Sindhi Rasoi

Most of the people landing on my blog ,are silent visitors,few oblige to comment ,few are kind enough to share recipes and tips ,while rest of them write for recipe requests specially for Pickles

I try to reply each and every query as and when time permits. Majority of the people had requested for Sindhi AUR MEIN KHATAIRN or Pickle in mustard seeds(aur) and water .

I kept postponing the idea to make this pickle for three reasons , one Hubby dear can’t stand the SMELL of pickles so these are big NO NO at our home , secondly , pickles are not good for health because of their excess oil or salt/sugar content and thirdly because this pickle has cooling effect on body so these are best consumed in Summer season which is still far away as per Indian Calender

But after replying many of people, individually via E-mails , i thought to finally give in and prepared this Turnip pickle (minimum possible quantity)

So here i share this fool proof-quick fix pickle , which is ridiculously simple to make , and fast to mature. In fact this pickle should always be made in small batches , because it has small shelf life (it sours pretty fast) if kept outside the refrigerator .

Aur mein Khatairn is very famous Sindhi Pickle ,with the base of Mustard seeds called AUR in Sindhi ,and water . Most common veggies used for this pickle are Whole Onions(small sized) , Turnips , Carrots , and chopped onions (chunks of onion)

Aur mein Ghogroon ( Turnips )

Ingredients

• Turnips 5
• Mustard seeds 2 1/2 to 3 tspns
• Salt about 1 1/2 tspn
• Fresh green garlic 3-4 bulbs and leaves(whole)
• Red chilly powder 1 tspn (better trust your instincts)
• Turmeric powder 1/2 tspn

Method:

• Wash,peel and cut turnips into quarters (four pieces from one turnip )
• In an open vessel like handi ,boil turnips with water ,salt and turmeric powder.water should be above the level of turnips
• Do not be scared while adding salt and turmeric ,since we are not going to boil it for too long for turnips to absorb extra quantity of salt ,and moreover this water is to be discarded, so add salt and turmeric without bothering much
• let the water reach the boiling point ,simmer it for a minute or so and put off the flame
• Now take out the boiled turnips on a plate and let them cool completely




• Meanwhile crush /or slightly grind mustard seeds ,taking care as not to powder the seeds.It should be coarse as shown in the pic



• Take a perfectly clean glass jar (be sure to thoroughly wash the jar ,and if possible keep it in sunlight till dried)  with a tight lid. Traditionally the pickles should be kept in thick porcelain jars , but unavailability of such containers should not be an obstacle  between you and your pickle
• Now put the crushed mustard seeds in this jar, add cooled turnips, and keep on adding water(plain drinking water) above the level of turnips. Again this is very forgiving recipe so do not worry about the exact measures.
• You can taste turnip at this stage to check out the salt level ,and add  bit of salt now in jar (the amount of salt depends on the amount of water ,so again follow your instincts)
• Now again add less than 1/4 tspn of turmeric powder , 1 tspn of red chilly powder , chopped fresh green garlic and close the lid.Shake the jar well so as to mix the ingredients properly.This is how the Raw pickle will look !



• The mustard seeds will appear to sink at the bottom of jar, but you need not worry about it.
• Let the pickle mature for few days.Do not forget to shake the jar once or twice a day to achieve uniform pickling
• Once the mustard seeds change its colour from blackish yellow to complete yellow ,the pickle is ready
• Consume it within few days as it sours very fast( will appear greyish in colour if over matured)
• The mustard water taste good when few spoons of it are poured over hot Khichdi(rice porridge)

Now time to SHOW OFF my possessions…errr I mean the Awards ! Vidhya of  Vidhas showered so many awards to me and my blog that i am just losing the count…but i am loving it lady  ! Thanks once again ( and twice and thrice and…….) for thinking of me while passing these awards

Let me hold on these awards for some time, I will surely pass on all of these wonderful awards to lovely bloggers ASAP !

Post Diwali ,after loads of huffing puffing ,it was time to relax and enjoy my Son’s Winter vacation.With no morning chaos, no hurries & no worries of packing tiffins and budging kiddie,Life was bliss !

