How to cook lotus stem Archives | Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes

Beeh Sawa Basar| Lotus stem And Spring Onions Curry

Alka Keswani — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 10:34:28 +0000

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 the people I interacted with and I did find some better ways to cook with Spring onions. I intend to share the varying recipes on the blog. For now let me share this stir fried Beeh Sawa Basar (Kamal Kakdi aur hare pyaz ki subzi) or the Lotus stem and Spring Onion Curry that gets done in a jiffy, provided you have a stock of pre boiled lotus stems. Print Beeh Sawa Basar| Lotus stem And Spring Onions Curry Easy Stir-fry cooked with Spring onions and boiled Lotus stem Ingredients Spring Onions 1 Bunch Tomato 1 Large Green Chillies 1-2 Lotus stem 150 Gm (Cut in 1 inch thick slants and boiled till soft) Turmeric Powder ½ tsp Coriander Powder 1 Tbsp Salt to taste Oil 1 tbsp Garam Masala,a pinch (Optional) Method Clean and boil lotus stem in a pressure cooker (with salt and water)till soft.To read about how to cut, clean and boil the stem, check this link! Drain and keep aside. Chop one bunch of spring onions (white and green part separately). In a kadai/Pan, add 1 tbsp oil, and sauté onion whites till slightly pink. Add 1 large tomato and green chillies, chopped. Add a little salt and turmeric powder and cook covered till tomato is mushy. Add boiled lotus stem (make sure it is soft to bite). Add 1 tbsp coriander powder and some salt, if needed and cook on high heat for 3- 4 minutes stirring frequently. Add some green part of spring onions and reserve some for garnish. Cook for 2 minutes. You can add a fat pinch of garam masala too. Garnish with the reserved onion greens and enjoy the delicious dish with some Dal Rice and Roti. 3.5.3251 Need more recipes of Lotus stem (Kamalkakdi)? Check below! Check the recipe here! Sindhi Beeh Tikki, Kamalakakdi Tikki! Check the recipe here Suhanjhre mein Beeh (Lotus stems cooked with drumstick flowers or Moringa Flowers! Find the recipe here!

The post Beeh Sawa Basar| Lotus stem And Spring Onions Curry appeared first on Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes.

Ta’am For AlifBe of Sindhi Food ~30

Alka Keswani — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 10:38:39 +0000

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 and in Urdu it means ‘Food’. Many believe that the word Ta’am comes from ‘Tamsik’ or Tamasic, one of the three Gunas or attributes in which food could be divided as per yogic concept or as per ‘Samkhya’ school of Indian (Hindu) philosophy. Tamsic food is what that makes you lethargic. Not sure that’s what Ta’am in Sindhi means! In Sindhi it generally means ‘Dish’ which could be both; food as well a serving plate/thal! Also in Sindhi, the word Ta’am (pronounced as त’आम) could mean the variety of dishes or a festive spread or even a daawat. You would often hear a child being asked “What Ta’am did your Grandmother feed you”? after he or she is back from a visit to Grandparents. Or a sarcastic remark ” Ta’am toh khaeen” (“enjoying a feast”) hurled at you by a friend or a neighbor when you are spotted eating a luxurious meal, is not uncommon. And here is one such platter or Sindhi Ta’am for AlifBe of Sindhi Food! Starting from Raita in the clockwise direction: D^ahi Boondi (Raita) Beeh Patata (in thickish or ‘lipti hui‘ gravy) Dhotal dal (Yellow Mung dal) Sooji jo seero (Sooji or Semolina halwa) Bheendi pickle (grated raw mango pickle) Sindhi Kachri (Rice flour Fryums made in flower shape) Beeh patate ji Tikki (Mashed lotus stem and potato vada)-Scroll down for the recipe! Sindhi Papad Phulko (Whole wheat flour roti) Chanvar (Boiled rice) Vangi (Cucumber) We don’t get good quality lotus stem around our home so our parents (MIL and FIL) make sure to send in some for me to cook and relish it the way I would prefer. This time too, the lotus stem is courtesy Papa, my father-in-law! For the Recipe click here: Beeh Patata (in thickish or ‘lipti hui‘ gravy) Dal Recipe: Dhotal dal (Yellow Mung dal) Recipe: Sooji jo seero (Sooji or Semolina halwa) Recipe: Bheendi pickle (grated raw mango pickle) Print Beeh Patate ji Tikki Mashed Lotus stem and potatoes spiced and coated with besan batter, fried twice! Ingredients 150 gm Lotus stem 2 Potatoes, boiled 2 green chillies Salt as per taste 2-3 cloves of garlic (optional) Ginger ½ inch piece Garam masala powder ½ tbsp Coriander powder ½ tsp Turmeric (Optional) ¼ tsp Amchoor ½ tsp Annardana (Dried Pomegranate seeds) 1 tsp Whole coriander seeds 1 tsp Coriander leaves, a handful For Besan Batter 1 Cup Besan Salt as per taste Turmeric powder ½ tsp Red chilli powder ½- 1 tsp Meethi soda (Cooking/baking soda) a generous pinch Oil for frying Method Clean Lotus stem and slice in small pieces. In a pressure cooker, add lotus stem, salt and 2-3 cups of water. Cook under pressure for 2-3 whistles or till lotus stem is soft enough to mash. Drain and mash it well. Pound ginger, garlic, chillies, annardana and coriander seeds. In a mixing bowl, add mashed lotus stem, mashed boiled potatoes, salt, pounded mix, spices, coriander leaves and mix well. Divide this dough into 5- 6 balls, more or less depending upon how big or small you wish the vadas to be. In a separate bowl, mix besan, salt, chilli powder, turmeric and baking soda and gradually add water to make a smooth batter of pouring consistency. Heat oil for frying in a kadai. Dip each ball into the batter, coat well and drop carefully in the hot oil. Do not crowd the kadai/pan. Fry in batches if needed. Fry on medium flame till almost cooked. Remove from the pan and let the vada cook down a bit. Press each vada, gently, in between your palms to flatten it (i.e make a tikki). Flash fry in hot oil to make the besan coating crisp. You can avoid double frying and instead fry the vada just once but a typical Sindhi style tikki is twice fried. Tastes best with mint coriander chutney. 3.5.3251 And before I sign off for the day, here is a small video about how to write Sindhi AlifBe!

