Buck's Chickpea saag
Buck's Chickpea Saag is a yummy chickpea-and-greens supper with plenty of room to make it your own. We use chopped mustard greens and chard, chickpeas and coconut milk, with whole mustard and cumin for texture. Turmeric supplies earthiness, coriander offers fragrance, and lime at the table lets each eater finish the bowl to taste.
Cumin Seed, whole (zeera)
Whole cumin seeds have an earthy scent with a slightly bitter edge. They are an amazing ingredient with their own texture, fundamantally different than cumin powder.
Turmeric (Tumeric, Curcumin, Organic)
Turmeric is earthy and slightly bitter as well as vividly colored.
Garam Masala (Organic)
Garam masala is a family of blends, not a fixed formula. Ours is delicious.
Buck's chopped-greens chickpea saag
Makes four bowls. The spice mixture is 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon garam masala. Keep 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds separate. This is our own formulation for chopped mixed greens.
Use 10 ounces mustard greens and 10 ounces chard, washed and chopped, with tough stems removed; two 14-ounce cans chickpeas, drained; 1 tablespoon oil; 1 chopped onion; 2 minced garlic cloves; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon coconut milk; 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water; and salt to taste. Have lime and cooked rice for the table.
Warm the oil in a broad pot with a lid. Add the whole cumin and mustard seeds and let their aroma rise without letting them blacken. Add the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger, then the ground spice mixture. Add the water promptly so the powders do not scorch.
Put the chopped greens into the pot in handfuls, letting each settle before adding the next. Cover briefly to help the leaves wilt, then uncover and stir. Add the chickpeas and coconut milk and simmer gently until the greens are tender and the chickpeas are hot. Keep the leaves visible rather than blending them into a smooth sauce. Mustard greens vary in toughness; check them with a spoon rather than trusting one universal minute count.
Taste the broth before adding salt, then serve with rice and lime wedges.
Make the greens your own
If the mustard leaves are too sharp, replace some with additional chard next time. If the bowl tastes heavy, a squeeze of lime may lighten and brighten it. If it seems watery, let it simmer briefly without the lid; if too thick, add water.
Buck's isn't affiliated with Bon Appétit.
Read the authorized recipe or source page for the actual recipe.