SINDHI ALOO WADIYAN ( Sun dried lentil dumplings in onion tomato gravy )

Aloo wadiyan is a very popular dish in North India. Wadi is very spicy and each bite sends a spice burst in your mouth. We sindhis have a name for this gravy of onion and tomato which is "DAAG" , and there are several vegetables we cook in this same gravy . I cook wadi in this gravy and my family loves its taste. Mostly i serve this dish with Bhuga Chawal / Brown onion pulao , and trust me the meal lingers in your mouth for a long time.

Wadiyan are made with urad dal. Urad dal is first soaked then grinded, and then dal paste is mixed with spices and formed into a dough and the balls of dough are dried and they can be kept for longer period of time.

Most of the time wadiyan are cooked with potatoes but they can be added with several vegetables and pulao. They go well with roti and any other Indian bread. They are available at Indian grocery stores or small homemakers who sell this for a household. I usually take it from small homemakers and ask them to adjust the spices as per my choice.

Recipe :

(Serves 3)
Ingredients:

• 1 medium potato
• 100 grams/ 4-5 pieces Urad dal wadi
• 4 tbsp oil
• 2 medium onion, chopped finely
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped 
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 2 cup water
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• For garnish: Fresh coriander leaves

Instructions:

• Peel and dice the potatoes.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add Onion. Fry until well browned.
• Add tomatoes and all dry masalas. Mix well and saute for 3-4 mins and add a cup of water.
• Now place the Wadi on top of the onion tomato gravy carefully and do not mix .
• Close the lid of the cooker and cook till 3 whistles.
• Open the cooker and take out the wadis carefully on a plate.
• Now blend the onion tomato mix with a hand blender, but not into a paste - it should be still coarse and chunky. 
• Again put the cooker on flame , add potatoes and cook for 3-4 mins .
• Now add wadis. Sauté for two minutes.
• Add a cup of water and cook for 3 whistles on medium to slow flame.
• Open the lid when the pressure has reduced completely.
• Sprinkle garam masala powder and fresh coriander.
• Serve hot with roti or white/brown rice.

Note:

Wadi takes a longer time than potato to cook , also breaks easily into the gravy if over cooked.

So, double cooking helps to make it tender but make sure not to over cook.

You can also break the wadi into small pieces and cook along with potato itself , my family prefers full wadis and so i double cook it . 

Recipe for Bhuga Chawal , which i serve along side of Aloo wadiyan : http://loveisincookin.blogspot.com/2020/08/bhuga-chawal-sindhi-style-onion-pulav.html

SCHEZWAN CHILLI PANEER

Chilli Paneer is a popular Indo-Chinese dish where cubes of fried paneer are tossed in a spicy sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce! Chilli Paneer is served as both snacks and main-course. The dry version of the dish is served as an appetizer. Goes well with fried rice or noodles as a main dish.
Recipe:(Serves 4)Ingredients:

• 2 cups cubed paneer 
• 1 large capsicum cubed
• 2 large onions cubed
• 4 green chilies, slit
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste (use freshly ground paste if possible)
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 tbsp green chili sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp schezwan sauce
• 1 tsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 4-5 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste
• Few finely chopped spring onion greens

For the Marinade:

• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• A pinch of salt
• 6-7 tbsp Water

Method:

• Make a semi-thick paste with the ingredients for marinade.
• Dip the paneer pieces in and let them soak in the marinade for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile add 4-5 tbsp oil in a pan and shallow fry the paneer pieces which are dipped in the marinade and kept aside. 
• Keep turning them over when the sides are lightly brown.
• Drain on tissue paper once done and set aside.
• In the same pan, add chopped onions, green chillies, and capsicum.
• Cook until the onions turn transparent, about 2-3 mins.
• Next, turn the flame to high and add soya sauce, green chilli sauce, ginger garlic paste, schezwan sauce and tomato ketchup.
• Stir-fry on high for about a min and add the fried paneer cubes and the cornflour-water paste ( this is the same paste which is left after dipping all paneer cubes) .
• Stir and cook for another 3-4 mins until the sauce comes around and thickens due to the cornflour. Lastly add vinegar and switch off the flame and sprinkle spring onion green on top.
• Serve Chilli Paneer with Fried rice or just as a snack on its own.

Notes:

I usually serve this with my special fried rice which i make without using any sauces - http://loveisincookin.blogspot.com/2020/09/indian-style-veg-fried-rice-without.html

INDIAN STYLE VEG FRIED RICE ( Without sauces)

Fried Rice is one of the most popular street food across India. Fried rice is most commonly served and enjoyed with Gobi Manchurian as side dish. This quick fried rice can be cooked in many ways and lots of varieties are made and served in almost all of the fast food joints. 

I make this recipe without using any Chinese sauces and my family enjoys it. This recipe will taste exactly like fried rice and is super healthy as we are not using any sauces or vinegar.
My secret to make it taste super delicious is the use of ultimate Maggie Magic masala in this recipe.

Recipe:

(Serves 3-4)
Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 medium onions chopped 
• 1 large Capsicum chopped
• 2 medium carrots chopped
• 1/4 cup corns
• 1/2 cup chopped green beans
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 4-5 green chilies long cut
• 1 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 2 packets Maggie magic masala ( Rs. 5 each )
• 4 tbsp finely chopped spring onions 
• Water as required ( to cook rice )
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins.
• In a pan add soaked rice , salt to taste and water as required to cook the rice . We have to cook till 70% done , not completely.
• Once done , strain the rice and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a wok or wide deep frying pan until smoking hot, and add ginger garlic paste along with chilies - cook for a min.
• Now add the chopped onion, capsicum , corns , beans and carrots and fry five minutes stirring often.
• Add salt to taste , white ground pepper ,maggie magic masala and mix until well combined.
• Now add the 70% cooked rice along with half of the spring onions and lemon juice - cook for another 2-3 mins covered.
• Once done , serve with the finely sliced spring onion greens sprinkled over on rice .

