Sevai ki Kheer

Fit to serve a King, this traditional, rich and aromatic Indian dessert is cooked and served to family, friends and guests on many auspicious occasions. As you slowly and patiently cook the Elaichi, Kesar and Sevai along with the milk your patience is bound to be rewarded with the sweet and creamy Sevai Kheer.    

Ingredients:

1/5 brown sevai pack (Vermicelli)

1 tsp ghee or oil

1 ltr milk

sugar

½ elaichi ke daane

Almonds

Cashews (optional)

Pistachios (optional)

kesar (mix with milk)

Method:

Sauté sevai in ghee/oil. Cook for 2 mins. Add milk. Stir continuously and cook till milk reduces to ¾ quantity. Add sugar. Cook for some more time till you get the desired consistency. Add kesar, elaichi & dry fruits. Cook for another 2-5 mins. Serve hot or cold.

And some more.....

The more you cook, the creamier it becomes. So be patient and cook for a longer time over a low flame!

The crunchiness of the nuts and the nutty flavour can be enhanced by adding roasted almonds, cashews and pistachios. Add nuts liberally, it can change the taste of your kheer.

Add sugar according to taste. Replace sugar with artificial sweetners for diabetics.

Sindhi Curry

Sindhi curry, better known as Sindhi kadhi, is another traditional Sindhi recipe handed down over generations and perfected by my Maa. Many famililies prepare this on Sundays as it takes longer to prepare and even longer to cook it. 

Ingredients:

1 ½ ladles besan
3 ladles oil (to roast the besan)
125 gms gawaar (remove the thread like things from both sides)
1 potato (peeled n chopped into big chunks)
125 gms cauliflower (chopped into big chunks)
125 gms bottle guard (peeled n chopped into big chunks)
8-10 ladies finger (first slit n salt them, then half fry them)
5 large red tomatoes (chopped into big chunks)
3-4 kokum
3-4 sprigs of curry leaves
2-4 green chillies (finely chopped)
2 tbsp coriander leaves
1 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp mustard seeds
Lemon sized ball of tamarind (washed, soaked n pulped)
1 tsp jaggery
A pinch of hing
salt to taste
1 litre water

Method:

Chop all the vegetables except ladies finger n gawaar n keep aside. Heat 3 ladles of oil in a cooker. Add jeera, methi dana, curry leaves, hing and add besan immediately. Keep on stirring on sim and roast it till it turns light brown and starts emanating a good aroma. This will take around 10-15 mins. Stir continuously so that the besan does not get burnt. Add 1 litre water (be very careful here as the steam that is released can hurt you) and stir immediately so as not to form lumps. Stir it till the besan-water comes to a boil. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, green chillies, tomatoes and all the chopped vegetables except ladies finger. Add water according to the required consistency. Close the lid and keep on gas. Switch off the gas after 2 whistles. Let it rest for a while and open after the  pressure is released. Add kokum, tamarind pulp, coriander leaves, ladies finger and a teaspoon of jaggery. Boil it for 10-15 minutes. Add the below mentioned tadka and cook for another 2-5 mins. Serve hot with plain rice.

Tadka:

Heat 1 tbsp oil and add mustard seeds. Add this to the curry when it splutters.

And some more.....

Adjust chillies according to ur requirement and you can even add any vegetable of ur choice….. like... bottle gourd, suran, peas, arbi, brinjal, etc. The perfect accompaniments to this curry are plain rice and Aloo took.

Sai Bhaji (Spinach with Dal or Saag)

Sai Bhaji, or Spinach cooked with Dal, gives a whole new meaning and taste to the spinach. It is one of the favourite traditional recipes of Sindhis from the area of Sindh. Cooked regularly in many households, this vegetable not only tastes great but also is a healthy and nutritious choice over many other vegetables. This is a recipe handed down over generations and perfected by my Maa.

Ingredients:

1 ladle oil

1/4 tsp haldi
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp dhaniya powder
3 onion (chopped)
4 cloves garlic
1 bunch Spinach (chopped n washed just before use)
1/2 cup channa dal (soaked for an hour n washed)
4 tomatoes (chopped)
3-4 green chillies (chopped)
3 to 3n1/2 cups water
a few strands of coriander leaves
salt to taste

Method:

Pour oil in a cooker n add onion in it. Add garlic and saute it till the onions are a little cooked. Add half of the washed spinach. Now add the channa dal and the remaining spinach. Mix in tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chillies, turmeric powder, salt, dhania powder and water. Close the cooker and cook till 3-4 whistles.  Cook on sim for another 10 - 15 mins. Let the pressure release and open the cooker after some time. Blend the mixture till most of the dal gets crushed and there are no full spinach leaves visible. Serve hot with with plain rice or chapatti and potato subzi.

And some more......

Be careful while blending as it is supposed to be uneven and not smooth or it will taste like some paste!