While Pongal is celebrated in South India, North India celebrates another harvest festival, Lohri, while Assam celebrates Magh Bihu. The day also coincides with Makar Sankranti, an auspicious day of the Hindu calendar as it symbolises the beginning of the end of winter as the sun starts its northward journey.
In Punjab, the harvest means lots of mustard greens ensuring sarson ka saag in every household. These bitter greens are best had in combination with rotis made of makai or makki (maize flour) and a dollop of home-made or white butter.
In Bengal, the land of sweets, this is the time that “notun gur” — literally meaning “new jaggery” — replaces sugar in all the mishtis (sweets). Rice kheer made with gur instead of sugar is a delicacy that all Bengalis look forward to throughout the year.
Sarson ka saag
Ingredients
1 kg fresh mustard greens (sarson saag)
300 gm spinach
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tsp makki ka atta (maize flour)
1 tbsp powdered or crushed jaggery
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp of white butter
For the tadka
3 tsp ghee or oil
½ tsp red chilli powder
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
Method
Wash thoroughly, dry and roughly chop the mustard and spinach leaves. Cook the leaves in a pressure cooker for around 15 minutes with a cup of water, the ginger garlic paste, green chillies and salt.
Remove and blend the saag in a blender till it is a rough paste. In a heavy-bottomed pan cook the saag with the maize flour for another 10 minutes on low heat.
Heat the ghee or oil for the tadka in a small pan, add the ginger, chillies and red chilli powder in that order, fry for a few seconds ensuring that the chilli powder does not blacken. Pour the tadka over the saag and stir for a few seconds.
Sprinkle the jaggery on top and serve with a dollop of white butter.
Serve with makki ki roti. These are prepared the same way as normal rotis but are thicker. If maize flour is not available, serve with buttered rotis or parathas.