Easy Sarson ka Saag for Beginners is just what you think it is- Easy, quick, Fuss Free and made with available ingredients.The recipe can be made in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. This is the recipe for people who are craving Sarson ka Saag and Makki ki Roti but don’t want to put in that much effort!
Almost all North Indians have a story about Sarson ka Saag and Make ki roti! Most would name it as their favourite dish ever(or Rajma Chawal ! ).According to almost every Punjabi,the best kind is made at home in winters by their loving grandmothers.
This recipe is not the best saag ever but it is the Super Easy Sarson ka Saag for Beginners!
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.
This is a shortcut to the Saag that your grand-moms made at home in winters.
Every winter, I wish for a Delhi trip, though most years I am able to go, for the past few years I haven’t been able to make my yearly trip.That’s the reason I had to get down and learn this dish instead of cajoling my mom and aunts to make it.Yes, I am pretty shameless..I made my sister in law’s mother make this for me and send from Delhi.
The right way to make Authentic Sarson Ka Saag
The absolute desi way of making Saag is to use atleast 4-5 kinds of seasonal green leaves- Sarson aka Mustard Greens being the center. Ideally, Sarson, Bathua, Radish leaves,Spinach and Fenugreek are used to make the Saag.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.
It is usually only made in Winter because of the seasonality of the greens.Making Sarson ka Saag is time consuming process really – buying 5 types of leaves, sorting through the leaves, cooking them,Smashing them in the pot with the back of a spoon or a wooden mallet, cooking it slowly with the slurry of maize flour and finally tempering.It doesn’t end here, making the makki ki roti is another ball game altogether.
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 the EASY WAY
Now let’s come to the Easy Sarson ka Saag for Beginners.
Okay first, there are only so many shortcuts you can take.Keep that in mind and also this version is for people who don’t live in north india or are making the Saag for the first time.This is the beginner Sarson ka Saag.
You start with just 2 greens- Palak and Sarson aka Spinach and Mustard leaves.Pressure cook them with onion, tomato, ginger and garlic.Blend it coarsely with a immersion blender and give a tadka and cook it in a pot for another 20 minutes.
Frankly, even this is a lot of work but it’s so much less than the traditional way.
How healthy is Sarson Ka Saag
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!! and third- it’s 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.
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Mustard Greens/Sarson Leaves Can also use baby spinach
- 3 Cups Spinach/Palak
- 2 large Onion
- 1 Tomato
- 2 inch Ginger
- 8-9 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tbsp Mustard Oil
- 1 Green Chilli
- Salt to Taste
- 2 tbsp Maize Flour/Makki ka aata
Instructions
- Pick the leaves and chop them up roughly.
- Wash them in a large pot/Bowl under running water, moving them often at least 3-4 times till you get clear water.This is the most important step!
Pressure Cooker Way
- In a pressure cooker.Add the leaves,1 onion chopped up roughly,1 tomato chopped up,2 inch ginger- roughly chopped & 4 garlic Cloves.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 the leaves.
Instant Pot way
- In the Instant Pot -Add the leaves,1 onion chopped up roughly,1 tomato chopped up,2 inch ginger- roughly chopped & 4 garlic Cloves.Add 1 cup of water along with salt to taste(1 tsp)
- Set the Pressure cooker timer for 10 minutes with the whistle in Sealing position.Allow the pressure to naturally release.
- Using a hand blender or a grinder, coarsely blend the leaves.
Tempering & Cooking
- Heat the Mustard oil in a large pot.Bring it to smoking point and reduce the heat to the lowest.Once the mustard oil stops smoking, add the onions and garlic.Saute them till golden.
- Next ,add the coarsely blended Green leaves.Mix 1/2 cup water with the maize flour and add to the blended leaves.Cook for 20 minutes to 1/2 hour open- till the mixture reduces and thickens.
- Add ghee on top to finish.Serve with White butter,Maize/Makki ki roti and jaggery.
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 tbsp Maize Flour/Makki ki roti
- 1 tsp Carrom Seeds/Ajwain
- 1 tsp Ghee/Oil
- Hot water
- 1/2 tsp Salt( to taste)
- 2 tbsp 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 tbsp 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.
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Love this hot bowl of Sarson ka Saag with that melted ghee on top. Perfect…
thank you nidhi!! We love eating sarson ka saag during this time!!:D