Saag Shrimp
Updated Oct. 12, 2023
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½teaspoon ground ginger
- ½teaspoon ground cumin
- ½teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ to ½teaspoon ground cayenne
- ¼teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼teaspoon onion powder
- 1pound peeled, deveined large shrimp, tails off
- Salt
- 3tablespoons ghee or neutral oil, such as grapeseed or safflower
- 1teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1large yellow onion, minced
- 1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, scrubbed and grated
- 3garlic cloves, grated
- 1tablespoon tomato paste
- 1medium fresh tomato, chopped
- ½cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
- 1pound fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped using a sharp knife or by pulsing in a food processor
- ½cup heavy cream or unsweetened coconut cream
- Steamed rice, naan, green chile chutney, tamarind chutney and fresh kachumbari, or a combination, for serving
For the Spice Blend
For the Shrimp
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
318 calories; 16 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 30 grams protein; 814 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Make the spice blend: In a small bowl, combine turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander, cayenne, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Step 2
Toss the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the spice blend and a light sprinkle of salt. Set aside.
- Step 3
Heat a large shallow skillet over medium-high. Add the ghee and cumin seeds, and toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion, cook until softened and translucent, stirring frequently, 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Add the remaining spice blend, stir and toast until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the ginger, garlic and tomato paste. Stir and cook until the tomato paste deepens in color, about 1 minute. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the chopped tomato for garnish. Add the remaining chopped tomato, about half of the chopped cilantro and ½ cup water. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook the sauce, stirring until it thickens and reduces (about three-fourths of the original volume), 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt.
- Step 5
Add the shrimp to the skillet all at once and stir to coat with the sauce. Add the spinach in two batches, wilting the first batch before adding the second, and season with salt. Cook on high heat, stirring occasionally, until spinach is softened, shrimp is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and adjust the seasoning to taste with more salt, if necessary.
- Step 6
Remove from heat and garnish with the reserved chopped tomatoes and the cilantro. Serve over steamed rice and warm, pillowy naan. Top the saag with green chile chutney, tamarind chutney or fresh kachumbari for a lovely pop of acid and heat.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Les
Just leave it out. There's no need to find a substitute. I'm married to a cilantro hater and long ago learned to just add cilantro as a garnish on my plate. I urge anyone considering a long-term relationship to first ascertain, in addition to their credit score, whether the potential partner has an aversion to cilantro and ginger. ; )
Susan
@Gail, tender cubes of potato work nicely if you don't want to use shrimp or paneer. My local Indian restaurant uses potato in their vegan dishes. I've used firm tofu at home and it works too.
S
Don't use parsley for Indian/subcontinent dishes - not the right flavour profile. Try finely sliced: mint or the green parts of green onions or holy basil.
SandraD
I mostly use whole milk yogurt - regular or Greek-style -instead of cream and often in place of coconut milk. Always works well for us
Frederick Tibbetts
A close cousin of this dish makes just one change. Scallops, in place of shrimp. Toss them in the spice mixture, and proceed just as you do here. The harmony with the spinach is delightful.
Lee
It might be incorrect, but in the US we eat curries with both rice and naan. Since this was written for a US audience, that's why.
DenverCircus
To the person who talks noise about not serving bread with rice, I have been served Nepalese flatbreads along with dalbat (lentils, rice, veggies, chutney, ghee) many, many times in rural Nepal.
Claudia
I made this with twice the spices, and twice the seafood (used 1lb of shrimp and 1lb of Trader Joe's Seafood blend). Also, I omitted the heavy cream, and added a diced jalapeno. It came out very well, as a lovely seafood and spinach dish with a nice spicy tang. To the person who asked the question about cilantro, I think you could skip it without sacrificing the taste.
Howard
I made this almost as written skipping the cumin seeds and cilantro (my wife cannot eat cilantro) and used cashew milk instead of cream. It was delicious. Next time I will skip the water as the sauce was a little too watery.
Phil from Galveston, TX
I don't like overcooked shrimp, preferring it still plump and juicy. 3-5 minutes in simmering liquid is enough; I added the shrimp last.
govind
nothing wrong with eating it with rice AND naan! to be honest it's my preferred way to eat!
