The Saag Wala Baba of Ludhiana

The Saag Wala Baba of Ludhiana

Every winter morning, as the mist curled over the narrow lanes of Ludhiana, an old man in a faded purple-checkered turban would quietly unfold his blue tarp near the bustling Ghanta Ghar market. Locals knew him simply as Baba Ji, the Saag Wala — the one who brought the taste of true Punjab to life.

With hands weathered by years of labor, he carefully arranged bundles of fresh sarson leaves, still dripping with dew. Beside him sat his faithful companion — a worn-out vegetable cutter that had seen more winters than many of the busy city-goers rushing past him.

Baba Ji didn’t shout for customers. He didn’t need to. The aroma of fresh mustard greens, and the sight of his gentle, smiling eyes, drew people in. Housewives, students, and even shopkeepers would stop by for a few bundles of sarson, dreaming of the rich, buttery Sarson da Saag simmering in their kitchens, paired with a hot makki di roti.

Children loved him too — not because they liked saag, but because Baba Ji would always slip them a sweet or a kind word while their mothers haggled over prices.
He wasn’t just selling vegetables; he was selling memories — of village kitchens, of slow-cooked meals, of a Punjab that still lived in flavors and traditions.

Even as shopping malls and supermarkets rose around the city, Baba Ji remained — a living piece of Ludhiana's soul.
His hands might have been slow, his knees a little stiff, but every chop of the sarson cutter was a rhythm, a song, a reminder:
"Some things, some flavors, must never be hurried. They must be lived."
#foodtaster#foodtaster #food #vlog #punjab #india