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Sindh Da Swad~Sindhi Food Pop Up At Punjab Grill

Alka Keswani — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 16:34:53 +0000

And I am back to blogging! It feels really strange to accept the fact that I have been ignoring the blog since long but I can easily put the blame on the rough times me and my extended family had been through (more about that in my next post)! And while life could be really mean to you, yet there are moments when you can’t help but wonder how comforting and buoyant some incidents could be! Thanks to my blog, I have met many amazing people, online as well as offline, often discussing at length, the nitty-gritties of Sindhi cuisine and one such person is Chef Jyoti Vishnani. A sweet, petite and pretty contestant of Masterchef India, season 4, Jyoti, a Sindhi Chef from Ulhasnagar (my home town) wears many feathers in her hat. Her talent and hard work led her to be a part of a prestigious project with Chef Vikas Khanna, an opportunity to share her recipes on ‘Tata Sky Cooking’ and a privilege of gaining work experience at Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Signature by Sanjeev in Doha. Chef Jyoti vishnani Jyoti and I often discuss about Sindhi cuisine, its history and evolution and also rant about the way it is neglected by restaurant industry, about the dearth of fine dining Sindhi restaurants and the measures that need to be taken to bring our cuisine on global radar. So when she told me about a Sindhi Pop-Up she has curated for Punjab Grill, in Mumbai, I was obviously thrilled beyond words. Yesterday I had an honor to be one of her special guests and I thoroughly enjoyed the food and her company. Here are the deets! Punjab grill @ BKC, Mumbai The Pop-Up: Sindh Da Swad, the Sindhi food Pop-Up at Punjab Grill ( BKC and Kala Ghoda outlets) curated by super talented Chef Jyoti Vishnani, commenced on 6th April 2019, would wind up on 14th April. Folks in Mumbai, please do attend this! I visited Punjab Grill at BKC with great expectations and thankfully I was not disappointed. The ambiance was pleasant and the staff,very courteous! It was late afternoon, hence the place was quieter and Chef Jyoti and I had long conversations about Sindhi food, the pop-up, the menu and of course about our cravings for Ulhasnagar’s Sindhi street food. The Menu: If you are well versed with Sindhi Cuisine you would surely acknowledge the efforts put in by the Chef, to curate the exhaustive a la carte menu. To begin with, the Summer coolers on the menu are Rose Sherbet and Chandan (Sandalwood) Sherbet. Starters: Dal Pakwan ( Mixed lentils topped with vegetable garnish and tangy chutney served with crunchy crisps), Batan papdi chaat (unique Sindhi street food), Saibhaji Dhodho (Signature Sindhi Spinach, veggies and lentils mash topped on flavorful Jowar roti /canapé) and some more popular snacks from the cuisine. Non Veg. Starters like whole fish fry, Keema patties etc are being loved by the diners as per Chef’s observation. Mains: The most popular and loved dishes from the cuisine are thankfully up on the menu. From Tidali Dal (three lentils mix) to Sindhi Kadhi and from Bhughal mutton to traditional fish preparations, one can pick plenty of dishes to try out to satiate Sindhi food cravings. The famous Sindhi rice dishes including Bhuga chaanwran (Garam masala flavored rice cooked with caramelized onions) and popular flatbreads like Koki and Dhodho wonderfully compliment the kadhi and curries, equally! Desserts: You cannot afford to not have falooda on the menu if you are serving multi course Sindhi food or exclusive Sindhi desserts. So yes, you can gobble that after a scrumptious Sindhi meal. Singhar Ji mithai, yet another gem from the cuisine is made in-house so it is a must try dish on the menu as well. What I had: Since I was alone, I opted for few selected dishes and requested for tiny portions of each. The portions actually served to diners are obviously bigger! To begin with, there was the unique Sindhi Chaat dish called Batan Papdi also known as batarn or batar papdi. The special Batan rusks dipped in tangy chutney and topped with papdi, beetroot touched onions and Dal moath (farsan) served as a perfect start of the meal.Those who have tasted the dish at any stall or eatery in