Sindhi Sai Bhaji | Vegetable Bhaji

Sai Bhaji is a traditional Sindhi curry made with palak (spinach), dal (lentil), and other vegetables. It is one of the best and most nutritious side dishes to serve with rice and roti for your meal.

Sindhi Sai Bhaji

This Sindhi-style spinach and lentil curry is one of the delicious yet straightforward vegan and vegetarian Indian one-pot meal recipes that can be prepared any time of the year using seasonal veggies and greens.

While you are here, you can also check our most loved mixed vegetable dal, roasted cauliflower dal, mixed vegetable curry etc - all vegan side dishes that can be served for any meal.

Ingredients

• The main ingredients in Sindhi-style sai bhaji are palak (spinach) and chana dal, with vegetables of your choice.
• Some veggies that can be added are potato, brinjal, lauki, green beans, ivy gourd, carrot, and cauliflower.
• You can also add ¼ cup of fenugreek leaves (methi) and dill leaves if available.
• Onions, garlic, ginger, green chilies, and powders like coriander and red chile are used for flavor.
• To end, temper the mixture with crushed garlic and hing.

Check out the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.

Step-by-step instructions

• Wash and soak the chana dal in water for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds and saute for a few seconds.
• Add onion, ginger, and green chilies and saute until the onion turns golden.
• To this, add tomatoes and cook until they become soft.
• Add all the remaining ingredients like potato, carrot, cauliflower, palak, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and mix. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. (You can also add other veggies like brinjal, lauki, beans, or greens like fenugreek leaves, dill leaves, etc.)
• Add salt and 3 cups of water and mix well.
• Pressure cook for 3 whistles. (1 on high flame and 2 on medium flame, approx 15 to 20 minutes).
• Switch off the flame and let the pressure release naturally.
• Meanwhile, make the tempering - heat oil in a pan. Add garlic cloves, red chile, and hing, and saute until garlic becomes golden.
• Open the lid of the pressure cooker and mash using a masher so that the dish turns mushy and creamy. (optional)
• Add the tempering and coriander leaves and mix well.
• Serve hot and enjoy.

Tips

• Use any vegetables of your choice. The more greens, the better. Methi or fenugreek leaves and dill leaves are often added.
• Brinjal, if available, add, as it gives a creamy texture.
• Vary the amount of green chili and red chili powder as per your taste.
• If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook in a pot. The time may be around 40-45 minutes.
• Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
• If chana dal is unavailable, use any lentil (dal) like toor dal or mong dal to make this dish.

Serving suggestions

• You can serve this sai baji with steamed rice, jeera rice or onion rice (bhuga chawal) for a complete meal.
• You can also pack this with hot rotis or phulkas for your lunchbox.
• Love ghee? Add a dollop of ghee or butter on top for added richness.

More vegetables and lentil curry

Recipe card

Sindhi Sai Bhaji

Kushi

Sai Bhaji is a traditional Sindhi curry made with palak (spinach), dal (lentil), and other vegetables. It is one of the best and most nutritious side dishes to serve with rice and roti for your meal.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 13 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Calories 155 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Pot

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• ▢ ½ cup Split Chana Dal / Split Chickpeas
• ▢ 1 Onion chopped
• ▢ ½ inch Ginger grated
• ▢ 2-3 Green chilies slit
• ▢ 2 Tomatoes chopped
• ▢ 1 Potato chopped
• ▢ 1 Carrot chopped
• ▢ 6 Cauliflower florets
• ▢ ¼ cup Green peas fresh or frozen
• ▢ 1 bunch Palak Spinach, roughly chopped
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander powder; add up to 2 teaspoon for a strong flavor.
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves chopped
• ▢ Salt to taste

For tempering

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
• ▢ 5 Crushed Garlic cloves
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida Hing
• ▢ 1 Dry Red chilli

Instructions

 

• Wash and soak the chana dal in water for 20 to 30 minutes.
  ½ cup Split Chana Dal / Split Chickpeas
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds and saute for a few seconds.
  1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
• Add onion, ginger, and green chilies and saute until the onion turns golden.
  1 Onion, ½ inch Ginger, 2-3 Green chilies slit
• To this, add tomatoes and cook until they become soft.
  2 Tomatoes
• Add all the remaining ingredients like potato, carrot, cauliflower, palak, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and mix. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. (You can also add other veggies like brinjal, lauki, beans, or greens like fenugreek leaves, dill leaves, etc.)
  1 Potato, 1 Carrot, 6 Cauliflower florets, ¼ cup Green peas, 1 bunch Palak, ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder; add up to 2 teaspoon for a strong flavor., ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder, 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves
• Add salt and 3 cups of water and mix well.
  Salt to taste
• Pressure cook for 3 whistles. (1 on high flame and 2 on medium flame, approx 15 to 20 minutes).
• Switch off the flame and let the pressure release naturally.
• Meanwhile, make the tempering - heat oil in a pan. Add garlic cloves, red chile, and hing, and saute until garlic becomes golden.
  1 tablespoon Vegetable oil, 5 Crushed Garlic cloves, ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida, 1 Dry Red chilli
• Open the lid of the pressure cooker and mash using a masher so that the dish turns mushy and creamy. (optional)
• Add the tempering and coriander leaves and mix well.
• Serve hot and enjoy.

Notes

• Use any vegetables of your choice. The more greens, the better. Methi or fenugreek leaves and dill leaves are often added.
• Brinjal, if available, add, as it gives a creamy texture.
• Vary the amount of green chili and red chili powder as per your taste.
• If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook in the pot. The time may be around 40-45 minutes.
• Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
• If chana dal is unavailable, use any lentil (dal) like toor dal or mong dal to make this dish.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 155kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.04gSodium: 106mgPotassium: 609mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3270IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Note: We originally posted this Sindhi sai bhaji recipe in July 2015. It has now been modified in June 2025 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.

Did you like this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.