If you already deal with constant bloating, winters can feel extra rough. The cold weather slows your metabolism, and suddenly, even your favourite meals can leave you feeling heavy and uncomfortable. And that’s where the most wholesome, comforting, and gut-friendly dish, saag, comes to your rescue. Cooked with boiled jeera water and warm spices, saag boosts digestion. So, try these simple saag recipes to ease bloating this winter.

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1. Paalak saag recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups spinach, washed and chopped

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp ginger, grated

1 small onion, finely chopped

Salt to taste

1 green chilli, slit

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 cups jeera water, boiled

1 tsp black pepper

Method:

In a saucepan, pour jeera water, and then add chopped spinach, turmeric powder, and salt. Cook the mixture over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until soft. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Now, transfer it to a blender and blend lightly to make a coarse mixture. In a pan, heat some ghee and add jeera, garlic cloves, and grated ginger. Sauté the ingredients for 30 seconds. Now, add chopped onions and green chillies. Cook the mixture until golden brown. Add black pepper and pour the blended spinach mixture.

Simmer the mixture over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Add some boiled jeera water if you prefer a curry-like saag. Cook it for another 4-5 minutes. Serve the warm paalak saag topped with some ghee. Pair the dish with jowar or bajra roti to improve nutrient absorption. The cumin water used in this saag recipe will help reduce bloating and other digestion-related issues.

2. Bathua saag recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups bathua leaves, washed and chopped

1 and 1/2 cups jeera water, boiled

1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

1/2 tsp hing (asafoetida)

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp ginger, grated

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add bathua leaves, a cup of jeera water, turmeric powder and salt. Cook the mixture for two whistles. Wait for the pressure to release naturally. Transfer the bathua mix to a blender and blend lightly to get a coarse texture. In a saucepan, heat some ghee for the tadka. Add hing, ajwain, and ginger. Sauté the ingredients until aromatic. Add the blended bathua mix to the tadka along with half a cup of jeera water. Cook the saag for 8-10 minutes. Serve the bathua saag warm with a bajra or jowar roti. Rich in dietary fibre, bathua (wild spinach) helps prevent constipation, thereby reducing bloating.

3. Methi paalak saag recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups spinach, washed and chopped

2 cups methi leaves, washed and chopped

1 tbsp garlic, chopped

2 cups jeera water, boiled

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp saunf (fennel seeds)

1 tbsp ghee

Salt to taste

Method:

In a saucepan, add chopped spinach, methi leaves, jeera water, turmeric, and salt. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes until soft. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool at room temperature. Now blend it into a coarse mixture and keep aside. In the same pan, heat some ghee, then add saunf and garlic. Sauté the ingredients until golden brown. Pour the blended saag in the pan and simmer over low heat for 7-10 minutes. Add some warm jeera water if you prefer a thin consistency. Cook for five more minutes. Serve the methi paalak saag warm with millet chapatis. The methi leaves reduce water retention, thereby reducing bloating. The saunf stimulates the digestive enzymes, which help release trapped gas.

4. Kale saag recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups kale leaves, chopped

1 and 1/2 cups jeera water, boiled

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp black pepper 

Salt to taste

1 tsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp olive oil or ghee

1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

In a saucepan, add kale, jeera water, turmeric powder, and salt. Cover the mixture with a lid and cook for 10-12 minutes until soft. Blend the kale mixture into a coarse mix and set aside. In a pan, heat some cooking oil or ghee, and add chopped onion and ginger paste. Add some black pepper and cook the ingredients until golden brown. Pour the blended kale mix into the pan and cook the saag for 6-8 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and mix it well. Serve the kale saag warm. The gut-friendly kale leaves, when combined with lemon and black pepper, improve digestion and reduce bloating.

5. Dill spinach saag recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups spinach, washed and chopped

1 cup dill leaves, washed and chopped

1 and 1/2 cups jeera water

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp jeera

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Method:

In a saucepan, add spinach, dill leaves, turmeric powder, salt, and jeera water. Cook the mixture for 6-8 minutes until soft. Blend the spinach-dill mixture roughly, then let it cool to room temperature. In a pan, heat some ghee. Add jeera and garlic, and sauté until aromatic. Pour the blended spinach-dill mix into the pan and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Serve the warm spinach dill saag with daliya for a delicious, gut-friendly meal.

Try these easy saag recipes this winter to reduce bloating and boost immunity.

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