Recipes Archives |

Loonak~ Purslane Or Kulfa Saag Recipe

Alka Keswani — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:04:17 +0000

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 come home, watch your mother patiently separating purslane leaves from pinkish stems, cleaning the bunch that your father bought from the local market, along with some Spinach leaves. One bowl containing Chanadal soaked in water, another has Mung dal chilka, a portion of which will go in loonak and another portion in Khichdi, that pairs beautifully with Loonak. The Drama: The cumin sizzles, onions sweat, the saag wilts, tomatoes surrender their tangy juices, chanadal and mung dal chilka jump in, chillies add oomph, golden turmeric and dusty coriander powder stir in colors and flavours. The pressure cooker whistles, the nose-tickling grassy aroma marries the hot humid air of the small kitchen on a sultry summer afternoon. Moments later, garlic frizzles in hot oil and the tempering sizzles over the saag. Khichdi rests. Rotis fluff on the tawa. Roasted Papad stacked. Pickles, mangoes, and kachumber (salad) on standby. Doordarshan plays a classic in the background while you wait for your siblings to join you for lunch. Sitting cross-legged on the Terrazzo flooring, the ceiling fan on full speed, battling the humid air from the entryway, still wet from buckets of water tossed to cool it down. You mix the semisoft khichdi, chilled dahi and freshly made Loonak and enjoy a bite. That khatta kick!!! Core memory unlocked! Sour and salty with earthy flavours when cooked, Loonak contains the highest concentration of α-linolenic acid (ALA) compared to any green leafy vegetable. ALA is an essential plant-based omega-3 fatty acid that is good for heart health and cellular function. Purslane is a nutrient-dense, low-calorie green. It is a good source of essential dietary minerals. It’s not a side dish. It’s the main character with abandonment issues since not many people appreciate the rustic flavours of Purslane! Personally I like it better when cooked with dal and Spinach like Sindhi Saibhaji, rather than a simple stir fry. Do you have any summer times food memories from the past? Do share in the comments! Let’s relive the best moments of the yore! Print Loonak~ Purslane Or Kulfa Saag Loonak of Kulfa cooked in onion tomato base, with chana dal and mung dal chilka, a Sindhi style Kulfa Saag recipe! Ingredients 1 large bunch of Lunak 10-15 Spinach leaves ½ Cup Chana daal ¼ Cup Mung Dal Chilka 2 Medium sized Onions 2 small Tomatoes 3 Green Chillies (adjust as per taste) ¼ inch piece of Ginger ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds Salt as per taste 1 Tbsp Oil For Tempering 1 Tbsp oil/Ghee 4-5 cloves of Garlic 1 Dry red chilli pounded or some chilli flakes Method Soak chana dal and Mung dal chilka in water for half an hour. Rinse and drain. Pick Purslane (Loonak) leaves. Can use stems if tender, else discard. Discard spinach stems. Wash Purslane and spinach well and roughly chop. Peel and chop onions. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Add onions and cook till light brown. Add chopped tomatoes, chillies, ginger and salt. Cook on medium to high heat till tomatoes are mushy. Add dals, greens, turmeric powder and coriander powder and mix well. Cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes and then add 1 and half cup of water. Close the lid of the cooker and wait for a whistle. Lower the heat and cook under pressure for 15 minutes. When the pressure subsides, gently mash the greens with a wooden whisker (Mathni) making sure to not mash all of the chanadal. In a tadka pan, heat ghee/oil and add chopped garlic. When the garlic turns brown, switch off the heat and immediately add chilli flakes and pour the tadka over the saag. Cover with lid. If the texture appears to be non homogenous ( i.e if you can see water separating at the edges) add 1 tbsp of Jowar flour and whisk well again. Adjust the consistency and simmer for 5 minutes. Tastes best with Chhuri Khichdi (Khili khilli khichdi i.e rice and mung dal chilka boiled in water with salt, till soft and fluffy), roti or even with Dhodho (patted roti made from Jowar or rice flour) 3.5.3251

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Dal Tikki| Patty From Leftover Dal

