Sarson Ka Saag

This winter, do your body a favor and take full advantage of the leafy greens that mother nature has to offer, such as spinach, mustard greens (sarson), methi leaves (fenugreek leaves), and bathua leaves (chenopodium album, pigweed, or Chakravarthi greens).

These winter greens are packed with essential plant compounds and micronutrients that are associated with many health benefits, immune-boosting properties, and hold varying amounts of vitamins A, B, C, and K; fiber; and minerals.

I grew up eating a combination of these leafy greens in a delicious dish – Sarson ka saag – the ultimate comfort food of Punjabi cuisine!

So, if you love North Indian food, then this Sarson ka saag is a must – it’s seriously satisfying and not to mention oh-so-delicious.

What is Sarson Ka Saag?

Also known as Saro da saag in Punjabi, is a traditional North Indian recipe typically made with winter greens. In this term, Sarson ka Saag, sarson stands for mustard, and saag means pureed leafy greens. 

Collectively it stands for a blend of pureed greens. 

There are many ways that people make Sarson ka saag, which might raise the eyebrows of a few Punjabi grandmas, but one component always stays consistent, and that is – mustard greens. 

In my recipe, or I can say my mom’s recipe, I use a ratio of 2:1:1 –

• 2 parts of mustard greens (sarson leaves),
• 1 part of spinach leaves and
• 1 part of bathua leaves. Depending on where you live, finding bathua leaves may be challenging but scroll down to learn about bathua leaves substitute in sarson ka saag.

My favorite way to enjoy Punjabi Sarson Da Saag is with Makki ki roti. Makki ki roti and sarson ka sag are inseparable – it’s like a match made in heaven! 

Ingredients for Sarson ka Saag

» Winter greens – Use a combination of fresh green leafy vegetables such as mustard Leaves (sarson), spinach leaves, methi leaves, and bathua leaves. If bathua leaves are not available, use a combo of white radish + broccoli florets to get the flavor somewhat close to bathua. In addition to that, radish adds a nice spicy touch and texture to the saag. 

» The essentials – Onion, ginger, garlic, and red juicy tomatoes. They add flavor to sarson ka saag. 

» Green chili – to add a spicy touch to our saag.

» Spices – such as turmeric, hing/ asafoetida, dried whole red chilies, jeera, red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala

» Makki ka atta – We need a little bit of cornmeal to thicken our sarson ka saag. I like to make a roux of cornmeal and then add it to sarson ka saag. This way, it adds a great texture.

» Ghee– ghee or butter is required to cook sarson ka saag. To enjoy that rich and creamy taste of Sarson ka saag from Punjab’s fields, please do not substitute ghee with oil.

Step by Step Sarson ka saag Recipe in Instant Pot

Step: 1- Clean the saag

Pluck the spinach leaves and methi leaves from their stems and set them in a bowl. Discard the stem.  

For mustard leaves – Use a sharp knife to slice the mustard leaves off the solid middle stem and then roughly chop the leaves into smaller pieces.

Transfer the leaves to a huge bowl. Fill it up with water and salt (the salt helps to remove any impurities). 

Stir the leaves around a bit to loosen the lingering dirt or other impurities. Allow the leaves to soak in this saltwater for 3-4 minutes. This will help in settling all the dirt at the bottom of the bowl. 

Now carefully lift all the soaked greens from the top and transfer them to a fresh, clean bowl. Discard the dirt water in which the leaves were soaked. 

Now wash the greens thoroughly under running tap water 3-4 times until the water runs clear.

Transfer the clean saag onto a kitchen towel to drain off the excess water. 

Step: 2 – Blanch the winter greens

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then turn the heat off. Add the rinsed leafy greens to this pan. 

Blanch for 3 minutes. Then transfer the greens to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Let the greens sit in ice water for a couple of minutes, then drain.

Step: 3- Sauteeing sarson ka saag

1. Turn the Instant Pot to ‘Saute mode.’ Once it displays ‘hot,’ add ghee to the insert. Add chopped onions.

2. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onions are soft and fragrant.

3. Add roughly chopped ginger and garlic to the cooking onions and cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Stir in tomatoes and cook until soft and tender. 

