Sarson da Saag and Makki di Roti Recipe (Punjabi Mustard Greens with Maize Flatbread)

Quick answer: Sarson da saag is mustard greens cooked slowly with spinach and other greens, mashed, thickened with a little maize flour and finished with ghee. Makki di roti is a flatbread of maize flour. Together they are Punjab's winter meal and a fixture of Lohri. Allow about 30 minutes to prepare and 1 to 1 1/2 hours to cook.

Kitchen note: This recipe is not yet kitchen-tested by a HinduTone cook. The quantities and timings follow common home methods; judge doneness by look and texture, and adjust for your stove and ingredients.

Why is sarson da saag made for Lohri?

Sarson is mustard, saag is a dish of cooked greens and makki is maize. Mustard is a winter crop in Punjab, so the dish belongs to the season of Lohri, the Punjabi bonfire festival kept by Hindus and Sikhs alike on the eve of Maghi.

The Tribune, the Chandigarh-based English daily, lists sarson ka saag and makki ki roti among the festive foods of Lohri alongside the bonfire sweets (rewri, gajak, peanuts and til). In Jalandhar it reported brisk sales of ready saag on Lohri, eaten with makki ki roti and gur (jaggery). Some families cook the saag on Lohri itself; others serve it the next day, on Maghi. It is a family-and-season dish, not a ritual food, so there is no single correct day. See our Lohri guide for the festival itself.

Ingredients for the saag

The balance of greens varies by home. More mustard means a sharper, more peppery saag; more spinach makes it milder and greener. Some families add a few radish leaves or turnip.

Ingredients for the makki di roti

Makes 6 to 8 rotis.

Preparing the greens

1. Strip the mustard leaves from any thick, woody stems. Peel and chop tender stems; they add body.
2. Wash all the greens in a sink of cold water, lift them out, and repeat two or three times until no grit settles at the bottom.
3. Chop the greens roughly. Peel the ginger and garlic and slice them with the chillies.

How to cook the saag in a pressure cooker

1. Put the chopped greens, ginger, garlic, chillies, salt and water in a 5-litre pressure cooker. Pack them in; they shrink a lot.
2. Cook on medium heat for 4 to 5 whistles, then lower the heat and cook for 10 more minutes. Let the pressure drop on its own.
3. Open, and mash the greens with a wooden masher or a potato masher until coarse and creamy. A stick blender works too: pulse briefly, as saag should keep some texture.
4. Whisk the maize flour with 60 ml (1/4 cup) of water and stir it in. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until the raw flour taste goes and the saag turns glossy.
5. Heat the ghee in a small pan. Fry the onion until golden, add the chopped garlic and ginger for a minute, then the chilli powder for a few seconds.
6. Pour this over the saag and mix. Taste for salt.

How to cook the saag on the stovetop

1. Put the greens, ginger, garlic, chillies, salt and 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) water in a large heavy pot.
2. Cover and simmer on low heat for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring now and then and adding a splash of hot water if it catches, until the mustard stems are completely soft.
3. Continue from step 3 of the pressure cooker method.

Saag reheats well, so it can be made a day ahead.

Instant Pot: Pressure Cook (high) for 15 minutes with 250 ml water, then a 10-minute natural release. Thicken and finish on Sauté.

How to make makki di roti

1. Mix the maize flour and salt (and radish or fenugreek, if using) in a wide bowl.
2. Add the warm water a little at a time, kneading with the heel of your hand for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft and does not crack when pressed. Maize has no gluten, so the kneading is what makes it hold.
3. Heat a tawa or heavy frying pan on medium heat.
4. Take a lime-sized ball (about 60 g) and knead it again for a few seconds just before shaping. Knead each portion separately, not all the dough at once.
5. Place the ball between two sheets of baking paper or a cut-open food bag, and press it out with your palm or a flat plate to about 12 cm (5 inches) and 5 mm thick. Peel off the top sheet, flip it onto your palm, peel the second sheet, and lay it on the tawa.
6. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the base has light brown spots, flip, and cook the other side. Spread a little ghee on each side and press the edges with a spatula so they cook through.
7. Keep the rotis warm in a cloth-lined basket and serve with the saag, a spoon of white butter, jaggery and a glass of lassi, if you like.

If the edges crack badly, the dough needs a little more warm water and more kneading.

Naivedyam notes

Sarson da saag is a household meal rather than a puja offering. On Lohri the offerings to the bonfire are dry sweets and snacks: The Tribune's Jalandhar report describes people offering groundnut, gajak and rewri to the fire. If your family offers food at its gurdwara, temple or home shrine, follow its own practice.

