Chana Saag Recipe

What is Chana Saag? 

Chana means chickpeas. You’ll find many chickpeas recipes e.g. instant pot chana masala, chole, chana chaat, chickpea tikka masala, chana aloo, etc.  Saag is a generic term for leafy greens. So the saag can be made from any combination of leafy greens. Today I am using spinach and fenugreek leaves here to make a delicious chana saag recipe. Other saag recipes on the site are saag paneer and sarson ka saag. In this chana saag recipe, typical punjabi onion-tomato gravy is made along with a few basic spices. Once the gravy is made, boiled chickpeas and greens are simmered into the gravy. 

This chana saag makes a filling, comforting meal when served with a bowl of basmati rice or with any Indian bread like paratha, naan, or roti.  Leftovers make next-day lunch. Make a double batch and it will be such a timesaver!

🧾 Ingredient Notes

Here is the pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make healthy, fiber and protien-rich chana saag recipe. 

Chickpeas (White kabuli chana): I prefer to soak my dry chickpeas and boil them at home instead of buying a can of chickpeas. Try my instant pot chickpeas method, it’s cost-effective and you can prep in bulk.  Onion: When it comes to Indian cooking, I prefer to use red onion. Tomato: I recommend using roma or plum tomatoes and pureeing them in the blender until smooth.  Ginger Garlic paste: You can use store-bought paste and freshly crush them together. Spinach & fenugreek leaves: I have used baby spinach and fresh methi leaves. You can try it with other leafy greens like collard greens, mustard greens, swiss chard, etc. Cooktime should be adjusted if making with other greens that take longer time to cook compared to spinach. 

👩‍🍳 How To Make Chana Saag? (Stepwise Photos)

1. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit. 
2. Add chopped onion, ginger garlic paste and green chili.
3. Mix well and sprinkle some salt to speed up the cooking process.
4. Cook until the onion turns light brown in color.
5. Add and mix tomato puree and let it cook. In beginning, it may splutter a lot. So you can partially cover the pan.
6. Do stir in between to make sure that it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook until most of the moisture evaporates and a slight oil is oozing out from the sides.
7. Add remaining salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder.
8. Mix and cook for a minute.
9. Add boiled chickpeas, chopped fenugreek leaves and water.
10. Mix and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
11. Add chopped spinach.
12. Mix and let it simmer for again 5 minutes.
13. Add garam masala and lemon juice.
14. Mix and it is ready to serve.

💭 Expert Tips

Do not overcook the spinach. Once the spinach is added, do not cover and cook. Simmer it only for 5 minutes to keep the vibrant green color or the spinach intact.  How to reduce the bitterness of fenugreek leaves? Keep the washed methi leaves in a colander and sprinkle a pinch of salt and massage the leaves lightly. Keep it aside for 10 minutes. During this resting time, salt will release moisture from the leaves. Squeeze out the liquid from the leaves and then chop and use it in the chana saag recipe. Personally, I skip this step as here in the USA I don’t find the methi leaves that bitter in taste. And secondly, at home, we prefer the slightly bitter flavor of methi in our dish. You can use frozen methi and spinach instead of fresh. If so reduce the amount as frozen ones are compacted compared to fresh leaves. 

🥣 Storage Instructions

Chana saag tastes even better the next day as the spices have time to mingle and develop intense flavor. So always make a double or triple batch and store leftovers. In the refrigerator, it stays good for 2-3 days in an airtight container. In the freezer, it stays good for up to 3 months in a freeze-safe container. I recommend freezing in small portions and defrost as needed. 

🍽 Serving Ideas For Chana Saag

Meal idea 1: Serve chana saag with plain rice or jeera rice. Have kachumber salad or Indian onion salad and a glass of chaas on the side to make a complete meal. Meal idea 2: Enjoy chana saag with any Indian bread like paratha, roti with a side of pickle or Indian onion salad (aka pyaaz laccha). You can have it with garlic naan too but naan is not an everyday kind of bread. It is eaten on a special occasion or once in a while only. 

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.

Aloo methi Aloo palak Chana palak Methi matar malai Palak paneer Methi malai paneer