Sunday, June 1, 2025
HomeDessertsRooster Saagwala (Murg Saagwala)

Rooster Saagwala (Murg Saagwala)


Rooster saagwala is an Indian hen and spinach curry with a savory scrumptious sauce. Serve this flavor-packed vegan model with naan, flatbread, rice or quinoa. Gluten-free, nut-free with soy-free possibility.

vegan chicken saagwala in the pan with all of the garnishes on topvegan chicken saagwala in the pan with all of the garnishes on top

Saagwala is a well-liked greens primarily based sauce well-liked in Indian eating places. It’s much like saag paneer, however is usually paired with hen or meat. The fascinating half about most of the saag or Palak curries is that they’ve comparable sauces, however saagwala has much more spices for the meat model than in simply the vegetarian model. So why not add all of these spices and make the common saag tremendous flavorful, as properly? 

Once you order simply plain saag at Indian eating places, that normally is made with mustard, and it’s known as sarson ka saag. The spinach saag or palak saag is the extra widespread one for house fashion saag, as a result of spinach is extra available in most locations. In order that’s what we use to make palak tofu paneer.

dipping flatbread into chicken saagwaladipping flatbread into chicken saagwala

I’m adapting the hen saagwala recipes from a few cooks, like Ranveer Brar and chef Sanjyot (Your Meals Lab) and altering it as much as make the sauce vegan and in addition to utilizing some tofu as a substitute of chickin.

Tofu it doesn’t cook dinner the identical approach as hen, clearly. The feel of plain tofu simply doesn’t do justice to the dish, so I crisp up the tofu beforehand on the skillet or bake it with spices, after which add it to this scrumptious sauce.

You can too add in different protein to this flavorful saag, like cooked chickpeas, cooked white beans, or chickpea tofu or pumpkin seed tofu to make it soy-free. Or, you may add in seitan or soy curls, in order for you the protein to have a extra chicken-like texture.

close-up of a piece of flatbread in the pan of chicken saagwalaclose-up of a piece of flatbread in the pan of chicken saagwala

Why You’ll Love Saagwala

  • spiced, crispy tofu items in a savory, creamy, spinach curry sauce
  • very versatile! Exchange the tofu with plant-based protein of selection.
  • flavors of garam masala, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, and extra!
  • gluten-free and nut-free with a number of straightforward, soy-free choices

For The Spinach Saag Curry

Stop your display from going darkish

Make the crispy tofu hen.

  • Press the tofu, when you haven’t already, then tear it into bite-sized ¾” to 1” items, then add to a bowl.

  • Add the oil and toss properly, then combine all the spices and the cornstarch in a small bowl, and sprinkle all around the tofu, tossing properly to coat.

  • To bake: Unfold this tofu onto a parchment lined baking sheet, in order that the items aren’t touching one another, after which bake at 400° F (205° C) for 22 to twenty-eight minutes or till largely crisp. Put aside.

  • To cook dinner the tofu on the skillet: Warmth a big skillet over medium-high warmth, and add 1 teaspoon of oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the tofu to the skillet and unfold evenly, then proceed to cook dinner for 3 minutes or so, after which flip the items over. Proceed to cook dinner for one more jiffy, and flip the items once more, till many of the edges are considerably crisp. This may take anyplace from 7 to 9 minutes. Put aside.

Make the spinach saag

  • Chop the frozen spinach by processing for five seconds in a meals processor(non-compulsory).** Warmth the skillet over medium warmth, and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the cumin seeds and cook dinner, stirring incessantly, till the cumin seeds are aromatic and have modified shade considerably. This may take anyplace from 1 to three minutes, relying in your skillet and the range and all of that.

  • Combine within the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and fenugreek leaves, and cook dinner for 15 to twenty seconds.

  • Combine within the onion and the salt, and cook dinner till the onion is golden. Add splashes of water in between to assist the onions cook dinner evenly, and proceed to cook dinner for as much as 5 to eight minutes, till golden.

  • Stir in all the floor spices and the ginger garlic paste, and cook dinner for half a minute.

  • Combine within the tomato paste and yogurt. Cook dinner for one more half a minute, then combine within the frozen spinach and non-dairy milk or water.

