Dal pakwan recipe (Sindhi snack item)

Dal ingredients

• 250 gm chana dal(adjust the quantity of dal and other ingredients according to your requirement)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 5-6 of curry leaves(karipatta)
• one small tomato(optional)
• 5 green chillies
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 tspn oil

Pakwan (Ingredients)

• 3 cups All purpose flour (Maida)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds/Ajwain (caraway)seeds
• 2-3 tspn oil
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
• Sufficient water to make a dough
• Oil for deep frying

Procedure for dal

• Wash dal and soak it for an hour
• Pour 1-2 tspn oil in a cooker and allow it to heat.
• Add cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chillies and fry for a couple of minutes.
• Add grated tomato(optional)and fry it till cooked
• Add dal, turmeric powder and salt
• Add little water and close the lid of cooker
• Wait for one whistle
• Open the lid,check the dal, it should be tender but not mushy
• While serving ,sprinkle mango powder(Amchoor), chilly powder, coriander leaves and tamarind chutney and/or coriander chutney,and chopped onions(optional)
• Serve hot with crisp pakwans

Procedure for Pakwan

• Sieve the flour
• Mix the flour with the cumin seeds/Ajwain, oil, salt and sufficient water and make a dough. Dough should not be too hard nor too soft
• Let the dough rest for 15 min. Later,divide the dough into small portions.
• Roll out a portion like a chapati
• Prick the surface with fork/ knife,so that it don’t puff out(don’t forget to do this)
• Heat the oil till smoking point ,Slide in the Pakwan and carefully fry it,on medium or low flame till it turns crisp and golden in color.
• Serve with hot dal

Procedure for the coriander chutney

Grind cut onions, dhania (coriander leaves), green chillies, salt, sugar, and ginger in a mixer.

Procedure for imli chutney

1. Boil Imli+water+jaggery till the raw smell of jaggery goes away
2. Add chat masala, kala namak, garam masala, and red chilli powder
3. Roast jeera powder and add

When serving mix the dal with coriander and imli chutney, and serve.

Dhaas Karela (Sindhi recipe for Stuffed Karela)

The best Karela recipe, ever!

Ingredients

• Karela (Bitter Gourd) - 4 small
• Onion Large - 2 nos
• Tomatoes - 2 medium
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 3/4 tbsp
• Coriander leaves (finely cut) - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 4 tbsp
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Hing (optional) - 1 pinch
• Coriander (dhania) powder - 1 tbsp
• Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - To taste
• Salt - To taste
• Amchur powder - 1 tbsp
• Besan - 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp

Method

1. Peel the Karela’s,slit them in midlle and salt them for about 30 minutes. Rinse it with water.
2. Remove the insides of the karela.
3. Microwave the karela for 3-4 minutes
4. In a thick-bottomed pan, heat oil.
5. When oil is hot, add jeera. Add Hing.
6. Add onions, and fry till golden brown.
7. Add ginger garlic paste, and fry.
8. Add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes are completely done.
9. Add the scraped out karela insides and mix.
10. Add besan, and cook for a minute.
11. Add salt, coriander powder, garam masala powder, amchur powder, sugar, and red chilli powder. If you have fennel powder, go ahead.
12. Add coriander leaves, and mix.
13. Stuff the masala inside the karelas, and tie it with a cotton thread.
14. Smear the karelas with oil, and cook on a tava (adding oil if required). Shift the position of the karelas so that they are cooked on all sides.

Best served with rotis.

The official saayi bhaaji

This is straight from the Sindhi kitchen, and it can't get more authentic or tastier than this. Again, thank you mom, and thank you Shon!

Ingredients:
125 Gms chopped and washed Palak/Spinach leaves
1 Onion finely chopped
2 Tomatoes finely chopped
50 Gms chana daal soaked in water for ½ Hour
1 Or 2 Green Chili finely chopped
1 spoon turmeric powder
1 spoon coriander powder
½ spoon red chilli powder
2-3 fresh garlic pieces finely chopped

Preparation:
Add 3 spoon of oil in pressure cooker and cook for 1 Min (high flame)
Add Onions and cook until color turns light pink (medium flame)
Add tomatoes and green chillies and cook for 2 Mins (medium flame)
Add Daal (drain all water from daal before adding) (medium flame)
Add salt+turmeric+coriander powder+red chilli powder and mix For 2mins (low flame)
Add Palak (low flame)
Add ½ glass of water (high flame)
Close cooker lid and cook on high flame for 3-4 whistles
Turn off the flame and allow the pressure cooker to cool for around 15 minutes.
Open lid and mix contents with a blender.

Tadka (seasoning):
Heat around 2 tsp of oil in a frying pan and add the garlic
Fry till the garlic turns a shade of brown
Add a pinch of red chilli powder to the mixture you prepared earlier, and add the tadka on top of it.
Close lid and wait for 3 minutes.
Mix well before serving.

Saayi bhaaji is usually eaten with rice.