Sarson (noun.)Indians have used mustard seeds in their food for over two thousand years. Mustard seeds are also known as “Sarson” and are one of the key ingredients used in North Indian cuisine. Black mustard can be dark brown to black, whereas, yellow seeds are either yellow or white. In North India, Sarson ka saag is a popular recipe made from mustard greens.
(Saag is the Hindi word for greens). In Bengal and Orissa, mustard seeds and mustard oil is used to prepare spicy fish and chicken. It is also the main ingredient of kasundi, a popular mustard sauce, which is used in sandwiches and burgers. In Maharashtra, it is called mohair and is used in many recipes.
Popped mustards seeds are part of tadka used in the preparation of vegetables, beans, pastries and pickles (prepared with dry coriander seeds (sukha dhania or pisa dhania) and red chillies (lal mirch powder)). Raw mustard paste is used as an ingredient in mayonnaise and barbecue sauce. It can also be used as a base for salad dressing in combination with vinegar and/or olive oil.