Mustard Leaves Are A Must!

We have been eagerly waiting to write about this plant. Because we, like all of you, have immense love for the unmatched “Sarso Da Saag “. Sarso Da Saag has always occupied the top-most place in our hearts since we were kids. So somewhere deep down, we thank Mustard Leaves for existing, because if it was not for them, we would not have met this green love of our lives. I

Mustard Leaves are a part of not just Indian but Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, African and Pakistani cuisines. And they are one of the most popular vegetables of winter in India.

The nutrition profile of these light-weighted champions is packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and protective phytonutrients. Since they are low on calories, their nutrition to calorie ratio makes them one of the most nutrient-rich foods on the earth.

These leafy greens are brimming protect us from notorious heart diseases, diabetes, and even cancer. High levels of antioxidants in them safeguard our body from free radical damage. Fibrous density helps in monitoring cholesterol levels and maintaining digestive health.

I am sure that these insights on the health benefits of mustard leaves have made “Sarson” even more popular in your eyes! And you want to eat it right away!

We understand your sentiments and therefore below are recipes of mustard leaves that will leave you craving for more of these leafy greens!

First, on the list, we have a recipe suggested by one of our Farmizens “Jaanaki”  We would like to thank her for her scrumptious contribution! Try it to love it 🙂

Recipe 1 By Janaki

Hot And Sweet Mustard Greens Chutney

The recipe is mouth-watering and pleases our tangy taste buds! Read below to know how to go about making it.

In this process, you need to take a few mustard leaves that are dry. Then you clean them by washing and rinsing thoroughly. Next, take a pan and add 1 Tsp of oil and slightly roast the leaves without overcooking. After this keep the leaves aside. In the same pan, take a little bit of oil, and add 2 Tbsp of mustard seeds,  paste, 2 red chilies(dry), few spoons of Urad Daal and roast the mix. Now add the mustard leaves,  1/2 Tsp of fresh tamarind paste, a pinch of heeng, 1 Tbsp of jaggery, salt to taste and cook this mixture for a few minutes.

Remove this from gas and transfer it to your mixer to prepare the chutney paste! Your tangy lip-smacking chutney is ready!

We really enjoyed this recipe and I am sure you did too, and we would really like it if you guys can send across recipes that you want us to include 🙂 We shall keep posting and would keep you updated!

Recipe 2 (Our Favourite, Hopefully, yours too!)

Sarson Da Saag

We have spoken quite a lot about this mouth-watering dish, however, we would like to add that this is the quintessential dish for our Punjabi friends and hence the roots of Sarson Da Saag can be traced to Punjab.

Start by mixing 750 gm sarson da saag/ mustard leaf, 250 gm of roughly chopped spinach (roughly chop), 100 gm of roughly chopped moolipatta / white radish leaf , 30 gm of roughly chopped mathua, 30 gm of diced ginger, 8  green chillies (slit & deseeded), 60 ml  of mustard oil,  45 gm of rice, 1 nasturtium (edible flower) and Salt to taste in a pan.

Now add 2 litres of water, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to low heat and allow it to simmer till the greens are tender for about 45 minutes. Now put away the pan from heat, and churn the contents with a wooden churner.  Now place it back, and add maize flour followed by covering it, simmering at low flame, and regularly stirring for 1 hours. Remove and adjust the seasoning. Now pour this into a bowl and add large lumps of butter. After adding a few petals of an edible flower, our beloved sarson da saag is ready to be served hot with gur and Makki Ki Roti!

Recipe 3

Sarson Ki Gilawat With Corn and Cheese Tostadas

This is a Desi dish sprinkled with some Videshi Elements! Read below to see how the traditional Sarson ki Gilawat blends with the Fancy Corn and Cheese Tostadas.

Start by taking 15 gm of desi ghee in a pan,  and add 10 gm of crushed coriander seeds and 5gm of cumin. To this add 200 gm of saag and 50 gm of spinach paste and cook on a low flame.

