Winter season in Mumbai is a boon for those who love to eat a variety of greens/leafy vegetables. Sarson ka Saag, Bathua, Saag of Hara bhara, fresh Methi, Paalak, green garlic etc make our meals so refreshing. Winters also bring a bounty of red juicy Carrots, plump pods of Peas, Kand, tender Radish and Sweet potatoes in the markets.
Walking down the lanes of vegetable markets in this season means walking down the memory lanes, pausing at the carts loaded with winter produce, admiring the array of colors, sniffing the freshest vegetables and fruits, picking the best from the lot, remembering the food your parents/grandparents cooked, drooling at the thoughts of savouring your favorite seasonal food and eagerly heading towards home with the bag full of nostalgia.
Winter season in Mumbai evoke memories of my Mother cleaning (picking) drumstick flowers by tilting the aluminium winnow to collect the rolling buds at one end. Memories of the friends in the neighbourhood chatting while enjoying Sawa Phota or the Choliya (fresh Garbanzo beans) picking pods from bunches of the Saag, memories of the family gathering on a Sunday evening to savour boiled D^adhri (Pods), the wonderful moments spent with the Aunt K in the neighbourhood slurping ‘Aur Jo Ras‘ made by her on a cozy winter afternoon eyeing on the preparations being done for making Thoom Ja Vada to be savoured as evening snacks.
Here are 10 Winter Special Sindhi dishes that I would like to share with you all. Do try these, if you are blessed enough to find the seasonal produce in the markets around you. The list includes the winter special sweets that Sindhis love to indulge in!
Suhanjhro
Traditional Sindhi style curry made using Drumstick flowers or Sahjan ke Phool.
It is a very delicious and nutritious curry though cleaning Moringa (Sahjan) flowers is a time consuming process but it is totally worth it.
Do check the recipe here!
Pali
Pali or the fresh tender leaves of chana (Hara Bhara saag) cooked in rustic desi style is not a dish but an emotion, particularly for the elderly Sindhis who would often talk about the Golden era when the pali was cooked on logs/sigri, mashed (Ghotna) crazily with wooden whisker and was had with Chanvar Ji maani (Roti made from rice flour) and home made white butter, a pure winter bliss!
Do check the recipe of this saag here!
D^adhri
The tender pods of Khesari, boiled and garnished with loads of amchoor and coriander powder are one of my most favorite snacks to enjoy at leisure. Have you ever tried these?
Find more details about D^adhri here!
Sawa Phota
Fresh pods of Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans, also known as Choliya or Har bhara in local languages are either boiled and spiced up or roasted with spices. The boiled Sawa Phota are one of my most favorite Winter special Sindhi dishes.
Thoom Ja vada
Deep fried patties/tikkis made with pounded fresh green garlic, chillies, coriander leaves, flavored with Annardana and basic spices i.e the Thoom Ja Vada are simply irresistible and the garlic lovers would vouch for it.
If it sounds interesting to you, then do check the recipe here!
Vataran Ji Lilotari
Vatana or fresh green peas rule the vegetable markets during winters.Do you, like me, buy the pods in bulk,shell and stock the peas for the rest of the year?
If you have some fresh peas in your refrigerator then I would suggest trying this Vataran Ji Lilotari, a curry loved by Brahma Khatri Sindhis. Do check my blog post about the Brahma Khatris and about the Vataran Ji Lilotari here!
Gogrun Ji Khatain
Turnips and green garlic, both found during winter season are pickled with mustard seeds to make this lovely yellow colored kanji pickle. If you haven’t tried this pickle yet, then I would suggest you to grab some turnips and garlic and make this ASAP! The recipe of Sindhi style Turnip Pickle is shared here!
Saandhyal Gajrun
Saandhan in Sindhi means to preserve or to conserve something. Saandhyal Gajrun is a tangy, sweetish pickle made using juicy red carrots, mustard oil, Rai dal and basic spices. Do check the recipe of lip smacking Sindhi style carrot pickle here !
Khorak (Khhoraak)
For Sindhis Khorak is an ultimate Khurak to ward off the evils of seasonal allergies and to boost the immunity. A mix of roasted flour, poppy seeds, dry fruits/nuts, ghee and edible gum makes Khhoraak an ideal sweet to consume in cold weather as it gives warmth and energy too.
Find the recipe of Khorak here!
Majoon
Yet another body and soul warming sweet dish, Majun/Majoon, not to be confused with Majoun, a Unani medicine made using Cannabis, is a sweet made around Diwali and is had through out the winter season. A delicious mix of Chhuhara (dried dates) dry fruits/nuts, ghee, sugar and mawa and much more, this is a must try! Check the recipe here!
Which one of the above mentioned Winter special Sindhi dishes is your favorite?
