sindhifood Archives | Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes

14 Vegetarian Sindhi Thali meals

Alka Keswani — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 08:30:44 +0000

When I started sharing some Sindhi Thali spreads on Instagram (Sindhirasoiofficial) and Facebook page (Sindhirasoi.com), I started receiving many requests to share the recipes of each dish presented in the Thali. So I thought to share the details of all the Thali meals in a blog post for easy reference! Most of these meals were cooked across the year, though some are from the distant past. I haven’t meticulously planned the menus of these Thalis and the dishes were cooked depending on the seasons and availability of the ingredients during the lockdown, in the past year or so. Hence some dishes appear repeatedly in the Thali meals, shared below. Looking at the popularity of these Thali meals, I am now thinking of making well planned Sindhi Thali meals to share with you all. For now, do check some of these Sindhi Thali spreads and do let me know which of these appeals to you the most! Also do share with me your Sindhi Thali meal ideas. I will try to cook the combination in my kitchen and share it here! BTW my blog Sindhirasoi.com is now 14 years old! Yes, this blog was created on 29th January 2008 and to celebrate the 14 years of learning, un learning, of receiving awards, rewards, accolades and recognition, love and adulation, allow me to celebrate it by sharing 14 Vegetarian Sindhi Thali meals with you all! So here are some Sindhi Thali Combos! Sindhi Thali #1 Chithyal Gogrun (Mashed Turnips flavored with green garlic) Juar Jo Dhodho (Patted Jowar roti) Khichdi (Rice and Mung dal chilka cooked till soft) Gogrun Ji Khatain (Turnips Pickle) Curds and Salad Sindhi Thali #2 Beeh Palak (Lotus stem cooked with Spinach) Patri Khichn~i (Rice and Mung dal chilka cooked till porridge like) Basar Ji Khatain (Onion Pickle) Sindhi Thali#3 Palak Paneer Bhugha Chanvar (Rice cooked with caramelized onions and Khada masala) Gogrun Ji Khatain (Zero Oil Turnip pickle) Salad, Roti, Kheecho (Khichiya papad) Matho (Raita). I have made Bathua Raita and though it is not a traditional Sindhi dish but it is made in Sindhi style i.e boiled bathua leaves, chopped and added to beaten curds and flavored with finely chopped chillies and ginger. This is how we (The Sindhis) make the raita with bottle gourd/Drumstick flowers etc. Sindhi Thali #4 Masoor Dal made in Sindhi Style (Whole masoor dal added to caramelised onions and cooked with tomatoes, chillies, ginger, salt, turmeric and water till done and finished with a tadka of garlic, curry leaves and cumin seeds) Seyal Bhaji (Mix Vegetable curry) Patate Ja pakora (Potato fritters) Beeh Ji Tikki (Lotus stem Tikki) Salad, Raita (Bathua Raita), Papad and Roti Sindhi Thali #5 Beeh patata ( lotus stem and potato curry), Dal Suji jo seero (Sooji halwa) Beeh patate ji tikki (Mashed potato and Lotus stem tikki) Bheendi kadhukash (grated mango pickle) Kachri (Flower shaped fryum made from rice flour), Sindhi papad Vangi (cucumber) Rice Phulko (roti) Sindhi Thali #6 Beeh Patata (lotus stem and potatoes curry) Bhugha Chanvar with peas and Meha (Apple gourds) Sanna Pakora (Double fried, crunchy fritters) Dyamun/J^ammu (Gulab Jamun) Boondi Raita Roti, Papad, Salad, Fryums Sindhi Thali #7 Jhang Pulao (Mix vegetable Pulao) Soya (Nutrela) Daag^ mein (Nutrela cooked in Sindhi style gravy) Roti, Cucumber, Fryums and Boondi Raita Sindhi Thali #8 Boiled rice Dal (mix of mung dal and chanadal) cooked