Sambhariye jo shak (Stuffed Mixed Vegetable)

Monday, March 20, 2006
Jumelay Halo!
A journey into the history of an unknown community and their foodways …
Food is essential for human life. However, humans view food as much more than basic sustenance. With sustenance we also apply great significance to the foodways we grew up with. India plays home to myriad religions, cultures and communities, each of them with their own foodways, One such unknown community is the Kutchi Bhatia Community. Descended from a warrior race, Kutchi Bhatias are today largely engaged in trade and commerce, a field in which they have done immensely well. The food they eat is unique in its simplicity and fresh flavor. It is often also hidden under the classification of Gujarati food.
The Kutchi Bhatia Community has a very interesting history. While legend tells of their having descended from Lord Krishna himself, closer in history tangible evidence pinpoints a period some time in the 6^{th century, when a Raja Bhoopat ruled Lahore. Famous for his valour, courage and administrative shrewdness, the dynasty he founded came to be known as the Bhatti or Bhati dynasty from which the word Bhatia is derived. The Bhatias successively founded Tannot, Deraval and Jaisalmer in A.D. 1156 and ruled successfully until the reign of Raja Mulraj (1316) when the Bhatia race was threatened with extinction.}
The Jaisalmer fort had been under siege for a year and with his resources dwindling, Raja Mulraj was forced to take a decision that changed the future course of the Bhatia community. The aged and the young were secreted out of the fort while the king and his army launched a bloody do-or-die offensive! They lost, however, their women choosing death over the dishonor of capture. The remnants of the Bhatias that had escaped the fort, eventually made their way to Punjab. They changed their occupations from that of Kshatriyas or soldiers to Vaisyas and took to trade or agriculture.
Over time they spread out into areas of Rajasthan, MP, Halar and Kutch. Time and Geographical distance factored in and the community fragmented. The root culture was the same but marked albeit subtle differences in the lifestyle, language and larger changes in food habits - due to diet being adapted to locally available ingredients - made themselves apparent. Eventually it was the Bhatias that settled in Kutch that earned the name "Kutchi Bhatia".
While Kutchi Bhatia food is classified under Gujarati food, there is a marked difference in the cuisines. It does not manifest itself in the names of the dishes; in fact there are a lot of dishes common to both Gujerati and Kutchi Bhatia food. The difference is noticeable in the style of preparation of dishes. Where Gujarati food tends to be oily and leans towards sweet heavily spiced fried foods, Kutchi Bhatia food happens to be one of the healthiest Indian communal cuisines today.
Food is cooked with fresh seasonal ingredients and comes to the table, steaming hot, and straight of the flame. The use of oil is minimal and flavorings lean toward the Surti style with a predominance of leelo masallo (or fresh green masalla), usually a combination of Ginger and Green chilies. The use of garam masalla is minimal and spicing is used to compliment the dish being cooked, at no point overwhelming the natural flavor of the food. Unlike Gujarati food, the sweetness quotient of gur or sugar is selectively used. Gur or Sugar are only added in dishes where a balance of flavors needs to be achieved like in the yoghurt based Kadhi or Khatta Mug (whole mung cooked in yoghurt) or tomato based dishes where there is a need to alleviate the acidity of the tomatoes.
The other difference lies in the inherent innovativeness of the Kutchi housewife. She will try and vary the menu at each meal, ensuring that along with a new vegetable the Daal is also alternated, either with different Daals or with other preparations like Gol Kokum ji kadhi or Osaman. Rotis might also be alternated with Jowar or Bajra rotis, in which the dough for each roti is mixed individually and flattened by hand.
Some of the most traditional meals of the Kutchi Bhatias aside from the classic Jowar and bajra rotis served with lehsun Chutney are Chutti Khichdi and Osaman – Unlike normal khichdi, Chutti Khichdi made by cooking the daal and rice separately. The daal is cooked in extra water till it splits, the water is then drained and reserved, and meanwhile rice is added to the daal and cooked to a khichdi consistency. The reserved water is then spiced, and made into a Rassam-like Osaman, light, delicate, fragrant with Coriander and Curry leaves and tender coconut. Another classic meal is Khara and Mitha Chavda - fermented wheat pancakes that are salty and sweetened with gur and usually served together.