But as we all know,happiness is short lived,so no sooner i started enjoying lazy afternoons, my son announced his boredom and with the demands  of  some more computer games(some ?? ) ,few more outings, and some more window shopping in malls. Apart from visits to park and making home his cricket ground , he complained of unavailability of amusements .

So when my sister and her family (in laws) planned a picnic to Mumbai ,i couldn’t help but scream with Joy ! It was a memorable day ,since kids (4 of them) enjoyed the rides in Trains,bus,rickshaws and taxis all in one day. We actually travelled for more hours as compared to time spend on picnic spots like Gateway of India and Juhu beach

As a person i had been to those places many times. While strolling at a beach , hand in hand with spouse,feeling rejuvenated by fresh breeze might be a wonderful experience in the past , but Jumping and inviting glares from people for  freaking  shrieks as the waves approach you ,laughing and giggling with kids is altogether different genre of happiness .

Though we packed many snacks when we started our picnic , by the time we reached last spot i.e Juhu beach, our food supplies were as exhausted as we . And trust me , when i say that we binged upon the sweets and savouries ,chaats and faloodas ,served at multiple coulourful, brightly lit stalls at Juhu beach.I personally cursed the Paani puri there ,coz despite of being world famous as Bombay chaat ,the paanipuris at juhu beach were not even close to the taste of those that we get here ,near our home.The paani was hot (here we get refreshingly cool paani) and the hot ragda in paanipuri spoiled my appetite .

The noodles were yummy, so was falooda but the Tawa Pulao was truly a winner . In my attempt to keep the kids occupied before the snacks arrive ,i failed to watch how the stall owner ,made the pulao .But a morsel of that yummy preparation and i knew what will be the next agenda in my kitchen .We were in great hurry to catch the train ,so i couldn’t wait to watch the next round of making that pulao .

So the next day it has to be my experimental day ,and following my instincts along with the lingering taste of  last night’s binge ,i tried to make the pulao ,sans Tawa (griddle) .As it is not possible to make that quantity of rice on regular griddle ,so i made it in pan. So you can also rename this recipe as PAN PULAO

Tawa Pulao

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice(I used regular non basmati variety) 1 cup
• Tomato 1
• Green chillies 2-3
• Onion 1
• Chopped vegetables like a capsicum,a carrot, few beans,few florets of cauliflower,few shelled  and boiled peas etc
• Khada Garam masala like a Tejpatta, few whole black peppers, 1 Star aniseed, 2 Cloves etc
• Ginger crushed
• Salt as per taste
• Turmeric powder 1/4 tspn
• Oil 2 tspn (or less)

Method:

• Pick and rinse rice for few times with water,till water runs clear
• Soak the rice for 15 minutes if using basmati ,otherwise for half hour
• Now boil the rice with water and salt and cook it until almost done.But beware not to overcook it
• Let the rice cool off completely.You can spread the cooked rice in colander or big plate
• Meanwhile in a pan or kadai(whichever bigger in size) take some oil, heat it, and add whole garam masala.
• Keep stirring it for few seconds,then add chopped onion and crushed ginger
• Saute till onion turns translucent
• Add chopped vegetables EXCLUDING CAPSICUM (this is important , since we need capsicum to be crunchy as it gives altogether different flavour to final dish as compared to cooked capsicum)
• Saute them,  add some salt ( be cautious since there is already salt in rice) ,turmeric powder,chopped green chillies , tomato and let the vegetables cook a bit (do not over cook them)
• If the whole mixture appears to be very dry , then sprinkle some water (a spoon or two) and mix
• Now add boiled (and cooled) rice and mix very gently so as not to break the grains.Now add chopped capsicum
• Let it cook on DUM . Keep a griddle (yahooo … i used tawa even if for name sake) on flame and place the pan over it,put the flame on sim ,cover the pan with a plate and keep some heavy utensil above it
• As the rice absorbs the flavors of vegetables and spices ,your Tawa pulao is getting ready to be dressed up with fresh coriander leaves , mint leaves ,few drops of lemon juice and to be served with crunchy papads/ curd / Raita or any vegetable Curry .