with tomatoes and chillies and tempered with ghee, cumin, hing and ginger) Matho (Doodhi i.e Bottle gourd raita) Kheecha (khichiya papad), papad Taryal Patata (Potato roundels, shallow fried and tossed with turmeric, salt, chilli powder and coriander powder) Roti Alu tikki Karela Aur Ji Ras mein (fried karela cooked in a soupy gravy of tempered mustard, coriander powder and turmeric, flavored with pounded black pepper) Kesar flavored suji halwa Sindhi Thali #9 Bhuga Chanvar ( Rice cooked with caramelized onions) Saibhaji (Sindhi style Spinach sabzi) Taye waara patata and vaangan (Tawa/pan fried potatoes and brinjal) Boiled and roasted Cholia ( Sawa phota/ Hara bhara) spiced with turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder and amchoor. Roti, salad, curds and fryums Sindhi Thali #10 Dal Chanvar (Dal and Rice) Daas Karela ( Dhaage waale karele) Sanna Pakoda ( Double fried fritters) Macrolyun Phoolpatasha ( A traditional Sindhi dish made by cooking Elbow pasta and Makhana in onion tomato gravy) Gajrun jo seero (Gaajar Halwa) Gogrun ji Khatain (Turnips in Kanji style pickle) Kachumber (cucumber, onions and tomatoes spiced with salt, chilli powder and lemon juice) Papad and Roti Sindhi Thali #11 This is a Thali most suitable for a new mother. As per Sindhi tradition, a new mother is supposed to have home made, nutritious food without onions, garlic, garam masala, turmeric etc, for the first forty days. Known as Viyam Ja Khada (meaning, post- partum food or food after child birth) the above thali is made as per the dietary restrictions for a new mom. Carrots Chehro Phulko (Cumin, salt, pepper flavored roti) Methi (Fenugreek leaves) Singyun Tamate mein (Drumsticks cooked in tomato gravy) Tooryun (Sponge gourds) Phote mein Karela (Bitter gourds cooked in Cardamom flavored curry) Lolo (in the centre of the Thali). Rajgira ladoo (Not home made) Tring (placed out of the Thali) For More details about the diet or for the recipe of each dish, please click here! Sindhi Thali #12 Tidali (3 dal mix) Juar Jo Dhodho(Patted Jowar Roti) Vangan (Tawa fried Brinjal) Bartho (Brinjal Chutney) Kachumber (Onion rings marinated with salt, chilli powder and lemon juice) Mint Coriander chutney Sindhi Thali #13 Lun~ak (Purslane) (Recipe coming up next) Churi Khichdi (Dry Khichdi i.e rice and mung dal chilka cooked with salt and water) Karele Ji Chhill (Sun dried bitter gourd peels, toasted on a griddle with a tsp of ghee/oil) till crunchy. Mirchan Ji Khatain (Bhavnagri chillies pickled in lemon juice) Curds, Roti, Cucumber and Papad Sindhi Thali #14 The most Popular Sindhi Thali I have ever made!Starting from roti, in clock wise direction: Shikarpuri Phulko (Simple whole wheat flour Roti) Koki Baat Jo seero (A sweet made from broken wheat) Sindhi Kadhi Saibhaji (Sindhi style Spinach cooked with assorted vegetables and lentils) Dal (Yellow lentils) Das meha Boondi raita Kachalu and Alu Took(Crisp fried Taro root and potatoes) Sanna pakora (Double fried gram flour fritters) Attey ja Ladoo (Whole wheat flour ladoo) Tosho (A sweet made from flour and sugar syrup) Steamed rice topped with Sindhi Boondi Sindhi Papad and Kheecha (Khichiya papad) Gathri pickle /Bheendi/Kadhukash (Mango pickle, on the top left, outside Thali) So if you were to cook/share a Thali meal with your friends/Family, which of the above meals would you love to share? Do let me know in the comments. Also, if you think that this post is worth sharing, then please do so! Don’t forget to tag me so that I can thank you personally!

