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 (sarson ka saag), spinach (palak), amaranth (totakura) and sorrel/rosella (gongura). Each full of Iron.
While thotakura or amaranth greens 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 Makki di roti and sarson da saag 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.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.
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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. One of my favourite movies which celebrates tradition as much as the love story.
Equipment
- Pan for curry
- Hand blender / masher
- chopper optional
- Griddle / tava for making roti
- mixing bowl or stand mixer
- baking sheet / parchment paper
Ingredients for sarso ka saag
The core ingredient is sarson , i.e. mustard leaves.
Core ingredients are
- Boiled mustard greens and boiled spinach (if you are cooking it in a pan, else you can use raw mustard greens /spinach if you are cooking in an instant pot or pressure cooker.
- tomato puree
- ginger-garlic-chili
- chopped onions
- spices
How to make sarson ka saag in a pan?
In a pan boil water and add mustard and spinach leave, boil for 5 minutes,turn off the heat and strain the excess water or keep the water for later use.
2. In a pan,heat oil or ghee for tempering. Add chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chili cook until the onion turns pink.
3. Add chopped tomatoes to this along with salt.
4. Cook till tomatoes soften.
5. Add the boiled/blanched spinach and sarson.
6. Mix well and let it cook in the open pan. Once it has softened, mash it with a hand masher or hand blender.
7. Optionally, you may choose to add 2 tbsp. makai flour (unrefined corn flour) , this will help to thicken the curry.
How to make sarson da saag in instant pot ?
While cooking sarson da saag in an Instant pot, its much easier to cook as you do not have to boil the mustard and spinach leaves seperately.
- In instant pot sauté mode, heat oil or ghee for tempering.Add chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies cook until the onion turns pink.
2. Add chopped tomatoes to this along with salt.Cook till tomatoes soften.Add the spices
3. Add the chopped spinach with little salt.
4. Allow the spinach to wilt
5. Add the chopped sarson, cook for few minutes
6. Add the maize floor
7. Add 2 cups of water,Put the instant pot lid and cook on low pressure for 10 minutes. Release the pressure after 10 minutes
8. Use a hand blender to mix the sarson and get a better texture.Adjust the salt and spices as per your liking.Serve warm with makke ki roti.
How to make makki di roti?
- Take makki atta (maize flour) , add warm water to it
2. Knead the makki ka atta into a smooth dough, if the dough is not smooth then the roti will break while rolling out.
3.Roll out the roti on a grease / baking paper
4. Heat a griddle / tava , start cooking the roti
5. Flip it once cooked from one side
6. Cook the roti on the gas flame directly, you may cook on the tava if you do not have gas cooktop. Once cooked, brush with ghee,serve warm makki roti and saag.
Storage
Store the curry in refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also knead the dough and keep it in an air tight container for 4-5 days.
Food safety
Always heat the left overs before you serve.
Serving suggestion : Serve it along with some boondi raita, potato chips and papad.
Related recipes
Looking for more iron-rich greens? Indian recipes are full of greens. Try these below.
- Saag paneer/Palak paneer
- Gujarati Undhiyu
- Sindhi style Sata bhajiyun
- Sindhi sai bhaji/dal palak
- Vegan palak soup
- saag aloo
sarso ka saag makki ki roti recipe
Equipment
- pan
- or Instant pot
- griddle
- Food processor optional
Ingredients
Ingredients for sarso da saag recipe
- 300 gms mustard leaves boiled if cooking in a pan,refer notes
- 100 gms spinach boiled if cooking in a pan,refer notes
- 2 tbsp. maize flour / makai ka atta optional
Tempering ingredients for punjabi saag recipe
- 2 tablespoon ghee/ mustard oil if vegan
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tablespoon ginger chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 green chillies
- salt as per taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder or curry powder
- ½ tsp red chilli powder or as per taste
- 1 tablespoon garam masala or as per taste
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- salt as per taste
For Makke ki roti
- 2 cups makai ka atta/maize flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- water for kneading
Instructions
For cooking sarson ka saag in a pan
- In pan,heat oil or ghee for tempering.Add chopped onion,ginger,garlic,green chillies cook until the onion turns pink.
- Add chopped tomatoes to this along with salt.Cook till tomatoes soften.Add the spices
- Add the boiled/blanched spinach and sarson
- Mix well and let it cook in the open pan.Once it has soften,mash it with a hand masher or hand blender
- Optionally, you may choose to add 2 tablespoon makai flour (unrefined corn flour) , this will help to thicken the mix.
- Serve hot with makke ki roti, mango pickle,buttermilk.
For cooking sarson ka saag in an instant pot
- In sauté mode,heat oil or ghee for tempering.Add chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies cook until the onion turns pink.
- Add chopped tomatoes to this along with salt.Cook till tomatoes soften.Add the spices
- Add the chopped spinach with little salt, allow it to wilt for 5 minuntes
- Now, add the chopped sarson, cook for few minutes
- Add 2 cups of water and maize flour
- Put the instant pot lid and cook on low pressure for 10 minutes. Release the pressure after 10 minutes
- Use a hand blender or a masher to mix the sarson and get a better texture.
- Adjust the salt and spices as per your liking.
For Makke ki roti
- Take makki flour, add warm water to it.Knead into a smooth dough, if the dough is not smooth then the roti will break while rolling out.
- Roll out the roti on a grease / baking paper.Heat a griddle / tava , start cooking the roti
- Flip it once cooked from one side.Cook the roti on the gas flame directly, you may cook on the tava if you do not have gas cooktop
- Once cooked, brush with ghee,serve warm makki roti and saag.
Notes
Or, you can pressure cook them with 2 cups of water for 1 whistle. You can mix little aata/wheat flour if makke ki roti, this will make it little easier to cook.
FAQs
Makki flour in english is called cornflour . This cornflour is different is the coursely ground flour and not the fine white cornflour that we use to thicken the gravy.
Makki flour is also know as maize flour in english.
You can microwave it for 30 seconds or heat it in a preheated air fryer for 1 minute. One can also heat it on a tava / griddle until it is hot. You may put some butter on it once done, if vegetarian.
It is rich in vitamins A, C B Complex and K.It is rich in fibre as well.
Store it in a cool dry place.
Once your saag is ready, let it cool to room temperature. Freeze it in an air tight jar. Temper it fresh whenever you are ready to eat.
Add more spinach if you do not want your saag to taste too bitter.
Rinse them well and store them in a ziplock after wrapping them in a paper or tea towel.
Conclusion: Sarson da saag and makki ki roti is a traditional recipe which helps you fight anaemia and gives green power in winter.
Meenakshi Khaturia says
Superb VL try it,tnx for recipe
Gs says
Hi could you please tell how much would be raw sarso & palak in grams/by weight.Ill purchase accordingly. & do we have tobtake the raw vegetable first measured in cups or do we boil & then measure in cups?
bhavana bhatia says
Hi there, you will need close to 500gms of sarson and 125 gms of spinach/palak leaves.
the measurements mentioned in the recipe is the contents after boiling them
The spices and tomatoes can be adjusted as per your taste..
Thanks