Saag (), also spelled sag or saga, is an
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
leaf vegetable
Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...
dish eaten with bread such as
roti
Roti (also known as chapati) is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Trinid ...
or
naan
Naan ( fa, نان, nān, ur, , ps, نان, ug, نان, hi, नान, bn, নান) is a leavened, oven-baked or tawa-fried flatbread which is found in the cuisines mainly of Western Asia, Central Asia, Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, Ma ...
, or in some regions with
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
. Saag can be made from
spinach
Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...
,
mustard greens
''Brassica juncea'', commonly brown mustard, Chinese mustard, Indian mustard, leaf mustard, Oriental mustard and vegetable mustard, is a species of mustard plant.
Cultivar
''Brassica juncea'' cultivars can be divided into four major subgroups ...
,
collard greens
Collard is a group of certain loose-leafed cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', the same species as many common vegetables including cabbage ( Capitata group) and broccoli ( Italica group). Collard is a member of the Viridis group of ''Brassica ...
,
basella
The genus ''Basella'' is the type genus of the plant family Basellaceae. ''Basella'' contains five known species.[broccoli
Broccoli (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''italica'') is an edible green plant in the cabbage family (family Brassicaceae, genus ''Brassica'') whose large flowering head, stalk and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Broccoli is cl ...]
or other greens, along with added
spices
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garni ...
and sometimes other ingredients such as
chhena
Chhena () or chhana () are a style of cheese, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made from water buffaloDalby, A 2009, ''Cheese: A Global History'', Reaktion Books, p. 73, Kapoor, S & Kapoor, A 2006, ''Sanjeev Kapoor's No-oil Vegetarian C ...
.
Saag is common in the state of
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
, where it is eaten with
pakhala
Pakhaḷa ( ''Pakhāḷa,'' ) is an Odia cuisine, consisting of cooked rice washed or lightly fermented in water. The liquid part of the dish is known as Toraṇi ( ''ṭorāṇi''). It is popular in the state of Odisha and its similar var ...
. In the
Shree Jagannath Temple of
Puri
Puri () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is als ...
, saag is one of the dishes offered to
Jagannath
Jagannath ( or, ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ, lit=Lord of the Universe, Jagannātha; formerly en, Juggernaut) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India and Bangladesh as part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra, and sister ...
as part of
Mahaprasad. Saag is also common in
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
and other regions of
North India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...
, where the most common preparation is
sarson ka saag
Sarson ka saag (as it is known in Hindi/Haryanvi or Sarson da saag in Punjabi or Sareyan Da Saag in Dogri) is a popular vegetarian dish from the northern region of the Indian subcontinent. It is made from mustard greens (sarson) and spices such ...
(mustard plant leaves), which may be eaten with
makki ki roti
Makki ki roti is a flat unleavened bread made from corn meal (maize flour), primarily eaten in the Jammu region, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand in North India & Gujarat, Maharashtra in Western India a ...
, a yellow roti made with
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
flour. ''Saag gosht'' or ''hariyali maans'' (spinach and mutton) is a common dish in the North Indian state of
Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ar ...
.
Etymology
The word ''saag'' is derived from the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
word ''shaak'' (''śāka'') meaning leafy green vegetables.
Variations
Odisha
In Odia cuisine, sāga () is one of the most important vegetables. It is popular all over the state. A large varieties of plants are used as sāga in Odisha. A list of the plants that are used as sāga is as below.
*Kalama sāga (କଳମ ଶାଗ): ''
Ipomoea aquatica
''Ipomoea aquatica'', widely known as water spinach, is a semi- aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots. ''I. aquatica'' is generally believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is widely cultivate ...
'' (water spinach)
*Kosalā/Khadā sāga (କୋସଳା ଶାଗ/ଖଡା ଶାଗ): prepared from
amaranth
''Amaranthus'' is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some amaranth species are cultivated as leaf vegetables, pseudocereals, and ornamental plants. Catkin-like cymes of densely pack ...
leaves.
* Bajji sāga (ବଜ୍ଜୀ ଶାଗ): Prepared from
Amaranthus dubius
''Amaranthus dubius'', the red spinach, Chinese spinach, (), spleen amaranth, hon-toi-moi, yin choy, hsien tsai, or Arai keerai () is a plant species. It belongs to the economically important family Amaranthaceae.
