A Sindhi comfort food, Sai Bhaji is a delicious as well as nutritious dish of greens like spinach (palak), fenugreek leaves (methi), dill (suva) leaves and sorrel leaves (chukko). It has the goodness of pulses and vegetables like bottle gourd, carrots, brinjals, tomatoes, etc.
Every Sindhi household has its own recipe of making the bhaji. While spinach, fenugreek leaves, dal, bottle gourd and tomatoes are a given, some add onions and/or garlic, while others omit the two and instead add a pinch of asafoetida in oil before cooking the sai bhaji. For some add carrots, potatoes and brinjals are a must, while others do only with bottle gourd. The dal too can be either moong or channa based on one’s choice.
Here’s a recipe of a version of sai bhaji made by my sister-in-law, Diya Davara, who makes authentic Sindhi food. Her mom is an expert on all Sindhi food and culture, and has often helped me with my blogs.
Recipe of Sai Bhaji ( serves 4)
Ingredients
Spinach 250 gm
Fenugreek leaves 100 gm
Dill Leaves 25 gm (optional)
Bottle gourd 100 gm
A small onion
2-3 medium-sized tomatoes
Soaked dal (either moong dal or channa dal) 50 gm
Chopped chillies (2-3)
Ginger- a small piece chopped or ground
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Salt
Method
Wash well and chop all the greens. Peel and chop the bottle gourd, tomatoes, and the onion.
Take oil in a medium-sized pressure cooker . Add the chopped onion and saute till pink.
Add chillies and ginger. Saute for a minute.
Add chopped greens, tomatoes, bottle gourd and soaked dal.
Add salt and turmeric powder.
Pour a cup of water, stir well and close the lid.
Cook till two whistles and lower the heat of the stove. Cook for another 10-15 minutes.
Remove the cooker from the flame and open it once the pressure in the cooker is released.
Whisk the bhaji with a hand whisk (not an electrical blender) well. Put it back on the stove while whisking to retain the heat of the bhaji.
The consistency of the bhaji should be semi solid .
Serve with fulka or rice.
Recipe and pics: Mrs. Diya Davara, Ahmedabad
Jyoti Mulchandani
Ahmedabad
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