Chakli, a favorite snack from Maharashtra and Southern India is enjoyed by everyone across India. Each and everybody has their own method of preparing this crunchy snack and the end result is a delicious product. I remember the days when I was in India and we would prepare chaklis every Diwali. Being surrounded by neighbors that were Maharashtrians and South Indians, we tried a different recipe every time expecting to have the best chaklis to eat and distribute. So each year we used a borrowed recipe and made this snack. Sometimes they turned out good and other times they were crispy on the outside and kind of soggy on the inside.

I have been in the United States for a very long time and I had a hard time finding good Chaklis here in Ohio. The craving was so much that I had to work on a recipe that would be easy for me. It took me quite some time to make up this recipe. Each year I added and omitted ingredients to make changes. I finally came up with a recipe for Chakli that was easy and the ingredients were readily available. All the ingredients that I have used in this recipe are regular kitchen pantry ingredients.

I make this snack for my son every year. Chaklis are his favorite snack and he says they are Chakris. The word Chakri actually comes from the word chakra (a Sanskrit word) which means a circle that turns around (like a wheel). My son is such a picky eater and it is hard for me to think of something for his evening snack and often I ask him should I make some Chakris. His reply is Chakris should be made only during Diwali time that’s when they taste like Chakris. 

Even though it is not a Sindhi recipe it is a favorite snack of my family. Often when I take this snack for a Diwali party, I notice people eating the crumbs too. Diwali is being celebrated this week and so here is a my version, recipe of Chakli, a snack that  not only my son likes very much but pretty much loved by others too…

Ingredients:

·         2½ cups Rice Flour

·         1 ½ cups Besan (Gram Flour)

·         1 stick unsalted butter

·         ½ Tsp Red Chili Powder

·         ½ Tsp Jeera(Cumin Seeds)

·         1Heaped Tbsp White Til (Sesame Seeds)

·         2 cups Boiling Water

·         Oil for frying

·         Chakli Press/Maker

·         Salt to Taste

Note: 1) If unsalted butter is not available please use salt accordingly.

2) If you are going to use Indian butter then use quarter of the 500gm package and go easy on the salt.

Method:

·         Mix rice flour and besan. Sift and keep aside.

·         In a pan heat 2½ cups of water. Bring to boil and reduce to 2 cups.

·         Then add salt according to your taste into this pot of boiling water.

·         Turn heat off and add butter, red chili powder, til, Jeera and the sifted flours.

·         Cover pot and let it stand for about 10-12 mins. Do not stir or do anything.

·         Open the covered pot and mix all the ingredients and form soft dough. Knead the dough for a few minutes.

·         Rub some oil on the inside of the chakli press. Take a ball about the size of a large orange and fill into the chakli press.

·         On a wax paper make round chaklis by pressing out the dough. Form it into round swirls starting from inside going out giving it the chakli shape.(This step requires some practice to get the perfect shape)

·         Heat the oil in a kadai/frying pan. Gently slide the chaklis in hot oil and deep fry until golden brown in color. Drain and let cool.

·         When cooled to room temperature, store in airtight containers.

·         Enjoy Chaklis during Diwali or anytime.

Keep it simple, keep it Sindhi.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY DIWALI AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR  

OMG, summer is over and the temperature has gone down to the 40’s, just how time has passed, I hate to think of it. But the cheerful part is, the season of festivals is here and it’s time for some of our Sindhi specialties. Often as kids we watched our Mom prepare some wonderful treats during Diwali. We would distribute them to our relatives and friends and still have a good amount of leftovers, which we would then enjoy for ourselves. Diwali being only few weeks away I thought I should put up some of these recipes for the special, festive season.

