sindhi language Archives | Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes

Gyarsi (Ekadashi) Khadho For AlifBe~38

Alka Keswani — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:55:45 +0000

Gyarsi Khadho or the Sindhi Ekadashi food is my pick for the AlifBe of Sindhi food~ 38. The 38th alphabet in Persio Arabic script is گ in Sindhi, ग in Devanagari and ‘G‘ as in Ganga, in Roman Sindhi. Gyars: Gyars (Giyaras/ Igyas) is observed on the eleventh day of Hindu Lunar month. In each lunar month two Gyars (Ekadashi) are observed. Like many other communities, even Sindhi people observe the Ekadashi fast. Upvas or fasting as we call it, is an essential part of any culture. There are various ways to observe a fast and there are various types of fasts. Be it Chaliha, Lent/Shrove Tuesday, Roza/Ramadan, Karva Chowth, Teej, Navratri, Paryushan or any other religious or spiritual fast, the beliefs may vary, the rituals may be poles apart but the crux remains more or less the same i.e to connect with the Supreme power and to connect with your own-self in a disciplined way. For many Hindus, Upvas is a synonym of fasting or to abstain from food. For religious folks, Upvas or Upa (near/close)+ Vas (to stay/ live) is the time to get closer to his or her deity while for many spiritual people, upvas means to connect with their own self, to introspect, to control their desires, to stay in solitude and to become a better version of his or her self. Of course not everyone understands the true essence of Upavas and for many it just means indulging in a different way. We tend to look for tempting recipes using pseudo grains when grains are not allowed, we feast on fancy ‘satvik’ food cooked with ingredients that our ancestors never knew about, restaurants and eateries offer ‘fasting’ meals to ‘satiate’ your taste buds, the markets are flooded with all sorts of feasts to break your fast. I feel so amused! Well, I am not the one who believe in the moral policing and I am as much guilty as many of us would be, when it comes to feasting on a fasting day. We surely need to mend our ways! Coming to Gyars or Ekadashi, the day is considered to be a sacred day to worship Lord Vishnu and the Sindhis abstain from consuming meat, grains, beans/pulses, cereals, table salt (sendha namak is used instead) and spices except black pepper and cumin (many even avoid cumin seeds). Leafy greens and vegetables are also avoided in the Gyarsi (Ekadashi) food, by majority of Sindhis observing the fast. For those who observe Ekadashi, the Gyarsi breakfast generally consists of fruits or Kirng (Kin~g) i.e samo porridge. The porridge made from samo seeds could be sweet or savory (cooked with salt and black pepper). It is generally paired with shallow fried potatoes flavored with sendha namak and freshly pounded black pepper. Lunch consists of Gyarsi Bhaji and Dhodho. Video Recipe of Gyarsi Bhaji and Dhodho: Gyarsi Bhaji: A soupy, tangy curry is cooked with roasted samo flour (Bagar/ Varai) known as Sauri (sauvri) to which potatoes and boiled lotus stem are added. The curry is flavored with salt, pepper and tamarind juice. It is paired with Gyarsi Dhodho i.e a patted roti made from Sauri flour to which mashed boiled potatoes are added for the binding. Scroll down for the recipe of Bhaji and Dhodho! If in the season, Lahori Gajar i.e boiled/roasted or syrup sweetened sweet potatoes are also had on Ekadashi. Coconut, sago wafers, dates, peanuts are consumed as snacks or many consume sabudana khichdi in the evening. The above picture is shared by Mrs Urvashi Dama. This is Gyarsi platter and a particular dish that intrigued me was Kuttu Je Daro (dar-ey) Ja Dhokla or the Dhokla made from broken Buckwheat (groats), a traditional dish popular in some Sindhi subcastes (Do Nasarpuri Sindhis make this commonly?Please share any information you have). In the above picture you can see steamed Kuttu Dhokla and also the fried Dhokla. Urvashi Ji was generous enough to share the recipe of this lesser