Saag is a leaf vegetable food item, known for its rich nutrients. It is most commonly included in the South Asian cuisine. In India, it is eaten mostly by the Odias, Bengalis and North Indians. It is a low-calorie food. It has various vitamins and minerals, which makes it important for healthy hair and skin. However, it is not liked by many, especially kids. So let us discuss how we can incorporate it into our daily food without compromising on taste.
1. Sarson Da Saag
Think of Punjabi food and the first thing that comes to your mind is ‘makke di roti te sarso da saag’. It is the traditional preparation of mustard greens. It is a smooth, creamy curry cooked with lots of garlic. It goes well with makke di roti or corn-based flatbread. The cooking time of this saag is a little more than the usual recipes but the taste is just addictive.
2. Saag Paneer
It is a classic Indian dish made using leafy greens and cubes of paneer or cottage cheese. It is thickened with cream or coconut milk. It just tastes delicious. It can be made from different types of leafy greens such as sarson ka saag, palak, bathua etc. It goes well with parathas, phulka or rice.
3. Kashmiri Haak
It is a famous, typical Kashmiri dish. It is made using haak (Kashmiri equivalent of saag) cooked in mustard oil, asafoetida and dried red chillies. Several types of haak can be used for this recipe- radish greens, dandelion greens, beet greens etc. It is eaten with steamed or boiled rice.
4. Methi Muthia
It is a famous Gujarati dish. Methi muthia are dumplings made using besan and methi (fenugreek leaves). These can either be steamed or fried. Once steamed, a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves is added to enhance the taste. Muthias go well with spicy green chutney, meethi imli ki chutney or even ketchup.
5. Palak Paratha
Palak Paratha basically translates to spinach flatbreads. These are made using wheat flour and spinach. It is a very easy dish to make. The dough is made in the regular way with addition of spinach paste and spices. Then it is made into parathas. It is eaten with any chutney or curd. It is so tasty that it can be eaten as it is.
6. Saag Aloo
It is an Indian delicacy made using spinach and potatoes. It is a mildly flavored side dish, which goes well with roti, paratha or rice. It is seasoned with black mustard seeds and grated ginger. It can also be made using methi or fenugreek leaves. The
taste is equally amazing.
7. Palakura Pappu
It translates into spinach dal. It is a staple food in almost every home in Andhra Pradesh. It is a simple lentil dish cooked along with spinach and certain spices. First, the daal is cooked and then spinach leaves are added to it. They are allowed to cook until done. Then a tempering of mustard seeds, hing, green and red chilies is added to it with a dash of ghee. This is a very tasty dish. If you are in Andhra, make sure you try this amazing dish.
8. Palak Rice
It is a healthier version of pulao. It is made using rice, spinach puree, onions and spices. It is an easy and quick-to-make dish. It is so wholesome that it can be eaten without any side dish. It can also be eaten with raita.
9. Mooli ka Saag (Moola Saga Rai)
It is a famous Odia dish made using radish greens. These are cooked in a mustard paste-based gravy or besara. First, the greens are boiled and then cooked in the gravy. A tempering of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, red chillies and onions is added to the dish.
10. Chicken Saag
It is a twist given to the classic saag paneer. Various greens such as spinach, mustard, kale or turnip can be used to make it. First, the chicken is marinated and cooked along with inions and ginger-garlic paste. Then, the spinach puree is added to it and is allowed to cook further. At last, sour cream is added to the dish to give it a creamy texture. This dish just tastes mind-blowing. It can be eaten with roti or paratha.
11. Hara Bhara Kebab
It is a very popular north Indian dish. Kebabs are fried patties. These patties are made using spinach, boiled green peas and boiled potatoes. These are a healthy variation of the typical kebabs. They are mostly eaten as a snack with whether red garlic chutney or ketchup. If you want to have a treat meal but you want to keep it healthy, do give this dish a try!
12. Khosala Saga
This is a typical Odia dish. It is made from amaranth leaves. It is cooked along with arbi, raw banana, brinjal and pumpkin. Badi can also be added to it for some crunch. It is best eaten when hot, along with some ‘thanda-thanda dahi pakhala’.
13. Palak Chutney
It is a very quick and easy saag dish to include in your diet. Spinach leaves are blended along with urad dal, chana dal, hing, tamarind, jaggery and salt. For tempering, mustard seeds, curry leaves and garlic can be used. It is delicious. It can be eaten as a side dish with your regular meals.
14. Pui Saag Diye Masoor Dal
It is a form of lentil soup. Malabar spinach is used for this dish. It is typically cooked in mustard oil. However, any regular edible oil can be used for this purpose. It is cooked in the normal way we make dal. Garlic cloves are added for the extra flavor. Do try this easy and tasty dish.
15. Saag Chole
It is greens cooked with chickpeas. Any form of greens can be used for this dish but the traditional recipe uses either spinach or a mixture of spinach and mustard
leaves. This dish uses numerous spices such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, black pepper, chopped garlic and grated ginger. It is a comforting dish for every Punjabi as it is made of two Punjabi staples- chole and saag.
16. Laal Saag
It is a very simple yet wholesome dish. It is made using amaranth leaves. It is cooked along with garlic, asafoetida, fenugreek seeds and salt. It is cooked in mustard oil for better taste. It is a quick yet very delicious dish.
17. Spinach Omelet
This is a go-to recipe for every bachelor. You will hardly require any time to make it. It is quick, easy, delicious- all at the same time. Spinach, coriander leaves, green chilies and ginger are added to the eggs. It is seasoned with some salt and then mixed until smooth. This mixture is then poured into a pan and allowed to cook. And tadaa! Your breakfast is ready in just two minutes. Enjoy it with some ketchup!
18. Palak Paneer Bhurji
If you want to give the regular paneer bhurji a twist, do try this dish! This is made in the same way as regular paneer bhurji is made. While the masala is being cooked, chopped spinach leaves are added. Remember that dish uses chopped leaves and not spinach puree so that you can feel its taste in every bite. This is an extremely satisfying food and goes well with parathas.
19. Macha Chencheda
This is a typical Odia dish, similar to Bengali chhyachra or machher matha diye pui shaak. Hilsa fish is used for this recipe. It is cooked along with pumpkin, radish, brinjal, potato and spinach. Any type of spinach can be used but Malabar spinach works the best for this one. This dish uses whole fish head, so is a must-try for all the fish lovers.
20. Spinach Poriyal
This is a simple Tamilian dish to make. In this dish, spinach leaves are stir-fried along with dried red chillies, urad dal, mustard seeds and grated coconut. It is a quick and easy recipe. It goes well with hot, steamed rice. If you ever come to Tamil Nadu, do give this dish a try!
