POV: Sindhis make nutritious food out of garden weeds Meet Loonak (लूणक) ~ aka Purslane (Kulfa), which grows in gardens, in fields and even between roadside pavers! Loon in Sindhi refers to salt and Loonak is named so because of its inherent salty flavours. Memories : 1980’s, Summer vacations, roaming in by-lanes, spotting succulent Loonak (purslane) growing street side, shooting up between the cracks of bricks on the road, but you resist the urge to pluck because foraging in urban areas feels awkward and criminal (people gawk as if you are stealing ). “Weeds? No dear, that’s lunch.” You…
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In many Sindhi homes stuffed Parathas are very commonly made. The dough is always made of whole wheat flour, spiced with salt and chilli powder/crushed black pepper while the stuffings vary from mashed potatoes to paneer, grated Radish to Cauliflower, boiled aldente green gram (Mung) to Yellow split dal (Mung dal). While making Dal paato Phulko (Paato refers to stuffing..eg: Mungan Paato Phulko means Phulka stuffed with Mung) the yellow mung dal is boiled with salt, turmeric and green chillies (optional) till just cooked. Excess water, if any, is drained and the dal is then tempered with cumin seeds, red…
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Mumbaikars often romanticise Mumbai’s monsoon, but the winters here are just adorable – not for misty, foggy weather like in the mountains in the East or chilly temperatures in North India, but for the vibrant array of fresh fruits and veggies in the markets. The Markets around are adorned with the Strawberries from nearby hills, Grapes from Nashik, Guavas from Sholapur, Oranges from Nagpur, the leafy greens like fenugreek, spinach (local and from Narayangaon), Root veggies like Kand, Radish, Red carrots, Sweet potatoes, Cruciferous veggies and plump Green Peas and not to forget the Winter gems: Bathua, Hara chana saag,…
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Beeh or Lotus stem is very popular in Sindhi cuisine. It is used to cook many traditional Sindhi dishes like Beeh Patata, Beeh Ji Tikki, Kuneh Jo Beeh etc. About Sindhi Beeh TIkki Paalak: One of the most popular Sindhi Style Lotus stem dishes is Beeh Ji Tikki made by mashing boiled Lotus stem and potatoes, flavouring the mash, dipping in the besan batter and deep frying it. It tastes delicious but then how often can you eat deep fried food?Few days ago I had some boiled lotus stem and potatoes as well. I was planning to make the Beeh…
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5 Sindhi Dishes made from the Leftovers No matter how particular you are about cooking just the right quantities of food, there may be some leftover food at your home, at some point of the time. Generally we just reheat the food and consume as it is but there are times when we relish the leftovers in a different avatar. Here are 5 such Sindhi style recipes requiring a few basic ingredients to give a makeover to your leftovers. Do tell me in the comments section if you have tried any of these. Also do tell me about your favorite…
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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,…
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Beeh Sawa Basar (Lotus stem and Spring onions curry) There is a dish in Sindhi cuisine named Sawa basar patata i.e Spring onions and Potatoes Curry and though it is loved by many, I somehow find the texture and flavour of the curry to be very unappetising. A similar dish is cooked using Beeh (Lotus stem) and Spring onions. When cooked in a pressure cooker, the peculiar over-powering flavours of spring onion greens and slightly slimy, mushy texture is not something that I like and hence I seldom made that curry. Later, I learnt many variations of the recipe from…








