Winter's Treat With Sarson Da Saag Te Makki Di Roti

About

Sarson Da Saag (Sarson ka saag, in Hindi, Urdu) is a popular curry in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan made from mustard leaves (sarson) and spices.

It is regarded as the traditional way of making saag and is traditionally served with makki di roti, which literally means (unraised) corn bread. It can be topped with either butter (unprocessed white) or more traditionally with ghee (clarified butter).

Serves 4 (Punjabi Style)

Ingredients

• For Saag:

• 1 bunch spinach washed and chopped coarsely (approx 500 gms)
• 1 bunch mustard greens washed and chopped coarsely (approx 500 gms) 
• 1 small bunch of Chenopodium album (bathua) leaves (optional) (approx 100 gms) 
• 1 medium turnip (shaljum) (optional) cut into pieces 
• 2 green chillies 
• 2 tbsp grated ginger (or paste) and some ginger jullienes for garnishing 
• 2 tbsp grated garlic (or paste) 
• Tomato Puree 100 gms (optional) 
• Salt to taste 
• 2-3 tbsps ghee (clarified butter) 
• 1 large onion finely chopped (Optional) 
• 1 tsp cumin powder 
• 2 tbsp makki ka aata for saag preparation.
• For Makki Ki Roti:

• Makki Ka Aata 
• 1 Raddish (Mooli Grated) 
• Warm water to kneed it to dough

Preparation:

·  Mix the mustard, spinach, bathua, turnip (shaljum) and salt to taste and boil in 1 cup of water till cooked (in open pan) or pressure cook. 

·  Mash the mix well with churn (madhani) to make a course paste. Add some makki ka aata and mix well again. 

·  In another pan, heat the ghee on a medium flame. When hot add the chopped onion and fry till golden brown. Add grated ginger and garlic and fry for some more time till it start leaving oil. 

·  Add the course paste of mustard with the prepared masala and mix well and cook it untill water is reduced and saag becomes thick. 

·  Garnish with a dollop of butter or ghee.

Makki Di Roti:

Add salt to the Makki flour and water drained grated raddish. Knead into a dough  by
adding warm water. Take small amount of dough round it to Roti between your palms,

or make rotis by patting on a flat surface like using aluminium foil with some buttering,
make sure that the Roti is not too thin or thick.Cook on a hot griddle brushing oil on

both sides.Top with a spoonful of butter. 

For variation try adding fresh green Methi (fenugreek) leaves and chopped green chillies
to the Makki dough. It tastes even better.

Ghee Shakkar:

Heat some ghee add powdered jaggery (gud) heat well and serve along with Sarson da

saag and makki di roti.

Master Chef Choice: Mehfil-e-Gosht

About Mehfil-e-Gosht

This recipe is solely my own creation for the Amul Master Chef India 2. The recipe is lamb chops cooked in indian spiced gravy of my choice and served with four flavored rice or can be served with roomali roti. This recipe is the best candidate to cheer up your mood and give you a feel of a royal Mughal Emperor. So lets not waste time... here we go...

INGREDIENTS

Mutton (Lamb) Chops    -     750 gms
Raw Papaya Paste         -     one cup or (200 gms)
Black Cardamom           -     2 no.
Cinnamon                      -     1 1/2 inch stick
Cloves                           -     6-7 no.
Cardamom                    -      5-6 no.
Black Pepper                -      8-10 no.
Ginger                           -      1 1/2 inch piece.
Garlic cloves                 -      10 -12
Thick Hung Curd           -     1 cup (250 gms)
Red Chilly Powder (Kashmiri Mirch) - 2 tbsp
Onions Sliced                -     3-4 (medium size) no.
Tomato puree (Optional) -   100 gms
Pure Ghee                     -     1 cup
Mace                            -     1 inch piece
Salt                               -     to taste
Coriander                     -     to garnish

METHOD

• Wash mutton chops thoroughly then pat dry.
• Rub mutton chops with raw papaya paste properly and cover the dish with cling film or aluminium foil and keep in refrigerator for 2 - 3 hrs.
• Prepare the marinade - course ground all the whole spices (except mace)  and put them in a bowl add hung curd, add ginger and garlic made to paste (use fresh paste), red chilly powder and salt and mix well.
• After 2-3 hours take out mutton from refrigerator and remove excess papaya paste from it (clean it as much possible).
• Mix the mutton chops with prepared marinade (marinade should be thick enough). Rub the marinade well on each mutton chops then keep them covered (as earlier) in refrigerator overnight.
• In a thick bottom pan or deep dish take the pure ghee, and add marinated mutton chops to it and fry them till it looks reddish brown in color. Take them out and keep aside.
• To make gravy use the same ghee as used for frying mutton and add sliced onions to it, saute them till it becomes golden brown in color.
• Add mutton chops to it with all cooked marinade and some water (if adding tomato puree first cook it for couple of minutes with onion till it start leaving oil) then cover the pan and let mutton cook.
• Adjust the salt in gravy balancing with already added to marinade.
• Once mutton chops becomes tender reduce the water by making flame on high for 5-7 mins or to make gravy thick as desired.
• Garnish with coriander and sliced ginger (optional).

Quick recipe for making four flavored rice.

• Take quantity of basmati rice you want to cook. Wash them and soak them in some water for 30 mins.
• Making choice of flavors
• Coriander and Mint Rice
• Take finely chopped mint leaves and fresh coriander leaves mix them well and cook the rice with them, adding salt to taste.
• Saffron Rice
• Take some amount of saffron and add it to little warm milk and keep aside for couple of hours. Cook rice with saffron mix and salt to taste.
• Tomato Rice
• Take tomato puree and some orange juice and cook the rice in it to have tomato tangy flavor.
• Whole Spiced Rice
• Take whole jeera (cumin), black cardamom 1, cardamom 2, cloves 4, black pepper whole 7-8, cinnamon stick 1/2 inch, cook rice by saute the whole spices first and then rice in them.

You can even have flavor of your choice and then you can serve the mutton chops with placed four different colored and flavored rice.