Tag: tamarind

Mitho lolo ( sweet flat bread ) and mirchaan ji bhaaji( chilli sabji)

main meal

MITHO LOLO
Those familiar with sindhi cuisine would know about koki or loli as we call it, the top comfort level breakfast for any sindhi😊, paired with yogurt and papad. In my home its a sunday breakfast.

Mitho lolo, is the sweet version of loli.
Mostly made on certain festivals like Satai or Thadri as its known. Food is generally cooked a day prior to Thadri, and eaten cold the next day, items which keep well are pakoras, puris, seeras, and rice which is mixed with yogurt, and mustard powder. No fire is lit to cook on Thadri.
Ladies go thier parents homes and just enjoy for the day. This year it falls on 29th August.
My late mother in law would make make mitho lolo’s every Thadri, she would make the dough patiently, rolling out the lolas and send them to the kitchen, where I had to roast them on the tawa at a very low heat..
patience 😊is the key to make good lolas.
I rarely make lolas nowadays, bcoz there are some home chefs who sell them in jakarta. I tried making them this year and they were quite good. We pair mitho lolo with a chillie sabji. Sharing both recipes today. Do try the recipe. Thank you.

Mitho lolo
250 gms whole wheat atta
6 tbsps of oil
125gms grated jaggery
2 tbsps powdered sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder.
Extra 1 cup oil for dipping.

In a bowl add grated jaggery, sugar and about 4 tbsps of hot water. Mix well till jaggery disolves.

Prepare a deep plate with about one cup of oil in it to dip the lolas.keep aside

In a big bowl or plate, put the flour( atta)
And add the oil, add 5 tbsps first and mix with finger tips. If you can gather the flour in your hands like a ball, that means oil is enough otherwise add 1 tbsp more. Add the cardamon powder and liquid jaggery, and knead gently. Try your best not to add any water. I needed to add 1 tbsp. The dough shd be tight. We need to use the dough Immediately, to avoid gluten formation, which will make the lola soft. The lola should have a crisp bite to it, and be just a little soft inside.Now divide the dough into about 5 balls, cover with a wet napkin, take one ball and smoothen it on the rolling board. Roll out to about 1 cm thick, plus minus. Prick all over with a fork. Roast on a preheated tawa on a very low heat, gently press with a wooden chapati press or napkin. Brush with very little oil, When both sides are golden brown remove onto the oil filled plate, soak for just a minute and drain.
Stack in a plate. Lolas have a long shelf life, if you store them well. In airtight boxes.

you can add cut nuts while rolling out the lolas. We like them plain.

Mirchaan ji bhaji
( chillie sabji)

250 gms green chillies( I used the thick variety)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp hing
1.5 tbsps besan
2 tbsps grated jaggery
2 tbsps tamarind pulp
Salt to taste.
Wash and cut the green chillies into 3 to 4 pcs..

Heat about 4 to 5 tbsps oil in a pan, add cut chillies, and saute till the chillies turn white. Drain and reserve the oil.
Take the chillie oil in a cooker and add
Mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing.
Next add the besan and saute till fragrant, add turmeric powder.
Next add chillies and half cup of water.
Close the lid and cook for 4 to 5 whistles.
Open the lid and cook till water almost dries up, at the same time mashing the chillies with a wooden whisk.
Finally add jaggery, tamarind and salt.
You shd be able to balance all the flavours here. Done.

Grilled Sindhi Dal Sandwich

main meal
The dal sandwich

Grilled Sindhi Dal Sandwich

This Sindhi Speciality, usually sold in carts in Ulhasnagar area, is a grilled vegetable sandwich using raw vegetables and boiled potatoes…Boiled moong dal is usually poured over it and garnished with chutneys, and some sev. A complete meal on its own, and very low on oil usage.  There are many variations for the filling, but I prefer incorporating raw vegs along with boiled potatoes.Do try it out.

