PAKORAN JI BHAJI (Sindhi Pakora Curry)

This is a very nice way of using the left over pakoras. Tastes delicious too. You can make the onion masala ready and add the pakoras and enough water to cook just before you serve. Otherwise the pakoras become mushy.

Ingredients:
Pakoras ...  10-12
Onion ..... 2 small (1 cup - sliced)
Tomatoes .... 1 (chopped)
Green chillies ... 1-2
Ginger ............. 1 tsp
Garlic ............ 1 tsp
Turmeric powder ... !/4 tsp
Coriander powder .. 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder ...... 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder .. 1/4 tsp
Salt ..... to taste
Chopped coriander leaves .. handful
Oil ...... 2-3 tbsps

Method:
1.Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion until light brown in colour.
2. Add the ginger garlic pastes, green chillies and tomatoes. Stir until tomatoes are cooked.
3. Add the salt and the spice powders. Mix well and set aside.
4. Just before you are ready to serve, tip in the pakoras and stir carefully taking care not to break them. Add half of the coriander leaves while cooking.
5. Pour about half cup water. Bring to a boil.
6. Tranfer it into a serving dish, preferably a flat one.
 Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rotis.

BASARA MEI BHINDI PATATA ( Sindhi Bhindi Aloo ki Sabzi)

Ingredients:
Bhindi / okra / lady's finger ...  250 gms
Onion ................ 2  ( chopped finely)
Potatoes ............  2 ( cut into cubes)
Tomato ............. 1 ( cut into cubes)
Garlic ............. 1 tsp crushed
Green chillies ... 1-2
Turmeric powder ... 1/8 tsp
Coriander powder .. 1 tsp
Cumin powder ....... 1 tsp
Red chilli powder ... 1/4 tsp
Salt ................  to taste
Oil
Coriander leaves ... To garnish

Method:

1. Cut the bhindis into 1 inch size pieces. Sprinkle a little salt. Cut the potatoes into cubes and put them water to which a little salt is added.

2. Fry the bhindis and potato cubes until almost done. Set aside.

3. In a pan heat a little oil and saute the garlic and onion. Simmer until translucent.
4. Now add the green chillies, tomatoes and also the fried bhindi and aloo.
Add the salt carefully as the bhindi and aloo have salt already. Also add the dry spice powders.

5. Mix carefully and simmer for a minute. (or even less depending how well the aloo and bhindis are done.)
Garnish with freash coriander leaves.
This goes well with rotis.

SINDHI KADHI

Sindhi Kadhi is the most popular dish among all the Sindhi recipes. Unlike kadhis from other regions this has no curd added to it. The besan is roasted or fried in oil until it gives out a nice aroma. Then the water is added along with assorted vegetables and tempering.It cooks for about an hour on low flame until you get the desired consistency and the vegetables are done. We serve this with rice and malpuras or sweet boondi along with this kadhi.

Ingredients:
Besan ............. 1/2 cup
Methi seeds .... 1 tbsp.
Cumin seeds .... 1 tbsp.
Asafoetida ....... 1/4 tsp.
Turmeric powder ... 1 tsp.
Chilli powder ........... 1-2 tsp.
Green chillies .......... 3-4 chopped
Ginger paste............ 1 tbsp.
Curry leaves ........... 1 sprig
Potatoes ................. 5-6 (small) peel and cut into halves
Carrots ................... 1 peel and cut into round pieces
Beans .................... cut into 1 inch pieces
Drumsticks ......... scrape and cut into 2 inch pieces
Bhindi.................... 8-10 Slit them and half fry.
Tamarind juice ....... 5-6 tbsp
Sugar .................... 1 tbsp. (or) Jaggery
Salt ...to taste
Oil.
Coriander

Method:

1,Heat 5-6 tbsp. oil and add the methi and cumin seeds.

2. When they splutter add the asafoetida, ginger and curry leaves.

3. Stir it and then add the besan.  Fry it for 5 minutes on low flame till you get a nice aroma.

4. Now add enough water and keep stirring to avoid lumps.( remember that the kadhi has to simmer for almost 1 hour and add water accordingly)

5. Add all the vegetables except bhindi. Add the salt, sugar, chillies, turmeric powder and tamarind juice.

6. Simmer it till the kadhi is thick and the vegetables are done. Usually it has to boil for at least for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Finally add the fried bhindi and coriander leaves.
(Serve with plain rice)

Check out the Sindhi Kadhi Video

BESANA JOON AANYOON (Sindhi Besan Ki Bhaji)

Ingredients:
For the Aanis:
Gram Flour/ Besan......1 cup
Poppy Seeds..................1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder.........1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder........1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder.........3/4 tsp
Soda................................a pinch
Garam Masala...............1/2 tsp
Cumin powder .............. 1tsp.
Coriander powder ........1 tsp.
Oil....................................2 tbsp
Salt to taste

For the curry:
Onions.......... 3 (chopped finely)
Tomatoes..... 1 big (chopped)
Salt to taste
Turmeric Powder.....1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder.....1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder.....1/4 tsp
Green Chillies............2
Garam Masala...........1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves.......a handful

Method:
Preparing the Aanis:

1. Mix all the above mentioned ingredients for aanis in a bowl, including oil. Now add some water and mix into a dough. ( add with a spoon so that you dont add too much to make it sticky)As you mix the dough, it starts becoming hard and sticks to the bowl.

2. Spread 2 to 3 drops of oil on a flat surface. Put the dough on it and roll it into a cylinder. Flatten it with your palm and cut rectangles out of it.