The post 14 Vegetarian Sindhi Thali meals appeared first on Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes.

Vataran Ji Lilotari|AlifBe~46

Alka Keswani — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 06:18:27 +0000

The 46th Alphabet of Sindhi AlifBe (Persio – Arabic script ) is و in Sindhi, व in Devanagari and V in Roman Sindhi. And the corresponding dish for AlifBe` 46 is Vatan~an (Vataran) Ji Lilotari ! I know many of you will wonder whether it actually is a dish from Sindhi cuisine (coz. it sounds like a Gujarati style subzi) but well, it is indeed a traditional Sindhi Brahma Khastriya style curry and many of us know it by the name ‘Peas Tamate mein’ ( peas in tomato gravy)! Sindhi Brahma Khastriya community is yet another subset of Sindhi community and like Nassarpuri or Thathai Bhatia Sindhis Brahma Kshatris (Kshatriya) too have some unique/peculiar food rituals and food ‘nomenclature’ . Sindhi Brahma Khastriyas: The ancient Indian society was divided into four Varnas; Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishya and Shudras. Each Varna was dedicated to specific social functions and though the classification was meant to create a society of specialised communities, it ended up being yet another way to exploit the weak and the naive. But to clarify the context of today’s post, I need to explain how two Varnas i.e Brahmins and Kshatriyas overlapped and how a subset of Sindhi community named Brahma Kshatriya or Brahma Khatris came into existence. While many believe that Lord Parashuram (Lord Ram’s avatar with an axe) was a Brahma Kshatriya since he was born in the family of Rishis but possessed traits of Kshatriyas, his disciple prince Jaisen, is considered to be the one bestowed with the title of a Brahma Kshatri by Rishi Dadhichi. History of Brahma Kshatriyas: (As learnt from Sindhi Brahma Kshatriya Panch) In the Treta Yug, a king named Arjuna ruled the kingdom of Mahishmati near Narmada river. He got a boon of possessing thousands arms and hence was later named as Raja Sahastrarjun or Raja Sahastrabaahu (One with Thousand arms). Once King Sahastrabahu went in a forest and visited ashram of Rishi (Sage) Jamdagini, father of Lord Parashuram. He spotted a cow, Kapila (Kamdhenu) in the ashram and insisted on taking away Kapila with him and though Rishi Jamdagini declined, the King forcibly took away Kapila. When Parashuram came to know about the audacity of the king, he went to the king to get Kapila back. He faced the wrath of King’s soldiers and a war like situation resulted in the death of King Sahastrabaahu. The sons of the king attacked Rishi Jamdagini’s ashram and as a result Rishi lost his life. Parashuram vowed to destroy Kshatriya community. A king named Raja Rattansen, in Sindh, came to know about the vow of Parashuram and when his army failed to control the wrath of Parashuram, the king, along with his wives, left the palace and took shelter in the ashram of Rishi Dadhichi. His children grew up learning Vedas and Shastras in the ashram. Parashuram found Raja Rattansen in the forest and killed him. When he visited the ashram and saw the children, he asked Rishi Dadhichi if the kids were Kshatriya or Brahmins. The rishi tried his best to cover up the kids. Skeptical yet curious, Parashuram took one of the child, named Jaisen, with him, assuring the Rishi that he will teach Jaisen the weaponry/archery etc. Years later an incidence revealed the truth of Jaisen ( that he is a Kshatriya prince) and lord Parashuram became so furious that he cursed Jaisen and as a result of the curse, Jaisen forgot all the knowledge imparted by Parashuram. But when Jaisen asked for forgiveness, Parashuram told him to return to Rishi’s ashram and that if Rishi agrees to accept Jaisen back, he will regain his knowledge. Feeling lost, he went back to Rishi Dadhichi who took him under his wings and that’s how a Kshatriya blessed with the combined knowledge of weaponry and Vedas came to be known as a Brahma Kshatriya. Sindhi Brahma Kshatriya Food: I first came across SBK food thanks to some posts shared by Prerna Sonejee in Sindhirasoi Facebook group. What intrigued me was how the dishes were named differently, as compared to the regular Sindhi way. Names like ‘Dhaaran Basar Ji dal’, ‘Surti Vaalan Jo sonto’, ‘Gaare Chokhan Ji Puri‘ sounded very different and that’s when I started connecting with people from this lesser known community to understand the nuances of the cuisine. I am learning something new everyday! Coming to Vatan~an Ji Lilotari, it is nothing but fresh/green peas (or chawli) cooked in tomato gravy along with one or two vegetables of your choice (Potatoes, Apple gourds, Lotus stem, Yam etc). The recipe was shared by Prerna Sonejee and I must say, it was one of the easiest dishes that I have made for the AlifBe series. Print Vataran Ji Lilotari|AlifBe~46 Fresh peas and Yam cooked in tomato gravy Ingredients 1 Cup shelled fresh peas 200 gm Suran (Elephant foot yam) 4 ripe tomatoes 1-2 green chillies ½ inch ginger chopped 2 tbsp oil/ghee ¼ tsp Hing (Use more if you wish) ½ tsp Turmeric 1 heaped tbsp Coriander powder (Optional) 1 -2 tbsp tamarind pulp Salt as per taste Fresh coriander leaves for garnish Method Blend or grate tomatoes. In a pressure cooker, heat oil/ghee Add hing, chopped green chillies and ginger. Saute for a minute and then add peeled and cubed suran. You can use potatoes/Apple gourds/ boiled lotus stem, bottle gourd etc. Add a little salt here. Gently stir yam (suran) and cook for 3-4 minutes on high heat. Add other vegetables, if using and then add peas and blended tomatoes. Add salt, turmeric and coriander powder and sir on high heat. Add around 1 and half cup of water and mix well. Close the pressure cooker with the lid and wait for 2 whistles on medium heat. Switch off the flame. Add Tamarind pulp and simmer for 2-3 minutes.Adjust the consistency of the gravy (refer the picture) and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Enjoy with roti/rice or pulav. 3.5.3251 And here is a video tutorial about how to write in Arabic Sindhi:

