Sarson ka saag is a Northern Indian winter specialty. Mustard greens, a few other greens, and spices are used to make it. Sarson ka saag goes well along with makke ki roti.
About Sarson ka Saag Recipe:
Sarson ka saag is one of the famous recipes in Punjab during winter. Sarson ka Saag plays an important role in Punjabi Cuisine. It has a unique taste and a unique flavor which makes it a special dish among other Indian dishes.
That is why the state of Punjab is known for its love of this dish.
No doubt that Sarson ka Saag also known as “Sarson da saag” is a very famous and popular dish of North India. But its demand is not limited to the food lovers of North India. It is also loved in other parts of India like South and East India.
Sarson ka saag is also known as mustard greens. It is a leafy green vegetable. It has a mild mustardy taste which turns bitter when cooked in excess hence people use bathua saag, which helps to lessen the bitterness of the mustard.
As a result, you have a creamy, mellow saag that is overflowing with flavor.
You’re probably thinking why you’d want to add other greens to make Sarson ka saag, right? So let me tell you that the other greens, such as Bathua or Palak, decrease the bitterness of mustard leaves while adding their flavor. But in case you don’t have any of these greens on hand, you can always use another.
Today in this recipe I have used the combination of three leaves which are mustard leaves, palak, and methi.
Sarson ka saag is a simple dish that can be made at home, with minimal ingredients. You don’t want to add more spices to it. All you need to ensure is that you use more ginger and garlic to it, which gives a great aromatic flavor to it.
Every household has its recipe for this popular Sarson da Saag. Similarly, I have my personal preference, so I have used methi leaves too. And believe me, whoever had this Saag just loved it.
The green leaves puree is traditionally made without the use of a blender or mixer. It’s mashed with a wooden masher called Mathani and the process is called ‘Ghotna’ until it’s coarse. You can, however, blend it if you’re in a hurry. Today, in this recipe I have used mathani to blend this saag.
This post will be very useful for those who live outside Punjab and want to enjoy the taste of Punjabi food. So let’s learn some tips and tricks to make these delicacies from scratch in this recipe.
Serving Suggestions:
Traditionally Sarson ka saag is served along with makke ki roti, but it can also be served with any Indian bread and tastes just as good. Do not forget to serve some white butter, jaggery, radish, and onion along with it. I like to have some fried red chili too along with this combo.
Storing suggestions:
When stored in an airtight container, Sarson Ka Saag will last for approximately a week in the fridge. If you’re making a large batch, I’d recommend tempering only the amount you’ll be serving.
Make sure you only reheat the amount you want to serve and you use fresh tadka each time. Also, make sure the container is properly closed after each usage. You may reheat it in the microwave or a pan as per your wish. If you think it’s getting dry, add a splash of water and reheat it well.
Why you Should Make this Recipe:
Sarson ka saag is prepared from mustard leaves, which are highly nutritious and contain many vitamins and minerals. Apart from being a popular dish, the consumption of saag is also believed to be beneficial for those who have heart problems. Apart from this Sarson ka saag is,
- Delicious
- Iron-rich
- A Perfect Winter dish
Looking for some more recipes to try this Winter?
Check out some of the dessert recipes you must try this winter. These recipes are delicious and yummy.
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Basic Ingredients used to make this Recipe:
There is abundant availability of Sarson ka saag in the markets now as this is the season. So get your hands on some Sarson Saag and prepare it for your weekend lunch and enjoy homemade Sarson ka saag and makke ki roti along with your family.
Apart from this, you would need some basic ingredients easily available in your kitchen.
Greens: Here, I have used a mix of spinach, fenugreek leaves, and of course, mustard leaves. While mustard leaves are a must, you can always skip one or two other greens in this recipe if you can’t find them. Or you can skip other greens completely and make this saag with sarson leaves only, in case you like the bitter taste.
Makki ka atta: Makki Ka Atta, also known as Corn Meal, thickens the Saag and gives a nice texture. Simply combine it with a little water and mix it with the cooked greens.
