Saag and Homemade Garam Masala

Over vacation we made Chicken Saag for our families using this recipe from Allrecipes.com. When I made it for my family we experimented by making it without the chicken and added a few other adaptations to the recipe. The end result was quite tasty and my 18 month old daughter had 4 helpings.

This recipe is quite small and will only serve about 2 or 3 modest servings. With the recipe doubled we fed about 5 adults and 1 child.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of spinach (8 oz)
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 cloves of garlic
• 1/8 tsp ginger powder
• 3/4 can of a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (if you are really into the tomatoes just put the whole can in)
  
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
• less than 1/8 tsp ground cardmom
• 1 whole clove
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tb rice milk (or regular milk, or soy milk, you could probably even just add water)
• 1/4 tsp garam masala****
  
• 1 1/2 Tb plain yogurt

Directions:

1. Put the spinach into a large pot with 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and remove from heat. Set aside for 10 minutes (so spinach can steam). Put steamed spinach in a blender and puree. Set aside.
2. Put onions, garlic, and ginger into a large skillet or soup pot with a little olive oil (no more than 1 Tb), fry over medium heat until onions are browning.
3. Add tomatoes, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, turmeric, cardamom, clove, and salt. Add a tiny bit of water if mixture is looking too dry.
4. Add the pureed spinach and garam masala. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add yogurt, then serve with rice or naan bread.

****If you can't find garam masala at the store, you can make your own using this recipe from Allrecipes.com.