The post Vataran Ji Lilotari|AlifBe~46 appeared first on Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes.

Dal Dimma~ AlifBe ~ 18

Alka Keswani — Tue, 04 May 2021 03:40:52 +0000

We have arrived at the 4th shape group in Sindhi Script with the 18th letter and it is د or ‘D~’ as in Daawat or as in Dehradun, in Roman Sindhi while द in Devanagari. To Check a recap for AlifBe series kindly click here ! The Sindhi dish starting with د is Dal Dimma or Dal mung! Folks from Sindhi populated areas might know how common it is for people to flock around the carts selling Dal pakwan, early mornings. Though traditionally Sindhi Pakwan is served with Chana dal, it is very common to find carts where you will get an option of Dal Dimma or Dal mung as many call it. Dal mung is a mix of Whole mung, chana dal and Yellow mung dal, slow cooked separately and mixed while serving. Those who hail from Ulhasnagar would know the popular Doli Naashta waala, well known for traditional Sindhi street foods like Dal pakwan, Dal sandwich, Samose, Gulabjamun etc and Dal mung is one of its best seller. Those living around camp 4 of Ulhasnagar would vouch for Dal mung at Shankar Uncle’s New Delhi Nashta House, near Canara Bank. Interestingly around the same place (Canara bank) and previous to that, near Jungle hotel, an old frail, tall Uncle ji (I think his name was Hari or Hiru) used to sell Dal Dimma on fresh leaves (Can’t recollect if those were Paan or some other leaves). Barely 3 tsp of mung and 2 tsp of dal, garnished with spice powder and chutney @ 25 paise, in late seventies and early eighties would be enough to satiate your morning hunger as it was often had with Pao or roti or even with home made Koki. Anyone remember that Uncle ji? The plain mung dal used to be so dense that you need to actually scoop it with a roti/bread. Slow cooked on charcoal sigri for hours, with only salt and turmeric, garnished with black pepper powder, the piping hot buttery soft dal used to be a delight to relish. As a kid studying in Bal Mandir ( Preschool of yore), I was privileged enough to enjoy hot dal from that Uncle’s cart with mom made Koki courtesy the lady who would bring tiffins for the kids from their respective homes during lunch break. I also have memories of savoring Dalmung Sandwich from the cart opposite building number 6, or amazing Dal pakwan at Vig, in Chembur, while enjoying a stay at Grandparent’s home, pampered with food, food and more food by aunts, Uncles and cousins. You can read more about Chembur Street food here! I have already shared recipes of Dal mung and Dal moth on the blog but today we are talking about Dal Dimma! Honestly speaking I was not aware of the term Dimma as it is called Dal mung in my home town. But thanks to the Sindhirasoi facebook group I got to know that a dal preparation without using tomatoes or onions/garlic is called Dimma. I am yet to find the actual meaning of the word Dimma but I need to thank Mr Manohar Pamnani, Mr Sanjay Lulla, Ms Dolly Atmaram Chandwani and Ms Shashi Nagpal who shared their valuable inputs and their memories about Dal Dimma when I approached them to understand what exactly a Dimma preparation is. Will share more about that some other time! Also a big thanks to Barkha Khushalani Di for always helping me out with the Devanagari script. And of course, heartfelt thanks to my better half, Deepak Keswani too, for being there at every step of learning be it Alif Be or reading dictionaries, recording videos/ Insta reels or for helping out in editing clips. Here is the video of letter formation and assembling of Dal Dimma: