Vegetables · Leafy greens

Mustard greens

Peppery, pungent brassica leaves cooked into sarson ka saag, stir-fries and pickles.

Also called: mustard leaves, sarson, sarson ka saag, leaf mustard, rai saag, antam

What it is

Mustard greens are the leaves of the mustard plant, ranging from flat and broad to frilly, green or purple-red. They have a hot, mustardy bite that mellows with cooking. Chinese gai choy is a thick-stemmed type often pickled. They are related to collards and kale but much sharper.

Brassica juncea

How it’s used

Slow-cooked into sarson ka saag
Stir-fried with garlic
Pickled (suan cai, takana)
Braised Southern-style with smoked meat
In soups and stews

Characteristics

Taste: Peppery, pungent and slightly bitter.
Texture: Tender to chewy depending on type.
When cooked: Bitterness and heat soften with long cooking; blanching first tames them.
Sold as: fresh, fermented
Cooking uses: Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling
Common in: Punjabi, Indian, Nepalese, Chinese, Southern US, Japanese, Vietnamese