Chane ka saag recipe with step by step pics. Saag in Punjabi or hindi language means greens or any green leafy vegetable. Chana are chickpeas. So chane ka saag are the tender greens of chickpea plant with small feathery leaves. A vegan dish.
Chickpea greens make an appearance in the Indian markets in winters. so its only during winters you can make various recipes using chickpea greens. Chane ka saag is a winter delicacy and usually made in the northern parts of India.
The recipe of chane ka saag shared here is similar to Sarson ka saag. making any saag based recipes take time. Plucking the greens, rinsing them, chopping and then cooking them takes a lot of time. However, if you want to make saag, then you do have to spend some time in prepping them. But its worth the effort as the final dish is not only delicious but very healthy also.
In this recipe to thicken the saag, I have added moong dal. You can also add makai ka atta (maize flour), besan (gram flour) or bajra atta (sorghum flour).
I make chane ka saag in a similar way to the way I make sarson ka saag. The recipe yields a delicious and slightly sour tasting (khatta) saag which you can have with makki ki roti or bajre ki roti. You can also serve it with chapatis or phulkas.
Making chane ka saag recipe is easy And it is just the preparation that takes time. I clean the greens one day before and keep them in the fridge in air tight cotton bag or container. So half of the work is over. Then the next day, it is much easy to prepare saag.
Chane ka saag can be topped with homemade butter or ghee and served with bajra roti or makki di roti is not only comforting but also healthy and nutritious.
How to make chane ka saag
A) preparation:
1. Firstly pluck the tender stems from the saag. Do not use the hard or dense stems. Collect the tender small stems in pan or large bowl. You will need 150 grams cleaned chana saag or 5 to 5.5 cups chane ka saag.
2. Now add water in the pan or bowl and let the chane ka saag be immersed in the water for 2 to 3 minutes. Doing this helps to get rid of the mud or dust on the saag as these settle down in the water.
3. Drain all the water.
4. Again pour water in the bowl or pan.
5. Gently swirl the saag with your hands and then drain the water. do this method 2 to 3 times more so that the saag is cleaned properly.
6. Lastly drain all the water very well from the saag.
7. Roughly chop the saag.
Pressure cooking chane ka saag
8. In a 3 litre pressure cooker, take the chopped saag.
9. Add 2 tablespoons rinsed moong dal. Instead of moong dal, you can add makai ka atta (maize flour) or besan (gram flour) or bajra atta (sorghum flour)
10. Add 1 medium tomato (quartered), 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and 1 green chili.
11. Add 1 pinch asafoetida or salt as required.
12. Add ½ cup water.
13. Pressure cook on medium flame for 8 to 9 minutes or 4 to 5 whistles. Since I have used moong dal I have pressure cooked for more time. If using any of the flours instead of moong dal (mentioned in step 9), then you can pressure cook for about 5 to 6 minutes.
14. When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid. Keep it open so that the saag mixture becomes warm or cools down.
15. When the saag mixture has become warm or cooled down, take it in a mixer-grinder jar or blender. You can also blend directly in the cooker with a hand held electric blender.
16. Blend to a smooth consistency. Keep saag aside.
Tempering chane ka saag
17. Heat 2 tablespoons mustard oil in a pan or kadai. You can also use ghee instead of mustard oil.
18. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
19. Let the cumin seeds crackle.
20. Then add 1 dry red chili (broken and seeds removed) and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing). stir till the red chilies change color.
21. Then add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions.
22. Begin to sauté onions on a low to medium flame.
23. sauté onions till light brown or golden.
23. Add the saag.
24. Mix very well and simmer chane ka saag for 3 to 4 minutes or till it becomes hot.
25. While simmering do stir often as the saag splutters. Later switch off the flame.
26. Serve chane ka saag with makki ki roti or bajre ki roti or chapatis or phulkas.
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Chane ka Saag
Ingredients
for pressure cooking saag
- 150 grams cleaned chana saag or 5 to 5.5 cups chane ka saag - tender chickpea leaves
- 2 tablespoons moong dal - husked & split mung lentils
- 1 medium tomato - quartered
- 1 inch ginger or 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 green chili
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ½ cup water
- salt as required
for tempering chane ka saag
- 2 tablespoons mustard oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 dry red chili - broken and seeds removed
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onions or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
Instructions
preparation
- Firstly pluck the tender stems from the saag. Do not use the hard or dense stems. Collect the tender small stem in pan or large bowl.
- Now add water in the pan or bowl and let the chane ka saag be immersed in the water for 2 to 3 minutes. Doing this helps to get rid of the mud or dust on the saag as these settle down in the water.
- Drain all the water. again pour water in the bowl or pan.
- Gently swirl the saag with your hands and then drain the water. Do this method 2 to 3 times more so that the saag is cleaned properly.
- Now drain all the water very well from the saag. chop the saag.
pressure cooking chane ka saag
- In a 3 litre pressure cooker, take the chopped saag.
- Add 2 tablespoons rinsed moong dal. Instead of moong dal, you can add makai ka atta (maize flour) or besan (gram flour) or bajra atta (sorghum flour)
- Add 1 medium tomato (quartered), 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and 1 green chili.
- Add 1 pinch asafoetida or salt as required. add ½ cup water.
- Pressure cook for 8 to 9 minutes or 4 to 5 whistles. Since I have used moong dal I have pressure cooked for more time. If using any of the flours mentioned above instead of moong dal, then you can pressure cook for about 5 to 6 minutes.
- When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid. Keep it open so that the saag mixture becomes warm or cools down.
- When the saag mixture has become warm or cooled down, take it in a mixer-grinder jar or blender. You can also blend directly in the cooker with a hand held electric blender.
- Blend to a smooth consistency. Keep saag aside.
tempering chane ka saag
- Heat 2 tablespoons mustard oil in a pan or kadai. add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
- Let the cumin seeds crackle. then add 1 dry red chili (broken and seeds removed) and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing).
- Stir till the red chilies change color. Then add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions.
- Sauté onions till light brown or golden. add the saag.
- Mix very well and simmer chane ka saag for 3 to 4 minutes or till it becomes hot.
- While simmering do stir often as the saag splutters. Later switch off the flame.
- Serve chane ka saag with makki ki roti or bajre ki roti or chapatis or phulkas.
