Sarson Ka Saag (Green Leafy Vegetable with Mustard and Spinach Leaves)

This is a very traditional meal from North India � best served in the freezing winters... Piping hot greens with makki ki roti (flat bread made of corn flour). The leaves � both sarson (mustard leaves) and palak (spinach) are the greenest, freshest and at their flavourful best in the winters.

While the best saag I have eaten is made by my mother, the second best was during a school trip - many, many years ago at a roadside dhaba (highway truck stop!) on our way to Manali. The temperature outside was about 6 degrees Celcius and perfect for a hot, traditional clay oven baked rotis and piping hot saag. I haven't found the perfect saag in a restaurant yet - will definitely make a recommendation when I do!

There are a couple of variations � once I remember my mum asking me to add bathua/ methi � the proportion is 2 sarson: 1 palak: � methi: � bathua. The version I make most often is with palak and sarson. Methi is Fenugreek leaves, Bathua (google tells me) is chenopodium.

Serves: 4 (I like to make a big batch and freeze for future use)

Ingredients:

2 bunches sarson (mustard leaves)

1 bunch palak (spinach)

3 tablespoons makki ka atta (yellow corn flour/ maizena)

1 cup yoghurt

Fresh white (unsalted) butter

Salt to taste

4-5 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)

1 tsp hing powder (asafoetida)

1 tablespoon jeera (cumin seeds)

2 inches grated ginger

2-3 dry red chillies (optional)

Method:

1.     Clean the sarson (mustard) and palak (spinach) leaves. Retain the tender part of the spinach stalks. For the mustard leaves, prepare the leaves similarly, and retain the large stalks

2.     Mix the sarson and palak, and wash well � first wash in running water, then take a large bowl of water � put in all the leaves and wash again. Change the water in the bowl at least 4-5 times and wash well

3.     Wash the large stalks of the mustard leaves � and peel the stalks to reveal the fresh green flesh inside. Mix with the washed leaves

4.     Roughly chop the leaves and put in a large cooker and cook for 1 whistle. (Alternatively boil in a large pan till they wilt and turn tender). Do not add any more water if using a cooker � the leaves have enough water from washing and inside them � enough for 1 whistle. If you are boiling in a pan, add a little water so the leaves don�t burn

5.     Open the cooker immediately � covering greens while cooking makes them turn dark brown

6.     Take out the leaves and spread them in a large vessel to cool. Leave the water in the cooker. Once the leaves cool, grind to a thick (not fine) paste in a blender/ food processor

7.     Heat the water in the cooker and add the corn flour. Cook this to a thick paste till the corn flour is cooked to a thick paste consistency (no raw smell)

8.     Add the paste of the greens and cook � the longer this cooks, the better it will taste. Cook for minimum 45mins to an hour. The greens sputter and jump all over the place � so be careful � cover with a wire mesh if you have one � do not cover with a lid, else it may turn dark

9.     After about 30 minutes, add the yoghurt and heaps of fresh white butter (really � add to your heat�s content, it tastes divine). Keep cooking. Check the consistency and add some boiling water (if needed). The right consistency is thick and ketchup-like

10. Take a small pan, heat the ghee and add the cumin seeds (jeera) � when it crackles, add the asafetida (hing). Add grated ginger, dry red chillies and roast. Add this to the cooking greens and stir well

11. If you want to reduce the butter, increase the ghee. Choose the fat as per your choice and �ability� to add/ stomach it.

Serve Hot � with a dollop of fresh white butter on top � it looks lovely while it melts into the greens � and of course, tastes good.

Accompaniments:

This goes very well with makki ki rotis (flat corn flour bread), or tandoori rotis (with butter)/ parathas. Add a glass of fresh salted lassi (buttermilk), sliced onions topped with salt, chaat masala and a dash of lemon juice, fresh green chillies (slit and stuffed with salt) and finally some jaggery.

Some Parting Notes:

I know many people who cut the leaves and then wash � I strongly recommend not doing this � you will lose all the nutrients of the greens, which in my opinion is a waste of lovely greens! L

Also, there are many many variations � I�ve already mentioned methi and bathua � clean, wash and mix with the greens, cook as per the recipe. Other variations include adding onions, tomatoes and shalgam (turnip) � I�ve heard of and eaten these, but my favourite is the simple wholesome palak and sarson. Enjoy! :)