A sandwich, when we were children, meant either chutney with sliced tomatoes or a boiled potato toaster, which I loved. My mother would put lots of chillie, onion, kotmir and some dry masalas in boiled mashed potato, make a sandwich and toast it using a stove top hand held toaster, not forgetting the liberal use oil used to make it crisp. We happily ate those along with tomato sauce. Never once asking… where is the protein in this meal?😁😁

Ingredients and method for dal
1 cup of yellow moong dal
( soaked for 4 hours, and boiled with 1 tbsp of crushed garlic and salt)
Boil till soft and mushy, don’t mash it up too much, leave a little bite to it.
Adjust consistency. We want it easily pourable. Not too thin nor thick
Keep aside.
Ingredients  for Sandwich
6 slices of bread
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup shredded raw beetroot
1/2 cup finely sliced green paprika( capsicum)
Tomato slices
2 boiled  potatoes.. peeled and sliced.
Some chaat masala.

Mix cabbage, carrot, beetroot and paprika.
Onto a bread slice place tomato slices and top with the raw shredded vegetables, lastly place boiled potato slices , sprinkle chaat masala and cover with another slice of bread.
Grill the sandwich with oil or butter applied.
I grilled on a stove top with a heavy cover, brushing oil to get it crisp.

Other ingredients
Green chutney
Khatti meethi tamarind chutney
Chaat masala, red chilli powder
And some sev and corriander leaves.

Assembling
Cut a grilled sandwich into half
Place on a plate
Pour HOT dal on it.
Top with green chutney, tamarind chutney, dry masala and sev.
Enyoy your wholesome meal

* make it at serving time. Eat immediately.

Sindhi fusion Dal pakwan

main meal

This delicious dish of sindhi origin, barely needs an introduction,as it is so well known , almost like a trade mark for us sindhis. Crispy Pakwan( fried flat bread) topped with a creamy dal chana, garnished with citrusy onion relish, and a sweet and sour tamarind sauce, with a sprinkling of red chillie powder, its a match made in heaven, in terms of gastronomy.

Dal chana( lentils)is cooked to a creamy consistency, normally bland with just salt and turmeric. But I have been making the dal with a green twist since years, and its remained an earmarked recipe im my cook book.My version is slightly different , as I have added ginger, garlic and green chillies, and the addition of cardamom powder as it brings a subtle rich flavour to the dal, this is my fusion version😊
Mostly served for breakfast on lazy sundays.Growing up in pune, mummy usually made the dal at home, and prefered getting the pakwans from the sindhi uncle at babajan chowk, who sold dal pakwan from his cart only on sundays., It was something we looked forward to. In India it is sold in carts, in sindhi dominated areas, or even sweetmeat shops. That is not to say that only sindhi people relish this soul satisfying dish😊. People from all walks of life love and appreciate the deliciousness of dal pakwan.
Try making this at home and listen to the satisfying sighs around your table…😊
Yes, making pakwan is time consuming, but well worth the effort.

Ingredients for dal
1 cup dal chana ( Rinsed and soaked in water for 4 hours)
2 green chillies
5 pods garlic
1 inch pc of ginger
12 curry leaves..chopped finely.
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ajwain( carom seeds)
1/2 tsp saunf( fennel seeds)
1 tsp finely ground cardamon powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt, or as needed.
Method.
Boil the dal till soft, but not mashed.
Grind ginger, garlic and green chillies with little water.
Heat 2 tbsps oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, ajwain, saunf, curry leaves, add cardamon powder and turmeric powder.
Add the ginger garlic green chillie paste and saute for a while.
Now add the boiled dal and salt.
Add 1 cup water and let it cook on medium flame till the dal reaches to a thick consistency, but not mashed. Pour in a bowl and garnish with khatti meethi chutney, kechumbo kotmir and a sprinkle of red chillie powder.
Serve with pakwan,

Ingredients for Pakwan
1 cup flour( maida)
1 level tsp salt
1/2 tsp jeeri( caraway seeds)
1/2 tsp ajwain( carom seeds)
1 tbsp oil
Cold water to knead the flour.

Mix flour, jeeri, ajwain, salt and oil.
Add some cold water and knead a stiff dough. Dough should not be soft nor very hard. Medium hard dough. Knead well till pliable . Cover with a wet napkin and keep aside for half an hour. Now make small balls of the dough, roll out into thin puris. Prick with a fork.
Fill a wok with oil to upto half level
Heat till oil is medium hot.
Slide in the puris, press with a sloted spoon,for few seconds. Then let the puri continue to cook untill its crisp and golden brown.
Each pakwan takes upto 5 mins on a low to medium flame. Remove and keep aside.

