BESANI / BESANA JI KOKI / SINDHI FLATBREAD WITH GRAM FLOUR

Besani or Besana ji Koki is a traditional flat bread from the Sindhi Cuisine. Koki is made only from wheat flour while in Besani we add besan (gram flour) . You can take the ratio of half and half of both the flours. Finely chopped onions, green chillies and carom seeds are also added for flavour. This can be served for breakfast with curd , pickle or for brunch with any sabzi too if you like. It is quite filling.

Ingredients:
Besan / gram flour ... 1 cup
Wheat flour ............. 1 cup
Onion ..................... 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Green chillies ........ 2-3 (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves ... handful
Carom seeds / ajwain ... 1/2 tsp or cumin seeds
Turmeric powder ......... 1/4 tsp
Salt ............................ to taste
Ghee or oil ................ 2 tbsps (to add while kneading)
Ghee or oil .............. as needed (to brush while roasting)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients and knead adding water little by little.

Make a stiff dough.

Take a small portion and roll it out into a flat bread slightly thicker than the normal roti.

Heat a griddle and transfer the roti. Prick it with the spatula or a knife.

Roast the flat breads brushing a little ghee to make them crisp.

Repeat the same process and make all the rotis. Serve hot with pickle, curd or sabzi.

TAMATE MEI DHABROTI / TOMATO BREAD

You have leftover bread ??
Here is a simple breakfast recipe with just few basic ingredients. It tastes really good.

Ingredients:
Bread ............... 6-7 slices
Tomatoes ........ 1 cup (chopped)
Cumin seeds .... 1 tsp
Green chillies ... 1
Ginger paste ... 1 tsp
Garlic paste .... 1 tsp
Red chilli powder .. 1/4 tsp (optional)
Coriander powder ... 1 tsp
Cumin powder .... 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder ... 1/4 tsp
Salt ............. to taste
Oil ............ 3-4 tbsps
Coriander leaves ... handful

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.

2. When they crackle tip in the chopped tomatoes, ginger garlic paste and green chillies.

3. Cover and simmer until the tomatoes are soft.

4. Now add the salt and the spice powders. Stir to mix them well.

5. Break the bread slices into small pieces and add them to the tomato masala.

6. Stir and sprinkle little water for the bread to cook.

7.  Add the coriander leaves.

8. Simmer for few minutes until done.

KAARE MIRCHA WARI KOKI / CRISPY FLATBREAD SPICED WITH BLACK PEPPER

This is the most preferred breakfast in Sindhi homes during winters. Crispy koki flavoured with crushed black pepper and cumin seeds with a cup of cardamom tea is sheer bliss. You can carry it during your travels too.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour ....... 2 cups
Coarsely crushed black pepper ... 2-3 tsps
Cumin seeds ........................... 2 tsps
Salt ............................ to taste
Ghee or oil .......  as needed

Method:
1. Take the flour in a large bowl or thali.
2. Add the coarsely crushed black pepper, cumin seeds, salt and 2 tbsps of ghee or oil.
3. Mix it well. It should form a lump when you press a small amount in your fist. This is the tip for testing the right amount of moin (ghee) added to it.
4. Knead it adding water as needed to make a tight dough.
5. Roll out the koki.
6. Roast it on a griddle on medium flame spooning a little ghee to make it crispy.
7. Serve it with pickle. curd or masala chai.

BESANA JO CHILLO / BESAN KA CHEELA / SAVOURY GRAM FLOUR PANCAKE

Besana jo Chillo is a quick breakfast option and a vegetarian alternative for an omelette. It can be prepared with any flour either plain or with the addition of some vegetables of your liking.


Ingredients:
Gram flour / besan ..... 1 cup
Whole wheat flour ..... 1 tbsp (optional)
Onion ......................... 1 small (finely chopped)
Tomato ....................... 1 small (cut into small pieces)
Green chillies ........... 2-3 (chopped or crushed)
Spinach ..................... 1/2 cup (chopped finely)
Coriander leaves ........ handful
Yogurt ....................... 1-2 tbsps (optional)
Cumin seeds ......... 1 tsp
Carom seeds / ajwain ... 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder .......... 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder ............. 1/2 tsp
Salt ................................ to taste
Oil or ghee .................  as needed

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Tip in the onion and sate for a minute until translucent.

2. Now add the spinach, tomato, green chillies and coriander. Simmer for half a minute. Let it cool.

3. In a large bowl take the gram flour, whole wheat flour. Mix the sauteed onion, and the rest of the ingredients mentioned in the list except oil.

4. To make cheelas, pour a spoonful of batter on a griddle, spread it and fry spooning a little oil or ghee on both sides until done.

Serve with chutney/ pickle / raita.








Note: For better results prepare the batter at least one hour ahead so that the flavours blend together.

CHAASHA MEIN DHABROTI / MITHI DHABALA / CRISPY BREAD SOAKED IN SUGAR SYRUP

This is a traditional Sindhi breakfast dish. We make it on special occasions when we have guests at home. Usually the bread slices are made whole or cut into triangular or rectangular shapes just by cutting them into two. I have given them a round shape using a cutter. The sides can be used to make masala bread or even bread crumbs after drying them for later use. If you are making for kids you can even cut out fancy shapes using different cutters.

Ingredients: 
Bread Slices ...6 or  as needed
Sugar - 2 cups
Water - 1 cup
Cardamoms - 4
Saffron - a pinch
Rose water .. few drops (optional)
Oil or ghee for frying
Pistachios... few for garnishing

Method:
1. Cut the bread slices in a round shape using a cutter or a bottle lid.
 2. Fry till golden brown and crisp.
3. Make a thick syrup with sugar, water, saffron and cardamoms. Add rose water after it is cooled. 4. A few hours before serving, place the bread coins in a flat dish, pour the sugar syrup over them with a spoon and let them soak for about 1-2 hours or until they are softer.
5. Garnish with sliced pistachios.