known dish. If you wish to get her recipe, just leave a comment in the comment section! Though Rajgira and Kuttu (Amaranth) puri and pakode are also had by some but many avoid the greasy puri pakoda. These are more popular with those who observe only one Ekadashi in whole year i.e Vadhi Gyars (Prabhodhini Ekadashi) and for many of us it is an occasion to relish Rajgiri and Kuttu (Buckwheat) puri/ pakora, the tempting Gyarsi patties and the tangy, off white colored Beeh alu curry sold in the shops and eateries in Sindhi populated areas on Vadhi Gyars. Print Gyarsi (Ekadashi) Khadho For AlifBe~38 Ingredients For Curry (Sindhi Gyarsi Bhaji/ Gyarsi Beeh patata) 3 medium sized Potatoes 100-150 gm Lotus stem ¼ cup Sauri flour 1 small tamarind ball Salt (preferably sea salt or rock salt ) 1 tbsp Black pepper powder 1 Green chilli (optional) 2 tbsp Oil 2 cups Water For Dhodho (Flat bread) Makes 3 200 gms ( 2 and half cup) Sauri (Bagar.varai/Samo) Flour Salt as per taste 1 tbsp Black pepper (crushed or powdered) 2 tbsp Oil (optional) 2 Mashed boiled potatoes Water as much needed Oil and ghee to cook roti. Method Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water for about 15 min, mash it properly, and discard the fibre and seeds. We will use the tamarind water only. Scrap off the peel of lotus stem and cut in slants (1-2 cm thick). If the stem is very thin in diameter, you can cut it in 2 inch long pieces (not slanted). Clean the stem thoroughly if their is any mud inside the pores. Use running water and tooth picks to clean pores. If you buy the stem that is closed at both the ends, there wont be any mud inside. Boil lotus stem along with water and few drops of oil, in a pressure cooker. You can use some raw papad instead of oil to hasten the cooking process. A good quality Beeh (Lotus stem) will soften in 2-3 whistles of pressure cooker. When pressure subsides, open the lid of cooker and drain lotus stem. Keep aside. Heat a pressure cooker and add 2 tbsp oil. Add add sauri flour. Roast it till slight change in colour is observed. Add water, salt, black pepper powder and potato cubes along with boiled lotus stem, tamarind water, green chilli (if using) and mix properly. Close the lid of cooker and wait for 2 whistles. Later, check the consistency of gravy and adjust accordingly. This curry is supposed to be soupy. It tends to thicken with time. This Sindhi Gyarsi (Ekadashi) Beeh patata are relished with gyarsi dhodha To Make Dhodho Take 200 gm of sauri flour , and mix salt, pepper, mashed potatoes and 2 tbsp oil (optional) Please Note: Adding oil will make Dhodho crisp while skipping oil will make Dhodho softer. Potatoes are added for the binding. So do not skip potatoes. Instead of using boiled potatoes you can use few chunks of potatoes from the Gyarsi Subzi. Mix everything well. Adding little water at a time, knead a soft dough. Grease your palms with little oil, take a portion of the dough and pat it between your palms (refer the recipe) video to flatten the dough ball as much as possible. Now grease a hot griddle (tawa) and gently pat the flattened dough rolling in circular motion with palm of your hand, till a thickness of paratha is achieved (since this is bit tricky, an easy way out is to take a clean polythene bag or butter paper and lay on kitchen platform. Now sprinkle some flour on this polythene sheet and place the dough, and then gently pat it in circular motion till a thick roti is formed and carefully pick it up and place on greased and hot griddle) Pour a little of oil and let the Dhodho cook on medium flame till small brown patches appear. Toss and cook on other side too. Repeat for the remaining dough. Enjoy it hot with gyarsi bhaji or with dahi The dough tends to get loose and difficult to handle with time. Hence make sure to cook the flatbread as soon as you knead the dough. 3.5.3251 And if you wish to learn how to read and write Arabic Sindhi, then you can watch these short videos that I make for letter formation!