  • Cowl with a lid, and let it cook dinner for five to eight minutes, stirring as soon as in between, then style and regulate salt and taste. In order for you the saag to be saucier or creamier, you may add in some non-dairy cream, like ¼ cup of non-dairy yogurt or bitter cream or cream cheese together with some extra non-dairy milk.

  • As soon as the sauce is seasoned to choice, frivolously fold within the tofu or simply place the tofu on high over the saag and garnish with some cilantro, lime, and ginger and drizzle on non-dairy cream. Serve with naan, roti, different flat bread, or rice.

  • Elective Chili oil tadka: Warmth a teaspoon of oil over medium low warmth. Add 1 dried crimson chili, damaged into half and 1 clove garlic sliced. Cook dinner till frivolously golden then drizzle over the saag.

**Chopped frozen spinach is normally fairly high-quality already, however for the fitting texture of this saag, you may pulse complete and even chopped frozen spinach in a meals processor for five to 10 seconds to interrupt it down into a really finely chopped spinach. You don’t desire a puree, you simply need it to have an excellent high-quality texture.
Murg saagwala is of course gluten-free, and it’s nut-free so long as your non-dairy yogurt and milk are nut-free.
To make this soy-free, use chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, seitan, a can of chickpeas, or white beans. Additionally ensure that your yogurt and milk are soy-free.
For soycurls, use 4 oz soycurls. Rehydrate in inventory, then drain, frivolously squeeze, toss in spices and cornstarch and bake or pantry and use. 
Complete spice substitutes: sub for black cardamom, use a second inexperienced cardamom pod. If you need to make use of floor spices, use ½ teaspoon floor cardamom and ⅛ teaspoon floor cinnamon and add them later, while you add the garam masala. When you don’t have fenugreek leaves, use ¼ teaspoon floor mustard and, once more, add it later with the garam masala.

Energy: 170kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 12g, Fats: 9g, Saturated Fats: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 4g, Monounsaturated Fats: 4g, Sodium: 452mg, Potassium: 293mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 5307IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 283mg, Iron: 3mg

Vitamin info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

spinach, onions, spices, and other vegan chicken saagwala ingredients in bowls on the kitchen counterspinach, onions, spices, and other vegan chicken saagwala ingredients in bowls on the kitchen counter

Substances and Substitutions

  • tofu – That is your hen substitute. You need to use different plant primarily based proteins as a substitute, like chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, chickpeas, white beans, seitan, or soaked and drained soy curls.
  • oil – To crisp up the tofu, to toast the entire spices, and to sauté.
  • floor spices – We’re seasoning the tofu with turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, garlic powder, garam masala, and salt. For the saag curry, you will have floor coriander, cayenne, crimson pepper flakes, and extra garam masala.
  • cornstarch – Helps the spices keep on with the tofu and helps the tofu crisp up superbly.
  • complete spices – You’ll begin the spinach saag curry by roasting some complete spices: cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, black and inexperienced cardamom, and fenugreek leaves. When you don’t have all the complete spices, you may simply omit them. When you don’t have black cardamom, use a second inexperienced cardamom pod. If you need to make use of floor spices as a substitute, use ½ teaspoon floor cardamom and ⅛ teaspoon floor cinnamon and add them later, while you add the garam masala. When you don’t have fenugreek leaves, use ¼ teaspoon floor mustard and, once more, add it later with the bottom spices.
  • onion – Sautéed onion provides a lot umami to the sauce!
  • tomato paste – Provides much more umami to the sauce.
  • non-dairy yogurt – Makes the sauce creamy. You can too use some as a garnish.
  • non-dairy milk or water – So as to add quantity to the sauce.
  • garnishes – Lime juice, cilantro, recent ginger, and non-dairy cream (yogurt, bitter cream, or cashew cream) end the dish.

💡 Ideas

  • Chopped frozen spinach is normally fairly high-quality already, however for the fitting texture of this saag, you may pulse complete or chopped frozen spinach in a meals processor for five to 10 seconds to interrupt it down into a really finely chopped spinach. You don’t desire a puree, you simply need it to have an excellent high-quality texture.
  • When you’re baking the tofu, make the sauce whereas it’s within the oven to save lots of time.
  • Once you’re roasting the entire spices within the pan, stir incessantly to forestall burning.
frozen spinach in the food processor, before pulsingfrozen spinach in the food processor, before pulsing
frozen spinach in the food processor, after pulsingfrozen spinach in the food processor, after pulsing

Easy methods to Make Vegan Rooster Saagwala

First, make the crispy tofu hen.

