Coconut Saag

By Priya Krishna

Updated March 27, 2024

  • A black bowl holds bright green coconut saag and steamed rice with a black fork and a small glass of beer nearby.
    Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(3,351)
Comments
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Saag paneer is a classic North Indian dish — but it’s also endlessly riffable. Swap out the paneer for feta or halloumi, the mustard greens for kale or spinach, and so on. This is a particularly stellar riff, in which coconut milk enriches an already aromatic and verdant sauce that can be paired with either the traditional paneer, or extra-firm tofu. The final hit of coconut oil infused with smoky cumin seeds and red chile powder adds loads of depth, making this dish quite possibly the most luxurious way to eat a pound of greens.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons coriander seeds

  • 3 green cardamom pods or ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (freshly ground is best)

  • 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped

  • 1 (½-inch) piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 pound mustard greens, tough ends trimmed and greens roughly chopped, or fresh baby spinach (10 to 12 cups)

  • ½ lime, juiced

  • 1 small Indian green chile, serrano chile or Thai bird’s-eye chile, roughly chopped

  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (such as Morton)

  • 1 (13-ounce) can coconut milk

  • 1 (12-ounce) block extra-firm tofu or 1 (8-ounce) package paneer, cut into ½-inch cubes

  • 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil

  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds

  • ¼ teaspoon asafetida (optional, but really fantastic)

  • ¼ teaspoon red chile powder, such as cayenne or Kashmiri

  • Rice or roti, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

36 grams carbs; 60 milligrams cholesterol; 732 calories; 15 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams saturated fat; 57 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 6 grams fiber; 862 milligrams sodium; 25 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large, deep pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the vegetable oil. Once it shimmers, add the coriander and cardamom and toast the spices until fragrant and starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.

  2. Step 2

    Add the mustard greens, a large handful at a time, and cook until just wilted and still bright green. Don’t overcook the greens!

  3. Step 3

    Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lime juice, chile and salt. Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend into a chunky paste. Return the mixture to the same pan over low heat. Stir in the coconut milk, then gently stir in tofu. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes more, until the tofu is warmed through and has soaked up some of the sauce.

  4. Step 4

    While the tofu cooks, in a small pan or butter warmer over medium-high heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the cumin seeds, and once they start to brown and dance around in the pan, about 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the asafetida, if using, and red chile powder.

  5. Step 5

    Pour the coconut oil mixture over the saag, and serve with rice or roti.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
3,351 user ratings
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Comments

Chelsea

This is the first nyt recipe I've ever commented on, I'm that taken aback by how good this turned out. After reading other's comments, I dry toasted the coriander seeds and cardamom seeds and then ground them in a spice grinder, before cooking them with the onions in the oil. I also added a hint of chili powder and turmeric to the onions. If using store bought paneer, I'd recommend soaking the cut pieces in warm water while cooking the rest of the recipe - makes it much softer!

Chuffed57

I plan to make this with mature spinach, maybe even frozen, as I find cooked baby spinach has less flavor - it is great raw in salads etc. but not as lush as the older versions when cooked. Age is sometimes a good thing. ;0)

ChefLoki

I make this all the time as a riff on Hawaiian squid / chicken lu’au. You’re better off using a few boxes of frozen spinach and squeezing all the water out with a cloth or paper towel and giving it a coarse chop. If you use fresh spinach you’ll need a boatload and will be waiting forever for all that liquid to reduce.

sam

needed more salt and double amount of spices, also would cut the tofu in smaller cubes

Ellen

This turned out great! I didn't deviate from the recipe at all.

Cat mom

Very weird tasting dish.

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