Peppery, pungent and deeply nutritious, Punjabi Sarson ka Saag (or sarson da saag) is a favourite in the course of the chilly North Indian winters, particularly when paired with Makki Ki Roti. Making this genuine dish isn’t laborious, but it surely does take a while. When you style how vibrantly creamy and scrumptious it’s, you received’t thoughts the work!

About Sarson Ka Saag
Sarson is the Hindi/Punjabi phrase for mustard and saag means greens; thus, this recipe is for the normal Indian preparation of mustard greens. Different variations of saag embrace: Palak Saag (spinach greens), bathua saag, or Chane ka Saag (chickpea greens).
Sarson ka saag is a sort of curry, so it’s creamy, saucy and easily addictive. Historically, it’s served with an unleavened corn-based flatbread often known as Makki di Roti, although it will also be served with Paratha and steamed basmati rice.
This sarson ka saag recipe is a labor of affection, requiring each time and persistence. Sadly, there isn’t any shortcut technique for making this dish; you’ll have to type the greens, then wash, chop, and prepare dinner them earlier than mixing them, after which you’ll have to prepare dinner them once more. It’s a labor-intensive course of, however not one of the steps are tough.
Whereas I’m conscious that everybody desires their curry in a rush these days, should you actually need to savor the style of an genuine sarson da saag then you definitely’ll have to speculate a while in getting ready it.
The sarson ka saag recipe may be very straightforward, however does take plenty of time to make; as such I like to interrupt up the steps over the course of some days. Often, I clear the greens someday earlier than and maintain them within the fridge in hermetic containers so half of the work is over. Making the saag the next day makes it really feel a lot simpler.
At residence, we usually use 5 completely different leafy inexperienced greens to make the saag. They’re:
- Mustard Greens (sarson)
- Chenopodium/ Goosefoot leaves (known as bathua in Hindi)
- Spinach (palak)
- White Radish Root and Greens (mooli)
- Fenugreek (methi)
You may see all of the greens (apart from methi) within the photograph beneath.

The predominant taste on this saag recipe comes from the spicy, bitter mustard greens. The presence of spinach, bathua, and radish helps to reduce the bitterness of the mustard and methi so you find yourself with a creamy, mellow saag that’s merely bursting with taste.
Winter is the season for each mustard and bathua right here in India. Sarson ka saag is subsequently thought of a cold-weather dish in North India, particularly in Punjab from the place this conventional recipe comes from.
The sarson da saag is often topped with Homemade Butter and served with makki ki roti (flat breads from maize flour); this meal isn’t solely comforting but in addition serves to heat up the palate and physique.
With all the darkish, leafy greens, sarson ka saag is a bowlful of antioxidants and phytonutrients, in order that further topping of butter is alright. The saag can also be often served with an accompaniment of sliced or chopped onions and a few inexperienced chilies for some further piquancy.

As a result of it is a time-intensive recipe, I all the time make sarson ka saag in bulk and maintain it within the fridge. Then, after I have to serve it, all I’ve to do is mood the saag after which take pleasure in!
From what I’ve noticed, the style of the saag improves after a few day; all the flavors meld because it ages. Mine often doesn’t final for greater than 4 to five days, after which you may freeze any leftovers.
Saag Proportions
The recipe I current right here is the normal manner we make saag at residence. The proportion of bathua to spinach and mustard is 1:1:2. So for instance, in case you are utilizing 1 entire bunch of mustard leaves then use a ½ bunch of bathua and a ½ bunch of spinach.
It’s also possible to think about using this ratio in cup measurement. Instance for two cups of mustard greens use one cup every of spinach and bathua. Notice that you may simply improve or lower this ratio proportionately.
The opposite two greens – radish and fenugreek – are added utilizing the Indian technique of andaaz, which implies we simply eyeball it. Fenugreek is elective, although I really like the flavour and well being advantages it brings to this cozy winter meal.
This sarson ka saag recipe makes roughly 8 to 9 servings, however it may be simply halved or doubled.
Step-by-Step Information
Easy methods to make Sarson ka Saag
Prep, chop and clear all of the greens
1: Take away the decrease finish of the mustard appears only a few centimeters from the bottom. The mustard stems might be powerful, so it’s as much as you whether or not you need to discard the stems or maintain them. Should you maintain them, then they need to be cooked rather well in order that they grow to be delicate.
Type and prep the remaining greens as properly – spinach, bathua, fenugreek leaves. For the radish, type the leaves and peel, chop the foundation.
If prepping forward a day earlier, refrigerate the greens and the radish root in ziplock luggage or air-tight containers for a day.
You will want:
- 1 bunch of mustard greens – cleaned & sorted
- ½ bunch of bathua or a small bunch
- ½ bunch of spinach or a small to medium-sized bunch
- 1 cup chopped tender radish greens
- 1 cup fenugreek leaves – elective
- 3 to 4 inches white radish root

