Sarson ka Saag
A Punjabi winter staple of slow-cooked mustard greens, blended with spinach and bathua and hand-mashed to a rustic, slightly chunky texture rather than a smooth puree, finished with a ghee tadka. Distinct from palak paneer, which uses spinach and paneer, saag has no paneer at all and is traditionally eaten with makki di roti and a dollop of white butter.
Vegetarian
⚠ Contains: Mustard. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 500g mustard greens (sarson), chopped
- 200g spinach, chopped
- 100g bathua greens, chopped, or extra spinach if unavailable
- 2-3 green chilies
- 1-inch piece ginger, chopped, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
- 2 tbsp makki (corn) flour
- 3 tbsp ghee, or white butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- Salt, to taste
Steps
- Boil the mustard greens, spinach, bathua, green chilies, ginger, and half the garlic in water until very soft, 25-30 minutes.
- Drain, reserving some liquid, then mash coarsely with a hand masher or pulse briefly in a blender, keeping the texture rustic rather than fully smooth.
- Mix in the makki flour and a splash of the reserved water, then simmer 10 minutes, stirring, until thickened and the flour is cooked through.
- In a separate pan, heat the ghee and saute the remaining garlic and onion until golden, then add the tomatoes and chili powder and cook until softened.
- Pour this tadka into the saag, mix well, and simmer 5 more minutes, seasoning with salt.
- Serve hot topped with a knob of white butter, alongside makki di roti and a raw onion wedge.