Summary: So from what I gathered from discussing about Dal Dimma is that mung/ dal is boiled with just salt, turmeric and optionally, chillies and is tempered with hing (asafoetida) and cumin seeds and garnished with spice powders/garam masala. Print Dal Dimma~ AlifBe ~ 18 Dal Dimma or Dal Mung is a mix of whole mung, chana dal, mung dal, cooked separately and assembled for serving. It is a popular Sindhi street food. Ingredients Serves 3 Mung Whole Mung 1 cup Salt as per taste Green chillies 2 or as as needed Turmeric powder ¼ tsp Garam masala powder (I used Abana's GM) ½ tsp Ghee / oil for tempering Red chilli powder ¼ tsp Cumin seeds ½ tsp Asafoetida 2 pinches For chana dal Chana Dal ¾ cup Salt as per taste Turmeric Powder ¼ tsp Green chillies 1-2 Ghee/oil for tempering Cumin seeds ¼ tsp Asafoetida a pinch Abana's Dal Pakwan Masala 1 heaped spoon Cumin seeds ½ tsp Mung Dal Mung dal (split yellow) ½ cup Salt as per taste Turmeric powder ¼ tsp Ghee/Oil for tempering Red chilli powder ½ tsp Black pepper powder ¼ tsp For Serving Boiled potato chopped 1 Small Boiled beetroot chopped, 1 Small Tomato chopped, 1 Small Onion Chopped 1 Mint coriander chutney Sour Tamarind chutney * Amchoor powder for garnish Fried or Roasted Green chillies 3-4 Method Rinse well and soak Mung, chana dal and mung dal, separately for few hours. Cook each dal separately using salt, chilliies and turmeric powder, till done. If using Abana Dal pakwan masala, then add it while boiling Chana dal. You can cook each dal in a pressure cooker or slow cook in a pan. Mung and Chana dal are bit mushy but not completely mashed, while mung dal is cooked till buttery smooth. In Whole mung, add a tempering of ghee/oil, cumin seeds, hing, red chilli powder and mix well. Add some garam masala powder. In Chana dal, add a tempering of ghee/oil, cumin seeds, hing and chilli powder and mix well. Remember not to overcook or over-mash this dal. In mung dal, add a tempering of ghee/oil and red chilli powder. Add black pepper powder and mix. Consistency of all three should not be very runny. Chop salad vegetables and season with salt, pepper, chilli powder and amchoor/chaat masala. *To make Sour Tamarind chutney just soak some tamarind in water, squeeze well and discard the pulp. Season the tamarind water with salt, chaat masala, chilli powder and hint of sugar. While serving, pour some whole mung in a bowl, some chana dal on one side and mung dal on other side, garnish with some Abana Dal masala, Amchoor powder, chilli powder, salad vegetables, chutneys and dried or roasted whole chillies. Serve hot with bread, roti or Koki. 3.5.3251 Picture Courtesy: Saarthak Aurora I made Dal Dimma using Abana Brand’s Sindhi Dal (pakwan) spice mix along with Garam masala and Amchoor powder of the same brand. Abana is a Sindhi word referring to something that is ancestral. They make some unique Sindhi spice mixes that no other brand can boast of; Sindhi Dal ( pakwan) spice mix, Sindhi Kadhi spice mix or even Sindhi Sanna Pakora and Tuk patata spice blend. The spice mixes dedicated to the Sindhi cuisine and a brand name that is so Sindhi that it stirs memories of yore like nothing else would (Remember the Sindhi Movie, Abana?), the brain child of Mr Basant Rajan, who, at the age when people retire, ventured in this field purely because of his passion for traditional food and spices. If you wish to try these Sindhi spices, please check this Box of Nostalgia, a box with 14 different spices and spice blends!

The post Dal Dimma~ AlifBe ~ 18 appeared first on Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes.