A proper Kutchi Bhatia meal will consist of a Daal, one or two vegetables, thin ghee dabbed rotlis or Phulkas and some form of salad, all washed down with copious amounts of Chilled Kutchi "beer" or Chaas. There might be a dessert and a farsan preparation to augment the meal if there are guests. It is also the endeavor of the Kutchi Bhatia cook to achieve a balance in flavors. Salty, sweet, spicy and sour, all make their presence felt on your palette at every meal, either through a combination of ingredients or through a combination of dishes i.e. if a dish is characteristically sour it will always be accompanied with a sweet one. A classic example of this is the delicious combination of Kadhi with Puran Polis. (The Kuchi Bhatia Puran Poli is different from its Maharashtrian counterpart in that it is made with tur daal instead of Channa Daal.)
Vegetables served are seasonal, cooked by themselves or in combination with other vegetables or ingredients to best reveal the characteristic flavor of the vegetable. There will be some amount of water added to the vegetable, and it will be cooked to a tender but firm to the touch consistency. Vegetables served are always moist and in light gravy either of the juices released by the vegetable itself or made with onions and tomatoes. Some classic combinations include, Fansi (French beans) cooked with fresh grated coconut, Sambhariyu – assorted vegetables stuffed with spices besan and coconut and cooked in its own juices, Guvar, turiya and Kola – a combination of Guvar, Ridge Gourd and Pumpkin, Doodhi Tameta jo rasavalo shak – white Pumpkin and tomato and Kela Methi jo shak Plantain and Methi subzi. Vegetables are always garnished, some like with fresh green coriander.
Vegetables will also be on the plate in the form of a Salad like the Khaman Kakdi - a refreshing blend of cucumber, crushed peanuts and tender coconut, Kanda Tameta jo Salad – wilted onions and tomato salad, Gajar tameta jo salad – wilted Carrot and tomato salad. There will usually be Chutney and a variety of pickles to pick from as well. The Chutney is usually a fresh one made of Coriander or more seasonal ones like the Raw mango Chutney in which raw mango is ground with cumin and Jaggery.
The pickles made by this community deserve a special mention, in that they are very unusual and delicious. They are also simply made. Some classic pickles are the Methambo – more of a cross between a chutney and a pickle, made of Mango, the Methambo is a combination of sweet jaggery and sour green mangoes that are just beginning to ripen, Davara – a green berry that is made simply by marinating in salt and turmeric and the delicious green pepper pickle in which green pepper is preserved in salt and lemon juice.
The sweet preparations of the Kutchi Bhattias are varied, and a lot of them are common across Gujarati and Rajasthani food but they do have some typical favorites, like the Dudh pak a spiced milk preparation with rice, like a thin Kheer. They also make Srikhand, Mevavati and a host of other sweet dishes. One of the most unusual sweetdishes, that is rare even among the Kutchi Bhatias themselves, is the Tapkhir jo halvo or Arrowroot Halwa. Rarely made today this unique dish is quite delicious and very pretty with the golden translucency of Arrowroot and Saffron.
With the lack of documentation on Kutchi Bhatia recipes, I turned to Asha Khatau, prominent cookbook author and she has graciously shared recipes from the family annals of the illustrious Khatau family. The Khatau family number among the many Kutchi Bhatias that not only made Bombay their home but were also were pivotal alongside the Parsis in putting the city on the map of trade and commerce in its fledgling years.
Today the enterprising Kutchi Bhatia community continues to be an adventurous and enterprising community that comes to the forefront in all their endeavors. Traces of their royal genes are still evident in their tall statures, fair skin and aristocratic appearance. Today the community has spread all over the world and they continue to do well in whatever field the pick and with each step they take, their cuisine travels with them, a link to their illustrious past.
