GYARSI BHAJI / PATATE JI BHAJI / POTATO CURRY FOR FASTING

This sabzi is usually made during Ekadashi fasting. As we don't use any spices, this is flavoured with cardamoms sauteed in ghee and tempered with rock salt and crushed black pepper.


Ingredients:
Potatoes : 4-5
Cardamoms .. 2-3
Rock salt ....... to taste
Black pepper powder ... 1/4 tsp.
Ghee or oil

Method:
1. Boil the potatoes. Peel and cut into pieces.

2.In a pan heat a little ghee and add the crushed cardamoms.Now add the potato and salt. Stir well to blend and crush a few pieces of potato to make a thick gravy. Add a little water (depends on how much gravy you like) and simmer.

4. Sprinkle the crushed pepper and serve with puris or rotis made with the shingara flour or kuttu.

DUDHA JA VARA / DAHI VADAS

Perfect dish for summer ! ..

Ingredients:
Urad dal .... 1 cup (soak for few hours )
Yogurt ...... 2 cups or more if needed
Raisins ..... handful
Baking powder ... 1/8 tsp
Salt ......... to taste
Sugar .... little to add in the yogurt.
Oil ..... to fry
Roasted and ground cumin powder and red chilli powder (for garnishing)
Sweet Date and tamarind chutney (for garnishing)

Method:
1. Wash and soak the urad dal for a few hours.
2. Grind to a thick batter adding very little water.
3. Mix the raisins, salt and baking powder to the batter just before frying.( the salt leaves water and it will make the batter watery)
4. Heat oil in a kadai / frying pan and fry the vadas.
5. Drop them into water for soaking.
6. Churn the yogurt adding salt to taste and sugar to balance it.
7. Squeeze out the water carefully with light hands and put them into yogurt and let them soak again.
8. When you are ready to serve add some more churned yogurt if needed. Garnish with cumin and chilli powders and sweet chutney.  

BOONDI JO RAITO / DAHI BOONDI / DUDHA MEIN BOONDI / BOONDI RAITA

This is a simple accompaniment with a meal.. love it.

Ingredients:
Boondi ..... 100 gms
Yogurt ..... 200 gms
Roasted and crushed cumin powder ... 1/4 tsp
Crushed black pepper ...... 1/8 tsp
Salt ..... to taste
Sugar ........ 1/2 tsp (optional)

Method:
1. Soak boondi in water for 10 minutes.
2. Churn the curd adding all the things mentioned above.
3. Drain the water from the boondi and stir it into the curd.

MACHI JOON TIKKYOON / FISH CUTLETS

Try out these easy to make fish cutlets. Select any fish with center bone. You can shape them any way you like ... round, oval, or even  like koftas or long rolls.

Ingredients:
Fish - 250 gms
Corn flour - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Onion finely cut - 2 tbsp
Green chillies finely cut - 1 tbsp
Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Garam Masala - 2-3 tsp
Amchoor powder .. 1/2 tsp
Bread crumbs .... 2 tbsps
Oil ... to fry

Method:

1. Boil the fish in a little water with salt for about 10 minutes.

2. Remove from water and allow the slices to cool.

3. Remove all the bones from the fish and mash the flesh.

4. Add salt, flour, garam masala, red chilli pdr, coriander powder, onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, amchoor powder and knead well so that all the ingredients mix evenly.

5. Make small lemon sized balls and flatten them slightly.

6. Deep fry on medium flame until golden brown and serve hot with sauce / chutney of your choice.

BASARA MEI SEYALA BEDAN JI BHAJI / POACHED EGG CURRY WITH ONIONS (Dry Version)

Here is a dry version of poached curry that can be prepared in a jiffy as most of the ingredients are basic. It can be called a variation of egg bhurji. Instead of scrambling the eggs, just make space between the onion masala and break the eggs, top them with spices and simmer until done.

Ingredients:
Eggs .... 4 (or as needed)
Onions .. 2 medium (chopped finely)
Tomato .. 1
Green chillies .. 1-2
Coriander leaves .. handful
Garlic paste ... 1 tsp
Ginger paste .. 1 tsp
Coriander powder .. 1 tsp
Cumin powder ...... 1 tsp
Turmeric powder ... 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder ... 1/4 tsp
Salt ............ to taste
Oil .......... 3-4 tbsps

Method:
1. In a sauce pan or skillet heat about 2 tbsps of oil.
2. Add the finely chopped onions and saute until translucent.
3. Now tip in the ginger garlic paste and green chilies. Saute.
4. Add the tomatoes and simmer until they are cooked.
5. Now add the salt and spice powders mentioned above. Stir well to mix.
6. Make space between the onion masala and spoon a little oil.
7. Break the eggs and sprinkle a little salt and spice powders.
8. Add chopped coriander leaves.
9. Cover with a lid and simmer until the eggs are done.
10. Serve with rotis or bread.

SANDHYALA BASAR / BASAR JI KHATAIRN / SINDHI ONION PICKLE

This is a traditional Sindhi onion pickle made without oil. Unlike other pickles this has just a few ingredients and it is very easy to make. This pickle and the carrot pickle (sandhyala gajroon) are must in all the Sindhi weddings and are made in large quantities to be served with the meals. But for regular use it is better to make in smaller quantity and consume fast as the shelf life of this is not much. Since there is no oil content it gets fungus easily. It is better to refrigerate it after it is ready.

Ingredients:
Small onions - 200 gms
White mustard seeds ... 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder ........ 1 tsp
Red chilli powder ...... 1 tsp
Vinegar ................... 2-3 tbsps
Crushed garlic ........ few cloves (use green garlic during the season)
Water ................... 2 cups or more to the level of the onions. (use boiled and cooled water)
Salt ......................... as needed

Method:
1. Peel the small onions and slit them (criss-cross) from the larger side half way through.
2. Grind the white mustard seeds coarsely.
3. Take a sterilized jar and mix all the ingredients.
4. Cover it and allow the pickle to mature giving the bottle a shake everyday.
5. In about 5-6 days the pickle should be ready for consumption.