 Mohanthal, Pakwan, Chiwro (Chiwda), Balu Shahi, Mathris, Chikki, Laaee and Varo are some of our authentic Sindhi sweets that would be and are still prepared in most Sindhi homes. Of course we would sometime prepare Singhar Ji Mithai(Sev Burfi), Halwa(Karachi Style), Petho(White Pumpkin) Kaju Ji Mithai which are time consuming and a bit tedious to make. But most of the time these (tedious ones) we bought from our nearby Sindhi Mithai shops as they were/are readily available. The aroma would always tempt us to eat them while the sweets and savories were being prepared. I remember we used to eat while they were warm and I was the one who got into trouble most of the time, being the youngest.

Chikki is a sweet not only popular among Sindhis but all across India. When we say chikki, peanuts and jaggery, comes to our mind. Then we have our all time favorite laaee which is made of sugar and different nuts. I personally like the one with Kurmura (Mamra – Puffed Rice) and another one that I remember is the one made with Sev. The last one is Varo which is a favorite at my home especially for my hubby. Whether it is Diwali or not he loves to eat a piece every day after dinner.

 Varo is basically a thick chikki made of different nuts, poppy seeds and cardamoms all of which are coated with caramelized sugar and rolled, whilst hot, quickly on the back of a plate. Sounds simple and yes it is… So let us get going to making our famous Sindhi Varo.

Ingredients:

·         1 Cup Mixed Nuts(Almonds, Pistachios, Cashew nuts)

·         2 Tbsp Sliced Dry Coconut(optional) (I have not used it in this recipe)

·         2 Tbsp Khus Khus (Poppy Seeds)

·         15 Seeds of Cardamoms

·         1 Cup Sugar

·         1Tbsp Ghee

Method:

·         Slice all mixed nuts. Powder the Cardamom seeds.

·         In a heavy bottomed pan, add ghee and sugar. On low heat melt the sugar.

·         When the sugar is melted and caramelized to a light brown color add the sliced mixed nuts, Khus Khus, and powdered cardamoms. Mix till nuts are coated well with the caramelized sugar.

·         Pour this mixture onto the back of a thali or on a rolling board.

·         Using the back end (flat side) of a katori, flatten mixture like a thick chapatti. You can use a rolling pin to roll the mixture. This has to be done very quickly as the mixture begins to harden as soon as it is removed from heat.

·         Leave the rolled Varo to set for some time.

·         Break into pieces and store in air tight containers.

·         Enjoy this crunchy Varo any time any season.

Keep it simple, keep it Sindhi.

Macaroli Patata Tamate Je Dhagh Mein (The Traditional Sindhi Name)

One of my favorite recipes that I cook at home is Macaroni Patata. By favorite I mean not only it is yummy, it got me started blogging. Being interested in cooking I always visit blogs to find different recipes that I would love to prepare at home. It all started when I saw an event on one of the blogs, reading that post, got me thinking of this wonderful recipe which I prepared the very same day. The next day I sent the email with the recipe and tada… it was on the blog. By the way it was put up with the name of Haag12. I was so nervous that I did not want to reveal my name and that’s how I came up with the identity of Haag12 which really are initials of my maiden name and married name. Now, why not put up this traditional recipe on my own blog and I don’t have to hide my name .

Here is a question that someone came up with, ‘How did macaroni’s get into traditional Sindhi Food?’ Indeed a very good question… An answer (a good guess)… Sindhi’s have always been very enterprising people. A lot of our bread winners travelled abroad (called Phoren in those days) and the good wives remained at home. The men on return would often bring goodies and once somebody happened to bring some macaroni’s (pasta). The good wife (one of our ancestors) came up with one of her bright ideas  and invented this recipe of macaroni and potatoes. Everyone at home loved it and thus Macaroni Patata became a traditional favorite recipe made over and over again in every Sindhi home. This is how macaroni’s got incorporated in Sindhi cuisine, a wonderful fusion of Italian and Sindhi foods. Here goes the recipe of Macaroni Patata …

Ingredients:

· 1 cup Macaroni (your preference)

· 4 Tomatoes (medium sized)chopped

· 2 Potatoes

· 3-4 Table spoons Oil

· 2-2½ cups Water for cooking

· 1Tsp Cumin(Jeera)

· 1 heaped teaspoon Dhania powder

· ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder (Add more if you want it spicy)

· ½teaspoon Haldi powder

· Salt to taste

· ½ teaspoon Garam Masala for garnishing

· 1 tbsp chopped Cilantro/Coriander leaves

Adding a little Twist… (Optional)

· Leftover phulkas : Fry quarters of these phulkas till brown and crunchy(Tikkars)

Method:

· Peel and dice potatoes about 1½ in squares. Wash thoroughly.

