#saag

[ID: A dish of greens garnished with red onion and red chili, with a flatbread in the background. End ID]

Uttar Pradesh mix saag with wild greens

The Hindi "साग," "sāg" (Urdu: "ساگ") is a word meaning "potherb, vegetable, greens." It is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit "शाक" ("śāka"), which also has reflexes in the Bengali "শাক" ("śak") and the Punjabi "ਸਾਗ" ("sāg"), among others.

Saag dishes are made from fried or boiled green herbs and vegetables, flavoured with aromatics, spices, and chili peppers. They are typically named for the type of greens used: for example, सरसों का साग ("sarsõ kā sāg") is made with sarson, or mustard greens; बिच्छू बूटी का साग ("bicchū būṭī kā sāg") is made with the greens of stinging nettles.

This recipe is for an Uttar-Pradesh-style "mix saag," which is of course made with a mixture of different greens. Most commonly included are spinach (पालक, palak), mustard greens (sarson or राई, rāī), lamb's quarters (बथुआ, bathua), fenugreek leaves (मेथी, methi), and chickpea leaves (चने के पत्ते, channa ke patte). Chilis, ginger, garlic, and coriander power make this dish complex, light, and fresh, while gur (jaggery) adds sweetness; corn flour, ghee, and mustard oil add richness of texture. Mix saag is often eaten with makka ki roti, a corn (maize) flatbread.

The greens for this recipe can be found at a south Asian grocery store, or you can use any mildly flavored greens. I used locally foraged lamb's quarters, garlic mustard, plantain, chickweed, common sowthistle, prickly sowthistle, and dwarf mallow.

Recipe under the cut!

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Poi Saga Besara

Poi Saga Besara" is a traditional Odia dish featuring Malabar spinach (poi saga) cooked in a mustard-based sauce. To prepare, mustard seeds are ground with green chilies, garlic, and ginger to form a paste. The paste is then sautéed with Pancha Phutana (five-spice blend) for aroma before adding turmeric and chopped spinach. The dish is simmered until the spinach is tender, resulting in a flavorful and nutritious accompaniment to rice or roti, characteristic of Odia cuisine.

Ingredients:

250 grams Malabar spinach (poi saga), washed and chopped

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

2-3 green chilies, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon mustard oil or any cooking oil of your choice

Salt to taste

Water as needed

1 teaspoon Pancha Phutana (five-spice blend) - typically includes equal parts of fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, and fennel seeds

Instructions:

Soak mustard seeds in water for about 30 minutes to soften them.

Drain the mustard seeds and grind them along with green chilies, garlic cloves, and grated ginger to make a smooth paste. You can add a little water if needed to facilitate grinding.

Heat mustard oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the Pancha Phutana (five-spice blend) and let it crackle for a few seconds.

Add Green Chilis if want extra spices in saag.

Add the ground mustard paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell of mustard disappears.

Add turmeric powder and stir well to combine with the mustard paste.

Add the chopped Malabar spinach (poi saga) to the pan and mix well with the mustard paste.

Season with salt according to your taste preferences.

Cover the pan and let the spinach cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes too dry, you can add a little water to adjust the consistency.

Once the Malabar spinach is cooked and tender, remove the pan from heat.