In India, it is common, especially in the state ofOdisha, where it is eaten withpakhala. In theShree Jagannath Temple ofPuri, saag is one of the dishes offered toJagannath as part ofMahaprasad. Saag is also common inWest Bengal and other regions ofNorth India, where the most common preparation issarson ka saag (mustard plant leaves), which may be eaten withmakki ki roti, a yellow roti made withmaize flour.[3]Saag gosht orhariyali maans (spinach and mutton) is a common dish in the North Indian state ofPunjab.[4] In Pakistan, it is most commonly eaten in the Punjab province along withMakki ki roti, made from freshly ground corn flour, and fresh buffalo or cow butter orghee.
In Odia cuisine, sāga (Odia:ଶାଗ) is one of the most important vegetables. It is popular all over the state. A large variety of plants are used as sāga in Odisha. A list of the plants that are used as sāga is as below.
In Bengali cuisine, sāg is one of the most important vegetables, being popular throughout the state. Most Bengalis eat at least one dish containing sāg at lunchtime every day - usually fried or accompanied by a little gravy (jhol) and served with rice. A list of the plants that are used as sāg is as below.
Saags (Leafy greens) are an important part of theGarhwali,Kumaoni andJaunsari cuisines of Uttarakhand. The abundance of leafy greens in the state is because of fertile land and forested land. Saags ofSarson (Mustard),Palak (spinach),Mooli (Radish) are common[10] but exclusive saags cooked in the state are:
Kandali saag /Bicchu ghas ka saag /Sisun ka saag - saag prepared from young leaves of thestinging nettle weed. First the leaves are boiled in water, rendering their stinging hairs harmless, before grinding them into a paste and cooking with ghee, tomato and spices to flavour them. Nettle leaves so prepared are highly nutritious, containing essential minerals and large amounts of protein[11]
Lingdi ka saag: made using tender fern leaves.[10]
Saag gosht orHariyali Maans is a version of the dish prepared with meat often ofmutton orlamb. This version of the dish is more common in the state of Haryana.[4] The meat is usually cooked in aBhatthi (clay oven) before being marinated in the other ingredients.
In winters, saags ofChanna/Cholia (chickpea leaves),Sarson (mustard),Methi (fenugreek),Palak (spinach),Bathua (chenopodium) are commonly cooked inHaryanvi households.[12][13] These saags are mainly eaten with millet breads likeMakki ki roti &Bajra ki roti, smeared withghee or butter.
Saag is usually made with mustard leaves in Punjab, although spinach is common in other parts of the world. Saag is commonly served hot, usually with roti (wheat bread),chapati,makki ki roti,bajra ki roti and topped with clarified butter.[14]
^Haryana (India) (1988).Haryana District Gazetteers. Haryana Gazetteers Organization.Some locally available green vegetables in Haryana are Channa Saag, Sarson Saag, Bathua in winter...
^K.S. Bhoria (1983).Haryana District Gazetteers : Gurgaon. Chandigarh, Revenue Department.Winter vegetables of Gurgaon (Haryana) include a wide range of vegetables such as (a) root crops like radish, turnip, carrot; (b) leafy cole crops, like palak, methi and sarson ka saag
