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10 Winter Special Sindhi Dishes

Alka Keswani — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 08:49:07 +0000

Winter season in Mumbai is a boon for those who love to eat a variety of greens/leafy vegetables. Sarson ka Saag, Bathua, Saag of Hara bhara, fresh Methi, Paalak, green garlic etc make our meals so refreshing. Winters also bring a bounty of red juicy Carrots, plump pods of Peas, Kand, tender Radish and Sweet potatoes in the markets. Walking down the lanes of vegetable markets in this season means walking down the memory lanes, pausing at the carts loaded with winter produce, admiring the array of colors, sniffing the freshest vegetables and fruits, picking the best from the lot, remembering the food your parents/grandparents cooked, drooling at the thoughts of savouring your favorite seasonal food and eagerly heading towards home with the bag full of nostalgia. Winter season in Mumbai evoke memories of my Mother cleaning (picking) drumstick flowers by tilting the aluminium winnow to collect the rolling buds at one end. Memories of the friends in the neighbourhood chatting while enjoying Sawa Phota or the Choliya (fresh Garbanzo beans) picking pods from bunches of the Saag, memories of the family gathering on a Sunday evening to savour boiled D^adhri (Pods), the wonderful moments spent with the Aunt K in the neighbourhood slurping ‘Aur Jo Ras‘ made by her on a cozy winter afternoon eyeing on the preparations being done for making Thoom Ja Vada to be savoured as evening snacks. Here are 10 Winter Special Sindhi dishes that I would like to share with you all. Do try these, if you are blessed enough to find the seasonal produce in the markets around you. The list includes the winter special sweets that Sindhis love to indulge in! Suhanjhro Traditional Sindhi style curry made using Drumstick flowers or Sahjan ke Phool. It is a very delicious and nutritious curry though cleaning Moringa (Sahjan) flowers is a time consuming process but it is totally worth it. Do check the recipe here! Pali Pali or the fresh tender leaves of chana (Hara Bhara saag) cooked in rustic desi style is not a dish but an emotion, particularly for the elderly Sindhis who would often talk about the Golden era when the pali was cooked on logs/sigri, mashed (Ghotna) crazily with wooden whisker and was had with Chanvar Ji maani (Roti made from rice flour) and home made white butter, a pure winter bliss! Do check the recipe of this saag here! D^adhri The tender pods of Khesari, boiled and garnished with loads of amchoor and coriander powder are one of my most favorite snacks to enjoy at leisure. Have you ever tried these? Find more details about D^adhri here! Sawa Phota Fresh pods of Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans, also known as Choliya or Har bhara in local languages are either boiled and spiced up or roasted with spices. The boiled Sawa Phota are one of my most favorite Winter special Sindhi dishes. Thoom Ja vada Deep fried patties/tikkis made with pounded fresh green garlic, chillies, coriander leaves, flavored with Annardana and basic spices i.e the Thoom Ja Vada are simply irresistible and the garlic lovers would vouch for it. If it sounds interesting to you, then do check the recipe here! Vataran Ji Lilotari Vatana or fresh green peas rule the vegetable markets during winters.Do you, like me, buy the pods in bulk,shell and stock the peas for the rest of the year? If you have some fresh peas in your refrigerator then I would suggest trying this Vataran Ji Lilotari, a curry loved by Brahma Khatri Sindhis. Do check my blog post about the Brahma Khatris and about the Vataran Ji Lilotari here! Gogrun Ji Khatain Turnips and green garlic, both found during winter season are pickled with mustard seeds to make this lovely yellow colored kanji pickle. If you haven’t tried this pickle yet, then I would suggest you to grab some turnips and garlic and make this ASAP! The recipe of Sindhi style Turnip Pickle is shared here! Saandhyal Gajrun Saandhan in Sindhi means to preserve or to conserve something. Saandhyal Gajrun is a tangy, sweetish pickle made using juicy red carrots, mustard oil, Rai dal and basic spices. Do check the recipe of lip smacking Sindhi style carrot pickle here ! Khorak (Khhoraak) For Sindhis Khorak is an ultimate Khurak to ward off the evils of seasonal allergies and to boost the immunity. A mix of roasted flour, poppy seeds, dry fruits/nuts, ghee and edible gum makes Khhoraak an ideal sweet to consume in cold weather as it gives warmth and energy too. Find the recipe of Khorak here! Majoon Yet another body and soul warming sweet dish, Majun/Majoon, not to be confused with Majoun, a Unani medicine made using Cannabis, is a sweet made around Diwali and is had through out the winter season. A delicious mix of Chhuhara (dried dates) dry fruits/nuts, ghee, sugar and mawa and much more, this is a must try! Check the recipe here! Which one of the above mentioned Winter special Sindhi dishes is your favorite?

