Sindhi Taayri Aein Khirni

Taayri (sweet rice) is a popular Sindhi rice dish, often made during festivals. We Sindhis often combine foods to balance the sweet with the savoury. So the kanaw prasad is served with spicy moong or black-eyes peas, saiyun (sweet vermicelli ) with fried potatoes, kutti with papad, and so on. Similarly, taayri cooked on festivals is paired with sai bhaji.

But on Asthami (the eighth day of Navratri), taayri or mitha chokha are offered to the Goddess with khirni. Khirni is milk boiled with sugar, saffron and dry fruits. Taayri aein khirni are also fed to little girls (niyaaniu) on this day. The girls are venerated as goddesses and are given gifts of cosmetics or jewellery to adorn themselves. The gifts are called kokokumalo, often accompanied by some kharchi(money). It is quite a thrill for little girls and boys (called kang which means crows in Sindhi) to visit houses to eat the delicious taayri aein khirni and gather the goodies.

PIC: TAAYRI AEIN KHIRNI OFFERED TO THE GODDESS ON ASHTAMI

(PIC CREDIT: DIYA DAVARA, AHMEDABAD)

The recipes for taayri aein khirni are given by my Sindhi super chef sister, Mrs. Urvashi Dama, who is particular about preparing Sindhi food the authentic way. I am trying to document her recipes so that they are preserved for future Sindhi generations.

Recipe of Taayri ( Sweet Rice)

Ingredients

1 cup rice

1 1/2 cup sugar

Some chopped and sliced dry fruits( almonds and pistachios)

Some raisins/ kishmish(optional)

Few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk

Method

1. Cook rice without adding any salt. Add just enough water to cook the rice. The rice should not be soggy when cooked.
2. Add saffron, chopped dry fruits, raisins (if using)and sugar when the rice is about to get done. Stir well. The sugar in the rice will start dissolving into a syrup in the rice, making the rice soggy.
3. Now place the rice vessel on a tawa on a slow flame. Add water on the tawa. This will prevent the rice from burning.
4. Go on adding water to the tawa as it evaporates till the sugar syrup in the rice dries up completely. This process may last from 40 to 50 minutes. But the resulting fluffy, sweet rice is worth the wait.
5. Garnish the taayri with sliced dry fruits.

Recipe of Khirni

Ingredients

Milk

Sugar

Chopped almonds and pistachios

Few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk

Method

Boil all the ingredients together.

Serve taayri and khirni together in a bowl.

Recipes by Mrs. Urvashi Dama, Mumbai

Jyoti Mulchandani

Ahmedabad