Spinach Cooked in a Bihari Style
Submitted by Bec
Blanched spinach pureed smooth and dressed with mustard oil, ginger, garlic, and green chili. An authentic Bihari-style saag side dish ready in 20 minutes with just 6 ingredients.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
10 minREADY
20 minIn Bihar, spinach is not smothered in cream or loaded with paneer. It is blanched, pureed, and dressed simply with a fiery whisk of mustard oil, ginger, garlic, and green chili.
The mustard oil is the heart of this dish. Its sharp, pungent heat is unmistakably Bihari and gives the spinach a character that olive oil or ghee simply cannot replicate.
This comes together in about 20 minutes with only 6 ingredients, making it one of the fastest and most honest ways to serve greens.
Eat it with roti or steamed rice for a clean, vibrant side that lets the spinach truly speak for itself.
Kitchen Tips
- Squeeze the blanched spinach as dry as possible before blending. Extra water thins out the paste and dulls the flavor.
- Use good mustard oil. The pungency is the whole point. If your mustard oil smells mild, it is too old.
- Adjust the green chili to your heat tolerance, but do not skip it entirely. The dish needs that sharp bite alongside the mustard oil.
- Serve at room temperature. This style of saag is traditionally not served piping hot.
Ingredients
Directions
Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot.
Add spinach and cook on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until wilted.
Drain, rinse under cold water, and squeeze out as much liquid as you can easily.
Put spinach in food processor or blender with 2 tablespoons water and blend until smooth.
This will result in a fairly thick paste. Put in a serving bowl.
Whisk together ginger, garlic, green chili, salt, cilantro, and oil.
Pour this dressing over the spinach and mix thoroughly.
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