Sarson ka Saag – Sarson ka Saag is a very popular Punjabi vegetarian dish made with Mustard greens. some other leafy veggies are also added like spinach, bathua etc. some people add turnip also. It tastes awesome with Makki ki roti ( maize flour or cornmeal flatbread ) and Bajra ki roti ( pearl millet flatbread). Sarson has a slightly bitter taste. Boiling it with spinach leaves makes it more palatable.

This seasonal dish when paired with these rotis not only tastes superb but add lots of nutrition to our diet. It is packed with vitamins, minerals, and has very few calories ( always a plus for me 😉 ).  The extra butter and ghee that we eat with this food are required by our body in winters. It also helps in keeping the body warm.

You must have heard the quote …..
Makki di roti te Sarson da Saag 
kha le munde badi Swad
which literally means that Makki ki roti with Sarson ka Saag tastes awesome 🙂 🙂

If you are trying to cut down on calories you can always skip the ghee or butter. That’s the beauty of this dish. You can make it rich or light. Personally, I like it with loads of ghee and red chili tadka 🙂

This is my Mom’s recipe. She always makes this in large quantity and keeps it in the fridge. Then she gives a small quantity (that we will be eating) fresh tadka when eating.

How to make Sarson ka Saag

preparation time: 15-20 minutes ( for cleaning the greens)
cooking time: 5-7 minutes for boiling + 25-30 minutes for cooking + 2 minutes for tempering
serves 5-6

Ingredients: 

500 grams Sarson leaves ( mustard green leaves)
200 grams of spinach leaves ( My mom uses 3 parts sarson and 1 part spinach)
1 tbsp Makki ka atta ( maize flour/ cornmeal)
salt to taste
water

for tempering
1 tbsp ghee ( to make this recipe Vegan use oil in place of ghee)
1/4 tsp heeng/ asafoetida
2 green chilies chopped
1 tsp ginger grated
1/2 tsp red chili powder

to serve with
Mirch wala ghee ( heat ghee. add red chili powder and switch off the flame. This is added to dishes to give that extra klick and add richness. )

Note: ghee and red chili quantities can be varied as per your preference.

 

To make Sarson ka Saag

 

It is essential to clean the leaves thoroughly first. You can dip them in a deep vessel in water for a minute. Impurities and dust will settle down. Take out the leaves and replace the water. Repeat this step 3-4 times to get rid of all the dirt and impurities.

chop the leaves roughly. As we are going to blend these later there is no need to chop them finely. Boil them in enough water for 5- 7 minutes or pressure cook them for 2 whistles on high. switch off the flame and let it cool down completely.

Blend the boiled leaves to a coarse paste. Put it back in the pan/ cooker you have boiled in to cook again. Add salt to taste.
Mix Makki Atta (maize flour) with a cup of water and add to the saag. cook it on medium flame stirring regularly. keep the pan covered when you are not stirring as it splutters while cooking.

we are going to cook it again for 25- 30 minutes. Sarson ka Saag is ready. Now, Switch off the flame and prepare the Tadka just before serving.

For Tadka, heat ghee in a pan. add asafoetida, ginger and green chilies and cook for a minute. add red chili powder and immediately switch off the flame. Add the tadka to the cooked saag.
Enjoy hot Sarson ka Saag on a cold day with Makki ki Roti, white butter, Gurh and pickles like instant ginger pickle, turmeric pickle etc. 🙂 🙂