BASARA MEI SEYALA BEDAN JI BHAJI / POACHED EGG CURRY WITH ONIONS (Dry Version)

Here is a dry version of poached curry that can be prepared in a jiffy as most of the ingredients are basic. It can be called a variation of egg bhurji. Instead of scrambling the eggs, just make space between the onion masala and break the eggs, top them with spices and simmer until done.

Ingredients:
Eggs .... 4 (or as needed)
Onions .. 2 medium (chopped finely)
Tomato .. 1
Green chillies .. 1-2
Coriander leaves .. handful
Garlic paste ... 1 tsp
Ginger paste .. 1 tsp
Coriander powder .. 1 tsp
Cumin powder ...... 1 tsp
Turmeric powder ... 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder ... 1/4 tsp
Salt ............ to taste
Oil .......... 3-4 tbsps

Method:
1. In a sauce pan or skillet heat about 2 tbsps of oil.
2. Add the finely chopped onions and saute until translucent.
3. Now tip in the ginger garlic paste and green chilies. Saute.
4. Add the tomatoes and simmer until they are cooked.
5. Now add the salt and spice powders mentioned above. Stir well to mix.
6. Make space between the onion masala and spoon a little oil.
7. Break the eggs and sprinkle a little salt and spice powders.
8. Add chopped coriander leaves.
9. Cover with a lid and simmer until the eggs are done.
10. Serve with rotis or bread.

SANDHYALA BASAR / BASAR JI KHATAIRN / SINDHI ONION PICKLE

This is a traditional Sindhi onion pickle made without oil. Unlike other pickles this has just a few ingredients and it is very easy to make. This pickle and the carrot pickle (sandhyala gajroon) are must in all the Sindhi weddings and are made in large quantities to be served with the meals. But for regular use it is better to make in smaller quantity and consume fast as the shelf life of this is not much. Since there is no oil content it gets fungus easily. It is better to refrigerate it after it is ready.

Ingredients:
Small onions - 200 gms
White mustard seeds ... 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder ........ 1 tsp
Red chilli powder ...... 1 tsp
Vinegar ................... 2-3 tbsps
Crushed garlic ........ few cloves (use green garlic during the season)
Water ................... 2 cups or more to the level of the onions. (use boiled and cooled water)
Salt ......................... as needed

Method:
1. Peel the small onions and slit them (criss-cross) from the larger side half way through.
2. Grind the white mustard seeds coarsely.
3. Take a sterilized jar and mix all the ingredients.
4. Cover it and allow the pickle to mature giving the bottle a shake everyday.
5. In about 5-6 days the pickle should be ready for consumption.

LEEMO MIRCHA EIN ADRAK JI KHATAIRN / PAANI WARI KHATAIRN / SINDHI MIX PICKLE WITHOUT OIL AND SPICES

This is a traditional Sindhi lemon pickle with ginger and green chillies. No oil or spices are used in this preparation. It is just preserved with salt and lemon juice. In Sindhi we call it. In Sindhi we call it "pani wari khatairn" , meaning "water pickle" as there is no oil or any spice added to it. You may use few spoons of vinegar too. Select the lemons with thin skin which take less time to mature. Pickles are usually made in Summer when we have good sunlight and the pickle jars are kept out for maturing.

Ingredients:

Lemons ... 8 -10 

Green chillies .. few 

Ginger .......... 100 gms 

Lemon juice .... as needed to cover the pickle (I used juice of 6 lemons and few tbsps of vinegar)

Salt ..... as needed.

Method:

1. Wash the lemons well and wipe them dry with a kitchen towel.

2. Make slits in them and fill with salt. 

3. Peel the ginger and cut into thin wedges. Cut the chillies into pieces or you can use them whole with a slit.

4. Take a sterilized jar and tip in the lemons, ginger and chillies.

5. Pour the lemon juice and vinegar (if adding any) to the level where they are well immersed in the liquid.

6. Place the jar in the sunlight until the pickle matures. It could take a few weeks. Give it a shake everyday before placing in the sunlight.

