Classic recipes are always so revitalizing! Peppery, pungent and nutritious, Sarson ka Saag is a favourite during the cold North Indian winters, especially when paired with makki ki roti. If you are looking for an easy recipe, I will remind you there are no shortcuts to the classics. This recipe is labour-intensive, but the result makes it worth all the effort.
The best part of this dish is that you can make it in large batches and store it for later use. Take a portion of the required amount of saag, give a nice tadka(tempering), and it is ready to serve.
Table of Contents:
1. About the recipe
2. Ingredients
3. Step-by-step method
4. Tips
1. About the recipe
Sarson is the Hindi name for mustard greens, and saag means pureed leaves. There are many variations to the quantities and components of this recipe. The ratio for making this recipe is 2:1:1, with 2 parts mustard greens,1 part spinach leaves,1 part bathua leaves and a few sprigs of methi leaves blended to form this Desi Delicacy.
You will need to sort the greens, chop them, then wash and cook them before blending them, after which you’ll need to cook them again. You can clean the greens one day before and keep them in the fridge in an airtight container so half the work is done. Making the saag the next day makes it much easier.
The predominant flavour of this saag recipe comes from the mustard leaves. The addition of spinach and bathua leaves helps to lessen the bitterness of the mustard and methi leaves. The original flavour of this dish is achieved when it is cooked in ghee or butter( vegans may avoid). The Sarson ka saag is usually topped with butter. With all of the dark, leafy greens, sarson ka saag is a bowlful of antioxidants and phytonutrients, so the extra topping is right.🤗
Why you will love this Sarson ka Saag
- Rich, Creamy and irresistibly delicious.
- Super healthy and wholesome.
- Packed with vitamins and minerals.
- Perfect make-ahead recipe.
- Vegetarian and gluten-free can be turned into vegan, too.
- Budget-friendly recipe
Let’s start cooking!
Serving Suggestions: 4 to 5
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
2. Ingredients
Blanch leafy greens
- 500 gm green mustard leaves
- 250 gm spinach leaves
- 250 gm bathua leaves
- A few sprigs of methi leaves
For the Saag
- 2 tablespoons of ghee
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of sliced ginger
- 1 tablespoon of sliced garlic
- 2 green chilli finely chopped
- 2 medium size tomatoes chopped
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder
- 1 tablespoon of Makki ka atta
For Tadka ( Tempering)
- 3 tablespoons of ghee
- 2 whole red chilli
- ½ teaspoon of hing powder (asafoetida)
- ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 1 medium garlic peeled and sliced
3. Step by Step method
- Pluck the spinach, bathua and methi leaves from their stems and set them in a bowl.
- For mustard leaves, roughly chop the leaves into smaller pieces. The mustard stems can be tough, so it is up to you whether you want to discard or keep them. If you keep them, they must be cooked well to become soft.
- Transfer the leaves into a big bowl. Fill it up with water and salt. Soak the leaves in the salty water for 2 to 3 minutes. This will help settle all the dirt at the bottom of the bowl.
- Carefully lift all the leaves from the top of the bowl and transfer them to a clean bowl. Discard the dirty water in which leaves were soaked. Now wash the leaves in running water for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the clean green leaves onto a kitchen towel to remove excess water.
Blanching of the leaves
- Boil water in a large pot on a high flame, and add green leaves to the pot. (For Pressure Cook, add the greens to a 5 to 6-litre stove top pressure cooker. Cover and pressure cook for 6 to 7 minutes on medium flame). Pan cooking will take longer in comparison to the pressure cooker.
- Blanch for 3 minutes. Then, transfer the leaves to a bowl of ice water. Let the greens sit in ice water for a few minutes, then drain.
- In a kadhai or large pan, add ghee on medium flame. Add chopped onions, ginger and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes and cook until soft and tender. Add chopped green chillies, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, and coriander powder. Saute all the ingredients very well.
- Now add blanched Saag. Stir well to combine. Cook Saag for 2 to 3 minutes on medium flame.
Blend the Green
- Add some of the Saag and their cooking liquid to the base of a blender.
- Blend the saag into a smooth puree. Blend into 2 to 3 batches. You can also use the hand blender to minimise the number of dishes.
Cook the Pureed Sarson ka Saag.
- Transfer Saag to another pot on medium flame.
- Add 2 tablespoons of maize flour to the saag mixture.
- Set the heat to low and let the saag simmer on low flame for 20 to 30 minutes. It will thicken as it simmers.
For Tempering
- For the final tadka(tempering), heat a small pan on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add ghee and hing, dry whole red chilli, cumin seeds, and chopped garlic slices. Saute for a few seconds.
- Cook until the garlic turns light golden brown.
- Transfer the tadka/tempering to the Saag and mix.
- Serve Sarson ka Saag with Makki ki Roti, sliced onions, jaggery and ghee! YUM! You can also serve Sarson ka Saag with Paratha or plain rice.
4. Tips
- Makki ka atta or Maize flour can be substituted with besan (gram flour), chickpea flour or rice flour. The purpose of this ingredient is to act as a thickener and tone down the bitterness of the mustard leaves.
- You can freeze Sarson ka Saag for up to 1 month. To serve from frozen defrost, reheat and then add the tempering.
- Blanching is important for this recipe as it cleanses the leaves’ outer surface and helps stabilize the colour of the leafy green vegetables while protecting their flavour and texture.