This plant is native to South ...
leaves.
*Leutiā sāga (ଲେଉଟିଆ ଶାଗ)
Amaranthus viridis
''Amaranthus viridis'' is a cosmopolitan species in the botanical family Amaranthaceae and is commonly known as slender amaranth or green amaranth.
Description
''Amaranthus viridis'' is an annual herb with an upright, light green stem that grows ...
leaves and tender stems.
*Pālanga sāga (ପାଳଙ୍ଗ ଶାଗ)
spinach
Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...
*Sāga chhena (ସାଗ ଛେନା): Greens, especially spinach, with
cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is a curdled milk product with a mild flavor and a creamy, non-homogeneous, soupy texture. It is made from skimmed milk by draining the cheese, as opposed to pressing it to make cheese curd—retaining some of the whey and keeping ...
*Poi sāga (ପୋଈ ଶାଗ): prepared from
basella
The genus ''Basella'' is the type genus of the plant family Basellaceae. ''Basella'' contains five known species.[drumstick tree
''Moringa oleifera'' is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent. Common names include moringa, drumstick tree (from the long, slender, triangular seed-pods), horseradish tree (from th ...]
. Cooked with lentils or alone with fried onions.
*Sunusuniā sāga (ସୁନୁସୁନିଆ ଶାଗ)
Marsilea
''Marsilea'' is a genus of approximately 65 species of aquatic ferns of the family Marsileaceae. The name honours Italian naturalist Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (1656–1730).
These small plants are of unusual appearance and do not resemble common ...
polycarpa leaves.
*Pitāgama sāga (ପିତାଗମା ଶାଗ)
Gilnus oppositifolius .
*Pidanga sāga (ପିଡଙ୍ଗ ଶାଗ)
*Kakhāru sāga (କଖାରୁ ଶାଗ): Prepared from leaves of the
pumpkin
A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus ''Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes use ...
plant.
*Madarangā sāga (ମଦରଙ୍ଗା ଶାଗ): prepared from leaves of
Alternanthera sessilis
''Alternanthera sessilis'' is a flowering plant known by several common names, including sissoo spinach, Brazilian spinach, sessile joyweed and dwarf copperleaf. It is cultivated as a vegetable worldwide.
Distribution
The plant occurs throughout ...
.
*Sorisa sāga (ଶୋରିସ ଶାଗ) :
Mustard greens
''Brassica juncea'', commonly brown mustard, Chinese mustard, Indian mustard, leaf mustard, Oriental mustard and vegetable mustard, is a species of mustard plant.
Cultivar
''Brassica juncea'' cultivars can be divided into four major subgroups ...
*
Methi
Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...
sāga (ମେଥୀ ଶାଗ): prepared from
methi
Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...
or
Fenugreek
Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...
leaves and
besara (mustard paste) cooked with vegetable.
*Matara sāga (ମଟର ଶାଗ): The inner coating of peas is removed and then chopped to make the saga.
*Bahal sāga
*Kular sāga
*Bhader sāga
*Jhirel dal sāga
Bengali
In Bengali cuisine, sāg is one of the most important vegetables. It is popular all over the state. Most of the Bengalis use at least one sāg everyday during lunch. They eat sāg fried or little gravy (jhol) with rice. A list of the plants that are used as sāg is as below.
*Kalmi sāg
Ipomoea aquatica
''Ipomoea aquatica'', widely known as water spinach, is a semi- aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots. ''I. aquatica'' is generally believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is widely cultivate ...
(water spinach)
*Kosalā/khadā sāg: prepared from
amaranth
''Amaranthus'' is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some amaranth species are cultivated as leaf vegetables, pseudocereals, and ornamental plants. Catkin-like cymes of densely pack ...
leaves.
* Bajji sāg: Prepared from
Amaranthus dubius
''Amaranthus dubius'', the red spinach, Chinese spinach, (), spleen amaranth, hon-toi-moi, yin choy, hsien tsai, or Arai keerai () is a plant species. It belongs to the economically important family Amaranthaceae.
This plant is native to South ...
leaves.
*Leutiā sāg
Amaranthus viridis
''Amaranthus viridis'' is a cosmopolitan species in the botanical family Amaranthaceae and is commonly known as slender amaranth or green amaranth.
