With the winter chill setting in, it’s the perfect time to try the best of Punjabi delight- makki ki roti alongwith sarso saag. We are talking about the pair which is not only loved by us but the world swears by it! The Sarson ka Saag (mustard greens) and Makki ki Roti (corn-flour bread) combination is an unbeatable one for winter. As a scientific, medically correct combination, sarson (mustard leaves) is abundant in the winter, and its pungency, enhanced with spices, ginger, and garlic, is a perfect combination that increase body warmth.

The best part of this famous dish is that, it’s super easy to make and you do not need a long ingredient list. Make this traditional recipe of Punjab for your family and friends on special occasions or on holidays,  just add a dollop of Purabi ghee on makki ki roti as well as on the saag and enjoy the sumptuous meal with your loved ones!

Makke Ki Roti

Ingredients

• 1 cup maize flour  
• 1 pinch red chilli powder
• boiling water as required
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Purabi ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 handful finely chopped fenugreek leaves ( methi)

Recipe

• Start with sifting the maize flour with salt. Once, you have mixed the flour with salt, add the finely chopped fenugreek leaves along with red chilli powder and ghee. Mix all the ingredients completely.
• Next, add hot water in the maize flour mixture and knead with soft hands. After making a soft dough, take equal portions of the dough and make medium sized balls. Dust the dough with some flour and flatten it into a roti.
• Now, put a tawa or a pan over medium flame and let it heat. When the tawa is hot enough, put the roti on it and cook.
• If you think, the roti is too dry, you can pour some drops of melted ghee and cook on both sides. When the roti is cooked, transfer in a serving plate with a spoonful of purabi ghee.
• Tastes best with sarson ka saag or palak paneer.

Sarson Saag

Ingredients

• 200 g Mustard Greens/ Sarson
• 200 g mixed green leaves consisting Spinach/ Palak, Radish Greens/ Mooli ke Patt, Chenopodium/ Bathua, Fenugreek Leaves/ Methi
• 1 cup Tomato Chopped
• 1 cup Onion Chopped
• 1 inch Ginger Chopped
• 8-10 cloves Garlic Chopped
• 2-3 Green Chilli Chopped
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1/4 tsp Hing
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Corn Meal/ Makki ka Atta

For tempering

• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 1/4 cup Onion Finely Chopped
• 3-4 cloves Garlic Smashed
• 1/2 tsp Coriander powder

Method

• Clean all the leaves and wash them thoroughly. Chop the greens and add them in a pressure cooker.
• Add tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli, salt and a cup of water and pressure cook for one whistle on high heat.
• Remove the pressure cooker from heat and let it cool.
• Once cooled, blend the greens in a blender to make a coarse paste. Transfer the paste in the pressure cooker on low flame.
• Dissolve makke ka atta in little water and add it in the cooker.
• Add red chilli powder and hing and cook for 3-5 minutes.
• For tempering, heat ghee in a pan. Add onion and garlic and fry till golden brown.
• Pour the tadka over the saag. Serve hot with makke ki roti and white butter.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients

• 1 bowl or 300 gm Purabi paneer
• 1/2 cup Purabi cream
• 4 cups Spinach leaves
• Oil for cooking
• Whole spices: 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds, Cloves, Cinnamon Stick, Cardamom
• 2 teaspoons Chopped Garlic
• 1 cup Chopped Onion
• 1 teaspoons Salt
• Powdered spices: 1/4 tsp Turmeric, 1 tsp each Cumin &Coriander, 2 pinches Nutmeg, 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp Chopped Ginger
• 1 cup Chopped Tomato
• 2 tsp Chopped Green Chilies

Method

• Heat water and add spinach leaves and cook for 2 minutes.
• Remove spinach from water and put into a blender to make a fine paste.
• Shallow fry the paneer cubes and keep aside.
• Add oil in a pan and when the oil is heating add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, and cardamom. Let it splatter.
• Add garlic and onion, fry till golden brown. Now add salt, ginger and turmeric
• Stir in chopped tomato, cumin powder and coriander powder, nutmeg powder; cook it on medium flame till the tomatoes are totally dissolved.
• Add chili powder, fenugreek leaf powder and green chilies and cook it for 2 minutes.
• Now add palak paste and cook it till the oil oozes out.
• Stir paneer into this palak, and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
• Finally add cream to it to give a rich taste.