Wash Greens
2: That is maybe probably the most time-intensive a part of the method. You need to actually wash the greens – particularly the mustard greens – to eliminate the mud clinging to the stems. Relying on the scale of your sink, it’s possible you’ll want to do that job in batches.
Notice that the prep up so far might be completed as much as 1 to 2 days prematurely; maintain the prepped greens within the fridge till you’re able to rinse the greens after which make the saag. Don’t rinse the greens and retailer them within the fridge – they may rot.

Stress Cook dinner
3: Add the greens to a 5 or 6 litre stove-top stress cooker.

4: Add the opposite veggies – peeled and chopped radish root (2 to three inches), 1 cup chopped onions, 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes, 2 inches ginger (chopped) and seven to eight medium-sized garlic (chopped).

5: Season the greens utilizing 2 inexperienced chilies (chopped), ½ teaspoon pink chili powder, 2 to three pinches asafoetida (hing) & salt as wanted.

6: Add 2 to three cups water.

7: Cowl and stress prepare dinner for six to 7 minutes on medium-high warmth, or till the greens grow to be delicate. Anticipate the stress to fall naturally within the cooker after which solely open the lid.
It’s also possible to prepare dinner in a pan, although it is going to take longer. Cowl and let the greens prepare dinner until they grow to be delicate.

8: Let the stress settle naturally within the cooker. While you open the lid, you will notice the greens, onions, tomatoes and so on all have cooked properly. Let the greens combination cool to room temperature.

Mix The Greens
9: Add among the greens and their cooking liquid to the bottom of a blender.

10: Add 2 tablespoons of maize flour (superb cornmeal).

11: Working in batches, mix to your most popular consistency. I often make a clean puree, however some of us like a coarser texture.
It’s also possible to use a hand blender to reduce the variety of dishes. If doing so, then chop the greens earlier than you stress prepare dinner them to make them simpler to mix. The normal manner is to make use of a Madani (Indian hand blender) to mix the greens.

Cook dinner Once more
12: Pour the greens purée in a deep-sided pot, as it is going to bubble and splutter. It’s also possible to add it to the identical cooker.

13: Simmer for 25 to half-hour. Stir often in order that the sarson da saag doesn’t follow the underside of the pan. Verify the seasonings and add extra salt if required.
As soon as cooled, the saag might be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for 4 to five days.

Make Tempering
14: The saag isn’t able to be served but – we nonetheless need to mood it. We all the time mood the saag with onions, however you too can add some ginger, inexperienced chilies and tomatoes together with the onions. Warmth oil or ghee and add aromatics.
The quantity of oil/ghee and onions to be added will depend on the parts of saag you can be serving. For 3 servings, 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil with 1 medium-sized onion (about one-third cup finely chopped onions) is about proper.

15: Evenly brown the onions.

16: Add about 2 cups of the cooked sarson ka saag to the tempering. Simmer for a couple of minutes till the saag turns into scorching.

17: Serve the new sarson ka saag right away, ideally with makki di roti and some jaggery cubes by the aspect – nothing beats this mixture. It’s also possible to serve sarson da saag with paratha and steamed rice.
Pair this meal mixture of the saag and makki ki roti with a aspect of freshly chopped onions and inexperienced chilies should you like.