· Wash and chop tomatoes finely. (You can use canned, pureed, stewed or blanched tomatoes).

· Turn on heat and place pressure cooker on stove.

· Heat oil in pressure cooker. When hot, add cumin and fry for couple seconds.

· Next add the potatoes, macaroni’s and chopped tomatoes.

· Then add all dry masalas, except garam masala.

· Keep frying (bhunoing) for about 5-7 mins.

· Add 2-2½ cups water and put on the pressure cooker lid.

· Let it whistle twice then lower the heat and simmer for about 3-4 mins.

· Ones the pressure is out open the lid.

· YUMMY, TASTY, DELICIOUS, SLURPY, MOUTHERWATERING…… Macaroni Potatoes is now ready.

· Garnish with garam masala and chopped coriander/cilantro leaves.

· Serve with plain Rice (Chawaran).

Add a little twist by dipping the crunchy fried phulkas (Tikkars) in the Macaroni Patata.

Note: You can always add more water if you want more gravy.

Make sure it is nice and soupy as it is fun to slurp the macaroni with rice.

Keep it simple keep it Sindhi.

I have been writing, cooking and trying out recipes since a very long time. Being interested in cooking I visit a lot of different blogs. Then I started sending recipes to different blogs, now I have my own blog. My blog has been in existence for only a few months and I have found myself surrounded by the most wonderful world of blogger friends. Everyone is enthusiastic, very talented, encouraging and always appreciating each other.

My purpose of writing this post is to acknowledge and thank my dear fellow blogger friends for the awards that they have been passed onto me while I was on vacation. When I started blogging I had never ever dreamt the recipes that I post would be appreciated so much and that I would be showered with such admiration and lovely awards. I feel blessed and truly honored to receive these awards.  These awards mean a lot to me.

My sincere thanks go to 2 very enthusiastic and talented bloggers 1) Preethi of Authentic Food Treasures and 2) Jyoti of Food Seasons for showering me with the Kreative Blog Award.

This award comes with some rules, and the rules for the Kreative blog award are.

1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreative Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

Here are 7 things about myself
1. I enjoy cooking and love to see people eat well. I like picture perfect meals.
2. I love to socialize and enjoy vacations. (You all know by now that I have been on vacation for a very long time.)
3. I love to talk, not just idle chatter, but with my mind.
4. I love to buy gold jewelry and diamonds.
5. I have learned a lot from my past experiences and hope to learn a lot more. To me life is all about learning.
6. I am comfortable with what I have. My 2 kids and my husband mean a lot to me.
7. I am very moody, sensitive and do take time to recover when hurt.

I would Love to pass the award to each and every blogger but this awards allows me to nominate only seven bloggers

1)    Cilantro – Cilantro.blogspot.com

2)    Lubna  - kitchenflavours.blogspot.com

3)    Sowjanja – mommyscuisine.com

4)    Sunshine Mom – tumyumtreats.blogspot.com

5)    Roma Sharma – romasharma.com

6)    Rashmi – delhibelle.blogspot.com

7)    Priya Suresh – priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.com

Please pass this onto another new set of creative bloggers.

Thank you again Preethi and Jyoti

My next awards and tag have been showered to me by Jyoti of Food Seasons. Thanks once again Jyoti for these encouraging awards

The rules are: 
Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one more question of your own. Then tag other new set of people.

Here are the answers to the Tag

TAG:

1. What is your current obsession?

Blogging recipes

2. What are you wearing today? 

Jeans and T Shirt

3. What’s for dinner? 

 Sorry it’s Sunday, kitchen is closed today and will reopen tomorrow.

