Sarson Ka Saag Cutting: Whenever there is talk of green vegetables in winter, the first thing that comes to mind is mustard greens. This iconic dish of Punjab becomes a hit combo of winter season all over North India. Hot greens and a spoonful of butter on it wins everyone’s heart. But the interesting thing is that the more popular this dish is, the more mistakes people make while making it. In Poonam Devnani’s video which is going viral on social media, she told that while making saag, most of the people throw away the same thing in which the entire taste and nutrition is hidden. Yes, we are talking about mustard stalks. People consider them to be hard and useless and throw them away, whereas the right way is to use the stalks more than the leaves. The stalks are what give the saag its real thickness and earthy aroma. Today we will tell you in simple and trending language what is the real way of cutting mustard greens and why you should not make the mistake of throwing away the stalks.
1. Not the leaves, but the stalk is the life of mustard greens.
Many people believe that saag is made only from leaves, but this is incomplete information. Poonam Devnani clearly says that the traditional taste of mustard greens is hidden in the stalk.
- The stalks are sweeter than the leaves.
- When cooked, they not only add body to the greens but also deepen the flavour.
- The stem has more fiber which increases the consistency of the greens.
- That means the leaves are important as well, but the real flavor comes from the stalk. Therefore, next time while preparing greens, do not throw away the stalk without thinking.
2. The right indigenous way to cut the stalk
- Cutting the stalk directly and cooking it is not the right way. Their outer layer is a little hard, so it is necessary to peel them lightly.
- First of all cut the lower part of the stalk a little.
- Keeping the knife at a slight slant, remove the top tough layer of the stalk.
- As soon as this layer is removed, the stalk becomes completely soft and dissolves easily when cooked.
- Although many people skip this step, it is most important. This makes your saag as smooth and flavorful as in a restaurant.
3. Choose only small and tender leaves
- Not every leaf is suitable for greens. The large sized and very dark green leaves have a slight bitterness.
- Always choose small, soft and attached leaves to the stalk.
- Keep the quantity of big leaves less or do not add them at all.
- The quality of greens depends on how well you choose the right leaves.
- This little trick changes the taste a lot.
4. How to Cut the Stems and Leaves
- When your stalk is peeled and ready, then comes the turn of cutting.
- Gather all the stalks together.
- Cut them into small pieces of 1 to 2 inches.
- Lightly break or cut the selected leaves.
- Due to this, both the things cook together quickly and the texture of the greens remains perfect.
5. It is very important to wash thoroughly
- Green vegetables contain a lot of soil, hence one should not be careless in washing them.
- Wash the cut stalks and leaves two to three times in running water.
- If you want, you can also soak it in salt water for 10 minutes.
- This step is important for both health and taste.
6. Don’t just add mustard to greens, add these greens
- In the old desi style, mustard was always mixed with bathua or spinach.
This gives two benefits. - The bitterness of mustard is balanced.
- Nutrition doubles.
- Therefore, a mix of 70% mustard, 20% bathua and 10% spinach is considered to be a perfect balance.
7. The stalk will make very thick and local flavored greens.
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- When you use the stalks, the texture of the greens becomes very creamy and smooth.
- The stalks melt easily when cooked.
- Gives more body than leaves when suffocating.
- The real, desi and traditional taste of saag comes from these.
- Even in the recipes of Punjabi grandmothers, the role of stalk has been mentioned the most.
8. Extra Tips to Make Saag Even More Amazing
- Never forget to peel the stalk.
- Minimize use of big leaves.
- After boiling the greens, mash them well with a wooden mortar.
- Adding some maize flour to it improves the consistency.
- By adding seasoning of garlic, ginger and red chilli to ghee, the flavor doubles.
Mustard greens give real taste only when you make full use of the stalk and make proper selection of leaves. This desi method by Poonam Devnani not only makes the saag more delicious but also gives you the original, traditional taste. Now whether it is winter or party, saag will always be the star dish of your kitchen.
(Disclaimer: The information and information given in this article is based on general assumptions. Hindi news18 does not confirm these. Contact the concerned expert before implementing them.)
