By Jasmine Kaur
Saag, for the unversed, are leafy green vegetables that are paired with chapatti and eaten for lunch or dinner in many Indian households. Here are some of the best saag dishes of India.
A winter specialty, sarson ka saag is made with mustard, spinach and bathua leaves and usually paired with makki ki roti, topped with dollops of butter.
This one is prepared in a jiffy and requires minimum ingredients. Also known as laal saag due to its colour, the leaves are tossed in garlic and red chilli and cooked on low heat.
Made with spinach leaves, the palak saag is used for making several dishes like palak aloo, palak paneer and even palak corn.
A combination of spinach, moong dal and gram flour, the aalan saag is simmered on low heat with ghee and spices and the one-pot saag goes well with both rice and roti.
A typical Kashmiri specialty, this haak saag is generally made with collard greens grown in the region. It is prepared with strong flavours of hing and spiciness of dry red chillies.
As the name suggests, leaves of chickpeas are used for making this saag dish. Although it is a tiresome process, this saag is packed with fibre, protein and lots of vitamins.
A pahari specialty from the hills of Uttarakhand, spinach and fenugreek leaves are combined to make this vibrantly-flavoured saag.
A Tamil Nadu-favourite, keerai masiyal is a mashed spinach saag where keerai refers to spinach while masiyal means mashed. Mashed on a wooden surface, it is often served as a side dish.
The fenugreek leaves are used for making methi saag. Spruced up with spices, this saag can also be paired with vegetables like potatoes.