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Zaroori Masalha For AlifBe~29

Alka Keswani — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 08:02:38 +0000

The 29th Consonant in Sindhi AlifBe is ض in Arabic Sindhi, ज़ in Devanagari and ‘Z‘ in Roman Sindhi. ‘Z’ as in ‘Zaroor‘ or ‘Zaroori‘! Yes, ‘Z’ is already covered in the AlifBe series but then, there are 4 variations of ‘Z’ in Persio Arabic Sindhi script. Do read the details here, in case you are interested! Coming back to the ض, since there is no Sindhi dish starting with this consonant, I am here today with a post about essential/important spices i.e ‘Zaroori Masalha ‘ in Sindhi cuisine, for AlifBe of Sindhi Food~29! I am yet to confirm the correct way of writing ‘Masalha’ in Devanagari. If you know it, please do help! Few general spices are essential to rustle up any Sindhi meal and then there are some typical spices that are used in various Sindhi dishes. Let’s begin with essential powdered spices: Haid (हैड) i.e Turmeric: Turmeric is one of the most important spices used in Sindhi cuisine. It is mandatory in all veg. and non veg. curries/subzis/dal preparations/pickles etc and it is also used in Pulav. Sometimes a tiny pinch is added to rice to get a greenish tinge. Dhaan~a (धाणा) also known as Suka dhaan~a i.e Coriander powder: Coriander powder is used in almost all the curries/veg. or non veg. preprations. It is almost always added at the beginning of the bhunoing process. Whole coriander seeds add wonderful flavors and aroma to Sanna Pakora , Aani in Aani Ji Bhaji while the pounded kernels called dhaan~an jo magaz (Dhaniya Magaz) are used to make Khoya mithai (Poppyseeds, ghee, milk and nuts slow cooked to make a fudge). G^aad^ha Mirch ( ॻाड़हा मिर्च ) i.e Red Chilli powder: Used in almost all the gravy based dishes for color and for heat as well. Red chilli powder is also a key ingredient in Bhuga Chanvar (भुॻा चांवर), pickles and many other dishes including spiced roti (Chehro Phulko) and Puri (Chehri Puri). Kaara Mirch (black pepper powder) : used widely in many Sindhi style dishes like Koki, suhanjhro, the black pepper powder is a preferred garnish for curds, raita etc. Ambachoor /Amchoor (अंबचूर) also known as Khattai/Khatt ( Dried Mango Powder): A must have in a Sindhi Kitchen, this tangy powder is a game changer for many Sindhi style preparations. Fried snacks like Kachalu/ patate ja Tuk, boiled snacks like Sawa Phota, D^adhri (lentil pods), boiled beans like Mung, raanh (black eyed beans), Kuneh Ja beeh etc are often spiced up with Ambachoor. This is one of our favorite souring agents and we do use it very liberally. Garam masalo (गरम मसालो) a Spice blend: There are probably only 2-3 spice blends used in day to day Sindhi cooking; one being a powder of roasted Caraway seeds/cumin seeds and coriander seeds , other being a mix of cardamom and caraway seeds and then there is Garam masalo, the quintessential spice blend that is not as elaborate as the commercially available curry powders or Garam masala powders. Sindhi style Garam masalo is a mix of Tej pata, cloves, black pepper, cumin seeds (sometimes even caraway seeds are added), dalchini (cinnamon), green and black cardamom and very little of nutmeg. Traditionally the above mentioned spices were collected and kept in sunlight to get rid of moisture. Small