Instant Pot Sarson Ka Saag - North Indian Dish made with Mustard Greens,Spinach and Maize or Makki Flour, usually served with Makki ki roti and white butter.
What is Sarson Ka Saag?
Sarson ka Saag is winter dish, made in the Northern part of India.This dish is made with seasonal Green leaves - Spinach leaves, Mustard Greens & Pigweed leaves (Bathua).
It is usualy served with Makki ki roti or flatbreads made with Makki flour.
This recipe is a cheat's or a beginners Sarson ka Saag recipe.
This is the Saag you make when you are away from that warmth and comfort of home, in a place where you probably will not get most ingredients and don't have a lot of time on hands to sort through 5 kinds of different green leaves.
Authentic Sarson Ka Saag
The absolute authentic way of making Saag is to use atleast 4-5 kinds of seasonal green leaves- Sarson aka Mustard Greens being the center. Ideally,
- Sarson Leaves also called Mustard Greens
- Bathua leaves also called Pigweed leaves
- Radish leaves
- Spinach leaves
- Fenugreek Leaves aka Methi leaves
For most people living in northern parts of india this would not be difficult to procure but for the rest of us it's a nightmare to source.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Sarson Ka Saag
I have kept the recipe simple with only 2 essential green leaves.
But if you can find the others- you should use them too!Here are the ingredients.
- Mustard Greens/Sarson Leaves Can also use baby spinach
- Spinach/Palak
- Onion
- Tomato
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Ghee
- Mustard Oil
- Green Chilli(optional)
- Salt
- Maize Flour/Makki ka aata
How to Identify Mustard Leaves
Sarson leaves aka mustard greens are the leaves from the mustard plants.
Yes the leaves from those yellow flowers you see in DDLG and all other movies trying to depict Punjab.
These leaves are pungent and have quite a characteristic taste.They are usually large, spiky and lightish green in color. When you take a bite of the sarson leaves it will remind you of mustard and that's how you know for sure what leaves are sarson leaves.
How to make Sarson Ka Saag in Instant Pot
Step 1: Prep
Chop up the leaves and discard the thick stems.
Clean your various leaves in running water.I use my salad spinner for this and i really find it super easy!Do this atleast 3-4 times.
Prepare rest of the ingredients.
Step 2:Pressure Cook
Add the leaves, chopped up onion, tomato, ginger & garlic.Add ½ Cup of water and salt as per taste(start with 1 tsp).
Select PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL for 5 minutes HIGH pressure.At the end of 5 minutes, quick release, open the instant pot.
Step 3:Blend
Using a immersion blender, blend the saag into a thick puree.Add more water if needed.
Select the Saute setting, Mix ½ cup water with the maize flour.Add to the Saag and let it simmer for 15 minutes.Keep stirring the pot intermittently.
Step 4:Temper
This step should be done separately.
In a small pan - add mustard oil and let it heat.Once it starts smoking, reduce the heat.Add the Cumin ,Garlic and Ginger slivers.Let them sizzle and cook.Pour over the saag, give it a mix.
Step 5: Serve
Serve hot, along with Makki ki roti, some Jaggery and a dollop of butter on top.
Is Sarson Ka Saag Healthy?
If there was one dish in the whole wide world which was amazingly delicious and super healthy it is this!!First, you use seasonal produce, second it's spinach and other green leaves!!
It's Vegan& Dairy Free - if you skip on the butter and ghee
It's naturally gluten free because of the maize flour.
So go for it!!! just hold on to the extra butter and Jaggery if you are super concerned.
Here are some more dishes like Instant Pot Sarson Ka Saag
Instant Pot Palak Paneer
Instant Pot Spinach Dal
Instant Pot Rajma
Instant Pot Channa Masala
Instant Pot Basmati Rice
Instant Pot Channa Dal
Instant pot Langarwali Dal
Instant Pot Aloo Tamatar
Find us on Instagram , Pinterest & Facebook here!
If you liked my recipe, do leave a comment!
It will help others find this amazing recipe too!
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Mustard Greens/Sarson Leaves
- 3 Cups Spinach/Palak
- 1 large Onion Chopped
- 1 Tomato Chopped
- 2 inch Ginger
- 8-9 cloves Garlic
- 2 tablespoon Maize Flour/Makki ka aata
- Salt to Taste
- 1 Cup Water divided into ½ cup each
Tempering
- 1 tablespoon Mustard Oil or Clarified Ghee
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Dried Red Chilli Whole or powdered
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves cut into thin slices
- 1 inch ginger cut into slivers
Instructions
- Chop the leaves up roughly.Discard the large stems
- Wash them in a large pot/Bowl under running water, moving them often at least 3-4 times till you get clear water.
Instant Pot way
- In the inner pot of the Instant Pot -Add the chopped leaves, Onion,Tomato,Ginger & Garlic
- Add ½ cup of water along with salt to taste.
- Set the Pressure cooker timer for 4 minutes with the valve in Sealing position.Quick Release.
- Using a hand blender or a grinder, coarsely blend everything.
- Switch to the SAUTE mode.Mix the maize flour with ½ cup of water.Add to the Saag.
- Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.Keep stirring occasionally.
Pressure Cooker Way
- In a pressure cooker.Add the chopped leaves, Onion,Tomato,Ginger & Garlic.Add 1 cup of water along with salt to taste(1 tsp)
- Pressure Cook for 2 whistles.Let it cool.
- Using a hand blender or a grinder, coarsely blend everything.
- Switch the heat to medium high.Mix the maize flour with ½ cup of water.Add to the Saag.
- Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.Keep stirring occasionally.
Tempering & Cooking
- Heat the Mustard oil in a pan.Bring it to smoking point and reduce the heat to the lowest.Once the mustard oil stops smoking, add the Cumin,Ginger & Garlic.Let it splutter and cook for 30 seconds.Add Chilli powder(or whole dried chilli).
- Pour over the Saag.
- Serve with White butter,Maize/Makki ki roti and jaggery.
Nutrition
Makki ki roti Recipe
Now let's tackle the Makki ki roti.
If you want to take a super shortcut- buy the corn tortillas but if you want to go the authentic way then read the recipe below.
Fair warning - the first roti you make could prove to be difficult, but you will totally ace it from the second roti onwards!
If you are an absolute beginner in roti making and don't mind some gluten then mix the flour with a little bit of wheat flour to make the process easier.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon Maize Flour/Makki ki roti
- 1 teaspoon Carrom Seeds/Ajwain
- 1 teaspoon Ghee/Oil
- Hot water
- ½ teaspoon Salt( to taste)
- 2 tablespoon Wheat Add only if you are just not able to manage rolling the maize dough
Instructions
- Mix the flour,ajwain and salt toghether.Add Ghee
- Add water- 2 tablespoon at a time to bring the Dough together . In my experience, try and make it tight.Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.
- Heat the Tawa/Gridle
- Take a zip lock bag, cut the sides so its like a file.Coat it with little oil.
- Take a golf sized ball of dough in your hand.Keep it between the zip lock bag.Flatten it with hands.
- Cover the dough with the other side of the bag.Using a rolling pin(belan) roll the dough gently to make a thick disc(thicker than roti- almost like a paratha).
- Peel the plastic off.Slowly transfer the roti in your hands and peel off the plastic from the other side too.
- Place on the hot tawa.Wait for 2 minutes and add oil/ghee on the sides.
- Flip and cook the other side.
nidhi jain says
Love this hot bowl of Sarson ka Saag with that melted ghee on top. Perfect...
chhavi says
thank you nidhi!! We love eating sarson ka saag during this time!!:D