Note: The pickle stays good for a long time but you can refrigerate it to avoid the fungus forming in it.

TOORI JI BHAJI / BASARA TAMATE MEIN TOORYUN / SEYALA TOORYUN

There are many ways of cooking ridge gourd. This is a simple Sindhi preparation as we call it seyala tooryun.cooked with onion tomato and basic spices. It is very light on your stomach and is usually served with rotis or puris.

Ingredients:

Turai / ridge gourd ... 1 kg.

Onion ................... 1 cup sliced

Tomato ................ 1 

Green chillies ..... 1-2

Garlic ................. 1 tsp (optional)

Turmeric powder .. 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder .. 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder ..... 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder .. 1/8 tsp

Salt ................ to taste

Oil ............ 3-4 tbsps

Coriander leaves .. handful

Method:

1. Peel the ridge gourd and cut into pieces. Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion until translucent.

2. Add garlic, green chillies and tomato. Stir fry until tomato gets cooked.

3. Tip in the chopped ridge gourd. Add the salt and spice powders. Mix well and cover it.

4. Cook on medium flame until the water gets dried up stirring a couple of times. Turai leaves a lot of water. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rotis or puris.

MOORI JE PATTAN JO SAAG

We usually eat radish only and the leaves are thrown away. Hence radish greens are not sold separately in the market.  During winter we find tender radishes with bunches of fresh leaves. The saag made with these leaves tastes awesome. Radish greens add nutrition to your diet and also are a rich source of calcium. Apart from  cooking you can also add a few leaves to your smoothies and salads. Wash the leaves thoroughly before using them.

Ingredients:
Radish leaves ....5-6 cups
Spinach ............ 1 cup
Green chillies ..  1 or 2
Ginger .......... 1 tsp grated
Garlic .......... 1 tsp crushed
Onion ....... 1 small (1/4 cup sliced)
Turmeric powder .. 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder .. 1 tsp
Cumin powder ...... 1/2 tsp
Salt ........... to taste
Oil .... 2-3 tbsps

For Tadka / Tempering:
Garlic .... few cloves finely chopped
Kashmiri chilli powder ..... 2 - 3  pinches
Desi ghee / clarified butter - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash the radish leaves and spinach thoroughly and chop them.

2. In a pan heat oil and add the sliced onion. Saute until translucent. Tip in the ginger garlic and green chillies.

3. Now add the mentioned spice powders and salt.

4. Add the greens into the pan, mix everything and cover with a lid.

5. The greens leave out water and there is no need to add any more. Just simmer to cook until the water dries up. It takes about 30 - 35 mins.

6. Let it cool. Lighly grind the saag with a hand grinder.

7. Now heat the ghee in a small pan and add the finely chopped garlic. When it becomes golden brown switch off the gas and add the Kashmiri chilli powder. Immediately pour this over the cooked saag and mix.

CHOORI / CHURMO

Choori or Churma  is the prashad we offer to Lord Shiva. Mom made the best choori, very crisp and crunchy. I have got all the tips from her and I am glad the choori has come out perfect, just like hers. Choori laddos can also be made following the same process and you can add dry fruits to them.

Ingredients:
Wheat flour ... 2 cups
Ghee / oil ... for frying and adding to the flour.
Sugar ..... 1/4 cup ( or as you like it )

Method:
1. Take wheat flour in a deep bowl and add about 1/4 cup ghee or oil. Mix well and it should form a muthia / ball when you press it in your fist. Then the quantity of the ghee added is enough. This is the test. If you add less ghee the choori will not be crisp.
2. Now knead this adding water little by little to a very stiff dough.
3. Make muthias with the dough pressing the dough in your fist as you can see in the pictures.
4. Heat oil in a pan and fry the muthias on a very low flame to make them crisp and golden brown.
If you fry on high flame the inside part will remain raw.
5. Let them cool and then you grind them in a pestle and mortar or in a mixer.
6. Mix the desired quantity of sugar as per your preference. I have added 1/4 cup.
7. Pour a little hot oil or ghee over this and mix well.