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Suran Kofta Curry|Jimikand Kofta

Alka Keswani — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 09:30:48 +0000

Suran (Jimmikand) Kofta Curry : Well spiced, deep fried Suran Kofte simmered in basic onion tomato gravy is one of the much loved dishes from the Sindhi cuisine. Though Suran (Jimikand) Kofta curry is popular in many other Indian cuisines, the one that I am sharing here today, is made by flavoring the boiled Suran with ginger, garlic , freshly pounded pepper and Darunkhatta (Annardana). Usually Besan (Gram flour) is added to bind (and to absorb excess moisture) the mashed Suran and the portions of this mixture are rolled to make Kofte that are then deep fried. One can use mashed potatoes or bread crumbs too but trust me, using ROASTED besan works the best IMHO! The Kofte could be dunk into any gravy of your choice; be it the rich creamy Mughlai style or the ‘Makhani’ gravy, tomato gravy or the humble Sindhi style Daag^ i.e the onion tomato gravy made in a pressure cooker to make delicious Sindhi style Suran (Jimikand) Kofta Curry. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alka Keswani (@sindhirasoiofficial) To know how to make perfect Sindhi style Daag^ (Onion Tomato gravy), do check this link. Print Suran Kofta|Jimikand Kofta Curry Suran or Elephant Foot Yam (Jimmikand) Kofte in Sindhi style Onion tomato gravy Ingredients For Kofte (Makes 8-9 Kofte) Suran 250 gm (After peeling) Besan (Gram flour) 5-7 Tbsp (or as much needed to bind kofte) Ginger ½ inch piece Garlic 4-5 cloves Green chillies 2 Salt as per taste Garam masala powder ¼ tsp Black pepper corns 5-6 Some coriander leaves Annardana 1 Tbsp (Optional) Lemon/lime 1 Turmeric ½ tsp ( I didn't add any) Oil for frying Kofte For Gravy Onions 2 medium sized Tomatoes 2 large Ginger ½ inch piece Green chillies 2 Bay leaves 2 Cumin seeds 1 tsp Red chilli powder ½ tsp Turmeric powder ¼ tsp Coriander Powder 1 Tbsp Salt as per taste Garam masala powder ½ tsp Oil 2 Tbsp Coriander leaves for Garnishing Method To make Suran Kofte: In a dry pan, roast besan (without oil) on really low flame for 4-5 minutes or till aromatic. Do not let the besan burn or stick to the pan. Allow it to cool down. Peel and rinse Suran. You can apply some oil to your hands to avoid any itchiness. Cut Suran in large chunks. In a pressure cooker, add the Suran, water to cover it and add some salt. Squeeze a lemon and add the juice in the pressure cooker. The salted water may help to avoid oxidation of the Suran. Some people experience itchy throat after consuming Suran, particularly if the Suran is not fresh and hence lemon juice is added to avoid itchy throat. Cook the Suran under pressure for 2 whistles on high flame. Drain and transfer boiled Suran in a large mixing bowl/plate and mash it well. Using Mortar and Pestle, pound ginger, garlic, chillies, black pepper corns and annardana (if using ) and add to the mashed Suran. Add some more salt, turmeric powder (if using), garam masala, chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Add roasted besan, gradually, till the mixture binds well. You may need 4-7 tbsp of besan depending upon how moist the suran mix is. If you add more than needed besan, the kofte may taste more like besan pakore. If you use less than required besan the kofte may break (disintegrate) while frying. Divide the mix into 8-9 portions and roll each to make smooth looking kofte. Heat oil in a pan and fry one Kofta. If it breaks, add some more besan (preferably roasted), if not, continue frying the rest of Kofte. Fry the kofte in hot oil, on medium flame, till golden brown. Fry in batches. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside. For the Gravy: In a pressure cooker heat 2 tbsp of oil, add bayleaves, cumin seeds and then add chopped onions and ginger. Cook onions on medium to low flame, till brown. Lower the flame and add red chilli powder. Immediately add chopped tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder and little salt to facilitate softening of tomatoes. Mix well and allow tomatoes to turn mushy. Add about 1 cup of water and close the lid of pressure cooker and wait for 3 whistles. Alternatively you can wait for 1 whistle of the cooker and lower the flame and cook the mix under pressure for 5 minutes. When the pressure subsides, whisk the gravy with a wooden whisker till homogenous. Adjust salt and water. Add garam masala powder and coriander leaves and allow the gravy to simmer for 5 minutes. Add fried Kofte in the gravy, just before serving and give it a boil. Garnish with more coriander leaves and enjoy it hot, with roti or rice or both 🙂 3.5.3251

