This Indian dish made with a variety of greens is one of the easiest curries to make. Cook the veggies and blend until creamy then serve with rice or chapati. It’s that easy.

About the recipe

Hitesh’s big birthday was back in end of February, and he didn’t want any celebration of any kind for this milestone birthday. Which meant that I had to celebrate it 😀 We had a surprise party for him and as a few of you may know, pulling off a surprise party is tough. But somehow we managed it with the help of our dear friends Swati and Tarak who hosted the birthday celebration at their home.

To make this party a very personal and heartfelt celebration for Hitesh, I asked all our friends (the ladies in the bunch) to bring their favorite dish that they knew he liked.

This was the perfect birthday celebration for a guy like Hitesh – who loves good food and great company.

What we ended up with at this dinner was an amazing variety of food from all corners of India.  There was Indian food from Gujarat in western India, from Tamilnadu in southern India, from UP in northern India, from Mangalore from southwest India, and everything in between, and lets not forget cake from right here in U.S. of A.

These wonderful ladies took a lot of time and effort to make some of the most delectable Indian foods.

Saag Sabjee. Greens Curry

One of the dishes at the party was a curry made with greens and potatoes that our friend Pallavi brought for this special celebration.

Here is the email Pallavi sent me before the party:  

“Kalpana, I am actually planning to make an amazing Saag sabjee with Mustard greens, Arugula, Broccoli, Baby Turnip, Red Onions, Tomatoes, Ginger, Green Chilies and probably either potatoes or paneer for Hitesh’s Bday. It will also have Indian seasonings.  I have already done the prep work for this.   See you on Saturday.  Pallavi”

I ask you, when you see an email like this, doesn’t it get you curious? I couldn’t wait for Saturday to try this curry.  Pallavi’s Saag Sabjee was a hit, I heard others asking her for the recipe.

I told Pallavi I would love to post this recipe, that way everyone can make this super healthy scrumptious super greens curry, and she graciously shared it with me.

Saag Sabjee with Mustard greens, Arugula, Broccoli, Baby Turnip, Red Onions, Spinach, Tomatoes, Ginger, Green Chilies and Potatoes
Recipe courtesy of Pallavi
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 2 large bunches of spinach – about 4-6 cups chopped
• 2 cups mustard greens chopped
• 2 cups arugula
• 4 cups chopped broccoli or 2 bunches
• 1 bunch baby turnips – about 4-6 turnips chopped
• 4 large potatoes boiled until tender. Peeled, cut and set aside.
• 2 large red onions chopped
• 4 tomatoes – chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 6 -8 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 green chili seeds removed if you don’t want the heat
• 1 tsp asafoetida powder
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Oil

Directions:

• In a large pot heat 2 tbsp oil.  Add cumin seeds and asafoetida powder and toast in oil for 2-3 seconds. Now add chopped garlic, ginger and onions and sauté until onions are cooked and translucent about 5-10 minutes.
• Add all the vegetables. This includes all the greens, tomatoes, broccoli, and baby turnips. Cook covered for 10-15 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.  You may have to add a cup or two of water to prevent the vegetables from burning.
• Once the vegetables are cooked turn the stove off.  Using a hand blender blend the vegetables into a puree or sauce like consistency. Place the pot back on the stove and continue cooking. Add all the spices – coriander powder, garam masala, and turmeric, and mix in. Add cooked potatoes and salt and mix into greens.
• Cook covered for additional 5 minutes for all the flavors to get incorporated into the potatoes.  Saag Sabjee is ready.  Serve hot with rice or chapati or tortillas.
• Cook’s Notes:  Pallavi said you could pretty much add any combination of greens you wish in this curry. If you like you can also use paneer instead of potatoes.

Let me end this recipe with a few more pics of this fun birthday dinner for Hitesh.

A very special thank you to all the ladies who took the time and effort to make this delectable feast for the celebration!