The post Ta’am For AlifBe of Sindhi Food ~30 appeared first on Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes.

Kuneh Ja Beeh|Steamed Lotus stem Chaat

Alka Keswani — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 19:32:28 +0000

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 Punjabi curries, Sindhis use lotus stem in many unique ways too. For example; Beeh is added in potato tikkis or is stuffed, batter-coated and fried to make signature Beeh tikki (pakora). Beeh jyun kachryun i.e sun-dried lotus stems are very popular in our cuisine and the flash fried Kachryun can turn the humble dal chaawal into a satiating meal. Lotus stem is also pickled in a typical Sindhi pickle base of chili powder and vinegar. Suanhjro Ain beeh (drumstick flowers with lotus stem) and Suandhro beeh (dried tender drumsticks with lotus stem) are some lesser known but delicious and highly nutritious recipes of Sindhi cuisine. The fresh seeds of lotus pods are snacked upon (raw) while the corm of lotus, known as Lohr is boiled, peeled, pepped up with salt and freshly ground black pepper powder and is served with tangy mint coriander chutney. Lohr or Lotus corm The most traditional way of cooking lotus stem is in a clay pot, till soft and starchy, served with a dash of spicy mint coriander chutney. This chaat, known as Kuneh ja beeh (Kunoh means the clay or earthen pot ), the pride of Sindhi cuisine, is now almost a lost recipe. The lotus stem is cleaned thoroughly, cut in pieces, salted and steamed (not boiled) in an inverted clay pot, for hours, till the stem is soft and stringy. Kuneh Ja Beeh The above mentioned method of cooking ensures a great texture and the clay pot enhances the earthy flavors of beeh. Since this method requires cooking for long hours, I tried a different way to steam lotus stem, which is explained in the recipe section. If you have a better way to do this, please do share your method in the comments section 🙂 This is one of the most famous chaat from pre partition era and I remember eating this few decades ago. Around Diwali, a person carrying a huge matka containing lotus stem and a small steel container filled with chutney, along with the pouches filled with various spices like rock salt, black pepper powder and red chilli powder along with amchoor powder that would fit in the neck of the clay pot, used to move around streets. Halting wherever he got some customers, he used to pull out the snugly fitted container and spice pouches from the pot and would pick out some perfectly cooked kuneh ja beeh, plonk on a piece of newspaper, on which he would sprinkle the spices like the magical pixie dust, in varying proportions, as per the customer’s demand. Few spoons of spicy green chutney would provide the required kick and a very nutritious chaat would warm our souls on those early winter days. Print Kuneh Ja Beeh|Steamed Lotus stem Chaat Rating 5.0 from 1 reviews Steamed lotus stem served with green chutney Ingredients Lotus stem 250 gm Salt For garnish Rock salt (powdered) a pinch or so Amchoor powder Black pepper powder Red chili powder Mint coriander chutney Method Clean lotus stem and cut into 2 inch long pieces. Place the pieces in an airtight steel box that can easily be put inside pressure cooker. Add salt to the lotus stem and cover it with a cling film. Place the lid of the container and immerse it in pressure cooker that is filled with water till ¾ of its capacity. Close the lid of pressure cooker and cook the Beeh till really soft and stringy. It took 30 whistles of pressure cooker (or around 40 minutes or so of cooking under pressure on low flame) for the Beeh to cook to perfection. Ideally it should be more stringy but I was running out of the time so couldn't let it cook for more time. Take the Beeh out from the container and add rock salt, some salt, pepper, chilli powder and toss it well. Put the spiced up bhee in the hot clay pot, cover it with a lid and place the pot on a hot griddle. Cook on low flame for 5-10 minutes to let the clay infuse some earthiness in the lotus stem. You can keep pouring some water on griddle to ensure that the lotus stem stays moist and does not stick to the bottom of clay pot. Skip this whole process (cooking in clay pot) if you wish so. Serve hot with a sprinkle of amchoor powder and a dash of spicy green mint coriander chutney. 3.5.3251

