Green leafy vegetables · IFCT 2017
Mustard leaves (sarson): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, raw mustard leaves give 30 kcal, 3.5 g protein, 3.9 g fibre, 191 mg calcium and 60.3 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. Their 110 micrograms of folate ranks 21st of 197 foods, half of a woman's daily requirement. The leaves themselves are light; what makes a bowl of sarson ka saag rich is the makki ka atta, ghee and white butter that go into it.
About mustard leaves (sarson)
Mustard is sown across the north Indian plains after the monsoon, and before the yellow flowers come up, the young leaves are picked as sarson. From November to February, Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh eat them in quantity. IFCT 2017 records names in 16 languages, among them sarson ka sag in Hindi, saro da sag in Punjabi, sorisa sag in Bengali, horiyo paat in Assamese, kadugu ilai in Tamil and raayo ko saag in Nepali.
In Punjab the leaves are cooked slowly with spinach and bathua, mashed with a wooden ghotna, thickened with makki ka atta and served with makki di roti, jaggery and a lump of white butter. In Assam, lai xaak goes into light fish curries. In Sikkim and Nepal, mustard and radish greens are wilted, fermented and sun-dried into gundruk, a sour green that flavours soups through the winter.
What mustard leaves (sarson) brings to a meal
- 01
Folate ranks 5th among greens
Mustard leaves carry 110 micrograms of folate per 100 g, 5th of 26 leafy vegetables. Sarson's folate alone meets 37 per cent of a man's requirement and 50 per cent of a woman's. Folate is easily lost in long cooking, so the saag keeps less than the raw leaves.
- 02
Vitamin C and beta-carotene
100 g of raw leaves gives 60.3 mg vitamin C, 22nd of 130 foods, and 2619 micrograms of beta-carotene. The ghee in a traditional saag actually helps the body absorb the carotene.
- 03
Calcium from a cabbage-family leaf
Sarson has 191 mg calcium per 100 g, 41st of 242 foods and about 19 per cent of the adult requirement. Mustard greens are low in oxalate, so their calcium is relatively easy to absorb.
- 04
Omega-3 ALA and vitamin E
The leaves supply 240 mg of the plant omega-3 fat ALA and 0.56 mg vitamin E per 100 g, ranking 9th and 6th among leafy vegetables.
Mustard leaves (sarson) nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 30 kcal | 1% | 2% |
| Protein | 3.5 g | 6% | 8% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 2.4 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 3.9 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.5 g | ||
| Water | 88.2 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.14 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.32 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 240 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 191 mg | 19% | 19% |
| Iron | 2.84 mg | 15% | 10% |
| Zinc | 0.68 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Magnesium | 52 mg | 12% | 14% |
| Phosphorus | 72 mg | ||
| Potassium | 403 mg | ||
| Sodium | 19 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.24 mg | ||
| Selenium | 8 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 60.3 mg | 75% | 93% |
| Beta-carotene | 2,619 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.08 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.18 mg | 7% | 8% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.58 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.16 mg | 7% | 8% |
| Folate (B9) | 110 µg | 37% | 50% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.56 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 192 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Mustard leaves (sarson): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/green-leafy-vegetables/mustard-leaves-sarson/
Where mustard leaves (sarson) sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 25 green leafy vegetables and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In green leafy vegetables | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 60.3 mg | 11th of 26 | 22nd of 130 |
| Folate (B9) | 110 µg | 5th of 26 | 21st of 197 |
| Beta-carotene | 2,619 µg | 11th of 26 | 17th of 160 |
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 240 mg | 9th of 26 | 36th of 202 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.18 mg | 7th of 26 | 30th of 241 |
How mustard leaves (sarson) is eaten
- Sarson ka saag: mustard leaves slow-cooked with spinach and bathua, mashed, thickened with makki ka atta and tempered with garlic and ginger.
- Lai xaak in Assam: mustard greens cooked lightly with fish, or on their own with garlic and a little mustard oil.
- Gundruk in Sikkim and Nepal: fermented, dried mustard and radish leaves cooked into a sour soup with soybeans or potatoes.
- Sorshe shaak bhaja in Bengal: leaves stir-fried with nigella seeds, garlic and green chilli.
- Saag paratha: leftover saag kneaded into wheat or makki dough and roasted on the tawa.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Cooked dishes that use it, with calories per serving
Before you plan around it
The leaves are light, but a restaurant-style sarson ka saag can carry several spoons of ghee and a dollop of white butter per serving, which changes it from a leafy green to a rich dish. At home, temper with a spoon of ghee and let people add butter at the table. Long simmering, traditional for saag, destroys much of the vitamin C and folate, so blanching the leaves and cooking the mash for less time keeps more of both. Anyone on warfarin should note the 192 micrograms of vitamin K1 per 100 g.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about mustard leaves (sarson)
Is sarson ka saag healthy?
The base is very nutritious. Per 100 g, mustard leaves have 30 kcal, 191 mg calcium, 110 micrograms folate and 60.3 mg vitamin C in IFCT 2017. How healthy the finished saag is depends on how much ghee and butter is added and how long it is cooked.
Why are spinach and bathua added to sarson ka saag?
Mustard leaves alone are sharp and slightly bitter. Spinach softens the flavour and adds body, and bathua adds an earthy note and smooth texture. The mix also widens the spread of nutrients in the dish, since each green has different strengths.
Are mustard greens good for calcium?
They contribute usefully. IFCT 2017 lists 191 mg calcium per 100 g, and because mustard greens are low in oxalate, more of it is absorbed than from spinach. Milk, curd and ragi are still richer and more reliable sources.
What is gundruk?
Gundruk is a Nepali and Sikkimese preparation of mustard, radish or cauliflower leaves that are wilted, packed tightly to ferment for a week or more, then sun-dried. The sour dried greens are cooked into soups and pickles through the winter.
Related foods and tables
Bathua leaves
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Spinach
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Radish leaves
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Fenugreek leaves (methi)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Maize (corn)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Vitamin C content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin c per 100 g.
Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g.
Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
All green leafy vegetables
26 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
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