Chana Saag RecipeImage Credit source: vijus_eat_in/insta
Like gram, its greens are also rich in nutrients and helps in keeping one healthy in winters, hence it should definitely be made a part of the diet. You must be buying gram greens from the market. It can also be grown at home, which hardly takes 1 month to harvest. Chana saag is prepared with very little oil and spices, but if you prepare it properly then it tastes very aromatic. Apart from wheat bread, it also tastes amazing when eaten with different types of grain breads. Along with this, you can enjoy gram greens with rice. Let us know its recipe.
Gram greens are harvested before the plants flower, due to which its leaves are very soft which gives a creamy texture after being prepared. It is also low in calories and the ingredients added to it are also a source of protein, hence even fitness freaks can eat chana saag without any guilt.
Ingredients of Chana Ka Saag
To make this saag, you will need 250 grams of greens, 2-3 green chillies, 1 inch piece of ginger, 2 tomatoes, oil or one spoon ghee, 2 pinch asafoetida, half teaspoon cumin, salt as per taste, two spoons of maize flour, gram dal and 1/4th teaspoon red chilli.
Preparation of gram greens
- First of all, clean the gram greens by picking them and then break the hard stalks and remove them separately. Wash the rest of the greens, cut them and keep them in a net basket.
- Remove the stalks of green chillies and chop them finely. Peel and grind the ginger and after washing the tomatoes, chop them finely.
- Soak chana dal so that it swells a bit and becomes easier to cook.
Now learn how to make saag
Put the chopped greens in a pan and put it on media flame to cook and also add soaked chana dal. When the greens become completely soft and the lentils are also cooked, then dissolve the corn flour well in some water. Keep in mind that there should not be any lumps. Mix this solution with greens. During this time also add salt and red chilli. Knead the dal a little so that its texture becomes correct. Now cook it well for some time.
When the greens are ready, heat ghee or oil in a pan, add asafoetida, cumin, green chillies and temper it. After this, add tomato and ginger and fry well and add prepared greens to it and cook while stirring well for two to three minutes. This way your greens will not become astringent at all. It tastes great especially with millet and maize roti.
Note: Adding maize flour and a little gram dal to gram greens balances its taste and reduces the astringency and also increases some other nutrients including protein in the greens.