Gurpreet Singh Broca of Sudbury isn’t one for resting, however this Christmas break he will be visiting family back home to enjoy local home-cooked meals in the northern Indian province of Punjab.
Broca, a TD bank manager, was presented a YMCA Peace Medal late last month for his work in the City of Greater Sudbury. The award is given out yearly with nominations coming from many YMCA chapters worldwide.
He only arrived from India eight years ago as a Cambrian College student, and during his time here, has worked hard to become involved in his new community.
Broca sits on a number of committees that deal with inclusion and diversity, everything from the Greater Sudbury Police Service to the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth and the Chamber of Commerce.
Being Sikh from northern India, Broca doesn’t exactly celebrate Christmas, but he will be enjoying great food in the days between Dec. 25 and the new year in his home Punjab region.
In Sikh culture, December is a month to honour past sacrifices and to remember the children.
“Usually, we commemorate with a free vegetarian dish,” Broca said. “We all sit together on a mat on the floor to show we are all grounded equally.”
Broca said he also looks forward to enjoying the “winter’s dish” of northern India.
The winter dish, called sarson ka saag, is a curry soup made with mustard greens. The soup is served hot and usually contains a side dish of makki ki rota, an unleavened cornmeal bread.
For Broca, the food of the Punjab region evokes memories of a happy and fulfilled childhood with so many defining moments.
As a YMCA Peace Medal recipient, Broca’s message to end the year is quite simple: to hope for prosperity for all regardless of language, the colour of their skin or their religious beliefs. He explained the significance of “sarbat da bhala,” the final term in the Sikh prayer called the Ardas. “It outlines the important principle which is blessings for everyone and may everyone prosper,” Broca said.
As much as Broca is excited to visit India, he’s excited for his return to Sudbury. He said he will never leave this city, but is excited to visit family and indulge in traditional Indian home-cooked meals again.
A young man filled with optimism — or “chardi kala” as he puts it — said he credits his family, his education and the help of his YMCA as a newcomer for his success in this city.
The 26-year-old has created bursaries at Cambrian College in his name and wants to champion volunteerism among new arrivals and help celebrate the progression of diversity in Sudbury.
“Our city becomes more and more welcoming everyday and I cannot wait to see what 2024 holds for us all,” Broca said.
Here’s a recipe for sarson ka saag from Dassana’s Veg Recipes by Dassana Amit. You can read the recipe online here.
Sarson ka Saag
Ingredients
For sarson ka saag
- 1 bunch mustard greens (sarson)
- ½ bunch bathua leaves (chenopodium/goosefoot/melde)
- ½ bunch spinach leaves (palak)
- 1 cup chopped radish leaves - use tender leaves, (mooli ke patte)
- 3 to 4 inches white radish root
- 1 cup fenugreek leaves - chopped
- 1 cup chopped onions or 2 medium sized onions
- 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes or 3 medium-sized tomatoes
- 2 inches ginger - chopped
- 2 green chilies - chopped
- 7 to 8 garlic - medium sized, chopped
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 to 3 pinches asafoetida or ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida powder (hing)
- 2 to 3 cups water or add as required
- 2 tablespoon maize flour or fine cornmeal
- salt as required
Tempering saag for 3 servings
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onions or 1 small to medium-sized onion
- 1 to 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
- 2 cups cooked saag or as required
Instructions
Making sarson ka saag
- Firstly clean and chop all the greens. Then wash or rinse the greens very well in running water.
- In a five-litre stovetop pressure cooker or pan add all the ingredients listed under "for sarson ka saag" except for maize flour.
- Cover the pressure cook and cook for 6 to 7 minutes or more on medium-high heat.
- If cooking in a pan, then cover and let the greens cook till tender and softened. Do check occasionally.
- Pour the greens along with the stock and maize flour in a blender. Blend till smooth.
- In another deep pan or in the same cooker, pour the pureed greens.
- Simmer for a good 25 to 30 minutes on a low heat stirring at intervals.
Tempering for sarson da saag
- In another small pan, heat oil. Use any neutral oil. You can also make the tempering with ghee if you prefer.
- Add the chopped onions and saute them till light brown on medium-low heat.
- Add the prepared saag. Stir and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Stir occasionally when the saag is simmering.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve sarson ka saag hot with a side of some chopped onions, whole green chilies or mango pickle. Top the saag with a dollop of white butter and serve with Makki di Roti. Also serve a few jaggery cubes by the side.
- For a vegan saag, omit adding white butter or use vegan butter.
Storage
- Store the pureed and simmered saag in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for a month.
- When ready to serve, remove the quantity you need from the refrigerator and temper it with the required amount of oil and onions.
Anastasia Rioux is a writer in Greater Sudbury. Let’s Eat! is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
