Chholar Saak Bahja (Stir fried Chana Saag/Chick Pea leaves)

It is during winter when you can have your fill of leafy vegetables. While, nowadays spinach and fenugreek leaves are available all the year round, some leafy vegetables are available only during the winter, chana saag is one of them. In English, I have noticed that any chana is referred to as chickpeas, however, there are different varieties of chana and it is only the leaves of one particular variety that is used for this dish. You may have seen the tender green chanas which are available almost towards the end of winter; it is the tender leaves of this variety which is used for this dish.

My mum used to make this dish every winter. It is a simple dish but very labour intensive. Picking the tiny leaves from the stems is a tiresome process, quite painful, you have to really be in love with the dish to want to do it. I used to help my mum pick the leaves but I never cooked the dish, nor did I see how my mother made it, though I remember that she boiled the leaves before cooking. I never thought that I would ever attempt to make the dish, but this year I decided to try my hand at it, just so that I could post it here.

I remember how the dish that my mother made tasted and keeping that taste in mind I cooked the saag and yes it did turn out absolutely fine, just like my mum’s. I made one mistake, I forgot to take a photograph of the leaves, anyway I saw some images on the internet  and here is link to those images.

I haven’t given any measurements for there is no hard and fast rule in this one, just use your judgement.

Ingredients:

• Chana saag
• Potatoes
• Black mustard seeds
• Turmeric powder
• Green chillies or red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• Cooking oil.

Method:

•  Pick the leaves from the stem, wash them and then boil the leaves. 

• Winter is the season for baby potatoes, if possible use the baby potatoes or use the usual variety. Boil the potatoes, if using baby potatoes keep them whole, if you are using the usual variety then chop the boiled potatoes into cubes.

• Heat some cooking oil in a vessel, add some mustard seeds to the oil, once the seeds begin to crackle add the boiled potatoes stir a bit and also add the boiled chana leaves. Stir once again.

• Add a little turmeric powder, some chopped green chillies or red chilli powder. Since I am averse to green chillies I used Kashmiri red chilli powder.

• Stir once again add a little water, just enough to help all the spices to blend, if there is any excess water remaining after you have boiled the leaves, you can add that water.

• Cover and cook till all the water has evaporated, this is a dry dish. 

This goes very well with steamed rice as well as phulka rotis.