GUR JI KUTTI / SINDHI KUTTI / WHEAT FLOUR CRUMBLE SWEET

Kutti also known as Bhori  is a traditional Sindhi breakfast made out of crumbled wheat flour rotis to which sugar or jaggery is added. The one made with sugar has a crumbly texture as the sugar is just mixed in the crumbled bread and hot ghee is poured over it.  Kutti made with jaggery has a soft rexture as the jaggery is melted and added to the crumbled rotis. This can also be made into laddoos which are made as a prasad for Lord Ganesh.
Kuti is mostly relished in winters and is served with roasted papads.  In Sindhi homes this is considered as one of the a rich breakfast like dal /pakwan/ seero. We make it on special occasions. You may add crushed nuts to it if you like. This is also made for lactating mothers post pregnancy with a lot of ghee added to it along with crushed pepper corns and cumin seeds.
Today I have made gur ji kutti / kutti with jaggery which is my personal preference. Here is a step by step pictorial for you.

Ingredients:
Wheat flour ... 5 cups
Jaggery ......... 2 cups crushed ( which is about 500 gms )
Ghee ........... 3/4 cup + 1/4 cup (total 1 cup)
Water .. as needed

Method:

Take the flour in a big plate and make a well in the middle.
Add 3/4 cup of melted ghee.

Mix it well .

To check whether the moin (ghee added to it ) it sufficient, take a small portion in your palm and press it. If it forms into a lump then it is perfect.

Knead it adding sufficient water to make a stiff dough.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.

Roll each one into a thick roti.

Prick with a spoon or a knife to make incisions on it and roast it on a medium flame turning it a couple of times to cook evenly.

Remove it from the griddle and crumble it using the rolling pin or in a pestle and mortar.

Using your palms crumble it to a fine texture. Repeat the process for all the rotis.

Set it aside in a broad thali.

Heat a sauce pan or kadai and add the remaining 1/4 cup ghee. Add the crushed jaggery to it.

Also add about half cup water and start mixing until the jaggery melts.

 Keep stirring on medium flame until it starts bubbling.

Now pour this little by little to the crumbled roti and keep mixing with a spatula until it is mixed well.

You may find the texture too soft initially but remember that it becomes perfect when it is kept for half an hour or more. If you are serving immediately you may reduce the water quantity.

Remove it into a serving dish. This can be served hot or even at the room temperature.

You can also serve them in the oval shaped laddoos. We usually make these laddoos as a prashad to Ganesha on Ganesh Chaturthi.

AMBRIYUN JI MITHI KHARAIRN / SWEET MANGO PICKLE / MITHI AMBRI

Sweet mango pickle is a nice accompaniment with parathas, puris, koki, theplas.. Kids love it too. The process of making it is very simple.

Ingredients:
Raw mangoes ... 2-3
Sugar ...... 3/4 cup
Water .... 2 cups
Dry whole red chillies .. 2-3
Bay leaf ... 1-2
Cinnamon stick .. 1 piece
Cumin seeds ... 1/2 tsp
Black cardamom... 1
Green cardamoms .. 3 - 4
Nigella seeds / onion seeds .. 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder .. 1/4 tsp
Vinegar .... 1 tbsp (optional)
Salt .. 2 tsps

Method:
1. Wash the mangoes well. Peel the skin and cut them into thick strips.
2. Sprinkle salt over them and spread them on a cloth. Dry them in the sun for a day or two.
3. In a pan take the sugar, pour 2 cups water and bring it to a boil. If the mago pieces are bigger in size add half cup more.
4. When the sugar melts and it starts to bubble, add the mango pieces.
5. Now add all the whole spices mentioned in the list one by one.
6. Tip in the turmeric powder and red chilli powder and continue to stir until it thickens and the mango pieces become translucent.
7.Stir in the vinegar after it cools. I did not add any.

Note: The sugar content should be adjusted according to your liking and the sourness of the mangoes Keep tasting in between and add more if required.