Alka Keswani — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:06:29 +0000

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 chilli powder and coriander powder and garnished with Amchoor powder, Annardana (driend pomegranate seeds) and allowed to cool down before using as stuffing for parathas. This Sookhi mung dal is called Chhuri Dal in Sindhi, where Chhuri refers to Khili Khili (fluffy, separated) consistency of the dal . The Dal stuffed parathas are an important part of the Thadri meal! Sometimes the excess of the stuffing of Sookhi Mung dal is used to make Tikkis and while in the past I have shared the recipe of baked tikki made from leftover dal, let me share with you a deep fried version of the same (without adding onions)! Print Dal Tikki| Patty From Leftover Dal Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 5 mins Total time: 10 mins Serves: 5-6 Crispy Patty made from leftover Yellow split lentils or the Sookhi Mung dal Ingredients 1 Cup leftover Sookhi (Chhuri) Mung dal 2-3 tsp Besan for binding ( or as much needed) Some fresh coriander leaves, chopped A pinch of Meethi soda (baking soda) Seasoning to adjust flavours (Salt, chilli powder, amchoor etc) A dash of water if mixture is too dry Oil/ Ghee for shallow frying/ deep frying Method Mix all the ingredients and make a tight dough, mashing the dal as you mix. Add a dash of water to make the dough smooth enough to bind. Divide the dough into 5 - 6 portions and flatten each portion to make tikki (patty). Heat the oil and fry/ shallow fry the tikkis till crisp. Enjoy with chutney or ketchup. 3.5.3251

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Green Garlic Galore: 10 Delicious Sindhi Style Recipes to Try

Alka Keswani — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:00:54 +0000

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, Sarson ka saag and Spring Garlic, truly a treat for food lovers! Winter Favourties: The diversity of produce inspires delicious recipes and warm dishes, making Mumbai winters remarkable. While Bogi Ji Bhaji, Mulyache Varan, Gaajar Halwa, Sarson Ka Saag , Gobi Ke Parathe, Undhiyu, Umbadiyu, Ponk, Bathua Saag, Matar Ka Nimona, Gongura, Dappalam, Karaisutir Kochuri, Haldi Ki Subzi, and Amla Pickles/Murraba rule the kitchens and hearts of foodies in Mumbai, Sindhi community celebrates winter produce in the most delicious way by making simple yet nutritious curries and pickles using seasonal vegetables! Turnips are turned into hearty mash as well as tangy pickle. Carrots are used in pulav, mixed vegetables, pickle, etc., not to forget the mighty Gajrun Jo Seero. Peas enrich the flavors of pulav, potato toasters, samosas, and potato curries, among others. Fenugreek, cauliflower, and radish are also often on the winter special menus in Sindhi kitchens, along with some rare gems like Suhanjhde Ja Gulah (Moringa Flowers), Pali (Hara Chana Saag), and D’adhri And though I adore all of the above seasonal specials, the one ingredient that makes my winters exceptional is the Green Garlic or Spring Garlic (Kind of crazy to call it Spring Garlic when it is available in winters in Mumbai). The tender immature garlic, harvested before it forms a proper bulb is heart and soul of many traditional dishes in Maharashtra as well as in Gujarat. Sindhi cuisine boasts of many seasonal dishes bursting with mild garlicky, sweetish, slightly pungent flavours of green garlic known as Saee (Green) Thoom (Garlic) in Sindhi. Highlighting some of the Sindhi Winter specials featuring Green garlic while drooling at the thought of cooking and relishing my winter favourites. 10 delicious Sindhi recipes featuring green garlic! 1) Thoom Ja Vada: Fried Patty made from pounded Green garlic Just pound some green garlic, chillies, coriander leaves and add basic spices for flavour, besan for binding and shape the dough in a round tikki, deep fry and relish one of the most intriguing winter delight! Click Here for detailed recipe of Thoom Ja Vada along with recipe video 2) Chithyal Gogroon : Mashed Turnips’ curry flavored with fresh green garlic Chopped turnips cooked with caramelized onions, tomatoes, green garlic and regular spices, gently mashed to make the slightly sweetish and a little pungent curry. Click Here for detailed recipe of Chithyal Gogroon Turnips cooked across the years 🙂 3) Gobi Patata : Cauliflower and Potatoes cooked in pounded mix of fresh green garlic, coriander leaves, chillies and a little of fenugreek leaves, in an Iron Kadai Blanch, drain and deep fry florets of one medium sized cauliflower. Cut 2 medium sized potatoes in wedges and fry till soft. Make sure to add some salt to cauliflower and potatoes while frying. Remove excess oil from kadai leaving behind 2 tsp oil and add pounded mix of a handful of chopped fresh green garlic , handful of coriander leaves, 2-3 chillies, ginger and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tomatoes, chopped, salt as per taste, 1/4 tsp of turmeric and cook covered on low flame till tomatoes are mushy. Add fried Gobi and alu , 1 heaped tbsp of coriander powder and a hint of garam masala powder and mix everything. Sprinkle some water over the subzi and cook cover till the oil separates. 4) Gajrun Jo Saandhano : Red carrots stuffed with mix of pickled in Mustard oil, fresh green garlic and pickling spices Click here for the detailed recipe! 5) Gogrun Ji Khatain: Turnips pickled in Sindhi style Kanji water, a zero oil, winter special pickle flavored with green garlic! Get the detailed recipe, here! 6) Juar Jo Dhodho : Patted Jowar Roti (Bhakri style) flavored with onions, green garlic and chillies. Check the recipe of Millet Roti, here! 7) Seyal Phulka : Leftover rotis’ ‘Pasta’ cooked in a pounded mix of fresh green garlic, coriander leaves, ginger and chillies in tomato sauce. You can find one recipe of Seyal Phulka without green garlic here! Here is the recipe to make Seyal Phulka using spring garlic ! Pound half cup of chopped green garlic, handful of coriander leaves, 2-3 green chillies and ginger in a mortar pestle. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai, saute the pounded mix till well cooked (3-4 minutes), add 2 small tomatoes, chopped, salt, turmeric powder and cook till tomatoes are mushy. Add 1 tbsp coriander powder and cook further for 2 minutes. Add 1 and half glass of water and bring it to a boil. Tear 3 leftover rotis into bite sized pieces and add to the bubbling mix. Lower the flame after a minute and cook till excess of water evaporates. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and lemon juice and enjoy with roasted Papad. 8) Beeh Ji Tikki : Boiled Lotus stem stuffed with a pounded mix of green garlic and coriander leaves along with basic spices, dipped in Besan batter and deep fried. Click Here for the recipe of Beeh Ji Tikki 9) Saaee Thoom Ain Methi Pulao: Fenugreek and Spring garlic Pulao with assorted vegetables like Potato, Apple Gourds, Peas, carrots etc. You can find the recipe of Thoom Methi Pulao here. Just use 4-5 tender stalks of Green garlic instead of Garlic mentioned in the recipe 10) Mooli Paratha: Grated Radish flavoured with Green Garlic and basic spices stuffed in a Paratha Grate 2 Radishes. Add salt and leave aside for 10 minutes. Squeeze well to remove excess water, adjust salt, add turmeric, chilli powder. Pound 2 green chillies, 2-3 stalks of green garlic (green as well as white part), little of coriander leaves and add to the stuffing mixture. You can add pounded Annardana, Jeera powder, Amchoor etc. Mix everything and use this mixture to stuff the Parathas. Roll each paratha and cook on medium flame till crisp. Slather some white butter and enjoy with Dahi or Raita. Did this post stimulate your appetite? Do you have other ideas to use Green Garlic ? Do let me know in the comment section! BTW which one of the above mentioned dishes, is your most favourite?

