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Breakfast for dinner · 28 minutes

Saag Shakshuka (Eggs Poached in Spiced Spinach)

The tomato sauce gives way to garlicky, ginger-spiked saag, so the eggs poach in a green, garam masala–scented spinach base, with paneer if you like.

Prep
8 min
Cook
20 min
Total
28 min
Serves
2
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VegetarianGluten-freeStovetop

Shakshuka and saag want the same thing: a thick, well-seasoned sauce that eggs can sink into. Swapping the tomatoes for spinach cooked down with onion, ginger, garlic, cumin and garam masala gives you something greener and earthier, and a single chopped tomato keeps a little brightness in the background. Frozen spinach works here as well as fresh, and arguably better on a weeknight.

Paneer is optional but worth it. Cubes seared in the pan first stay squeaky and golden, then get tucked back in around the eggs. Scoop it all up with warm naan or toast and call it dinner, because it is.

The recipe

Saag Shakshuka (Eggs Poached in Spiced Spinach)

Prep 8 min · Cook 20 min · Total 28 min · Serves 2

Ingredients

Tap to tick off as you go.

For the saag

To finish

Method

  1. Step 1: Sear the paneer

    If using paneer, heat the ghee in a 10- or 12-inch skillet with a lid over medium-high. Sear the cubes for 3–4 minutes, turning, until golden on a few sides. Lift out onto a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

  2. Step 2: Build the base

    Lower the heat to medium. Cook the onion with a pinch of the salt for 5 minutes until soft and starting to color. Add the ginger, garlic and chili for 1 minute, then the cumin, garam masala and turmeric for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

  3. Step 3: Cook down the spinach

    Add the tomato, spinach, water and remaining salt. Simmer for 4–5 minutes, stirring and mashing with the spoon, until thick enough that a spoon dragged through leaves a clear trail. Stir in the cream or yogurt off the heat if using, then taste for salt.

  4. Step 4: Poach the eggs

    Make 4 wells with the back of a spoon and crack an egg into each. Tuck the paneer around them. Cover and cook over medium-low for 5–7 minutes, until the whites are fully set and the yolks still jiggle.

  5. Step 5: Finish and serve

    Scatter with cilantro and serve straight from the pan with lemon wedges and warm naan or toast for scooping.

Good to know

  • Squeeze frozen spinach hard in a clean towel. Leftover water makes a loose base, and the eggs will spread instead of sitting in their wells.
  • If the whites are setting slower than the yolks, spoon a little of the hot spinach over the whites, not the yolks, and put the lid back on.
  • Add the yogurt off the heat; boiled yogurt splits into grainy curds.

Swaps

Paneer
Halloumi or extra-firm tofu cubes, seared the same way
Spinach
Half spinach and half kale or mustard greens; chop the kale fine and give it 2 extra minutes
Ghee and cream
Make it dairy-free: neutral oil and a splash of coconut milk, and skip the paneer

Questions people ask

What is saag shakshuka?

It’s shakshuka with an Indian saag base: eggs poached in spinach cooked with onion, ginger, garlic and spices instead of the usual tomato and pepper sauce.

Can I use frozen spinach for saag?

Yes. Thaw it and squeeze out as much water as you can; 10 ounces of frozen spinach is roughly equal to 1 pound of fresh.

How do you know when shakshuka eggs are done?

The whites should be opaque all the way to the yolk with no clear, glossy patches, while the yolk still wobbles when you shake the pan. That usually takes 5–7 minutes covered.

Get the spinach, onion and ginger from a farmer.

This recipe is only as good as what goes in it. Find a farmers market or CSA farm near you, or get a produce box delivered when there’s no market this week.

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