Press the tofu, when you haven’t already, then tear it into bite-sized ¾” to 1” items, then add to a bowl.

tearing the tofu into bite-sized piecestearing the tofu into bite-sized pieces

Add the oil and toss properly, then combine all the spices and the cornstarch in a small bowl, and sprinkle all around the tofu, tossing properly to coat.

hand holding cornstarch and spices in a small bowl over the tofuhand holding cornstarch and spices in a small bowl over the tofu
sprinkling cornstarch and spices over the tofusprinkling cornstarch and spices over the tofu
tofu after mixing with cornstarch and spicestofu after mixing with cornstarch and spices

To bake: Unfold this tofu onto a parchment lined baking sheet, in order that the items aren’t touching one another, after which bake at 400° F (205° C) for 22 to twenty-eight minutes or till largely crisp. Put aside.

To cook dinner the tofu on the skillet: Warmth a big skillet over medium-high warmth, and add 1 teaspoon of oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the tofu to the skillet and unfold evenly, then proceed to cook dinner for 3 minutes or so, after which flip the items over. Proceed to cook dinner for one more jiffy, and flip the items once more, till many of the edges are considerably crisp. This may take anyplace from 7 to 9 minutes. Put aside. 

crisping up the tofu in the pancrisping up the tofu in the pan

Now, make the spinach saag. 

Warmth the skillet over medium warmth, and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the cumin seeds and cook dinner, stirring incessantly, till the cumin seeds are aromatic and have modified shade considerably. This may take anyplace from 1 to three minutes, relying in your skillet and the range and all of that. 

Combine within the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and fenugreek leaves, and cook dinner for 15 to twenty seconds. 

roasting whole spices in th panroasting whole spices in th pan

Combine within the onion and the salt, and cook dinner till the onion is golden. Add splashes of water in between to assist the onions cook dinner evenly, and proceed to cook dinner for as much as 5 to eight minutes, till golden. 

adding onion to the panadding onion to the pan
onion after cooking to goldenonion after cooking to golden

Stir in all the floor spices and the ginger garlic paste, and cook dinner for half a minute. 

adding ground spices to the panadding ground spices to the pan
adding ginger garlic paste to the panadding ginger garlic paste to the pan

Combine within the tomato paste and yogurt. Cook dinner for one more half a minute, then combine within the frozen spinach and non-dairy milk or water. 

adding tomato paste and non-dairy yogurt to the panadding tomato paste and non-dairy yogurt to the pan
adding frozen spinach to the panadding frozen spinach to the pan
mixing spinach into the saucemixing spinach into the sauce

Cowl with a lid, and let it cook dinner for five to eight minutes, stirring as soon as in between, then style and regulate salt and taste. In order for you the saag to be saucier or creamier, you may add in some non-dairy cream, like ¼ cup of non-dairy yogurt or bitter cream or cream cheese together with some extra non-dairy milk.

As soon as the sauce is seasoned to choice, frivolously fold within the tofu or simply place the tofu on high over the saag and garnish with some cilantro, lime, and ginger and drizzle on non-dairy cream. Serve with naan, roti, different flat bread, or rice.

Retailer refrigerated for upto 3 days. Freeze for months. Reheat in microwave or skillet.

adding the crisped up tofu to the saagwala sauceadding the crisped up tofu to the saagwala sauce
vegan chicken saagwala in the pan with all of the garnishes on topRooster Saagwala (Murg Saagwala)

Regularly Requested Questions

Is that this recipe allergy pleasant?

Murg saagwala is of course gluten-free, and it’s nut-free so long as your non-dairy yogurt and milk are nut-free.

To make this soy-free, use chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, seitan, chickpeas, or white beans. Additionally ensure that your yogurt and milk are soy-free.

Can I purée the spinach sauce? Why do we’d like chopped spinach?

The frozen spinach is chopped in a meals processor for texture. You can too purée the spinach with a little bit of non dairy milk and use that as a substitute.

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular

Recent Comments