portions were made so that fresh batches could be made frequently. The freshly made garam masala powder is a key to make a well flavored Sindhi subzi/curry or aromatic gravy based dishes (veg. as well as non veg.). And though technically salt is not a spice, it is arguably one of the most used ingredients in any kitchen and hence it deserves a mention too! Known as Loon~ ( लूण) in Sindhi, this seasoning could be categorised as Loon~ ( table salt), used for regular meals, sendho loon~ (Sendha namak) for regular as well as for satvik meals (Ekadashi, Navratri etc), Kaaro loon~ (black salt/Rock salt) used in chutneys, chaat or to garnish buttermilk, lassi etc Essential Spices For Tempering: Tempering or tadka is an important process when it comes to flavoring a dish, particularly the lentils. Almost all lentil preparations in Sindhi cuisine are tempered with ghee and basic spices like Jeero (Cumin) and Aur/Ahur/Saranh i.e Mustard seeds. In some Dal preparations like Tidali dal or in whole mung, garlic and asafoetida are also added. The fat medium is generally the ghee but it could be refined oil too. Bhatia Sindhis do not consume onions or garlic and hence hing (हिंॻ) (asafoetida) is the most preferred spice for tempering in Bhatia Cuisine! Hurb^o i.e हुर्ॿो (fenugreek seeds) is yet another spice used for tadka; mostly in the dishes where spices are tempered at the beginning of the cooking process (while in dal preparations, tempering is done towards the end) e.g. Sindhi kadhi, Tamate ji ras mein patata (Potatoes cooked in tomato gravy) etc. Hurb^o is also added to many Sindhi style pickles. Laung (cloves), Kamaal Patt (Tej Patta) , Nanda phota (Green cardamoms) Vadha Phota (Black Cardamoms) are also used in many Sindhi dishes where Khada masala in required for example in Pulav, in non vegetarian curries and in some vegetarian curries too. For the tang: Tomatoes were not a part of traditional Sindhi cuisine in ancient era. Most of the traditional dishes like Tidali dal, Kukum waari dal, Bhindi basar (Bhindi pyaz), mung beans etc are still made without tomatoes, though some of us now use tomatoes in these dishes too. Gidamr^i or गिदामिड़ी (Tamarind) is generally used as a souring agent in Sindhi Kadhi and in chutneys. Kukum ja gulah (dried Kokum phool) are also widely used in Sindhi Kadhi instead of tamarind as these impart refreshing tangy flavor without altering the color of the dish. Kukum Ja gulah (dried Kokum Flowers) are also used in some dal preparations! Ambachur (as mentioned above) and D^ar^oon khatta (ॾाड़हूं खट्टा) i.e annardana or dried pomegranate seeds, both are profusely used in Sindhi cuisine! Dried Pomegranate seeds are not only used as a souring agent in Tidali Dal but these are also used to make Koki, Sanna Pakoda and many other dishes! There are some other spices like Mithi soda (cooking soda/baking soda) mostly used in batters for making Pakora, jaan~ (जाण) or ajwain used in Pakwan, Saunf (fennel seeds) used in Tairi and could be a few more that I may have missed mentioning here. Do let me know if you could think of more! And before I wind up today’s post, here is a short video explaining how to write consonants/vowels in Arabic Sindhi. If you haven’t subscribed to my YouTube channel then please do. It will motivate me to make recipe videos in the future!

