Indian Saag 2.0

I don’t know what it is about Indian people (dots not feathers), but they are so secretive. Close to 10 percent of my class are of Indian descent and I’ve asked every one of them to ask their mom for their family Saag recipe. I’m still waiting.

Until now I have been using a recipe that is a sad imitation of the creamy, smoky saag that I eat at Saffron or any Indian Buffet for that matter. My saag is too green. I’m sure you’re wondering what color has to do with taste. Well, this is purely speculation on my part, but I’m pretty sure, the reason my saag is so green is because I didn’t cook it long enough. Also, this may also account for why my saag is bitter instead of smoky and pasty, not creamy.

This past month I was fortunate enough to work with a doctor who is Bengali and not so tight lipped. I know I know Bangladesh is not India. But let me remind you that Bangladesh is surrounded by India on all but one of its borders. So, this is as close to authentic as I will get until I can convince an old Indian woman to lend me her secrets.

Lamb Saag
from Dr. Halder

• 20 oz frozen chopped spinach
• 1 med onion (yellow)
• 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and coarsely chopped)
• 1x1 inch piece of ginger (sliced)
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp tomato puree or tomato paste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp regular whipping cream

1. Defrost your chopped spinach and drain. I used a salad spinner.
2. Coarsely chop onion, garlic, ginger.
3. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and ginger to a blender.
4. Add the 2 tbsp of water and puree into a paste.
5. Next heat your oil into the pan under medium heat. Get it hot but don’t allow the oil to smoke because it will start to combust into flames sooner than later.
6. Add your cumin seeds. (Do not substitute powdered cumin for seeds because it will burn faster)
7. Allow the cumin seeds to cook until golden brown.
8. Once golden brown add the turmeric and spinach.
9. Stir for 5 minutes and then add the coriander, tomato puree/paste, and blended onion, garlic, ginger.
10. Cook for another 20 minutes still under medium heat. Stir continuously to avoid any burning.
11. Add the garam masala and regular whipping cream to the dish.
12. Salt and pepper to taste.
13. I also cooked chopped lamb shoulder separately and mixed it into the finished dish to give the dish more volume.
14. Enjoy!

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.

Sweet and Tart

BIG NEWS! We now have two doctors in the house (or at least doctors-to-be)!! It's been an amazing day with such exciting news. I'm so happy and so relieved. This weekend will be filled with celebrations--acceptances and birthdays. So happy!

Unfortunately, the new addition to the field of medicine is working a graveyard shift tonight, so I was on my own for dinner. I wrestled between various delivery places--pizza, Chinese, sandwiches... but I really wasn't in the mood for any of that. I rummaged through fridge and found some extra lamb, frozen asparagus, and a bottle of pomegranate juice. I actually managed to whip up a pretty gourmet meal with very limited ingredients. We have done this lamb recipe before for holidays and it is absolutely delicious. Normally we use a rolled leg of lamb and roast it, but I just had one lamb leg steak and grilled it on the George Foreman. It turned out just perfect, but be careful not to overcook the lamb. It can be tough because you can't watch it cook with the grill closed. But keep a close eye on it and it will turn out amazing. The pomegranate sauce is perfect with a bit of sweet and tangy tart. I omitted the lemon juice from the sauce because I didn't have any on hand, but it still tasted great. For the asparagus, I simply defrosted it and tossed it in some olive oil, pepper, and kosher salt. Throw them on the grill for about 3 minutes and you have an amazing side vegetable. This was so simple and the perfect amount for a single serving.

One more thing, I'm reading "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain. It's amazing. Go read it. 

Grilled Lamb with Pomegranate Glaze
adapted from Grilled Leg of Lamb with Pomegranate Molasses by Alton Brown

• 1 lamb leg steak
• 1 c. pomegranate juice
• 1/8 c. sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the George Foreman Grill for 5 minutes.

Place the pomegranate juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced, approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Once pomegranate sauce has cooled, pour some over the lamb. Place the lamb on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes. While it is cooking, brush with more sauce ever minute or so.

Once the lamb is cooked, remove from heat and brush more sauce on top before serving.