Instructions for Milk Sevviya
1- Add butter to a hot pan and the black seeds from the lechi.
2- Crush the bunch of sevviya with your hands lightly so they break apart.
3- Add the sevviya and brown.
4- Add the milk and simmer for about 45 minutes – adding a tava (hot plate) underneath the pan helps the milk not sticking to the pan.
5- Add the sugar and cook for about 15 mins.
6- The milk will thicken as it cools.
RECIPE for Bhindi ( Lady Fingers)
INSTRUCTION for Bhindi
1- Chop bhindi removing top parts, and into small pieces.
2- Chop and slice onions.
3- Fry Bhindi in small amount of oil for a few minutes, slightly brown bhindi, this removes slimy texture. Take out and put aside.
4- In same oil add the onions (approx. 3 onions, same proportion of bhindi) and brown – when slightly brown add 2 spoons of yogurt optional, then fry until yogurt melts away. Take onions out and leave aside to drain with fried bhindi.
5-Take 1 onion and brown in same oil – this onion will be base of masala/sauce.
6-Crush the garlic, ginger and chilli, add to the browned onion. Also add the tin tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes) and all the spices. Stir, add 1/2 a glass of water, put pan onto a low heat and let it cook with lid on – approx 5 mins.
7-Once water has completely evaporated – add the bhindi and other onions and cook for a further 15 minutes, under low heat with lid on.
Best enjoyed with fresh chapati’s!
Faludaj Recipe…
Dhakkara was one of the early Sufi women know as the enraptured worshippers of God. Below recipe is inspired by the words of Dhakkara for a receipe of Faludaj.
( From the book – Women of Sufism)
RECIPE for Lamb Pilau (Lamb and rice)
Serves 9 people
INGREDIENTS
Instructions for Pilau
1. Soak 6 glasses of rice – minimum 1 hour before cooking.
2. Add the following ingredients into a large pan:
1 1/2 kilo of lamb – neck or chops, 2 bulbs of garlic, 3 inches of garlic , 2 tbs dhanya, 3 tbs zeera, 1 Cloves tbs, 5 Big lechi’s, 6 1/2 inch sticks of ciniman, 1 tbs of whole black pepper, 5 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of garam masala, 1/2 tsp of dried chilli – cook in water until meat is cooked – about 40 mins.
3. Whilst cooking above in another pan brown 6 onions.
4. When onions are nicely browned add 4 tbsp of yogurt and the cooked meat (Do not throw the stock, drain without the whole pieces of spice and put to the side). Brown the meat for a few minutes.
5. Add 8 glasses of water ( 6 plus 1/3 of the qty of rice).
6. Wait for water to boil and add rice – check salt, the water needs to taste quite salty.
7. When water is almost dry put on a tight lid ( optional – wrap lid with foil), also place a heavy weight on top of lid, finally place on an already heated tava (hot iron plate). On a very low heat – cook for 25mins. The tava will make sure the rice does not stick to the bottom.
Extra yummy if eaten with Boondi Raita
1. Take 1 and 1/2 tubs yogurt and add the following: 1 small onion, 1/2 pealed cumber, 1/4 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp whole Zeera, 1/2 tsp crush chillis , 1/4 tsp coriander seeds, Few leaves of fresh dhanya, 2 tbsp of Plain Boondi (khara boondi) – soften in hot water for about 3 mins – Garnish with anaar dhana (dry & crushed pomegranate seeds) and chaat masala.
RECIPE for Karrelle (Bitter Lemons)
Serves 3 people
INGREDIENTS
Instructions for Karrella
1. Take 5 karrelle and scrape the skin so its smooth, place the scraped skin into a ball. Make a slice in the middle to scoop out the seeds. Do not chop the karrelle. Add salt to the scraped skin in the ball, and rub salt on the inside and outside of the smoothed karrelle. Let the karrelle sit for at least 2 hours with the salt ( the salt will make the karrella less bitter ), then wash the salt out from the scraped skin and the whole karrelle.
2. Finely chop 3 onions, 3 fresh tomatoes, 3 fresh green chillies and 3 cloves of garlic and about an inch of fresh ginger. Add the onions into a pan and saute with oil for 5 minutes.
3. At the same time in another pan place the scraped skin and fry until lightly brown.
4. After 5 mins add the chopped garlic into the onions and fry for another minute. Then add the chopped tomatoes, green chillies and ginger to the onions.
5. Follow this by adding the dried spices, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp dhanya, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/4 tsp dried chillies, 1/4 curry powder if you have it in your cupboard, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder. Place a lid on the pan so the water starts to dry.
