Sarsoan ka Saag
Sarsoan ka saag is a classic North Indian dish that brings together hearty greens, rich aromatics and comforting flavours. Paired with makki ki roti and a refreshing tangy salad, this meal is a winter staple that satisfies both your soul and your taste buds!
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Why you'll love my Sarsoan ka Saag recipe?
Customisable Greens: You don’t need to stick to my preference of mustard greens, spinach and methi (fenugreek). Feel free to combine any greens of your choice, bathua (goosefoot) and radish leaves also makes great additions!
Packed with Flavour: I’m not usually a fan of winter greens but when cooked with plenty of garlic, ginger and chillies: the bitterness transforms into a deliciously creamy balanced dish. Pair it with a tangy salad and you have a meal that’s balanced in both flavour and texture.
Perfect Texture: Blending the greens makes the gravy smooth so I add onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger to bring back texture to the dish. This is essential because unlike palak paneer (where paneer chunks provide texture) sarsoan ka saag relies on aromatics for that balance.
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What you need to make this delicious Sarsoan ka Saag:
- Winter Greens: I used a mixture of mustard greens, spinach and methi. These greens form the base of the saag, giving it its earthy, hearty flavour and creamy texture when blended. You can also experiment with other greens like bathua!
- Spices and aromatics: Garlic, ginger and green chillies add lots of flavour and help disguise the bitterness of the greens. Turmeric adds colour and brightens the green, coriander powder adds depth and salt ties everything together. Cumin seeds, bay leaf, dried red chillies and hing are used in the tempering and make the dish fragrant and flavourful.
- Ghee: Used for tempering, it adds richness and aroma.
- Onions and tomatoes: These are added to the gravy to bring in more flavour and texture to the dish.
- Makki flour: This thickens the saag and gives it a hearty texture.
- Butter: Optional, but a small teaspoon of it on top gives it life! it makes the dish more indulgent and rich.
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Step by Step: Instructions to make this dish
1. Cook the Greens
Wash the greens thoroughly. Combine mustard greens, spinach, methi, garlic, ginger, green chillies, turmeric, salt and water in a pressure cooker.
Cook for 3 whistles on low flame and then let it cool slightly.
Blend the cooked greens into a smooth puree using the same water you boiled them in.
2. Prepare the Tadka
Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, dried red chillies and hing. Let the seeds crackle.
Add chopped garlic, ginger and onions. Sauté until the onions turn golden brown.
3. Make the Gravy
Add in the chopped tomatoes and season with salt, turmeric and coriander powder.
Cook until the tomatoes soften and become mushy.
4. Thicken and Combine
Add makki atta to the softened aromatics and cook for 3–4 minutes to remove the raw taste.
Pour in the blended greens puree and mix well.
5. Simmer with Patience
Cover and cook the saag on low heat for atleast 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency.
6. Serve
- Top with a dollop of butter and serve hot with makki ki roti and a fresh tangy salad.
Note:
- You can use any greens you like instead of sticking to mustard greens, spinach and methi. Greens like bathua and radish leaves are great alternatives (+ great additions)
- Adding plenty of aromatics like garlic, ginger, onions and chillies makes the dish flavourful and helps mask the bitterness of the greens.
- Makki ka atta not only thickens the saag but also adds a rustic touch, so don’t skip it.
- Blending the greens makes the gravy smooth, so adding onions, tomatoes and more aromatics brings texture back into the dish.
- For a more indulgent version, top with extra butter while serving.
- You don’t need a pressure cooker to make this dish. Simply boil the greens in any cooking vessel you have until they are completely wilted and the aromatics are soft enough to blend easily.
Sarsoan ka Saag
Sarsoan ka saag is a classic North Indian dish that brings together hearty greens, rich aromatics and comforting flavours. Paired with makki ki roti and a refreshing tangy salad, this meal is a winter staple that satisfies both your soul and your taste buds!
servings
4
prep time
10 min
cook time
45 min
Ingredients
Pressure Cooking the Saag
- 1 bunch mustard greens (250g)
- 1 bunch spinach (250g)
- 1/2 bunch methi (100g - 150g)
- 1/4 cup garlic (you can reduce to around 7-11 cloves)
- 2 inch ginger
- 4-5 green chilies
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- salt
- 1 cup water
Tadka: Tempering the Saag
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 dried red chilies
- 1/4 tsp hing
- 7 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 inch ginger, chopped
- 2 red onions, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 2 tbsp makki flour
- blended puree
Garnish
- salted butter (traditionally, unsalted white butter is used for topping but I prefer salted)
Instructions:
- Pressure cook mustard greens, spinach, methi, garlic, ginger, green chillies, turmeric and salt with 1 cup of water for 3 whistles. Let cool and blend into a smooth puree.
- In a pan, heat ghee and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, dried red chillies and hing. Sauté for a few seconds.
- Add garlic, ginger and onions and cook until onions are golden brown.
- Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric and coriander powder. Cook until tomatoes soften.
- Stir in makki flour and cook for 3–4 minutes.
- Add blended greens, mix and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the gravy thickens.
- Serve topped with butter with makki ki roti and a tangy salad.
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