4. What’s the last thing you bought? 

Groceries

5. What are you listening to right now?

It’s very late at night. Its quiet around here all I can hear is the clock tick.

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?

 Jyoti is a dear friend. I like her posts and pictures too. She is always there to encourage me with her lovely comments. She has also showered me with these wonderful awards. Btw I love fancy cooking and do admire your style of cooking.

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?

Grass is always green on the other side. I am fine where I am and have no regrets to where I live.

.

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?

 Capri’s and T Shirts.

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?

 Should I go on vacation again? I would love to go this hour why wait for the next. Australia is next on my list.

10. Which language do you want to learn? 

To read and write in Sindhi

11. What’s your favorite quote? 

 I am done for the day, see ya tomorrow

12. Who do you want to meet right now?

 Nobody. I am already married

13. What is your favorite color? 

Red

14. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet? 
My newest sari collection that I just got from India

15. What is your dream job?

 I am dreaming of retiring

16. What’s your favorite magazine? 

Home and Garden

17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?

 I don’t need anything right now; I’ll give it to charity

.

18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?

Be simple. 

19. Who are your style icons? 

None

20. Describe your personal style. 

I can be simple, on the other hand be jazzy, depending on the occasion.

21. What are you going to do after this? 

Sleep. It’s 2.30 am and I am writing answers to these questions.

22. What are your favorite movies?

Dil Chahta Hai, Salam Namaste.

24. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can’t live without?

 I don’t use any makeup. I do use perfumes but can live without them. I am body lotion crazy.

25. What inspires you? 

My business

26. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:

 Am a Mom, Am a wife, also a daughter/daughter-in-law

27. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?

Do I have to blurt this out? I’ll just keep it a secret. Shhhhhhhhh…

28. Coffee or tea?

 Tea, no sugar, little cream

29. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed? 

Try not to talk to anyone.

30. What is the meaning of your name?

Hira –my maiden name means diamond. 

Avisha – my married name means non poisonous.

31. Which other blogs you love visiting? 

OMG the list will be too long, such lovely recipes, I cannot omit anyone’s blog. All bloggers, you are great. Keep up the good work.

32. Favorite Dessert/Sweet? 

Kulfi Falooda and Singhar Ji Mithai.

33. Favorite Season? 

Summer.

34)  If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me? 
As I wrote before Kitchen is closed today and will reopen tomorrow. When open will definitely cook Sindhi Curry Chawal, tukah, Meethi Boondhi & Sindhi Chaat

I have added this question… 

How would you describe your birth sign in one sentence?

Gemini’s are wonderful, practical, bright, and witty and on the other hand can be wishy-washy, moody, and restless because you never know when the other side will show up.

These awards and tag are being passed to the same 7 nominated up for the Kreative Blog Award.

Thanks once again Jyoti and Preethi, You Rock …

Keep it simple, keep it Sindhi.

Thanks to all of you who visited my page and left me some wonderful comments whilst I was gone. It must have been hard for all of you who visit my page regularly to see the same recipe on the page. Finally I am back from my long vacation. I did have a wonderful time in India and as soon as I came back I got busy with back to school for both my kids. Now that they are settled, it’s my turn to settle down to my regular blogging schedule.

It has been really very hard to start back again. All my creative juices are still on vacation. There is absolutely no flow. The grey matter seems to be frozen and I just cannot think what I should put up for the good folks who visit the site. I keep reading the emails and comments over and over again, thinking this would break the logjam in my brain somehow. Maybe I have to do some magic abracadabra, mmm does not work. Well then let me try hocus pocus, still does not work, Ok let me do it in Hindi, Jantar Mantar … , I guess I’ll give up the magic tricks. I will make it easy on me and start with the first meal of the day - A breakfast recipe… Seyal Dabalah.