Sambhariye jo shak (Stuffed Mixed Vegetable)
Ingredients
<!--[if !supportLists]-->250 gms. Small sized potatoes, peeled
100 gms. Tendli
250 gms. Small onions, peeled
2 <!--[endif]-->Rajiyani banana
250 gms. Small brinjal
1 cup Gram flour, roasted and mixed with 2 tbsp oil
¾ cup Coconut, grated
½ cup Coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Coriander-cumin seed powder
1 tbsp Ginger-chili paste
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Chili powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
<!--[if !supportLists]-->For tempering
6 tbsp Oil
½ tsp Mustard seeds
¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
¼ tsp Asafetida
2 <!--[endif]-->Green chilies, slit
A few curry leaves
Method
Put vertical slit on one side of potatoes and onions. Set aside in waster. Remove the stem from brinjal and slit. Cut of both ends of tendli and slit that vertically too. Cut banana into 2"pieces and vertically slit them. Add the rest of the ingredients to the gram flour and mix well. Now stuff all the vegetables in their slits with this mixture. If there is extra stuffing set it aside to sprinkle on top. In a large saucepan, heat oil for tempering. Add chilies, mustard and fenugreek seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves and asafetida. Place all the vegetables except banana, in turn very gently in the pan. Cover with a rimmed plate and put water in it. This will help the vegetables to cook on a medium heat, and prevent the vegetables from sticking. When half cooked, about 20 minutes or so, remove the lid. Add stuffed banana and remaining mixture from stuffing. Continue cooking on a medium flame till vegetables are tender. Take it off the stove and cover and set aside. When you want to serve, Turn the whole vegetable out on a deep serving platter and serve hot with roti.
Serves6-8God Kokam ji Kadhi(Sweet and Sour yogurt soup)
Ingredients
1 ½ cups Sour yogurt
4 cups Split gram water
4 tbsp Gram flour
3-4 tbsp Jaggery
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3-4 <!--[endif]-->Black kokum
2 tsp Ginger-Chili paste
2" piece White radish, sliced into long strips
2 small Brinjals, cubed
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3-4 <!--[endif]-->Round red Chili
A few curry leaves
½ tsp (each) Mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds
2 tbsp Ghee
½ tsp Asafetida
Salt to taste
Method
Mix yogurt and flour with daal water and churn properly to avoid lumps. Add jaggery, kokum, ginger-chili paste and salt. Boil this mixture on a medium heat, stirring occasionally. In another small pan, heat ghee and add mustard, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds. When they splutter, add asafetida, round chilies and curry leaves. Add brinjal and radish and cook until vegetables are soft. Now add this tempering to the curd mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer it for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with rice and thick yellow split gram (kathan daal).
Serves 6-8
Lachko or Kathan Daal
(Thick Yellow Split Gram)
Ingredients
1 cup Yellow split gram
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
¼ tsp Asafetida
1" piece Ginger
1 tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste
Method
Pressure-cook the split gram with 4-5 cups of water, ginger, and turmeric. Give it 3-4 whistles. When cool remove and drain out water from top in another bowl and use it for Kadhi or Osaman. Heat ghee in a small pan, add asafetida and pour this over cooked split gram. Churn the cooked gram to smooth consistency. Return to heat, add salt and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. When it is thick, take it off the gas and serve with rice, Kadhi or Osaman.
Serves 4-6Osaman (Spiced split gram Water)Ingredients
½ cup Yellow split gram
1 tsp Ginger–chili paste
4-6 pieces Kokum
3-4 tbsp Jaggery
½ tsp Turmeric powder
For Tempering
1 tbsp Ghee
2" piece White radish, thinly sliced
1 Green chili, slit
¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
¼ tsp Mustard seeds
¼ tsp Cumin seeds
¼ tsp Asafetida
A few curry leaves
To Garnish
Grated coconut and coriander leaves
Method
Pressure-cook the split gram with 8-9 cups of water. When cool, churn well and add ginger-chili paste, kokum, and jaggery and turmeric powder. Boil this for 10-15 minutes. Heat ghee in a small pan; add fenugreek, mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter, add asafetida, curry leaves, chili and radish. Pour this tempering over Osaman. Simmer it for 10 minutes. Garnish with grated coconut and green coriander leaves. Serve hot with Kathan daal and rice.
