Jharkhand Saag
Veg
Vegan
Wild or cultivated greens — colocasia leaves, drumstick leaves, chakra bhat (Indian pennywort), or bitter gourd leaves — cooked with mustard oil, garlic, dried red chilli, and turmeric until wilted and concentrated. Tribal communities forage a wide variety of forest greens throughout the year, and the cooking method remains constant: mustard oil, minimal spice, maximum leaf.
Cuisines
Jharkhand
Best for
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 250 grams | mustard greens |
| 100 grams | spinach |
| 50 grams | fenugreek leaves |
| 1 tablespoon | mustard oil |
| 1 | onion, finely chopped |
| 2 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 inch | ginger, grated |
| 1 teaspoon | cumin seeds |
| 2 | green chilies, chopped |
| 1 teaspoon | turmeric powder |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 1 cup | water |
Instructions
- 1 Wash the mustard greens, spinach, and fenugreek leaves thoroughly under running water.
- 2 Chop the greens coarsely and set aside.
- 3 Heat mustard oil in a pan over medium heat.
- 4 Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- 5 Add chopped onion, garlic, and ginger to the pan and sauté until the onion turns golden brown.
- 6 Add green chilies and turmeric powder, and sauté for another minute.
- 7 Add the chopped greens to the pan and mix well.
- 8 Add salt and water, then cover the pan and let it cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 9 Once the greens are cooked and tender, mash them slightly with the back of a spoon.
- 10 Serve hot with steamed rice or roti.
Tips
For a richer flavor, you can add a tablespoon of ghee at the end of cooking.