mustard greens saag & my word of the year

less to-dos, more ta-das

Happy new year!! Taking a break from my bead embroidery hyperfixation to yap a little today. For the past few years I’ve been doing a word of the year instead of new years resolutions. A word is easier to anchor to, and pragmatic enough to implement on a daily basis. Last year, my word was ‘play’. Play is inherently about the process and exploration, and to do without worrying about what the outcome will be. This year, my word is ‘leap’. Prioritizing my intuition, jumping before I’m ready, being more reckless. Less to-dos, more ta-das, ykwim?? I’ve kept a (very neglected) “ta-da list” and the goal is to add to it every day. If you have a word of the year, I’d love to hear :)

The dish that gets me through winter week after week: sarson ka saag (mustard greens saag). It’s a punjabi staple, but anyone who knows saag knows it’s the best saag. It’s almost a little suspicious how something so nutritionally dense could taste so good. It’s typically made in a pressure cooker / instant pot, but because I want you to make this often and get your fibrous dark leafy greens in, the recipe is developed for stovetop cooking. I don’t think this saag is the same when it’s not paired with corn roti (makki ki roti) so if you absolutely don’t want to make it at home, check the refrigerated section of your local indian grocery store like Patel Bros. And it tastes even better the next day when the greens have time to sit and marinate in the flavors, so make this ahead of time! Video here.

[RECIPE] Mustard Greens, Spinach, & Kale Saag

Makes: 3-4 servings (~32oz)

Ingredients:

• Saag (Sarson ka Saag):

  • 1 bunch mustard greens (this will be around 400-500g) - stems and leaves roughly chopped

  • 1/2 bunch dino kale (around 150g) - stems removed, leaves roughly chopped

  • 1/2 bunch spinach (around 100g) - roughly chopped and keep separate from the mustard greens and kale

  • 1 cup water

  • 4 garlic cloves, halved

  • 1 inch knob ginger, cut into a few smaller pieces

  • 3 green chilies

  • Big pinch of salt

  • Tadka:

    • 2-3 tbsp ghee

    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

    • 2 dried red chilies

    • 1/8 tsp asafoetida (hing) - there’s no good replacement for this but you can just up your garlic and onion if you don’t have

    • 1 small red onion, finely diced

    • 3 garlic cloves, grated

    • 1/2 inch knob ginger, grated

    • 1/2 tsp red chili powder (use kashmiri if you want it milder)

    • 2 medium tomatoes diced or 1/4 cup canned pureed/diced tomatoes

    • 3 tbsp medium grind cornmeal or corn flour

  • Juice of half a small lemon or to taste

  • Salt to taste

  • To serve: butter, raw onions, crispy shallots, jaggery

• Corn Roti (Makki ki Roti):

  • 1 cup medium grind cornmeal or corn flour

  • 1/4 cup boiling water (for medium grind cornmeal you’ll need more, for corn flour you’ll need less, so boil extra water and add slowly as you mix)

  • Pinch of salt

  • Ghee to cook

Instructions:

• Wash and chop your greens. Keep the spinach separate and aside. In a deep pot (so the immersion blender doesn’t splatter greens on you), add the water, mustard greens, kale, garlic, ginger, chilies, and salt.

• With the pot covered, cook on medium heat for 20 minutes and then add the spinach and cook for another 5 minutes or until the mustard greens stems have softened.

• Blend either with an immersion blender or a standard blender, but leave it chunky, we don’t want it fully smooth. Bring it back on low-med heat.

• In a tadka spoon or small pan, heat up the ghee, and then add cumin seeds. Once they start sizzling, add the dried red chilies, hing, onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the onions are a bit translucent, then add the red chili powder and then tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes break down for 4-5 minutes. Add directly to your saag on the stove.

• Mix well and then in a small bowl mix your cornmeal with water and drizzle into the saag. Simmer and cook for a few more minutes. Add additional salt to taste.

• Finish with lemon juice once off heat. Serve with corn roti, butter, onions, lemon, jaggery - and saag always tastes better the next day :)

• If making the crispy shallots, combine thinly sliced shallots and a high smoke point oil in a small pot (enough oil to cover them), place on medium heat, and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until they are golden in color. Immediately strain into a heat proof bowl, and then lay them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil and crisp up. Store in an airtight container at room temp. Save the shallot-infused oil!!

• Corn Roti:

  • In a medium bowl, add your cornmeal or corn flour and a pinch of salt

  • Boil some water in a small pot or kettle

  • Start with adding small amount of water and then mixing until you get a rough dough. With cornmeal it’ll look like its not coming together, but that’s where you can knead with the palm of your hands for a few minutes until you have a firm but pliable dough. With finer corn flour, you’ll need less water and won’t have to knead at all, but let it rest for 10 minutes before shaping.

  • Heat up your cast iron pan on medium heat and then working one at a time, shape into balls and on a sheet of parchment paper, flatten them using your hands. They should be thick but even.

  • Add some ghee to your hot pan, and very carefully flip it over onto your hand peeling the parchment paper away and then flip it onto the pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden and crispy and if you want the charred rustic roti look you can cook on an open flame for a couple minutes. Brush with more ghee and serve immediately or wrap in a cloth in an insulated container.