5. Next, add rinsed broccoli florets and radish to the insert. 

6. Add salt and turmeric. 

7. Mix until combined. 

8. Add 1/4 cup of water to the saag. 

9. Turn the Instant Pot off. Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Set the steam release handle to the ‘sealing’ position and select ‘Manual or pressure cook button’ and cook the Sarson ka saag for 5 minutes on HIGH.

10. Once the pot beeps, immediately release the pressure by turning the steam release handle to the ‘venting’ position.

11. Add blanched leafy greens to the insert. Stir well to combine.

12. Now, press the ‘Saute mode’ and turn on the Instant Pot. Adjust the temperature to the ‘low’ setting. Allow the saag to simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Stir in coriander powder, garam masala powder, and mix until combined. 

PROTIP – Cooking the saag for a few minutes will get rid of the bitter taste from the mustard greens. 

13. After the cooking time is over, turn off the Instant Pot. 

14. Using a hand blender, blend the saag into a coarse puree.

15. Instead of a hand blender, you can use a wooden whisk (mathani) to blend the saag ( that is how my mom used to beat/ghotna the saag).  

Step: 4 – Prepare the Cornmeal roux

16. Heat 1.5 tablespoon ghee in a pan. Add Makki ka atta to the pan. 

17. Over medium-low heat, cook the cornmeal until it’s lightly fragrant. Maintain the heat, and keep stirring frequently, or our roux may burn if left unattended. 

18. Add this cornmeal roux to the saag. 

19. Mix until everything is well blended. Set aside.

Step: 5- Final tempering –

The highlight of this mouth-watering winter delicacy is its tadka. Do not skip this. 

20. The color of Sarson ka saag after the Makki ka atta is mixed in. Set aside.

21. Heat ghee in a separate pan. Add cumin seeds and whole red chilies to it. As the cumin seeds start to crackle, stir in the chopped onion and diced garlic. 

22. Sauté until the onions are translucent and soft. Add Kashmiri red chili powder and mix to combine.

23. Take the tempering off the heat and pour it over sarson ka saag. Mix until combined. 

For a wholesome meal, serve warm sarson ka saag with a dollop of homemade butter alongside Makki ki roti and ghee. It will nourish the body with all the vital nutrients it requires for the winter. 

Can I skip Mustard greens?

Sarson ka saag is a thick and luxurious mix of leafy vegetables with mustard greens (sarson) being the predominant one. Each leafy greens adds its distinctive flavor to sarson ka saag.

Mustard greens add a thick texture to the saag; substituting it with spinach leaves or any other greens will result in a thin-consistency saag.

Likewise, spinach and bathua leaf balance the spicy taste of mustard and methi leaves. Skipping any one of them will alter the overall taste and texture of the saag. 

Can I use frozen greens?

Sure, you can! You can use frozen methi leaves, spinach leaves, and mustard greens to make sarson ka saag. If using frozen greens, you can skip the blanching step altogether.

To use frozen greens – thaw them entirely at the kitchen counter, squeeze the excess water and use as directed in the recipe.  

Leftovers

Store the completely cooled Sarson ka saag in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Skip the final tempering before storing. 

When ready to eat, reheat ONLY the amount of saag you want to eat. Since saag will thicken once store in the fridge, therefore add 2-3 tablespoons of water and reheat the saag in a pan. Top it with fresh garlic tempering, and serve hot. 

Sarson ka saag will stay good for a week in the refrigerator. 

Freezing Sarson ka saag

Sarson ka saag freezes beautifully! Store the leftover saag (with or without the tadka) for up to a month in the refrigerator. I feel that after a month, it starts to lose its flavor.

When ready to eat, thaw ONLY the amount of saag you want to eat in the refrigerator overnight. 

Top it with fresh garlic tempering, and serve hot. 

How to cook Sarson ka saag on a stovetop?

To cook the saag on the stovetop – 

• Clean and blanch the winter greens, as explained above in the recipe. Drain and set aside. 
• Peel, rinse, and boil radish and broccoli in a separate pan 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 ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add chopped onions, ginger, garlic, and green chilies to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until 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. 

Let Me Know What You Think!

So step up and let’ make this delicious sarson ka saag with all the nature’s bounty winters have to offer. Don’t forget to serve the saag with lots of white Makhan and Makki ki roti – it’s true bliss!

Should you make Sarson ka saag or any variation of it, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. 

And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.

CRAVING FOR MORE, TRY THESE OTHER WINTER DELICACIES!