Serve with a onion relish( kachumbo)
Cut one onion finely, add sliced green chillies, add little salt. Then wash under running water. Strain properly, add little sugar, vinegar and salt.

Khatti meeti chutney( sweet and sour sauce)
Boil together 4 tbsps thick tanarind paste with 4 tbsps grated jaggery. Abd about 10 tbsps water. Cook till medium thick.. strain into a bowl, add little salt, red chillie powder and jeera powder.

Tofu, egg and sprouts Salad with Peanut sauce

main meal

( Tofu ,beansprouts and egg salad with peanut sauce)

ALSO KNOWN AS TAHU TELOR .

This delicious dish can be called a cousin to the famous gado gado salad of Indonesia. Easy to make and assemble.
Having lived in Indonesia since 35 years, my taste buds have got used to the delicious food available here except for tofu or tahu as its known here. For me given a choice between tofu and paneer, paneer wins hands down anyday. But on the other hand, tofu and tempe are staples in the Indonesian diet, and a good source of protein . Both tofu and tempe are also present at afternoon meals in our home too. Fried, sauted, steamed..any which way. So, i have learnt to befriend tofu in some dishes.
Growing up in India, we did not really know much about tofu, even with the advent of chinese restaurants, which started mushrooming all over India during the 1970’s., tofu was not part of thier menu. Chinese food was of course egg fried rice, hakka noodles and veg manchurian😊. The awesome chindian food, especially catering to the Indian Palette. Frankly speaking, I still love that particular chindian food which i definetely make it a point to have when in Pune. The spring rolls at chinese room are my favourite. Tofu is now easily available in India, and many people have replaced paneer with tofu in the new fad vegan diets.
So on to today’s recipe..pls do try it.
Best eaten with warm sauce.


Ingredients.
Tofu/ paneer 300 gms cut into small cubes.
3 eggs
100 gms fried peanuts with skin or without
Plus 4 tbsps fried peanuts.
100 gms beansprouts, blanched.
4 tbsps chopped celery
4 tbsps finely chopped spring onions
4 kaffir lime leaves ( middle stock removed)
1 big cucumber slit and chopped in semi circles.
4 tbsps fried onion
1/2 tsp white pepper
Salt to taste
Veg stock powder, or msg 1/4 tsp
3 bird chillies, 3 red chillies
3 pods of garlic
30 gms palm sugar( I have boiled the palm sugar with little water , and strained to get rid of impurities.)
3 tbsps tamarind pulp

Method
1. Saute the red chillies, bird eye chillies and garlic in 2 tbsps oil.
2. In a mixer jar, add fried peanuts, chillies and garlic. Add salt, pepper and veg stock powder., the kaffir lime leaves. Add some water and blend to a thick paste.
3. Heat 2 or 3 tbsps oil, and put the peanut paste. Saute for a while, and add palm sugar and tamarind water. Also add about one cup water and let it cook till oil starts seperating.
Keep aside.
4. Now beat 3 eggs, season with salt and pepper.
Add tofu cubes to the eggs and mix.
Heat 1 tbsps of oil in a wok, slide in a laddle of the egg and tofu mixture., you can do it it in batches.( I got about 8 small omelettes)
Stir for a bit and let semi set. After a while flip it over.
Slide onto a serving platter.
Top with cucumber, beansprouts, peanut sauce, celery leaves,spring onions, fried onions and some fried peanuts.
Serve warm. Enjoy.

      Dakshin paneer do pyaaza

      Uncategorized

      Regional flavours of India are truely amazing. The same type of dish will taste differently in every state of India. The secret lies in the spices of course. Each state and sometimes even cities have some favourite spice which is dominant in most dishes. Todays recipe is the do pyaaza. Almost every indian is familiar with this dish where onion is used in 2 forms, a ground paste of onions as well as sliced onions. In todays recipe, I have used whole shallots ( also called sambhar onions) as well as sliced onions. The Dakshin or southern twist is in the simple masala made dominantly with udad dal also known as black lentils. Udad dal rules southern India where its use in almost all idli and dosa preparation is extensive. Using Paneer in this dish gives it a north Indian twist.