3.Heat water in a pan and add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Add the aanis into it and boil them for 5 minutes. Remove & strain them. Let them dry.

4. Heat oil & fry the boiled aanis for 3 to 4 minutes.


Preparing the curry:
1. Heat 3 to 4 tbsp oil. Add the onions, green chillies, salt, turmeric powder,red chilli powder, coriander powder, tomatoes. Mix & cook on low flame till tomatoes become tender.
2.Now add garam masala, the fried aanis and sprinke a little water over the aanis to cook on low flame for 5-7 minutes.Turn them carefully once. Garnish with coriander leaves.

DAL PAKWAN & SEERO ( Sindhi Breakfast)

This is a popular Sindhi breakfast dish. Cooked chana dal with spice powders tadka is served with crispy fried maida pakwans. Usually Seero is also prepared along with this. Mostly everyone prepares this on a Sunday morning so that the whole family can relish this special breakfast/brunch together.

Dal

Ingredients:
Chana dal ... 2 cups
Green chillies .. 2 (chopped)
Salt ................ to taste
Turmeric powder .... 1/2 tsp.

For tempering:
Cumin powder ......... 1/2  tsp.
Red chilli powder ... 1/4 tsp.
Garam masala ........ 1/4 tsp.
Oil ...... 2-3 tbsps.

For Garnishing:
Finely diced onions .. as needed
Tamarind chutney ..... as needed
Coriander leaves .... finely chopped

Method:

Wash and soak dal for at least 2-3 hours.

Cook it adding enough water, green chillies, salt and turmeric. Dal should remain whole and not over cooked. Just stir with the spoon to mash it a little. ( You may pressure cook it also but take care not to over cook it )

 Sprinkle all the tempering spice powders and garnishings mentioned above.

Pakwans

Ingredients:
Maida ..... 2-3 cups
Salt ........ to taste
Oil ........ 2 tbsps. to mix with the flour
Caraway/kummel seeds .. 1 tbsp
Water ......... to knead the dough
Oil to fry the pakwans.

Method:

 Mix the salt, oil and caraway seeds with the flour.

Knead into a soft dough adding enough water. Set aside.











       
Roll out thin rotis. Prick with the fork or knife all over the roti so that it does not puff up while frying. It has to be flat and crisp like papdi.








Heat oil and fry the pakwans on medium heat until crisp and golden brown.







(Tip: always fry 2 pakwans together in a kadai one on top of the other, turning each one from time to time. This way they will not puff up. You can store them for a few days and use the left over pakwans to make Bhel or Papdi Chat)

Seero

Click HERE to see the Seero recipe.

Dal Pakwan Video 

Seero Video

BESAN ATTE EIN SOOJI SEERO ( Sheera with Wheat flour, Besan, Sooji )

Ingredients:
Wheat flour ........ 2 tbsps.
Gram flour / besan .. 2 tbsps.
Semolina ................. 1 tbsp.
Green cardamoms.... 4-5
Sugar ......................1/2 - 3/4 cup
Ghee or oil ............... 3-4 tbsp.
Almonds & Pistachios ..... for garnishing

Method:
1. Heat ghee /oil in a pan. Add slit cardamoms and the flour, besan and semolina.

2. Keep stirring on low flame until the flour is golden brown in colour and leaves an aroma.

3. Now pour carefully approximately one cup water and keep stirring continuously to avoid lumps

4. Now mix in the sugar well. Continue to stir until the sugar is well blended.( Adjust sugar according to your taste)
5. Garnish with chopped nuts.

GURDHANI (Also Known As Chikki)

Gurdhani, also known as Chikki...is made in all the Sindhi homes during Diwali. We distribute it to friends and relatives along with other sweets.

Ingredients:
Sugar : 1 cup

Oil: 1 tsp
Roasted Gram Dal (Putani/Bhugra, the same dal used in chutneys in S.India): 2 cups

Procedure:

1. Heat a pan and add the sugar. Also add 1/2 tsp oil and keep stirring first on high flame, then when it starts to melt, on low flame, until all sugar melts and the lumps disappear. Take care not to over-brown or burn the caramel.

2. As soon as the lumps melt, add the dal and stir quickly until the caramel & dal are well-mixed.

3. Immediately transfer onto clean kitchen platform and beat with the palms to spread the lump.

4. Then use rolling pin to roll out the lump into a large thin (1 cm thickness) circle, at the same time, shaping the chikki into a neat circle by pushing towards inside at the edges. This process has to be done quickly, or the caramel will harden & the lump will not roll out anymore.

This stage requires practise & you can do that by making small quantities.

Once the chikki is rolled out, run a knife through the chikki as you wish, as squares or quarters. Then break it carefully at the knife marks.

Using Puffed Rice:

Ingredients:
Sugar: 1 cup
Puffed Rice: 4 cups
Oil: 2 tsp

Method:
1. Again, like we made as above, heat a pan, add sugar & mix until it melts into caramel like shown below. Do not burn it anymore than this.

2. Then add the puffed rice and mix briskly & quickly then shift it onto the kitchen platform.
3. Using a flat bowl as shown in the pic below, spread the lump as thin as u can quickly, and then resume rolling it out with a rolling pin, until it becomes a circle of 1.5 cm thickness.

4. Make marks with a knife and break the circle at the knife cuts.

Store in a polythene bag.

Note: You can make a chikki from other things such as cashew nuts, dried coconut, pistachios, groundnuts, sesame seeds etc.