Punjabi Sarson da Saag with Makki di Roti

Slow-cooked mustard greens with a ginger-garlic ghee tempering, served with hand-patted Punjabi cornmeal flatbreads.

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Sarson da saag with makki di roti is a two-part Punjabi winter meal: gently bitter mustard greens cooked until creamy and rustic cornmeal flatbreads made fresh on the tawa. This editorial version keeps the traditional mixed-greens base, maize-flour thickening and ghee finish while providing measured pressure-cooker and hand-patting cues. The quantities and sequencing are Kitchen Handi's original adaptation, informed by Punjab regional and established home-cooking sources. It has not been kitchen-tested by Kitchen Handi.

Ingredients

• 800 g mustard greens (tough stems removed; leaves thoroughly washed and roughly chopped)
• 250 g spinach leaves (thoroughly washed and roughly chopped)
• 150 g bathua leaves, or additional spinach (washed and chopped; or use 150 g additional spinach if unavailable)
• 150 g turnip (peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes)
• 500 ml water, divided
• 2 green chillies (stems removed and slit; reduce for less heat)
• 30 g fresh ginger, divided (peeled; 20 g sliced and 10 g finely chopped)
• 8 garlic cloves, divided (4 halved and 4 finely chopped)
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt (or to taste)
• 2 tbsp maize flour (for thickening the greens)
• 3 tbsp ghee, divided
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 180 g yellow onion (finely chopped)
• 200 g ripe tomato (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 300 g maize flour, plus extra for patting (plus up to 2 tbsp for patting)
• 50 g whole-wheat flour (helps the flatbreads hold together)
• 1/2 tsp carom seeds (lightly crushed between the palms)
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 260 ml warm water, approximately (add gradually; a little more may be needed)
• 2 tbsp ghee for cooking and brushing

Step-by-step method

1. Fill a clean sink or large bowl with cool water. Swish the mustard greens, spinach and bathua in separate batches, lift them out so grit stays behind, and repeat with fresh water until no grit remains. Drain well and chop.
2. Put the washed greens, turnip, green chillies, sliced ginger, halved garlic, 400 ml water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a pressure cooker. Do not fill above the manufacturer's limit. Secure the lid, bring to pressure and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
3. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure according to the cooker manufacturer's instructions. Open the lid away from your face.
4. Mash the greens and turnip directly in the cooker with a potato masher until thick and creamy but not completely smooth. Mix the 2 tablespoons maize flour with the remaining 100 ml water to make a lump-free slurry, stir it into the saag, and simmer uncovered over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Add cumin and let it sizzle, then add the onion and cook for 7 to 9 minutes until golden. Add the chopped ginger and garlic for 1 minute, then the tomato and chilli powder. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the tomato is pulpy and the ghee begins to show at the edges.
6. Stir the tempering into the simmered greens, scraping in every bit. Simmer together for 5 minutes, taste and adjust salt, then swirl in the remaining tablespoon of ghee. Cover and keep warm over the lowest heat.
7. Mix the 300 g maize flour, whole-wheat flour, carom seeds and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a wide bowl. Add the warm water a little at a time, mixing and pressing until a soft dough holds together without crumbling. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
8. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and keep them covered. Place one piece between two sheets of baking paper or food-safe reusable sheets and pat it evenly into a round about 15 cm wide and 4 mm thick. Repair cracked edges with damp fingers.
9. Heat a cast-iron or heavy flat pan over medium heat. Peel off the top sheet, invert the roti onto your palm, remove the second sheet and slide it onto the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes until the top looks drier and the underside has brown spots.
10. Flip carefully and cook the second side for 2 to 3 minutes, pressing the edges gently so they cook through. Brush with a little ghee, transfer to a cloth-lined basket and keep covered. Repeat with the remaining dough, adjusting the heat if spots darken too quickly.
11. Spoon the hot sarson da saag into four bowls and serve each portion with two warm makki di rotis. The saag should be thick enough to mound softly, while the rotis should be cooked through with browned patches and tender centres.