Punjabi Sarson Ka Saag

By
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country's regional cuisines.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/12/23
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for the Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer and product tester at Food Network. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 27 mins
Total: 47 mins
Servings: 3 to 4 servings

The word "saag" refers to a dish in Indian cuisine made with various leafy green vegetables. Traditional spices such as cumin, coriander, and garam masala enhance the deep flavors of this delicious, wholesome meal, making it a great choice during the colder seasons.

How is Sarson Ka Saag Prepared?

The greens and spices used in saag dishes vary throughout India, depending on the region. In Punjab, the northern part of India, sarson ka saag is typically made with any combination of fresh mustard greens (sarson), fenugreek (methi), and spinach (palak). It's commonly served over flatbread, such as makki ki roti, with a dollop of butter. This saag recipe balances the bitterness of peppery mustard greens with sweet, earthy spinach and is combined with spicy green chilies, aromatic garlic and ginger, and a variety of warm spices to create a satisfying rich, robust, healthy meal.

What's Sabzi?

In Persian and South Asian cooking, sabzi refers to using an abundance of leafy greens, vegetables, and herbs. Although preparations vary widely, they characteristically contain no animal proteins, making it a great vegetarian option.

What's the Difference Between Saag and Palak?

In Northern India, saag typically refers to a combination of spinach and mustard greens, as palak is the Hindi name for spinach. Although it's often made with spinach, saag paneer can be made with any leafy green or a combination of them, but palak paneer denotes a curry made with spinach only.

Unique Ingredients

A few ingredients in this recipe may or may not be familiar to you. If you cook a lot of Indian or Southeast Asian food, you might know that you can buy garlic paste, ginger paste, and ghee (clarified butter) in most well-stocked grocery stores or Asian or Indian markets. You can easily make your own ghee from unsalted butter. Finally, a small amount of Bengal gram flour (chickpea flour) thickens the mixture, but you substitute corn flour in this recipe if desired.

Tips for Cleaning Greens

  • Supermarket greens are typically cleaner than those you buy at a farmers market, but they all require washing regardless of their source. You'll want to soak them in a couple of changes of water as they're likely to retain dirt in hidden places. To make the greens more manageable, cut off and discard 1 to 2 inches of tough stems and slice the remaining greens into uniform pieces before washing.
  • Because you are cooking the greens in water, you don't need to dry them before chopping, which saves you some prep time.
Sarson ka saag recipe

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

"Saag is an easy and healthy Indian dish to serve at home. Serve with flatbread or paneer cheese to round out the meal. Increase the spices to tailor the taste to your liking." —Diana Andrews

Punjabi Sarson Ka Saag (Greens and Spices) Recipe Test
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch (1/2 pound) spinach, washed and finely chopped

  • 1 bunch (1/2 pound) mustard greens, washed and finely chopped

  • 1 to 2 green chile peppers, such as jalapeños or serranos, finely chopped

  • 1 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)

  • 1 large onion, grated

  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste

  • 1 tablespoon grated garlic or garlic paste

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

  • 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lime or lemon)

  • 1 tablespoon Bengal gram flour, chickpea flour, or corn flour

  • Unsalted butter, garnish

  • Naan or roti for serving, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for sarson ka saag
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a large pot, combine 1 bunch (1/2 pound) washed and finely chopped spinach, 1 bunch (1/2 pound) washed and finely chopped mustard greens, 1 to 2 finely chopped green chile peppers, and 1 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste. Add 1 cup water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium-high and continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until very tender.

    Spinach and mustard greens in a saucepan with spices
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Mash the greens and mix well to make a coarse paste. Alternatively, pulse several times in a food processor.

    Greens mashed in a pot
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Melt 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 large grated onion and fry, stirring occasionally until light golden.

    Ghee heated in a skillet with a wooden spoon
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Lower the heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste, 1 tablespoon grated garlic or garlic paste, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon Bengal gram flour. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and fragrant, about 3 minutes.

    Spices, garlic, and ginger in saute pan
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Add the greens to the skillet and stir until thoroughly blended and warmed through.

    Greens, garlic, onions, ginger and spices in a saucepan
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Adjust the seasoning with salt to taste, garnish with a dollop of unsalted butter. Serve with naan or roti, if desired.

    Saag garnished with butter with roti on the side
    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Recipe Variation

  • Sarson ka saag is the perfect base for adding other ingredients to make the dish more substantial. To keep it vegetarian, add fried cubes of paneer cheese, or for a one-dish meal, incorporate cooked chicken or lamb. Feel free to incorporate other greens often a part of this recipe such as radish greens, Chenopodium (lamb's quarters), and fenugreek leaves, if you can find them.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
159 Calories
11g Fat
13g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 159
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 638mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 76mg 382%
Calcium 175mg 13%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 653mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)