J^aj~a Ji Roti~AlifBe~14

Alka Keswani — Sun, 11 Apr 2021 19:43:28 +0000

In olden days, a wedding in a Sindhi home would mean a buzzing neighbourhood. The male clan would deal with the logistics of a wedding, distributing wedding cards, booking tickets for relatives traveling from far and wide, making arrangements for their stay, booking Maharaj or cook/s to cater to family/relatives, friends etc. The female clan (from the family as well as from the neighborhood) on the other hand would take charge of stocking spices, grains, pulses etc. Almost a fortnight before marriage eve, ladies in the family and around would wind up the daily chores and come together to make papad, kheecha (rice papad/fryum), potato chips etc to serve to guests as well as to pack those to give away as a parting gift or a return gift. Mango pickles were made for summer weddings, well in advance while for winter weddings mostly onion, carrot, cauliflower and turnip pickles were made. Quilts, bedsheets, pillows, mattresses were taken out and kept out to soak up sun-rays. Borrowing these from neighbours was not a taboo. Chairs, steel plates or cutlery too, if needed, were borrowed from neighbors, relatives and friends (one of the reasons for having utensils/cutlery engraved with names was to make sure that there was no mix-up). Marriages in 1970’s: My childhood memories of marriages in family or around, revolve around pitching in for making papad, chips (kids were given the job of safeguarding papad kept in verandah or passages, from birds or strays), of banging spoon on a thali while the ladies sang laadas (wedding folk songs), watching raandha (male cooks) burning logs in open areas (outdoors) to cook food in huge degh or Cauldron or watching lady helpers as they chopped bulk of vegetables for salad etc. Till 70’s a marriage ceremony was more about following the rituals than following ‘trends’. People attending a wedding or a reception were offered Sherbet/Cold drinks or an ice cream if the bride’s family was rich. There was no buffet system for Wedding/Reception but close relatives, friends and neighbors of the bride side family as well as the groom’s family were treated with a feast cooked at their respective homes. Traditional feast Food on the plate: Bhuga chaawra, Beeh Patata (recipe shared in this post), Phulko (chapati), Sindhi Papad, Sanna Pakoda, Nalli Kebab (fryums), salad, boondi raita and Gulabjamun! The traditional Sindhi ceremonial food cooked on wedding days used to be different from what it is, now! A typical meal before wedding would be garam masala flavored rice, an onion tomato based subzi of lotus stems and potatoes ( with skin on) heavily flavored with garam masala. Rotis were made by a bunch of helpers of the Raandho (head cook) while some would fry fresh crisp pakode. Some would cut fresh salad vegetables while others would fry fryums, roast papad etc. The chaos would be overwhelming then but still the smoky flavors of the food being cooked, served and relished would make my heart sing. Beeh patata ( lotus stem with potatoes) curry was commonly made as a marriage ceremonial meal, back then, though some still follow the tradition. Many a times if the subzi is to be offered to bhambhan or Brahmin, it is made without onions and garlic (as a Brahmin is offered only satvik food) and by using a base of spinach and brinjal but when it is made for the family, friends, neighbors and relatives, it could be made with onions as the base. Beeh Patata made for the marriage feast had distinct flavours. Cooking brinjal with or without onions to make the base of the curry, would not only give a body to the curry but would also make the gravy homogenous when bhunoed. Potatoes were used with skin on (not peeled) and the freshly ground garam masala along with whole spices were generously used for pronounced flavors and spicy kick. Above all, cooking on logs would make the curry smoky and delectable. The Beeh Patata curry was usually served with degh waara chaanwran, generally, the