Ulhasnagar, the popular Sindhi dominated area in Mumbai, would really appreciate the perfect replication of street food flavors of this chaat. I had a hard time holding back my temptations of requesting ‘ thoda paani dena bhaiya‘ ( paani, here, refers to the chutney). Would highly recommend the chaat with an extra shot of chutney. Batan Papdi Chaat Dal Pakwan: This popular Signature Sindhi dish, usually considered as a heavy breakfast, was served as a starter. The dish of mixed lentils cooked to perfect creamy consistency, topped with typical garnish of onions, potatoes, tomatoes and green chutney, served in shot glasses along with pakwan (crisps) was modern in appearance but had remarkable traditional flavors. And since portions were moderate, you are left with plenty of room to try out other delicacies. Dal Pakwan Saibhaji Dhodho: The canapé stole my heart! Saibhaji, the mash of spinach, veggies and lentils served on the Jowar Dhodho (refers to patted flour rotis) discs reminded me of my mom ( and this is a big deal) and her signature dish; Juar Jo Dhodho! The Saibhaji had a dry-ish texture so that it could be served as a top up on Dhodho. The subzi had a perfect blend of earthiness of spinach, tartness of tomatoes, aroma of dill leaves and nuttiness of Chana dal. And the Dhodho had that magic touch of sayi thoom or fresh green garlic that makes Sindhi Dhodho so appetising. I gobbled multiple portions of this lovely dish! Yes, it was that good! Saibhaji- Dhodho Aani Basar: Aaani in Sindhi originally meant fish roes. Fish roes fritters cooked in Onion tomato base was/is known as Aani ji bhaji. The vegetarian version is made by flavorful gramflour tikkis fried and added to curry. The aani basar in this pop-up is the vegetarian version. Aani Basar The portion I received was bit high on salt but what I loved about the dish was the melt in the mouth texture of tikki. For the perfect aani dish, tikkis must be well spiced ( and not bland) and must be soft enough to cut in through, smoothly and Chef Jyoti really nailed it! Besan Ji Aani The crunch and nuttiness of whole coriander seeds while having a bite of tikki was a delight to my taste buds and the copious amounts of moyan (fat) gave the tikkis the quintessential texture and crumb. The sweetness of onions provided a delicious base to the tikkis. It was neither bland nor had overpowering masala (spices) flavors. Kadhi chaanwran. Yet another signature Sindhi dish, a delicious blend of roasted gram flour, tangy tamarind and goodness of vegetables, this humble dish is always a winner! Chef Jyoti’s version of kadhi was bit thicker than the one we make at home but it surely had the robust flavors and aroma of perfectly roasted flour, a key factor that decides the fate of the dish. The choice of vegetables used in Kadhi was completely in sync with my preferences, particularly the okra and potatoes that were cooked to perfection. Thankfully the overpowering Cauliflower or oddly placed peas or Beeh (lotus stem) were not used in the Kadhi. Sindhi Kadhi Kadhi was paired with aromatic steamed/ boiled white rice. If you happen to order this dish, I would highly recommend you to take a small portion of rice in a bowl and ladle some hot kadhi over it to make a soupy rice kind of mix and relish it the way Sindhis do, typically! Bhughal Beeh: Honestly speaking, the Bhughal Beeh I know, is a dish made from boiled lotus stem cooked in onion tomato gravy to the extent where the gravy turns like a coating on lotus stem chunks.But Chef Jyoti’s version was very different though I simply loved the bursts of flavors of this dish as well! Bhughal Beeh I am very biased towards lotus stem as I love it in any form and hence this dish too passed the taste test with flying colors. The slightly pungent flavors of garlic and green chillies complemented the earthy flavors of lotus stems while the poppy seeds gave a slightly crunchy, sweet nutty twist and the typical Sindhi garnish of amchoor powder tickled my traditional Sindhi taste buds! I hogged on these as well! Degh waari Bhaji: I had filled myself up by now, but couldn’t resist tasting Degh waari Bhaji since the dish always takes me down the memory lane, back to my childhood days when food served during marriage ceremonies in Sindhi communities was generally Kadhi chaanwaran and/or degh