LEEMO MIRCHA EIN ADRAK JI KHATAIRN / PAANI WARI KHATAIRN / SINDHI MIX PICKLE WITHOUT OIL AND SPICES

This is a traditional Sindhi lemon pickle with ginger and green chillies. No oil or spices are used in this preparation. It is just preserved with salt and lemon juice. In Sindhi we call it. In Sindhi we call it "pani wari khatairn" , meaning "water pickle" as there is no oil or any spice added to it. You may use few spoons of vinegar too. Select the lemons with thin skin which take less time to mature. Pickles are usually made in Summer when we have good sunlight and the pickle jars are kept out for maturing.

Ingredients:

Lemons ... 8 -10 

Green chillies .. few 

Ginger .......... 100 gms 

Lemon juice .... as needed to cover the pickle (I used juice of 6 lemons and few tbsps of vinegar)

Salt ..... as needed.

Method:

1. Wash the lemons well and wipe them dry with a kitchen towel.

2. Make slits in them and fill with salt. 

3. Peel the ginger and cut into thin wedges. Cut the chillies into pieces or you can use them whole with a slit.

4. Take a sterilized jar and tip in the lemons, ginger and chillies.

5. Pour the lemon juice and vinegar (if adding any) to the level where they are well immersed in the liquid.

6. Place the jar in the sunlight until the pickle matures. It could take a few weeks. Give it a shake everyday before placing in the sunlight.

Note: The pickle stays good for a long time but you can refrigerate it to avoid the fungus forming in it.

TOORI JI BHAJI / BASARA TAMATE MEIN TOORYUN / SEYALA TOORYUN

There are many ways of cooking ridge gourd. This is a simple Sindhi preparation as we call it seyala tooryun.cooked with onion tomato and basic spices. It is very light on your stomach and is usually served with rotis or puris.

Ingredients:

Turai / ridge gourd ... 1 kg.

Onion ................... 1 cup sliced

Tomato ................ 1 

Green chillies ..... 1-2

Garlic ................. 1 tsp (optional)

Turmeric powder .. 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder .. 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder ..... 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder .. 1/8 tsp

Salt ................ to taste

Oil ............ 3-4 tbsps

Coriander leaves .. handful

Method:

1. Peel the ridge gourd and cut into pieces. Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion until translucent.

2. Add garlic, green chillies and tomato. Stir fry until tomato gets cooked.

3. Tip in the chopped ridge gourd. Add the salt and spice powders. Mix well and cover it.

4. Cook on medium flame until the water gets dried up stirring a couple of times. Turai leaves a lot of water. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rotis or puris.

MOORI JE PATTAN JO SAAG

We usually eat radish only and the leaves are thrown away. Hence radish greens are not sold separately in the market.  During winter we find tender radishes with bunches of fresh leaves. The saag made with these leaves tastes awesome. Radish greens add nutrition to your diet and also are a rich source of calcium. Apart from  cooking you can also add a few leaves to your smoothies and salads. Wash the leaves thoroughly before using them.

Ingredients:
Radish leaves ....5-6 cups
Spinach ............ 1 cup
Green chillies ..  1 or 2
Ginger .......... 1 tsp grated
Garlic .......... 1 tsp crushed
Onion ....... 1 small (1/4 cup sliced)
Turmeric powder .. 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder .. 1 tsp
Cumin powder ...... 1/2 tsp
Salt ........... to taste
Oil .... 2-3 tbsps

For Tadka / Tempering:
Garlic .... few cloves finely chopped
Kashmiri chilli powder ..... 2 - 3  pinches
Desi ghee / clarified butter - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash the radish leaves and spinach thoroughly and chop them.

2. In a pan heat oil and add the sliced onion. Saute until translucent. Tip in the ginger garlic and green chillies.

3. Now add the mentioned spice powders and salt.

4. Add the greens into the pan, mix everything and cover with a lid.

5. The greens leave out water and there is no need to add any more. Just simmer to cook until the water dries up. It takes about 30 - 35 mins.

6. Let it cool. Lighly grind the saag with a hand grinder.

7. Now heat the ghee in a small pan and add the finely chopped garlic. When it becomes golden brown switch off the gas and add the Kashmiri chilli powder. Immediately pour this over the cooked saag and mix.

CHOORI / CHURMO

Choori or Churma  is the prashad we offer to Lord Shiva. Mom made the best choori, very crisp and crunchy. I have got all the tips from her and I am glad the choori has come out perfect, just like hers. Choori laddos can also be made following the same process and you can add dry fruits to them.

Ingredients:
Wheat flour ... 2 cups
Ghee / oil ... for frying and adding to the flour.
Sugar ..... 1/4 cup ( or as you like it )

Method:
1. Take wheat flour in a deep bowl and add about 1/4 cup ghee or oil. Mix well and it should form a muthia / ball when you press it in your fist. Then the quantity of the ghee added is enough. This is the test. If you add less ghee the choori will not be crisp.
2. Now knead this adding water little by little to a very stiff dough.
3. Make muthias with the dough pressing the dough in your fist as you can see in the pictures.
4. Heat oil in a pan and fry the muthias on a very low flame to make them crisp and golden brown.
If you fry on high flame the inside part will remain raw.
5. Let them cool and then you grind them in a pestle and mortar or in a mixer.
6. Mix the desired quantity of sugar as per your preference. I have added 1/4 cup.
7. Pour a little hot oil or ghee over this and mix well.