I don’t know about you, but I find vegetables well….boring. I know I should be eating at least 50% veggies every day. But I sometimes feel like I’m forcing myself and not necessarily enjoying it. That was the motivation behind this meal called paleo saag gobi – to make something that is jam-packed with vegetables that don’t taste like it’s mostly vegetables!
Indian food is probably my favorite thing to eat (well that and chocolate), and I always loved saag paneer. However, not being able to digest cheese well, that dish became off-limits. I wanted to recreate the saag portion but throw in some texture with some roasted cauliflower instead.
I know this isn’t the prettiest food to eat, but OMG I think I could eat this every day for the rest of my life!! It’s so complex and flavourful, no one in my family (even the picky kid) realized how many veggies they were eating!
Paleo Saag Gobi: Key Points To Notice For This Recipe
I’ve included some gut-healing, grass-fed ghee in this recipe to give it that delicious authentic Indian richness. But without the negative effects of regular dairy (ghee is clarified butter with the milk solids removed, suitable for most people with dairy issues like me).
First, start with roasting your cauliflower. Hint: make sure you wash your cauliflower ahead of time so that it is dry when you go to roast it. Otherwise, it ends up steaming itself and becoming too soft (I totally made that mistake here – but it still tasted good!).
As your cauliflower is roasting begin by melting your ghee in the biggest pot you have. Then you saute your onions and garlic until beginning to turn golden. Add your spices and stir constantly for 1 minute until they become fragrant.
Slowly add your greens 1/3-1/2 lb at a time, depending on your pot size. Stir occasionally until wilted enough that you can add more greens. Keep adding greens this way until you have the full amount in the pot.
Once they are all wilted beyond recognition, then continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, blend the mixture until completely smooth (regular or hand blender). Now add your sweetener at this point (it won’t make your dish sweet but helps balance out the other flavors). Serve with roasted cauliflower and on a bed of grains or lentils of your choice.
Roasted Cauliflower Saag Or Roasted Saag Gobi
PREP TIME
5 mins
COOK TIME
40 mins
TOTAL TIME
45 mins
A paleo version of one of my favorite Indian dishes. Inspired by this recipe from My Heart Beets.
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients You Need To Prepare Roasted Paleo Saag Gobi
- 8 c cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces (washed ahead of time and let dry)
- 2 tbsp olive oil for saag gobi
- 3 tsp salt, divided
- 3 tbsp ghee (ideally a grass-fed version like this), plus extra for serving
- 2 medium onions, chopped for saag gobi
- 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- Add 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- Also, add 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Also, add ½ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 lbs greens of choice (I like the big bags of organic mixed greens from Costco)
- 3 tbsp of Lakanto or another non-GMO erythritol of choice
- optional: chipotle pepper or red pepper flakes, to taste
Also read: Superfood Coconut Seed Bites
Instructions To Be Followed For Paleo Saag Gobi
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, using convection heat if possible.
- Arrange cauliflower florets in a large roasting dish. Toss the gobi with olive oil and add 1 tsp salt. Bake, tossing every 10 minutes until beginning to turn golden (about 30-40 minutes).
- Meanwhile, melt ghee on medium heat in a large soup/stock pot (the bigger the better) then saute onion and garlic until beginning to turn golden.
- Add all spices (no Lakanto) and stir for 1 minute until fragrant to make saag gobi more delicious.
- Slowly begin adding greens in about ⅓-1/2 lb at a time. Stir occasionally until greens have wilted enough to add more in. Keep doing this until all 2 lbs of greens have been added. Keep stirring occasionally until all greens have completely wilted.
- Continue to cook it for an additional or extra 5 minutes by stirring.
- Place the greens mixture in a blender (or use a hand blender), add Lakanto, and blend until completely pureed.
- Add chipotle pepper or red pepper flakes to taste, if using, and serve with roasted cauliflower and a tsp of additional ghee stirred in. Good on its own or served on a bed of quinoa, lentils, or mung beans.
Tips You Can Consider For Saag Gobi
Oil in a pan is heated by remaining the heat at medium. Add the chopped spinach and a little salt, then sauté the spinach over medium heat until it is cooked through and mushy.
To stop the cooking of the spinach, turn off the heat and move it to another bowl. The color tends to fade to a dull green the longer the spinach is in touch with it.
Add the cauliflower florets last. Cauliflower may be cooked by adding a little water, covering the pan with a lid, lowering the heat, and cooking the cauliflower for a few minutes until it is soft.
Conclusion
For a fast evening supper, try the easy and healthful recipe for palak gobi sabzi or saag gobi. The sole difference from the Aloo Gobi Sabzi is the inclusion of spinach, which gives the veggie additional nutrients, color, and flavor. The veggie tastes its best when only a few spices are added to it. Serve Palak Gobi Sabzi with warm Tawa Paratha or Phulkas.
Did you know: The cruciferous vegetable family, which includes veggies that prevent cancer, includes cauliflower. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant content of cauliflower may improve the health of your heart and brain. Cauliflower supports good digestion and detoxification while giving your body amazing levels of vitamin C, vitamin k, beta-carotene, and other nutrients.
Hope you love this recipe for saag gobi.