Mooli Ka Saag is a traditional Punjabi recipe. It is a simple, vegan stir fry of radish greens made in winter.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
The Saag Story
I’m unsure why people think Punjabi Cuisine is only about robust curries. The well-made hearty vegetarian curries like mooli ka saag or adrak lehsun ki chitt are equally delightful. These traditional Punjabi delicacies you will not find on a restaurant menu.
This saag is a cross between mooli ki sabzi and sarson ka saag.
As the summer approaches, the radish greens taste more like pungent grass than juicy leaves. So the peak of the winter season is the right time to try this Punjabi mooli ka saag recipe with radish greens.
How To Make Mooli Ka Saag
- First, clean and wash the radish leaves to remove dirt. Fine chop the radish leaves into thin threads (image 1).
- Transfer chopped radish greens into a pressure cooker. Add 1 ½ cups of water, salt, turmeric, diced radish, and green chilli (image 2).
- Stir to combine, seal the lid of the pressure cooker, and cook the radish green for 1 whistle over low heat. It takes 5 – 6 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let the steam release naturally from the pressure cooker (image 3).
- Heat mustard oil in a heavy bottom kadhai till it starts smoking. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for less than 1 minute.
- Next, add chopped tomato and spices. Cook till the tomato turns soft and mushy. This takes 1 – 2 minutes over low – medium heat (images 5 & 6).
- Add the saag from the pressure cooker. Using a vegetable masher or a ladle, gently mash the saag once or twice. Taste and add more salt if required.
- Cook the saag in the saucepan till the excess liquid evaporates, the tomato masala is nicely combined with the radish greens, and the saag thickens a bit. It usually takes 8 – 10 minutes over low heat. Do not rush this process.
Serving Suggestion
In a Punjabi household, the mooli ka saag is served with chapati or phulka and Kadhi Pakora or Arhar Dal. It is usually a winter season lunchtime affair.
You can serve this saag with Makki ki roti, Dal Paratha, or Tandoori Roti also, either for lunch or dinner.
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Mooli Ka Saag Recipe
- Heavy Bottom Kadhai
Ingredients
- 2 (500 gram approx) bunch of radish leaves
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste (get recipe)
- 1 -2 green chili, chopped
- 1 Cup white radish, peeled and diced
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ Cup tomato, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 4 tablespoon mustard oil (sarson oil)
Instructions
- To make the Saag, first clean and wash the radish leaves to remove dirt. Let the washed leaves sit on a metal colander for some time to drain out the excess water. Fine chop the radish leaves into thin threads.
- Transfer chopped radish greens into a pressure cooker. Add 1 ½ cups of water along with salt, turmeric, and diced radish. Stir to combine, seal the lid of the pressure cooker, and cook the radish green for 1 whistle over low heat. It takes 5 – 6 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let the steam release naturally from the pressure cooker.
- Heat mustard oil in a heavy bottom kadhai till it starts smoking. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and cook till the raw smell wafts away. It takes less than 1 minute.
- Next, add chopped tomato, spices, cook till tomato turns soft and mushy. This takes 1 – 2 minutes over low – medium heat.
- Add the saag from the pressure cooker. Using a vegetable masher or a ladle gently mash the saag once or twice. Taste and add more salt if required.
- Cook the saag in the saucepan till the excess liquid evaporates, tomato masala is nicely combined with the radish greens, and the saag thickens a bit. It usually takes 8 – 10 minutes over low heat. Do not rush this process.
- Serve Mooli ka Saag warm with phulka and dal for lunch/dinner.
Recipe Notes:
- Do not add too much water to pressure cook the radish leaves.
- Add salt cautiously as radish leaves have a natural salty taste.
- You can cook radish greens in an instant pot at pressure cook mode for 5 minutes. Later, use the saute mode to cook the saag as suggested in the recipe.
Ashwini says
Tastes really good