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Saag Butter Beans
Saag butter beans — creamy spinach curry with melt-in-your-mouth beans and lots of amazing Indian spices — is a hearty, veggie-forward main dish that’s just got an incredible flavor and texture! What makes it really special is the crispy garlic chili oil tempering that you drizzle on top. Serve with rice, naan, flatbread, or sourdough for an easy, flavorful meal.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 154 kcal
Course:
Main Course , Dinner
Cuisine:
Indian
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 1" cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder or use paprika
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste or use 4 cloves of garlic and 1/2 inch of ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup or use 3 tablespoons tomato puree.
- 7 to 8 ounces frozen spinach or finely chopped fresh greens of choice, such as a mix of mustard greens, amaranth greens, chard, and spinach *
- 1/4 cup Non-Dairy yogurt or use non-dairy cream, such as cashew cream or vegan sour cream
- 1 cup water or non-dairy milk
- 15 ounce can butter beans or use other white beans, such as cannellini beans, or use chickpeas
- pepper flakes and vegan parmesan for garnish
For the Garlic Chili Oil Tadka
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 Whole Red Chili broken in half, use hot chilies such as cayenne or Indian or mild such as California red or Kashmiri chili
- 1 clove garlic thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook until they're very fragrant and change color to be evenly dark brown. This can take anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. Then, add in the bay leaves and cinnamon stick and mix in for 10 seconds or so, then mix in the ground spices. If the spices are starting to smoke, reduce the heat to medium low. Mix for just a few seconds, and mix in the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
- Increase the heat to medium again, and continue to cook, adding splashes of water as needed, until the onion is starting to turn brown and has picked up the spices. This will take anywhere from 6 to 8 minutes. Once the onion is nicely roasted, mix in the ginger garlic paste, tomato paste, and a splash of water. Add the remaining salt, and mix in and cook for a minute, then stir in the non-dry yogurt, spinach and water and mix. then add in the beans. Mix well, then cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the salt, flavor, and texture. If the saag is too thick, you can add some more non-dairy milk at this point. Or, if you want it thicker, then continue to cook, uncovered, for a minute or two. Garnish with some pepper flakes and vegan parmesan, and make the tempering/tadka .
Cup of Yum
Make the garlic chili oil tadka.
- Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, break the red chili in half and add to the oil and let it cook until it starts to change color. Add the garlic, mix in, and switch off the heat. There will be enough residual heat in the oil to cook the garlic slices, if the garlic slices were pretty thin. If they’re thicker and not cooking down, continue to cook over medium-low heat for a minute or two before switching off the heat.
- Once the garlic is starting to turn golden on some of the edges, stir really well and drop this onto the saag beans. Served these beans with naan, flatbread, or roti or served over rice. You can also serve spooned onto sourdough for an elevated beans on toast.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- - Adding in a splash of water while cooking the onions will keep the spices from burning and help the onions cook evenly.
- This recipe is gluten free. It’s also nut-free and soy-free as long as you use nut-free and/or soy-free non-dairy yogurt, vegan parmesan, and non-dairy milk.
- * For mustard greens. See my Saag Cornbread Casserole for how to prep and chop the greens.
Nutrition Information
Calories
154kcal
(8%)
Carbohydrates
25g
(8%)
Protein
8g
(16%)
Fat
3g
(5%)
Saturated Fat
0.3g
(2%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
1g
Trans Fat
0.01g
Sodium
729mg
(30%)
Potassium
525mg
(15%)
Fiber
8g
(32%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Vitamin A
5966IU
(119%)
Vitamin C
9mg
(10%)
Calcium
133mg
(13%)
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 154
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 154kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 3g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.3g | 2% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Sodium | 729mg | 30% |
| Potassium | 525mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 8g | 32% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 5966IU | 119% |
| Vitamin C | 9mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 133mg | 13% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.