Now add 15 gm of achaar masala and salt to taste, and keep the mixture aside to cool. Add 25gm of roasted chana powder for binding and make small patties. Now cook the sarson ki gilawat on hot griddle to form a crust on gilawat

For corn tostadas, add 5gm of coriander to 30gm of chopped corn and stuff inside 60gm of small dough to make tostada. Sarson ki gilawat is ready to be served with corn tostadas

Recipe 4

Mustard Leaves With Toor Dal

This is a protein rich recipe and adds on to the nutritional value apart from being delectable.

Start the process by washing the 1 cup of Toor dal 3-4 times in water. Then add 2 cups of water,  1 pinch of turmeric,  1/2 Tsp of salt & cook in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.  Let it cool for a while.

In the meanwhile wash 3 leaves of mustard greens(Chopped to give 2 cups of mustard greens) and 1 tomato. Finely chop them both. After this heat 1tbsp of oil in a pan, and add 1/2 Tsp of cumin seeds. After the seeds turn brown in color, add 3 finely chopped green chilies followed by 1 finely chopped onion. Saute till the onions develop a translucent coat.

Add the tomatoes, salt to taste, 1/8th Tsp of turmeric, 1 Tsp of coriander and saute the mix till the tomatoes are softened. Now add the mustard greens and cook for about 4-6 minutes till they get tender.

Now mash the cooked dal and add it to the above mix. Add about 1/2 cup of water and adjust the salt according to your taste.Cook the mixture on medium flame for another 10-12 mins and then turn off the heat.

Now prepare the tempering by adding ghee to a small pan,  and add 1/2 Tsp cumin seeds when the ghee gets hot.  When seeds turn brown turn off the heat and add 1/8th Tsp of asafoetida. Pour the tempering over the dal prepared & cover it. Do not disturb for 2-3 mins, and let the flavors soak in.  Just before serving, add 1 tbsp of lemon juice1 tbsp of finely chopped coriander leaves & mix well. Serve it with rice or roti.

Recipe 5

Baby Mustard Greens Indian Stir Fry

Wash and spin the baby mustard leaves(750gms) in a salad spinner to get rid of extra water. {You can chop the leaves if you like] Heat oil in a wok, add the whole red chilli(one whole dried) when the oil reaches the smoking point, and discard it once it blackens. Add 1/2 tsp asafoetida, 3 green chillies,salt to taste and 1 medium tomato to oil and stir-fry to mix. Add all the leaves, reduce heat to simmer and cover and cook for 5-7 minutes until the leaves wilt.

Open, season with salt, stir to mix well, and simmer for another 10 minutes or so until the leaves are cooked.

Increase heat and stir fry until dryish. taste and adjust seasoning

Recipe 6

Spiced Mustard Paste Recipe

For the spiced paste grind 1 Tbsp Black mustard seeds, 1 Tbsp Yellow mustard seeds, 1 Tbsp Yellow mustard seeds, 2 Green chillies, 1 tsp salt and sugar and 350 ml water together.

Serve with any dish of your choice.

Recipe 7

Indian Potatoes With Mustard Seeds

Heat 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and  1 teaspoon mustard seed in hot dry skillet over high heat, swirling pan, until seeds start to pop.

Reduce heat to medium; add one large onion, 3 green chilies, and add a small amount of water; cook until onion is tender, adding more water as necessary to prevent sticking.

Add 4medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

potatoes, 1 ¹⁄₂teaspoons ground cumin, 1 ¹⁄₂teaspoons coriander, ¹⁄₂teaspoon turmeric, salt (to taste), and ¹⁄₂teaspoon pepper, stirring to mix well.

Add 2/3 cup water, cover, reduce heat and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spices are absorbed and potatoes are tender.

Add a small amount of water at a time if all liquid evaporates.

Fold in 1 tablespoon cilantro just before serving.

Recipe 8

Cauliflower With Mustard Seeds

Our list is over for now! But we would keep on adding newer recipes as we come across them! Stay tuned 🙂