Sindhi sweets Archives | Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes

Magaz Ja Ladoon For AlifBe ~32

Alka Keswani — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 13:51:40 +0000

Magaz or Char Magaz to be precise, is a mix of four types of seeds! These delicious seeds of melon family are immensely popular as superfood and are not only consumed raw or toasted but are also used in many sweet dishes as well as in curries! Char magaz i.e kernels of Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Pumpkin and Cucumber are used in many Sindhi dishes as well. The seeds are known for their brain boosting properties (Hence the name, Magaz or Brain!) and are a powerhouse of nutrition being rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins etc. The AlifBe #32 is غ i.e G̣ (some write it as Ġ) in Roman and some also use ‘Ghh’ to represent this alphabet since it may be challenging to give a diacritic mark (dot) above or below an alphabet while using regular Keyboard. In Devanagari it is ग़ as in ग़ालीचा (Carpet). This Consonant is used for words of non Sindhi origins like ग़रीब (poor), ग़ज़ल (Gazal i.e a form of poetry) etc. Basically a Nukta below a Hindi/Devanagari alphabet is given to represent a sound originally absent in Hindi script, i.e if the word belongs to Urdu/Arabic/Persian language a dot below the specific consonant is given. Take for example क, ख, ग, ज, फ are used in words of Hindi origin but if you spot a dot under these i.e क़, ख़,ग़,ज़, फ़ then the words formed with these would be from Non Hindi languages. Not many would know how a ‘Nukta’ or a dot can alter the meaning of a word. Let me explain this with two examples that I found while Googling! सागर (Note the absence of dot under ग) means Sea/Ocean and it is derived from Sanskrit and hence no dot is present. साग़र with a dot under ग since this word is of Persian origin. It means a Goblet or a cup/glass meant for drinking alcohol. 2) ज़माना – Means ‘world’ जमाना – means ‘to set’ Sadly the spoken languages are not always in their pure form and not many of us pay attention to the nuances of a language while writing as well. Coming back to غ i.e G̣ or ग़, as obvious, it is used in words of Non Sindhi origin and hence I had a hard time finding a Sindhi dish with a name starting with this consonant. After a lot of brain storming with few friends I finally found a dish and though the name doesn’t begins with G̣ but well… something is better than nothing, no? So here is the corresponding dish…Mag̣az Ja ladoon! Before I move ahead, I must thank Radha Narwani Artyradz, Surrayya Kapri and Meena B for being there with me in my quest for AlifBe # 32. We narrowed down to Magaz ( melon seeds) and while discussing the uses of Magaz, Meena B told me about the Magaz (Magaj) ladoo that are distributed in Nathdwara, a popular Vaishnavite shrine of Shrinathji, the deity worshipped by Vaishnava sect, known as the Pushtimarg. Thathai Bhatia Sindhis too are the followers of ShrinathJi. You can read more about Thathai Bhatia Sindhis here! She shared few pointers and of course I did check Panja Khada , trusted for traditional Thathai Bhatia style recipes and realised that the Thathai style Magaj (Magaz) ladoo are same as the Gujarati style Magaj Na ladoo. Magaj (Magaz/Magad/magas) Ja ladoo are named so because traditionally melon seeds, almonds and pistachios were used in these ladoo along with roasted gram flour, ghee and sugar. One can use just almonds or pistachios and yet these will be Magaz ladoo since even Almonds and pistachios are seed kernels and not nuts as many of us assume. Learnt this fact from my friend Kurush Dalal during one of his mind blowing ‘#know your ingredients‘ Insta live sessions. Here is how I made these delicious, aromatic and nutritious Magaz Ja ladoo! Recipe of Magaz Ja Ladoo: Print Magaz Ja Ladoon For AlifBe ~32 Ingredients 3 cups Jada Besan (Magaj flour) ¾ of a cup of Ghee 1 Cup Sugar 2 tbsp Milk 3-4 green cardamoms ½ cup Almonds and pistachios finely chopped or pounded ¼ cup of Char magaz (melon seeds) Method To make Magaz ladoo always try to use Magaz flour or the coarse gram flour. It is easily available in grocery stores generally. But I was unable to procure it on time ( blame it on frequently changing lockdown timings) and hence used the regular gram flour, milled in the local flour mill (avoid the packaged besan as it may have matar flour mixed.) In a parat or wide plate/thal, put 3 cups of besan. Take 2 tbsp of hot milk and 2 tsp of ghee (from the ¾ th cup of Ghee) and pour it over the besan. Now gently massage the flour in a way so as to coat the flour with milk and ghee mixture. The idea is to make the flour crumbly. Take a sieve with fine mesh, used for sieving flours. Sieve the crumbly besan through this mesh and keep pressing the flour with your palm or with flat base of a small bowl, till whole mix is sieved. Be very patient. This process takes some time and you may not be able to sieve all of it. Transfer the un sieved flour in a blender jar and give it a blitz. Add it to the sieve and continue the process. You will now have a flour of uniform consistency. In a thick bottomed pan, heat the remaining ghee and transfer the sieved flour. Keeping the flame on medium to low heat, roast the flour, stirring continuously. This process will try your patience but remember there would be delectable besan ladoo at the end of the tunnel 🙂 Do not increase the flame or leave the flour unattended. Even slightest over roasted bits may make the ladoo bitter. If the mix feels too dry add a tbsp of ghee but mostly it wont be required. Gradually the mix will change the texture from coarse/dry to fluffy, slightly frothy. At this stage sprinkle few drops of water and mix vigorously. Continue cooking for a while and then again sprinkle few more drops of water. It took me almost 28-30 minutes to roast the besan, on really low flame. The time may vary depending upon the quantity. Mix pounded almonds, pistachios and add magaz seeds as well. You can grind the melon seeds and use these in powdered form as well. In the meanwhile, grind sugar along with cardamom seeds (use only the seeds and not the peel) and keep it aside. Add the powdered sugar and switch off the flame. Keep mixing. Some people add sugar (crystals or powdered) after cooling the roasted flour for a while. Allow the mix to cool sufficiently and then taking small portions of the mix, give each a shape of round ladoo. I got 12 medium sized ladoo from 3 cups of flour. The Magaz ladoo are traditionally dryish, coarse and crumbly but these could be smooth and melt in the mouth too, depending on the amount of ghee used and on the coarseness of the flour. 3.5.3251 And as usual here is a small video that I have made to help you understand how Sindhi alphabets are written.

