RAG Demo

Tag: Greens

  • Kafuli

    Kafuli is the green curry of Garhwal, the western half of Uttarakhand, made in hill homes with whatever leafy greens grow nearby: spinach, fenugreek and sometimes mustard or lai. It was traditionally cooked in a heavy iron kadai, which deepens the colour and adds iron to the dish, a real benefit in mountain diets.

    It is thicker and more rustic than palak paneer, closer to a thick gravy. The greens are boiled, ground and simmered with a paste of soaked rice (or besan), which gives body and a slightly creamy texture. Mustard oil, garlic, ginger, cumin and a pinch of hing give it a pungent, earthy flavour, with a little curd sometimes added for tang.

    Kafuli is eaten with steamed rice or with mandua (finger millet) roti, a classic Garhwali pairing. It is home food, simple, nourishing and quick once the greens are cleaned. Choose young, tender spinach and fresh methi with small leaves; they cook faster and taste less bitter. A spoon of the hot kafuli over plain rice with a little pickle is one of the simplest and most satisfying pahadi meals.

    At a glance

    RegionUttarakhand
    CuisineGarhwali
    DietVegan
    CourseMain course
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time55 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsspinach / fenugreek leaves / rice / mustard oil

    Ingredients

    • 400 g spinach, chopped
    • 100 g fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves, chopped
    • 2 tbsp raw rice, soaked 1 hour
    • 3 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1/4 tsp hing
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 2 dried red chillies
    • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 2 green chillies, chopped
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1 cup water
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Wash the spinach and methi several times. Boil 2 cups water, add the greens and cook 4 to 5 minutes until soft. Drain, reserving the water.
    2. Grind the cooled greens to a coarse puree. Separately grind the soaked rice with 3 tbsp water to a smooth paste.
    3. Heat mustard oil in an iron kadai until it smokes, then lower to medium. Add hing, cumin and dried red chillies.
    4. Add garlic, ginger and green chillies and fry 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic turns light golden.
    5. Add turmeric, coriander powder and the greens puree. Cook 5 minutes, stirring.
    6. Mix the rice paste with 1 cup of the reserved water and pour it in, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add salt.
    7. Simmer on low for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the kafuli thickens to a smooth, pourable consistency and the raw rice taste is gone. Add more reserved water if it gets too thick.
    8. Taste for salt and serve hot, straight from the kadai.

    Tips

    • Besan can replace the rice paste – whisk 2 tbsp with water before adding.
    • An iron kadai gives the authentic dark colour, but do not leave the cooked kafuli sitting in it for long.
    • Use less methi if you prefer a less bitter taste.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice or mandua (finger millet) roti.

  • Sarson da Saag

    Sarson da saag is the taste of a Punjabi winter. When the fields turn yellow with mustard flowers between November and February, the tender leaves are picked by the bundle and cooked for hours in clay pots over slow fires. It is a peasant dish that has become a symbol of rural Punjab, often mentioned in the same breath as makki di roti.

    The flavour is earthy, slightly bitter and peppery from the mustard, softened by spinach and bathua (chenopodium). Nothing about it is smooth like a puree; good saag is coarsely churned with a wooden mathani so it keeps some texture. A generous tadka of ghee, garlic, ginger and green chillies brings it alive.

    It is eaten for lunch with makki di roti topped with white butter, a piece of jaggery, raw onion and a glass of lassi. Families often cook a big batch and reheat it over several days, since the flavour deepens with time. In village homes the leftover saag is also eaten cold with a fresh roti and a spoon of butter for breakfast.

    At a glance

    RegionPunjab
    CuisinePunjabi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time75 minutes
    Total time115 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmustard greens / spinach / bathua / makki atta / ghee

    Ingredients

    For the saag

    • 1 kg sarson (mustard greens), tender leaves and stems
    • 300 g palak (spinach)
    • 150 g bathua (or extra spinach)
    • 2 inch ginger, chopped
    • 8 garlic cloves
    • 3 to 4 green chillies
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 3 tbsp makki atta (maize flour)

    For the tadka

    • 3 tbsp ghee
    • 1 large onion, finely chopped
    • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 1 tomato, chopped (optional)
    • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • White butter to serve

    Method

    1. Strip the mustard leaves, peel the thick lower stems and chop everything finely. Chop spinach and bathua. Wash in several changes of water, lifting the greens out so grit stays behind.
    2. Put the greens in a large pressure cooker or heavy pot with ginger, garlic, green chillies, salt and water. Pressure cook 3 whistles on medium, or simmer covered in a pot for 45 minutes, until the stems are completely soft.
    3. Mash the greens with a wooden churner or pulse briefly with a hand blender to a coarse texture – not a smooth puree.
    4. Return the pot to low heat. Whisk the makki atta with 1/4 cup water and stir it in gradually. Cook uncovered on low for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the saag thickens and loses its raw flour taste.
    5. For the tadka, heat ghee in a pan on medium. Fry the onion until golden, about 6 minutes, then add garlic and ginger and cook until the garlic turns light brown.
    6. Add tomato if using and cook 3 minutes until soft, then the chilli powder. Pour the tadka over the saag, stir and simmer 5 more minutes.
    7. Serve hot with a generous dollop of white butter on top.

    Tips

    • If the mustard is very bitter, increase the spinach share or add a small piece of jaggery.
    • Saag freezes well in portions; make the tadka fresh when reheating.
    • Choose bunches with thin stems and no yellowing – older mustard is fibrous and pungent.

    Serve with

    Makki di roti with white butter, jaggery, raw onion and lassi.