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Sarson Da Saag also known as Saroon Da Saag, is a popular vegetarian tradional dish from the Punjab (both the Pakistani Punjab and the Indian Punjab) and Rajasthan regions of the Indian subcontinent.

It is made from mustard greens (sarson) and Indian spices, ginger, garlic, onions, tomatoes etc. It is often served with makki di roti.

The dish is regarded as the traditional way to prepare saag and is usually served with makki di roti (literally "unleavened cornbread". It can be topped with either butter (unprocessed white or processed yellow butter) or more traditionally with ghee (clarified butter).

Some spinach (called palak in Hindi) may be added to enhance colour and thicken the dish, though this may alter the flavour. Also added some bathua, sarson greens, onion, tomato and all ground spice.

Mustard is a winter and spring delicacy, and its relative abundance in Punjab, Rajasthan, and North-East has made it one of the most popular dishes in those regions.

Makki di roti is a flat, unleavened Punjabi bread made from corn meal, primarily eaten in Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. Like most rotis in the Indian subcontinent, it is baked on a tava.

Literally, makki di roti means "bread of maize" in the Punjabi language. Makki di roti is yellow in colour when ready, and has much less adhesive strength — which makes it difficult to handle.

Makki di roti is generally made during winter in Punjab and is often accompanied with saag (especially sarson da saag i.e. cooked mustard green leaves), makkhan (butter) and buttermilk. Similarly, in Himachal and Punjab, it is eaten with saag and also Maah (Urad) daal.

Makki is Roti and Sarson da Saag is a popular traditional dish of Punjab and is made in almost every home in Punjab. I learned this dish from my mother, she cooks delicious Sarson da Saag and Makki di Roti. Whenever I visited her in winters, she made this dish for me, as she knows this is one of my favourite dishes.

I personally like to have it Makki di Roti and Sarson da Saag with yogurt (curd), daikon (radish) salad and green chillies or red chilli pickle.

Ingredients

Preparation

Making Sarson Da Saag

• Clean, cut and wash properly Sarson Saag (Mustard leaves) and Spinach (Palak). Add them in a pressure cooker.

• Now add 6 garlic cloves, salt and 2 cups of water into the pressure cooker and cook it over a high flame for 5 minutes then turn the flame to low and cook it for 1 hour.

• Once done, turn off the flame. When the pressure drops on its own, open the lid.

• Now mash the saag in the cooker until coarsely ground. You can use the hand blender to mash the saag.

• Now add makki ka atta (cornmeal/maize flour) and stir well.

• Now cook it again on low flame for approximately 20 minutes.

For Tadka

• Take a kadai or a pan. I normally prefer non-stick utensils.

• Add ghee into the pan or kadai. Heat it on a medium flame and once it gets hot, add finely chopped green chillies, finely chopped garlic and finely chopped ginger into it. Sauté it till garlic and ginger turns into light golden colour. Stir in between so that they won't burn.

• Now add finely chopped onions and sauté till they get translucent. Then add finely chopped tomatoes and cook it till they gets mushy. Stir in between.

• Then add saag into it and cook it on low flame for approximately 20 minutes or till it comes to required consistency.

• Sarson da Saag is ready to serve.

Making Makki Di Roti

• Take cornmeal (makki ka aata) in a big bowl. Add whole-wheat flour, ajwain (carom seeds), red chilli powder and salt to it and mix well.

• Add water to it and knead to make a medium soft dough. Add water slowly and gradually, do not pour at once.

• Divide the dough into eight equal portions and shape into balls.

• Slightly wet your palms with water and pat each ball between your moist palms to make a roti of medium thickness approximately 0.3-0.4 cm.

• Or you may use plastic sheets to roll them. Apply oil on the plastic sheet and roll out each ball between the folds of a greased plastic sheet using a rolling pin.

• Heat a tawa or a pan on a high flame. When tawa or pan is hot enough place a makki di roti on it and reduce the flame to medium.

• Cook on moderate heat till one side is half-done. Turn over and spread some butter or oil over the surface.

• Turn over the roti and spread some more butter or oil on the other side. Cook till both sides are slightly golden brown.

• Repeat this process with the remaining dough.

• Before serving, heat the saag again.

• Garnish sarson da saag with butter or ghee. And serve it with Makki di roti, daikon (Mooli/Muli) salad, green chilli and yogurt.

• Enjoy this delicious traditional dish with your loved ones.