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Misri And Its Importance in Sindhi Culture~ AlifBe~28

Alka Keswani — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 06:30:45 +0000

The next consonant in AlifBe (Sindhi ‘alphabet’) is ص in Arabic Sindhi, स in Devanagari and in Roman Sindhi it is ‘S’, as in ‘sandook’. If you have been following the AlifBe Series, you may remember the 10th post in which I have mentioned that in Arabic Sindhi there are three variants of ‘S’ namely; ث , ص, س . Out of these three, two alphabets i.e ث and ص are used only while writing Arabic or Urdu words in Sindhi script while س is used to write words of Sindhi origin. In Roman Sindhi and in Devanagari, these 3 alphabets are denoted with letter S and स (respectively) only. So while in my 10th Post I did mention that all three variations of ‘s’ are covered under one since there are no Sindhi dishes that start with ث , ص life had other plans for me! A few days ago my friend Anjali Koli, a fellow food blogger, the spice queen who makes wonderful spice blends, the lady whom you may have seen on T.v (The Great Indian Rasoi, season 2, cooking with Chef Ranveer Brar) wrote a lovely post about a ritual that is common across many communities, on Instagram! She was referring to a post by Shubhra Chatterji (Director, Story writer and Entrepreneur) of The Lost Recipe fame, about the sugar (cones of sugar) being a part of the engagement ceremonies. It was fascinating to know that a Sugar cone/sugar/Misri is a part of Engagement rituals in Koli and in Parsi communities, in Tamil and Kannada culture as well as in Punjabi community. As we were exchanging our thoughts on that, I realised how Misri plays an important part in Sindhi culture too. And guess what, Misri in Arabic Sindhi is written by using the 28th Consonant in our AlifBe series; ص! No Sindhi dish starts with this letter so in the past I had made my mind to skip the letter. But today here I am, with Misri! Though Misri is not a dish per se, but it plays a very important role in Sindhi rituals. But before talking about the rituals or about how the traditional Misri is made, let me share with you some details about the origin of Misri! Sugar/Misri/Khand! Some versions of the History say that the crystallised sugar was being made by people of India, some 1670 years ago and that from India, via Buddhist monks it reached to the Emperor of Tang Dynasty (around 1400 years ago). While some believe that rock sugar/crystallised sugar was discovered in Tang Dynasty and from there it spread to Europe (Southern) via Middle East. Perhaps the crystallized sugar in India, then, was brownish in color while later in China they managed to make the white crystals and maybe, since white was considered as a better or more pure version by the folks fascinated by the fairer stuff, it became more popular than the Indian Khand. Also, many believe that the term Mishri (Misri in Sindhi) comes from the Chinese ‘Mi-Sha-Li’ meaning “sweet-pebble-glassy,” i.e pebble like crystals of sugar and that the word Khand comes from the Chinese word Kan-Di, which in Arabic became Qan-D and Khand in Hindi.But again, there are theories that the Khandsari (crystallised sugar) is originally a Sanskrit word since Khand means ‘portions'(with gaps) or ‘broken’, in Sanskrit. Do you know that Romans considered Sugar as something that is used for medicinal purposes only? Trust humans to turn something as nourishing as Khand/Misri to something as poisonous as the modern table sugar! Traditionally Misri is made from Khandsari, the unrefined sugar! Juice is extracted from sugar cane, boiled with or without Palm sap, some mucilaginous extracts of vegetable plants (Like Okra/ Deola) are added to clarify the juice along with lime juice (not always)till the scum collected on the surface turns white. The juice is concentrated by boiling further and then cooled. But while cooling it is paddled continuously and thus jaggery ‘sugar’ is obtained which is unrefined (technically, bit refined or cleaner). This unrefined sugar is rich in minerals and is not a threat to your health but when this unrefined sugar goes through multiple ‘refining’ processes, we get the table sugar, an unnecessary, totally avoidable ingredient in our pantry, consumed in ample quantities. To make Misri, a supersaturated solution of the Khand (traditionaly the unrefined sugar) is made and allowed to stand undisturbed. The popular ‘Dhaage Waali Mishri’ is made by placing a string/thread in the supersaturated sugar solution. As the solution cools down the drier surface of thread is used by sugar crystals as a surface to hold on. Tiny crystals of sugar (also called ‘seeds’) first cling to the thread and as the time progresses and temperature decreases, more and more sugar from the solution turn into crystals and collect on the ‘seeds’ and that’s how we get the threaded crystallised rock candy or the Misri. If made from unrefined sugar, Misri is actually good for the health. Importance of Misri in Sindhi Culture: Since ancient times, Misri is not only used as a sweetener but also as a symbol of sweetness in our lives. Hence it is used in many Sindhi rituals. Dahi Misri (curds mixed with misri) before venturing out for important work (keeps you cool and provides energy), makhan misri (a must for Bhog to Lord Krishna) are known combinations consumed by people across the communities in India. Chaato /phook: In olden days, a new born was given a finely sieved, powdered mix of green cardamoms and misri to avoid colic pains. Later (after atleast 40 days from birth) Jwar Ji tikki is added to the same. This fine powder is called Chaato/Fook-a/Phook. Now the Doctors do not allow anything to be given to infants except mother’s milk but some still do follow the tradition! Similarly, the new moms were fed the Fakki, a powdered mix of digestive