Sarson ka Saag

Sarson ka saag or sarson da saag is a wonderful mix of mustard greens and three other leafy greens with a tadka (tempering) of onions and garlic in ghee. Serve with makki ki roti (maize flour flatbread) for an authentic and absolutely delightful vegetarian Punjabi meal.

Course Brunch/Dinner

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Indian vegetarian curry, sarson ka saag

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 105kcal

Author Saima Zaidi

Equipment

Colander
Saucepan or Instant Pot
Immersion blender OR stand blender
Small frypan

Ingredients

Saag Ingredients

16 oz. mustard greens or sarson, 2 bunches
8 oz. spinach or palak, 1 bunch
8 oz. lambsquarters or bathua, 1 bunch
8 oz. fresh fenugreek leaves or methi, 1 bunch
5 cloves garlic peeled and chopped roughly
1 inch ginger peeled and chopped roughly
2 green chilli peppers chopped roughly
½ tsp sea salt
¼ cup maize flour

Tadka (Tempering Ingredients)

2 tbsp ghee
¼ cup red onions sliced
2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparation

Wash the greens in a colander under running water, one bunch at a time. Remove the stalks and stems and discard. Chop the greens roughly.

Cooking (Stovetop)

Keep a big saucepan or dutch oven on medium heat on the hob and pour ½ cup water in it. Add all the greens, garlic, ginger, green chilli peppers, and sea salt. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until the leaves wilt and soften and most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir the saag frequently so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the saucepan.

Cooking (Instant Pot)

Pour ¼ cup water to the steel insert of your instant pot and add all the greens, garlic, ginger, green chilli peppers, and sea salt. Secure the lid, make sure the steam release vent is sealed and press the pressure cooking button (high). Set the timer to 5 minutes and walk away. Once the timer beeps, wait for 10 minutes before opening the pot.

Pureeing

When the saag has cooled down a bit, transfer the saag to a blender and blend coarsely. Don't make a very fine puree as you want some texture in the saag. Then, put it back in the pot that you cooked it in. You can use an immersion blender if you don't want to wait for the saag to cool down or transfer it to a stand blender.

Add the maize flour

After pureeing the saag, add the maize flour and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring all the time. The saag will thicken with the addition of the flour. Add some water to loosen it and cook it again for 1 or 2 minutes more. (Instant pot users - sauté mode, normal)

Tadka (Tempering)

Heat the ghee in a small frypan and add the sliced onions and one or two cloves chopped garlic. Fry until golden brown and add chilli flakes if using. Pour the ghee over the saag carefully. Sarson ka saag is ready to be served.

Notes

The greens and maize flour can be found in most Indian groceries. Do call ahead to confirm availability before you make a trip.
Substitutions: the mustard greens can be subbed with rapini or broccoli rabe if you can't find the former. Chickpea flour (besan) can be used instead of maize flour and butter instead of ghee.
Try to get rid of as many stalks and stems as you can after washing the greens. It can be a little time consuming to pluck the leaves, but the taste is better when only the leaves are cooked minus the stems.

Nutrition