Indian · Punjab · main

Sarson ka Saag with Makki di Roti

Sarson ka Saag with Makki di Roti reads richness 5.8, allium 4.6 and heat 3.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian · Punjab main, about 1 hr 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 3.7 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.7 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.1 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.2 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.8 · Allium 4.6 · Heat 3.7 · Salinity 3.6 · Nutty 2.7 · Warm Spice 2.4 · Sweetness 2.2 · Herbaceous 1.8 · Fruity 1.8 · Sourness 1.8 · Bitterness 1.6 · Umami 1.5 · Citrus 1.0 · Earthy 0.9

What's in it (16)

• mustard greens — 1000 g
• spinach — 250 g
• bathua — 150 g
• green chilies — 400 g
• fresh ginger — 5 g
• water — 500 g
• salt — 10 g
• corn flour — 23 g
• ghee — 54 g
• onion — 200 g
• garlic — 18 g
• tomatoes — 250 g
• chilli powder — 5 g
• corn flour — 300 g
• water — 200 g
• butter — 50 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 40 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 76.2 kcal, 1.9 g protein, 3.2 g fat, 10.8 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Put the mustard greens, spinach, bathua, green chillies, ginger, water and salt in a heavy pot, cover and cook 45 minutes over low heat, until everything has collapsed and the mustard has lost its raw pepperiness. This is a slow winter dish and there is no shortening it.
2. Mash the greens with a wooden churner or a hand blender pulsed briefly. The texture should stay slightly coarse, never a smooth puree.
3. Sprinkle in the 3 tablespoons of maize flour and cook 10 minutes more, stirring, until the saag thickens and stops weeping liquid.
4. In a separate pan heat the ghee and fry the onion and garlic 8 minutes until golden.
5. Add the tomatoes and chilli powder and cook 6 minutes until the tomatoes break down and the fat separates, then stir the whole tempering into the saag and simmer together 10 minutes. This is Punjabi home cooking: greens, dairy and a chhaunk, with no cream, no cashew and no commercial garam masala anywhere near it.
6. For the roti, mix the 300 g maize flour with the warm water and a pinch of salt into a soft dough and knead it well; maize has no gluten, so work it between wet palms and pat each ball flat between two sheets of plastic.
7. Cook the rotis on a hot tawa for about 3 minutes a side, until brown spots appear and the edges look dry, then press with a cloth so they puff.
8. Serve the saag with a knob of white butter melting on top and the hot rotis alongside.
9. Substitutions: radish greens can stand in for the bathua.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Fërgesë Tirane me Gjizë (Peppers and Curd in the Pan) — Albanian
• Sarson ka Saag — Indian
• Menemen — Turkish
• Machaca con Huevo — Mexican · Norteño
• Baingan Bharta (Fire-Roasted Aubergine) — Indian · Punjab

Keep reading: what richness, allium, heat mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.