Julia Moskin, a reporter in the Dining section of The New York Times, walked up to my desk, with a glint in her eye, and said, “I have a dish for you!”
I perked up.
“Saag with some kind of fried, spiced potato balls on top — like Tater Tots,” she said.
The dish was subz saag, which she had had at Tamarind Tribeca in Manhattan. It was a mix of mustard greens, broccoli rabe and corn, with alluring potato balls. Called aloo kofta, the golden, deep-fried mashed-potato balls are gently spiced with garlic, ginger, chili, turmeric and lemon juice.
For those of us who don’t have a restaurant kitchen, Eric McCarthy, the executive chef at Tamarind Tribeca, simplified the dish a bit, with a spinach saag. (Saag means greens.)
Still, he uses two kinds of spinach. He blanches regular, large-leafed spinach, drains, and chops it. He leaves the baby spinach whole, and adds it toward the end to give a little more texture to the beautifully spiced dish, and then serves it topped with India’s answer to Tater Tots. Or perhaps Tater Tots are America’s answer to aloo kofta.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds large-leaf spinach
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 3 to 4 Thai bird chilis, each about 1 1/2 inches long, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 pound baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
Method
- 1. Prepare a large bowl of ice water, and set aside. Place a large pot of water over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add large-leaf spinach, and blanch until bright green and tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, immediately plunge into ice water until cooled, and drain again. Squeeze out excess moisture, chop finely, and set aside.
- 2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add onion, and cook until soft and golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and chilies and sauté until the garlic and ginger are light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the baby spinach and cook 1 minute. Add turmeric, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes.
- 3. Add the blanched, chopped spinach. Season with salt to taste. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often. Add fenugreek leaves, butter, nutmeg, and, if desired, heavy cream. Simmer 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. If necessary, lower heat to medium-low. Serve hot topped with, if desired, fried potato dumplings.
Source: Adapted from Eric McCarthy, Executive Chef, Tamarind Tribeca
Ingredients
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled (to yield 2 cups cooked and mashed)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 3 cups or as needed for deep frying
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped seeded Thai bird chili, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, optional
- Salt to taste
Method
- 1. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan, and add cold water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and mash with a fork.
- 2. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine 1 tablespoon oil, ginger, garlic, chili, and chili flakes. Sauté until ginger and garlic are golden brown. Add mashed potatoes, turmeric, cornstarch, lemon juice and cilantro. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt to taste.
- 3. Remove potatoes from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil to a deep fryer or wok to 350 degrees.
- 4. Make 16 balls, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, from the potato mixture. Working in batches if necessary, fry balls until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels, and serve hot.
Source: Adapted from Eric McCarthy, Executive Chef, Tamarind Tribeca