Sweet Moments !!

1. Badam jo Seero (Almond Halwa)

Badam jo seero is a regal dessert fit for Kings! While the recipe does not call for too many ingredients, nor is the process a complex one, it takes love and time to make a good Almond Halwa... you literally need to stand over the pot and stir constantly to prevent the Halwa from scorching or burning. Don't let that scare you off though, as the end result is well worth the effort. Treat your family and friends to Badam jo seero and they will love you for it.

Cooking Time – 1 hour

Serves – 6 to 8 people

Ingredients

·      150 gms Almonds

·      2 tbsp (whole) wheat flour

·      6-7 tbsp ghee

·      ½ litre milk

·      1 cup sugar

·      8-10 green cardamoms (whole)

·      Approx 15 strands saffron (Kesar) – dissolved in 1 tbsp milk

Method of Preparation        

                                            

1.     Grind the almonds into small coarse pieces.

2.   Heat ghee on a low flame and fry the almonds, wheat flour and the cardamoms till the almonds turn golden brown.

3.     Stir continuously so that it does not stick to the bottom of the vessel.

4.     Now add milk and the dissolved saffron.

5.     Continue cooking and when the mixture is fairly dry, add sugar and cook for further 10-15 minutes on a low flame.

6.     Now place the vessel on a preheated tava and let it simmer for 10 minutes.


2. Tahiree (Sindhi Sweet Rice)

    A traditional sweet rice recipe always made on the Sindhi New Year Day of Cheti Chand. It’s an aromatic sweet rice preparation, cooked on special occasions like marriages, mundane, pooja ceremonies and also during festivals. It is distributed as Prasad on Chetichand and is also enjoyed with Sai Bhaji, Bhee Patata or simple curry.

  

Cooking Time - 30 minutes

Serves - 8-10 persons (if made for proper lunch/breakfast or 20-25 persons if made for prasad)

Ingredients

•    500 gm Rice[100 gms / person]
•    1 tsp salt
•    200 gm Gud/Sugar [For sweet taste]
•    2-3 piece Dry Coconut 
•    15 Kari Draksh
•    1 Table Spoon सौंफ [aniseed]
•    Water [1 lit. approx. depends on the quantity and quality of rice used ]
•    150 gm Oil/ghee [May vary according to your eating habits]

   

Method of preparation

1.     Dissolve Gud/Sugar in small quantity of water to get sweet solution.
2.     Cut dry coconut into small pieces.
3.     Heat oil/ghee in cooking vessel, add water & सौंफ.
4.     Add rice when water starts boiling and 1 tsp of salt
5.    Add sweet solution, coconut pieces, Kari Draksh [Dry Fruit Optional] to half cooked rice and allow rice to be cooked fully.

Useful Tip - Tahiree tastes better with ghee than oil

Saai Chutney (Green Chutney)

Green Chutney is one of the most famous Indian chutney recipe, this chutney can be easily made with fresh coriander leaves, garlic, onion and spices. It is highly recommended and most served accompaniment with almost every Indian snack dish.

Preparation Time - 10 minutes

Serves - 6 - 7

Ingredients:

1 small bunch coriander leaves

1 small bunch mint leaves (pudina)

5 - 6 green chillies

7 flakes garlic

1 small piece ginger

1 tsp cummin seeds (jeera)

1 small onion

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

Method of Preparation:

Chop the coriander leaves, mint leaves, onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies. Add to this jeera, lemon juice and salt. Grind finely in a mixture and its ready :)

You can add sugar in case it gets very spicy.

Besan jo Chilro (Vegetarian Omelette)

As this is always suggested by the most of dieticians that breakfast is the more important meal, Sindhi community offer  range of healthy have a food heritage to  cuisines for breakfast staring from Dal Pakwan, Dal Mung,  Sauoon, Tarial  Patata (traditional sindhi food) to Chilo (Basen Jo) Bread (modern sindhi breakfast).

