Nearly every household in Northern India enjoys sarson ka saag regularly. It's got a ton of greens—packed with nutrition, antioxidants, and fiber—cooked in a single pot, and then flavored with onions fried in pure ghee.
Prepare greens by separating the stems and leaves. Discard the larger stems. Roughly chop the remaining stems and leaves. Place chopped greens in a large bowl and fill with cold water. Swish greens with your hands. The dirt will sink to the bottom. Set the bowl of greens in water by the stove until needed.
Start the greens cooking
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-heat. Add ginger and green chilis. Sauté 1-2 minutes until you see golden brown bits. Scoop out the prepared greens from the water, and add them to the saucepan along with 1 cup water and the salt. Turn heat to medium-low, cover, and steam for 30 minutes. The greens will become very soft.
Cook the onions
Meanwhile, in a separate small skillet on medium-low, heat ghee and add onion. Sauté until lightly browned (about 10-15 minutes). At the beginning, nothing much will happen, but as soon as the moisture evaporates it will brown quickly, and even burn. So be careful. You want it evenly and lightly browned. Turn off the heat and set aside until needed.
Finish the stewed greens
After 30 minutes of simmering the greens, turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to blend the greens right in the saucepan, or blend separately in a blender after cooling slightly. (If you use the blender method, be very careful and ensure that the steam has a way to escape so the lid doesn't blow off.) After blending, turn the heat back on low.
Add cooked onions to the greens, along with garam masala and fresh lime juice. Simmer until the oil rises to the surface (about 3-5 minutes). Taste, and adjust for salt. If you find it too bitter, add a teaspoon of raw sugar.
Notes
For the mixed greens
6 cups mild greens: choose from kale, collards, Swiss chard, collards, leeks and scallions, etc.
3 cups bitter greens: choose from mustard greens, dandelion, radish, or turnip greens, etc.
The recipe also calls for 3 cups spinach. You can also include more spinach in the mild greens category if you want to use more spinach.*If you use frozen spinach, use half the quantity since it is more concentrated.
Ghee substitutes
If you do not have ghee, substitute with a mixture of half butter and half olive oil. Ghee is a form of clarified butter with a nutty, buttery taste, that is commonly used in Indian cooking. It is generally safe for people with lactose intolerance, it has a high smoke point of 485 degrees Fahrenheit, and is shelf stable at room temperature. Ghee is widely available outside India. To learn more about ghee and where to buy it, see Quality Ghee & Ghee Buying Tips.