Saag Tarkari

I spent last weekend in Boulder, CO with my old friend Clare and my new friend Ingrid.  Everything about the trip was fantastic, but all the things we ate were especially so.  Aside from the multiple milkshakes, one evening we went to a Nepalese restaurant and had some really fantastic leafy greens.

I went roughly off the recipe I found at newafood, but I know that the version we ate at Sherpa's had soymilk in it.  I tried to replicate the creamier, butterier taste by adding soymilk and earth balance, and cooking it longer at a low temp. 

It's really, really good.  Slightly creamy, yet still very fresh-tasting and slightly crunchy, the milk and earth balance round out the pointier flavors of ginger and cumin.  This iteration had perhaps too much ginger and cayenne in it (or perhaps not...zow!), but the bunch of greens I used wasn't that big, so I think it's still a good recipe.  In any case, I ate all of it in one sitting.

Saag Tarkari

Ingredients

canola oil

1 tsp whole cumin
2-in piece finely chopped ginger 

1 tsp turmeric
cayenne to taste

1 bunch kale (or other dark leafy green), washed, de-stemmed, and finely chopped

salt to taste

water as needed

1-2 tsp earth balance

3 TB soymilk

Instructions

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add cumin, cook until fragrant (a minute or so).  Add ginger, turmeric, and cayenne; cook a few more minutes.  Add kale, mix well, and cook 5-10 minutes, until kale begins to wilt.  Add salt and a bit of water; cover and reduce heat to very low.
2. Meanwhile, heat earth balance and soymilk in a small saucepan over medium low heat, until earth balance is melted.  Add this mixture to the kale in the skillet; cook until kale is slightly mushy and dip-like, adding water as needed.  Serves 1-2.