FAQs
You may simply skip it, or be at liberty so as to add in additional spinach. Please notice that bathua is also referred to as chenopodium album, melde, lamb’s quarters, goosefoot or fat-hen.
White radish root – also referred to as daikon – is a scrumptious vegetable. If you’re unable to acquire it, I recommend substituting white turnips or common pink radishes as a substitute.
Maize flour – which is named superb cornmeal within the US – might be substituted with besan (gram flour), chickpea flour, or rice flour should you choose. The aim of this ingredient is to behave as a thickener, in addition to to tone down the bitterness of the mustard greens.
In case your sarson greens are bitter, I recommend that you simply scale back the quantity that you simply use and improve the quantity of spinach proportionally.
Alternatively, you are able to do as my mother-in-law used to and eliminate the cooking water from the greens; I don’t choose to do that since you lose out on among the vitamins, but it surely ought to lower the quantity of bitterness you style.
I recommend you employ it inside 4 to five days. It’s also possible to freeze any leftovers for as much as 1 month. To serve from frozen, defrost, reheat after which add the tempering.
Sure! As long as you retain the proportions the identical, you may both halve the recipe or double/triple it as wanted.
Extra Punjabi Delicacies!
Paneer Recipes
Palak Recipes (Spinach Recipes)
Okra Recipes
Vegan Recipes
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Sarson ka Saag (Genuine Punjabi Model)
The mixture of sarson ka saag topped with butter and served with makki ki roti style too good and is a winter staple in North India.
Prep Time 2 hrs
Cook dinner Time 2 hrs
Complete Time 4 hrs
Tempering saag for 3 servings
Forestall your display from going darkish whereas making the recipe
Making sarson ka saag
Firstly clear and chop all of the greens. Then wash or rinse the greens very properly in operating water.
In a 5 litre stovetop stress cooker or pan add all of the substances listed underneath “for sarson ka saag” aside from maize flour.
Cowl the stress prepare dinner and prepare dinner for six to 7 minutes or extra on medium-high warmth.
If cooking in a pan, then cowl and let the greens prepare dinner until tender and softened. Do test often.
Pour the greens together with the inventory and maize flour in a blender. Mix until clean.
In one other deep pan or in the identical cooker, pour the pureed greens.
Simmer for 25 to half-hour on a low warmth stirring at intervals.
Tempering for sarson da saag
In one other small pan, warmth oil. Use any impartial oil. It’s also possible to make the tempering with ghee should you choose.
Add the chopped onions and saute them until gentle brown on medium-low warmth.
Add the ready saag. Stir and simmer for a few minutes.
Stir ocaasionally when the saag is simmering.
Storage
Retailer the pureed and simmered saag in an hermetic container for 4 to five days within the refrigerarot. It’s also possible to freeze it for a month.
When able to serve, take away the amount you want from the fridge and mood it with the required amout of oil and onions.
- Greens: Be happy to skip fenugreek leaves and bathua leaves and add in some extra spinach. It’s also possible to add pink radish or turnips if you don’t get white radish. For the radish leaves, use tender leaves and never stringy ones.
- Proportions of Greens: Use the proportion 1:1:2 for bathua, spinach and mustard greens respectively. Example, should you use 1 entire bunch of mustard leaves then use ½ bunch of bathua and ½ bunch of spinach. It’s also possible to choose to make use of this ratio in cup measurement. Instance for two cups of mustard greens use one cup every of spinach and bathua. Notice that you may simply improve or lower this ratio proportionately.
- Maize Flour: Swap maize flour with gram flour, rice flour or chickpea flour.
- Bitter Mustard Greens: If in case your mustard greens are bitter, I like to recommend that you simply scale back the quantity that you simply use and improve the quantity of spinach proportionally. Alternatively, you too can eliminate the cooking water. I don’t choose to do that since you lose out on among the vitamins, but it surely ought to lower the quantity of bitterness within the saag.
- Immediate Pot Sarson ka Saag: Simply prepare dinner the saag within the Immediate Pot. Add 2 cups water to the chopped greens, aromatics, tomatoes, spices and seasonings and stress prepare dinner on excessive mode for five minutes. Wait for five minutes after the cooking is full after which do a fast stress launch. Let this combination cool after which mix to a superb consistency with the maize flour (superb cornmeal) utilizing an immersion blender. Press the saute button and saute for 3 to five minutes on regular mode till the saag thickens. Then comply with the strategy of tempering saag in a frying pan or skillet.
- Scale: Preserve the proportions the identical, you may both halve the recipe or double or triple it as required.
- Gluten-free: Omit asafoetida to make the saag gluten-free.
- Notice that the approximate vitamin information is for the saag solely with out the sauteing of the onions in oil.
Vitamin Details
Sarson ka Saag (Genuine Punjabi Model)
Quantity Per Serving
Energy 59 Energy from Fats 9
% Each day Worth*
Fats 1g2%
Saturated Fats 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fats 1g
Monounsaturated Fats 1g
Sodium 385mg17%
Potassium 142mg4%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 321IU6%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 36mg44%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin Ok 4µg4%
Calcium 112mg11%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 10µg3%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 18mg5%
Phosphorus 62mg6%
Zinc 1mg7%
* % Each day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight loss program.
This sarson ka saag recipe publish from the archives, initially revealed in December 2012 has been up to date and republished on 12 December 2021.
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