Gobi Sarson(Cauliflower in a mustard green sauce)

Gobi Sarson(Cauliflower in a mustard green sauce) with Chapathi and Aloo Matar Gravy

I saw some Rapini or Broccoli Raab at the Indian Grocery store this week. But, it was labeled as Mustard greens or Sarson. Are they the same? I did’nt think so. Was that a marketing strategy? I did’nt care…The greens looked vibrant and fresh, and that was all that mattered. I wanted to cook it very similar to how I would cook Saag though. I turned to my favorite book: ’1000 Indian recipes’ by Neelam Batra, and found the recipe for ‘Gobi Sarson’. I did some slight modifications to it. It turned out quite good.

 
Ingredients:
1 large bunch rapini or mustard greens
1 small bunch spinach
1 small head cauliflower seperated into florets
1 large onion coarsely chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 green chillies
1/2 tomato chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp dried methi leaves
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup yogurt, whisked
1 tbsp whipped butter or sour cream(optional)
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
Method:
Clean and blanch the spinach and the rapini in a 1/4 cup of water. Drain, reserve the water and pulse the greens in a food processor until they are chopped fine but not pureed. Remove set aside. Finely chop the onion and green chillies. Finely chop the tomato.
In a large pan, over medium heat, add the oil and when heated, splutter the cumin seeds. Add the onion and green chillies and saute until golden. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell disappears. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook further. Add the coriander powder, garam masla, turmeric and salt, and mix to combine. Then add the cauliflower florets and cook until partially cooked, but still crisp.
Add the chopped greens and stir in the yogurt. Keep whisking to avoid curdling. Add the reserved water and cook until everything comes together. Top with the the butter or sour cream before serving.

Verdict: The bitterness of the mustard was balanced well by the creaminess of the yogurt and the sweetness from the cauliflower. The original recipe called for pureeing the greens, but I chose to leave them a bit coarse. I like this texture with green dishes more than the puree.