This is another of my favorite Sindhi recipe. I love this recipe because of the garlic flavor. Traditionally Seyal Dabalah is made for breakfast; sometimes I serve it for lunch. I have received a lot of requests for Seyal Dabalah (commonly known as Yellow Bread). The word Seyal means the food is cooked using very little water or none at all. Dabalah means bread in Sindhi. I make this with slightly dry bread, it stands up better to the cooking process and the water makes it gooey enough to enjoy the taste. Here goes the recipe of Seyal bread. 

Ingredients:

·         10-12 Bread slices (Preferably day old bread) or any leftover white bread cut into 1′ x 1″ cubes or slices torn into bite size chunks

·         1 medium size Onion chopped finely

·         2 medium Tomatoes chopped 

·         2 -3 Tbsp chopped fresh Coriander leaves

·         1/2 tsp crushed Ginger

·         2 tbsp crushed Garlic

·         1 Green Chili chopped (optional)

·         1 tsp Cumin seeds

·         3/4 tsp red Chili powder

·         1 tbsp Dhania/Coriander powder

·         1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

·         1 tsp Tamarind juice

·         1/2 tsp roasted Kasori Methi powder (optional)

·         1 tsp grated Coconut for garnishing (optional)

·         4 tbsp oil

·         8 tbsp water (approx)

·         salt to taste

Method:

·         Heat oil in skillet, add cumin seeds when hot.

·         Add onions. Fry for a couple minutes on medium heat till translucent.

·         Add chopped tomatoes, and fry till tomatoes begin to soften and get pulpy.

·         Next add ginger, garlic, chopped green chili, red chili powder, dhania/coriander powder, turmeric and fry for 1 -2 mins till you get a nice aroma and the oil has begun to separate from the masala.

·         Then add tamarind juice, salt, chopped fresh coriander leaves and water. Stir and mix well. (The water helps combine everything)

·         Lower the heat again and add the cubed bread pieces. Mix gently till all the bread cubes has been coated with the cooked masala.

·         Sprinkle some more water if necessary. This recipe tastes good even if it is gooey.

·         Cover and let the bread take in the flavors on low heat. Stir a couple times…

·         Garnish with kasori methi and grated coconut.

·         Serve hot for breakfast and don’t forget the Sindhi papad.

Keep it simple, keep it Sindhi

Sweet Vermicelli and fried Potatoes

It has been over a week that I have not blogged a single recipe. Shopping and packing is to be blamed for this. I have been extremely busy and at the same time very excited about my trip. I will be taking a short break from blogging as I will be going out of the country. Whilst I am gone for 3-4 weeks, I thought I should put up a traditional and unique Sindhi recipe.

I have called this unique because the recipe is a combination of savory and sweet. …Serve this for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. You can serve it for any occasion like marriage, Chhatti (sixth day ceremony), a puja at home, festival time (especially Holi) it goes well anytime. Sehyoon (Seviyaan) is served not only by Sindhis, but also by other Hindus and Muslims. Sehyoon is a Sindhi word for Vermicelli and is well known as seviyaan. The best part is, it’s simple to make and absolutely yummy and delicious.

Sehyoon Patata is basically roasted vermicelli cooked with water, cardamom pods and topped with chopped dry nuts served with fried, slightly spiced, potatoes. Without any further ado, I am off to cook Sehyoon Patata so I can blog the recipe as quick as possible. Here is  the recipe for Sehyoon Patata.

Ingredients for Sehyoon (Seviyaan):

• 1 cup Vermicelli (Bambino Variety)
• 1 1/3 cup Water
• 4 tbsp Sugar
• 3 pods Green Cardamoms
• 2 tbsps Ghee or unsalted Butter
• 2 tbsp chopped dry Fruits (almonds, cashews, pistachios)

Method for Sehyoon:

• Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan.
• Add sehyoon/seviyaan, cardamoms and cook over low heat stirring constantly till golden brown.

• Add water and sugar stirring gently.
• Cover pan and let it simmer about 8-10 mins till all water is absorbed and all the sehyoon is cooked till soft
• Garnish with dry fruits.

