Saag (), also spelled sag or saga, is an Indian

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 ...

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, Trini ...

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, M ...

, or in some regions with

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...

. 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 eith ...

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 ''Brassic ...

, basella, finely chopped

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 clas ...

or other greens, along with added

spices A spice is a seed, fruit, root, 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 garnish. Spices a ...

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 Sc ...

, where it is eaten with pakhala. In the Shree Jagannath Temple of

Puri Puri () is a coastal city and a 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 also known as ''S ...

, 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 siste ...

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 four ...

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 Centr ...

, where the most common preparation is sarson ka saag (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 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. ...

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 ...

Etymology

The word ''saag'' is derived from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...

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 ...

leaves. * Bajji sāga (ବଜ୍ଜୀ ଶାଗ): Prepared from Amaranthus dubius 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)

*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 keepi ...

*Poi sāga (ପୋଈ ଶାଗ): prepared from basella leaves and tender stems. *Bāramāsi/sajanā sāga (ବାରମାସି/ ସଜନା ଶାଗ): prepared from leaves of the

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 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 u ...

plant. *Madarangā sāga (ମଦରଙ୍ଗା ଶାଗ): prepared from leaves of Alternanthera sessilis. *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 sāga (ମେଥୀ ଶାଗ): prepared from methi 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 ingredient ...

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

(water spinach) *Kosalā/khadā sāg: prepared from

leaves. * Bajji sāg: Prepared from Amaranthus dubius leaves. *Leutiā sāg

leaves and tender stems. *Pālong sāg:

*Puin sāg : prepared from basella leaves and tender stems. *Bāramāsi/sojnā sāg: prepared from leaves of the

. Cooked with lentils or alone with fried onions. *Sunusuniā sāg: Marsilea polycarpa leaves. *Pitāgama sāg *Helencha sāg: Enhydra fluctuans *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

plant. *Madarangā sāg: prepared from leaves of Alternanthera sessilis. *Sorshe sag:

* Methi sāg: prepared from methi 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 ingredient ...

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'') * 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 nat ...

'') * 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 eith ...

) * 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- ...

'') * Methi saag (

)

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, Kumaoni and Jaunsari cuisines 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. Ge ...

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 Kharib ...

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 ...

& 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 fro ...

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.

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