Karachi Food Diaries Day 6-9 (Fritters in Yogurt, Karhi)* honorable mention salon.com yogurt challenge

December 12 2010, Sunday- Day 6
Sunday is pulao day in our house. Since I can remember, we have had some variation of a rice casserole dish for lunch on this day. Today was yakhni pulao. Yakhni refers to stock, usually chicken but can also be beef and pulao is, ofcourse, another variation on pillaf. So, we had beef pulao with chicken kababs and raita (yogurt sauce). After my morning routine, we settled down to a leisurely lunch.

In the evening, we were driving down an open road with the lightly-hued Karachi skyline stretching in front of us when I noticed a flock of birds flying across our line of vision. Soon it was followed by another flock till we noticed that the whole sky was full of birds, some in V formations, some not but always with a definitive leader, flying in the same direction. They were migratory birds. It was an awesome sight. This city reveals flashes of nature when most unexpected. I called my father-in-law in the evening and he invited me out to bbq dinner at his friends. I happily accepted and had a great time. His group of friends are mostly ex-naval officers and have many tales to regale a new person. The food was very meat heavy; kababs, chicken tikka, sauteed spicy kidneys, at least 2 variations of yogurt sauce, potato dish and of course, lots of wine. I had a merry time and came home smiling.

December 13, 2010 Monday- Day 7
Had a light lunch of delicious bhindi (okra) and daal. In the evening, dropped by at my aunt's for dinner and ate karhi, again a variation on yogurt and fritters, this time delicately flavored with red chillies and turmeric.

White peacock (courtesy Maple Rose_stock)

December 14, 2010 Tuesday- Day 8
Again, the food is very similar to the past few days; lunch was chicken curry, medley of cauliflower, carrots and peas and sauteed squash and dinner was ground meat with bell peppers and turnip sabzi. It does sounds boring and repetitive but I am eating to my heart's content. An incredible thing happened today, we were driving on the same road as last time when I saw the birds and this time we came across two peacocks! One was white and the other was the more commonly seen emerald and blue color. They were just sauntering along on the side of the road! Really was the most random but joyous sight. Bizarre flashes of nature.. as I said, only in this crazy city!

december 15, 2010 Wednesday- Day 9
Today is the 8th of Muharram. The day today is dedicated to Abbas, the flag-bearer and defender of the group. Additionally, he was known for his towering physique and refined good looks and is held dear by many Shias. The activities from today build up and peak on the 10th. After that, the more strict Shias carry on mourning till another 30 days, while the moderates ease up. The day was filled with activity and visiting various majlises and homes. The biggest gathering for us is at my aunt's place. The highlight of the day is that the children of the family carry in the flags into the imambarah. They are the little flag-bearers. This is a generations old tradition; my mother remembers the days when she used to carry hers. So, lunch was a light helping of daal gosht (lentils with meat) but as the day went on, the list of hisas was neverending; sheermal, naan kabab, samosa, etc. Dinner was a niaz;  prayers are read on particular foods and then shared within a group. The food is considered blessed. The traditional foods are: paratha (pan-fried bread), kabab or pasandey, halwa and a salad of onion, white radish, ginger and mint. These offerings are accompanied by sherbet of some sort. Well, we were invited to two niazes and of course, I had to taste at both places. Delicious. Groan.

This is another variation on the yogurt and fritters combination although this dish is more elaborate (the yogurt is made into a gravy) and always eaten as a main dish. Whip 2 cup of yogurt until smooth and creamy. Add 1/2 cup chickpea flour, 1 medium onion chopped, 1/4 tsp. turmeric, 1/2 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. ground garlic, 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, juice of one lemon, salt to taste. Combine the ingredients by gradually adding water (about 1 cup) and keep mixing into a smooth paste. Pour the mixture into a pan and cook covered on medium-low heat for about 2 hours. Add water as necessary over this period of time to ensure the right gravy consistency. Keep stirring. Separately, combine 11/2 cup chickpea flour with 3/4 cup water in a mixing bowl and whip thoroughly with a silicon spatula ensuring that no lumps remain. To this add, 1 medium chopped raw onion, 2-3 sliced green chillies, 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, a pinch of baking powder and salt. Mix again and let sit to settle. When the gravy is almost cooked, it is time to make the fritters. Scoop up a spoonful and drop into a wok of hot oil. Cook till golden brown, remove from the oil  and directly drop into the yogurt mixture. Continue the process till all the batter is used up. Turn off heat and remove. For the tempering, add 2 tbsp. oil to a preheated pan. Throw in 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2 cloves garlic sliced, whole red chillies split in half and 5-6 curry leaves. Let the mixture sizzle and the garlic turn golden, then pour over the main dish and cover to smoke. Serve with white basmati rice.


