Sarson da Saag

Slow-cooked mustard greens, spinach and bathua with a garlicky mustard oil tadka, the taste of a Punjabi winter.

• Prep30 minutes
• Cook1 hour
• Serves4-5

Ingredients

• 500 g mustard greens (sarson), chopped with tender stems
• 250 g spinach, chopped
• 100 g bathua (or extra spinach), chopped
• 1 inch ginger
• 6 cloves garlic
• 3 green chillies
• 2 tbsp makki ka atta (maize flour)
• 1 tsp pink salt, or to taste
• 3 tbsp cold-pressed mustard oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 dried red chillies
• a few cubes jaggery cubes, to serve
• to serve white butter or ghee (optional)

Method

1. Put the greens, ginger, garlic, green chillies and pink salt in a large pot with 1 cup water. Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes until fully soft.
2. Mash roughly with a wooden mathani or pulse briefly; it should be coarse, not a smooth puree.
3. Sprinkle in the makki ka atta, stir well and cook on low for 15 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens and loses any raw taste.
4. For the tadka, heat the mustard oil until it smokes lightly, then lower the heat. Add sliced garlic and dried chillies, then onion and grated ginger, and fry until golden.
5. Pour the tadka into the saag and simmer for 5 more minutes.
6. Serve hot with makki di roti, a dollop of white butter and jaggery cubes on the side.