Suwanjhre Jo Matho|Moringa Flower Raita

Alka Keswani — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 13:30:07 +0000

Suhanjhro/Suwanjhro or Moringa (Drumstick) flowers are nutritious edible flowers and are generally found in Mumbai markets from around December to February. It is time consuming to clean (pick), wash and cook the flowers and not many appreciate the earthy flavor of Drumstick flowers. I love Moringa flowers and I generally have it in two ways..either cooked as a Moringa-lotus stem curry called as Suhanjhro (Suwanjhro) in Sindhi (Click here to check the recipe) or else in the form of a Raita. My mom would often boil the flowers and refrigerate a portion of it, to make the raita, later. Many find it difficult to clean/pick the moringa flowers and some don’t know the correct process of cleaning/washing/cooking these flowers. Tips to clean and cook Moringa flowers: 1) Always buy the flowers that look fresh (not bruised or discolored) as the flowers tend to rot very rapidly. 2) Make sure there are more buds than flowers as the buds are more flavorful. Buds also have a little more shelf life than flowers. 3) As soon as you buy the flowers, spread those on a news paper or a winnow and keep it in sunlight for 10-15 minutes, if possible. Keep a watch to check if there are any wiggling insects. 4) Pick and discard visible thick stems, leaves, rotten flowers, if any. 5) Take handful of flowers and buds on a plate/ winnow/ newspaper and carefully pick and discard thin stems. 6) Repeat the process till all the flowers are sorted. 7) Ideally you should boil the flowers immediately but if you need to store it, then pack the flowers in a ziplock bag and place in the refrigerator. Boil the flowers as soon as possible. 8) Before boiling, place the flowers in a huge bowl and cover with water. Stir with fingers. Collect the floating flowers and buds and place in another bowl. The thin stems, mud, grit etc will settle down in the water. Discard the content that settles down and repeat the process for 4-5 times. This process is known as Aathrayan in Sindhi. Do check this video to understand the process in a better way. Once cleaned, place the flowers and the buds in a pan, cover with water, add some salt and boil for 15-20 minutes on medium flame. Drain, squeeze well, add water again, stir well, drain, squeeze and repeat 2-3 times. This reduces the bitterness of the flowers/buds. Cool and either use it right away or freeze these after packing in a ziplock bag. When required, thaw the frozen flowers, add boiling water, let it rest for 10 minutes, squeeze and use it in curries, soups or make the raita following the recipe shared below. Print Suwanjhre Jo Matho|Moringa Flower Raita A nutritious and delicious raita made using boiled Moringa flowers, the dish called Suhanjhre (Suwanjhre) jo Matho is a favorite of many Sindhis. Ingredients 1 Cup Curds ½ cup of boiled Moringa flowers Salt as per taste Water as much preferred ( I used half a cup of water) Half of a green chilli, finely chopped (seeds discarded) Pinch of grated ginger Black pepper powder and red chilli powder to garnish Fresh coriander leaves to garnish Method In a mixing bowl, take curds and whisk it well. Add water to dilute the curds so as to make a raita. Add boiled moringa flowers that are squeezed well. Make sure that the flowers are cool to touch. Hot or warm flowers will spoil the raita. Add salt, chopped green chilli, grated ginger (a pinch) and mix well. Adjust the consistency and salt. Garnish with pounded black pepper corns/ pepper powder, red chilli powder and coriander leaves. This raita tastes better if refrigerated for 20-30 minutes before serving. If you do not consume cold food, then just allow the raita to stand for 10-15 minutes at the room temperature. The flavors merge/develop well this way. Relish the nutritious raita as a side dish with the meal of your choice. 3.5.3251 And here is the Recipe video of Moringa flower Raita:

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Suhanjhro|Drumstick Flowers currry

Alka Keswani — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 15:21:51 +0000

