Sarson ka Saag – Spicy Stewed Mustard Greens
The deal is that you cannot make or for that matter post about Makki Ki Roti, and not talk about Sarson Ka Saag. It is like the yin and the yang. Essentially, Sarson Ka Saag or mustard greens is that cohort for which Makki ki Roti is created.
Traditionally, a slow cooked dish where mustard greens are simmered for hours with their other seasonal counterparts. I make this very easily in the instant pot or electric pressure cooker. Read along and let me tell you how.
Mustard greens pack a sharp slightly bitter punch. In this dish they are usually mellowed with spinach or any other milder green. I use spinach, and today I used the power greens from Earthbound farms.
There are basically four steps to Sarson ka Saag in the instant pot.
- Cook greens with onions and spices.
- Coarsely puree the greens using an immersion blender.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes adding in some extra cornmeal. This gives the greens a lovely smooth and creamy texture without any cream. Yes, this recipe is vegan.
- Lastly add in a finishing spice tarka or tempering.
Planning and Organizing a Wholesome Meal
So if you plan and organize this right, all of this the greens and the roti will come together in about 45 minutes. Most of the hands-on work will be making the flatbreads of course. Now if you are just in it for the greens, you can pair this with pretty much anything that your heart fancies.
An easy rice dish or store bought naan or parathas to just name a few.
And finally, a note on the mustard greens, saag is generic for any green leafy vegetable. To get the best results you want a variety of sharp and assertive greens with mellow and mild-mannered ones. So, you can use things like collard greens, radish greens, kale all put to good use. So, shake off those winter blues and give saag a try.
More Saag and Punjabi Dishes.
A rustic dessert to mesh this with would be the whole wheat Halwa, and other well loved Saag Dishes include Saag Chicken and Channa Saag.
If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot and Air Fryer Facebook group .
Pick up a copy of my Instant pot cookbook Instant Indian here, along with The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.
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An Indian winter classic, sarson ka saag or pureed mustard greens with spinach is healthy comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of mustard greens with tender stems (washed thoughly)
- 1 pound of spinach or other mild greens washed thoughly
- 1 large onion , coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons powdered cumin
- 1 teaspoon red cayenenne powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons cornflour (stone ground not corn starch)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon asafetida or hing
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
- 1 or 2 dried red chiclies
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
Instructions
- Add the greens, onion, ginger, cumin, red cayenne powder, and salt to the instant pot. Add the water.
- Set to 2 minutes of high pressure and allow a natural release. Remove the lid and puree coarsely with an immersion blender.
- Turn on the saute mode and add in the corn flour and let it cook for about 3 more minutes.
- In the meantime heat the oil and add in the chopped garlic, hing and whole cumin seeds. Cook until the mixture is fragrant and turns pale golden. This is about 1 and 1/2 minutes.
- Add in the dried red chilies. Turn off the heat and pour this over the greens.
- Turn off the instant pot and stir the tempering in.
- Sprinkle in the lime juice and serve hot.
Notes
To make this on the stove top, use a heavy bottomed pan. Add all the ingredients as described in the recipe. Add an extra cup of water and cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Puree and stir in the cornmeal and finish with the tempering as described above.
Tania Mushtaq
very easy recipe of Sarson ka saag i will definitely try it