waari bhaji. Huge portions of lotus stem and unpeeled potato chunks cooked in brinjal, onion, tomato gravy, heavily flavored with freshly toasted and ground garam masala cooked in huge degh over logs and served with khada masala spiced rice was termed as Degh waari roti ( roti here means food and not chapati). Degh Waari Bhaji Eventually lotus stem was replaced by other ingredients like Macaroni, Phoolpatasha, Soya granules etc and now in many temples or on religious occasions/ celebration meals, you will find the later version of degh waari bhaji. If done right, the dish can beautifully mimic the flavors of meat curries. Chef Jyoti’s version had soya granules and phoolpatasha and pronounced flavors of garam masala. I would have preferred a little gravy in the dish as personally I prefer to have this curry with boiled rice, just as in good old days! Judging my love for lotus stem by the way I was focusing more on it, Chef Jyoti went inside the kitchen to get some fried Beeh kachryun for me. My soul just blessed her’s, as I munched upon the crisp, crunchy bites of sundried, fried lotus stem chunks! Beeh Jyun Kachryun I really felt sad as I couldn’t relish the classic meat dishes like Mutton, taryal machchi, keema patties etc because of the ongoing Navratras and had to resist the temptations to try out sherbet or falooda and other desserts as I am currently off sugar for health reasons. I wish I could taste everything that’s on the menu!I hope Sindh Da Swad gets extended beyond Navratri so that I can go back again and relish the rest of the dishes from the menu. Great job done Jyoti! So very proud of you! Please note: Since Chef Jyoti refused to let me pay for the meal, I don’t know the price of any dish. The portions that you see in pictures were customized aptly so as to avoid wastage of food. The actual portions served in a la carte are bigger! You can visit the BKC or Kala Ghoda outlet of Punjab grill to enjoy Sindh Da Swad pop-up!

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Chembur~Sindhi Food Heaven

Alka Keswani — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 15:38:54 +0000

Chembur, a place where my mother was born and brought up, obviously holds a very special place in my heart. I have many fond memories of the times when our school holidays were all about visiting our naani’s home and being pampered by grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. During Ganpati festival, my maasi (Mother’s sister), aunts, cousins and few people from their neighborhood would take us out for pandal hopping, post dinner. Starting from small pandals in close vicinity we would visit distant ones, for Ganpati darshan, including the one in Rk studio with anticipation of spotting some bollywood celebrities there. For summer vacations our plans would be almost same every year. Spending major chunk of our vacation in Chembur was mandatory and we would thoroughly enjoy our stay. The old world charm of the chawls, where my grandparents stayed was strikingly similar to that shown in Sai Paranjpe’s movie, katha (starring Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Sheikh and Deepti Naval). Small but cozy homes with a common corridor and with doors that would be kept open throughout the day would mean that we can move in and out of neighbors’ home as and when desired. No formalities, no restrictions, just love and affection. Pleasant early mornings were spent sipping tea made by aunts, sitting on the granite platform constructed outside each home, watching empty roads but busy chawls with people flocking around common bathrooms. Lazing around, chatting with maasi or maamis (aunts) we could hear our sleepy cousin brothers cribbing because their precious sleep was disturbed by their respective mothers, who would adjure them to fetch some early breakfast for us. Most of the days it would be Dal pakwan from Vig as it was our most favorite, while some days it would be dal moong brought from a cart just opposite building number 6, in camp area. Rotis or Koki would be made at home to relish with dal moong. On Sundays, mama would bring dalmoong sandwich from the same cart and we would gobble up everything hurriedly so that we can get ready for the exciting day ahead. Before noon we would be exhausted by all the running around, hopping up and down the