Saag - Makke ki roti/ Leafy greens - Corn flat bread

Sweta C
May 19, 2017
5 min read

Greens, Greens, Nothing But Greens - Mizoram has always been lush green and that is one of the many best things it has to offer. Native veggies which are never to be seen or spoken about anywhere in the world. It is unique in its own way and employs a variety of technique to bring out the authentic taste. No wonder a bowl of boiled green and leafy veggies was a mandatory accompaniment to my meal ever since I got my milk teeth. I wish to visit the place soon so as to capture the essence and bring it out to you.

On the other hand, the mainlanders proudly cherish Sarso ka Saag and Makke ki Roti. They treat their greens with a different preparation and have made it so popular that it has found a definite place in every kitchen esp. in the northern states of India. The fact that it requires basic ingredients and handful of fresh produce to get started makes it even more compelling to give it a try.

In this recipe, I have substituted mustard greens for kale as i did not find fresh leafy mustard in the supermarket. To my surprise Kale works just fine. Greens are healthy and Kale surely has a special place because a cup of kale gives u merely 36 calories and it is a powerhouse of health and nutrition.

Now, the trickiest part of the job is to get makke/cornmeal dough ready. I thought I might not be able to pull off the dough as kneading was taking forever. It took me around half an hour to get it all together. Knead till you drop is the mantra ;) You will feel accomplished after a perfect dough and u might not need to hit the gym - An added bonus!

Ingredients:

For Saag:

Kale or Mustard greens - 1 bunch

Spinach / Palak - 1 bunch

Chenopodium / bathua - 1 bunch

Green chilies - 3 to 4

White onion (optional) - 1 medium

Garlic - 1 pod

Ginger - 1 inch

Dry red chilies - 2

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Carom seeds - 1/3 tsp

Dry fenugreek leaves - 1 tbsp

Corn meal - 1-2 tbsp

Mustard oil - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

lemon juice - 1 tbsp (optional)

Sour cream or butter - for topping (optional)

For Makke ki Roti:

Corn meal - 2 cup

Hot water to knead

Optional (if cheating)

Gram flour - 2 tbsp

Whole wheat flour - 2 tbsp

Directions:

For Saag :-

- Sort out the tender leaves and stems of the greens. Rinse it well with water.

- Add the greens and 1 cup water to a deep pan. Cover and let it simmer on a medium to slow flame until the leaves turn soft and mushy. Alternatively, pressure cook the leaves with half cup water for 1 whistle.

- Mash the cooked greens using a masher or back of the ladle. You might even pulse it using a blender.

- Heat little oil in a saucepan. Add dry red chilies and cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds starts to crackle add asafoetida.

- Add grated garlic and ginger and saute until golden brown. And then add green chilies.

- Add chopped onions and stir fry till translucent.

- Add corn meal and dried fenugreek leaves. Roast it for 3-4 min.

- Add the mashed greens and simmer for a little while (till u achieve the right consistency). Sprinkle some salt. Finish it with adding lemon juice.

- Garnish with some sauteed ginger or sour cream.

For Makke ki Roti :-

- Take corn meal in a dish, add some piping hot water, mix well with a spoon, cover it and let it rest for 5 min.

- When the mixture has cooled down enough to be handled with your hand, start kneading it. It (For shortcut add some gram flour and whole wheat flour to the mixture this will help get a smooth dough in a short time. Makes the job a lot easier.) - Divide the dough into balls and place it between thick plastic bag (preferably ziploc bags cut open). - Roll it with a rolling pin or pat with with your fingers to get it into a disc shape. Do not roll it thin else the roti will harden as it cools. - Gently remove it from the plastic and place it on a hot griddle. - Cook on both the sides and apply butter/ghee when hot.

Serve Sarso/Kale da saag with hot makke ki roti and jaggery on the sides.

Tips:

- Soak the greens in water for 5 min before you rinse them in cold running water. This gets the soil or dirt clinging to the leaves to settle down and helps u save water.

- Adding lemon juice (vitamin C source) to leafy greens optimizes the absorption of iron.

- Cracked edges on the makke rotis may be fixed by applying little water on the edges and curving it with with the sides of your palms.

Sort out the tender leaves and stems of the greens. Rinse it well with water.

- Add the greens and 1 cup water to a deep pan. Cover and let it simmer on a medium to slow flame until the leaves turn soft and mushy. Alternatively, pressure cook the leaves with half cup water for 1 whistle.

Mash the cooked greens using a masher or back of the ladle. You might even pulse it using a blender.

Heat little oil in a saucepan. Add dry red chilies and cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds starts to crackle add asafoetida.

Add grated garlic and ginger and saute until golden brown. And then add green chilies.

Add chopped onions and stir fry till translucent.

Add corn meal and dried fenugreek leaves. Roast it for 3-4 min.

Add the mashed greens and simmer for a little while (till u achieve the right consistency). Sprinkle some salt. Finish it with adding lemon juice.

Garnish with some sauteed ginger or sour cream.

Makke ki roti:

Take corn meal in a dish, add some piping hot water, mix well with a spoon, cover it and let it rest for 5 min.

When the mixture has cooled down enough to be handled with your hand, start kneading it. It (For shortcut add some gram flour and whole wheat flour to the mixture this will help get a smooth dough in a short time. Makes the job a lot easier.)