This restaurant style Saag Aloo, or potato spinach curry, is made to an authentic recipe and is commonly found on British Indian Restaurant menus as a classic vegetable side dish.
It was such a treat when my parents said we would be getting to eat an Indian takeaway! I always had the same order – cauliflower bhaji, sometimes aloo gobi, chana masala and saag aloo!
Everyone makes saag aloo their own way but since I was little, I have always been partial to the restaurant-style, and in particular, saag aloo made by our local Indian takeaway.
This version of saag aloo tastes just like the one found in takeaways and restaurants.
Ingredients Notes
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Spinach – Saag means spinach, use fresh spinach or baby spinach. I do not recommend using frozen here.
Potato – I prefer to use basic all rounder potatoes rather than waxy as waxy are firmer and not the correct texture for saag aloo.
Aromatics - Onion, garlic cloves, ginger and green chilies – all ground to a paste to form the base for the curry.
Crushed tinned tomatoes and fresh tomato – crushed tinned tomatoes are cooked with the onion paste and the fresh tomato is cut and added near to the end of the cooking process.
Panch Poran, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and green cardamom – Panch poran adds restaurant style flavours - it is a pre-prepared spice mix made with five different whole spices. The whole spices add extra depth of flavour.
Blend of spices – red chili powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin & ground coriander powder, garam masala and dried fenugreek leaves
Lemon juice and sugar
Serving Suggestions
For the authentic Indian restaurant experience, serve alongside other vegetarian dishes such as bhindi bhaji or brinjal bhaji.
Saag aloo pairs well with tarka dal and Indian cumin rice or pilau rice.
Flatbreads such as garlic coriander naan, chapati or paratha are great to scoop the curry with.
Add sundries like poppadoms and Indian onion salad.
Storage
Store saag aloo in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe as the potatoes will loose texture upon defrosting.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Restaurant Style Saag Aloo
Equipment
- pan
Ingredients
- 500 grams fresh spinach
- 300 grams potatoes
- 5 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon panch phoran
- 1 tablespoon whole spices green cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic puree combined
- 1 teaspoon green chilli crushed
- 1 tablespoon kasoori methi dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon kashmiri red chilli powder
- 5 tablespoon tinned tomatoes* crushed
- 2 fresh tomato roughly chopped into big chunks
- 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- In a large pot add water, salt, and little turmeric powder.
- Add potatoes and cook it till 70% done.
- Remove it and let it cool a little, peel the skin and leave it aside.
- Discard the water, rinse the pan and add more water to it.
- Add a pinch of sugar and bring it to boil, add spinach.
- Blanch the spinach for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the spinach and add it to the ice-cold water.
- Squeeze out all the water and roughly chop the spinach, set it aside for later.
- In a saute pan, heat oil on medium heat.
- Add whole spices and panch phoran.
- Once they crackle add chopped onion.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chilli and cook until mixture turns light pink.
- Now add kasoori methi, and ground masala (turmeric, red chilli powder and garam masala) along with salt.
- If masala sticks to the pan, add a couple of table spoon water.
- Add crushed tomatoes and cook the masala further.
- Turn the heat to high and keep stirring the mixture, until you see oil separating the pan.
- Add squeezed spinach and parboiled potatoes, mix everything but make sure not to break the potatoes.
- Sprinkle some water and let the curry cook.
- Turn the heat to medium and add fresh tomatoes.
- Let the curry cook for another 3-4 minutes, add lemon juice and mix well.
- Sprinkle some water to prevent sticking the curry to the pan.
- Cook another 4-5 minutes on high heat.
- Add sugar, mix and turn off the heat.
- Serve hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Share on Facebook Pin This RecipeNote – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content. First published in August 2019.
Priya Srinivasan - I Camp in My Kitchen says
The flavor of panch phoran is so unique in a dish! this saag aloo looks fab! the first click wants me to grab the dish straight from the pic, lovely styling jagruti!!! Thsoe copper bowls look gorgeous!!!
Sasmita says
Great !!! with so minimal ingredients, the dish comes out so tempting 🙂 The addition of panch phoron must be adding an awesome flavor to the whole dish ..
Anshu says
The dish looks really delicious. Loved the way you have used chopped spinach in the recipe because, many a times I have seen people pureeing it, which takes away all the texture.
Narmadha says
So flavorful and healthy saag aloo. I always love your photography skills and props. Can't take my eyes off the pics
jayashree says
I love saag aloo and the addition of panch phoran must have given nice flavours. It pairs well with hot phulkas.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
That is such a tempting subzi! Made with such basic ingredients, but so flavorful. Love each and every picture of yours! It makes the recipe even more flavorful. I love the flavor of panch phoran and use it often. I will make saag aloo with panch phoran soon.
Ruchi's Veg Kitchen says
Saag Aloo looks so tempting . Panch Poran must give unique and great flavour to the curry. Must be amazing with roti , paratha. Beautiful clicks
Indfused says
This Saag aloo looks so delicious. I have not had it with panch phoran. Will try it soon! Yum!
Geetha says
Saag aloo is a go to side dish whenever we go to restaurant. Panch poran in saag aloo sounds like it adds a unique and amazing flavour to the dish. Definitely a must try Recipe.
Jayasri says
Saag aloo is our family favourite! Especially aloo is the favourite part for my kids in this! Drooling over your pics...
Motions and Emotions says
I know the ingredients are too simple but together they create magic...this can be paired either with roti or rice
Lata Lala says
Saag aloo is my favourite. Your clicks are so inviting, I felt like grabbing it from screen. The tempering of paanch foran is adding awesome flavours to this.
Lata
jcookingodyssey says
Thanks Lata, yes panch phoran makes a lot of difference to this dish.
Rafeeda AR says
Love this simple saag aloo, would be delicious to mop up with some parathas. My parents are also very similar, they like to order dishes that they are comfortable with... 🙂
jcookingodyssey says
Thanks Rafeeda 🙂