To say that my dad adores his greens would be an understatement. Maybe the Bengali way of starting a meal especially lunch, with a bitter guard followed by any kind of saag (a green leafy vegetable) could be one of the reasons to develop the strong liking for them. Although there are some available around the year, the few ephemeral greens like mustard greens, radish greens, palak (spinach), bathua that would make their appearance only for a month or two in winter, would get special attention.

And when we (my sister and I) used to seek refuge from the mundane summer gourds (bottle, ridge, ivy etc), any delicacy made with these much appreciated greens would seem no other than a celebratory meal. Be it bathua ka raita, daal palak, palak paneer … to name a few, would shine with all their might on the table. But my personal favorite among the winter greens is the Punjabi version of sarson ka saag, of which the credit goes to my kakima (aunt) for introducing us to this absolute delicacy however prepared from the same basic ingredients of the Bengali version of panchmishali shak. However, my dad still adores his own panchmishali shak made with minimal spice (panchforon & hing) in which the greens are the hero of the dish and do not allow any other spice or veggies of the allium family to overpower the taste. He still finds it difficult to accept this totally different avatar of saag imported from the neighboring state, maybe his true Bengali lineage comes in the way ;)

But for a girl in her early teens, who has not yet achieved that acquired palate to enjoy the mild flavors and aroma of methi, hing, etc, finds it easy to embrace this highly revered Punjabi version of sarso ka saag. I had this saag served along with makke (corn) ki roti, for the first time in Delhi, made by my kakima and fell in love with its taste & texture. That mild sweetness from the fried onion, sharpness from garlic and ginger, creaminess from butter is not something to be missed. Don’t know it’s the taste due to the ingredients used or the magic of her hands that converted us. A mystery yet to be revealed!