If you have ever looked down an Indian menu and wondered what "saag" means, the short answer is greens, and in our kitchen that means spinach. Saag dishes are some of the most ordered plates at our West End restaurants, and they are often the ones people remember after the meal. They are not the loudest dishes on the table, but they make everything around them taste better.
This guide covers the spinach dishes on our menu, how each one is cooked, and how to fit them into a meal, whether you are eating near Charing Cross before a show or settling in for a late dinner in Soho.
What saag actually is
Across North India, "saag" is a broad word for leafy greens cooked down until soft. In some regions it is usually traced to mustard greens, cooked slowly through the winter months. In British Indian restaurants, and in our kitchen, spinach is the green of choice. It cooks quickly, carries garlic and spice beautifully, and turns silky without losing its fresh, slightly mineral flavour.
A good saag should taste of spinach first. The spices are there to lift it, not bury it. That is the balance our chefs aim for every time a pan goes on the range.
Saag Aloo: potato and spinach
Saag Aloo is potato and spinach with a touch of garlic. It is simple, and that is the point. The potato soaks up the garlic and the gentle spice, while the spinach wraps around each piece and keeps it soft and savoury.
It is one of the most useful dishes on the menu. It works as a side to a rich curry, it is filling enough to anchor a vegetarian meal, and it is easy for anyone at the table who prefers something mild. If you are ordering for a group and are not sure what everyone likes, a bowl of Saag Aloo is almost always a safe bet. You will also find sag aloo as part of our Vegetable Thali, alongside dall tarka, a mixed vegetable curry and pilau rice.
Saag Paneer: spinach with Indian cheese
Saag Paneer is paneer with spinach in a creamy, savoury sauce. Paneer is a fresh Indian cheese that holds its shape when cooked. It does not melt like cheddar, so each cube stays soft and mild in the middle while the spinach sauce clings to the outside.
This is the dish we suggest to anyone who wants a vegetarian main with real substance. It is rich without being heavy, and it pairs well with bread. Tear a piece of naan, scoop up the spinach and a piece of paneer, and you will see why it has stayed a favourite for so long. Our guide to Indian breads explains which naan suits which dish if you want to plan ahead.
Sagwala: spinach curry with your choice of main
If you want spinach as the main event rather than a side, look at the Sagwala in our Indian Traditional Dishes section. It is cooked with fresh spinach and garlic, and like every dish in that section it is available with chicken, lamb, paneer or king prawn. All of our chicken is breast meat, off the bone.
Lamb Sagwala is a particularly good match. The richness of the lamb and the clean, green flavour of spinach balance each other, and the garlic ties the two together. King prawn Sagwala is lighter and works well if you are also ordering something from the tandoor. For more on why garlic does so much heavy lifting in our cooking, read garlic and ginger in Indian cooking.
How to order spinach dishes
Spinach is a team player, so think about what sits next to it. A few combinations that work well at our tables:
- For two: one tandoori dish, one Saag Paneer, a Saag Aloo or Bombay Aloo, pilau rice and a garlic naan.
- For a vegetarian table: Saag Paneer, Tarka Dall, Aloo Gobi and a bread basket of plain and garlic naan.
- For a richer meal: Lamb Sagwala with a creamy curry such as Butter Chicken, then rice to bring it together.
If you are new to ordering this way, our article on the best Indian dishes for sharing is a useful starting point. The idea is simple: order a few dishes with different textures and spice levels, put them in the middle, and let everyone help themselves.
Spinach and dietary needs
Saag Aloo is a naturally vegetable-based dish, and our team can talk you through which spinach dishes suit your table. Saag Paneer contains dairy, as paneer is a cheese. Please tell us about allergies when you book. Our kitchen handles nuts, dairy, eggs, gluten, fish, shellfish, soya and sesame, and the team will advise on what will work for you.
If you eat a plant-based diet, our guide to vegan Indian food covers the wider picture and the questions worth asking when you order.
Come and try them
Spinach dishes are on the menu at both our Charing Cross and Soho restaurants, and you can browse every one of them on our full menu. They suit a quick meal before the theatre just as well as a long evening. If you are heading to a show, have a look at our pre-theatre menu and book a table, telling us your curtain time so we can pace the meal for you.
