Saag anything!

[pH]

Any ideas on creating a restaurant/takeway Saag - my locals is hot, very dark, stodgy thick (almost black), yet with sublte flavours and some creaminess/nutiness perhaps!

Even to start - do most takeaways use fresh/frozen or canned spinach?  Anyone else a saag addict?

[merrybaker]

pH, have you tried Kris Dhillon's Saag Paneer?  That sauce is a good starting point.  (She also has a recipe for Saag Meat, but that sauce doesn't sound as good.)  I follow the recipe almost exactly, (chilli to taste), keeping in mind that Kris uses rounded spoonsful and 5 oz. teacups.  My main change is adding about 1/2 cup cream to the pureed spinach at the end to make it rich and creamy.

BTW, she uses canned spinach, which I normally HATE.   But as you say, restaurant saag is dark, like canned spinach.  So that's what I use, and it works, what can I tell you?! 

-Mary