Mustard Green or Sarson ka Saag

Mustard green or Sarson ka saag is the most famous food of Punjab.  I remember when I was a little girl, my mother used to cook this saag on slow fire for full day. By dinner time, mouth was beginning to water as the fragrance of cooked saag reached the nostrils.  I cook the sarson ka saag pretty good but taste of my mother's saag was of no comparison.  Many in my family enjoyed the mustard saag with Makka ki roti(corn bread or chapatti) but I always relished the wheat flour parantha with it.  In India brocolli is not used but another kind of leaves called "Bathua"are used instead.  Bathua is very rich in iron and calcium. I am sure  Bathua is  not available in USA or Europe so feel free to use brocolli there.

 Ingredients:

2 frozen bags of mustard green (10 oz each) or two big bunches of fresh mustard leaves

1 frozen bag of spinach or one bunch of fresh leaves of spinach

1 small floret of brocolli or one bunch of bathua leaves

1/4 cup of ghee or any cooking oil of your choice
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 inch long ginger pc finely chopped or grated
5 cloves of garlic minced
1 medium tomato finely chopped
1 green pepper (hari mirchi)
salt to taste or 1 1/2 tsp
Cream cheese one tsp (optional)
Corn meal or corn flour (Makka ka atta) 2 tblsp (tablespoon)
Water one cup and need basis
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Garam Massala   1 tsp
Asafoetida  a pinch
Cumin seeds or Zeera 1 tsp.

Method:

Wash the mustard, spinach and bathua leaves at least three to four times before chopping them.
Pressure cook mustard green, spinach leaves and small pcs of brocolli by adding one cup of water for 5-7 minutes (until two or three whistles of the pressure cooker)
When it cools blend it in the blender for 10 seconds ( make sure it is thick consistency and not puree kind)
Cook this on slow heat for an hour or hour and a half   OR put this mixture in the slow cooker(electric kind) on low leat for two to three hrs.  If you think water is needed add a 1/4  to 1/2 cup gradually as saag should not be too dry.
Add corn meal to well cooked saag and let it cook for another one hour or so.  We have to make sure that corn meal is cooked and does not taste bitter.
Add salt, coriander powder to the mixture.
In a pan heat ghee or oil, add a pinch of asafoetida(hing), after five seconds add zeera seeds.
When zeera stops spluttering, add ginger and garlic.  After 15 seconds add onion.
When this mixture turns medium brown, add chopped green pepper and tomato.
Add garam massala to this mixture.
Now pour this mixture into the saag and if you want add one tsp of cream cheese or yogurt at this point.
Let saag cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Now enjoy with parantha or makka ki roti.