Sarson Ka Saag (Mustard green with spinach)

Sarson ka saag

Sarson ka saag is a typically Punjabi delicacy. It is a nutritious blend of mustard leaves and spinach and flavored with several Indian spices and specially served with maki ki roti and dollops of fresh butter or with pure desi ghee (clarified butter).

After long hot summer days of North India, monsoon season arrives with thundering showers and the entire dusty country side, especially of Punjab, rejoices with lush green field of Mustard Green and other crops. During that season, Punjabis folks love to eat hearty meal of sarson ka saag with makki ki roti (a flat bread of corn flour baked either in tandoor or old fashioned cooking stove).

Sarson (mustard green) has bitter pungent tinge of mustard which is reduced by adding milder tasting spinach and Bathua, and addition of maize flour helps in making the saag smooth as well as thickening it and does imparts its flavor to the saag.

Out of India it is difficult to find Sarson and mustard green sold in super market is different from those available in India. Broccoli rabe (Rapini) could be substituted for mustard green and you can alter the ingredients to suit your palate.

Ingredients:

2    Pounds of broccoli rabe (or Sarson
  ka saag)
1    Pound fresh spinach – chopped
      or one 10 oz pack of chopped frozen
      spinach- thawed)
1    Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2    Medium green chilies – chopped
1    Tablespoon minced garlic
1½ Teaspoon of salt or to your taste
4 Tablespoons of corn flour

Ingredients for onion masala:

2 Medium onions
1   Tablespoon minced garlic or to your
     Taste
1    Tablespoon fresh grated ginger or to
      your taste
1   Medium green chili – fine chopped
1   Medium ripe tomato – purred
2   Teaspoons coriander powder
1   Teaspoon turmeric powder
½ Teaspoon red chili powder
2   Tablespoons vegetable oil
½   Teaspoon garam masala powder or
        to your taste

Ingredients for chili tadka:

3   Tablespoons melted butter or
     Ghee
2   Teaspoons crushed red chilies or
      red chili powder
2   Whole dry red chilies – broken
      in 2 pieces (Optional)

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Broccoli rabe
(or sarson ka saag)

Onions, Tomato, Ginger, Garlic
Green Chili

Crushed peppers, Butter & whole Red chilies

Corn Flour

Frozen chopped Spinach

Or, Fresh chopped Spinach

Direction:

1. Wash the Broccoli rabe (sarson ka saag) in several change of fresh cold water to
remove all the grit.

2. Chop off the tough stems of the greens and coarsely chop the leaves along with
the florets.

Wash Broccoli Rabe well

Chop the tough stems

Chop Broccoli rabes

Chopped broccoli rabes

3. In a small bowl, add corn flour and 6 tablespoons of water and mix to make
    a thin paste, keep it aside.

4. In the pressure cooker add thawed or chopped spinach and chopped Broccoli
    rabes (sarson ka saag), minced garlic, chopped green chilies, grated ginger, salt
   and 1 cup of water .

Mix corn flour with water

In a Pressure cooker add chopped Broccoli & chopped Spinach

Add water

Add minced garlic, chopped green chilies, grated ginger & salt

5. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and place the weight on the lid and cook
on medium high heat.

Mix all the ingredients well

Close the pressure cooker

6. While Sarson ka saag is boiling prepare Onion masala. (See Below how to
make Onion Masala)     How to make basic onion masala

7. In about 7 to 8 minutes pressure cooker will start steaming, turn the heat down
   to medium and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn the stove off, wait until steam
    goes down.

8. Open the lid of the pressure cooker. Turn the heat to low. With a cooking spoon
mix it well.

9. Add corn flour paste and mix it well with the green saag (Corn flour helps in
  making the saag smooth as well thickening it)

After boiling open the pressure cooker

Add corn flour paste and mix

10. With a whisk mash the greens until they are smooth but a little coarse paste.

11. Let the greens simmer on low heat, while frequently keep stirring so that corn
flour does not form lumps. Add 1 cup of water if needed.

With the whisk mash the greens

Saag become smooth

12. Add Onion masala to the saag or transfer the boiling greens to the frying pan where onion masala was made, mix

13.Cover the lid on the pan and cook on low heat for 25 to 30 minutes while
frequently stirring. While cooking the saag splatter so keep the lid on.

Prepare onion Masala

Transfer boiled mashed greens into Onion Masala

Mix the greens with onion masala

Cover the pan and cook

14. Sprinkle garam masala and if you wish add 1 tablespoon of butter, mix and cook. Once you see the oil on the side of the pan and you have the desired consistency, turn the stove off.

Add Garam masala and mix

Add Butter and mix

Sarson ka saag is cooked

Add chili tadka and mix

15. When ready to serve pour chili tadka over saag and mix and transfer into a
serving bow.(see below for chilie tadka) Tadka

16. Serve the sarson ka saag with makki ki roti (corn flour roti) or Naan or
chapatti

Sarson ka Saag is ready

Sarson Ka Saaag

Tips:

1. Broccoli rabe is a substitute of sarson ka saag, because the mustard green sold
   out of India is little different from those available in India. Broccoli rabe
   (Rapini) is closer to the taste of Indian sarson ka saag.

2. Saag is prepared with spinach, to reduce the bitterness of sarson or broccoli
    rabe. Adjust the amount of sarson and spinach according to your preference

3. Chili tadka add flavor to saag.

4. Adjust the amount of green chilies, garlic and ginger according to your taste.

5. Some people puree their saag and they grind the saag after boiling, some people like a coarse texture so they whip it with spoon or a whisk, so make it as you prefer.

Broccoli rabe (substitute for sarson)

Direction for onion masala: (See how to make onion masala)

1. While the greens are cooking prepare onion masala. Use a food chopper or
     blender and  coarsely mince the onions.

2.  On high heat add the oil in a nonstick frying pan or a heavy bottom stainless
     steel frying pan. Add minced onions and sauté, while periodically stirring.
      Onions will have a lot of water so for the first 8 to 10 minutes keep the heat
      high so that all the onion water evaporates quickly.

3. While onion mixture cooks add the tomato to the same food chopper or blender
    and puree.

4. Once the onion water has evaporated turn the heat down to medium and let the
     onions fry for 8 to 9 minutes, while frequently stir the onions.

5. Once the onions become light brown add coriander powder, red chili powder,
    turmeric powder and mix with the fried onions and fry for few seconds.

6. Add tomato puree to the fried onions and spices and mix. With the tomato    puree onion masala become watery turn the heat high for 2 to 3 minutes, so that water evaporates quickly and then turn the heat down. Frequently keep stirring the onion masala. In about 5 to 6 minutes tomato puree and onion will blend together.

7. Once all the water has evaporated you will see the oil in the pan that means the
     onion masala is done.

Directions for making the chili tadka: (Hot oil) Tadka

In a small pan (tadka pan) heat 3 tablespoons of ghee or melted butter, add crushed red chilies or red chili powder and broken dry red chili pieces and fry them for a minute or untill chilies are fried, turn the heat off.

Add Ghee or butter in the pan

Add crushed chilies & broken red chilies And fry

Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.

Thank you

Geeta Seth

Other recipes:

Palak paneer (paneer with spinach)                 Chicken keema with spinach

Spinach with mushrooms                                 Moong dal with spinach

Beef keema with spinach                                 Chicken with spinach

Beef with spinach                                            Spinach koftas

Makai ki roti                                                 Makai ka partha
(Corn flour roti)                                           (Corn flour paratha)