To temper: – We would need ghee to temper sarson ka saag, and we would also need whole garlic, hing, whole green chili red chili.
Others: – Since we don’t use much spice in this recipe. So to bring flavor to the Saag, we will also need ginger, garlic, green chilies, and red chili.
Sarson ka saag
Ingredients
To cook Saag
- 500 gm Mustard leaves/Sarson ka saag
- 250 gm Spinach/palak
- 250 gm Fenugreek leaves/methi
- 1 tbsp Garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Ginger finely chopped
- 3 – Green chilli finely chopped
- 2-3 tsp Maize flour
For Tadka
- 1 cup Onion chopped
- 2 Green chilli chopped
- 1 inch Ginger chopped
- 5-6 pods Garlic chopped
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- Salt to taste
For extra flavor
- 1-2 tbsp Ghee
- a pinch – Asafoetida
- 2-3 Green chilli slit
- 2-3 Dry red chilli
- 8-10 pods Garlic cut into halves, lenthwise
Instructions
How to cook greens
- Clean wash and roughly chop the leaves.
- In a pressure cooker add chopped sarson, palak and methi leaves.
- Add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilli. Give it a nice mix.
- Add salt and little water, cover and cook on medium flame until one whistle.
- Once done let the steam release completely on it’s own. And then open the lid.
- Now slightly cover and cook again for an hour mashing saag using a mathani after every 10 minutes, until it is well cooked.
- If you see that there is no water left in the saag then you can heat water and add as per your requirement.
- Cook saag till it gets well cooked and mashed well.
- Now add makki ka aata and little boiling water.Give it a nice mix.
- Cook for 5 to 10 minutes more, mashing in between.
- Now heat desi ghee in a pan.
- Add one roughly chopped onion.Fry until golden brown.
- Then add 2 chopped green chilli, garlic, ginger and salt.
- Add little coriander powder, fry until the raw smell of coriander powder goes off.
- Now add the mashed saag at this point and give it a nice mix.
For Tempering:
- Heat Ghee in a tadka pan,
- Add hing, green chill, dry red chilli and garlic pods and fry for few seconds.
- Now pour this tadka over the saag.
- Top with some butter or ghee and serve Sarson ka Saag with Makki ki Roti.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions:
How to clean the saag?
Cleaning mustard stems can be tough. So discard them and keep only the leaves. Fill up a large container with water. Allow the greens to soak for 2-3 minutes in water to remove any impurities.
After that, gently remove the greens and dump the water that contains the impurities. Repeat this process at least three to four times more till you have clean water. Now is the time to use the greens. This is something I like to practice a day in advance. When I’m ready to make saag, it saves me a lot of time.
How to cut Greens?
Some people grind their saag, while others simply simmer the greens. You don’t need to cut the greens if you’re grinding the saag after it’s been cooked.
However, if you don’t want to ground the greens, finely chop them. And yes, to keep the taste and nutrients in the greens as much as possible, wash them first and then chop them.
Can we make Sarson Da Saag without spinach?
Sarson ka Saag uses a variety of greens, with Mustard Greens being the most prominent. The bitterness of mustard leaves is balanced by spinach and bathua.
If you want a bitter taste, you can substitute the two or even skip them out altogether.
Is there a substitute for maize flour? What is it used for?
If you want, you can replace it with besan (gram flour), chickpea flour, or rice flour. This component serves as a thickening and a bitterness reducer for mustard greens.
Is there any way to make the sarson ka saag less bitter?
If your sarson greens are bitter, I recommend cutting back on the amount and increasing the spinach accordingly.
What can I substitute for bathua?
You can just skip it, or feel free to add in more spinach.
Is saag good for pregnancy?
Sarson ka Saag is completely safe to consume throughout pregnancy. Mustard greens are high in minerals and iron, which helps to maintain a healthy hemoglobin level. But I would still recommend that you first check with your doctor.
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Happy Cooking!!!