This steaming hot pulao is reaching Srivalli of Cooking4all seasons ,who is hosting yet another event, RIce Mela

By now,my love for street food is very obvious to all the visitors of my blog,and i can still go on with many more recipes glorifying the variety, taste,aroma,easy accessibility and budget friendly costs of street food( hygiene concerns and stomach upsets could be overlooked) I can rave on and on about the variations available for each snack ,moving from one vendor to another.

Patate wada,or aloo tikki or Batata wada to others…is one such snack that enjoy a very prestigious position amongst all the street food sold here in Mumbai.The most staple food to many ,this Wada makes a heady combination of boiled and spiced up potatoes,coated with chickpea batter and deep fried ,lying snugly between a Pav(soft bun), and coated with dry chilly chutney and tangy tamarind chutney.A bite of this concoction,and you know what heaven means (to a foodie ofcourse)!

I have ate and tried numerous variations of this tikki.Some recipes call for gingergarlic base ,some asks for mustard currypata,and some recipes involve use of just dry masalas to boiled and mashed potato.But my personal favorite  is one that is made by Shankar Nasta house,a very popular place to have your weekend breakfast.Be it crispy pakwan to be enjoyed with fabulous and perfectly spiced up Dalmoong,or Daltoast.Samosas ot bater papdi,and of course patate ji tikki.

I am not aware of his recipe to make this wonderful tikkis,but my experience of making wonders and blunders in kitchen prompted me to try to recreate it in my Rasoi.I wont say i succeeded completely,but yes it was a good attempt to begin with

The tikkis of shankar nashta house has an unique flavor that is imparted by Mint leaves….yes you heard it right…mint leaves.That brings out a Hatke (different) taste of this Tikki.

One more thing that i would like to bring to notice of readers of this recipe is ..use of baking powder instead of Soda bi carb I am not sure whether this is universal practice or just pertaining to my family ,friends and relatives…..I have seen everyone using soda bi carb or Mithi soda,in batter for making pakoras .I agree that it gives a nice crispiness to the layer after frying but many times it gives a bit bitter taste,atleast with me this was a regular problem.I always cursed my grocery man for passing on stale or outdated Soda ,untill i came across Jaibee’s version (Jai’s version to be precise)to make the batter using baking powder.He was kind enough to explain this,

you can use baking powder which releases the gas only when the dough reaches high temp.baking soda has to be used immediately - else will fall flat. baking soda could also leave the taste bitter unless countered with other things. (while)baking powder has both acid and base so is neutral to taste

Thanks jai for this tip and many more.Jai  FRIED wadas in appam pan using 3.5 tspn of oil,and most of it was left behind after frying wadas….sounds like gimmick…nopes..thats a fact and you can trust these guys for making and sharing healthy recipes with most amazing ,droolworthy pics of their Kitchen creations

Now back to my version of making Oh so flavorful batata wada !

Ingredients:

For potato balls:

• Potatoes 2 medium sized(will make about 5-6 wadas)
• Salt
• Mint leaves 5-10 leaves,depending upon the flavor preferred
• Green chillies 2 or more
• Garam masala powder 1/4 tsp
• Whole coriander seeds few
• Cummin seeds 1/4 tsp
• Amchoor powder(few pinches) or lemon juice(1 tsp) whatever available
• Coriander leaves to garnish

For Batter:

• Chickpea flour or besan 1cup
• salt
• Red chilly powder 1/4 tspn
• Ajwain seeds 1/4 tspn
• Baking powder a pinch
• Water to make the batter few spoons

Oil for frying

Method:

• Boil,peel amd mash potatoes
• Now add all ingredients listed under For potato Balls
• Mix properly and make ping ball sized wadas from them Keep aside ,and head over to make batter to coat these
• For batter,mix besan,salt,chilly powder,ajwain,and baking powder and mix well
• Then keep on adding water spoon by spoon and mixing batter properly so that no lumps are formed
• Add water till batter achieves a thick consistency
• Meanwhile heat the oil in frying pan or kadai
• Now carefully dip each potato ball in besan batter,and coat it fully with batter,with the help of a spoon Gently pick up this coated wada,with the spoon and slide it in frying pan
• Fry it on high flame for 2-3 seconds and then on low flame for few more seconds ,tossing it regularly so as to fry these wadas uniformly
• You can fry it for once or if u care a damn about calories,half fry it first,then take out of kadai,let them cool a bit for a minute ,gently press a bit,and then deep fry again ,to attain that crisp layer of besan
• Serve hot with pav,bread,or roti or Just with chutney or ketchup

