Sarson ka saag with makki ki roti: Punjab’s classic winter dish at home

As winter settles in, the smell of sarson ka saag and makki ki roti drifts out of kitchens across Punjab. It is the meal people wait all year for — slow-cooked mustard greens, a dollop of white butter melting on top, and a fresh maize-flour roti on the side. The good news is that this famous Punjabi dish is not at all hard to make at home.

For the saag, take 1 kg of mustard leaves, 250 g of bathua and 250 g of spinach. Wash them well, chop finely, and boil with two or three green chillies, a piece of ginger and salt to taste. Three or four whistles in a pressure cooker will do it; in a pot, allow an hour and a half to two hours on a low flame. Then mash the greens lightly with a wooden churner or a quick pulse in a blender — enough to soften them while keeping their texture.

The tadka and the makki roti
Heat desi ghee, fry four or five cloves of garlic until golden, add a pinch of red chilli and pour this tempering over the saag. Cook for a few more minutes and take it off the heat. For the roti, knead two cups of maize flour with salt and lukewarm water into a soft dough, pat out each roti by hand, and cook on a griddle with ghee on both sides.

How to serve
Serve the saag hot in a bowl, crowned with a dollop of white butter, alongside the makki ki roti. A piece of jaggery, a green chilli and a glass of lassi on the side make the meal complete. This recipe serves four to six people.