Garlic Mustard and Spinach Saag
It’s Spring, which means the start of foraging season. And what’s one of the first wild edibles of the Spring? Alliaria petiolate, or garlic mustard! So we’ve made a creamy, rich, garlicky spinach saag with the wild garlic as well as some store bought spinach. Serve over rice, or with some homemade flatbreads, this super nutritious meal takes less than 30 minutes to create. Just the beautiful, rich, vibrant, green color alone makes us want to get out, find some garlic mustard, and make another batch of this saag! And garlic mustard is so pervasive, it took me a grand total of 5 minutes to gather the two cups needed for this recipe. Let’s get started!
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What is Garlic Mustard?
Disclaimer- use caution when foraging wild edibles, and always be certain of your identification. While I assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided on this site, I can’t be responsible for the accuracy of your information. Consult multiple websites, books and local experts, and when it doubt, do without.
Garlic mustard (Latin name Alliaria petiolate) is a species introduced to the United States from Europe and Asia. The minute a warm day hits in Spring, garlic mustard starts poking it’s head out to claim it’s territory for the year- and it will be a large territory. Not only does garlic mustard grow early in the year, but it releases a set of chemicals into the soil that inhibits other plants growth. That’s the downside, but the upside of garlic mustard is that it is highly nutritious- According to Edible Wild Plants they’re high in fiber, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, and manganese. And, because they’re invasive (again, in the US), you can’t over-pick. Just try to insure you’re picking from somewhere that doesn’t spray pesticides.
Garlic mustard smells like garlic. It has a delicate flavor, and can be eaten raw (although I almost always cook it). It is somewhat bitter. The plant has two different forms it grows in, first as a close to the ground rosette of leaves, and the second year as a taller, flowering stalk. Please go read my earlier post for more information on identifying garlic mustard.
Looking for Garlic Mustard Recipes? Try one of these!
- Garlic Mustard Recipe: Laminated Wild Ravioli
- Spring Garlic Mustard Ramen Noodles
- Spring Garlic Mustard & Dandelion Green Vegan Frittatas
- Wild Garlic Mustard Tartlets
Looking for Indian-Inspired Recipes? Try one of these!
- Indian-Spiced Vegan Warm Pumpkin Salad
- Garlic Scape Sweet Potato Pakoras or Fritters (Vegan)
- Just Flour and Water Flatbreads (Oh, and Salt…)
- Tandoori Seitan Kabobs with Cucumber Yogurt Salad
- Butter Chicken of the Woods (Vegan Butter Chicken)
- Tomato Masala Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Corn and Spinach
- Vegan Spinach and Chickpea Curry
- Invasive Japanese Knotweed Vegan Chutney
- Curried Lentils and Sorghum for Earth Day!
What is Saag?
Saag is the Hindi word for “greens”, as in leafy vegetables. You’ll often find it on Indian menus with the word “paneer”, an Indian cottage cheese. There is another dish very similar to saag paneer called palak paneer, which is technically a type of saag paneer- the word “palak” means spinach, so it’s saag where the saag in question is spinach. I want to preface all of this by saying that since Indian food is not part of my culture, and I haven’t grown up cooking these dishes, my saag isn’t very authentic, more Indian-inspired. I highly recommend you go check out these fantastic Indian-American bloggers- Vegan Richa and The Belly Rules the Mind (vegetarian). Our version of the dish doesn’t have the paneer (since paneer isn’t vegan). But if you do want to add those creamy chunks, you can always substitute firm tofu- just cut it into small cubes and add it towards the end of cooking. Saag is traditionally made by cooking down greens until they’re almost a smooth paste, but I decided on a quicker method that’s used fairly often. Because both garlic mustard and spinach cook quickly, we simple steamed them for a couple minutes, blended them smooth, and added it to spices with a little flour to help it thicken. I like to think of it as weeknight saag, done in less than 30 minutes.
How to Make Garlic Mustard and Spinach Saag
Once you’ve got your garlic mustard, make sure you give it a good wash with cool water. It’s been outside, after all. Set up a steamer, and throw the garlic mustard in it along with the spinach. If you’re using a small steamer, you can do them separately or in batches. Since they only take a minute or two to cook, working in batches doesn’t really make it take much longer. Once all your greens look wilted, take them out of the steamer and place them in the blender, along with about a cup of water. Blend it until it’s all one beautiful, dark green color with a uniform texture. Then set it to the side. In a skillet, get your onions and cumin seeds cooking. Make sure you use plenty of oil, and don’t get the pan too hot. As the onions soften, you can add garlic, ginger, and jalapeño (you could use an Indian green chili too, but I find jalapeños are easier to come by). Add your flour, and move it around in the skillet so it doesn’t burn. After a minute or so, add the blended greens, and let that all simmer together. Finally we’re going to add some vegan butter, to make the garlic mustard and spinach saag nice and creamy. Here’s a quick (and maybe obvious) tip- a lot of the time when I taste my saag and it seems a little flat, it’s because I haven’t added enough salt. I find that saag usually wants more salt than I naturally add, so if your garlic mustard saag seems to be lacking in flavor, try adding a bit more salt. Serve the saag alongside rice, or naan or another flatbread.
Garlic Mustard and Spinach Saag
Ingredients
- 2 cups of garlic mustard leaves, well packed
- 3 cups young spinach, well packed
- Olive oil, for cooking
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. vegan butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Wash your garlic mustard well. Add it to a steamer with your spinach, and steam for a couple minutes until it is wilted. Transfer to a blender and blend, along with 1 cup of water, until smooth.
- Heat some olive oil on medium heat in a skillet. Add the cumin seeds and onion, and sauté for five minutes until the onion has softened and is fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeño, and cook for another minute or two. Add the flour, and, stirring constantly, cook for another minute.
- Add the blended greens to the skillet, along with the lemon juice, and mix well to combine. Lower the heat a little, and cook for a couple minutes, stirring, while the mixture thickens. Add the vegan butter, salt, and pepper, stir and taste for a few minutes longer. Taste, adjust the salt to your preference, and enjoy. Serve with rice and/or naan or another flatbread.
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