The best part of making this dish is that you can make it in a large batch and store it for later use. Just take a portion of the saag required for a meal and give it an excellent tempering, and it is ready to devour. What’s more? This dish contains vitamins, minerals, and fiber associated with various health benefits and immunity-boosting properties. So, once you indulge in this delicious Sarson Ka Saag, I am sure you will keep coming back for more. It is a blend of leafy winter greens that creates a creamy and enticingly flavorful dish that warms the belly and comforts the soul! Sarson is the Hindi name for mustard greens, and saag means pureed leafy greens. Hence, it is named so. There are many variations to the quantities and components of this recipe, but the one I am sharing here is the typical Punjabi Sarso da saag, right from the pind (village) kitchen! This recipe pairs best with Makki ki roti and a dollop of white butter, with Gajar-shalgam pickle by the side. It’s like a match made in heaven!
Creamy, flavorsome, and irresistibly delicious Healthy and satisfying dish Easy recipe, though a little effortful and time-consuming Packed with vitamins and minerals Perfect make-ahead recipe Easy to scale up or down
The best part is that this gluten-free and vegetarian recipe can be turned into vegan too!
Ghee — Ghee or clarified butter adds an authentic taste of Punjabi Sarso da Saag to this recipe. You can use homemade ghee or store-bought one for preparing this recipe. But do not swap ghee with oil, or the recipe will lose its essence. Onions — The onions render a sweet and spicy flavor to the Punjabi saag. Ginger/ Garlic — Ginger and garlic play the ultimate taste enhancers that intensify the overall flavor of the Sarson ka saag. A must-add ingredient for this recipe. Radish/ Broccoli — These are added to the recipe for more flavor and texture. Green Chillies — Add these for hotness and the necessary spiciness because the saag tastes somewhat bland. Salt — For seasoning the saag. Turmeric — Added to the saag for a beautiful darker tinge. Asafoetida —Hing/ asafoetida adds more flavor to the recipe and aids digestion. Cumin seeds — Added to the tempering for more flavor. Dried red chilies — These dried whole red chilies make the dish spicier and uplift the aesthetics. Kashmiri Red chili powder — This adds beautiful color to the Instant Pot sarson ka Saag. Makki ka atta — Cornmeal roux is added to the recipe to strengthen its consistency. When added to this dish, roasted Makki ka atta enhances its overall flavor. To save time — Making the Sarson ka saag is quite time-consuming, so to make it a little convenient, you can break up the steps and cover the process over a few days. Clean the leafy greens, blanch them a day in advance, and store them in the fridge. The next day, blend it, add the tempering, and serve the mouth-watering Sarson Ka Saag with Makki ki roti. Chop the greens for a quick prep — You can chop them before boiling them for a quick preparation. Chopping mustard greens is preferable as the leaves are large and take more time to cook. However, you may add the spinach and fenugreek (methi) leaves as is because they wilt quickly in boiling water and, as such, cook reasonably soon. The texture of the saag — Some may prefer a coarsely-textured saag, and others may prefer a finely-textured saag. I like to keep it coarsely pureed, but if you prefer a fine-textured saag, blend it a little longer to reach your desired texture. For thickening, the saag — You may feel a little watery after it’s pureed. To fix this, you may add Makki ka atta (cornmeal) to the saag. You will notice an instant change in texture after the cornmeal roux is added. You may add the cornmeal as is, but I prefer to add it after roasting it in ghee. This renders a nutty flavor to the recipe, which gives an exciting twist to the taste.
For the authentic taste — The original flavor of Sarson Ka Saag is achieved when it is cooked in ghee (clarified butter) or butter (vegans may avoid). You may also cook the saag in an earthen pot to acquire the typical Pind (village) flavor! This is what I do when I want to enjoy the authentic flavors of this recipe. Scale the recipe as needed — This recipe, as written, can feed 6, but it can be scaled up or down according to your needs. Leftover Sarson ka saag can be stored for a week in airtight containers. Substitute for Makki ka atta — If cornmeal or Makki ka atta is unavailable, replace it with an equal amount of chickpea flour (besan). The traditional way of blending — Traditionally, saag is blended with mathani (a wooden hand-held blending stick with a whisker at one end). It blends the saag while retaining its texture. You can use a mathani or blend the saag with an immersion blender, but be careful to avoid over-blending it into a puree, or it will lose its taste and texture. Importance of blanching — Blanching is essential before preparing the saag as it cleanses the leaves’ outer surface and helps stabilize the color of the leafy green vegetables while protecting their flavor and texture. However, do not over-blanch the greens as it will leave a bitter taste in the saag. Cook it until it’s just wilted but has not turned mushy.
Clean and blanch the winter greens, as explained above in the recipe. Drain and set aside. Peel, rinse, and boil radish and broccoli separately until soft. Drain and set aside. Allow the winter greens and radish + broccoli to cool completely. Coarsely blend all the vegetables. Set aside. Now, heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add chopped onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft and fragrant. Stir in tomatoes and cook until smooth and tender. Add coarsely pureed vegetables to the earthen pot. Stir well to combine. Cover the earthen pot and let the saag simmer for 4-5 minutes on medium-low heat. Prepare the cornmeal roux and add it to the simmering saag. Lastly, prepare the final tempering and drizzle it all over the saag.
Serve hot with Makki ki roti and a drizzle of fresh ghee on top.
Follow the step-by-step instructions to make the best Punjabi sarson ka saag
Bring this classic to the dinner table tonight, and I am sure your family will love you for presenting this wonderful dish. If you are ready, let’s begin! And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.
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