herbs, spices, almonds and misri as a part of postnatal care. Jhand/ Tonsure ceremony: In many Sindhi families (particularly the Shikarpuri Sindhis) a ritual called Chouso Kanjiri is performed by maternal grandmother, where she offers Kopra (dried coconut) and Misri to her daughter (now a mother herself) after the child is tonsured. Kheer Jalan: Soon after the tonsure ceremony, the child is taken to his/her maternal grandparents for a visit and while returning the child and his/her mother is handed some raw milk and Misri along with new clothes. Kachi Misri (Informal Engagement) : When two families agree to a marriage alliance between a girl and a boy, the key members of either side of the families decide upon a date and and an informal engagement ceremony is held, called Kachi Misri. Traditionally some fruits along with coconut and Misri were exchanged but gradually the ritual became more elaborated in terms of the gifts exchanged. The sister of the boy (future groom) does the key rituals here. She sits next to the girl (future bride) and a red dupatta is used to cover their heads. She then feeds the girl some Karao/ seero (Wheat flour halwa, or could be Suji halwa) and places coconut, 5 fruits and Misri in the extended or stretched dupatta/ sari pallu worn by the girl. Some consider it as a gesture of accepting the girl in the new family while others believe the ritual to have deeper meaning i.e the coconut is considered a symbol of fertility and a blessing of Lord Shiva, the Misri is for blessing the couple with ample sweetness in their future life, the fruits are to wish health and happiness. The families then exchange the baskets filled with fruits, dry fruits and nuts, mithai and in modern times, even packaged snacks and everything is then shared with extended family members. The ritual varies from family to family but the crux is same i.e Misri is exchanged for the informal engagement. Before marriage another ritual called Pakki Misri (or Pakka) is performed which is the formal engagement and generally rings are exchanged during this ceremony. Believed to be adapted from Western culture, Ring ceremony nowadays is more about Cocktail parties and elaborate buffet meals with DJ music and all. Times are changing and how? Ddikha: Traditionally observed on the eve of the marriage, or just before the wedding this is one of the most important ‘pre marriage’ rituals. The ladies in the extended family of the groom make a Boshshni for the groom. It is basically a plain white cloth which is stitched at one end in a way that it forms a pouch. The stitching is done using needle and thread by the aunts/sister-in-law or ladies in the family and some light embroidery is also done by them. This Boshshni is then draped around the neck of the groom and Misri, coconut/fruits are put in the ‘pouch’. This is again worn during wedding (Pheras) by the groom and is also used in important events/Pooja ceremonies later, particularly during Tel , a ritual performed in pregnancy (like Baby Shower in the West) etc. Vanva Ji kutti: On the eve of wedding or as some observe it on the day of the wedding, the bride and groom are fed a nourishing crumble of coarsely pounded (or ground) dry fruits, cardamon etc to which misri is also added. This nourishing Kutti (Kutti= Something that is pounded) is fed to the girl and the boy by their respective families and is also fed to eligible bachelors with the belief that eating it would bestow good luck and fortune in terms of marriage prospects. Behrano: A Behrano is a a sacred ritual observed by Sindhis in honor of Lord Jhulelal. It is generally made on ChetiChand (New Year of Sindhis) or during Chaliha festival (A fasting festival observed for 40 days by many Sindhi devotees) or on some other auspicious occasions. To make Behrana, a bronze Thali ( or a steel thal) is taken and some raw rice, misri, ghee and little kumkum is spread. A huge mound is made from atta ( kneaded dough) and is placed on the thal. The mound represents Lord Jhulelal. The mound is then smeared with sindoor (we avoid using sindoor as the dough is supposed to be fed to fishes) that represents clothes of Jhulelal saeen. Cloves and Nanda phota i.e green cardamoms ( ideally 101, but the count varies) are stuck in the mound that represents ornaments of Jhulelal saeen. A block of Misri or some crystals of misri are also stuck. A lamp of dough is made and filled with ghee. Fresh flowers, fruits ( 5 types of fruits) and some red cloth is also placed in the thal. This Thal is placed in front of an idol or picture of Lord Jhulelal and hymns are sang to praise the Lord. A Prasad of sweetened rice ( Tayri) and boiled chole is distributed. The Behrana ( always carried on head), along with a Pooja Thali ( coconut, dough lamp, agarbatti, flowers, kalash filled with water) is then taken to a river body and people dance and sing and pray on the way. Finally the Behrana is immersed in the river or lake and a small Pooja is done. Sindhis used to live around the Indus river and would often travel far and wide through sea routes hence water bodies were worshipped and fishes were (and still are) often fed with rice, kneaded dough, misri etc. I may have missed some rituals where Misri is used. If you know of some such traditions and customs please do let me know in comments section. I will add that information to this post with due credits. I cannot wind up this post without thanking my dear friend (a true friend in need) Pooja Juriani, for her extreme generosity and timely help. Without the pictures shared by her, this post would have been dull and lifeless! Thank you Pooja Juriani, for patiently hearing me out and for the countless pictures that you shared so that I can pick some from your collection. Heartfelt Gratitude!!! And before I end up this long post, here is the link of the video about the consonant ص

