Sarson ka saag -makke ki roti

Winter is here in India and it doesn't seem to leave where I stay in Australia. Best part of the winter is the treats it brings along. Each season has a special dish a special veggie and fruit. It is mangoes for the summer. Carrots and greens best denote the winter. Greens come in all variety mustard, spinach, Amaranth and sorrel. Each full of Iron. While sorrel or gongura is famous in South, Mustard or sarson is the greens ,which speaks to you up north. Saag  or Sarson ka saag is a dish we have all grown up with.

Households all across Punjab serve Sarso ka saag aur makke ki roti during winter. It is a dish which comes from rustic roots and flavors closest to heart.

It has an earthen taste. Simple flavor and hearty meal makes everyone happy. Traditional meal has loads of white butter or ghee. You may also use oil if choosing to go vegan.

Sarso ka saag or mustard leaves curry is a great way to have greens. We cook it along with other greens like bathua, palak. Serve this with maize flatbread or Makke ki roti. Thankfully we get mustard so easily here too.

Bollywood connection

You can know about the popularity of this dish with this famous punchline from Amrish Puri. "Sarson da Saag te Makki di Roti.. Kurta Lamba te Voti Chhoti".

This line from DDLJ is all about memories of cold winters of Punjab.

Greens are great for Iron and simple to cook too.

You can simply blanch and store it over weekend. Temper and you are ready for a meal instantly.

Step-by-step pictures for sarson ka saag

Ingredients for sarso ka saag (Clock wise)

Boiled mustard greens, tomato puree, ginger-garlic-chilly, chopped onions and boiled spinach.

1. Heat oil in a pan. Cook the greens and add maize flour to it. Mix well and let it simmer for 15 mins.

2. In another pan, add oil/ ghee. Add chopped onions, ginger-garlic, chilies. Cook until onions turn pink. Add tomatoes and salt. Let it cook until rawness of tomatoes disappears.

3. Now, add the tomato mix to the greens and cook for 5-10 mins. Mix well. Serve it with roti.

Read the recipe of Sarso ka saag  & makke ki roti

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4.54 from 13 votes

Sarson ka saag & Makke ki Roti

Sarso ka saag aur makke ki roti is a quintessential meal every winter.Rich greens served with cornmeal bread is a powerhouse of nutrients.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Course: Breads, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: makke ki roti, saag aur roti, sarso ka saag, sarson ka saag, traditional Punjabi breakfast, winter special saag

Servings: 4

Author: bhavana bhatia

Ingredients

For sarson ka saag

• 4 cup boiled sarso/mustard leaves
• 1 cup boiled palak/spinach leaves
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 tbsp. makai ka atta/maize flour

For tempering:

• 1 cup tamatar/tomatoes
• 1 large pyaz/onion
• 1 tbsp adrak/ginger
• 2 cloves lassan/garlic chopped
• 1 large hari mirchi/green chillies
• 2 tbsp ghee/ mustard oil if vegan
• salt as per taste

For Makke ki roti

• 2 cups makai ka atta/maize flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• water for kneading

Instructions

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard and spinach leaves.
• Now,add maize flour and mix well.
• Cook for 15 mins. Keep it aside.

For tempering:

• In another pan,heat oil or ghee for tempering.
• Add chopped onion,ginger,garlic,green chillies cook until rawness disappears.
• Add chopped tomatoes to this along with salt.Cook till tomatoes soften.
• Now add the tempering to cooked mustard-spinach leaves combo.
• Mix well and let it come to a boil.
• Serve hot with makke ki roti, mango pickle,buttermilk.

For Makke ki roti

• Knead a tight dough.
• Using a butter paper,baking sheet, roll into a flatbread.
• Cook it on a iron griddle,use few drops of oil after its semi cooked

Notes

To boil sarson/spinach , heat a pot with adequate water,add the cleaned and chopped leaves ,boil for 10 minutes
Or, you can pressure cook them with 2 cups of water for 1 whistle.

Looking for more iron-rich greens? Indian recipes are full of greens. Try these

• Saag paneer/Palak paneer
• Gujarati Undhiyu
• Sindhi style Sata bhajiyun
• Sindhi sai bhaji/dal palak
• Vegan palak soup

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