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A hearty and nutritious mixed greens curry from Bihar, made by slow-cooking a variety of leafy greens with chana dal. Finished with a fragrant tempering of garlic and spices, it's a rustic winter delight.
Prepare Greens and Dal
Pressure Cook the Saag
Mash the Mixture
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A hearty and nutritious mixed greens curry from Bihar, made by slow-cooking a variety of leafy greens with chana dal. Finished with a fragrant tempering of garlic and spices, it's a rustic winter delight.
This bihari recipe takes 65 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 244.1 calories per serving with 11.92g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for lunch or dinner.
Prepare the Tempering (Tadka)
Combine and Simmer
Serve
Replace ghee with mustard oil or any other neutral vegetable oil to make the dish completely vegan.
You can substitute chana dal with a mix of toor dal (pigeon peas) and moong dal (split yellow lentils) for a different texture and quicker cooking time.
For a richer dish, add 100g of cubed paneer to the saag during the final 5 minutes of simmering.
For a more traditional, simpler tempering, omit the onion and tomato. Use only ghee, cumin seeds, hing, 2-3 dried red chilies, and a generous amount of browned garlic.
The combination of spinach, mustard greens, and bathua provides a powerful dose of iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K, which are essential for blood health, vision, immunity, and bone density.
Both the leafy greens and chana dal are excellent sources of dietary fiber, which aids digestion, promotes gut health, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and contributes to a feeling of fullness.
Chana dal (split chickpeas) is a protein powerhouse, making this dish a great option for vegetarians and vegans to meet their daily protein requirements for muscle repair and growth.
Ingredients like garlic, ginger, turmeric, and the high Vitamin C content from the greens work together to strengthen the immune system and fight off infections.
Yes, Kadam Saag is extremely healthy. It is packed with vitamins (A, C, K), minerals like iron and calcium from the leafy greens, and provides an excellent source of plant-based protein and dietary fiber from the chana dal.
One serving of Kadam Saag (approximately 1 cup or 225g) contains around 240-260 calories, depending on the amount of ghee used. It's a nutritious, low-calorie main dish.
Absolutely. You can cook the greens and dal in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven. It will take longer, about 45-60 minutes, for the dal to become completely soft. You'll need to add more water as it evaporates and stir occasionally.
If bathua is not available, you can increase the quantity of spinach or use other seasonal greens like amaranth leaves (chaulai), fenugreek leaves (methi) in smaller quantities, or even finely chopped radish greens.
Yes, it's very easy to make this vegan. Simply replace the ghee with mustard oil or any other plant-based oil for the tempering.
Kadam Saag can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The flavor often deepens and improves by the next day.