• Serve hot with Taryal Patata/Fried Potatoes

Ingredients for Taryal Patata:

• 2 medium Potatoes peeled and diced
• ½ tsp red Chili powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• ¼ tsp Haldi powder
• ¼ tsp dry Mango powder/Ambchoor
• Oil to fry Potatoes
• Salt to taste

Method for Taryal Patata:

• Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
• When hot, add diced potatoes.
• Fry till potatoes are cooked (fork tender) and lightly browned.

• Drain oil from potatoes and add all the dry masalas. Mix well.

• Serve hot with parathas/dals-rice or in this case with Sehyoon, don’t forget to serve papad.

Note: Add more water if you like the sehyoon/seviyaan/vermicelli very soft. The amount I have used makes the vermicelli separated and not sticky.

Add more sugar if you want it sweeter.

Enjoy this and all my other recipes, till I am back. Remember keep it simple, keep it Sindhi.

Wheat Flour Savory Pancake

Rotis/Phulkas are the one thing that are eaten at every meal and that’s what I hate to do in summer… to be making rotis/phulkas in my kitchen. Then, should I be eating rice all the time or go without anything? Eating rice is not a part of my craving and the latter part does not suit my fancy … me going hungry, no way… Rotis are my favorite, and I prefer it to rice anytime. In summer the thought of making rotis…unhh unhh, so most of the time this savory pancake makes an appearance at our dinner table …not only it is vegetarian, it is nutritious, healthy and can be whipped up quickly too.

(Atto is a Sindhi word for Atta and Chilro means pancake…Pancakes made with atta). Atte Jo Chilro is like an omelette, made from a batter of atta, onions and some spices. The batter is more like a bhajia (pakora) batter which is spread on a hot tawa, and cooked on both sides. I recall my mother making this for us whenever we returned hungry from school or even for breakfast and sometimes for dinner. Spice it the way you like to suit your taste buds and enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even as an evening snack. This is one of my simple and favorite recipe that is like a complete meal when served with chutney/ketchup/yogurt/or even pickle. Don’t forget the Sindhi papad.

Ingredients:

·         1 cup Atta

·         1 small Onion(finely chopped)

·         Coriander/Cilantro leaves(finely chopped)

·         1 tsp Cumin seeds  

·         2 Green Chilies(finely chopped)

·         1/2tsp Red chili powder  

·         1/2 tsp of baking soda

·         1/2-3/4 cup of Water

·         Oil for shallow frying Chilro

·         Salt to taste

Method:

·         Mix all the ingredients with water except oil, and make batter like we make for fritters/pakoras, making sure there are no lumps. The batter should be as thick as dosa /pancake batter (Add more water if required).

·         Heat a griddle (tawa), and grease it with some oil.

·         Take a ladle full of the batter, and spread it evenly on the heated tawa like a dosa/pancake. Its thickness should be like a pancake (little thicker than dosa).

·         Pour some more oil around the sides and let it cook on medium flame till golden brown.

·         Flip and let it cook and brown on the other side too.

·         Remove from tawa when both sides are crisp and golden brown.

·         Serve hot with ketchup/sauce or yogurt/coriander/mint chutney.

This recipe goes to Padma’s Dosa Corner event.

 
Keep it simple, keep it Sindhi.

My first award…One lovely blog award has been passed onto me from Jyoti of Food Seasons. My sincere thanks to you, Jyoti, this means a lot to me, especially being the first award. Thanks to all the bloggers who encourage and support me with wonderful comments. Also thanks to all my visitors who stop by my blog and dropping me a line or two of encouragement.

Guru Purnima is celebrated every year and on this special day we acknowledge the importance of Gurus in our lives. On 7^thof July 2009 (month of Ashad) we will be observing Guru Purnima. What is Guru Purnima and its significance to Satyanarayan Puja? Guru is a person who guides us by lighting our path to achieve supreme happiness. Purnima is the day of the full moon when the moon is fully illuminated and has no blemishes. In short Guru Purnima is a day when devotees offer Puja to the Guru. Every religion has its own way of worshipping/celebrating Guru Purnima.