      Growing up in Pune, my knowledge of south Indian food was limited to dosa, idli and medu wada. Going to Priya restaurant for these treats was often, and something to look forward to. The fragrance of food as you entered this small and cozy restaurant on main street was mouth watering . Of course, the waiters would always direct us to go upstairs where it was for families and ladies only.

      My interest in cooking led me to try out different dishes from all over India, leaving a medly of recipes in my cookbook. Spices in the south use udad dal which is roasted slowly and powdered with red chillies and asafoetida, peppercorns etc. Aside from the mainstays,South India also has a huge variety of delicious vegetatarian and non vegetarian food.

      Todays recipe is based on chettinad style of cooking. Please do try this simple dish and serve with chappaties or adai rotis made with rice flour.

      Ingredients

      200 gms paneer cut into cubes

      15 shallots

      1 sliced onion

      2 sprigs of curry leaves

      1 tbsp tamarind paste

      1 tsp mustard seeds

      1/4 th tsp hing/ asafoetida

      2 or 3 dry red chillies

      15 black peppercorns

      1 tbsp split udad dal

      Corriander leaves to garnish

      Method

      1. Dry roast together, udad dal, black peppercorns and dry red chillies. When the dal turns a light golden brown, shut the flame and keep aside to cool. Grind into a fine powder and keep aside.

      2. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil, add mustard seeds , hing and curry leaves.

      3. Now add whole shallots and stir fry on a low flame till the out skin of the shallots starts turning soft and light golden…about 4 to 5 mins.

      4. Add the paneer and stir fry further for 5 mins and add sliced onions. Also add the tamarind paste.

      5. Add salt to taste and powdered spice mixture. Mix well.

      6. Cook further for few mins and add chopped corriander leaves.

      Serve hot.

      Pahadi aloo sabji

      main meal

      Todays recipe is based on potatoes which are cooked in the hilly regions of north india. I came across this recipe years ago and since then its been marked as a favourite in my diary. Simple to cook and made in a jiffy. Best eaten with a soft phulka, the aromatic flavours of saunf( fennel seeds) just hit your palatte in a burst of tasty goodness. I have used baby potatoes in this dish as I find they hold their shape well after steaming or boiling.

      Potatoes in any form are a favourite all over the world and adapt so well to any cuisine. Be it the american hash browns, french fries , mashed potatoes.. or the swiss pototo rosetti..or our own Indian cuisine. From the delicious aloo ka parantha in the north to poshto aloo made with poppy seeds in the east to pao wada in the west upto the aloo sabzi stuffed in crispy dosas in the south.

      Memories of the humble potato ruling my mothers kitchen still linger. Sundays normally meant having fried potato tikkis in the evenings for snacks while door darshan played some old bollywood movies on our black and white tv sets. Of course the tikkis were served with slices of white bread and fresh mint chutney. And most often than not this snack was filling enough not to have anything more for dinner. Only to wait eagerly for the jelly and custard which was a favourite dessert at home. Left over uncooked tikkis were sometimes made into aloo toasters. Sandwiched between two slices of bread buttered on the outside to be toasted manually on the gas stove in a quaint sandwich toaster. This served with tomato ketchup was good to go for breakfast. No one was fussy about carbohyderates or calories..life was fun and happy go lucky…simple pleasures of life were the norm….oh those good old days….

      Do try this recipe, team it up with sindhi dal makhni or any of your favourite dal.

      Ingredients

      Pahadi aloo sabji

      250 gms baby potatoes boiled, peeled and halved.

      ( or normal boiled potatoes, peeled and cubed)

      1 tsp cumin seeds

      1 tsp saunf ( fennel seeds)

      1 tsp red chilli powder

      1/2 tsp turmeric powder

      2 tsps freshly ground saunf powder

      2 or 3 dry red chillies broken

      1 tbsp chopped ginger

      1 tbsp chopped garlic

      1 sliced onion

      2 tbsp thick tamarind paste

      2 tbsp honey

      Salt to taste

      Chopped corriander leaves

      2 tbsps mustard oil

      Method

      Heat oil in a pan, and add cumin seeds and saunf.

      Saute till fragrant.