Greens and flour abroad

Two traps with maize flour abroad. In the UK and Australia "cornflour" means cornstarch, which will not make a roti. And coarse polenta or corn grits are too gritty; use finely ground maize meal. Mexican masa harina is a different product made from treated corn; it makes a soft roti but tastes different.

If you can find no mustard greens at all, a mix of spinach with a little kale or rapini (broccoli rabe) gives a sharp, bitter edge. Say so to guests: it is a cousin of the dish, not the real thing.

Vegan option

Finish the saag with a neutral oil or mustard oil instead of ghee, and cook the rotis with oil. Skip the white butter. It works well; ghee and butter are the traditional finish but not essential.

Gluten-free note

Maize is naturally gluten-free, as the Celiac Disease Foundation lists it. Two cautions. Some cooks mix a little wheat flour into makki di roti dough to make it easier to roll; then it is no longer gluten-free. And maize flour may be milled or packed alongside wheat, so anyone with coeliac disease should buy flour labelled gluten-free, cook it on a clean pan, and check the asafoetida or spice mixes if you add any.

Common mistakes

• Gritty saag: wash the greens more times than seems necessary.
• Bitter saag: too much mustard for your taste. Add more spinach next time, or balance with a little jaggery as some homes do.
• Raw-tasting saag: simmer for long enough after adding the maize flour.
• Crumbling rotis: dough too dry, kneaded too little, or kneaded in one big batch and left to dry. Knead each ball just before shaping.
• Thick, uncooked rotis: press them thinner and cook on medium heat, not high.

Storage

Cool the saag and refrigerate within 2 hours. It keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge and freezes well for a few months in portions. Makki di roti is best eaten hot off the tawa; leftovers can be reheated on a pan but turn firm.

Allergens

Contains milk (ghee, butter). Gluten-free only with gluten-free maize flour and no wheat added. Mustard is a listed allergen in the UK and Canada. This dish is made from the leaves of the mustard plant, and the mustard-oil vegan option contains mustard, so tell guests with a mustard allergy and let them decide with their doctor's advice.

Frequently asked questions

Is sarson da saag eaten on Lohri or the day after?

Both are common. Some families cook it for Lohri night; others serve it on Maghi, the next day. In 2027 Lohri is Thursday 14 January in India per the panchang. Abroad, confirm the date with your local panchang or gurdwara or temple.

Can I make sarson da saag with frozen greens?

Yes. Frozen chopped mustard greens and spinach from Indian grocers save a lot of washing. Reduce the water, as frozen greens release liquid, and cook until fully soft.

Is makki di roti gluten-free?

Maize itself is gluten-free. It stays gluten-free if the flour is not cross-contaminated and no wheat flour is added to the dough. Buy flour labelled gluten-free if you need it to be strict.

Why does my makki di roti break?

Maize dough has no gluten to hold it together. Use warm water, knead well, knead each ball just before shaping, and press it between two sheets of paper rather than rolling with a pin.

What can I use instead of bathua?

More spinach is the easy swap. Lamb's quarters is the same plant as bathua, and some farmers' markets in North America and the UK sell it in season.

Is sarson da saag a Sikh or a Hindu dish?

It is a Punjabi dish, cooked in homes of every faith in the region. Lohri, the festival it is linked with, is kept by Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs alike.

How do I serve it the traditional way?

With makki di roti, a spoon of white butter on the saag, jaggery on the side and lassi or buttermilk to drink. Families add their own sides.

Sources

• The Tribune, "Of bonfire & new beginnings" (Amritsar), 14 January 2022: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/of-bonfire-new-beginnings-361176 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• The Tribune, "Bonfire of warmth, love" (Jalandhar), 14 January 2023: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jalandhar/bonfire-of-warmth-love-470323 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Drik Panchang, Lohri 2027, New Delhi (via HinduTone's 2027 date sheet, verified October 2026)
• Celiac Disease Foundation, "Gluten-Free Foods": https://celiac.org/gluten-free-living/gluten-free-foods/ (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Cambridge University Hospitals NHS, "Gluten-free labelling for coeliac disease": https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/gluten-free-labelling-for-coeliac-disease/ (accessed 12 November 2026)
• US Food and Drug Administration, "Safe Food Handling": https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/safe-food-handling (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Food Standards Agency (UK), "Food allergy and intolerance advice for consumers": https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-allergy-and-intolerance-advice-for-consumers (accessed 12 November 2026)

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

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