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Phulan Ji Laai|Puffed Rice Candy

Alka Keswani — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:03:08 +0000

It is that time of the year when Indians are busy cleaning their homes and shops, decorating it with flowers, lights and lanterns, buying new clothes, making sweets and savories and visiting relatives, family and friends. Yes, it’s Diwali, the festival of lights, when the evening shimmers with rows of tiny flames of earthen lamps and when the darkest new moon night (as per Hindu calendar) is turned into one of the brightest, glowing night by the hundreds of lamps and lanterns, swaying outside homes and shops, on terraces and crossroads. The spectacular display of fireworks fills the sky with colorful, sparkling shower of light and though I dislike the deafening sound of loud crackers, there is something very heartwarming about watching kids burning the sparklers, hopping and giggling, feeling scared but enjoying at the same time. Every year I get requests for the Phulan ji Laai recipe, a puffed rice candy that is mandatory to use for Hatri pooja. Generally we buy it from the sweet shops since it is easily available during Diwali, in my part of the world. But those who reside in areas that do not stock Sindhi sweets feel disappointed. I avoid cooking with white sugar since I find the flavors of jaggery and honey to be more rustic. But then, this recipe of Phulan ji laai is for those who wish to go traditional way and offer this sugar candy to the Hatri. The recipe is very simple and this laai gets ready in a jiffy. Print Phulan Ji Laai|Puffed Rice Candy Puffed rice candy for Diwali Pooja Ingredients 2 cups of Puffed rice 1 cup of Sugar (a little less) 1 tsp of Ghee A pinch or Green cardamom powder Method Before making the laai, grease a flat plate or a clean surface to spread the candy. In a thick bottom pan dry roast the puffed rice for a minute or so. Remove the roasted puffed rice from pan and keep aside. In the same pan put 1 tsp of ghee and add sugar. Heat it on the low flame. Keep stirring the sugar and let it melt completely without changing its color. Put off the flame Add the elaichi powder and puffed rice and mix quickly to evenly coat the rice. Immediately spread this mixture on the greased surface and using a spatula or rolling pin, level down the mixture to make a disc of ½ inch (or as thick or thin as you wish) or so. You can cut it into pieces before it sets and harden up. Store it in an airtight container. To make this laai with jaggery just use half cup of jaggery instead of a cup of sugar. 3.3.3077

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Summary of Sindhi Cuisine and a good news to share !

