Sai Bhaji Recipe: Sindhi Spinach and Dal

Sai bhaji is a Sindhi curry of spinach, other greens and chana dal, simmered until soft and mashed to a thick, creamy texture. The name means roughly "green vegetables", and it is mild, not fiery. A basic version for four to six people takes about 20 minutes of preparation and just over an hour on the stove, and it is nearly always eaten with rice.

This page gives a working recipe adapted from published ones, then explains the common variations and what to serve it with. If you are travelling in Sindh instead of cooking, there is a short section on trying it there.

What is sai bhaji?

Sai bhaji is a vegetarian dish from Sindh that is now cooked well beyond the province. The base is lentils and leafy greens. Spinach is the usual main green, with smaller amounts of fenugreek, dill or sorrel in some homes, and chana dal (split Bengal gram) gives it body. Potato, aubergine and other vegetables go in with it, and the whole pot is mashed when cooked.

It sits among the best-known dishes in Sindhi cooking, and we cover it alongside koki, Sindhi biryani and palla fish in our guide to Sindhi food.

Ingredients

For the pot:

• 3 tablespoons oil or ghee
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 green chillies, slit
• 1 medium tomato, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder, or less
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup chana dal, soaked for about an hour
• 1 medium potato, diced
• 1 small aubergine, diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1/2 cup bottle gourd, diced (optional)
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 4 cups (1 litre) water

For the tempering (baghaar):

• 2 tablespoons ghee or oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 dried red chillies

These quantities follow a published recipe, and home cooks vary them freely, so treat them as a starting point.

Method

1. Start the base. Heat the oil or ghee in a heavy pan, cook the onion until soft, then add the ginger, garlic and green chillies for a minute.
2. Add the tomato and spices. Stir in the tomato, turmeric, chilli powder and salt and cook briefly.
3. Add dal and vegetables. Drain the dal and add it with the potato, aubergine, carrot, gourd, spinach and the water.
4. Simmer. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, until the dal and vegetables are tender. A pressure cooker cuts this considerably; one Sindhi recipe uses 7 to 8 whistles, another 3 to 4 for a smaller batch, so go by your cooker.
5. Mash. Mash the mixture with a spoon or a stick blender until thick and smooth. Add a little hot water if it is too dry. Sindhi cooks often aim for a semi-dry consistency, not a soup.
6. Temper. Heat the ghee, fry the cumin, garlic and dried chillies until fragrant, and stir this through just before serving.

Variations

• More greens. Add dill, fenugreek leaves or sorrel (khatta bhaji) in place of some spinach. Sorrel adds sourness.
• Other vegetables. Home versions often include okra, yam (arbi), lotus stem, cluster beans or raw mango.
• Sour note. If you do not have sorrel or raw mango, a squeeze of lemon or a little dry mango powder gives a similar lift.
• Milder or hotter. Reduce the chilli for children, or add more green chilli at the end.

What to serve with sai bhaji

Rice is the usual partner, plain or the caramelised-onion rice known as bhughe chawal, cooked with whole spices. Some Sindhi cooks also serve it with roti, fried aubergine and papad. Thick yoghurt on the side works well. Khichdi is another popular match.

Where to try sai bhaji in Sindh

Sai bhaji is mainly a home dish, so you will often find it on home-style Sindhi menus and as a side to rice dishes in Sindhi homes. Ask for it at Sindhi restaurants in Karachi or Hyderabad, and read our posts on Hyderabad's famous food and Sukkur's famous food for the wider local menu. For visitors new to the cuisine, our Pakistani food guide for visitors and experiences pages are good starting points. Menus change, so ask what is cooked that day.

Is it worth making?

Yes if you want a vegetarian dish that is simple, cheap and filling. It will not suit anyone who dislikes mashed or soft textures, since the dish is meant to be creamy. It also needs a little patience: the dal must be fully cooked before mashing.

Frequently asked questions