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Sarson ka Saag Recipe (Authentic Punjabi Style)
4.9 from 131 votes

Sarson ka Saag Recipe (Authentic Punjabi Style)

Sarson ka Saag is a traditional Punjabi dish made by cooking a blend of mustard greens, bathua, spinach, radish leaves, fenugreek, and white radish, pureed into a smooth, thick green vegetable curry. The saag is simmered with spices and then tempered with sautéed onions and oil or ghee to enhance its flavor and texture. This dish showcases deep, earthy greens with a slightly bitter and spicy profile.

Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs
Servings: 8
Calories: 59 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For sarson ka saag
  • 1 bunch mustard greens (sarson)
  • ½ bunch bathua leaves (chenopodium/goosefoot/melde)
  • ½ bunch spinach palak, leaves
  • 1 cup radish leaves use tender leaves, (mooli ke patte, chopped
  • 3 to 4 inches white radish root
  • 1 cup fenugreek leaves - chopped
  • 1 cup onion or 2 medium sized onions, chopped
  • 1.5 cups tomato or 3 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 inches ginger - chopped
  • 2 green chilies - chopped
  • 7 to 8 garlic - medium sized, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • 2 to 3 pinches asafoetida or ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida powder (hing)
  • 2 to 3 cups water or add as required
  • 2 tablespoon corn flour or fine cornmeal
  • salt as required
Tempering saag for 3 servings
  • ⅓ cup onion or 1 small to medium-sized onion, finely chopped
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil or ghee, generic cooking oil
  • 2 cups saag or as required, cooked

Instructions

Making sarson ka saag
    Cup of Yum
  1. Firstly clean and chop all the greens. Then wash or rinse the greens very well in running water.
  2. In a 5 litre stovetop pressure cooker or pan add all the ingredients listed under "for sarson ka saag" except for maize flour.
  3. Cover the pressure cook and cook for 6 to 7 minutes or more on medium-high heat.
  4. If cooking in a pan, then cover and let the greens cook till tender and softened. Do check occasionally.
  5. Pour the greens along with the stock and maize flour in a blender. Blend till smooth.
  6. In another deep pan or in the same cooker, pour the pureed greens.
  7. Simmer for a good 25 to 30 minutes on a low heat stirring at intervals.
Tempering for sarson da saag
  1. In another small pan, heat oil. Use any neutral oil. You can also make the tempering with ghee if you prefer.
  2. Add the chopped onions and saute them till light brown on medium-low heat.
  3. Add the prepared saag. Stir and simmer for a couple of minutes.
  4. Stir ocaasionally when the saag is simmering.
Serving Suggestions
  1. Serve sarson ka saag hot with a side of some chopped onions, whole green chilies or mango pickle. Top the saag with a dollop of white butter and serve with Makki di Roti. Also serve a few jaggery cubes by the side.
  2. For a vegan saag, omit adding white butter or use vegan butter.
Storage
  1. Store the pureed and simmered saag in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerarot. You can also freeze it for a month.
  2. When ready to serve, remove the quantity you need from the refrigerator and temper it with the required amout of oil and onions.

Notes

  • Use fresh mustard, bathua, spinach, radish leaves, and fenugreek for best flavor.
  • Adjust water quantity to thin or thicken the saag as preferred.
  • Sauté onions in oil or ghee before adding saag to add richness and balance bitterness.
  • Blending the cooked greens yields a creamy texture; blend to desired smoothness.
  • This saag pairs traditionally with Indian flatbreads like makki ki roti.
  • Nutrition information given refers to the saag without the onion tempering.

Nutrition Information

Calories 59kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 10g (3%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 385mg (16%) Potassium 142mg (3%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 321IU (6%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg Vitamin B6 1mg Vitamin C 36mg (40%) Vitamin E 1mg Vitamin K 4µg Calcium 112mg (11%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 10µg Iron 1mg (6%) Magnesium 18mg (5%) Phosphorus 62mg Zinc 1mg

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 59

% Daily Value*

Calories 59kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 10g 3%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 385mg 16%
Potassium 142mg 3%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 321IU 6%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg
Vitamin B6 1mg
Vitamin C 36mg 40%
Vitamin E 1mg
Vitamin K 4µg
Calcium 112mg 11%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 10µg
Iron 1mg 6%
Magnesium 18mg 5%
Phosphorus 62mg
Zinc 1mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.