Mock sarson ka saag

Rapeseed greens

Living here in Germany I have learnt to figure out my way with cravings for Indian vegetables and curries by modifying what we get here. If sarson isn't available here , doesn't mean we miss out on the lovely saag we got home. I walked through few Turkish stores and found these leaves which smell like mustard greens. I decided to experiment these which are used in salads here. It came out so yummy! I teamed it with pungent carrot instant pickle. Sharing it here on my blog.

Ingredients 

2 cup fulls chopped rapeseed greens

1 cup chopped kale leaves

1 cup spinach 

3-4 green chilles

2 tbsp chopped ginger

2 tbsp chopped garlic

2 chopped onions

1 cup tomato purée

1 cup milk

2 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp maize flour

Salt

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 lemon 

Method

In a pressure cooker add all the greens , 1 tbsp ginger, green chillies and salt and boil for 15 mins.

Cool and grind with maize flour, milk and little water to get a thick paste.

Heat ghee and add cumin and let it crackle.

Add ginger and garlic and let it brown.

Now tip in onions and brown well.

Add chilli powder and tomato purée.

Cook well and pour the saag paste.

Cook well on low flame for an hour.

Add more water if needed. 

Add butter and mix well.

Squeeze lemon and stir well.

Pour into bowls and top with tadka of ghee , cumin and chilli powder. You can also use garlic in tadka. 

Serve hot with makki ki rotis and pickles.

Sarson ka saag

     We are die hard fans of this beautiful and aromatic dish from Punjab in India.The thought of piping hot sarson ka saag with makki ki roti and butter,chaas and salad is something to die for.Moving here ,this winter being 1st,was feeling a bit homesick for this dish.Often while crossing the fields, I saw the mustard feelds with yellow flowers here too, and I would scream at the colors.And to this my husband would say,"that is not mustard, that is rapsol fields".The other day at a Turkish vegetable shop, I saw this plant and just smelt it.It looks and smells just like mustard plants.I took a small bunch and decided to try making the saag.And VOILA, the saag was deadly and tasted just like the authentic one.And now we are so thrilled and I make it to satisfy my cravings.The turks use it as a salad.So here is the recipe.If you have sarson or rapsol, combination remains the same.
Ingredients
Mustard leaves/rapsol leaves                500 gms
Spinach                                                200 gms
Green chilli                                           2 nos
Ginger piece                                        1" piece
Chopped onions                                  1 no
Chopped tomatoes                              3 nos
Chopped ginger                                   1 tbsp
Chopped garlic                                    2 tbsp
Lime juice                                           1 Tbsp
Chilli powder                                       1/2 tsp
Coriander powder                               1 tbsp
Haldi                                                   1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Hing                                                    1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds                                        1 tsp
ghee                                                    2 tbsp
wheat flour                                          2 tbsp

Method
Clean the leaves and put green chillies and ginger and boil till they are soft.Blend to make a puree.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee and add hing, cumin and let them crackle.
Add 1 tbsp chopped garlic and ginger and let them color.Add chopped onions and let them cook to brown.
Now put chopped tomatoes and cook so they are soft.Add 1/2 the chilli powder, coriander powder, haldi and salt and let it cook till oil starts to come out.
Mix wheat flour with some water and pour into the curry.Let it cook, it would help to make it thicker and homogeneous.Add lime juice.
Heat 1 tbsp ghee and add chopped garlic and let it brown well.Add chilli powder and put this on the saag and serve it hot with maize rotis.Splendid Punjaabi khaana is ready.You can also serve it with butter, gren chilli and lots of salad and chilli and garlic pickle.
Now pour the puree of leaves and cook well.