Notes:

I have used freshly cooked rice in this recipe, but you can use leftover rice as well.

SATPURA / DEEP FRIED CRISP SINDHI SWEET

Mahalakshmi is a sindhi festival and is referred to Goddess of wealth & prosperity. 

Sagra / sagda refer to a thread tied on the commencing day of the festival. 

For this auspicious festival SATPURA is made a day before, sometimes purchased ready from the market too, and offered to the goddess during the Pooja .

I learned this recipe from my mom and am happy i could replicate exactly like her.

This is fried sindhi snack /side dish which is crisp and tasty. Satpura can be eaten soaked in milk and tastes really good. Also , this has its very own taste, nutrition, and durability.

Recipe:

(Makes 12-15 Satpura)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Maida/ All purpose flour
• 2 tbsp Rice flour
• 2 tbsp Ghee / clarified butter
• Oil (enough for deep frying)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar 
• 1/4 cup finely crushed Pistachio for garnishing
• 1/2 tbsp dried crushed rose petals
• Water ( enough to knead a soft dough)

Method:

• Knead the flour with water and form a nice soft dough. (nothing else to be added)
• Let it rest for good 30  mins.
• In a bowl mix 2 tbsp ghee and 2 tbsp Rice flour and keep aside.
• Take a bowl and mix the rose petals ,  powdered sugar and crushed pistachio and keep ready to sprinkle on top of satpuras.
• Now , take the dough , knead again for a min and roll small lemon sized portions without using flour .
• Flatten the ball and roll out into a medium thin chapati. 
• Apply ghee mix which we made earlier on the entire chapati and dust some maida too. 
• Cut into equal sized vertical strips. 
• Usually we make seven strips and that is why call it SAT- seven PURA- folds. 
• Now start rolling the first strip while stretching it. As you finish join the second strip and continue rolling. 
• Likewise, join all the strips and seal the edge of last strip in the base and lighty press .
• Flatten this a bit and roll very lightly into palm size circles. 
• In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry this. Using the skewer or fork, open it up lightly while it is frying in the oil. 
• It has to be fried on a very low flame, taking care not to make it brown. It should be crisp.
• Drain the oil from the satpuras and let them cool a bit.
• Sprinkle sugar and pistachio powder which we mixed earlier on top and its ready to serve.

Notes:

Usually ghee plus maida paste is applied inside but applying rice flour and ghee paste inside gives a very flaky texture and tastes more delicious. 

Lasts fresh upto 8-10 days once stored in air tight container.

ALOO MATAR ( Potato and peas in tomato gravy)

Potatoes are used in tons of Indian recipes. Often they are paired with other vegetables like cauliflower in aloo gobi or spinach or beans or macaroni like my previous recipe i uploaded -- http://loveisincookin.blogspot.com/2020/08/macaroni-potato-sindhi-style-macaroni.html .

I love cooking with potatoes as they are available all year long and are delicious and so comforting. This is simple yet tasty Aloo matar which is kinda a quick fix when you are in hurry and out of main veggies.

Also , my personal favorite and i tend to make every once in a while.

Recipe:
(Serves 3)
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Green Peas/ Matar
• 3 Tomatoes, pureed
• 2 large Potatoes cubed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 Green chilies small cut
• Few curry leaves
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander powder
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• Fresh chopped coriander for garnish

Method:

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds - let it change color.
• Now add the tomatoes , potatoes and green peas along with all the dry spices.
• Add green chili , curry leaves and cook for 5 minutes till you see that  the gravy stick to the base and water is almost dried up.
• Add some water and pressure cook for 3 whistle till the potato and peas are nice and soft .
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve with hot Roti or Steamed rice.

Enjoy.

Note:
The gravy of this dish is neither thick nor too watery, so try to balance with the water.

BHARWAN MIRCH (Peanut stuffed big green chilies )

Bharwan Mirch recipe is originally from Rajasthani cuisine. Bharwan Mirch is stuffed with peanuts and spices. In Hindi Bharwan means stuffed and Mirch means Chili, in this dish Chilies are slit and stuffed with spicy masala. This Bharwan Mirch or Stuffed Chilies is very delicious side dish that can be served with steamed rice, dal or parathas. This is a simple stuffing and you can make them quick and easily.

I got this recipe inspiration from my best friend and a wonderful woman , she once treated me with this yummy stuffed mirchi and it has been my absolute favorite .

Recipe:

(Makes 8 chilies)

Ingredients:

• Big Green Chili  - 8 (Bhavnagri or the ones used for mirchi pakoda)
• Peanuts powdered(roasted) - 2 tbsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1.5 tsp
• Turmeric Powder /Haldi - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder  - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Dried Mango Powder /Amchur - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 Tbsp 

Method :

• Firstly wash all the green chilies . 
• Next slit the chilies lengthwise on one side while they remain stuck on the other side.
• Now take a bowl , add the powdered peanuts , salt , red chili , turmeric, coriander powder , amchur powder and sugar .
• Mix everything properly , stuffing for the mirch is ready.
• Now take a chili in your hand and fill in the stuffing nicely. Fill all the chilies in the same manner and keep them aside.
• Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan on low flame; put all the stuffed chilies in this oil and cover the pan with a lid. Cook it for 2 minutes
• Then open the lid, turn over all the chilies so that they get cooked evenly; add a splash of water and cover it again and cook further for a minute.
• Now add in any remaining stuffing in the pan. Check the chilies, and turn them over so that they get evenly cooked from all side. 
• When the chilies become soft, they are done and ready to serve.

Notes:

You can store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for good 4-5 days and eat as and when required.