The post Kuneh Ja Beeh|Steamed Lotus stem Chaat appeared first on Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes.

Beeha Ji Tikki|Stuffed Lotus stem Tikki

Alka Keswani — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 15:32:27 +0000

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 those days when we used to buy this tikki from Pakora vendors.The shop of Ballu Uncle in Ulhasnagar camp 4, was so popular because of his Beeh ji tikki, that it became a landmark for areas around, and the lane opposite to his shop, was known by his name. In the evening, the hot crispy, spicy stuffed lotus stem tikkis, with green chutney, attracted not only the locals but also the people from far and wide.The Man is no more, neither is his shop, but the taste of Beeh tikkis lingers on. This week I received yet another batch of amazingly fresh lotus root/stem from my Mother-in-law along with my favorite fresh green garlic and I instantly craved for some Beeh tikkis. And oh ! there are some fresh turnips and freshly milled Jowar flour that she packed for me, so Chithyal ghogrun and Juar jo dodo shall be my lunch tomorrow ;-). Thank you Ma 🙂 The lotus stem must be cleaned properly, boiled and then stuffed with the mixture of greens. You can use regular garlic, but this time I used fresh green garlic, that imparts more verdant flavor. The besan batter coated tikkis could be fried completely at one go, if you wish to make it less sinful. But Sindhis have this evil affinity for double frying their snacks for the sake of enjoying crispy and crunchy munchies ;-). So pick your choice ! Heading towards the recipe of Sindhi Beeh Tikki, here we go… Print Beeha Ji Tikki|Stuffed Lotus stem Tikki Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 35 mins Serves: 5 Lotus stem stuffed with green masala, dipped in chickpea batter and double fried Ingredients Beeh/bhein (Kamalkakdi or Lotus stem) 250 gm For Stuffing Coriander leaves ½ cup Green chillies 4-5 Chopped Fresh green garlic 2 tbsp Turmeric powder ¼ spoon Coriander Powder 2 tsp Amchoor (Optional) ¼ tsp Salt as per taste To make batter for coating Gram flour (Besan) 1 small cup Salt as per taste Red chilli powder ½ tsp Baking soda a pinch Oil for frying Method Wash thoroughly the lotus stem and cut it into pieces, each about 2 inches long. Now boil these in a pressure cooker with some salt and water, till almost done. Depending upon the quality of lotus stem, the time to cook varies.To soften the stem faster add few drops of oil or sindhi papad while boiling. The lotus stem that I used, was fresh and of good quality. I put it on low flame for 4 minutes after one whistle (of pressure cooker) and it was just perfect to stuff and fry. Meanwhile mix chopped coriander leaves, green chillies and chopped fresh garlic in mortar-pestle (Hamam Dasta) and pound it to obtain a coarse mixture.Please do not grind it. Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, amchoor powder (optional) and mix it properly Take each piece of boiled lotusstem, slit it vertically and stuff the mixture properly. Now take besan in a bowl, add some salt, red chilly powder and baking soda and mix it properly. Add water to make a batter of thick consistency Dip each stuffed lotusstem piece in batter and coat it properly. Fry it in hot oil on medium flame for a while, then take it out and press a little in between your palms (carefully so as to not break it) and fry again till crisp and golden colour.Repeat the procedure for remaining pieces Serve this Bheeya ji tikki with coriander and mint chutney or any chutney of your choice. Goes well with Dal rice, or Tidali dal 3.5.3251

The post Beeha Ji Tikki|Stuffed Lotus stem Tikki appeared first on Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes.

Sharing my happiness !

Alka Keswani — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 06:26:34 +0000

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 bit about myself and sharing my Mother’s Recipe of ” Stuffed Bhein/Beeh(Lotus root)” or Beeh tikki.

The post Sharing my happiness ! appeared first on Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes.