Saag

A Couple of years back my exposure to “Saag” was limited to eating it at restaurants. Sarson ka Saag,  Saag Aloo, Saag Paneer were a family favorite but it never occurred to me to cook them at home. For one thing I didn’t know where I would find “Sarson” in the U.S. and more importantly I had accepted defeat before trying. It seemed to me like an typical North Indian Dish and I wasn’t going to get it, so I thought.

My friend Monika Singhi Celly of Vegetarian Surprises one day enlightened me that Mustard greens were “Sarson” and “Saag” was one of the easiest dishes to cook.

Taking a cue from her recipe, I cooked Saag at home and it still remains a family favorite. I guess I can take it as a compliment!

Ingredients

Mustard Greens – 1 bunch

Chopped Spinach – 1 cup

Broccoli florets - 1 cup

Ginger – a big piece

Green chilies – 4 medium

Finely chopped onion – 1 medium

Water – 2 cups

Cumin seeds – half tsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Salt and pepper

Oil – 1 tsp

Wash all the greens thoroughly. Chop the mustard greens roughly. Combine them with spinach, broccoli, ginger, green chilies and water in a pressure cooker. Turn the heat on and let everything cook together. Turn the heat off after two whistles. Alternatively cook it on the gas stove in a covered pan till the greens are done. Let the greens cool and then puree them in a mixture to form a thick paste. In a pan heat the oil and add cumin seeds. Let them crackle before adding asafetida and onions. Cook the onions for 3 minutes till they turn soft and gently stir in the green paste. Salt and pepper to taste, Saag is ready to eat.

Serving suggestions

·         Best with Makki (maize flour) Roti

·         Plain Roti/Paratha

Tips

·         You can go ahead and make this dish with only mustard greens.

·         Use of Onions is also optional, traditionally only leftover Saag is seasoned with Onions the next day.

·         Add Cooked Potatoes/Paneer to make Saag Aloo/Saag Paneer

  Interesting fact

·         One of the biggest health benefits of Mustard Greens is cancer prevention.

·         Mustard Greens are a good source of Vitamin K