Exquisite delicacy: Sarson ka Saag Makki Ki Roti in great demand
Leafy dish popular will vegetarians across Punjab
A couple makes Sarsoon Ka Saag and Makai ki Roti at Punjab Pavilion in Lok Mela. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
With the winter chill setting in, the overwhelming aroma stimulates the appetite and whets the taste buds of gourmets.
'Sarson-ka-Saag' with Makki ki Roti' is a unique dish of Punjabi culinary delights and is cooked and served in almost all Punjabi households during winter with even the restaurants catering the delicacy.
“Known as the pride of Punjab, many would agree with me that this exquisitely and exceptionally delicious vegetarian recipe is totally out of the world,” said a citizen Waseem Rana in Rawalpindi.
Ayan Haider, a visitor in restaurant commented Today Sarson ka Saag has become a world famous delicacy, and the credit goes to the mothers and grandmothers who passed on the recipe to many of us. It's now our turn to keep it alive like they did.
Zia Shahid, manager of a restaurant in Islamabad who was taking orders of Makai ki Roti and saag said that many people liked to have saag in the winter season.
"Makai ki roti is difficult to make at home so people prefer to buy it readymade," he said.Most people who liked saag, he said, adding, come to his restaurant for Sunday lunch. "We add spices as per the taste of the customer, as some people like spicy food and others prefer it lightly spiced.
Everyone wants butter for the topping as well," another customer Nadeem Luqman said.With the passage of time, the younger generation had forgotten how to make saag and makai ki roti but they still love to eat traditional food in winter season, said a housewife Sania Mukhtar.
She further explained these days the leaves are ground by using a hand blender. But care must be taken that it should not be ground to a fine paste, rather a coarse paste.
Saeeda Irum said , women in the village collect the fresh mustard greens from the yellow golden fields of mustard flowers and later wash, chop and then cook them on slow heat, add them with spices and then top with freshly churned butter, it is served with buttermilk also.
"Sarson (mustard) arrives in the market in winter, but we brought ours from my village in the off-season to make and serve saag. We follow the traditional Punjabi recipe," said Ali Aftab.
Sarson ka Saag is not an easy dish to prepare considering it takes lot of green vegetables to make this nutritious delight. washing, cleaning and using the right technique, everything needs to be perfect to make it delectable, said a housewife Aiman Aziz.
According to health experts, the Sarson ka Saag (mustard greens) and Makki ki Roti (corn-flour bread) combination is an unbeatable one for winter. This is a scientific, medically correct combination sarson is abundant in the winter, and its pungency, enhanced with spices, ginger, and garlic, is a perfect combination of "thermodynamic" foods, that is, foods that increase body warmth.
Sarson, like all leafy greens, is packed with vitamins and minerals, and is a great source of dietary fiber. It is cooked with either mustard oil, which is a healthy, heart-friendly oil, or with ghee.
The body uses this energy as fuel to keep warm. Whole grains are also rich in vitamin B; this helps the thyroid gland, which helps to regulate body temperature, to function optimally.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 11th, 2018.
With the winter chill setting in, the overwhelming aroma stimulates the appetite and whets the taste buds of gourmets.
'Sarson-ka-Saag' with Makki ki Roti' is a unique dish of Punjabi culinary delights and is cooked and served in almost all Punjabi households during winter with even the restaurants catering the delicacy.
“Known as the pride of Punjab, many would agree with me that this exquisitely and exceptionally delicious vegetarian recipe is totally out of the world,” said a citizen Waseem Rana in Rawalpindi.
Ayan Haider, a visitor in restaurant commented Today Sarson ka Saag has become a world famous delicacy, and the credit goes to the mothers and grandmothers who passed on the recipe to many of us. It's now our turn to keep it alive like they did.
Zia Shahid, manager of a restaurant in Islamabad who was taking orders of Makai ki Roti and saag said that many people liked to have saag in the winter season.
"Makai ki roti is difficult to make at home so people prefer to buy it readymade," he said.Most people who liked saag, he said, adding, come to his restaurant for Sunday lunch. "We add spices as per the taste of the customer, as some people like spicy food and others prefer it lightly spiced.
Everyone wants butter for the topping as well," another customer Nadeem Luqman said.With the passage of time, the younger generation had forgotten how to make saag and makai ki roti but they still love to eat traditional food in winter season, said a housewife Sania Mukhtar.
She further explained these days the leaves are ground by using a hand blender. But care must be taken that it should not be ground to a fine paste, rather a coarse paste.
Saeeda Irum said , women in the village collect the fresh mustard greens from the yellow golden fields of mustard flowers and later wash, chop and then cook them on slow heat, add them with spices and then top with freshly churned butter, it is served with buttermilk also.
"Sarson (mustard) arrives in the market in winter, but we brought ours from my village in the off-season to make and serve saag. We follow the traditional Punjabi recipe," said Ali Aftab.
Sarson ka Saag is not an easy dish to prepare considering it takes lot of green vegetables to make this nutritious delight. washing, cleaning and using the right technique, everything needs to be perfect to make it delectable, said a housewife Aiman Aziz.
According to health experts, the Sarson ka Saag (mustard greens) and Makki ki Roti (corn-flour bread) combination is an unbeatable one for winter. This is a scientific, medically correct combination sarson is abundant in the winter, and its pungency, enhanced with spices, ginger, and garlic, is a perfect combination of "thermodynamic" foods, that is, foods that increase body warmth.
Sarson, like all leafy greens, is packed with vitamins and minerals, and is a great source of dietary fiber. It is cooked with either mustard oil, which is a healthy, heart-friendly oil, or with ghee.
The body uses this energy as fuel to keep warm. Whole grains are also rich in vitamin B; this helps the thyroid gland, which helps to regulate body temperature, to function optimally.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 11th, 2018.