Sarson da Saag

Sarson da Saag

A Punjabi winter staple of slow-cooked mustard greens, thickened with maize flour and finished with a ghee tempering. Traditionally served with makki di roti.

Prep

25 min

Cook

90 min

Total

115 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •750 g (1 lb 10 oz) mustard greens (sarson), leaves and tender stems, tough stalks discarded
• •250 g (9 oz) spinach (palak), or bathua leaves if available
• •100 g (3½ oz) fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• •6 cloves garlic, peeled
• •4 whole green chilies, slit lengthwise; adjust to taste
• •30 g (¼ cup) maize flour (makki ka atta), or fine cornmeal as a substitute
• •1 tsp salt, or to taste
• •500 ml (2 cups) water, plus more as needed
• •60 g (4 tbsp) ghee, or butter, divided
• •1 medium onion, finely chopped
• •1 tsp cumin seeds
• •1 pinch asafoetida (hing), optional, for tempering

Steps

1. 1 Wash the mustard greens and spinach thoroughly in several changes of water to remove grit. Trim the tough stalks from the mustard greens, keeping the tender stems. Roughly chop everything.
2. 2 In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine the mustard greens, spinach, ginger, garlic, green chilies, salt and 500 ml (2 cups) water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45–60 minutes, until the greens are completely soft and falling apart. Add a splash more water if the pot looks dry.
3. 3 Drain off any excess liquid (reserve it) and transfer the greens to a bowl. Mash vigorously with a wooden masher (ghotna) or the back of a ladle until you have a coarse, thick puree with a little texture remaining. Do not use a blender - the traditional texture is rustic, not silky.
4. 4 Return the puree to the pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in the maize flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add back a little of the reserved cooking liquid if the saag is too thick - it should be a spoonable, porridge-like consistency.
5. 5 Cook, stirring frequently, for 15–20 minutes on low heat until the raw taste of the maize flour is gone and the saag thickens and darkens slightly. Taste and adjust salt.
6. 6 For the tempering: heat 30 g (2 tbsp) ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and asafoetida; when the seeds crackle, add the chopped onion and fry until deep golden brown, 8–10 minutes.
7. 7 Pour the tempering over the saag and stir through. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
8. 8 Finish with the remaining 30 g (2 tbsp) ghee or a knob of butter melting on top. Serve hot with makki di roti.