Saag Aloo (Spinach & Potato Curry)
By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: May 7, 2021
Saag aloo is a simple and satisfying Indian recipe that brings together spinach and potatoes in a creamy, mildly spiced vegetarian dish. It’s light yet layered with earthy and fragrant flavours. That balance is why I cook it so regularly, and its gentle heat makes it a great option for children or anyone who prefers milder food.
In my humble opinion, no other country offers such a diverse and exciting array of vegetable dishes as India. With many Indians identifying as vegetarian, there is a vast choice of delicious meat-free food on offer. One of my favourites has always been saag aloo, a dreamy combination of lightly-spiced spinach and tender potatoes.
During a month-long exploration of India in 2009, I ate this dish almost daily in Bengal, alongside rice and luchi—an addictive fried bread. It is such a simple and satisfying combination that I would often eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner without missing meat in the slightest.
Since then, I’ve been making my own version at home. Saag aloo is eaten in various forms across India, but my recipe leans towards the Bengali flavours I enjoyed so much. Panch phoron, an iconic spice blend from the region, gives the dish its distinctive fragrance and flavour.
You’ll find this dish in my ever-growing Indian recipe collection, as well as in the more deeply curated selection in my Regional Indian hub.
What's Ahead?
What is Saag Aloo?
Most people assume saag means spinach, but in fact the word saag simply refers to leafy greens. These greens can come in many forms from collard greens, kale, mustard greens, fenugreek leaves (methi) amongst others. In this saag aloo recipe, we use the most common of greens, spinach. In Hindi, spinach is called 'Palak', so if you see the dish 'Palak Aloo', you'll know it's a similar dish.
Next up, 'Aloo', which is less ambiguous and simply means 'potato'. When we combine the creamy, soft potatoes with the earthy iron-rich spinach we reach dizzying heights of flavour and texture.
Why My Recipe?
- It's my version of an Indian classic - I've picked out the parts of the original version of saag aloo that I loved the most and made sure they feature in my recipe. In particular the fragrant panch phoron spices.
- It's vegetarian and easy to make vegan - adding cream at the end is completely optional if you wanted to make this dish vegan. You could also substitute dairy cream with coconut cream too.
- It's a meal in itself - I will often have this with a bread like naan or chapati or if I am feeling super-organised create my own luchi, fried breads. You won't miss the meat, trust me.
- It's a great side dish too - if I have a larger feast for family or friends, then this is an excellent offering.
- Thali delight - whenever I have a stockpile of leftover curries in the freezer, I'll make up a batch of fresh saag aloo and pair it with a few other curries for a plated thali meal (either a segmented TV dinner tray or small bowls on a large tray).
INGREDIENTS you'll need
There are a few ingredients that meld together into the effortlessly delicious sauce. Nothing too taxing — take a look at the key flavours.
- Potatoes – they make up the bulk of the dish and they’re the element that will fill you up. I've found slightly waxy potatoes are best. I particularly like a small salad potato too, which I'll either half or leave whole depending on its size.
- Spices (whole and ground): for the mild and fragrant notes I use turmeric, panch phoron (Bengali five-spice), dried chillies, mild chilli powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, methi kasoori (dried fenugreek leaves)
- Fresh – onion, garlic, ginger, spinach (frozen or fresh) and tomato.
- Cream – This optional ingredient adds a little luxury to the final texture. You can leave it out or substitute with coconut milk if you want to make the recipe vegan.
- Mustard oil – brings a mellow spice to proceedings, and also leans towards the Bengali version I love so much. You can use any oil you like, such as vegetable, sunflower or coconut oil.
Step by Step
This is a saag aloo recipe to make at home. A few easy steps to flavour greatness. Let's break those steps down a little - and be sure to get the full recipe below.
- Preparing the potatoes. I like to par-cook mine for a better texture. I cover them in water, and sprinkle in some turmeric (for colour) and salt and boil them for 12 minutes until almost cooked. I then fry them in a little mustard oil. This helps seal them, making them a little more robust in the sauce.
- Frying onion in whole spices. Whole spices are added to hot oil to bloom and flavour the oil before frying onion, adding depth to the final dish.
- Adding more spice. This is not a spicy dish, it has a warm, full flavour without chilli-heat taking over. You can use a hot or mild chilli powder to dial up the heat to your taste. I use Kashmiri chilli powder as it's typically very mild. I'll often use paprika instead - in addition, cumin, coriander and garam masala are added to the mix. Finally, a little tomato goes in to help bind, add colour and give a little sweetness.
- An injection of saag greenery. Lastly, I'll return the potatoes to the pan, along with the spinach. I mostly use chopped frozen spinach leaves for convenience but you can also use fresh leaves too - add around 250-300g of baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped. (Wilt them in a separate pan, then squeeze out any excess water - this will help avoid a watery saag aloo).
- 10 minutes cooking and we're good to go - be sure to check your potatoes for doneness and reduce the sauce enough so that it's thick and creamy and clings to the potatoes. At this stage, I often drizzle over a little cream, if you're vegan use coconut cream - it adds a luxurious note to the finish and helps with the texture. I'll also sprinkle over a MAGICAL ingredient - Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek leaves) which adds the most amazing fragrant finish to the flavour.
