SARSON KA SAAG WITH MAKKE KI ROTI

SARSON KA SAAG WITH MAKKE KI ROTI, the name itself has warmth in it.

Sarson Ka Saag is a popular vegetarian dish from the northern region of India. It is made from mustard greens and spices such as ginger and garlic. It is often served with makke ki roti. Sarson Ka Saag and makke ki roti with lassi, gur and kacha onion is considered a special dish in North India, especially Punjab.

I tried this entire meal for the first time and i enjoyed it as one should always cook and eat seasonal because the taste of these ingredients when they are in season is so much better than when they are not season.

In India, during winters there are a lot of seasonal dishes like Gajar halwa, Hari lasun ka paratha and this Sarson ka Saag with makke ki roti!

It is a flavorful meal and a must try one.

Recipe:

(Serves 3)

SARSON KA SAAG
Ingredients:

• Chopped mustard leaves/ sarson - 250 gm
• Chopped spinach leaves - 125 gram
• Onion - 1, finely chopped
• Tomato - 2 fine chopped
• Ginger garlic green chilly paste - 1 teaspoon
• Ginger - one inch piece
• Garlic - 8 cloves, chopped
• Green chili - 2 chopped
• Makke ka aata/maize flour - 2 tablespoons
• Dry red chili - 1
• Asafoetida/ hing - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
• Haldi/Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tablespoons

Tadka on top:-

• Ghee/ clarified butter - 1 tablespoon
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Dry red chili - 1
• Butter - as required for serving

MAKKE KI ROTI

Ingredients:

• Makke Ka Atta/Maize flour – 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• Hot Water – enough to knead a soft dough
• Ghee for pan frying

Instructions:

SARSON KA SAAG:

• In a pressure cooker, add chopped leaves (sarson and spinach), salt, ginger piece, 4 cloves chopped garlic, 2 chopped green chiili. Pressure cook it for 2 whistles on a high flame.
• On the other side, heat oil in a pan.
• Add cumin seeds, ginger garlic green chilly paste and saute for a few seconds.
• Then, add chopped onion and saute on a low flame until the onion turns light brown.
• Add chopped tomato and cook it till mushy, then add all dry masala, salt and cook for a min.
• Meanwhile, mash the cooked leafy vegetables with the help of hand beater. Then add maize flour/makki ka aata and keep mixing it till well combined- this will take a good 5-7 mins and then it will look perfect blended.
• Now, once the oil leaves from the sides of the masala which is cooking in the other pan then add these mashed leafy vegetables.
• Mix well and cook on a low flame for 5 mins covered.
• Once you see it is starting to stick at the base of the pan, sarson ki sabji is done- switch off the flame.
• Meanwhile, prepare the tadka. 
• Heat ghee in a pan. Add 4 cloves garlic chopped, hing and dried red chili. Saute for a few seconds till garlic is light brown in color.
• Take a serving bowl and add sarson ka saag. Pour the tadka on it and a dollop of butter.
• Delicious 'Sarso Ka Saag' is ready to be served.

MAKKE KI ROTI:

• Take makke ka aata in a large bowl and add in hot Water, 1 tbsp at a time.
• Knead to make a dough, use the palm of your hand to knead nicely so you are able to make a soft ball.
• Take a small sheet of silver foil/ziploc bag and cut it open.
• Place it on your rolling surface.
• Wet the plastic bag with water.
• Place a small dough ball and add a few more drops of water on top.
• With the help of rolling pin start rolling very softly as it tends to break or can even press the same with fingers and make like a small palm size roti.
• Carefully remove from the plastic and place on a hot tawa/ frying pan.
• Allow it to cook on the bottom.
• After a couple of minutes, put a few drops of ghee on top and flip.
• Cook the other side as well and take it off the flame.
• Repeat the same with other rotis and serve hot!

Notes:

• For the makke ki roti, i personally like cooking a little on direct flame too, so once it is semi cooked both sides i cook on flame for that charcoal effect and then after taking it on a plate apply ghee on top.
• While hand mashing the leafy vegetables do not use an electric beater it will make them into a puree and wont taste good, try mashing nicely with hand beater- i used the authenic wooden hand beater. 
• Mashing the leafy vegetables is important do not skip it.
• Adding makke ka aata in the saag gives a rice thick texture but can be replaced with besan too.

HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE PREMIX - CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

This homemade hot chocolate mix takes five minutes to prep, is easy to store, and makes a super-rich and decadent cup of hot chocolate. And hot chocolate is a really warm and cozy drink to have in this cold weather. It’s easy to gift and simple enough to make!

I made super cute single serving packs and used GLASS TEST TUBES with cork to give as gifts.
Honestly , was a complete hit for my holiday gifting. 

Recipe:

(Serves 8)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup Cocoa Powder
• 4 oz Bar Bittersweet Chocolate, grated
• 1/2 tsp Instant coffee Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cornflour
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Method:

• Place the grated chocolate, salt , coffee powder in a large bowl and sift the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and cornflour over the chocolate.
• Give everything a good mix in a mixer grinder for hardly a minute along with vanilla extract and place the ready mix in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
• When you wish to make yourself a cup, simply add 1 cup of milk to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, add 2 and a half heaping tablespoons of the hot chocolate mix to the simmering milk and cook for 1 minute making sure to stir the whole time.
• Pour into a mug, top with mini marshmallows and enjoy!

MATAR PANEER

Matar Paneer is a favorite of every vegetarian and so is mine. This recipe is quite a basic and simple one but still tastes amazing. Also, this is quite a quick recipe cooked in a pressure cooker and hardly requires several ingredients or too much time.

Food for the soul it is when served with steaming hot chapatis and of course legendary Sindhi PAPAD.

Recipe:
(Serves 3)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Green Peas/ Matar
• 3 Tomatoes, pureed
• 150 gm Paneer/ Cottage cheese cubed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 Green chilies small cut
• Few curry leaves
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander powder
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• Fresh chopped coriander for garnish

Method:

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds - let it change color.
• Now add the tomatoes and green peas along with all the dry spices.
• Add green chili, curry leaves and cook for 5 minutes till you see that  the gravy stick to the base and water is almost dried up.
• Add some water and pressure cook for 3 whistle till the peas are nice and soft .
• Once done, open the lid of the pressure cooker and add the cubed paneer pieces and just add steam into pressure cooker - make sure not to let it whistle as the paneer gets chewy when cooked much.
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve with hot Roti or Steamed rice.

Notes:
The gravy of this dish is neither thick nor too watery, so try to balance with the water.

You can also fry the paneer pieces and then add into the gravy, and then just let it cook for a min in the gravy - no need to steam the vegetable.

ALOO TIKKI CHAAT

Street style chaat is everyone's favorite. Here is the most common chaat found mostly in north india , ALOO TIKKI CHAAT . A great appetizer and definately loved by all . When you have all the elements ready , it takes 5 mins to assemble and serve . My family loves and devours it and i personally am a fan of it. Aloo tikki if made at home , this aloo tikki chaat is a must then . 

Recipe:
(Serves 2)
Ingredients:

• 4 aloo tikkis
• 2 tbsp Green chutney
• 2 tbsp sweet curd/yogurt ( 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp curd whisked together)
• 2 tbsp fine chopped onion
• Chaat masala to sprinkle on top
• Jeera powder to sprinkle on top
• Sev to sprinkle on top

Method:

• Take 2 individual serving bowls .
• Break 2 tikkis is each bowl .
• Put green chutney and sweet curd on top .
• Sprinkle chaat masala , onion and jeera powder on top .
• Top it with sev and serve immediately.

Notes:

Green chutney :https://loveisincookin.blogspot.com/2016/04/green-chutney-cilantro-dip-side-dish.html

Aloo tikki : http://loveisincookin.blogspot.com/2020/10/aloo-tikki.html

I like my curd sweet as then i do not need sweet chutney additional , if you have sweet chutney available then no need to add sugar to the curd .

RAW - BEETROOT AND CARROT TIKKI/CUTLET

Tikkis are a weakness in my family , and so i keep trying different recipes .

This recipe is a healthy one, which has veggies and no potatoes and even the veggies are raw and not cooked.  My sister is very fussy when trying something new , but i am glad she enjoys these tikkis like the regular ones.

This is quite easy yet super delicious and the best part its a one bowl recipe and totally wins the heart of everyone.

