Instant Pot Vegan Chicken Saag with Soy Curls. Use seitan, tempeh, baked tofu, chickpeas or chikin substitutes for variation. 1 Pot Soy curls in Spinach Sauce. Vegan Gluten-free Saagwala Recipe Can be Soy-free and Nut-free

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Gluten-free, Indian, Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 inch ginger
  • 1/2 hot green chile
  • 3/4 cup tomato
  • 4 to 5 oz spinach (or spinach + other greens such as baby kale)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (, 2 inch long)
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 or 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1.5 cups soy curls (, dry)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup cashew cream or (1/3 cup vegan plain yogurt)
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar or sweetener
  • cayenne and garam masala to taste
  • 1 tsp fenugreek leaves (optional)

Method

  1. Blend the onion through tomato and set aside. Blend the spinach/greens with 1/4 cup water(*inline amounts don’t change when you scale the recipe, only ingredient list scales. So adjust accordingly). Pulse to make a coarse mixture and not a puree. (use 1/2 cup water if using hardy greens and using more).
  2. Heat oil in saute mode. When hot, add cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. Cook for a few seconds.
  3. Add blended onion tomato mix. Cook for 3 minutes, stir frequently. If it starts to burn, switch off saute for 2 mins, then switch on again if needed. Add the spices and mix in.
  4. Add the greens, soy curls and salt. Add 1/2 cup water and mix in.
  5. Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook (hi) 8 to 10 minutes. Release after 5 mins. (If using tofu, potato or tempeh, 3 to 5 minutes pressure cook time is sufficient)
  6. Fold in cashew cream or yogurt and mix in. Add some water if needed and cook on saute until the mixture starts to boil. Add cayenne, garam masala, sugar and mix in. Adjust salt, spice and heat. Add fenugreek leaves if using.
  7. Serve garnished with pepper flakes with rice, quinoa or with flatbread or pita bread. Additional garnish: Drizzle Cashew cream and add some vegan butter per serving.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.