Sarson da Saag aur Makki di Roti: Listen, Calcutta winters are sneaky. One day it’s bearable, next morning you wake up and the fog is so thick you can’t see the building across the road, and suddenly all I want is something hot, green, garlicky and full of butter. That’s when I know it’s time to make sarson da saag with makki di roti.
I didn’t grow up eating this every week—my family is more fish-curry-rice—but after marrying into a Punjabi circle here and spending a few Lohri nights in Delhi and Chandigarh, this dish became non-negotiable once the temperature drops below 18 °C (which, let’s be honest, is our version of freezing).
The first time I tried cooking it alone I messed up badly. Used old greens from the market, didn’t cook them long enough, and the bitterness was so sharp it felt like punishment. My mother-in-law (on video call) just shook her head and said, “Arre, sarson ko pyaar se pakao, jaldi mein nahi banta yeh.” She was right. This is slow-food disguised as simple village fare.
Credit by: AI Generated Img
What actually goes in (no chef measurements, just what fits in my pressure cooker)
Greens:
- 3–4 big bundles of sarson from the New Market or Gariahat (winter only, summer ones are sad)
- 1–1½ bundle palak to tame the bite
- Sometimes a fistful of bathua if the vendor has it fresh
Aromatics:
- 5–6 fat green chillies (I like it nose-running)
- A thumb-sized piece of adrak + 10–12 lahsun cloves, bashed together
- 1 medium pyaz, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, whatever is soft and red
Credit by: AI Generated Img
Other stuff:
- 2½–3 tbsp makki ka atta (this is the secret glue)
- Salt (generous)
- Pinch haldi if you feel like it
- Ghee – don’t count, just pour with love
For rotis:
- 2¼ cups makki atta
- Warm water till it feels right
- More ghee
To eat with:
- White butter (I buy Amul or make at home when I’m feeling extra)
- Gur (the dark, sticky kind)
- Mooli slices, extra hari mirch, pyaz rings
Credit by: AI Generated Img
How it usually happens in my kitchen
Wash the greens like your life depends on it—there’s always sand hiding. Chop roughly, stems and all (tender ones only).
Chuck everything—sarson, palak, chillies, ginger-garlic, salt—into the pressure cooker with just enough water to cover by an inch or so. 4 whistles on medium flame, then let it cool down naturally. I usually forget and come back 30 minutes later, which is perfect.
Open, smell that peppery steam, then attack it with whatever I have: wooden daabla, immersion blender, even a potato masher once. Keep it chunky—smooth is for babies.
Meanwhile, in a kadhai: ghee, fry pyaz till golden-brownish, throw in tomatoes, salt, cook till it’s a thick masala. Dump this into the cooked greens.
Now the makki atta slurry: mix with water, no lumps, stir into the saag, and let it blubble on the slowest flame for 25–35 minutes. This is when I clean the kitchen, put on some old Mohammed Rafi, or just stand there stirring and stealing tastes. It changes from bitter-green to deep, rounded, soul-warming.
Tadka at the end: more ghee, jeera, dried red chilli, sliced garlic. Sometimes chopped onion if I’m feeling fancy. Sizzle → pour → smell hits → done.
Rotis are the tricky part. Knead makki atta with warm water—dough feels crumbly at first, but keep going. Wet hands, pat into thick rounds on a greased polythene sheet (old dabba cover works). Tawa on medium-high, cook one side, flip, press gently, then direct flame for 5–10 seconds if you’re brave. Ghee on top immediately.
Eat: tear roti with hands, scoop saag loaded with melting butter, chase with a piece of gur. No plate manners. No cutlery. Just happiness.
Credit by: AI Generated Img
Read More Recipes: Amritsari Kulcha with Chole – My Messy-but-Amazing Home Version
Things I’ve learnt the hard way
- Old sarson = regret. Buy fresh, cook same day.
- Too much water in cooker = watery saag. Start with less, add later if needed.
- Makki roti cracks if you roll it with belan. Pat only.
- Next day leftovers are better. Trust me.
In Kolkata we don’t get the proper foggy Punjab winter, but even our mild December–January deserves this. I make it once every season now, usually when friends come over and we pretend we’re in Amritsar.
You make this too? What’s your secret—more garlic, less palak, extra butter? Tell me, I’m always looking to steal tricks.
Stay warm, Testy. 🧈🌾🥬