stairs of the building, playing hide and seek, skipping etc and would run back home to enjoy home cooked meals. Simple but lip smacking food cooked by aunts would satiate us and then we would rush out to play board games/carom or would just chat with the friends in neighborhood, waiting for cousin brothers to come back after playing cricket matches at RCF ground. The real reason behind the wait would be the treat that the famished and thirsty brothers would bring for us;either matka kulfi or ice gola or falooda ( mix of crushed ice, rose syrup, sweetened noodles and some sabja or some milk powder sprinkled). The chilled desserts would taste like nectar in the scorching heat of sultry summers. At times, we would buy peeled chunks of ghanderi (sugar cane) from the vendor who would roam from building to building. And no! those were not the ordinary chunks of sugar cane because the vendor would place few, slightly chilled chunks, on a piece of paper and then like a magician, would sprinkle some rose essence (probably diluted) and a dash of kaala namak (rock salt). The taste of those aromatic, slightly tangy, sweet bombs still lingers on! Another magician that would make our evenings more interesting was the candy floss seller. He would bring the portable candy floss machine along with boxes of sugar crystals. The red colored sugar crystals would look frightening to begin with, but then the craftsman would begin his magic by gently adding spoonful of crystals in the hollow center of the huge vessel and the melting sugar would start disappearing and suddenly from nowhere pink silky threads would start floating in air and the vendor would gently collect those on a wooden stick. We never knew then, that the centrifugal force was the reason behind the spun sugar. Science could be taught in such a fun way but we still stick to boring books or unexciting lab experiments. And if you thought that our food endeavors would end there then you are sadly mistaken. Some days maasi or maami would take us to Diamond garden and then to Saroj restaurant where we would enjoy masala dosa. Some days were for watching a movie in a theater along with samosa and Gold spot or Limca while on other days we would accompany aunts visiting vegetable markets because, yes, you guessed it right, the shopping would end up at a Panipuri shop (Sindh panipuri) hogging panipuris and dahi puris. One of my uncles stayed a little far from granny’s place and visiting them would again mean eating masala dosa from ‘Anna’ standing near building number 20 or pakora, sandwiches and samosa (savory as well as sweet) made by my aunt who would always treat us with lavish spread of assorted dishes. While the elderly clan would chit chat about family, world and politics, we, the kids would get busy with our carom or business game (Monopoly).Two of my cousins there (the brother sister duo), would often pause in the game to lick a little of what looked like some sticky, blackish, soft fudge that actually tasted awful then (but is a staple at home now), and that’s how we got introduced to mighty chywanprash. By the time we would head back home, dinner would be ready and if luck would be with us, then one of our uncles who used to cook some mean non vegetarian dishes would volunteer to make something meaty for us. Sometimes we would visit friends of cousin sisters to watch movies on video and that would mean more snacks or pastries or cold drinks. Now when I sit back and think about those days, I wonder how we could eat all the day, then, without adding up inches or kg/pounds. Golden days, those were! Now my grandparents are no more, mom is probably happy in the company of God, uncles and aunts no longer stay at the same old places, cousins are busy with their own sweet families, the neighbors too have dispersed. Chembur has changed but the memories linger on! So when my friend Kalyan Karmakar, a social media influencer, who writes this beautiful blog called ‘Finely chopped’, expressed his wish to try out some Sindhi food in Chembur, my excitement knew no bounds. Our priorites kept changing, days turned into months, and discussions would end into plans that wouldn’t work out but finally one fine day the planets aligned and we were in Chembur. And oh my! What a fun and food filled day it was! Before heading out, I made