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Tamate Ji Kadhi|Sindhi Recipe

Alka Keswani — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 13:25:36 +0000

Kadhi! A Kadhi, for Sindhis, generally means something that is soul soothing, heart warming, exhilarating…a dish that while being stirred in a pot, stirs up memories in your mind. It is not what the non Indians label as a ‘curry’. It is what your Mother/father/grandparents would cook, with all the love. It is something that you crave for, on a cold day, on days when you feel low, when you need a balm to soothe your aching heart. Kadhi is a Soul food, Kadhi chaawal, a comforting meal! Drop a yes, if you agree ! Many assume that a Sindhi Kadhi means the besan kadhi, flavored with tamarind/Kokum with a plenty of assorted vegetables to pump up the flavors. But let me tell you that there are other types of ‘Sindhi’ Kadhis too! To begin with, there is a Shikarpuri style Kadhi, where strained Toor dal is added to the roasted besan mix. You can find its recipe here! Then there is Chaapru style Kadhi, known as Aur Jo Ras (Aur= mustard seeds, Ras= juice/broth/gravy) a delightful mix of garlic, mustard seeds, assorted vegetables and besan rolls (Gatte), something that could be consumed to increase your appetite when you are recovering! You can find the recipe here! A variation of Aur Jo ras is Thumaro and you can check its recipe here! And then there is Tamate Ji Kadhi, a soupy, lighter version of Besan Kadhi, where the amount of besan used is less and only tomatoes are used as souring agents. No tamarind or kokum is used, ideally, in tamate ji kadhi. My mother would make Besan Kadhi while my elder sister makes Tamate Ji kadhi and though I love both types, but over the years I have become biased towards Tamate Ji Kadhi since it doesn’t requires hours of simmering, could be made in a pressure cooker, in a jiffy and also is comparatively easier to digest. Print Tamate Ji Kadhi|Sindhi Recipe Rating 5.0 from 1 reviews Tangy, soupy Sindhi Kadhi flavored made with besan and tomatoes Ingredients 2 tbsps Gramflour (Chana dal besan) 1 tsp. mustard seeds ¼ tsp.fenugreek seeds 7-8 Curry leaves 2-3 green chillies Ginger (1/2 inch piece) 5-6 tomatoes ½ tsp.Red chilly powder ¼ tsp Turmeric powder Salt to taste 2 tbsp. oil Vegetables 10 cluster beans (gavar) 2 Large potatoes 8-9 Okra 1-2 drumsticks (cut in finger sized length) Method Blend tomatoes in a mixie jar. You can blanch and then blend the tomatoes for smoother texture. For that just make slits in tomatoes and boil in hot water for 2-3 minutes or till the skin separates out. Drain, cool and blend in a mixie jar. In pressure cooker heat 2 tbsp.of oil and add curry leaves, ginger, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and let the seeds splutter. Add gram flour and cook it on low flame while stirring constantly. When the flour turns reddish brown in colour add red chilli powder and tomato puree. Add 2-3 cups of water, while stirring, to avoid any lumps. Be careful as it splutters a lot at this stage. Add turmeric powder, green chilies and salt. Cover the cooker with the lid and wait for a whistle and then simmer it for 10 minutes minimum, under pressure. Turn off the heat and allow the cooker to cool down. Peel potatoes and cut into 4 or 6 pieces each. Tip off the ends of cluster beans. Scrape drumsticks and cut into finger sized pieces. Add these to the Kadhi and cook further till potatoes vegetables are cooked properly. You can add cauliflower/Lotus stem/peas/corn etc. too. Add more water here. Many a times if we add enough water along with the tomatoes, the kadhi spills out even when cook under pressure. So do add water in batches. Tip off the ends of Okra and slit from top to bottom end.Stuff a little of salt in each and fry the okra till done. Add the okra and some coriander leaves in the Kadhi and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Tamate Ji Kadhi should not be as dense as the besan Kadhi so adjust the consistency accordingly and add hot water if needed. Serve hot with plain white rice, aloo took (crisp deep fried potatoes) and sweet boondi. 3.5.3251