Description
''Amaranthus viridis'' is an annual herb with an upright, light green stem that grows ...
leaves and tender stems.
*Pālong sāg:
spinach
Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...
*Puin sāg : prepared from
basella
The genus ''Basella'' is the type genus of the plant family Basellaceae. ''Basella'' contains five known species.[drumstick tree
''Moringa oleifera'' is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent. Common names include moringa, drumstick tree (from the long, slender, triangular seed-pods), horseradish tree (from th ...]
. Cooked with lentils or alone with fried onions.
*Sunusuniā sāg:
Marsilea
''Marsilea'' is a genus of approximately 65 species of aquatic ferns of the family Marsileaceae. The name honours Italian naturalist Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (1656–1730).
These small plants are of unusual appearance and do not resemble common ...
polycarpa leaves.
*Pitāgama sāg
*Helencha sāg:
Enhydra fluctuans
''Enhydra'' is a genus of mustelid that contains the sea otter and two extinct relatives. It is the only extant genus of the bunodont otters group, referring to otters with non-blade carnassials with rounded cusps.
Sea otters probably diverged fr ...
*Daata sāg
*Peyanj sāg: prepared from
spring onions
Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chi ...
*Mulor sāg
*Lal sāg
*Lau sāg : Prepared from the leaves and stems of
bottle gourd
Calabash (; ''Lagenaria siceraria''), also known as bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, long melon, birdhouse gourd, New Guinea bean, Tasmania bean, and opo squash, is a vine grown for its fruit. It can be either harvested young to be consumed ...
plant.
*Kumro sāg: Prepared from leaves of the
pumpkin
A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus ''Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes use ...
plant.
*Madarangā sāg: prepared from leaves of
Alternanthera sessilis
''Alternanthera sessilis'' is a flowering plant known by several common names, including sissoo spinach, Brazilian spinach, sessile joyweed and dwarf copperleaf. It is cultivated as a vegetable worldwide.
Distribution
The plant occurs throughout ...
.
*Sorshe sag:
Mustard greens
''Brassica juncea'', commonly brown mustard, Chinese mustard, Indian mustard, leaf mustard, Oriental mustard and vegetable mustard, is a species of mustard plant.
Cultivar
''Brassica juncea'' cultivars can be divided into four major subgroups ...
*
Methi
Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...
sāg: prepared from
methi
Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...
or
fenugreek
Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...
leaves and
besara (mustard paste) cooked with vegetable.
*Matara sāg: The inner coating of peas is removed and then chopped to make the sāga.
Bihar
* Kalmi saag
* Munga saag
* Koira Saag
* Gandhari saag
* Koinar saag
* Chakod saag
* Sarla saag
* Chench saag
* Chimti saag
* Katai saag
* Dhhahdhhaa saag
* Golgola saag
* Khesaari saag (''
Lathyrus sativus
''Lathyrus sativus'', also known as grass pea, cicerchia, blue sweet pea, chickling pea, chickling vetch, Indian pea, white pea and white vetch,''Kew GardensLathyrus sativus'' (grass pea) is a legume (family Fabaceae) commonly grown for human ...
'')
* Poi saag (''
Basella alba
''Basella alba'' is an edible perennial vine in the family Basellaceae. It is found in tropical Asia and Africa where it is widely used as a leaf vegetable. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and New Guinea. It is naturaliz ...
'')
* Palak saag (
Spinach
Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...
)
* Bathua saag (''
Chenopodium album
''Chenopodium album'' is a fast-growing weedy annual plant in the genus ''Chenopodium''. Though cultivated in some regions, the plant is elsewhere considered a weed. Common names include lamb's quarters, melde, goosefoot, wild spinach and fat-h ...
'')
* Methi saag (
Fenugreek
Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...
