• Ta’am For AlifBe of Sindhi Food ~30

    In Sindhi there are two consonants that sound similar but are actually different; ت and ط , i.e ‘T’ as in Taiwan, Tahini, Tabla etc. ت as in Tosha was covered in the AlifBe~ 6 , while the 30th consonant i.e ط is what we are discussing today. Unlike the ت that is used for words of Sindhi origin, ط is used for words of Urdu/Persian/Arabic origin. So what are we going to discuss today? Ta’am is what we will talk about. Meaning of the word Ta’am varies across the different languages. While in Jewish it means ‘taste’, in Turkish and…

  • Recipes of Sindhi Pickles

    Since many of you have been asking for various Sindhi pickle recipes, I thought to make a post by listing all the pickle recipes here! Sindhi Pickles, like pickles from any regional cuisine, could be divided into sweet, spicy, oil based or water based (zero oil)! Sweet/Sugar based: Awran Jo Murbo: Super food Awla, cooked in Sugar syrup to make a delicious Awla Murraba or Gooseberry Conserve. Click here for the detailed recipe! Ambh Jo Kadhukas (Mango Jam/Chhunda) This Chhunda like Mango jam, cooked on a stove top is my MIL’s recipe and I make sure to replenish the stock…

  • Raanh/Chauran ~AlifBe~24

    As mentioned many times in the AlifBe series, the 52 letters of Sindhi Alphabet are divisible into 16 shape groups and so far four shape groups are done and dusted! For the recap of the letters covered so far, please check this list! In the 5th shape group there are three letters and the first one in this group isر  in Sindhi, र in Devanagari, while in Roman Sindhi it is R as in Ratnagiri/Rajasthan etc. And the corresponding Sindhi dish is Raanh, also called Chauran and Chawli for AlifBe of Sindhi Food #24 Raanh or Black eyed beans are…

  • Dal Dimma~ AlifBe ~ 18

    We have arrived at the 4th shape group in Sindhi Script with the 18th  letter  and it is د  or ‘D~’ as in Daawat or as in Dehradun, in Roman Sindhi while द in Devanagari. To Check a recap for AlifBe series kindly click here ! The Sindhi dish starting with د  is Dal Dimma or Dal mung! Folks from Sindhi populated areas might know how common it is for people to flock around the carts selling Dal pakwan, early mornings. Though traditionally Sindhi Pakwan is served with Chana dal, it is very common to find carts where you will get…

  • Chhola Dab^al For AlifBe ~ 16

    Chhola /Charaan i.e Kabuli Chana curry is a very popular dish in Sindhi cuisine and it is often had with rice, roti as well as with sliced bread and Pao (laadi paav) too. Sindhi style Chole (Chhole in Roman Sindhi) are made in basic onion tomato gravy style, though many cook it in just tomato gravy. No tea leaves are used (to give color) and also, traditionally, no chole masala (spice mix) is added. The curry gets its flavors from whole spices like Kamaal patt (Tej Patta), vadho photo (Black Cardamom) etc while tomatoes  and tamarind (optional) provide tanginess. Few…

  • Cheti Chand Ji Sesa ~ AlifBe~15

    Today (13th April 2021) is Cheti Chand and we, the Sindhis, celebrate it as our New year, with great enthusiasm. Why do Sindhis Celebrate Cheti Chand? The legend says that people in Sindh (Now in Pakistan) were tortured by an arrogant ruler named Mirikshah who tried to force Hindu Sindhis to accept Islam. Sindhis being followers of Varun Devta, Lord of Waters, gathered on the banks of holy Sindhu (Indus) River and prayed for some miracle to save them. After fasting and praying for many days there was an akashvani that the Lord Vishnu will soon take birth in an…

  • J^aj~a Ji Roti~AlifBe~14

    In olden days, a wedding in a Sindhi home would mean a buzzing neighbourhood. The male clan would deal with the logistics of a wedding, distributing wedding cards, booking tickets for relatives traveling from far and wide, making arrangements for their stay, booking Maharaj or cook/s to cater to family/relatives, friends etc. The female clan (from the family as well as from the neighborhood) on the other hand would  take charge of stocking spices, grains, pulses etc. Almost a fortnight before marriage eve, ladies in the family and around would wind up the daily chores and come together to make…