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Kokum Wari Dal ~ AlifBe~36

Alka Keswani — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 14:10:27 +0000

To check the recipe video of Kokum Wari Dal click here To know details about Kokum, please do read on! We are now at the 36th consonant in AlifBe of Sindhi food (A-Z of Sindhi Food) and it is ڪ in Sindhi, क in Devanagari and K in Roman Sindhi. And while I had plenty of options to choose from, for a Sindhi dish starting with this alphabet, I picked Kokum Wari Dal. Few days ago, I was having an interesting conversation with Saaz Aggarwal; the well known Biographer, columnist, Historian and author of wonderful books like ‘Sindh: Stories from a Vanished Homeland’, Sindhi Tapestry, The Amils of Sindh and more and as we spoke about Sindhis, about their culture, food, rituals and about the influences we have from varying communities she did mention Kokum (Garcinia indica) and we both were curious to know how this tangy sun dried fruit from the Konkan belt paved its way in Sindhi Kadhi and Dal. So I decided to look around for some information about the Kokum phool or Kukum ja Gullah (also known as Kokum Ja Gullah) and I ended by feeling more confused. Firstly I could never figure out why the fruits of Garcinia indica (Kokum) are called Kokum phool in Hindi and Kukum ja gullah (Gullah = flowers in Sindhi language). Secondly, there is no proper information available about the difference between black kokum and white kokum. Fruits of Garcinia indica are generally sold either as the dried rind (the dark purple leathery skin) or as the dried slices of fruit along with seeds. The slices could be circular or the fruit could be sliced vertically. I haven’t seen the leathery rind being used in any Sindhi preparation. What we use, is generally called the ‘White kokum’ by non Sindhis while we call it as Kukum ja gullah. I did compare many samples from different shops and I found that the seeds and the dried fibre of Kokum phool from different places appeared different in terms of shape, size and texture but then a lay man cannot figure out if those batches came from different species of the same family or if those are different fruits altogether. I regret not capturing pictures of all the samples that I saw in different kirana shops. Sometimes I doubt if the Kokum phool that we Sindhis consume are actually the fruits from Garcina (varying species) or are those the dried monkey fruits i.e Artocarpus lacucha (Vatamba), since the texture of some of the samples of Kukum Ja Gullah that I saw, looked very much like the dried Vatamba, though the pericarp appeared to be thicker. Not sure how different both (Kokum phool and Monkey fruit) are supposed to taste but the only sample I had of Vatamba, a long ago, tasted not very different in the Kadhi, from the Kokum phool (Garcinia indica) that Sindhis use. So is it possible that Vatamba is sold in the name of Kokum phool? Or is my thinking too wild? When and how did Kokum phool got infuse in Sindhi style preparations ? Well, again there are vague theories only because I couldn’t track down the actual timeline and the route via which Kokum reached Sindhi kitchens. To begin with, Kokum is found in the Konkan Belt, the western coastal region of India. The region was a part of the Bombay Presidency along with the Sindh region (Now in Pakistan) and perhaps the traders from Sindh took with them the dried kokum phool with better shelf life to use it as an alternate (or add on) souring agent. Or perhaps the people from Goa who migrated to Karachi in 1820’s took these with them and Sindhi folks who are quick to adapt from the surroundings, selectively adapted