Sarson ka Saag Recipe |Oil-free Punjabi Makki ki Roti Side Dish

Whole Food Plant Based Sarson Ka Saag Recipe

In our recipe we've eliminated oil and dairy, both of which take away from the goodness of the otherwise nutritious dish.

Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Ki Roti are quite popular especially in cold wintery Punjab. This wonderfully flavourful dish can be had with any roti, but the popular choice is makki ki roti.

In our recipe we've eliminated oil and dairy, both of which take away from the goodness of the otherwise nutritious dish. Try our rich and flavourful whole food plant based Sarson Ka Saag. Winter is coming!

Sarson Ka Saag Recipe

Course: Course 2: Vegetable Dish / Side Dish for Course 3: Grain Dishes for Lunch Meal
Cuisine: Indian, North Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 bunch Mustard Greens
2. 1/2 bunch Bathua / lamb's quarters plants / Pappukura / Paruppukkeerai / Kaduoma / Vastuccira (optional)
3. 1/2 bunch of Spinach leaves/Palak
4. 3 Tomatoes
5. 1 inch Ginger
6. 1 tsp Dhaniya Powder / Coriander Seed Powder
7. 3/4 tsp Jeera Powder
8. 1/2 tsp Pepper Powder
9. 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
10. 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
11. 4 tsp Miso Paste
12. Juice of 1 Lemon
13. 2 tbsp Cashews

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash the mustard greens, bathua plants and palak. Remove leaves and use the rest of the plants for compost.
2. Grind all ingredients except miso paste and cashews to a chunky paste in a mixie / blender.
3. Cook the ground mixture in a vessel until fully cooked. Once done, switch off stove and mix in miso paste.
4. Mildly roast mustard seeds until they begin sputtering. As soon as they start sputtering, switch off the stove and mix seeds into the dish immediately.
5. Preferably, soak cashews overnight or at least for 5-6 hours. Blend in high powered blender with very little water and a pinch of turmeric powder until smooth. Top your sarson ka saag with fresh golden cashew cream.
6. Serve fresh with Makki ki Roti!

Nutrition Science Highlights for WFPB Sarson ka Saag Recipe

1. Why mustard seeds? Myrosinase, an important enzyme in cruciferous vegetables such as knol kohl, cauliflower, cabbage, radish, and broccoli, is essential to form sulforaphance, a powerful anti-cancer compound in the body when we consume these vegetables. However, when they are cooked, myrosinase gets deactivated and sulforaphane does not get synthesised. By adding raw or slightly roasted mustard seeds, or a little of any raw cruciferous vegetable to the dish after cooking, we can add myrosinase back into the dish and protect the powerful anti-cancer functions of cruciferous vegetables.
2. Why miso paste? Miso paste is fermented & salted soya bean paste. Maximum recommended salt intake is 3 grams per day per person. In addition to helping us restrict salt intake, replacing salt with miso paste also helps by neutralising the negative effects of salt by soya phytonutrients. You can easily make fresh miso paste at home by mixing 100 grams of cooked soya paste with 10 grams of salt, or 10 tablespoons of cooked soya paste with 1 tablespoon of salt. If making at home, ensure to use immediately, or freeze in batches to use later. Or, simply use less than 3.75 grams of salt per day and add 18 to 20 grams of soya beans in any dishes, spread through the day!