Pakistan – Sarson ka Saag and Makkai ki Roti

by Dahiza Umar

INTRODUCTION TO THE DISH

What if you are Pakistani and you have no craze about this dish. This dish is known as heart of Punjab. Punjab is a province of Pakistan, this specific province has the real soul of fresh vegetables because of the farms where the vegetables are grown is basically from Punjab. Punjab has all the traditions alive in their culture, their food etc.

COMPONENT OF THE DISH

There are basically a proper meal dish which has saag curry and to have with bread/ makai k roti.

SARSON KA SAAG

Saag is actually a dish made up of ”MUSTARD LEAVES”. Saag is very popular throughout the Punjab region of Pakistan. This is basically a dish made by mustard leaves, as mustard is known as SARSON in urdu so we called it SARSON KA SAAG. This specific dish is so time taking, It required about 3 to 4 hours to cook and for more traditional taste it required 8 to 10 hours of cooking. Cooking of the saag is a specific clay pot as a tradition of Punjab.

As shown in this picture, leaves are cut and than cook on the specific hand made oven made up of clay in the areas of Punjab. This dish is specially made by granny and old person of the house for the best flavor and texture of the gravy made by mustard leaves.

MAKAI K ROTI

This is the kind of bread made by corn flour when knead by warm water to make a dough and than flattened up to form a kind of roti having unique flavor and only eaten with this saag dish.

HISTORY OF THE DISH

This dish is a basic dish of Punjab has its basic from the old tradition of Subcontinent when the both regions like Pakistan and India. From those time, Punjab region of both countries share their cultures, food and their traditions. The farms having fresh mustard leaves to the cooking pot over the clay oven and the taste is just like heaven.

TIME REQUIRED

• Preparation time : 30 minutes
• Cooking time : 2 hours
• Total time : 2 hours and 30 minutes

NUTRITIONAL ASPECTS

• Calories : 64
• Protein : 1 gram
• Carbohydrates : 4 grams
• Fat : 4 grams
• Fiber : 1 gram

SERVINGS

To serve with this dish has many side complementary things like :

• Saag
• Makai k roti
• Fresh Butter
• Lassi
• Onion
• Green chilies
• Desi ghee ( clarified butter )

INGREDIENTS OF THE SAAG

• Saag : 1 kilogram
• Spinach : 1 cup
• Fenugreek leaves : 1 cup
• Garlic paste : 2 tbsp
• Ginger paste : 2 tbsp
• Salt : 1 tsp
• Red pepper : 2 tbsp
• Green chilies : 6 to 8
• Butter : 8 tbsp

METHOD OF COOKING OF SAAG

• Take a large cooking pot and add oil into it, when oil warm add garlic ginger paste into it and until golden in color.
• Now add about 1 glass of water into garlic ginger paste with the all the saag leaves and spinach with all dried spices in to the mixture of mustard leaves.
• Now keep it over the slow heat for about 1 to 2 hours.
• After that see if the mixture is soft and just mixed into the paste like texture.

SEASONING OF THE SAAG

Saag is incomplete without its seasoning so we have seasoning like butter and make tarka over it as :

Take a cup full of butter ot desi ghee in a frying pan and add few cloves of garlic, ginger and green chilies and just drop it over the saag.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAKKAI K ROTI

• Makai ka atta ( cornflour ) : 2 cups
• warm water : for kneading
• Butter : for frying

METHOD OF COOKING

• We have to knead a tough dough for making this roti / bread
• Now take a small ball out of dough and roll it over the roller.
• And put this flattened dough on the frying pan.
• Turn the both sides of the roti and put some butter over the roti.
• Now fry it in butter until get brown.
• serve it with saag.
• ENJOY !

CUISINE : ASIAN, PAKISTANI, PUNJABI

COURSE : MAIN COURSE

SERVINGS : 4 TO 6 PERSON