In Sindhis we do Satyanarayan Puja on every Purnima day. Satyanarayan Puja is also done on occasions like marriages, graduations, buying new homes etc. Purnima (full moon day) is considered to be a very auspicious day for Satyanarayan Puja. On this day the Lord Satyanayaran is worshipped with a variety of fruits, Panch-a- Amrit, and dry sweet Prasad made out of flour, ghee and sugar, known as Churi. Once the puja is done the Prasad (Churi and fruits) is distributed amongst family and friends. Churi is the blog of this week for Guru Purnima/Satyanaryan Puja. Here goes the recipe for Churi…

Ingredients:

· I Stick of Unsalted Butter or ½ cup ghee

· 1 ½ Cup Wheat flour

· ½ Cup Sugar (you may add couple of tablespoons more if you like it sweeter)

· 2 Tbsp Peanuts and chopped Dates (optional )

Method:

· In a pan heat ghee or butter.

· Add wheat flour and roast this mixture on a very low flame till it gets golden brown and gives an aroma.

· Turn off heat and cool.

· When cold add sugar, peanuts and chopped dates. Mix well.

Note: To keep the Prasad dry the sugar has to be added only after it has cooled down otherwise the Prasad will turn into a Sero (Seera).

Keep it simple, keep it Sindhi.

Masale Wali Roti

Spiced Indian Flat Bread

Yesterday was a very special day for me . I had a wonderful time with my family. My gratitude and thanks go to my friends, family and my viewers who took time to call and wish me on this special day . Obviously having a blast got me a little out of schedule with blogging. But, nevertheless, I will not put my friends and viewers down. So here is a simple Sindhi breakfast recipe.

A popular breakfast served in Sindhi homes (almost everyday) is Koki. Some Sindhis call it Koki and others call it Loli. Two names for one recipe? Sindhis, like other cultures, have different communities and since they come from different regions of Sindh there are more than one name for the same recipe. The community my parents come from is Sukkhar. My mother called it Koki and so I go by the same. Koki and Loli are one and the same, whatever you call it.

Koki/Loli is just a thick paratha infused with onions, cilantro/coriander, mint, chilies….In a Sindhi home this is a simple traditional breakfast and is liked by all. It can be kept without refrigeration for about one day and so Koki/Loli is also good for picnics or while travelling long distances and can be eaten not only as a breakfast but as a snack too. Here goes the recipe for KOKI/LOLI….

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Wheat flour
• 1 medium Onion finely chopped
• 1 green Chili finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. Coriander leaves finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Mint leaves finely chopped
• ½ tsp Red Chili powder
• 2½ tbsp Ghee/Oil  
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds
• ½ tsp Annardana(optional) slightly crushed
• Salt to taste
• Ghee/Oil for rubbing on Koki

Method:

• Chop onions, green chilies, coriander leaves and mint leaves very fine.
• Sieve flour and add salt, annardana (optional),cumin seeds, red chili powder, onions, green chilies, coriander leaves, mint leaves and ghee(excluding ghee for rubbing on Koki )
• Mix well and add very little water, knead into stiff dough.
• Divide the dough into 6 even sized balls.
• Roll each one with a rolling pin like a thick paratha and prick the Koki with a fork. This will ensure cooking of the Koki from the inside.
• Heat a tawa. Put some ghee/oil on it.
• Place Koki on this hot tawa and cook on medium flame on each side adding a little oil or ghee from sides, until small brown dots appear on surface (this will take a couple mins).
• Use a flat spatula (In Sindhi we call this Khurpi) to press Koki as this will help in cooking the inside as well as to get a crisp texture on the outside. Cook till both sides are done with spots all over and nicely browned.
• Serve hot with Yogurt/Curds or Tea or Chundha/Pickle and Sindhi Papad.

Keep it simple, keep it Sindhi.