the dried kokum fruits ignoring the leathery rind. Perhaps the ancient Sindhis didn’t like the way the rind imparts color to the final dish and they were more happy with the dried fruit that infuses wonderful fruity, tangy flavors to the Dal or Kadhi, without affecting the color of the dish. Or is Kokum an influence from Gujarat, since the dried Kokum is also used in Dal in Gujarati cuisine? Or did it entered in our Kitchens via Malaysia? Since there is a mention of Garcinia cambogia in a dictionary where it is referred to as a ‘Malaysian plant’. There is a reference of Mangosteen too but I couldn’t find anything about Garcinia indica in Sindhi dictionary or articles that I could refer so far. Would love to hear from you if you know the details. Please do share your views or bits of information on this, in the comments below. For now, I am sharing a recipe of everyday dal, made in Sindhi homes, where mostly tomatoes are used as a souring agent but sometimes dried Kokum phool are added for the extra oomph! Sindhis mostly consume mung dal with rice. Toor/masoor/urad dal chilka etc were less popular with previous generation of Sindhis, particularly those living around Bombay (Now, Mumbai). Of course now things have changed and we do include the above mentioned dal in our regular diet too. One thing that I have noticed in many Sindhi kitchens is that unlike the regular practise, we cook dal for a while after tempering (mostly people do not cook dal after it is tempered). Print Kokum Dal ~ AlifBe~36 Serves: 4 servings Yellow mung dal flavored with dried kokum fruit or Kokum phool Ingredients ½ Cup Mung Dal 2 small Tomatoes 1-2 Green Chillies ½ " Ginger 4-5 Dried Kokum Phool ½ tsp Turmeric ¼ tsp Red chilli Powder 1 tbsp Cumin seeds 2 tbsp Ghee/ Oil 7- 8 Curry Leaves Salt As per Taste Coriander Leaves for Garnish Method Soak half a cup of mung dal in water for 20- 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with fresh water, a couple of times. In a pressure cooker, add soaked dal and around 2- 2.5 cups of water. Let the dal boil. Collect the scum (froth) and discard it. Add grated tomatoes, chopped chillies and ginger along with salt and turmeric powder. Rinse Kokum phool with water properly. You can add Kokum at this stage or after the tadka. I prefer to add it along with tomatoes. Close the cooker with the lid and wait for 2 whistles of the pressure cooker. Switch off the flame. Once the pressure subsides, whisk the dal using wooden whisker. Add hot water, if needed. If eating with rice I do like the dal to be on thinner side so I did add around a cup of water. Heat 2 tbsp of oil/ghee in a tadka pan and add cumin and curry leaves. When cumin seeds turn darker, switch off the flame and add red chilli powder. Pour the tadka in the dal. Immediately cover the cooker with the lid so that the dal absorbs the aroma of the tempering. After 2 minutes, stir and add some coriander leaves. Close the pressure cooker with the lid and cook again (1-2 whistles of the pressure cooker). Garnish with some more coriander leaves before serving. Can have it with roti/phulka and/or rice. Note: Many prefer to cook this dal in open pan (Sipri). The process remains the same though the amount of water required may be more when cooked in an open pan. Many like to add kokum phool after tempering as they dont like to whisk the dal having kokum phool. In that case, do add kokum after the tempering and allow dal to simmer for 10 minutes so that it can absorb the flavors of Kokum phool. 3.5.3251

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Zaefrani Kulfi~ AlifBe~ 26

Alka Keswani — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 20:02:08 +0000