6. Once the scraped skin is brown, drain the oil then add this to the onion mix too. When adding the browned scraped skin at the same time add fresh chopped dhanya and 1/4 tsp of garam masala. Let this whole mixture dry out until the oil is separated and there is no water. Once dry place into a bowl and cool.
7. When the onion mixture is cool, take a karella and stuff with the onion mix. Tie a thread around the karrella so the mixture does not fall out. You should have about 4 tbsp’s of onion mix left, this will be used as a garnish at the end. Once all 5 karrelle are stuffed put them into a frying pan with a very low heat, begin browning the skin. The skin will take about 45 mins to cook, turn the karelle around every 7 mins so they are evenly browned on all sides. Be careful not to burn them.
8. Once cooked and nicely browned, garnish with the left over onion mix. When serving gently remove the thread and eat with delicious roti and yogurt.
RECIPE for Saag Chicken
Serves 11 people
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS for Chicken Saag
1. Chop 7 to 8 bags of spinach and place in large pan.
2. Add water to spinach and simmer, this will reduce the spinach also to make it more manageable.
3. In a separate pan slice 6 onions and lightly brown in vegetable oil.
4. Add lemon or vinegar to the raw chicken as this prevent it from breaking, then add to the brown onions. Seal chicken for about 5 mins.
5. Place 15 cloves of garlic, 3 inches of ginger, and 6 green chillies into a grinder. Once ground add to the chicken and continue cooking.
6. To the spinach add 2 tablespoons of methi this can be dried or fresh methi.
7. Add the following spices to the chicken – 1 and half salt, half tsp of haldi, half curry powder (optional), 1 and half red chillies, 2 tsps of freshly ground dry zeera and dhanya, 1tbsp of dried or fresh methi. Cook for a couple of mins.
8. Add 1 full tin of tomatoes, followed by half a tin of water using tomato tin to the chicken.
9. Add 2 to 3 spoons of yogurt to the chicken.
10. Continue to cook the chicken and spinach in separate pans if there is too much water.
11. Once there is less water, add the spinach to the chicken and cook together until water is gone. Whilst cooking add 1 heaped tsp of garam masala, 3 pierced fat green chillies, and 3 tbsp’s of butter ( optional, baji adds if there is butter in the house).
Eat with yum yum roti’s or boiled rice.
RECIPE for Ganjee
Serves 5 people
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS for Ganjee
1. Add 2 tbsp’s of butter to pan very gently warm with semolina, pinch of cardamom powder, 1 inch cinnamon, and seeds from 2 cardamom pods.
2. Be careful not burn – gently brown – the colour will change similar to halva.
3. Add the sabudana (tapioca)
4. Follow with 1 litre of milk.
5. Cook for about ten mins.
6. Put 13 almonds into a pan with hot water and boil to remove skin. After a few mins peel and grind almonds and add to the pan.
7. Simmer for a further 10 mins, watch milk as it may over boil.
8. Add 3-4 spoons of sugar and simmer for another 5 mins.
9. Cool and add to glasses and place in fridge – best served nice and cold.
RECIPE for KAREE
Serves 11 people
Cooking time – 4 hours
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS for Pakora’s
1. Finely chop the onions and potatoes.
2. Chop the spinach and fresh dhanya.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix. Pakora recipe
should ideally be made the night before for best flavour. Minimum 4 hours
before. Don’t add water, as water will come out of the potatoes.
INSTRUCTIONS for Karee
1. Heat sunflower oil in a large saucepan over medium heat,
add 1 onion and brown, once brown add garlic and fry for a further minute.
2. Add 1 and a half yoghurt pots and 1 heaped small cup of basin in a
blender and fill the blender jug with water. Blend until mixed well and
consistency is quite thin.
3. Add the blended mix into the pan with onions and garlic, then top-up
pan with approx 2 blender jugs of water – the mixture should be thin in consistency.
4. Add the following spices – 2 tsp chilli, 1 heaped tsp haldi, 1 tsp zeera,
2 tsp dhanya , 2 tsp salt.
5. Once boiled, simmer for about 3 hours until mixture is thicker.
6. Whilst cooking, brown 1 medium onion, 1 tsp zeera, 1 tsp dried chilli’s for tarka.
Put this to the side.
7. After 3 hours, shallow fry pakora’s in a separate pan ( this will take about 25 mins, continue simmering the karee) and add to the karee, and also add the above tarka once pakora’s have been added.
8. Simmer for another 20 mins and finish with fresh dhanya and 1 tsp of garam masala.
Karee will thicken as it cools, and will taste even better the next day.
8. Eat with boiled rice or roti.
