One of my favorite dishes to order at Indian restaurants is Saag Aloo, or spiced potatoes and spinach. I’m grossly simplifying the taste when I say it is just spices, potatoes, and spinach, but it really is as simple as cooking potatoes and spinach in a mixture of warm, Indian spices. Even though Indian cooking features a high percentage of vegetarian dishes, Saag Aloo is one of the safety dishes I look for when I cannot find anything on the menu without meat, without paneer (cheese), or with a name that I recognize. Typically, the spices in this dish include turmeric, chili, ginger, and black mustard seeds. And just as typically, I didn’t have all of those ingredients…so I improvised!

Today was such a gloomy Monday full of rain showers and damp cold temperatures (even though it’s practically May already!!), so this warm, comforting dish for dinner seemed so appropriate. Plus, I had some sprouting potatoes in desperate need of cooking. I felt the need to add some protein to the dish by way of chickpeas after a carb-heavy lunch and breakfast. While chickpeas aren’t usually included in Saag Aloo, we decided that it was a nice addition and made the meal feel more filling.

Instructions
Firstly, I peeled and chopped two potatoes and covered them with room temperature water in a medium pot. I brought the water to a boil and let the potatoes cook for another 4-5minutes or until they were just about fork tender, and then drained them. Meanwhile, I chopped up one yellow onion, peeled and grated a two inch piece of fresh ginger, and chopped one clove of garlic. I cooked the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil until softened and added the ginger, some chili powder, some curry powder, and some cumin and quickly stirred together until fragrant. Then I added the boiled potatoes, the chickpeas, and a splash of tomato sauce (from a half-used jar in the fridge). I stirred and cooked for about 3-4 minutes until the spices were fully distributed and the flavors melded. Then I turned the heat down to low, folded in two big handfuls of spinach, and covered with a lid to wilt the leaves. Meanwhile, I prepared a packet of quick cook couscous, and once the spinach was wilted, I served the saag aloo mixture over a bed of couscous. It was delicious!

Ingredients
2 potatoes
1 yellow onion
1 clove garlic
1 can chickpeas
2 inch piece fresh ginger
2 handfuls baby spinach
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 box quick cook couscous

Serves 2