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Beeh Tikki Paalak|Lotus Stem Tikki in Spinach Curry

Alka Keswani — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 09:28:15 +0000

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 Tikki and some Palak paneer for the lunch.But then I changed the plans. I made the Palak curry the way we make it for Palak paneer but instead of paneer chunks, I added Pan fried Beeh tikki (without besan coating) and a rustic hearty meal of Sindhi Beeh Tikki Paalak was ready in no time. The above mix was mashed very well to make Tikkis (Patties). I Pan fried the Tikkis using little of Ghee, till well cooked. Here’s how the Sindhi Style Beeh patata or the Lotus stem and Potato tikkis looked like! I added these Beeh Patata tikkis to the Spinach curry just before serving! Healthier Beeh patata Tikki in Spinach curry tasted delicious with plain roti! Recipe of Sindhi Beeh Tikki Paalak Beeh Tikki Paalak|Lotus Stem Tikki in Spinach Curry Pan fried Lotus stem and Potato tikki in Spinach curry Ingredients Instructions For Spinach Curry More Sindhi Lotus stem (Kamalkakdi or Beeh) recipes: Recipe of Beeh Tikki is available here! Recipe of Suhandhro Ain Beeh is available here! For recipe of Sindhi Sehal Beeh, click here! Recipe of Beeh Sawa Basar or Lotus stem and Spring onions is here Recipe of Sindhi Laag^ mein Beeh is available here

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5 Sindhi Dishes From Leftovers

Alka Keswani — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 10:24:20 +0000

