Nari Saag-a healthy curry made with seasonal water spinach
Nari Saag is a simple and delicious traditional leafy green recipe. It is healthy, flavorful, and tastes best with hot rotis or steamed rice. This Saag is seasonal, very healthy and taste delicious . Nari saag is popular as the name –water spinach, Kalmi Saag or Karamua. This green leafy vegetable grows near ponds and other water bodies during the monsoon season, especially in the months of July and August.
Water spinach has a mild earthy flavor and is commonly eaten in North and East India, where it grows naturally. It is packed with nutrients and offers many health benefits. Water spinach is rich in iron, which helps increase hemoglobin levels. It is also a good source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, and essential minerals. Being low in calories, it helps with healthy digestion, body hydration, and weight management.
This saag is very easy to cook. First, remove the hard stems and wash the leaves thoroughly. Then chop them finely and cook with green chilies and a few basic Indian spices. You can also add potatoes or brinjal (eggplant), or simply cook it plain, just like palak saag or sarson ka saag.
Another great way to use water spinach is by chopping or pureeing it and mixing it into chapati dough to make soft, healthy, and delicious parathas.
You can cook Nari Saag in a regular pan or in a pressure cooker, just like I have done in this recipe. It is a simple, healthy, and comforting dish with earthy flavor that is perfect for the rainy season.
How To Make Nari Saag | Kalmi Saag
Nari Saag is a simple and delicious traditional leafy green recipe. It is healthy, flavorful, and tastes best with hot rotis or steamed rice.
First, wash the Nari saag thoroughly under running water. Since it grows near ponds and water bodies, insects, mud, and dirt may be hidden between the leaves. Separate the leaves carefully and check each one. Remove the hard, mature stems from the bottom and finely chop the leaves along with the tender stems.
Transfer the chopped saag to a pressure cooker. Add 1 chopped green chili and ½ cup water. Pressure cook on medium heat for 3–4 whistles.
Once the pressure is released naturally, open the cooker. Using the back of a ladle or a pav bhaji masher, mash the cooked saag until it becomes smooth and creamy. This step is optional. If you prefer a chunky texture, you can skip it.
Gradually add the wheat flour to the mashed saag while stirring continuously to prevent lumps.
Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, chopped green chili, salt, and chopped tomato. Sauté for 1 minute, then cover the pan and cook until the tomato becomes soft.
Add the mashed kalmi saag to the pan and mix well. Stir in the coriander powder and turmeric powder. Pour in about ½ cup water and mix everything together. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes so the wheat flour cooks completely and does not taste raw. Turn off the heat.
Ghee Tadka
Heat 1 tablespoon of pure ghee in a small pan. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 dried red chilies, and a pinch of red chili powder. Pour the hot tadka over the cooked nari saag.
For a slightly tangy flavor, add ½ teaspoon lemon juice or a 1/2 tsp of dry mango powder (amchur), if you like.
Serving Suggestions -Serve hot Nari saag with fresh rotis, parathas, or steamed rice. Enjoy
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Nari Saag | Kalmi saag | Water spinach curry
Nari Saag-a healthy curry made with seasonal water spinach
Ingredients
- 3 bunch Nari saag | Water spinach| Kalmi saag
- 2 Green Chilies / Hari Mirch
- 1 big Tomatoes / Tamatar 3/4 cup chopped
- 1 Tbsp Whole Wheat Flour / Atta
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder / Haldi Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder / Dhaniya Powder
- 3/4 tsp Red Chilli powder / Laal mirch powder
- 1/2 tsp Mango Powder / Amchoor Powder or lemon juice
- to taste Salt / Namak
tadka
- 2 tbsp Mustard Oil / Sarson ka tel
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds / Sabut Jeera
- 1/4 Asafoetida / Hing powder
- 1 tbsp Ghee/Clarified Butter
- 1/2 tsp Red Chili powder / Laal mirch powder
- 2 whole dry red chili
Instructions
- Wash the leaves very well and then discard the hard mature stems.
- Finely Chop the remining leaves and tender stems .
- In the pressure cooker add the chopped green saag and 1 chopped green chilies with 1/2 cup water and pressure cook on medium heat for 3-4 whistles.
- When the pressure cool down then open the cooker and mash the cooked leaves with the back of the ladle or using the pav bhaji masher.
- Make it smooth and creamy or just keep as it is.(depend on your preference )
- Gradually add the wheat flour in the mashed saag and keep mixing it to avoid lumps.
- Heat mustard oil in a pan and add cumin and asafoetida and then add the chopped green chilies and tomato.
- Add salt, turmeric , mix and cover and cook till tomatoes become soft.
- Mash the tomatoes slightly and then add the mashed saag in this pan and mix well, add chili powder , mango powder and coriander powder.
- Add some water to adjust the consistency, mix and cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 10 minutes so the wheat flour get cooked properly.
- Switch off the heat and make ghee ka final tadka
- Heat ghee in a small pan, add cumin seeds, dry whole red chili, and red chili powder and pour over the saag as a garnish.
- Serve hot with roti, paratha or rice.
Nutrition
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