    "Besan jo Chilro" (Vegetarian Omelette)

Besan jo Chilro is a strong traditional Sindhi cuisine. Sindhi community always shown tendency of being attached to their cultural and social roots hence food habits of Sindhis even though are changed with time but still reflects an attachment to traditional food habits and cooking style. This is several years after the British rule over the India that Sindhi community started replacing Bread Omelette with this Sindhi snack Besan jo Chilro or rather more specifically after the partition and under the influence of South Indian delicious dish Dosa, it entered into eating habits of Sindhi community. This also can be said that Besan jo Chilro  is vegetarian substitute of bread Omelette.

Preparation Time - 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 200 gm Besan [Gram flour]
• 1-2 medium sized Onion [Finely Chopped]
• 1-2 Green Chillies [Chopped into small pieces]
• 1-2 chopped Coriander leaves
• 1-2 chopped tomato
• 1-2 chopped capsicum
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 tablespoon oil for frying
• Water

 How to prepare "Besan jo Chilro"

•          Mix the flour with water to get a flowing solution.
•          Add chopped tomatoes, capsicum, onion, green chillies and coriander leaves.
•          Stir to get indigenous solution.
•          Add salt to taste and mix solution properly.
•          Put few drops of oil on hot frying plate [tava] and spread some part of solution in round shape.
•          Turn the side when become yellowish and keep on frying till golden brown color.
•          Serve hot with slice of bread.
•          In the recent times tomato sauce or green chatani are also served with this dish.

Enjoy :)

Did you know? (Kitchen Tips)

Working in kitchen can really be fun if you know some basic keys. Here are some special tips to make your work interesting and comfortable:

•  Adding salt to big green chillies (used for mirchi bhajya) and leaving it for few hours helps reduce the spice
• Tomato not only stimulates digestive juices but also helps in curing from stomach ulcer.
• Adding a little salt while frying onions makes the sauté quicker
• Putting 3-4 cloves in sugar container will keep the ants at bay
• Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.
•  Bitterness of Karela (Bitter gourds) can be reduced by keeping in water with pinch of salt for 30 minutes. Slit karelas at the middle and apply a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd all round. Keep aside for ½ hour and then cook.
• Use a wooden board to chop. It will not blunt the knife. Don`t use a plastic board, small plastic pieces may go with the vegetables.
• To avoid dishes from burning when being cooked in a handi, place a tawa (griddle) underneath.
• Garlic skin comes off easily if the garlic cloves are slightly warmed before peeling. 
• Do not beat idli batter too much, the air of which has been incorporated during fermentation will escape.
• Adding a pinch of sugar while cooking spinach and green leafy vegetables helps in retaining green color.
•  To remove the skin of almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.

Keep visiting for more useful tips !

Sindhi Kadhi :)

This tangy Kadhi is made with roasted besan, (gram flour) and tomatoes. Kadhi Rice is the most favorite dish of majority of Sindhis and this Sindhi kadhi is the most wonderful example where all the vegetables are used beautifully to complement each other in taste, texture and color. It is a family favourite on Sundays . Serve it with a long-grained, fragrant rice like Basmati. 

Also make sure you cook it on lazy days as it leaves one drowsy :)

Cooking Time: 1 hour.
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsps vegetable/ sunflower cooking oil
• 2-3 potatoes
• 3 small tomatoes pureed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
• few curry patta
• fried lady finger (bhindi)
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
• 3 tbsps bengal gram flour (besan)
•  1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cup beans cut into 2" pieces
• 5 - 6 soaked kokum       
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation

•  Put 2 tbsp of oil in a vessel. Add little cummin seeds (jeera) and asafoetida (hing) to the oil.
• Once jeera starts spluttering add gram flour (besan) and saute. Cook till the raw aroma of the gram flour is gone - it will turn pale brown.
• Add two glasses of water.
• Let it boil. While boiling add 1 tsp turmeric, red chilli powder and salt as per taste.
• After 10 minutes, add potatoes, french beans, cut green chilli, little ginger in small pieces, tomato puree and kokum
• Let it boil till the beans and potatoes become tender and oil separates. 
• Add more water only if required i.e if the mixture is too thick add some water.
• Add fried lady finger (bhindi)
• Finally give tadka -  take one tbsp oil and add to it litte red chilli powder. Heat separately and sprinkle on the curry along with coriander leaves and curry patta
• Serve piping hot with a long-grained, fragrant rice like Basmati and hot bhajyas

Spinach in sindhi style (Saai Bhaaji)

This traditional Sindhi recipe is a good combination of leafy vegetables with dal which provides plenty of calcium, protein, iron and vitamin A. The greens and veggies in it make it a healthy meal choice. Relish it with steamed rice, pulao or any kind of roti.

