Also known as sarson da saag, I like to slow cook it. You can cook the saag in instant pot or pressure cooker if you wish. I am including the instructions. Seasonal vegetarian curries during winter time feature the abundance of leafy greens that flood the markets in north india. Sarson saag is among popular dishes during cold months. I love to make a large batch of sarson ka saag as part of my meal prep. It stays well for 4-5 days in the fridge and when served with indian flatbreads makes for a perfect meal throughout the week.
What is Sarson ka Saag
Sarson = Mustard. Saag translates to greens. Also known as Punjabi sarson da saag, it is a rustic dish from north india made by cooking together a mix of green leafy vegetables along with few root vegetables such as turnip & mooli (daikon). The mashed or pureed greens are tempered in an authentic punjabi way in pure mustard oil, browned onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes etc . A well cooked saag is velvety and very addictive. It is considered comfort food in northern india during cold months. Making sarson is not hard though a bit time consuming in terms of washing and preparing the greens, cooking them down and then tempering. Simply put, if you want a flavorful saag, give it time.
About My Recipe
A few notes about my sarson saag recipe :- My saag recipe is very simple. I learnt to make it from our cook during our stay in Punjab for a few years. Among the many things he said, the highlight was that the saag should taste of greens and not of spices.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need. The picture on the left shows everything that you will boil together. The picture on right is the tempering ingredients. You will need :- Notes : In addition to the above greens, you can also add kale, turnip greens or radish greens or collard greens to the greens mix if you wish. Keep in mind that the taste & texture of saag will vary depending on the kind of the greens Using mooli is optional. Taste the daikon or mooli that you bought before adding. If mooli is smelly and pungent, the taste of saag won’t be good.
Selection of Greens
Since sarson or mustard greens are the main ingredient of this recipe,the quality of mustard is very important. My most important tip would be to taste the mustard greens when buying. Tear a small portion from a few mustard leaves in the bunch bunch and taste it. Mustard greens are naturally pleasantly bitter sweet. However, the bitterness should be mild and not leave your mouth bittery. Sometimes the bunch is just not right and bitter mustard will lead to bitter saag. Additionally, choose the greens that look fresh, do not have yellow leaves or spots or holes in them.
Buying Sarson (Fresh Mustard Greens) in American Stores
Here are a few options:-
Proportion of Greens
For the authentic taste of sarson saag, the quantity of mustard leaves should be more than other kinds of greens or vegetables you use. Spinach and other vegetables tone down the pungency of the mustard greens as well as add a smooth texture to saag. Plus the nutritious value of saag goes up when we use a mix of vegetables.
How to cook Sarson Ka Saag
The beauty of saag is in slow cooking. The greens cook slowly in their own juices, the stems soften and the mellow flavors of the leaves combines with spices and ginger.
Prepare The Greens & Vegetables
Sort, Wash & Roughly Chop Making saag is super easy though picking and preparing the greens is what takes lot of time and effort. One of the ways I ease my workflow is to wash and dry the greens a few hours or a day ahead. Pluck the leaves from the stems of mustard if the stems feel too fibrous. Peel the skin of stems and roughly chop them discarding very tough ones.You can use stems of spinach leaves if they aren’t very fibrous. Wash & Rinse 6-8 times to remove every speck of dirt. I usually fill a very large pot with super cold water and let soak for few minutes and rinse. I repeat it at least 6-7 times to make sure that the saag is clean. Tip- If you are prepping them a day ahead- air dry for half an hour or so and store them covered in an air tight container the fridge until ready to use.
Cook The Saag Greens on Stove Top
Add the greens to a large pot or dutch oven (5qt or larger). Add daikon, ginger, turnip, garlic, salt and cumin. Cover and cook the saag until everything is mushy. It takes about 25-35 minutes. Tip - If you like a kick to your saag, you could add few green chillies right now. I leave them out. Traditionally, the saag is mashed using a long large wooden whisk or paddle. This process is called “ghotana”. However I use my food processor or immersion blender and process the greens into a coarse paste.
Tadka (Tempering The Saag)
Dry roast the makki atta (corn flour) lightly. Adding makki atta helps thicken the saag and also imparts a unique velvety consistency to the cooked saag. Ofcourse it tastes great as well. For the tempering you will need :- Tempering is where the real taste of the saag lies. It is the final touch and if you really put effort in making the tempering, the saag will taste hearty and delicious. Make it with a generous amount of mustard oil and onions, ginger, green chilies and tomatoes. Note - Many people don’t add tomato in the saag tempering. Feel free to skip it.
Instant Pot Sarson Saag
On busy days, you could cook the saag in instant pot or pressure cooker. For reference I use a 6 qt Instant pot. While the saag is pressure cooking, make the tadka in a skillet. Mash the cooked saag and combine the two.
Serving Sarson ka Saag
Sarson Ka Saag is traditionally served with makki di roti (unleavened maize flour flatbread).
However I love it with regular roti, paratha or oats roti too.
Other things that make saag delicious are sliced onions, butter, winter achar, jaggery and radishes. This meal celebrates winter and the produce. It is warming and delicious.
