SARSON DA SAAG - authentic recipe from Punjab....

SARSON DA SAAG

A traditional dish prepared in every household of Punjab in cold, foggy winters accompanied by "Makki ki Roti" (unleavened bread made with corn meal) topped with fresh white butter and "chahatti ki lassi" (buttermilk prepared in earthen pot)

Ingredients:

Sarson (mustard) leaves with tender stems - 1 Kg
Palak (spinach) leaves - 1/2 Kg
Bathu (fat hen) leaves - 150 Gms
Garlic paste - 2 Tbsp
Ginger paste - 2 Tbsp
Green chili paste - 1 Tbsp
Salt - according to taste
Corn meal - 100 Gms

For Tempering:
Whole dry red chilies - 4 nos
Garlic (finely chopped) - 1 Tbsp
Onion (finely chopped) - 2 medium sized
Ginger paste -  1 Tbsp
Green chili paste - 1/2 Tbsp
Cooking oil - 4 Tbsp
Desi ghee (clarified butter) - 2 Tbsp

Method:
Finely chop  all the greens. the finer the better taste, wash thoroughly.

Put the chopped greens with a litre of water in a pot along with the garlic-ginger-green chili paste and salt. Cover and let it boil . Reduce the flame and cook for 2-3 hours. Keep stirring at regular intervals.  Check in between the water levels. when water reduces add more. ( Traditionally this cooking is done on "chulha" - an earthen stove with wood fuel). Switch off the flame.

Gradually add the corn meal to it and keep stirring.

Once done coarsely churn it with an electric blender or do it the authentic way with a wooden broad, flat ladle - "ghotni". Put it on flame , add 1/2 litre of water to it. Once boiled, reduce the flame and cook for 15 minutes. Stir regularly.

Heat  a flat bottom pan.  Add oil. In the hot oil add the whole dry chilies - sauté until they turn deep brown. Now add the chopped garlic, fry until golden. quickly add to this the chopped onions, fry until golden brown.  Now pour into this the churned saag. Keep stirring , reduce the flame once boiled and cook for 15 minutes. Now add the ginger- green chili paste and cook for 1 minute. Switch off  the flame.

Serve piping hot with Makki ki Roti, White Butter and Buttermilk