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 35 mins

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

3 tbsp chana dal (split Bengal gram) 

3 cups spinach (palak) , chopped

3/4 cup sua (khatta palak) , chopped

3/4 cup chawli (cow pea) leaves , chopped

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped potatoes

1/2 cup chopped brinjals (baingan / eggplant) (baingan / eggplant)

2 tsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lehsun) paste

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp coriander (dhania) (dhania) powder

a pinch of turmeric powder (haldi) (haldi)

1 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1.   Combine the chana dal with 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Drain the excess water and keep aside.

2.   Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds.

3.   When the seeds crackle, add the onions, potatoes, brinjals and ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes.

4.   Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

5.   Add the spinach, khatta bhaji, chawli leaves and the cooked chana dal and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

6.   Allow it to cool and whisk the mixture well.

7.   Serve hot.

Food.........My First Love

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food"

- George Bernard Shaw

Even I sincerely abide by the above statement.. yes my love is food. I am a Sindhi, by default a foodie who loves to eat and make others eat (also quite evident from my appearance :) It gives me immense pleasure when others enjoy food cooked by me. When you have eaten well your mind is relaxed, cool, calm and works smoothly. I love food and everything about it. The flavors, the textures, the colors. The way food brings people together and puts a smile on their faces. Cooking is my my passion. After a long or stressful day, cooking is one thing that can get me off all the stress. I want to explore into the world of cooking by learning various new cuisines and recipes. For now I am exploring exciting "ghar ka khaana" i.e. Home-made Sindhi dishes loved by one and all. 

You can always get in touch with me at deepikam1990@gmail.com if you wish to share ideas or need any clarification/help regarding any of the recipes posted by me. 

Your support in this journey is well appreciated :) I happily welcome you all to my world of food :) 

Enjoy! 

Sindhi Koki

Sindhi Koki

Koki is a typical Sindhi breakfast served with curds, pickle and papad or just tea (in the winters.. tastes awesome) . It is similar to a paratha with increased thickness made using wheat flour, onions, green chilies, coriander leaves and lots of ghee (I know it's not good for health but once in a while you should enjoy :). It tastes best when its crisp like a biscuit. It is quite filling and also can be easily carried for picnics or while travelling long distances.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 Kokis for 1 person

Ingredients:

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1 big onion thinly chopped
• 2 green chillies thinly chopped
• 1/4 tsp white sesame seeds
• A pinch of ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• Fresh coriander chopped
• Lots of ghee/Vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• Water to knead the dough

How to make Sindhi Koki:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl, add 2 tbsp of oil and knead into a stiff dough by adding little amount of water.It is very important that dough should be stiffed well to make Sindhi style koki.

2. Divide the dough into equal portions.

3. On the other side heat the tawa on low flame.

4. Now take one portion of dough, place on flat surface and roll to make a thick size roti.

5. Sprinkle some oil/ghee on heating tawa and place this rolled disc on it.

6. Roast little bit from both the sides, take out from the tawa on flat surface and again roll with the rolling pin until it becomes thick like paratha.

7. Place on hot tawa and cook on low flame.

8. Drizzle little bit of oil on both the sides and cook until small brown spots start appearing from both the sides.

9. Follow the same procedure to make remaining koki’s.

10. Serve immediately with tea, milk, yogurt or papad.


Useful Tips:

1. Ghee can be used instead of oil.

2. Try to make it on non-stick tawa, it will absorb less amount of oil.

3. Koki can be stored for a whole day, hence is best to carry on outings and while traveling.

4. If you want to make a crispy and tasty koki, then allow it to cook on low flame.