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Dabal Pakora~ AlifBe~ 21

Alka Keswani — Fri, 14 May 2021 10:56:39 +0000

Alifbe of Sindhi Food, the series about A-Z of Sindhi food is now at the 21st letter; ڊ or D in Roman Sindhi and ड in Devanagari ! D as in Daddy, Dairy, Daily etc! And I couldn’t help but pick one of the most popular Sindhi street foods, the Dab^al Pakor^a (In Roman Sindhi) or Dabal Pakora (Pakora pao/sandwich) for ڊ ! The term Dabal is used for Double roti which could mean Pav/Pao or even the sliced bread, in Sindhi! Bread is being commonly used in Sindhi households since past many decades (probably even before the Partition happened) be it for Seyal Dabal, or Chola Dabal or is also had with mutton curry or even with Keema. And the Dabal Pakora combination i.e Pav served with pakora and green chutney is as dear to Sindhis as Vada Pao is to Marathi manoos or even to a Mumbaikar. In Ulhasnagar, my home town, you will find plenty of small bakeries on the road side and in small lanes and as you walk around, the heady aroma of breads and biscuits, rusks and nankhatai being baked in those small bakeries is simply irresistible! As a school going kid, few decades back, I remember visiting bread shops that had sale counter at the front of the shop while the wood fired oven at the back of the shop and I would often peep inside the bakery and watch in awe the ‘baker’ drenched in sweat working like a magician, shaping pao dough, lining dough balls in rows, in a tray and then dumping it in ‘oven’ all with a lightning speed. Never knew then, that at that particular moment such Ovens were being used somewhere abroad to bake Pizzas, Focaccia, Ciabatta, Garlic bread etc and who would have thought that those Italian breads will dominate the food markets and the tastebuds, globally in the near future! Coming back to Dabal Pakora (in Sindhi the Plural of a Pakoro is Pakora), it is very common to spot small roadside shops in Sindhi populated areas, where batches of Sanna Pakora, Mirchai Pakora (Amchoor marinated Chilli fritters), patate ja pakora (alu pakora), Beeh tikki (Lotus stem tikki), patate ji tikki (Sindhi style Batata vada) are fried right in front of you and you can relish a pao stuffed with pakore and some runny but spicy green chutney on the go. The combo is very pocket friendly but not so heart healthy considering that the refined oil is reheated beyond the permissible levels, plenty of times, across the day. If you observe well, you will notice that the kids at these pakora shops almost always buy Sanna and patate ja pakora, the youngsters opt for patate ji tikki, the middle aged prefer Mirchai pakora while the elderly like to eat Beeh pakora/beeh ji tikki. Do you agree? And no, I cannot explain why I loved and preferred the Mirchai pakora and Beeh ji tikki when I was barely a decade old! I still love both, crazily! The pakora in the above pictures are Sanna Pakora (Also known as Sannah pakora) and no, these are not Kaanda bhajiya! The typical Sindhi style Sanna pakora are double fried, crunchy fritters made from a dense batter of besan, chopped onions, chillies, coriander leaves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and pinch of mithi soda or the baking soda! And did I tell you that Abana Spices have this wonderful Sanna Pakora spice blend that helps you to make the sanna pakora most scrumptious and crunchy ? You don’t even need to add soda to the batter! The spice blend has a hint of garam masala that adds an oomph to the fritters without overpowering the flavors. Do check this link for their spice range or for placing your order! If you need the recipe of Laadi pao, please check this link of my other blog, Recipeonclick.com! Print Dabal Pakora~ AlifBe~ 21 Ingredients For Sanna Pakora: 1 cup gram flour 1 small onion (chopped) Coriander leaves (chopped), a few sprigs 1 tsp Cumin seeds 1 tsp Annardana (Dry pomegranate seeds) 1 tsp Coriander seeds (akkha dhaniya) 2 Green chillies (finely chopped) Salt to taste Red chilli powder as per taste A pinch of baking soda Water Oil for frying To serve: Laadi pao Mint coriander chutney Fried Whole chillies (optional) Method Mix all the ingredients listed under 'Sanna Pakora' except oil for frying, and make a thick batter. Heat oil for frying in a pan/kadai. Add a tbsp of hot oil to the batter, mix well. This will make fritters crunchier! Take a spoon full of this mixture and slide gently into hot oil, repeat for whole mixture but do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches, if needed! Fry on medium flame till almost done. Take them out, allow to cool down a little and then break the blobs of pakora into small pieces. Flash fry again, in hot oil, till dark golden brown and crisp. Take a fresh Pao, and cut/tear/open apart, pour few tsp of spicy but runny mint coriander chutney, stuff some pakora and enjoy the blissful bites! Can add some fried whole chillies to spice it up! 3.5.3251 Interested in Learning how to read and write Arabic Sindhi? Then do check the following video and you can watch other videos on my youtube channel!

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Cheti Chand Ji Sesa ~ AlifBe~15

Alka Keswani — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 04:48:13 +0000

