Spunky, spicy, and intense in flavor, mustard greens originated in the Himalayan regions of India, where they are a winter vegetable. When the mustard plant starts to bloom in Spring, you can see miles and miles of bright yellow fields!
Fortunately, mustard greens are available almost all year round in America. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, etc., rank high in nutrition value among the others in the family.
When cooking these beautiful, brightly colored greens, I sometimes saute them in ghee with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Adding a few spinach leaves gives them a creamy texture.
The following recipe is a popular version sold in restaurants: the Punjabi version. This style of preparing mustard greens, or ‘Sarson Ka Saag,’ is trendy in the Punjab region and is served with thick, hand-rolled corn rotis drizzled with butter or ghee. It is a great combination and so delicious! Adding spinach, onion, and tomato helps tone down the pungency and makes it a complete dish.
4 tsps. ghee or butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. minced ginger
2 tsps. Rashmi’s Blend
1 lb. finely chopped mustard greens
1/4 lb. finely chopped spinach (see notes)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. corn flour (optional) (see notes)
1/2 cup water
2 tsps. lemon juice (optional)
notes:
Use less spinach if you like the pungency of the mustard greens.
The corn flour helps to bind the greens together and give them a smoother texture.
preparation:
- Heat 3 teaspoons of ghee in a skillet over medium heat, saving one teaspoon of ghee for later.
- Add the onions and saute until golden.
- Add garlic and ginger and stir for a few seconds.
- Add Rashmi’s Blend and stir for a few seconds until the spices turn fragrant.
- Add mustard greens and spinach, and stir to mix the spices.
- Add tomatoes, salt, and cornmeal mixed with water to prevent lumping.
- Stir, cover the skillet, and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Option: At this point, as most restaurants do, you can use a blender or immersion blender to roughly puree the greens to give them a smoother texture. I prefer not to.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding lemon juice if needed.
- Drizzle with the remaining ghee and serve warm with rice or thick, warm corn tortillas.