Sindhi Bhee Chaat

Bhee (lotus stem), a ubiquitous vegetable in any true-blue Sindhi household, is cooked in myriad ways among the Sindhis. In earlier days, a bhee preparation was a must at any Sindhi wedding. Phoolpatasha (lotus seed pods ) is another part of the lotus plant that is relished by the Sindhis. A son-in-law would be served phoolpatashan ji bhaji with great love by a Sindhi vegetarian family. A non-vegetarian one would obviously serve Sindhi tiwan (mutton) and machhi (fish) to their esteemed son-in-law.

Bhee is made into pattice (fritters), pakoras, chaat, pickles, sun-dried fryums, pulao and as a main dish paired with peas and potatoes or even dunked into Sindhi curry.

Raw bhee is always stored in water, else it loses its juiciness. Don’t let it remain under water for too long, as it starts smelling foul. Buy fresh, clean and juicy bhee. If you have extra bhee, you can boil it and store it in a box in the cheese tray of the refrigerator for a few days. To prepare the bhee, scrape it gently to remove the peel and slice it diagonally. The slices can be as thick or thin as you want. The slices are often cut thicker for main dish preparations of bhee, thinner for curry and chaats. The bhee is cleaned of any dirt, washed well and then steamed or boiled. Use the boiled bhee in any way you like, or else store it as explained earlier.

Here I am posting a Sindhi chaat with bhee as the hero of the dish. It is a simple recipe and can be served as a snack or a side dish for any meal.

Recipe of Bhee Chaat

Ingredients

Thinly sliced boiled bhee

Aamri chutney (recipe given)

Method

Pour the chutney over the bhee and serve.

Any chaat worth its name needs a spicy chutney to go with it. Here I have used a Sindhi style sweet and tangy aamri/gidaamri (tamarind) chutney which can be used as an accompaniment to Sindhi sanna pakoras or chaats of your choice. The mint, coriander leaves and jeera make the chutney fragrant, and along with jaggery, chillies and salt, they perform a tango of flavours in your mouth. The measures of the ingredients are approximate, for that’s how I make it.

Aamri Chutney

Ingredients

Pulp of tamarind or of dried mango slices

Note: Boil a ball of tamarind or few dried mango slices and blitz them in a mixer to get the pulp.

A handful of coriander leaves

Few mint leaves (very important for that heavenly smell of the chutney)

Green chillies (according to your taste)

Whole jeera – 1 1/2 tsp

A big piece of jaggery or boiled dates

Salt to taste

Method

Wash the coriander and mint leaves well. Combine all ingredients together and grind them into a chutney.

Jyoti Mulchandani

Ahmedabad