Serves 6Methambo Ingredients
1 cup Raw mango, peeled and chopped into ½ " pieces
½ tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Salt
1 cup Jaggery, chopped
1 tsp Red chili powder
For tempering
1 tsp Oil
½ tsp Mustard seeds
½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
½ tsp Asafetida
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2-3 <!--[endif]-->Round red chilies
Method
Apply salt and turmeric powder to mango pieces and set aside for ½ an hour or till mango leave some water. Drain and take it out in a bowl. For tempering, heat oil in a medium sized thick saucepan. Add mustard and fenugreek seeds. When they splutter add asafetida and chilies along with mango pieces. Keep stirring on a low heat. When mango pieces are slightly soft, add jaggery and keep stirring until the jaggery melts and the gravy is little thick. Remove from the stove and add chili powder. Set aside to cool. When completely cool and thick fill it up in a jar and store in cool place.
Makes approx. 250 gms. pickle.
Kobi ja Muthia (Cabbage Dumplings)
Ingredients
1 cup Wheat flour
½ cup Gram flour
200 grms Shredded cabbage
1 tbsp Ginger-chilli paste
1 tbsp Oil
¼ tsp Soda
½ tsp Sugar
¼ cup Yogurt
A pinch of asafetida
Salt to taste
For Tempering
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
2 tsp Sesame seeds
3-4 pieces Round red chillies
A few curry leaves
A pinch of asafetida
To Garnish
Finely chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut
To Serve
Green chutney
Method
Mix both the flours and add, oil, salt, sugar, soda and asafetida. Sprinkle a little salt over cabbage and set aside for 10 minutes. Then mix the cabbage and yogurt to the flour mixture. Take a little oil on your palm and bind the dough. Divide it into two. Shape each one in a cylindrical shape and place it on oiled sieve. Steam the Muthias for 15-20 minutes. Remove from sieve and let it cool. Now place them on chopping board and slice them into 2cm. Thick slices. Heat oil in a frying pan, add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add sesame seeds and asafetida. Finally add chilies and curry leaves. Add steamed Muthias to this tempering and mix very gently to coat the tempering to all the pieces properly. Fry them until slightly crisp. Garnish with coriander and coconut and serve with green chutney.
Serves 4-6
Green Coriander Chutney
Ingredients
1 bunch Coriander leaves
½ cup Freshly grated coconut
1 tbsp Peanuts
1" piece Ginger
3-4 pieces Green chillies
1 tsp (each) Sugar, salt and cumin seeds
Juice of 1 lemon
Method
Chop coriander leaves coarsely. Put all the ingredients together in a grinder and make a thick paste. Use a little water if necessary. Serve with any savory dish.
Makes 1 cup

Kacha Papaya ju Shaak (Raw Papaya Salad)
Ingredients
250 gms. Raw papaya, peeled, halved and sliced
2 pieces Fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped
1" piece Ginger, finely chopped
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3-4 <!--[endif]--> Green chilies, slit
1 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
A pinch of asafetida
A few curry leaves
Salt, sugar and lemon juice to taste
Method
In small saucepan heat oil, add mustard seeds when they splutter add asafetida, curry leaves, chilies, ginger and turmeric. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add raw papaya and let it cook till semi soft. Add seasonings and mix well. Turn it out on a serving bowl, garnish with coriander and serve at room temperature.
Serves 4
Note You could even grate the papaya instead of slicing it.
Tapkir jo halvo
Ingredients
1 cup arrowroot flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 cups water
2-3 tsp ghee
4-5 almonds sliced thinly
a few seeds of Cardamom
A few strands of Saffron.
In a bowl, put 1 1/2 cups, add the Arrowroot flour, blend well and set aside. In another non – stick pan, bring the remaining water and sugar to a boil, stir well and ensure sugar is melted completely. Add in the arrowroot water mixture and stir well. Once it starts to thicken, add the ghee and almond flakes, again stirring well. Let is thicken some more (It will start to leave the sides of the pan) then take off the flame add saffron and cardamom, blend in well pour into a thali, allow to cool and set. Cut into Diamond shapes and serve.
~ Rushina Munshaw - Ghildiyal(Sweet and Spicy Mango Pickle)