Drumsticks are widely used in Sindhi cuisine, be it in the traditional Sindhi kadhi, or in Seyal bhaji, as Bhughal Singhyun or in tomato gravy. The dried tender drumsticks called Suandhro, finds its place in dry curry or even in Raita (condiment made with yoghurt). Our love for the Moringa oleifera, the drumstick tree, extends beyond its tender seed pods and hence when the fresh drumstick flowers are in season, Sindhis flock to markets to buy the seasonal produce before it disappears within weeks, to cook Suhanjhro/suwanjhro/swanjhro i.e drumstick flowers curry. The fresh flowers or Suhanjhro/ swanhjray (Drumsticks) ja (of) Gulah (flowers) could taste bitter if the stems are not removed. Its always good to boil the flowers to get rid of the bitterness. The earthy flavor of cooked flowers when pepped up with freshly crushed black pepper corns and garam masala powder, gives you a hearty rustic dish. Pair it with some Jowar bhakris and there you go, celebrating winters in a way that warms your body and soul ! Its hard to spot the drumstick flowers around our home during winters, so recently when we visited our parent’s home, I was thrilled to find some boiled flowers lying the refrigerator, there. So courtesy to my father who saved my share of boiled flowers and my MIL and FIL who shared one the most fresh and tender lotus stem I have ever cooked, here is one of my most favorite dish, Suhanjhro ain Beeh (Drumstick flowers with lotus stem). Recipe video of Suhanjhro or SIndhi style Moringa flowers with Lotus stem: Print Suhanjhro|Drumstick Flowers currry Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Suhanjhro or drumstick flowers curry is Sindhi style curry cooked with onion, tomato and spices, flavored with black pepper powder Ingredients Fresh drumstick flowers, boiled 125 gm* Lotus stem 100-150 gm Onion 1 medium size Tomato 1 Curd 4 tsp Ginger 1'' piece Green chillies 2 (or as many preferred) Turmeric powder ½ tsp Coriander powder 1 heaped tsp Garam masala powder ¾ tsp Freshly ground black pepper powder ¾ tsp (or less) Salt Oil 1tbsp Fresh coriander leaves to garnish Method *Since the flowers were already boiled, I do not have precise weight of fresh flowers before boiling.But thanks to Sangeeta Khanna (of banaras ka khana and healthfood desivideshi, fame), who came to my rescue by letting me know that around 115 gm or so, of fresh flowers might yield 125 gm of boiled flowers. While buying flowers,make sure that there are more unopened buds than the open flowers.Remove the tiny hard stems of flowers and leaves if any. Soak flowers in water and then boil in an open vessel for 10 minutes or more, till the flowers are tender. This removes the bitterness from flowers. Drain the water and strain the flowers. You can use the drained flowers right away or refrigerate for a day or so. Similarly, clean and prepare lotus stem. Here again, thoroughly wash the stem and get rid of the mud. Cut it into ½ inch thick slants.The pores of stem, if still muddy, could be cleaned with tooth picks, or soak them in warm water and hold them under running tap for few seconds to wash away any residual mud. Pressure cook stem pieces with some salt and water for 2-4 whistles of cooker.Depending upon the quality and thickness the cooking time of stem varies. The beeh is supposed to be done when it pass the skewer test. (Pierce a tooth pick or tip of knife, and it should easily slide in). Drain beeh and keep aside. Now in a pressure cooker, pour 1 tbsp oil and add chopped onions. Saute till light brown in colour. Add chopped tomato, ginger, green chillies, curd and mix well. Cook on high heat . Add the drained flowers, salt, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Cook on high heat till all the moisture evaporates and tomatoes are cooked well. Finally add cooked beeh, garam masala powder and black pepper powder. Add around ½ cup of warm water and close the lid of pressure cooker.After pressure is released once (one whistle) lower the flame and let the curry cook under pressure, on low flame, for around 10 minutes or so. This curry is generally of a semi dry to dry consistency. Garnish with coriander leaves and some more black pepper and serve it with roti or steamed rice. This time I relished it with Juar jo Dhodho that had loads of fresh garlic added to it. Notes The reason for boiling lotus stem is to get rid of the mud that might be stuck up inside pores.If the lotus stem that you are using is clean and clear of any residual mud, you can directly add the cut lotus stem to the flowers without pre boiling stems.Also some lotus stem are hard to boil. So add some drops of vegetable oil to hasten the boiling process. 3.5.3251 For the Tips and tricks to clean and wash Moringa flowers check this link! Do check Moringa flower Raita recipe video on YOUTUBE!

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Suwanjhre Jo Matho|Moringa Flower Raita

Suhanjhro|Drumstick Flowers currry