rice cooked with whole spices….a match made in heaven! In Sindhi language a baaraat (Procession) is called J^anj`a or जञ and (I may be wrong here) the baaraatis or folks attending the ceremony are called J^aanj~ee while the marriage feast is called J^uJ~u. Since there is a lack of proper information in new dictionaries about these traditional words, I cannot confirm if these are the proper terms. But in general a baaraat could mean a procession as well as the people gathered for the procession. And the feast of Beeh Patata and rice served to them was casually called as J^aj~a Ji roti ( roti here means a meal and not the pulka/flatbread). And the 14th letter/consonant in AlifBe series (A-Z of Sindhi Food) is ڃ in Arabic Sindhi, J~ in Roman Sindhi and ञ in Devanagari. This letter is not used in the beginning of any Sindhi word. A perfect example of its use in Sindhi language is the word जञ and hence I have picked जञ जी रोटी for the 14th letter of Sindhi AlifBe. Print J^aj~a Ji Roti~AlifBe~14 Ingredients For Rice 1 and ½ cup basmati rice or any other variety 1" piece of Cinnamon 3-4 cloves 1 whole black cardamom (vadho photo or black elaichi) 4-5 black pepper corns 2 Bayleaves(or tejpatta) 2 tsp of oil Water to cook rice (mostly double the quantity of rice) Few drops of orange food colour (optional) Salt as per taste For Curry 2 Potatoes -Do not peel the skin. Lotus stem (roots) or Beeh.-100-150 gm 2 Onions 2 Tomatoes (small ) 1 small Brinjal Shelled green peas, a handful Ginger about 1" Green chillies 2-3 depending upon your taste 1 /4 tsp Garam Masala powder ½ tsp Turmeric powder 1 heaped tsp Coriander Powder ½ tsp Jeera powder Salt to Taste 2-4 tsp Oil Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing Method To Make Rice Pick and rinse rice few times with water, till water runs clear. Let the rice soak in water for about half hour (or 15 minutes if using Basmati) In a heavy bottom pan, add 2 tsp of oil and put all the whole spices and stir fry for few seconds. Add rice and salt and mix gently. Add water (almost double the quantity of rice) and few drops of orange colour (optional). Mix well, allow it to boil and then simmer. Once the water is absorbed, cover it with a lid and cook on low flame till done. Serve hot with Beeh patata curry. To Make Curry Clean and cut Beeh into slanting slices and pressure cook them with some salt and water till done (2-4 whistles of pressure cooker, depending on quality of Beeh). A knife or fork should smoothly slide in Beeh. Drain and keep aside. Clean the potatoes and cut each into large chunks. Rinse with water, drain and add salt. Soak in water if potatoes start to oxidise. You can peel potato skin but it tastes better with skin on. In a pressure cooker, add 2 -4 tsp of oil and add chopped onions. When onions turn pinkish, add chopped brinjal (with skin) and cook till the mixture is light brown in colour. Add chopped tomatoes, some salt, chopped green chillies, ginger and turmeric. Add half cup of water and close the lid, and pressure cook the mix for 2-3 whistles. When pressure subsides, open the lid, mash the gravy with wooden churner and put it back on flame. Add potatoes, boiled beeh, coriander powder and some salt, if needed and cook on high heat. Add few spoons of water if the mixture tends to stick to the bottom of cooker. Keep cooking on high flame, sprinkling water if needed, till the gravy looks homegenized. Add hot water and shelled peas.The water should be just above the level of Beeh and potatoes. Add garam masala powder and some coriander leaves. Close the lid of cooker and wait for one whistle and then cook on lowest flame, under pressure for 2-5 min. Put off the flame. When the pressure subsides, open the lid and check for the seasoning and consistency of gravy and adjust according to your taste. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and enjoy it with piping hot rice. 3.5.3251 And as usual, here is a short video to help you in understanding formation of the letter ڃ !