Alka Keswani — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:34:09 +0000

The work is still in progress…but I just cant wait any more to share this sweet news with you all.. a sweet moment to cherish , made me and my family feel ecstatic, came in the form of an article ‘Unfeignedly Sindhi‘ penned down by yours truly, that is published in the July Edition of the Magazine ‘ Food and Nightlife ‘. I am thrilled to get rave reviews from the people of great caliber…..I feel obliged. Thanks everyone, for the wishes that came pouring in, all these days… its a feeling well beyond description. The magazine is available in Mumbai and Delhi. Besides, it is available online too. The article on Sindhi Cuisine, was published in July Issue of the magazine, on page number 14/15. Click here to read the article on the magazine website. And for those who are unable to access the link, you can read the article in text form right here, though it is an unedited version, but then, the matter remains more or less the same. Hope you will enjoy reading the Summary of Sindhi Cuisine. I do not claim to be an expert, when it comes to Sindhi Cuisine, so goof ups of facts, if any, be kindly ignored/ reported (Please soften your tone before lashing out..lol)/brought to notice/ mentioned in comments. I am open to your views, suggestions, add-ons and basically any thing that you would like to share about Sindhi cuisine, it’s food history, cultural background….any thing, just anything. Let the rest of the world have a glimpse of Sindhi Food and culture…share it here….let the Sindhi food be counted in the popular cuisines of the world. Without further ado, lets hop over to the article….. Unfeignedly Sindhi ! Sindhi, a culture having its roots in Sindh (Now in Pakistan), proudly belongs to ancient Indus valley civilization as discovered from the Moen-jo-Daro excavation. The culture rich, the art unbeatable, the Sufi music unmatched and the Cuisine simply invincible, at least for true blooded Sindhis ! Sindhi Cuisine , apart from having unique flavors of its own, have the unmistakable mark of other dynasties like Mughals, Arabs, Turkhans, Soomras etc that influenced Sindhi cuisine while they ruled the Province. The mighty Koftas, the scrumptious Biryanis, amazing Gosht (meat) Curries, got infused in Sindhi cuisine during that era. Post partition in 1947, Hindu Sindhis got scattered around the world, and since then, a long battle to keep ourselves rooted to our culture while simultaneously absorbing the culture of our surroundings, is being fought. As various other cuisines of India, Sindhi cuisine is also a vibrant one , sizzling and dazzling with lots of flavors, a wonderful amalgamation of Delish sweets, perfectly tangy curries, mildly flavored gravies, rich and wholesome biryanis, wide array of seasonal vegetables, awesome variety of Flatbreads, and not to forget the world famous Sindhi Papad and Sindhi Pickles. To begin with, a royal breakfast preferred by Sindhis, is ought to be The Dal Pakwan, the crisp fried Maida flatbreads, served with simple Chanadal, garnished with chutney and chopped onion. Apart from this, Bori (Kutti or crushed koki tempered with hot oil, and sweetened with sugar), Sindhi Koki, a wholewheat flour flatbread, kneaded with onion, chillies, dried pomegranate seeds, cumin and a generous amount of oil, double cooked on griddle ,or Lolo (sweet flatbread) Dodo (Flatbread with millet flour, jowar, bajra etc), stuffed parathas with Curd are most popular.Juar (jowar) or Bhaat (crackedr wheat) porridge, are favorites of elders of the family. And bread dunked in chickpea curry called Chola dhabhala or the two lentils cooked together called Dal moong are still the most sought after breakfasts in many Sindhi families. Sindhis love simple Dal chaawal- subzi -roti combo.They have some popular style of cooking like Daagh (curry with browned onions), Seyal (cooking food with onions or ginger garlic as base, with little or no water), Tamatey mein (In tomato gravy), saye masaley mein (with Green base, that of coriander leaves and fresh garlic) and Dhaas vegetables (Stuffed vegetables like Okra, Apple gourds, Capsicum etc).Though