CHOLA DHABALA / CHANA BREAD CHAAT / SINDHI STREET FOOD

Chola Dhabala is a very popular Sindhi street food. Tangy chickpea curry is served on bread slices topped with onion kachumbar, mint coriander chutney and thin sev. This can be relished during any time of the day. It is quite filling and I prefer it for brunch or dinner. These days various ready masalas like chana masala and chaat masalas are available easily but our mothers and grand mothers used only home ground basic spices. The curry is made with lot of gravy which is nice and tangy. The bread slices are well soaked in the gravy and the chickpeas are spooned over the soaked slices followed by other garnishings.

Ingredients:
Chana / chickpeas .... 1 cup (soaked overnight)
Onion ................... 1 cup (sliced)
Tomato ............. 1 medium
Green chillies ... 1-2
Ginger ............ 1 tsp (grated)
Garlic ............ 1 tsp (crushed)
Tamarind juice ... 2-3 tbsps
Coriander powder .. 1 tsp
Cumin powder ...... 1 tsp
Garam masala ......... 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder .... 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder ... 1/4 tsp
Salt ................... to taste
Sliced bread or Pav bread .. as needed
Sev ............ for garnishing.
Mint coriander chutney ........... as needed for topping
Onion kachumbar ........... for garnishing. (soak the sliced onion in water and salt.. squeeze out and add lime juice or vinegar)
oil... 2-3 tbsps

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions until golden brown.
2. Add the tomato, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Saute until the tomato gets cooked.
3. Add some water and simmer. Allow it to cool and blend it using hand blender.
4. Boil the chana in a pressure cooker adding a little salt.
5. Add the boiled chana to the onion gravy. Add the mentioned spice powders, salt and tamarind.
6. Add about 3 cups water and chopped coriander leaves. Simmer for a minute or two until done.

To Serve:
Place a sliced bread or pav bread in a plate. Pour the chana and gravy over it.
Spoon some mint chutney and onion kachumbar.
Sprinkle sev, bhuna jeera powder on top. If you like it spicy you can also sprinkle a little red chilli powder. Finally garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.
Some people also like to add boiled potatoes in the curry. 

GUR JI KUTTI / SINDHI KUTTI / WHEAT FLOUR CRUMBLE SWEET

Kutti also known as Bhori  is a traditional Sindhi breakfast made out of crumbled wheat flour rotis to which sugar or jaggery is added. The one made with sugar has a crumbly texture as the sugar is just mixed in the crumbled bread and hot ghee is poured over it.  Kutti made with jaggery has a soft rexture as the jaggery is melted and added to the crumbled rotis. This can also be made into laddoos which are made as a prasad for Lord Ganesh.
Kuti is mostly relished in winters and is served with roasted papads.  In Sindhi homes this is considered as one of the a rich breakfast like dal /pakwan/ seero. We make it on special occasions. You may add crushed nuts to it if you like. This is also made for lactating mothers post pregnancy with a lot of ghee added to it along with crushed pepper corns and cumin seeds.
Today I have made gur ji kutti / kutti with jaggery which is my personal preference. Here is a step by step pictorial for you.

Ingredients:
Wheat flour ... 5 cups
Jaggery ......... 2 cups crushed ( which is about 500 gms )
Ghee ........... 3/4 cup + 1/4 cup (total 1 cup)
Water .. as needed

Method:

Take the flour in a big plate and make a well in the middle.
Add 3/4 cup of melted ghee.

Mix it well .

To check whether the moin (ghee added to it ) it sufficient, take a small portion in your palm and press it. If it forms into a lump then it is perfect.

Knead it adding sufficient water to make a stiff dough.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.

Roll each one into a thick roti.

Prick with a spoon or a knife to make incisions on it and roast it on a medium flame turning it a couple of times to cook evenly.

Remove it from the griddle and crumble it using the rolling pin or in a pestle and mortar.

Using your palms crumble it to a fine texture. Repeat the process for all the rotis.

Set it aside in a broad thali.

Heat a sauce pan or kadai and add the remaining 1/4 cup ghee. Add the crushed jaggery to it.

Also add about half cup water and start mixing until the jaggery melts.

 Keep stirring on medium flame until it starts bubbling.

Now pour this little by little to the crumbled roti and keep mixing with a spatula until it is mixed well.

You may find the texture too soft initially but remember that it becomes perfect when it is kept for half an hour or more. If you are serving immediately you may reduce the water quantity.

Remove it into a serving dish. This can be served hot or even at the room temperature.

You can also serve them in the oval shaped laddoos. We usually make these laddoos as a prashad to Ganesha on Ganesh Chaturthi.

MITHO CHILLO (Sweet Pancake)

This is a traditional Sindhi breakfast dish. Cardamom flavored sweet pancakes made with wheat flour, sugar or jaggery.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour ... 1 cup
Sugar ................ 2 tbsps.
Cardamom powder .. 1/8 tsp
Baking powder .. a pinch (or) 1 tsp oil or ghee
Milk or water ... to mix
Oil or ghee ... to smear
Method:


1. Mix sugar, wheat flour, cardamom powder and baking powder or 1 tsp oil into a smooth, thick batter using milk or water.

2. In a non-stick frying pan/griddle, pour a ladle full of batter and spread it into a pancake.

3. Smear a little ghee or oil and roast it to a light brown colour turning sides.
4. This is served with pickle and papad.
PS: You can make it with jaggery also. The difference in that is you make the jaggery syrup and mix the flour later. Crushed saunf/aniseeds are added to this.