sure to check it with my cousin brothers (Thanks Vicky and Sunny for everything!) about the eateries, timings and landmarks to reach there. Kalyan met me at the Dal moong cart and he arrived just a little before the vendor was about to wind up his business. Like a sweet friend he thought about my son who loves baked sweets and thus he got for us some lovely cookies from la Folie Lab. We started our mini food walk with Dal moong sandwiches. Those who are aware of this tiny hidden gem of the place, just opposite building number 6, know what I am talking about. A small cart with 3 aluminum sipryun (plural of Sipri, a favorite vessel of Sindhis to cook traditional dishes) filled with three different dals; maakhreen dal (Yellow mung dal), mung (whole green gram), charan ji dal (Chana dal) is the same place from where we would eat dal moong three decades back. I was eating it after almost 15 years and it tasted just the way it did years back. Dal moong cart, opposite Building number 6, Camp, Chembur Dal moong sandwich! Picture Courtesy Kalyan Karmakar. A sliced pao filled with the mix of dals with smoky, peppery flavors, topped with some chutney and sliced onions is sheer bliss in each bite. A brain child of late Bhojraj Jarkani, this business was passed on to his son Harish, who is no more and is now run by young Jitender, an extremely soft spoken, well educated and humble guy who was happy to share his story with Kalyan. We also tried dal mung with Koki that I was carrying with me since I wanted to have that combination, the way my mother would sometimes send for us in lunch breaks when we were in preschool (bal mandir)/school. I was happy that Jitender’s mother is still following the tradition and the recipe, since the flavors were still the same. We then headed towards Vig, moving out of the lane besides Sattu sweets, walking towards right side till we saw that ‘no frills’ but iconic eatery and the heady aroma of fried pattice and bubbling chole, the sight of stacked pakwan and rows of sambosa (plural of samboso i.e samosa), a clay tandoor on one side and stock of lassi on the other side, welcomed us. Chana dal stuffed potato patty, known as Pattice or Chaap in Sindhi ! Sambosa I could spot Arjun Arora Uncle (The owner) sitting in the same place, smiling, chatting with regular customers while handling money matters simultaneously, the way he used to, when I was just a kid. Though the eatery is almost seven decades old, it was named VIG only in 1974 by Arjun Arora Uncle. And if you want to know the reason behind the name Vig, do read Kalyan’s blogpost here! We tried the most popular breakfast of Sindhis, the pakwan, with tender but not mushy chana dal, spicy green chutney, crunchy sliced onions, a dash of potato subzi and a hint of pickle, a USP of Vig, and that’s what that makes their Dal pakwan unique and lip smacking. Pakwan at vig is thicker and crunchy unlike thin and crispy pakwan found elsewhere but you will just love it! Chana dal pattice was crisp from outside and the soft layer of mashed potatoes underneath with spiced chanadal at the centre when had with mildly spicy chole, reminded me of the days when as kids, we would eat away the crisp crust and leave behind soft potato layer and chana dal. Can’t say if we were stupid or just acted like normal kids would! Now that I am not a kid anymore, I ate pattice (whole) with all its accompaniments, a sign of maturity, you see! Tough we wanted to try Pulav, Kulcha and samose too but we were already full. Kalyan had some Lassi and I hope he liked it! Kalyan is well known for initiating a conversation and taking it to the next level by making strangers feel so comfortable that they start chatting with him like buddies. I, on the other hand could feel socially awkward and stay mum, in presence of strangers. So while Kalyan was chatting with Uncle, I was standing there listening to both of them as they exchanged their food experiences from Delhi, Amritsar etc (Like Kalyan, Arjun Uncle seems to be a great foodie). You can know about the whole conversation and some very interesting details and sweet memories of an elderly customer of Vig refreshment, who was very excited to give us some inputs about the place, about the famous loyal customers and about his love for food at Vig, by reading the wonderful post by