Recipe:

(Makes 8 medium tikki)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw beetroot small chopped
• 1/2 cup raw carrot small chopped
• 2-3 green chili
• 6-7 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp khuskhus/ poppy seeds

Method:

• Take a chopper , add carrot , beetroot , chillies and garlic .
• Chop the entire mixture very fine .
• Take it out in a mixing bowl , add bread crumbs , garam masala , khuskhus and salt.
• Mix well and form tikkis / cutlets into desired shape - i made small circle shaped.
• Now take a frying pan and shallow fry the tikki on medium to high flame - once it is crispy on both sides take it out on a serving plate.
• Ready to serve with your favorite coriander mint chutney.

Notes:

This recipe requires garlic more than usual , as the taste enhances with it.

Once the tikki are shaped , these can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days in a air tight container - just shallow fry whenever required.

Coriander chutney : https://loveisincookin.blogspot.com/2016/04/green-chutney-cilantro-dip-side-dish.html

POTATO BREAD ROLLS

Potato bread rolls is a snack that i grew up eating all the time. It was a go to snack my mom made, for almost all family gatherings. It is easy and tasty and filing and so is loved by all.

We sindhis have a tendency of eating potato too much, and hence this snack is a childhood favorite of mine.

Simple mashed potatoes with a few seasonings and then deep fried, this is just irresistible.

Recipe:
(Makes 8 potato rolls)

Ingredients:

• 8 White bread slices
• 3 Potatoes medium size, boiled and mashed
• 1 Onion small size, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 2-3 Green chillies finely chopped
• 3 tbsp Coriander leaves finely chopped
• ½ tsp Garam masala powder
• 1 tsp Amchur powder
• 1 tsp Red chili powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Oil
• Oil - for deep Frying
• Water - for dipping the bread 

Method:

To make the roll stuffing:

• Firstly, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan.
• While the oil is heating, add cumin and mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
• Then, add chopped green chillies and fry for another few seconds
• After that add chopped onions and fry until soft and pink.
• Now on low flame, add boiled and mashed potatoes. Along with potatoes, add corinader leaves,garam masala powder, amchur , salt and red chili powder.
• Combine everything together very well to form the stuffing of the bread roll and witch off the flame. Then, keep the stuffing aside to cool a bit and make 8 lemon sized balls to stuff in the bread.

To make bread roll:

• Firstly , trim all the 4 sides of the bread a little .
• In a bowl , add a cup of drinking water to dip the bread slices.
• Now, take one bread slice and dip it in water for just a second.
• Then squeeze it well flat between the palms and place the stuffing mixture ball in the center.
• Carefully, bring the edges together along with hands and squeeze it to seal the stuffing within.
• You will see  that it will start coming together , shape into long logs and potato bread roll is ready.
• Now, repeat the same for all the slices.
• Once done, keep all the rolls in the refrigerator for 10 mins.

To fry the bread rolls:

• As all the rolls are resting in the refrigerator, then heat enough oil in kadhai or deep pan.
• Now , take out the rolls from refrigerator and they are ready to fry.
• Gently, slide in the rolls and fry them until golden and crisp. Repeat the same for all the rolls.
• Once done crisp and tasty stuffed bread rolls are ready to serve with chutney or ketchup.

KADA PRASAD - GURUNANAK JAYANTI SPECIAL

Kada Prasad is sweet flour based oily vegetarian food that is offered to all visitors to the Darbar Sahib in a Gurdwara. This is regarded as food blessed by the Guru and should not be refused. All devotees who visit Gurudwara on Guruparab and special days, will be offered kada prasad.
The key to a good halwa is to cook the whole wheat flour on a slow flame and get a brown colour with a sandy/grainy texture. The authentic kada prasad which is offered in the gurudwara is just 4 ingredients, no elaichi powder no nuts yet the most delightful and soulful it is. It is served with hands and also taken with both hands very respectfully, this is the simplicity and the way it is offered.

Recipe:
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:

• Ghee (clarified butter) - 1 cup
• Atta (whole wheat flour) - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Water - 2.5 cups

Method:

• In a pan heat the ghee and add atta. 
• Cook on a slow flame till the color gradually changes into a golden brown. 
• At this stage add water and sugar and on slow flame cook till it absorbs all the water. 
• Cook for some more time till the ghee ooze out of the sides of the halwa.
• Now, cover the pan and cook covered for 5-7 mins.
• Once done, you will see the ghee will be on the top .
• Mix nicely and switch off the flame .
• The authentic GURUDWARA KADA PRASAD is ready ,serve hot.