Long post alert: If you are interested only in the recipe then kindly scroll down to reach the recipe! If you are curious to know about saffron, its varieties and some interesting theories about Kulfi, then please read on! The 26th Consonant in Sindhi AlifBe is ز i.e Z in Roman Sindhi and ज़ in Devanagari. As mentioned in the earlier post, there are 4 different types of ‘Z’ used in Sindhi AlifBe. ذ as in Zaro (Little ), (ज़/Z) ز as in Zanzeer (Chain/shackles) (ज़/Z) ض as in Zaeef (Feeble) (ज़/Z) ظ as in Zalim (cruel/merciless) (ज़/Z) Kindly note that all the above mentioned consonants are represented by ‘ ज़ ‘in Devanagari and by ‘Z’ in Roman Sindhi but will vary in Arabic Sindhi. For example if you need to write the word Zaheen (an Urdu word ) you will have to use ذ and if you need to write Zameen (a Hindi/Sindhi) in Sindhi you will use ز I am yet to figure out how to use ض and ظ appropriately! ذ as in Zaro is covered already and you can check it here! Today we are focusing on ز as in Zanzeer. Please note that though ذ and ز look similar but they both are different. And the dish of the day is Zaefrani Kulfi! In Sindhi Saffron is known as Kesar as well as Zaefran (also spelt as Zaeffran or Zaefaran)! Zaeffan or Saffron: Crocus sativus L. is a perennial herb and the plant yields purple colored flowers which are valued for their stigmas; one of the most expensive herbs sold in markets, commonly known as Saffron, Zaafran, Zaeffran, Kesar etc. The word Saffron comes from the Arabic word Zaefraan which in turn is supposed to be derived from the Persian word Zarparan where Zar means gold or valuables and Paran/faran refers to petals. Thus Zaefran means a flower with Gold petals or maybe ‘petals as valuable as gold’. The oldest documents about the use of saffron as a spice or herb are recorded in the court of the Persian Achaemenid dynasty (550-330 BC). Some sources suggest that under the Persian rule, Saffron was first cultivated in Kashmir from where it travelled to the Indian subcontinent. Some believe that the saffron originated in Greece. Many Kashmiri locals believe that Saffron came to India through two Sufi saints ; Khwaja Masood Wali and Hazrat Sheikh Shariffudin, who during their travel fell ill and were taken care of by the tribal chieftain. As a gesture of gratitude they gave bulbs of saffron plant to him and that’s how the cultivation of saffron began in Kashmir (Pampore). Spain was introduced to Saffron by the Arabs who invaded the place and from Spain it travelled to other European countries. Why so costly? Saffron strands are the stigmas of Saffron flowers. Each flower has three stigmas (thread-like structures). The flowers stay only for a few days and need to be plucked before the sun or wind affects the quality of the saffron strands. Once bloomed, the flowers are to be harvested before sunrise and before they start opening (or soon after). Once harvested, the stigmas are separated immediately. The strands are then dried to get rid of excess moisture. Post drying the color changes to dark red. Traditionally the process may take around a week as baskets of stigmas are hung on the ceiling and are left to dry away from harsh sunlight. From around 150 flowers, only a gram (1 gm) of Saffron threads is obtained. Saffron is valued for its medicinal properties and is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, manganese, Iron, vitamin B6 etc. As mentioned above, Saffron are the stigma of the flowers. Each stigma is 2-3 cm long.The deep red or maroon colored stigmas are attached to the flower by pale orange/yellow colored filaments called styles. In India, Kashmiri Saffron is marketed as Lacha, mongra and gucchha/Gucchi. Mongra Saffron: The pale style is separated and only the deep red colored stigma is used. Lachha : The red color stigma with a little of the yellow style (tail-like) attached, sold along with floral waste is called Lachha. Guchi (Guchha) saffron is the one where the yellow style is not separated from red stigma. The bunch of these are tied at the ends. This type of saffron is known as Dasteh in Iran. In Iran the top of the Saffron strands are categorised as Sargol, the saffron with the silky red stigma are called Super Negin/Negin while the one with red stigma along with yellow style are called Pushali. Obviously Pushali is cheaper than the other types of Saffron. Then there is a type called Zard (White or Konj) with only pale parts of stigma