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 dishes from any cuisine, made using leftovers. Let’s check the 5 Sindhi dishes from Leftovers: Saibhaji Tikki : Most of you must have cooked or tasted the Sindhi Saibhaji; a healthy mish mash of Spinach and other greens, assorted veggies/onions, tomatoes, dal and basic spices. And when Sindhis have some leftover Saibhaji they love to turn the subzi into Tikkis (Kebab/Patty). Just heat the Saibhaji to reduce excess moisture, if any and add some Gram flour/Semolina (either or both) for the binding. Adjust the seasoning. You can add some chopped onions, coriander leaves, pounded anardana, some amchoor and a little of garam masala to enhance the flavors. Divide into small portions and make round patty/tikkis. Heat a griddle/pan, spread some Ghee/oil and place the tikkis. Cook on medium heat, flipping intermittently, till the tikkis are brown and crisp. Sprinkle some chaat masala/Amchoor before serving. Tastes best with Mint coriander chutney. Seyal Phulka Also called Seyal Maani, this dish is one of the most popular dishes in Sindhi cuisine and it is made using leftover roti/chapati/Phulka. It is made in a few different ways. Some prefer cooking it in a pounded greens’ mix while others make it in garlic tomato base. Some stuff the green mix in leftover rotis (whole), fold it like a Calzone and cook it under some weight, on a griddle. I prefer the one made using fresh green garlic (when in season) and tomatoes. You can use regular garlic when fresh green garlic is not available. Check the Recipe Video of Sindhi Seyal Maani/Seyal Phulka! You can check more Sindhi food recipes on my Youtube channel SindhiRasoiOfficial. Do like, subscribe and share with your friends and family. Aur Pya Chanvar Aur means Mustard seeds and Chanvar means Rice in Sindhi. The ‘tempered’ /stir fried rice dish is popular in many regional cuisines but Sindhis make it with the most basic tempering. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add a few curry leaves and 1 tsp mustard seeds. When the seeds crackle, add 1 tsp (or as per taste) red chilli powder, 1/4 th tsp turmeric powder and add leftover boiled/steamed rice (around 2 cups). Add some salt to taste and sprinkle a few drops of water. Mix well and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. I prefer the rice to be softer in texture and hence I add 2-3 tbsp of water and cover the pan with a lid and cook it on low flame for 5 minutes. Enjoy Aur Pya Chanvar piping hot, with some Papad/Dahi/Pickle. Dal Jo Chilro A Chilro is a savoury pancake and is generally made using whole wheat flour or Gramflour (Besan Jo Chilro). But Ma, my MIL, often makes the Cheela (Chilro) from leftover mung dal. Heat the leftover mung dal well to thicken its consistency . For one cup of thickened dal, you may need 2 tbsp of besan/atta and 1-2 tbsp of suji (Semolina). Besan acts as thickening as well as a binding agent. Semolina too absorbs the moisture and renders crisp texture to the Cheela. You can adjust the proportions of flour and Suji as per your liking. The idea is to make a batter of spreadable consistency. Leave aside the batter for 10 minutes. Heat a flat pan/griddle and pour around 1 tbsp of oil/ghee. When hot, carefully add this hot oil to the batter. This is to make the Chilro more crisp. Now spread the batter on the pan (divide the batter in two portions if you want thinner cheela). Cook on medium to low flame, flipping gently in between. Do add some more oil/ghee while cooking. Cook it till the surface appears to be brown and crisp. Relish it hot, with some green chutney or Ketchup. Goes well with bread as well as Roti. Here is the Recipe Video of Cheela made from leftover Dal! Mithi Dab^al (Sweetened Bread) If you have few leftover bread slices that are not fresh enough to make Sandwiches or if you have some leftover syrup after the Gulab Jamuns are done and dusted with, then this simpler, dairy free version of Shahi Tukda/ Double Ka Meetha is just perfect to use up the leftovers and to satiate your sweet cravings. Just cut the bread slices in any shape (Triangle, Circle, Square, Rectangle), deep fry till golden brown and crisp and allow it to cool down a bit. Add the fried bread pieces to warm (and not the hot) syrup, remove on a plate/platter and enjoy. The bread may turn too soggy if you dip hot bread in hot syrup. Also, the bread may not soak enough syrup if the bread and syrup both are very cold. Drizzle some syrup while serving and garnish with chopped nuts for that extra oomph. Do share your tips/tricks/recipes to use the leftover food in a delicious way.

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