Chop and clean all the greens. Chop off the lower end of the mustard seems just a few centimeters from the base. The mustard stems can be tough. In this case you can discard the stems or keep them. If you keep them, then they have to be cooked really well so that they become soft. Luckily, I had tender stems in the mustard bunch. All the greens, sorted and nicely laid on the table… All going in the fridge for the saag to be made the next day.

Washing the greens. This is the tough part. You have to really wash the greens, especially the mustard greens well to get rid of the mud or soil clinging to the stems. I did this task in batches.

Add the washed greens in the pressure cooker.

Then add other veggies – radish, onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic

Now adding some spice & salt – green chilies, red chili powder, asafoetida & salt. The saag is mildly spiced and yet tastes so good Pour water

Cover and pressure cook for 6-7 minutes or more till the greens become soft. You can also cook in a pan. Cover and let the greens cook till they become soft.

Now let the pressure settle in the cooker. When you open the lid, you will see the greens, onions, tomatoes etc all have cooked well. Let the green mixture warm or cool at the room temperature.

Then in a blender take some of the greens.

Add maize flour. The maize flour helps in making the saag smooth as well as thickening it and does impart its flavor to the saag.

Blend till smooth. I usually make a smooth puree. Some folks like a coarse texture. So you decide how you want your saag. I blended in batches. You can also use a hand blender for the same and blend in the cooker itself. If doing this then chop the greens before you pressure cook them. It is easier to blend with a hand blender then. The traditional way is to use a Madani (the Indian hand blender) to blend the greens.

Now pour the greens puree in a pan. I used the pressure cooker as while simmering the saag, it bubbles and splutters. So be careful and use a deep pan.

Simmer and simmer for a good 25-30 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the saag does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Check the seasoning and add more salt if required. once cooled, the saag can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

So now after this comes the final touch… The saag is not ready to be served yet. We have to temper the saag. We always temper the saag with onions, but you can temper with some ginger, green chilies and tomatoes too along with the onions. Heat oil or ghee and add chopped onions. The amount of oil/ghee and onions to be added depends on the portions of saag you will be serving. 

1 to 2 tbsp oil with 1 medium sized onion is alright