present. The ‘colorless’ saffron is commonly used for medicinal purposes as well as in tobacco industries. The Spanish Saffron could be categorised into Coupe, LaMancha, Rio and Sierra. Coupe: The best of all, with only red stigma and no pale styles. Comparable to the Persian Sargol. La Mancha: A less potent but very expensive Saffron, La Mancha is cultivated in a small region of Spain and its origin is protected. This kind of Saffron imparts faint smokey flavors as instead of traditional sun-drying, it is toast dried before packaging Rio: Of lesser grade than Coupe and Rio! Sierra : Mostly consists of pale orange/yellow styles and is cheapest of all! Kulfi: A Kulfi is a frozen dairy product made by freezing sweetened and flavored reduced milk. It is not churned and hence it is not as airy as an ice cream. I was intrigued by the word Kulfi and would often discuss it with the people related to making or selling Kulfi; be it the Faluda sellers, ice cream makers, halwais and even the street vendors . Google says that the word Kulfi was derived from the Persian ‘Qufli’ meaning ‘covered up’ and since the reduced milk is set in cones covered with a lid, hence the name Kulfi! Another theory suggests that the cones are kept inside a matka which is covered with a cloth and that is the reason the dessert is called Kulfi. Baba, the elderly uncle in our old neighbourhood (some of his recipes have graced my blog) believed that the word Kulfi came from Arabic Qufl or may be from the Turki (I guess he meant Uzbek) Qulf a synonym of Qurf /Qarf in Sindhi, all being the local names for ‘padlock’! According to Baba if you observe the Kulfi waala/waali, you would notice that he/she inserts a stick in the centre of the frozen kulfi inside the cone and twists the stick the way we use the key to open the lock, to un mould the kulfi. I don’t know if I can consider it to be a valid reason or whether I should assume it to be a case of an elderly person cooking up interesting stories. I wouldn’t know because he is no more with us. When I discussed this ‘Lock’ theory with some Kulfi vendors, few of them agreed to it. While some said that maybe the kulfi is set in cones that are locked/sealed and hence it is called kulfi. The Recipe: Traditionally Kulfi is made by reducing full cream milk to half or 1/3rd of its volume. It is then sweetened and flavored with varying ingredients like cardamoms, Saffron, mango, berries, chocolate etc thereby creating a range of delectable flavors. Print Zaeffrani Kulfi~ AlifBe~ 26 Saffron flavored Kulfi i.e frozen Indian 'Ice cream'! Ingredients 500 ml Milk ( full cream) 200 ml sweetened condensed milk 1 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tbsp of milk 6-7 saffron strands soaked in 2 tsp of milk 3 green cardamoms (only seeds) 12-15 unsalted pistachios Method Boil the milk, along with condensed milk, stirring frequently to avoid scalding of milk. In the meantime, powder the pistachios and cardamom seeds together, using a grinder. We need coarse mix and not a fine powder. Add this powder to the milk and let it simmer for a while. Add the cornflour dissolved in milk. Stir well. Add the soaked saffron and simmer further till the milk reduces to half of its original volume. Let the reduced milk cool down a touch. Pour in moulds (Aluminum or plastic), or in earthen pots (Kullhar). Always soak the earthen ware in cold water for at least 30-60 minutes before using them. Once the milk mix cools down to room temperature and secure the lids of the cones or cover the mouth of matka/kullhar with aluminum foil. Transfer the moulds to the freezer and let the Kulfi set for minimum 5-6 hours. For un-moulding, just place the moulds (with secured lids) under running water for few seconds or 'rub' them between your palms and then insert a clean ice cream stick or toothpick and pull out the Kulfi. Serve immediately. 3.5.3251 I recently made Rabri and reserved some to make the Kulfi. I soaked some saffron (courtesy my Brother in law, SK) and powdered green cardamom seeds in few tbsp of milk and mixed it with the rabri. Poured it in the aluminium cones and left in the freezer for 8 hours. It was served with a splash of rose syrup! The weather was so hot that the Kulfi melted before I could click some decent pictures! The below picture is of the Kulfi prepared from Rabri. And here is the video about how to write ز in Sindhi script!

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