seasonal vegetables, and plenty of lentils /pulses, are included in daily cooking, but when fresh vegetables are unavailable, Sindhis tend to make use of Besan, and hence Chilra (Gramflour savory pancakes), Chilra kadhi, Aani ji bhaji (Besan dumplings in Onion tomato base) are immensely popular. And not to forget a Sindhi specialty called Sindhi Kadhi , which is a tangy tamarind and gram flour based curry, flavored with some spices and Vakhar like cluster beans, okra, drumsticks etc.This is again generally made for guests and is served with hot plain boiled white rice and sweet boondi. Amritsari wadis cooked along with potatoes, is one spicy curry you cannot afford to miss, and so is Sindhi Saibahji, the yummiest concoction of spinach with fenugreek leaves, sorrel leaves, beans, potatoes, carrot, eggplant, okra, chana dal etc. Though now paneer rules menu of marriage buffets and festival food, there was a time when Beeh (Bhein) i.e Lotus stem hold the Numero Uno position.During marriage ceremonies decades back, relatives and neighbors were offered the beehpatata and Degh Waara chaanwara. Huge Iron or aluminum pots or containers were kept in open spaces, on logs of wood, or coal (sighri) or stove,and a generous quantity of rice and curry was cooked on it. It was called Degh. A spicy curry of lotus stem, potato, peas, cooked in the base of onions, tomatoes and eggplants, when served with Simple pulav,will make you slave of Sindhi degh . Even today this curry is cooked and distributed at Langars in various temples ,on religious occasions. Sindhi Sanna Pakoda (Double fried Gram flour fritters) are famous as most crispy snacks, while Alu tikki, Batan papdi (A Sindhi Chaat), Mirchi Pakora, Bhein Tikki, Spinach Pakoda , are other guilty pleasures. Sindhi Papad has a unique taste, not too spicy nor bland…just perfect. And so are the pickles…the regular oil based as well as Mustard seeds and water based pickles called as Paarianh waari Khatairn have many loyal followers. Yet another typical Sindhi style pickle is Kadhookas (grated ), pickle made from raw shredded mangoes, seasoned with salt, turmeric, red chillies, nigella seeds,cloves of garlic, mixed and lumps of these mixture are tied in small white muslin cloth gathadis (like dumplings), pickled and enjoyed later. It’s called Gathadi aka Bheendi. Summers are spend pickling, Turnips, onions, carrots,chillies, lemons , raw mangoes etc. While Sweet pickles like Raw mango Muraba, Awran jo Murbo (Awla ) and grated mango pickles are the hot favorites amongst Sindhis. Festivals like Chetichand, Diwali, Holi, Akhand Teej ,Thadree,etc are celebrated with typical Sindhi Sweets like, Tosha, Praghuree, Geear, Khuskhus Halwa(Seero), chabhu Halwo etc. While Sherbet and Thaadal (Thandai) are most popular beverages. And to wind up, Sindhis satisfy their “Sweet cravings” with Gaajar ka halwa (Gajru’n jo seero), Maajun, Mohanthal, Gulabjamun, Rabri , Dried grated coconut mithai (Narel ji mithai), Singhar (Sev) Mithai, Falooda icecream etc. The probably only places that you could still enjoy Sindhi food are few eateries like Kailash parbat and Bhagat Tarachand , or else on the streets of Sindhi dominated areas like Ulhasnagar, Chembur, Bhopal etc.The vendors selling dal pakwan, Sindhi Patties with chola and Dal moong are common sights at such places during early mornings. Sadly the trend of fast food and exposure to national and international cuisine is drifting many youngsters away from the lovely Sindhi cuisine.The ‘Chips’ and ‘ french fries’ generation hardly cares for Sindhi Kheecha, papad. The biscuits and cookies overshadowed the humble Dal Nakul, that was initially offered to the guests. Mocktails and canned juices pushed into the corner, the home made Rose sherbet, chandan (sandalwood) sherbet .The artificially coloured, branded Mithai, killed the trend of sharing Maajoon, Khus khus jo seero, ladoo etc with near and dear ones. Packaged junk snacks diverted kids from the good old, pabhoree ( fresh lotus seeds), Jamun (berries) , saawa phota (fresh green peas), Dhadhri (tiny fresh green pods ) etc which used to be the after school time snacks for the kids, eons ago.