Dr If
If you want to avoid cream or coconut cream you can blend a small amount of raw cashews in to the sauce
S
Not sure why the author says serve with rice *and* naan. You would eat the saag shrimp with either rice *or* naan and whatever other dishes you have to balance your food plate. Of course, you could sequentially eat saag shrimp with naan, followed by saag shrimp with rice, if you want both those. Eating naan with rice is like eating a rice sandwich. This combination may be a feature in other cuisines, but they are eaten serially in South Asia not together.
Chef C
Used chickpeas instead of shrimp - nice!
Edith
I found fenugreek greens at our farmers' market. Hmong growers know it as methi. I recognized it from living in India and am thrilled that it's easy to find here. A word of caution: never, ever put the stems into the disposal. Strip the leaves from the stems before you wash it. It's nice with half methi, half spinach, and not so much work.
ERH
This was awesome! I had about half a pound of kale in the fridge so I blanched it for two minutes, adding a quarter pound each of spinach and cilantro for the last 30 seconds, drained everything and squeezed all the water out before roughly chopping. Used this for the pound of greens, which I cooked down a bit before adding the shrimp and cream. It was easy, flavorful, healthy, delicious. Next time I will add a minced jalapeño or Serrano.
Sunny
It was ok but the 1lbs baby spinach in the mix was a bit too much. I cut them in half and made a salad with the rest of them. Served both rice and naans. My family liked it.
KayBee
I followed the recipe pretty literally but added a chopped Serrano at the end and used coconut milk instead of cream. The result was phenomenal - probably the best dish I’ve ever made!
Sally
Delicious exactly as written. My mustard greens gave off a lot of liquid, so we ate it a little brothy rather than overcooking the shrimp.
Robin M
I didn’t like that there were not enough veggies with this. Adding in Okra same time as shrimp is a game changer.
Crazy cat lady
I made this exactly as written, with one exception: I used the entire spice mixture for 1/2 the recipe (old spices, old palate). It was worth every minute of chopping, separating, and filling the dishwasher with little prep plates. Served over rice made with about 1/2 C. leftover coconut milk as part of the liquid. Worth every second of prep time. And trust me, we know East Indian food in this part of the country.
Pacita
I made this pretty much as indicated but served with yogurt instead of cream. It's bloody good.
Karen
I think it would benefit from some gram masala stirred in at the end. I cooked the spinach down in the sauce, then added the shrimp.
pacita
This was amazing, with authentic flavours and really moorish. King prawns are juicy and flavourful thanks to marinade and spinach was silky and delicious. Substituted cream with Greek yogurt, which is healthier, plus it’s what I had in the fridge.
Dolores Kazanjian
This is one of the most delicious recipes I've made in a long time. It is definitely eligible for the next time I have dinner guests.I followed the recipe pretty much as is, but always with my own tweaks. I used less tomato than is called for, substituted yogurt for the heavy cream, and adjusted the spices a little to our taste and to what I had on hand. I think one could use this recipe with any fish, or even veggies or chicken.
RossiLover
Perfection. I threw in the shrimp at the very end AFTER I had already added the coconut cream and cooked for about 3 minutes on medium and then turned off the heat and added the spinach and a squeeze of lime juice. Scrumptious.
Robin
I’ve found removing the shrimp before cooking the spinach and then putting them back in after most of the liquid from the spinach has evaporated ensures that the shrimp isn’t over cooked.
Regina Bann
Loved this recipe. I used the 1/2 tsp of cayenne--could have used more. I ate it for 2 more days for lunch, reheated in microwave, and it was still very good (not as good as when first made, of course). It's a keeper!
nanbrand
Excellent dish! Do remember to add a little salt at the end. Enhances the flavor. I followed the recipe exactly. Raves from my spouse and dinner guests.
Ann
Made last night with almost everything the same. Tried to cut calories by using 1/2 light coconut milk and 1/2 coco cream. It was too much liquid. I think I'd cut the water, as recommended and put shrimp in later. Delicious!
Dolores Kazanjian
I used yogurt. If you want it thicker, strain it in cheesecloth or a coffee filter and/or thicken with a little corn starch.
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