Pro Tips to make your life easier
- You can buy pre-mixed panch phoron at all Indian supermarkets (also known as Bengali or Indian five-spice).
- You can prepare this dish in advance and warm in a pan just before eating (add a little water if it’s dried out.)
- If you don’t have fresh spinach, try using another leafy green like kale, chard, collard greens, mustard leaves, turnip leaves or fresh fenugreek leaves - they’re all under the same umbrella of ‘Saag’.
Serving and storing suggestions
- Refrigerating – Keep saag aloo fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freezing – I would say saag aloo isn’t a great contender for freezing. Potatoes tend to get very mushy when reheated (unless they’re firm and waxy). I’d say on this occasion, fresh is best, so don’t freeze.
- I like to serve my saag aloo with rice or Indian breads like luchi, roti, chapati, paratha or Naan. It’s also great as the filling for a masala dosa or with puffed Indian Poori (puri).
- Saag aloo is great on its own or alongside other curries both veg or non-veg. See below for some suggestions.
Ready to get cooking?
So, as you’ll discover, Saag Aloo is one of the tastiest vegetarian Indian offerings. Full of flavour and wonderful to serve on its own or as part of a larger feast. Who knew that the humble potato could be lifted into such culinary territories? India, of course!
Any Questions? (FAQ)
Have a question about this Saag Aloo recipe? Let me know in the comments.
What is the difference between saag aloo and palak aloo?
Saag refers broadly to cooked leafy greens, while palak specifically means spinach. Palak aloo is therefore always made with spinach and potatoes, whereas saag aloo can also be prepared with greens such as mustard leaves, fenugreek, kale or chard. My recipe uses spinach, so it could accurately be described as either saag aloo or palak aloo.
How do you make saag aloo?
I par-cook the potatoes first, then fry them briefly in mustard oil so they hold their shape in the finished curry. Panch phoron is bloomed in the oil before onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and ground spices are added. The potatoes and spinach are then simmered together until the sauce is thick and clings to the potatoes.
Can I use frozen spinach for saag aloo?
Yes. I regularly use frozen chopped spinach because it's convenient and works particularly well in curries. Thaw it first and squeeze out excess moisture before adding it to the pan. This prevents the finished saag aloo becoming watery.
Can I make saag aloo with fresh spinach?
Absolutely. For this recipe I use around 250–300g of fresh baby spinach as an alternative to frozen. Wilt it briefly, allow it to cool, then squeeze out excess water and roughly chop it before adding it to the curry.
What are the best potatoes for saag aloo?
I prefer slightly waxy potatoes because they become tender while retaining their shape during simmering. Small salad potatoes also work particularly well and can be halved or left whole depending on their size. Very floury potatoes are more likely to break apart in the sauce.
What is panch phoron and why do you use it in saag aloo?
Panch phoron is a Bengali five-spice blend traditionally made from whole seeds including cumin, fennel, fenugreek, nigella and mustard. I use it because my saag aloo is inspired by versions I ate in Bengal, and blooming the spices in mustard oil gives the finished dish a wonderfully fragrant character.
More recipes
If you liked this recipe for saag aloo, then why not try some of my other delicious Indian recipes.
Ingredients
- 1.1 lb potatoes (500g) Peeled and cut into large chunks (about 2-inches/5cm)
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt (for boiling potatoes)
- 3 tbsp mustard oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 tsp panch phoron spice mix
- 2 dried chillies
- 1 onion (small, finely diced) (about 1 cup of onion)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp chilli powder (or paprika)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ cup crushed tomato (canned)
- 1 tsp methi kasoori
- 2 cups frozen chopped spinach
- ¼ cup fresh cream (optional)
- salt (for seasoning)
Instructions
- Peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks (about 2"/5cm) and put them into a saucepan. Sprinkle over the turmeric and salt then cover with water by about 5cm/2"Bring to a boil and then cook for 12 minutesUsing a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes to a bowl and set aside the liquid.
- Let the potatoes steam dry for a minute or two.Heat the oil in a deep non-stick frying/sauteé pan over a medium heat. When hot tip in the potatoes and let them fry for about 5 minutes, turning once or twice. This will help form a skin on them to avoid falling apart later.Remove the potatoes then add the panch phoron spice mix to the oil. Let these sizzle for 30 seconds before adding the onion.
- Cook the onion gently, reducing the heat a little, for about 5 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Now add the chilli powder, cumin, coriander and garam masala along with the tomato. Stir well to combine everything.
- Return the potatoes to the pan and then add the spinach. Carefully stir to combine everything. Pour in about 2½ cups of the potato cooking liquid.Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently (covered) for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for 5-8 more minutes until the sauce is reduced and the potatoes fully cooked.
- Remove from the heat and check for salt levels and adjust if you need to. If using, drizzle over the fresh cream, stir in and serve.
Notes
- Substitute the spinach for any dark leafy green like kale, chard, collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens or fresh fenugreek leaves.
- Serve hot with rice or Indian breads like roti, chapati, naan, paratha or puffed up poori breads. Saag aloo is also great as the filling to a dosa.
- Fridge: Saag aloo will stay fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days in a sealed container.
- Freezer: Not a great contender for freezing, as the potatoes become a little mushy when reheated. Fresh is best on this occasion!
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