Kalyan. Here is the link.. After the sleep inducing heavy breakfast it was time to leave Chembur but it is practically impossible to be standing on Dr CG Road, trying Sindhi food and not visiting Jhama Sweets. Agree? So our last stop for the day was Jhama sweets of course. Jhama that I remember was a small shop with counters loaded with trays and trays of Sindhi as well as general sweets (Mithai) and their specialty was the fresh, sweet, syrupy, soft, melt in the mouth (Clichéd I know, but still…) sugar bombs, the Gulabjamun and equally popular was sinful Singhar mithai (sev barfi). And they are still well known for these two, even after so many decades. Jhama’s famous Gulabjamun! Picture courtesy Kalyan Karmakar! Singhar ji mithai (Picture courtesy Kalyan Karmakar) The shop now is bigger and better, with more varieties of sweets and savories but we tasted Gulabjamun and sev barfi. Kalyan was amused to know that Tosha, yet another popular sweet, is distributed as Prasad in temples and even during condolence ceremonies (Pagryun or chautha) held in respect of very elderly family members. He was happy to spot sweet boondi as he is aware of its importance in Sindhi Kadhi chaanwran meal. He also tasted the forgotten Sindhi snack, boondi singhar, the unusual but delicious combination of syrupy, sweet boondi with crunchy salted sev. If you are curious to know about his experience at Jhama, then do read his blog post (The link is shared at the bottom of the post too!) We couldn’t try Sindhi panipuris/chaat, pakoras and Sindhi nonveg dishes at Chembur as these are generally available post 5 Pm. But we must soon visit the place again, hopefully! Kalyan’s cab was waiting and hence we decided to wind it up for the day. He looked happy and going by his post it seems that he enjoyed the food and the company 😉 I was supposed to head back towards home but after sharing so many nostalgic memories, with Kalyan, about granny’s home and around, I couldn’t help but walk ahead and visit the old chawls. The place looked revamped but there still were many familiar things around. The homes had grills now and the common corridor was no more. The old neighbors have shifted to distant colonies and the new faces popped through the windows, with a puzzling look on their faces, as I stood there trying to recollect all the names of neighbors, I was once familiar with. I visited the famous Saibaba temple, the foundation of which was laid by Shri Manoj Kumar and though the temple doors were closed in the afternoon, my mind flew across the decades and I could recollect the hustle and bustle around the temple on Thursdays for grand Arti. That was the same place where years ago we would gather post dinner, on special occasions, when a temporary open theatre sort of atmosphere was created by covering the exterior of buildings with giant white clothes (I assume) used as screens and bollywood movies were projected and the people would flock around to watch movies, back to back, sitting in the open ground. Saibaba Temple ! This used to be the milk booth if I am not mistaken. The place is located just opposite Venus decorators. This is how the chawls would look in the past.This one has retained the old world charm while the one where my grandparents once lived, is completely changed now. Finally couldn’t hold myself from rushing towards my maasi’s home who lives in the vicinity. She had no idea that I was in Chembur and I actually wanted to pre inform her before my visit but I just went ahead and met her because love knows no formalities! Sipping some nariyal paani and relishing the tender coconut, we chatted about the golden period. I relived my precious moments from the past and lived some amazing moments, which will now add up to the nostalgic memories of Chembur, the Sindhi food heaven and my naanaraan (maternal grandparents’ home) You can check videos and some drool worthy pics of food too, captured when we visited Chembur and can read the wonderful post by Kalyan Karmakar : Chembur’s Midnight’s Children….Sindhi breakfast places that date from the time when India became independent

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Dal Pakwan ~The most famous Sindhi Breakfast

Alka Keswani — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:32:36 +0000