The post J^aj~a Ji Roti~AlifBe~14 appeared first on Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes.

Jwar Ji Tikki~AlifBe~11

Alka Keswani — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 21:04:31 +0000

The 11 th letter/consonant of AlifBe series is ج which is J in Roman Sindhi and ज in Devanagari. J as in Jowar, Japan, Java etc. This consonant belongs to third basic shape group. To know more about the 1st and second shape groups you can check this recap post! My hunt for a Sindhi dish starting with Alphabet J led me to Johar/Jwar Ji tikki and when I was discussing it with Ma and Papa (MIL and FIL) I realised that it is indeed very unique. Not sure about the Zen X generation but Millennial Sindhi kids may nod in affirmative that the peppermint candy was one of those delicious, breath freshening, carminative, herbal candies that was actually fed by mothers and grandmothers to young and old. The Jwar ji tikki also known as Phudney ji tikki was a ‘must have’ in every home back then. It is a part of the first chaato (a sweet fine powder mix ) that a newborn is given or the Faqi, a post natal powder mix given to the new mother. Everyone from kids to elderly loved this mint candy and some people even confessed to me that when they were kids they would fake stomach ache just to eat this. So What is Jwar/Johar ji tikki? What it is made of? What does the word Johar means? Is it a candy or medicine? I had so many questions on my mind and though we (me, MIL, FIL and hubby dear) couldn’t find any answers then but that discussion made Papa (FIL) very nostalgic about few things associated with Jwar Ji tikki which gradually led me to many valuable discoveries that I am surely going to share with you all in my upcoming posts, on Instagram and even on Facebook. So do join me there, if you haven’t, yet. I need to thank my extended family who helped me in finding answers to many queries regarding Jwar ji tikki. Thank you Prakash Uncle for connecting me with Dilip Uncle (of Kaka’s Jwar tikki fame) who explained the process of making Jwar tikki. Thank you Renu Di and Varsha, for being so patient and for sharing so many details along with lovely memories of the forgotten delicacies (that I must share in upcoming posts) and of course thanks to my better half for helping me in my culinary and literary research and for everything else. So what is Jwar Ji Tikki? Jwar Ji tikki is basically a sweet menthol flavored hard sugar candy/ tablet, also known as peppermint Lozenges. It has nothing to do with jowar (sorghum) tikki 😉 Jwar Ji Tikki is made by boiling sugar to which glucose syrup and mint oil are added but there are many variations of the candy and hence varying ingredients like gelatin (derived from plants or animal collagen) fats /oil and even Magnesium Stearate may be present in different kinds of Mint candies. Apart from sugar and Glucose (syrup) an important ingredient used in Jwar Ji tikki is Mentha. Mentha: Mentha (plant) is a genus of perennial herbs belonging to family Lamiaceae and there are around 25 species of these aromatic herbs and one of it is Peppermint. Mentha oil is derived from Mentha foliage i.e leaves, stems or even flowers of Peppermint (even spearmint/mint). The foliage is collected and dumped in large tanks and the mix is compressed thoroughly. Steam is allowed to pass through the compressed foliage which drives along with it the oily fumes of mentha. This steam is then allowed to pass through a cooling chamber where it gets converted into liquid (water) form, carrying mentha, forming an emulsion which is collected in a container. The mentha oil floats on the surface of the liquid and is then collected and stocked. The mentha or Menthol (organic compound made from mint oil) are then used in various medicine preparations, vapo rubs, toothpastes and mouth fresheners etc. Some Interesting facts about Menthol: * In ancient Greece, Menthol was used as room freshener. It was spread on the floor or in corners of rooms for that cool, fresh fragrance in the air. * While in ancient era cloves were chewed to freshen the breath, in Medieval era, people started using mint as mouth fresheners. * Mint candies were used not only as breath fresheners but also for its carminative properties. Altoids, the mint candies, similar to Jwar Ji tikki were first created by a confectioner named William Smith, in London in l8th century. Those were originally made from a mix of Sugar, gum arabic, gelatin, glucose syrup and peppermint oil. However after a century (almost 100 years) Altoids became more popular in America than in Europe. Coming to Jwar Ji tikki, this desi peppermint candy was and still is, a favorite of Sindhis. Dilip Uncle told me that now mostly Menthol crystals are used to make Jwar Ji Tikki, instead of mint oil. The crystals used, could be natural or synthetic. Natural Menthol crystals are made by freezing the essential oil extracted from mint plants. Upon freezing, the menthol crystals are separated from dementholized oil with the help of a centrifuge machine and are finally dried for a day or so. These Menthol crystals (previously known as peppermint camphor) are then used in candies or in products for Oral hygiene etc. Synthetic Menthol crystals are produced by hydrogenation of thymol. Why the name Jwar Ji Tikki ? Ideally it should be pronounced as Johar or Jowhar Ji Tikki. Johar in Sindhi means essence/arq/essential oil etc. Menthol is known as Phudney Jo Johar (Phudna= mint in Sindhi). For such interesting translations you can refer the dictionary of Sindhyat.com A detailed recipe (trade secret) of this Jwar Ji tikki is promised by few sources and if I do get it, I will share it with you all. And as usual, I am sharing here a small video for those who wish to learn how to write in Arabic Sindhi script.

The post Jwar Ji Tikki~AlifBe~11 appeared first on Sindhi Rasoi |Sindhi Recipes.