Beeh Sawa Basar (Lotus stem and Spring onions curry) There is a dish in Sindhi cuisine named Sawa basar patata i.e Spring onions and Potatoes Curry and though it is loved by many, I somehow find the texture and flavour of the curry to be very unappetising. A similar dish is cooked using Beeh (Lotus stem) and Spring onions. When cooked in a pressure cooker, the peculiar over-powering flavours of spring onion greens and slightly slimy, mushy texture is not something that I like and hence I seldom made that curry. Later, I learnt many variations of the recipe from…
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In Arabic Sindhi there are two consonants that sound similar but are actually different; ت and ط , i.e ‘T’ as in Taiwan, Tahini, Tabla etc. ت as in Tosha was covered in the AlifBe~ 6 , while the 30th consonant i.e ط is what we are discussing today. Unlike the ت that is used for words of Sindhi origin, ط is used for words of Urdu/Persian/Arabic origin. So what are we going to discuss today? Ta’am is what we will talk about. Meaning of the word Ta’am varies across the different languages. While in Jewish it means ‘taste’, in Turkish…
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Apart from the quintessential Papad, pickle, Kadhi and Saibhaji, Sindhis are well known for their love for the lotus stem and they are the most avid eaters of this slightly nutty, mildly sweet, crunchy stem. Their insatiable appetite for Beeh is the reason that lotus stems are particularly found in markets in and around Sindhi populated areas. Beeh (Lotus stem), dhodhee/Pabhora (lotus seeds) and Lohr (corm) are the parts of Lotus plant that Sindhis eat with great relish. While our Beeh paalak is bit similar to Kashmiri Nadru paalak (Paalak nadir) and our gravy based beeh curries are similar to…
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A Sindhi’s love for Lotus stem dates back to pre-partition era and our forefathers loved the nutty flavored, woodsy looking, stringy/hairy stem of Lotus flower so much that they started cultivating it here in India, around their homes, and hence this Lotus stem or Beeh is still found mostly in Sindhi dominated areas.Those who grew up in areas like Ulhasnagar, Chembur, Khar, Pune, Indore or such other Sindhi populated places, might have tasted, the stuffed Beeh tikki. A signature Sindhi snack, Beeha Ji tikki, is now hardly available in Sindhi eateries and is seldom cooked at homes. I still remember…
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A quick hello on a warm Monday morning and a sweet news to share ! Food blogging gives me immense pleasure…. sharing the traditional recipes, hearing your views and comments, reading all the messages and Emails with good wishes and compliments, getting to know about how your mother/aunt/friend/relative cooks the same dish, connecting with many old friends, making new ones …all these things make me feel so happy and cheerful. Dear readers, I am so glad to share with you all yet another reason of my happiness. It feels so nice to be featured in Femina’s online edition, talking a…
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A heavy heart, a restless mind, an off mood and a headache ..all are hindering my attempts to have a hearty conversation with you all today. But I have got a recipe to share with some lovely people,who wanted to know some more ways to relish Lotus stem or Beeh(Bhein). So here I go anyway… Sindhis tend to like Beeh, though it is bland in taste and could be awful with all its HAIRY TALES, but trust me if you can, slicing it in right way, cooking it till perfectly done and combining it with some flavorful spices, is all…
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Memories are myopic? Are they?? Well I don’t completely agree to this belief, since I am amongst those who dwell in beautiful past. I hate to look at reprehensible stuff around me, but unfortunately I am always forced to throw myself in pits of gloom, corruption, political vested interests and rising prices and declining bank balances. Pity, I can’t turn my eyes off the budging ugly head of terrorism and hatred but I wish I was allowed to be self occupied, innocent, energetic and bubbly kid forever and ever and ever! Well, I don’t wear wishbones where my backbone ought…