)
Jharkhand
There are around 70 variety of saag grows in Jharkhand. Some are as follows:
*Beng saag
*Bhaji saag
*Kalmi saag
*Khesari saag
*Kohnda saag
*Koinar saag
*Methi saag
*Munga saag
*Palak saag
*Pechki saag
*Poi saag
*Putkal saag
*Sarla saag
Uttarakhand
Saags (Leafy greens) are an important part of
Garhwali Garhwali may refer to:
* Garhwali people, an ethno-linguistic group who live in northern India
* Garhwali language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by Garhwali people
* anything from or related to:
**Garhwal division, a region in state of Uttarakhan ...
,
Kumaoni and
Jaunsari cuisine Jaunsari may refer to:
* Jaunsari people, an ethnic group of northern India
* Jaunsari language
Jaunsari () is a Western Pahari language of northern India spoken by the Jaunsari people in the Chakrata and Kalsi blocks of Dehradun district in t ...
s of Uttarakhand. The abundance of leafy greens in the state are because of fertile land and forested land. Saags of ''Sarson'' (Mustard), ''Palak'' (spinach), ''Mooli'' (Radish) are common
but unique and exclusive saags cooked in the state are:
''Kandali saag'' or ''Bicchu ghas ka saag'' or ''Sisun ka saag'' (or stinging nettle leaves) is a wild bushy grass that is high on nutritional value but also itches if touched to bare skin. The leaves of this plant are boiled in hot water, turned into a paste and then cooked with ghee and tomato.
''Lingdi ka saag'': made using tender fern leaves.
Haryana
*Saag gosht or Hariyali Maans is a version of the dish prepared with meat often of
mutton
Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Gen ...
or ''lamb''. This version of the dish is more common in the state of Haryana.
The meat is usually cooked in a ''Bhatthi'' (clay oven) before being marinated in the other ingredients.
* In winters, saags of ''Channa/Cholia'' (chickpea leaves), ''Sarson'' (mustard), ''Methi'' (fenugreek), ''Palak'' (spinach), ''Bathua'' (chenopodium) are commonly cooked in
Haryanvi
Haryanvi ( ' or '), also known as Bangru, is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the state of Haryana in India, and to a lesser extent in Delhi. Haryanvi is considered to be part of the dialect group of Western Hindi, which also includes Kharibo ...
households.
These saags are mainly eaten with millet breads like
Makki ki roti
Makki ki roti is a flat unleavened bread made from corn meal (maize flour), primarily eaten in the Jammu region, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand in North India & Gujarat, Maharashtra in Western India a ...
&
Bajra ki roti, smeared with
ghee
Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals.
Description
Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...
or butter.
Punjab
* Saag is usually made with mustard leaves in Punjab, although spinach is common in other parts of the world. Saag is commonly served hot, usually with
chapati
Chapati (alternatively spelled chapatti, chappati, chapathi, or chappathi; pronounced as IAST: ), also known as ''roti'', ''rotli'', ''safati'', ''shabaati'', ''phulka'', (in East Africa) ''chapo'', (in Marathi) ''poli'', and (in the Maldives) ...
, ''makki ki roti'', ''bajra ki roti'' and topped with clarified butter.
See also
*
Ghormeh sabzi
Ghormeh sabzi ( fa, قورمه سبزی) or Khoresht sabzi ( fa, خورشت سبزی), also spelled ''qormeh sabzi'', is an Iranian herb stew. It is considered the national dish of Iran. It is a very popular dish in Iran.
History
Ghormeh s ...
*
Palak paneer
Palak paneer () is an Indian dish consisting of paneer (a type of cheese) in a thick paste made from puréed spinach, called palak in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, and other Indian languages.
The terms palak paneer and saag paneer are sometimes ...
*
Sarson ka saag
Sarson ka saag (as it is known in Hindi/Haryanvi or Sarson da saag in Punjabi or Sareyan Da Saag in Dogri) is a popular vegetarian dish from the northern region of the Indian subcontinent. It is made from mustard greens (sarson) and spices such ...
*
Chhena
Chhena () or chhana () are a style of cheese, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made from water buffaloDalby, A 2009, ''Cheese: A Global History'', Reaktion Books, p. 73, Kapoor, S & Kapoor, A 2006, ''Sanjeev Kapoor's No-oil Vegetarian C ...
*
Namul
Namul ( ko, 나물) refers to either a variety of edible grass or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (, "mountain namul"), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (, "spring namul"). On t ...
References
5^cookingweb
sunsunia saag recipe in Hindi
{{Indian Dishes
Bihari cuisine
Indian curries
Punjabi cuisine
Bengali cuisine
Bangladeshi cuisine
Odia cuisine
Vegetarian dishes of India
Pakistani curries
Sindhi cuisine