Sarson ka Saag with Makki ki Roti

Mustard greens with corn flat bread

 

 

A very traditional and most loved dish of every Punjabi. Sarson ka Saag with Makki ki roti. Its a must dish during winters in every house in Punjab. Saag is made with mustard leaves (its slightly bitter in taste) along with a bunch of other green leaves like, Bathua (lamb's-quarter) , Methi (Fenugreek leaves) and Palak (Spinach) simmered with spices. This dish is cooked with lots of patience. Starting from the first step of picking, washing and cutting the best leaves till the point of slowly simmering the saag on a flame with the right amount of spices, everything has to be done with utter care and patience. Ask any Punjabi and he or she would say "my mom makes the best saag" or "my naani/daadi makes the best saag". And of course I will say the same thing, my mom makes the best saag. I never liked saag anywhere else. After I got married and came to the US, I missed having my mom's saag the most. I never tried the recipe on my own knowing that it won't be even close to what she makes. However when my neighbour got a bunch of mustard leaves from his friend's farm I was tempted to make saag. I had a bunch of "Mooli" or radish at home and fresh maize (cornmeal) flour. I did not have bathua that gives a very distinct flavor to the saag, I put broccoli instead. (I know, its American version of the authentic saag). But if you can manage bathua leaves here in the US, it would be perfect.

 

Ingredients:-

4 bunches of fresh mustard leaves

1 bunch of fresh palak or spinach

1 bunch of bathua

1/4 cup Ginger and garlic sliced

5 green chillies - chopped

Salt to taste

Maize flour/cornmeal - 1/2 cup

 

Tadka/ Tempering:
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1″ piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 cup chopped onion
3 tbsp Desi ghee
2 green chillies finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped

1. Thoroughly wash and cut all the greens. Take a big pot of boiling water and add salt and put all the leaves along with 2 tbsp ginger garlic and green chillies. Let this simmer on a slow heat for almost an hour till the greens are tender. Turn off the heat and let it cool down a bit. Then mash the cooked greens.
2. Now, traditionally in Punjab saag is pressed or mashed using a "Madhani" ( wooden hand blender), but you can use an electric hand blender to mash up all the greens. Just make sure you do not overdo it and make a paste. It has to be coarse. Turn on the heat.
3. Add the maize flour slowly one spoon at a time to the greens and keep on stirring and mashing it continuously so that there are no lumps. Maize flour is used to thicken the saag. Cook this mixture for almost 10 minutes on a very slow flame.
4. Meanwhile in a small pan heat oil/ butter or ghee. Add chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies along with the onions and cook till it starts to brown. Add the chopped tomatoes until they are tender.  
5. Add the tadka to the cooked saag and adjust the salt as per your taste. Serve hot with a dollop of butter, Makki ki roti, radish and whole green chillies.

Makki ki roti

1 cup maize flour
1/2 cup hot water to knead.  
 
The traditional way of making makki ki roti is to flatten and shape the roti using little water on the center of your palms of both the hands, the roti becomes round and it keeps on expanding as it goes to and fro between both the palms and then its cooked on a hot tava. I could never make it this way. My mom makes it so fast and it seems so easy when she makes it. I use a plastic sheet to spread and make the rotis.
 
1. Boil the water and slowly add to the flour. Keep mixing it enough to form a firm dough. You will have to use your own judgement about the amount of water required.
2. Because maize flour has no gluten in it, its very hard to bind it. So its important to use hot boiling water to bind the flour together. This helps the flour to settle down and makes smoother rotis.
3.  Let it cool down for sometime. Then make small balls. Place it on a lightly greased plastic sheet and keep on pressing/flattening the dough using your palms to make a round roti. You can use water or little oil to grease your palms. Don't worry, it does not have to be a perfect round roti.
4. Transfer on a hot griddle/tava and cook till both the sides are brown and fully cooked.
5. Spread ghee or butter on the rotis and serve hot with the saag.