Makkai ki Roti & Sarason ka Saag

I did not grow up eating much corn. In fact, our only corn consumption at home was limited to bhutta, which is what we call roasted ears of corn we buy from street vendors who roast them over red hot charcoal. That, and pop corn. 

No... Makkai ki Roti, which are essentially roti's made from makkai (corn/maize) is something I began eating only once I moved to the United States. What with the US being the largest producer of corn in the world and all that, I suppose it was inevitable. But the truth is, I wouldn't really have tried making Makkai ki Roti, if I hadn't first fallen in love with Sarason ka saag! 

So really, thats the recipe I really do want to share with you. 

Sarason ka Saag: 

Ingredients: 

Mustard Greens - 1 bunch

Spinach - 1 comparably sized bunch 

3 cloves of garlic 

A small onion copped fine

A one inch piece of ginger - shredded 

3 green chillies (or more) I've actually used 6 :) 

Lime juice - approx. 3 tbsps 

Cumin - 1 tsp (because I add cumin in almost everything)

How I went about it... 

1. I cleaned the mustard greens and spinach and set them aside. 

2. In a large pot, I added about a tablespoon of oil and added the cumin, ginger, garlic, green chillies, and chopped onion and sauteed them till the onion was translucent. 

3. I then lowered the heat and squeezed some lime juice into the pot before adding the clean leaves in. 

4. I covered and cooked the leaves until they were limp, the lime juice keeps them green. 

5. I blended the whole mixture until it looks the way it does in the picture and added some salt. 

6. I personally love serving it up with slivers of fresh ginger... mmmmm... it really is delicious...! 

 

The nuances of Sarason ka Saag in my opinion come from the texture and the complexity of flavor despite the simplicity of the ingredients that go into it. Unlike spinach puree... the mustard greens add a slightly more fibrous texture to this dish making it a perfect balance between the silky smoothness of blended spinach and the coarseness of mustard greens when eaten alone. Besides, the spinach goes a long way in dulling the bitterness of the mustard! The onion adds some piquancy, the green chillies pack some heat and the lime juice brings them all together... oh so well...! 

Makkai ki Roti: 

1/2 cup of coarse corn mean (the kind we use for polenta)

1 cup of fine corn meal

2 green chillies chopped very fine 

1 tsp of cumin (lightly crushed) 

1 tsp salt 

Mix these ingredients adding only enough water to make a stiff dough. 

These taste best when consumed minutes after they're made.