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Celebrating With A Celebrity Guest

Alka Keswani — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:42:11 +0000

Instead of counting candles,Or tallying the years, Contemplate your blessings,As your birthday nears. Consider special people,Who love you,and who care, And others who’ve enriched your life Just by being there. Think about the memories,Passing years can never mar, Experiences great and small, That have made you who you are. Another year is a happy gift, So cut your cake, and say, “Instead of counting birthdays, I count blessings every day!” Well I am wishing my blog, its first Birthday with this sweet poem by Joanna Fuchs Yeah SindhiRasoi,born on 29 January 2008 ,turned One today.And this is not the only reason for smiles and celebrations, there are few more.Let me unfold them one by one Firstly as I told , its this blog’s 1st birthday,then it is also THE 100th post.…yes, I just hit a century with this post. And on this occasion it is just so obvious that I Thank all those who encouraged, helped, cheered and guided me to sail across the waves of hope and despair, highs and lows, praises and brickbats.Few were rude ( ahh lets forget about them! ), few were nasty, but most of you ,dear Readers, have been so supportive and sweet to me ,that now I have made a huge virtual family around. Heartfelt Thanks to my family, friends, co-bloggers, readers,Guests (guest visitors) and above all YOU dear Hubby…..my ultimate strength and support system ! Without you and your camera,this would have remained a dream for me! I have so much to write about ,on this occasion,but I will held my emotions back,because now I need to share yet another excitement with you all ! Every blogger celebrates his/her blog birthday/anniversary with some special sweet /food made by her/him.But not me,because I have something very very very special for this occasion, a true feast to your eyes,especially all Sindhis around, and all this courtesy to an esteemed guest of the day….a celebrity …….Ladies and Gentlemen, kindly welcome , none other than Mr. Suresh Hinduja, The CEO of Gourmet India.com. The forums are the place where some real authentic/traditional/extinct/popular food is displayed to mesmerize us, with jaw dropping captures And for the Sindhi cuisine section, I have to Thank You ‘Saucy’ for initiating that thread ! So dear readers do take a look at those artistic clicks of some wonderful food of Sindhi Cuisine, all courtesy to the most modest person Ihave came across. When I asked for the permission to share his picture of pickle, Suresh not only emailed me the picture, but also amazed me by his words ….What is a pickle between us sindhis, you dont have to credit me. ….wow !! But since I was more greedy, I requested some more of his captures amongst the vast collection of drooling pics,and he was kind enough to let me share those with you all readers.So Dearies , just walk around this post and seduce your senses with the amazing captures of some authentic and traditional picks from Sindhi Cuisine Ps:Kindly note that all the amazing pics presented below, belong to Mr Suresh.Hinduja so please do not copy without his permission 🙂 Gathadi Pickle (This is one rare Sindhi pickle,not made often now a days,but I remember my childhood days, licking these with every meal.) A pickle made from raw shredded mangoes,seasoned with, salt,turmeric, red chillies, nigella seeds,cloves of garlic, mixed and lumps of these mixture were tied in small white muslin cloth gathadis (like dumplings),pickled and enjoyed later. It’s called Gathadi aka Bheendi. Dal Nakul The forgotten welcome snack for guests at Sindhi homes. Yes, decades back guests were welcomed with roasted papad and/or Dal Nakul.Dal is fried crunchy moong dal and nakul/s are sugared besan strings (I guess, not sure though).The crunchy munchy combination had lost its glory to the latest fad of wafers,cakes and cookies Then the most beautifully clicked Gulab Jamun , a very common sweet,which is loved by all ! A fried maida and khoya ball, flavored with elaichi, dipped in sugary syrup when dumped in mouth,the only reaction possible is YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ! And then comes Motichoor ladoos, again one of the commonest sweet among sindhis, there is one at every occasion,for sure. Be it birth, marriage ,festivals or even death (Very elderly people when die a peaceful death,these ladoos are distributed during chautha (pagdi) or Bhaaroh (the 12 th or 13 th day after the demise) Who haven’t tasted or heard of Jalebis ?? The OH SO FAMOUS, fried concentric circles of Maida flour,with a dash of saffron for the nice orange colour and kesari flavor, soaked in rose flavored sugar syrup, is a heavenly treat to your taste buds (Just try it with dash of rabri, for the complete knock out combination of flavors) Badaam(Almond halwa) is yet another halwa in the favorite list of Sindhis, just little behind the common Gaajar ka halwa.And tell me honestly have you ever seen Almond halwa presented in a sleek style like this ? Amongst drinks ,apart from sherbet (rose syrup) , the other most traditional drink is of course Thaadal (Thandai).Its a heady mixture of rose petals,elaichi,blackpepper corns,melon seeds, Almonds, poppy seeds and milk,all grinded together,sieved and diluted with milk,sweetened with sugar .It is also served as Prasad during Mahashivratri When you talk about Sindhi breakfast, most will vouch for either Dal pakwaan or Chola Dhabhal,chickpeas in gravy served with bread and garnished with mint coriander Chutney….a true delight for spice lovers ! Taryal Vangun Here’s how Suresh explains this most loved Brinjal recipe among Sindhis: Eggplant/Aubergine/Brinjal scored, fried, topped with Cumin, Red Chilli and Mango Powders; fresh Coriander/Cilantro and onion. We normally have this with a Dal and Chapati/Rice. There are many many more at Gourmet India,its not at all possible to summarize all of them in a post,but yes, I am sure, you all would like to join the forum to explore more about Sindhi as well as Global cuisine, ranging from Gujrati to Andhra,Thai to Indo chinese. My sincere Thanks To Suresh for letting me go ahead with this post and sharing such amazing clicks with me.Sorry for all the botheration caused and I simply bow down to your generosity. Ps:Wanna watch a video of some really nice spread of food ,then watch this….Awesome pics by Suresh,compiled by Sekhar. Gourmet India Food Thank you Sekhar for providing this link 🙂

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