Simply Saag Aloo (Greens with Sweet Potatoes)

A South Indian take on a traditionally North Indian dish using America's Southern Greens - Simply Saag Aloo is just simply yummy! Typically regular spinach and potatoes are used to make this dish. Although I used a mixture of kale, collards, mustard and turnip greens, other leafy green veggies such as chard, beet greens, Malabar spinach, etc may be substituted. I also substituted cream colored sweet potatoes for the regular. Roasting the sweet potatoes adds a delicious smoky layer to the flavors.

When using hardy greens like kale, pureeing tames them producing a velvety texture.

Ingredients:

1 lb Mixed Greens, finely chopped

1 Serrano/Jalapeno Chile, blossom end slit

1/4 tsp Turmeric

2 medium Cream colored Sweet Potatoes, diced

2 tsp Coconut Oil

1/2 tsp Brown Mustard Seeds

1 Tbsp split, skinless Urad dal

2 dried Red Chiles

Sea Salt to taste

Method:

Coat the diced sweet potatoes with 1 tsp of the oil, a pinch of salt and turmeric; roast in a 400 degree oven until tender and slightly caramelized.

Cook the greens and until soft in a small amount of water with the chile, a pinch of salt and the turmeric. Remove and discard the chile unless you like a hot dish.

Toast the mustard, chile and dal in one tsp of the oil; let cool. Blend the toasted spices with a little of the greens; add the rest of the greens and puree a little especially if the greens are too rough textured.

Mix the sweet potatoes with the greens (go ahead and mash a few of the pieces to add to the lovely velvety texture), add salt to taste and simmer gently for 10 minutes stirring to keep it from burning.

Serve hot with rice or rotis. Enjoy!