Come winter and you see carts full of green leafy vegetables that are a sight to the sore eyes. Spinach, sorrel leaves, fenugreek, green garlic, chives, dill – all are widely used by the Sindhis in their cooking. Packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber, leafy greens help prevent obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and mental decline.
The feathery dark sea green leaves of dill are used in vari0us ways in Sindhi cuisine. Called suva in Sindhi, the aromatic dill leaves are washed thoroughly and kneaded into wheat flour dough to make suva ja fulka, added to the delectable and nutritious sai bhaji, sprinkled over dal for flavour and added to rice to make a flavoursome pulao.
Here’s a very easy recipe to make some delicious suvawara chaawar (dill pulao). Paired with yogurt kadi, any vegetable in tomato based gravy or just plain curds, this fragrant and beautiful pulao is a rare combination of looks, aroma, taste and health.
Recipe for Suvawara Chaawar
Ingredients (I have not given the quantities; you can adjust the same according to your taste, though add a lot of dill leaves as they are the hero of the dish.)
Rice
A bunch of dill leaves
Peas
Bay leaves
Jeera (cumin seeds)
A few black pepper seeds
A couple of cloves
Turmeric powder
Salt
Oil
Procedure
- Wash the rice well and set it aside. Wash and chop the dill leaves and set them aside. Heat some water for the rice.
- Heat oil in a vessel. Add jeera and saute them till they release the aroma. Add bay leaves, cloves and black pepper to the oil.
- Add chopped chillies, rice, peas, turmeric powder and salt. Stir well and add the hot water.
- Let the rice cook till done. Add the chopped dill leaves and stir the rice with the end of the handle of a cooking spoon, reduce the flame of the gas and cover the rice with a lid. Place a tawa (skillet) under the vessel and let the rice cook on ‘dum’ for 10 minutes
- Remove to a serving bowl and have it with curds and salad or any gravy of your choice.
Jyoti Mulchandani
Ahmedabad
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