First of all Belated Diwali Wishes to all the visitors and I hope this Diwali was as auspicious for you all, as it should be! Well, Every one must have celebrated Diwali in some or other way……mine was buzzing full of activities and I thoroughly enjoyed that! Pre- Diwali Days went in Cleaning and scrubbing every nook and corner of the house, followed by lots of shopping for D-Day! Diwali Day began with a Typical Sindhi breakfast which hubby dear kept avoiding from last many months, DAL PAKWAAN….obviously due to the calories it imparts. But knowing me, can I let him have his way on this Day(this is the day to indulge, isn’t it?) After Stuffing myself with this sinful breakfast, it was time to get back in action, a Bhee palaak for lunch (spinach with lotus stem) and then Malai Kofta for Dinner,which were made to enjoy with Whole family who visit us every year for Diwali Puja (Hatri pooja). Hatri is nothing but a small house-like structure made of mud, where a small idol of Lakshmiji sits in the middle. Diyas are lit and prayers are sung in honor of the Goddess of Wealth, followed by Palav and then prasad distribution. My adorable Sis-in -law made lip smacking Pavbahji and my Lovely neighbor send in this Faral (chakli, chivda, ladoo, karanji, namakpada) all relished by everyone along with of course loads of Mithais and Laai (Sindhi Chikkis), followed by more Pooja ceremonies at Relative’s homes and finally some sparklers, crackers and Zameen chakris, not to forget lanterns and Rangoli, before we signed off for the day, exhausted but contented ! So now lets hop to the recipe of the day, Dal pakwan ….which is a Typical, Authentic Sindhi breakfast.It is deepfried, crisp, unpuffed Maida puris, flavored with salt, pepper and ajwain, served with Chanadal, which in turn is topped with coriander chutney and tamarind chutney and /or chopped onions…a true delight ! Print Sindhi Dal Pakwan Recipe Rating 5.0 from 1 reviews Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour 5 mins Serves: 10 servings Sindhi Dal Pakwan Recipe Ingredients For Dal 250 gm chana dal One small onion One small tomato 3-5 green chillies 1 tsp cumin seeds 5-6 of curry leaves (karipatta) 3 cups water ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp Red chilli powder Salt to taste 1-2 tsp oil A pinch of asafoetida For Pakwan 2 cups All purpose flour (Maida) ½ tbsp cumin seeds/Ajwain (caraway)seeds either or both 3 tbsp oil (Ghee is preferred) Salt to taste ½ tsp Red chilly powder Sufficient water to make a dough Oil for deep frying Method To Make Dal Wash dal and soak it for an hour. Ideally the Dal is made without any onions and tomatoes. The vendors generally add loads of butter and flavourful spices to enhance the taste of the otherwise bland dal. But at our home, we use onions for flavors and tomatoes for sourness as some family members can't consume tamarind.No butter is used in Dal made in Sindhi homes, in general. Pour 1-2 tspn oil in a cooker and allow it to heat. Add hing, chopped onion and fry for a couple of minutes. Add grated tomatoes, chopped green chillies and fry it till cooked. Add dal, turmeric powder and salt. Add 2-3 cups of water and close the lid of cooker. Wait for one whistle. Cook on low flame for 5 minutes. Put off the flame.Allow the cooker to cool down. Open the lid, check the dal, it should be tender but not mushy. Heat 1 tsp of oil in another pan and prepare a tempering of Cumin seeds and curry leaves and some red chillii powder.Add the tempering to dal. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. While serving, sprinkle mango powder (Amchoor), chilly powder, coriander leaves and tamarind chutney and/or coriander chutney and chopped onions( optional) Serve hot with crisp pakwan. To make Pakwan Sieve the flour. Mix the flour with the cumin seeds/Ajwain, oil (Ghee), salt , chilli powder and sufficient water and make a dough. Dough should neither be too hard nor too soft. Let the dough rest for 15 min. Later, divide the dough into 10-12 small portions. Roll out each portion like a chapati Prick the surface with fork/ knife, so that it don't puff out (don't forget to do this) Heat the oil till smoking point, slide in the Pakwan and carefully fry it, on medium or low flame till it turns crisp and golden in color. Serve with hot dal. 3.5.3251

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