Sarson ka saag and makke ki roti is the most delectable Punjabi dish. This healthy and delicious, hot and spicy combo is best to savour during the winter season to beat the chill. The earthy flavour of saag when tempered with hot spices and makke ki roti when topped with white butter, just tastes heavenly.

Serves: 6

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Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time:  60 minutes

Ingredients:

Sarson ka saag –

Sarson ka saag                   750 grams

Carrot                                   2 medium

Beet root                              ¼ piece

Gourd                                 3” long piece

Fenugreek leaves              100 grams

Spinach leaves                   100 grams

Bathua leaves                                100 grams

Garlic cloves                        10

Ginger                                   1’ piece

Green chillies                       2

Onion                                    1 big

Tomatoes                             ½ kg

Jiggery                                   1 medium piece of 2”

Makki ka aata                       1 tbsp

Fresh curd                             1 cup

Pure ghee                              ½ cup

Salt                                         to taste

Red chilli powder                1 ½ tsp

Garam masala                      ½ tsp

Tamarind powder             1 tsp

Makke ki roti –

Makki ka aata                        ½ kg

Wheat flour                            1 cup

Radish                                    1

Fenugreek leaves                    1 cup

Green chillies                            2

Red chilli powder                     1 tsp

Ajwain                                        ½ tsp

Salt                                             to taste

Method:

Sarson ka Saag –

Clean all green leafy vegetables. Chop them coarsely and wash properly.

Chop carrot and gourd coarsely.

Boil all these vegetables together in a pressure cooker adding jiggery and a cup of water. Give one whistle on high flame then simmer for half an hour. Turn off flame. Let the pressure comes out on its own. Open the lid and let it cool. Grind in a food processor to a fine paste.

Make a fine paste of ginger, garlic and green chillies.

Make a paste of onion and tomatoes separately.

Put a pan on flame and put two tablespoons of pure ghee in it.

Add ginger-garlic-chilli paste. Saute for a minute.

Add onion paste. Saute till brown.

Add tomato paste. Cook till it starts leaving oil on the sides.

Add chilli powder.

Add boiled and grinded vegetable paste.

Make a paste of makki ka aata and curd mixing them together.

Add it to the dish. Mix it well.

Add salt and cook on low flame for an hour stirring occasionally.

Turn off flame.

Add garam masala, tamarind powder and remaining ghee.

Give a good stir.

Serve hot.

Makke ki roti –

Clean and chop fenugreek leaves fine.

Chop green chillies fine.

Grate radish.

Mix all these vegetables and all other ingredients well together.

Make a stiff dough adding lukewarm water.

Knead properly.

Keep aside covered for an hour.

Make small balls out of this dough.

Roll them round like chapatis and make roti or paratha as you like.

Top with white butter and serve hot with saag and a piece of jiggery.

An additional serving of white butter will taste amazing!

It is a rich vegetarian delight but it is pure. Always buy farm fresh and organic sarson ka saag. Preservative laden canned saag can never taste classic and cannot give you the health benefits of the leafy greens of mustard plant.