Quick answer

Saag, also spelled sag, is a South Asian food word that Cambridge Dictionary defines in Indian English as spinach. The Great Kathmandu’s menu is equally explicit: Sag Lamb or Chicken, Sag Prawns, Sag Dal, Sag Aloo and Sag Paneer all name spinach in their descriptions.

Sag Lamb or Chicken
Spinach and cream, £14.95
Sag Prawns
Spinach and cream, £15.95
Sag Dal
Spinach, lentils and cream, £9.95
Sag Aloo
Spinach, potatoes and cream, £9.95
Sag Paneer
Spinach and homemade paneer, £12.95
Shared marker
All are marked gluten-free

Do saag and sag mean the same thing?

They are alternative English spellings of the same food word. Cambridge Dictionary lists sag as an alternative form of saag and defines the term in Indian English as spinach. Boston University's Sargent Choice Nutrition Center uses the broader food context of leafy greens such as spinach, mustard greens and collard greens; official Indian tourism material likewise documents sarson da saag made with mustard greens and spinach.

That wider context is not an ingredient claim about this restaurant. Our menu consistently uses “Sag” and consistently specifies spinach, so there is no need to guess which leaf is used here. Spelling alone should not be treated as a sign of a different recipe or regional claim.

Which meat and seafood sag dishes are available?

Sag Lamb or Chicken combines the selected meat with spinach, cream, eastern herbs and condiments. It costs £14.95 and is marked gluten-free. Sag Prawns uses prawns and spinach with cream and selected spices, costs £15.95 and carries the same gluten-free marker.

Neither dish has a printed heat rating. The word sag identifies the spinach direction, not a universal chilli level. If you are choosing between meat and seafood, think first about the main ingredient and the rest of the table rather than expecting the sauces to be identical.

On this menu, “Sag” tells you spinach; the second word tells you how the dish changes.

Which vegetarian sag dishes are on the menu?

Sag Dal combines spinach and lentils with cream, herbs and spices. Sag Aloo replaces the lentils with potatoes and uses the same broad cream, herb and spice wording. Each costs £9.95 and is marked vegetarian and gluten-free. Our dal guide explains the pulse side of Sag Dal.

Sag Paneer combines spinach with homemade paneer, herbs and condiments. It costs £12.95 and is marked vegetarian and gluten-free. Unlike the other four sag descriptions, its short description does not name cream; paneer is still a dairy cheese. Read our paneer guide before assuming that distinction makes it dairy-free.

How should you choose between the five?

Choose Sag Dal for lentils, Sag Aloo for potatoes or Sag Paneer for firm pieces of homemade cheese. Choose lamb or chicken when you want a meat main, and Sag Prawns when seafood suits the rest of the meal. The vegetarian dishes can also work as contrasts beside a drier charcoal-cooked starter.

None carries a printed heat label, so do not rank them by chilli based on the shared word “Sag.” For a broader vegetarian plan, use our vegetarian and vegan guide. For portions and table balance, see how to order for sharing and the live dine-in menu.

Do all five play the same role in a meal?

No. Sag Lamb or Chicken and Sag Prawns are listed as full mains, while Sag Dal, Sag Aloo and Sag Paneer sit in the vegetarian section. The vegetable-section dishes can still be ordered as substantial choices, but only the menu’s plain Vegetables, Kabuli Channa, Bringal and Dal Tarka entries publish separate side and main prices.

That distinction matters when planning quantities. Do not assume Sag Dal is the same portion format as Dal Tarka simply because both contain lentils. If you want to use a sag dish as a shared side, ask the team what portion best suits your table.

Are sag dishes vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free?

All five are marked gluten-free. Sag Dal, Sag Aloo and Sag Paneer are marked vegetarian; the lamb, chicken and prawn versions are not. No sag dish is marked vegan. Cream is explicit in four descriptions, and paneer makes the fifth a dairy dish.

A gluten-free or vegetarian symbol does not answer every allergy or cross-contact question. The Food Standards Agency encourages current allergen information and direct communication. Tell the team about coeliac disease, milk allergy or another requirement before ordering rather than treating this guide as a guarantee.

Common questions about saag and sag

Is saag always spinach?

The word can be used more broadly for leafy greens, but every sag dish on our current menu explicitly says spinach.

Is Sag Paneer vegan?

No. It contains homemade paneer, which is cheese, and is marked vegetarian rather than vegan.

Which sag dish has lentils?

Sag Dal combines spinach and lentils with cream, herbs and spices.

Are sag dishes mild?

No heat rating is printed for any of the five, so mildness should not be inferred. Ask the team if chilli sensitivity matters.

Source notes

Reviewed 19 September 2026. Where this guide mentions our restaurant, details are checked against the current dine-in menu. Wider cultural, historical and ingredient claims are checked against the cited sources below. How we research and correct our guides.