Today (13th April 2021) is Cheti Chand and we, the Sindhis, celebrate it as our New year, with great enthusiasm. Why do Sindhis Celebrate Cheti Chand? The legend says that people in Sindh (Now in Pakistan) were tortured by an arrogant ruler named Mirikshah who tried to force Hindu Sindhis to accept Islam. Sindhis being followers of Varun Devta, Lord of Waters, gathered on the banks of holy Sindhu (Indus) River and prayed for some miracle to save them. After fasting and praying for many days there was an akashvani that the Lord Vishnu will soon take birth in an avatar of a child to a couple; Rai Ratan and Devaki, at Nasarpur. So the Sindhis went to Mirikshah and requested him to grant them few months to accept his order. The over confident ruler obliged. And as predicted, in the Chet (Chaitra) month a child was born to Devaki Ma and was named Uderolal. To offer their gratitude, Sindhi folks marched towards the river carrying sweetened rice, boiled chole (kabuli chana) and milk to feed the fishes/sea creatures. And as we all know, the child grew up to save Sindhis from tyrant rulers and was later known as Jhulelal! And the birth of Lord Jhulelal is celebrated as Cheti chand. Since then, every year Sindhis gather on Cheti chand and processions are held by carrying Behrana Saheb to any local river or lake, just like the people did in olden days, as per the legend To make Behrana, a bronze Thali ( or a steel thal) is taken and some raw rice, sugar or misri, ghee and little kumkum is spread. A huge mound is made from atta ( kneaded dough) and is placed on the thal. The mound represents Lord Jhulelal. The mound is then smeared with sindhoor/Kumkum (please donot use chemical loaded Sindhoor) that represents clothes of Jhulelal saeen. Laung (cloves) and Nanda phota (green cardamom, ideally 101, but the count varies) are stuck in the mound .These spices represent ornaments of Lord Jhulelal . A block of Misri i.e crystallised lumps of sugar are placed at the top of the mound. A lamp of dough is made (mostly panchmukhi i.e having five edges to place five cotton wicks or Chaumukhi i.e 4 edges) and filled with ghee. Fresh flowers, fruits (5 types of fruits) and some red cloth is also placed in the thal. This Thal is placed in front of an idol or picture of Lord Jhulelal and hymns are sang to praise the Lord. A Prasad of sweetened rice (Tayri) and boiled chole is distributed. Many Sindhi people and Sindhi Associations organize langar/ buffet meals for the devotees gathered for the occasion. The Behrana (always carried on head), along with a Pooja Thali (coconut, dough lamp, agarbatti, flowers, kalash filled with water) is then taken to a river body and people dance and sing and pray on the way. Sindhis call it ‘ Chej’. Many Prasad counters on the way distribute Tayri, chola, raanh (black eyed beans), pulav, sherbet, milkrose, chanadal bread, bread pakora etc. Finally the Behrana is immersed in a river or a lake and a small Pooja is done. Bhajans are sang and the ritual ends with an Aarti and Palav (a small prayer recited while holding out an open end of duppata or a shirt or a hem of kurta/garment to make a jholi). And for 15th letter of Sindhi AlifBe i.e چ , ‘Ch’ in Roman Sindhi and च in Devanagari I have picked (but obviously) ‘Cheti Chand Ji Sesa’ i.e Prasad offered and distributed on Cheti chand. Tayri/Tahiri/Tairi (sweetened rice) and boiled kabuli chana, both are mandatory to offer to Lord Jhulelal and the devotees love this Prasad! Chola or Kabuli chana are simply boiled with water and salt till very soft. Generally it is not garnished with any spices. Also Kohar i.e black vatana, boiled till tender, are also distributed. Wishing everyone a blessed year ahead. Cheti Chand kyun lakh lakh wadhayun (millions of good wishes for Cheti Chand)! Jai Jhulelal!! Print Cheti Chand Ji Sesa ~ AlifBe~15 Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins Tairi or Tayri is a Sindhi Sweet rice preparation made on special occasions and Sindhi Festivals like Chalia and Chetichand Ingredients Rice (Basmati or regular) 1 and half cup Sugar ideally 1 and half cups but I used 1 cup of it. You can use jaggery instead Water 3 cups ( varies with variety of rice used) Saunf (Fennel seeds) 2 tsp Dhoongi ( Dried coconut kernel/kopra/copra) few thin slices Draakh/Daakh (Black Raisins) 2 tbsp Oil/Ghee 1 tbsp Green cardamoms 2 (optional) Roasted/fried dry fruits/nuts like almonds, unsalted pistachio/cashew (Optional..I didn't used any !) Saffron - few strands Orange red/ orange yellow/Jalebi colour few drops (I didn't use any !). Method Rinse well and soak rice for half hour. In a tsp of water or milk soak saffron strands, if using. There are two methods of cooking rice. One, you can simply boil rice with water and other is that you first heat a tbsp of oil in a pan , add soaked and drained rice and gently roast it for few minutes. Then add water to cook rice. I have skipped the bhunoing part! Boil rice with water (you can add a pinch of salt) on high flame till the grains swell.You can add green cardamoms too. Cook covered till almost 75 % done. Drain excess water if any, to avoid overcooking. In the meantime, roast/ fry, nuts/almonds (if using). Heat a tbsp of oil in a small pan and add thin slices of Copra (kopra) and black raisins.Put off the gas and immediately add fennel seeds. Add sugar (or jaggery), soaked saffron and the kopra+raisins+ fennel mixture upon the rice and cook on lowest flame.If using food colour, add it at this stage. The liquid colour could be used as it is, while if using food colour in powder form then dissolve it first in a tsp of water and then add in rice. You can use a griddle and place the rice container over the griddle and cook on lowest flame.The rice must be covered with a lid at this stage. Mix very gently (just once) and cook till the sugar melts and is absorbed by rice. Tairi cooked with using colour is generally orange in colour. If cooked with organic jaggery, it is brownish in colour, if cooked using normal jaggery and sugar or just sugar, it is pale white in colour while if saffron is used it gets yellowish hues. 3.5.3251 And here is a short video to help you understand how چ is written in Sindhi!

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