Believe it or not, some fusion concepts are made in culinary heaven and this Cornbread recipe is one of them. Every Indian knows that Punjabis love their favourite combination of dishes, Makke ki Roti and Sarso Ka Saag. The Makke ki Roti is made with cornmeal or the flour derived from maize. Sarso Ka Saag is made with mustard greens cooked in garlic, oil and spices. This incredible dua is so popular that every winter, people across the nation now enjoy it.
On the other end of the culinary spectrum is Cornbread, a dish that has its roots in Mexican and Native American cooking. The Native Americans and Mexicans, quite like the Punjabis, love their maize. Tortillas, nachos and tostadas, all the Mexican favourites that are now popular across the globe, are made of maize. Cornbread is a unique and simple bread that is prepared by mixing cornmeal with mild spices, milk, yoghurt, eggs and seasonings like fresh oregano. So, in a way, Cornbread and Makke Ki Roti carry the same basic ingredient, though the added flavours differ.
Another feature that Cornbread and Makke Ki Roti have in common is the addition of fat. Traditionally, Cornbread is prepared by greasing a cast-iron skillet with lard or butter. And Makke Ki Roti is never complete without a dash of ghee or white butter. Given these similarities, it is quite natural to assume that a dish that combines the technical aspect of Cornbread with Makke Ki Roti’s spices and Sarso Ka Saag’s flavours would work well. This Sarso Ka Saag Cornbread is proof that this concept works.
The recipe calls for chopped mustard greens added to the more aggressively spiced Cornbread that is cooked in ghee. But instead of producing two dishes in the form of Sarso Ka Saag and Makke Ki Roti, it presents all the best bits of the combination in one bread that you can pair with any Indian pickle and chutney. Just the dish you need as a snack or main course? Absolutely! Here’s the recipe.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups cornmeal or makai ka atta
1 cup mustard greens or sarso saag, finely chopped
2 tbsp milk
Salt, to taste
¾ tsp baking soda
2 cups yoghurt, whisked
3 tbsp ghee
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
3 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp garam masala
Method:
1. Preheat an oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
2. Place the ghee in a skillet and put it back in the oven until needed.
3. Place the cornmeal, salt, baking soda, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, green chillies and garam masala in a large bowl.
4. Add the chopped mustard greens and mix again.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the yoghurt and milk together.
6. Pour the yoghurt mix into the cornmeal mix and quickly blend everything together.
7. Take the skillet out of the oven, and pour in the cornbread batter.
8. Place the skillet back in the oven and bake the cornbread at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.
9. Insert a skewer to check if the cornbread is cooked, then take it out and let it cool completely.
10. Cut slices of the cornbread and serve with a range of pickles and chutneys.