloo is a classic Indian vegetarian dish featuring tender potatoes cooked with aromatic spices and spinach, offering a flavorful and nutritious meal that is easy to prepare on the stovetop.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger
- 500g potatoes, cut into 2cm (¾in) chunks
- 1 large red chilli, halved, deseeded and finely sliced
- 250g spinach leaves
Spices & Oil
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Heat Oil and Sauté Aromatics: Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion, sliced garlic, and chopped ginger. Fry these ingredients for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently until softened and fragrant.
- Add Potatoes, Chilli, and Spices: Stir in the 500g of potato chunks, the halved, deseeded, and sliced red chilli, and the spices—black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric—along with half a teaspoon of salt. Cook and stir the mixture continuously for another 5 minutes to coat the potatoes in the spices and begin the cooking process.
- Simmer Covered: Pour in a splash of water to prevent sticking, then cover the pan with a lid. Allow the potatoes to cook for 8 to 10 minutes on a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and can be easily pierced with a knife.
- Add Spinach and Wilt: Once the potatoes are cooked, add the 250g of spinach leaves to the pan. Stir them in and cook just until the spinach wilts and integrates with the potato mixture. Remove the pan from heat immediately to preserve the spinach’s vibrant color and nutritional value.
- Serve: Transfer the Sag Aloo to serving dishes and enjoy as a flavorful side or main vegetarian meal. Optionally, add a can of chickpeas during step 3 for a hearty and protein-rich version.
Notes
- Adding canned chickpeas during cooking makes this a more substantial vegetarian main dish suitable for two people.
- Adjust spice levels according to your heat preference by varying the amount of red chilli or leaving seeds in for extra heat.
- Use fresh spinach for best texture and flavor; frozen spinach is not recommended as it can become watery.
- Serve Sag Aloo with basmati rice or warm naan bread for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Sag Aloo, Indian spinach and potato curry, vegetarian Indian recipe, easy Indian side dish, spinach potato curry, Indian comfort food
