Saag

• hidangan: 3-4

Bahan-bahan

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

Cornmeal 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

Arahan

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 :)

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.

Nota

https://rootedinspice.substack.com/p/saag