Fresh leafy greens stir-fried in mustard oil with garlic and dried chilli until wilted and fragrant. One of the most eaten vegetable preparations of Odisha — made with whatever seasonal greens are available from the market.
Ingredients
500 g fresh leafy greens — spinach, colocasia leaves, fenugreek leaves, amaranth (chaulai) or any available greens
3 tbsp mustard oil
4 to 5 garlic cloves — thinly sliced
3 dried red chilli
1/4 tsp turmeric
a pinch of sugar
salt to taste
Method
Wash the greens thoroughly: Wash the leafy greens in 3 to 4 changes of water. Leafy greens harbour soil and insects — thorough washing is essential. Shake off excess water.
Chop the greens: Chop the washed greens roughly — about 3 to 4 cm pieces. Do not chop too fine — they will reduce significantly when cooked. Include tender stems.
Heat mustard oil until smoking: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a wide pan on high heat until smoking. Reduce to medium. The smoking removes pungency.
Add sliced garlic: Add the thinly sliced garlic. Fry stirring for 30 to 40 seconds until the garlic turns light golden. The crispy garlic slices add flavour and texture.
Add dried red chilli: Add dried red chilli to the pan with the garlic. They will darken within 20 seconds. Stir briefly.
Add the wet chopped greens: Add all the chopped, still-slightly-wet greens to the pan. The water droplets on the greens will cause the hot oil to splatter — stand back slightly.
Stir on high heat: Increase heat to high. Stir continuously for 1 minute as the greens wilt rapidly from the heat and steam.
Add turmeric and seasoning: Add turmeric, a pinch of sugar and salt. Continue stirring on high heat.
Cook until wilted and dry: Cook stirring every 30 seconds for 4 to 5 minutes total until all the greens are completely wilted, the water has evaporated and the bhaja is dry. The greens should look reduced, dark green and fragrant.
Serve: The saga bhaja should be completely dry — no water pooling at the bottom. Serve as a side dish alongside steamed rice, dal and fish curry.
Note: Saga Bhaja (saga = greens, bhaja = fried) is the simplest and one of the most frequently prepared vegetable side dishes in Odisha. The state has a wide variety of local greens used for this preparation — colocasia leaves (saru saga), amaranth (laal saga), fenugreek (methi saga) and others. The Odisha government has been promoting the consumption of these traditional greens for their high nutritional content.