      Add ginger, garlic, dry red chillies and sliced onion

      Now add the potatoes and salt

      Saute for few mins

      Add saunf powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder

      Finally add tamarind paste and honey

      Mix well…and serve hot , garnished with chopped corriander leaves and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

      SINDHI LASAGNA (MANI SEYAL CAKE)

      Uncategorized

      20171216_083736 (2)

      As the name suggests , todays recipe is of the quintessential breakfast of  sindhi homes.  Down the ages, some innovative home maker thought of using left over rotis in a practical form and came up with this delicious dish. Almost all sindhi homes serve this dish, but in many forms. Seyal maani( chappati) or Seyal dabroti using bread has many different recipes. Green masala paste or an onion based gravy is cooked and either bread or rotis are added to the simmering gravy and allowed to soak up the masala gravy. The normal procedure would be to tear up the chappatis into pieces and add to boiling gravy and cooked till the liquid evaporates , which would be within a few minutes. But, my mother in law made this dish in a unique way and that was stacking the chappatis or bread with the thick gravy between layers and building it up into a layered cake. A little extra effort and a pretty looking dish was ready to be served. Resembling an Italian lasagna but made with fewer ingredients.

      Growing up, mummy made this dish once a week for breakfast, mostly on saturdays and was savoured by my grandparents, the plus point being its soft texture which was easy for them to consume. The leftover green paste was stored and very often my mom applied it on a chappati, folded it into a half circle and roasted it on a hot tawa with a little oil till crisp.. a delicious side dish ready in minutes.

      Do try out this recipe and enjoy a sindhi dish which does not take long to cook and with all the ingredients easily available in our homes.

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      SINDHI LASAGNA OR SEYAL MAANI ( CHAPPATI)

      INGREDIENTS

      8 LEFTOVER CHAPPATIS

      1 CUP CHOPPED CORRIANDER LEAVES

      4 CLOVES GARLIC

      6 GREEN CHILLIES

      2 TOMATOES .. BLEND INTO A PULP

      2 TBSPS FINELY CHOPPED GARLIC

      1 TBSP LIME JUICE

      1 TSP SUGAR

      2 TSPS CORRIANDER POWDER

      2 TSPS CUMIN SEEDS

      1 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

      SALT TO TASTE

      METHOD

      1.. BLEND THE CORRIANDER LEAVES , 4 CLOVES GARLIC AND 6 GREEN CHILLIS INTO A FINE PASTE WITH A LITTLE WATER AND KEEP ASIDE.

      2.. HEAT 2 TBSPS OIL AND ADD THE CUMIN SEEDS, NEXT ADD CHOPPED GARLIC AND SAUTE TILL FRAGRANT, NOW ADD THE CORRIANDER POWDER AND TURMERIC POWDER, ALONG WITHE TOMATO PULP AND SALT. COOK FOR A FEW MINUTES. FINALLY ADD THE GREEN PASTE AND COOK FOR JUST 2 MINUTES, ADD LIME JUICE AND SUGAR, MIX WELL AND REMOVE INTO A BOWL.

      3.. NOW TAKE A WIDE BOWL AND ADD 1 TBSP OF THE COOKED GREEN MASALA AND ADD HALF CUP OF WATER TO IT.. THIS MIXTURE IS FOR DIPPING THE CHAPPATIS, TO MOISTEN THEM.

      4..HEAT ONE TBSP OF OIL IN A PAN, AND ADD 1 TBSP OF THE COOKED MASALA TO IT.

      5.. GENTLY DIP ONE CHAPPATI IN THE GREEN WATER MIXTURE, AND PUT IT IMMEDIATELY INTO THE FRYING PAN, APPLY SOME GREEN MASALA ONTO IT AND REPEAT WITH ANOTHER CHAPPATI..MAKE LAYERS WITH MOISTENED CHAPPATIS AND GREEN MASALA , FINISHING WITH GREEN MASALA ON TOP LAYER, ALL THIS SHOULD BE DONE ON LOW HEAT.

      6.. COVER AND COOK FOR 5 MINS.

      7..SLIDE THE STACK OF CHAPPATIS GENTLY ONTO A SERVING PLATE WITH A FLAT SPATULA AND GARNISH WITH GRATED CHEESE OR CHOPPED CORRIANDER. CUT INTO WEDGES AND SERVE .