Lean, Green, Indian Machine

I have a ton of recipes I need to catch up on. Too much cooking plus too little posting equals food picture overload on my camera. Thanksgiving dishes ended exceptionally well. I was in charge of the turkey this year (first time ever!) and I decided to brine it. Let me tell you, best idea ever. You will get the most juicy and moist turkey you could ever imagine. More on that later. I also made a pumpkin cheesecake and a pumpkin spice bundt, both turned out spectacular.

But now onto something completely not Thanksgiving related--Saag. I love Indian food. It has to be in my top 5 favorite ethnic food groups (Japanese and Chinese at the top for obvious reasons). The food is always so flavorful with so many complex spices. I usually never attempt these dishes in my own home mainly because I don't have an extensive Indian spice cabinet, so I know I could never do the dishes justice.

My all-time favorite dish is lamb saag. I think it's a mix of the creamy spinach and the gamey lamb that make an absolute perfect flavor combination, not to mention the dish is a beautiful, vibrant green. Saag is one of those dishes I could probably eat everyday for the rest of my life (along with tempura udon, my grandmother's chow mein, and a few other select dishes). It really does warm you up right to the core. Moreover, this is packed with those dark green leafy veggie (cruciferous veg) nutrients and the power packed super spice turmeric. Serve with some hot basmati rice and crispy garlic naan, and you're set.

This is my version of saag. I must admit it still does not live up to what you'd get at some of the good Indian places in town, but it's not terrible for an Asian girl cooking in a tiny kitchen. I used a mix of mustard greens and spinach, though you could make the dish completely out of just one. I like to use lamb, because let's face it, lamb is bomb-dot-com, but you could use any kind of meat or paneer that your heart desires. This dish doesn't require many oddball/hard-to-find spices, which makes it very simple for the everyday cook. Though I'm sure if you were able to track down some authentic Indian spices, it would make this dish even better. I ended up adding a couple teaspoons of Penzey's Spices Sate Seasoning which is a blend of coarse flake salt, brown sugar, garlic, white onion, coriander, purple shallots, ginger, turmeric, sweet paprika, Ancho pepper, galangal, cayenne red pepper, and lemon grass. I thought this mix added a nice touch to the flavor, but it's definitely not necessary. Really all you need is some cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and ginger and it will taste just perfect. I'm not completely sure on the measurements of all of the spices, just add to taste and how you enjoy it.

Lamb Saag

• 1-2 bunches mustard greens
• 1 package frozen chopped spinach
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter or ghee
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small can diced green chiles
• Cumin
• Turmeric
• Cayenne pepper
• Ground ginger
• Salt and pepper
• 2-3 Tbsp heavy cream 
• 1 lb. lamb, cubed

Wash the mustard greens and place in a pot of boiling water. Add the frozen spinach and boil for a few minutes, until the greens are soft and vibrant green. In the meantime, heat the olive oil and butter in a pan. Add the onions, garlic, and green chiles and saute until the onion are soft and translucent. Strain the greens and squeeze out most of the water. Add to the onion pan and stir to combine. Place contents of pan into food processor. Run until smooth. Add spices to taste and add cream to desired creaminess. In a separate pan, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil and add cubed lamb. Cook until done and then mix with the greens mixture. Serve with basmati rice and naan.