There is a happening place, a bit far from our home called GOL MAIDAN(circular garden),which is famous for the Thela food (food sold on carts).The tangy panipuris,and batar papdi are the most popular street food there,along with fresh juices,falooda ice creams,pattise samosa,and many more yummies

Just on the opposite corner of Golmaidan’s Main gate is a Kishore pattise waala,a person who started his culinary affair from a small thela ,and now is a proud owner of a huge shop.The pattise(patties) served there are cooked on a huge griddle,with dollops of Amul butter.The pattise literally bath in butter(Waist conscious people, i know your expressions),and when done ,it appears as a nice golden brown,perfectly crisp one.You will always be welcomed with the aroma of these butter cooked pattise,long before you enter the golmaidan area.

These tiny pattise ,are then placed in”DONA”-a  bowl made from dried leaf of banana I guess(not sure),topped with simmering rich gravy chola (ragda),with dash of chutney and sliced onions.Once you grab that parcel,be sure every person passing by,will know what you are carrying(the heady aroma ofcourse),until  you reach a place to unwrap the dona and wipe out the whole stuff ,burping cheerfully after consuming calories enough for a person to survive for few days without food!

Though it is not possible to recreate that sinful magic at your homes(who have a heart to fry the pattise in AMUL butter??),but still i tried making these with a tiny blob of butter.No marks for guessing how much i missed the original taste of Kishore’s Pattise !Nevertheless they turned out better than usual(one without butter)

So here is the recipe,Do try it with or without butter!

Ragda pattise
Recipe of pattise is already given here

Regarding ragda or chola(garbanzos), here is a bit of info that i would like to share,which is word to word Lifted from here

From a nutritional standpoint, chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, proteins that are devoid of purines, and are therefore ideally suited to those who suffer from gout. With respect to other legumes they have a higher fat content, which makes them more caloric; they are therefore not what one wants during a diet. However, they are quite rich in calcium, making them a good choice for combating osteoporosis, are also rich in iron, and are an excellent source of fiber. They’re instead sodium-poor, which makes them a good bet for those on reduced sodium diets.

Ingredients for Ragda(chole)

• Chickpeas or kabuli chana 1/4 kg
• Onion 2
• Tomatoes 2
• Garlic 8-10 cloves
• Ginger
• Green chillies 3(or as per need)
• Garam masala powder 1tspn
• Salt
• Turmeric powder
• Red chilly powder
• Tamarind water -few spoons(depending upon the taste preferred)
• Oil 2 tspn or more

Method

• Wash and soak chickpeas for atleast 7 hrs
• Boil them with salt, till half cooked(Many people prefer to boil chana along with whole garam masala tied in muslin cloth,and some even boil it along with dried tea leaves i.e chaipatti,again tied in a muslin cloth potli.Discard them after boiling)
• In a pressure cooker,pour some oil,and fry onion till brown in colour
• Cool ,and grind fried onions along with ginger ,garlic,chillies and tomatoes
• Now pour this mixture again in pressure cooker ,add some salt(remember there is already some amount of salt in chickpeas),garam masala powder,chana masala(optional) and fry it for 2-3 minutes
• Now add half boiled chana and fry it further for about 5 min
• Add some water,close lid of cooker and wait till 2-3 whistles
• Add some tamarind paste and coriander leaves and simmer for 2 min
• Adjust the consistency of gravy ,it should be not too watery ,nor too dense

For Serving,

In a plate cut open(horizontally) each pattice from the centre,pour few spoons of cholay ,slices of onions and some coriander chutney(optional but highly recommended)and fresh coriander leaves

Serve it immediately,with bread or soft buns,or enjoy it just like that

This plate of simmering ragda pattise is on its way to Sra’s When my soup came alive ,who is hosting  My Legume Love Affair (4th helping),an event kick started by Susan of The well seasoned cook