In India, it is common, especially in the state of Odisha, where it is eaten with pakhala. In the Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri, saag is one of the dishes offered to Jagannath as part of Mahaprasad. Saag is also common in West Bengal and other regions of North India, where the most common preparation is sarson ka saag (mustard plant leaves), which may be eaten with makki ki roti, a yellow roti made with maize flour.[3]Saag gosht or hariyali maans (spinach and mutton) is a common dish in the North Indian state of Punjab.[4] In Pakistan, it is most commonly eaten in the Punjab province.
Etymology
The word saag is derived from the Sanskrit word shaak (śāka) meaning leafy green vegetables.[5]
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.
Matara sāga (ମଟର ଶାଗ): The inner coating of peas is removed and then chopped to make the saga.
Bahal sāga
Kular sāga
Bhader sāga
Jhirel dal sāga
Bengali
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.
There are around 70 varieties of saag in Jharkhand.[9] Some are as follows:
Beng saag
Bhaji saag
Kalmi saag
Khesari saag
Kohnda saag
Koinar saag
Methi saag
Munga saag
Palak saag
Pechki saag
Poi saag
Putkal saag
Sarla saag
Uttarakhand
Saags (Leafy greens) are an important part of the Garhwali, Kumaoni and Jaunsari cuisines of Uttarakhand. The abundance of leafy greens in the state are because of fertile land and forested land. Saags of Sarson (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 the stinging 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]
Haryana
Saag gosht or Hariyali Maans is a version of the dish prepared with meat often of mutton or lamb. This version of the dish is more common in the state of Haryana.[4] The meat is usually cooked in a Bhatthi (clay oven) before being marinated in the other ingredients.
In winters, saags of Channa/Cholia (chickpea leaves), Sarson (mustard), Methi (fenugreek), Palak (spinach), Bathua (chenopodium) are commonly cooked in Haryanvi households.[12][13] These saags are mainly eaten with millet breads like Makki ki roti & Bajra ki roti, smeared with ghee or butter.
Punjab
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.
^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