http://www.salon.com/food/kitchen_challenge/index.html?story=/food/kitchen_challenge/2011/02/07/yogurt_desserts

Karachi Food Diaries Day 4 (dumplings in yogurt, dahi phulki)

December 10, 2010 Friday- Day 4
Wrestling with my jetlag, I took a full lexo last night (with half a tablet the night before which had led to only 4.5 hours of sleep). Lexo, as it is fondly called, is short for Lexotanil or Bromazepam, a muscle relaxant and sedative, and is the guilty pleasure of Karachi ladies. So, I arose from a hazy full night's sleep, feeling groggy yet oddly rested. Breakfast was the same as yesterday with the addition of an orange. I ate it sitting in the breezy, netted veranda with the chirp, chirp of sparrows and the muted sounds of the neighbors going about their business.

Okra rules; at least 3 regularly broken

Lunch was at the ever-popular Okra restaurant with some friends. As appetizers, we ordered beef carpaccio, chilli prawns with avocado and grilled halumi with asparagus and baby aubergine for the table.

Carpaccio

The carpaccio was tender and wafer thin. However, it was dressed with shredded sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, arugula and shaved parmesan; an unusual preparation, not wholly unpleasant but far from the traditional. It was a bit dry though and I did miss the lemony dressing, the bite of black pepper and the crunchy complexity of Parmesan cheese.

Prawns and Avocado

The prawns were overcooked and tough and the avocado unripe.

Partially consumed Halumi platter

The halumi was a pretty plate; the cheese was firm, if a little bit too salty and dry, and smeared with an aubergine puree. The aubergine and asparagus were nicely grilled and the pomegranate seeds were a nice garnish.

Seekh kabab

Apparently, I ordered the wrong entrée.  Instead of ordering fish or any of the other western dishes that they are known for, I went for the seekh kabab in my quest for a desi kick. Bad move. It came on a bed of haphazardly chopped tomatoes, onions and cucumbers with an accompaniment of watered down yogurt sauce. It looked like a dish bored with itself. The kababs were again dry, over-cooked and over-seasoned. My friend who ordered the other Pakistani dish, sarson saag (mustard greens) with makai roti (thick corn bread), a quintessential and rustic Punjabi dish, was also unimpressed. All the fish entrée, on the other hand, were well-received. However, the general consensus at the table was that the food that day was below par.

From there, I headed to my mother's aunt's place who was having a majlis also. It was a poignant and sad visit because she had recently lost her husband and was full of tears. I shed some with her. This month of Muharram is therapeutic. Since the expression of grief is so accepted and even encouraged, it can be a release for emotions that are unrelated to the intent of the gathering. Shias grieve openly and temporarily ease their emotional baggage. It is a cleansing, reflective month as it lifts the weight of the world to an extent and helps us go inwards. For me, the overwhelming feeling these days is that of gratitude. In the past few months, I have been very restless for certain reasons. This turmoil within has at times translated into moodiness and negativity. My thankfulness now is for being blessed with such strong, generous and wise people in my life. My family and my love emanate their particular strengths in my microcosm and challenge me to be better than myself. The hisa today was potato samosas. I accepted but didn't partake as I wanted to stick to 'mindful eating'. Also, I had sneaked a peak at the lunch menu at home from earlier in the day and wanted to save my appetite for leftovers at dinner.
Dinner... yum. The menu was tehri (spiced rice and potato pulao), sauteed carrot and cauliflower medley, dahi phulki (fritters in yogurt) and daal with roti. I ate contentedly, with full concentration and postponed my reformation program for another day.. seriously.

Dahi Phulki

Dahi Phulki is the centuries old remedy for parched, hot summer days. It is eaten as a snack or as a side dish to compliment other more fiery concoctions. Soak 1/2 cup urad dal in water for 2-3 hours. Remove and mix with 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, a generous pinch of black pepper and salt and some cayenne pepper and mash together. Keep mixing and add a litle water and some baking soda to achieve an even but thick consistency. Heat a small wok and add oil till it almost fills the wok. When the oil surface starts to glimmer, scoop up the mixture with a spoon and drop in the oil. Repeat till all the mixture is in the wok. Turn heat to medium and let the fritters cook (as the lentils are raw, they will need a little extra time). Separately, add 1 tbsp sugar to 3 cups of yogurt and whip till smooth and creamy. Also, fill another pan with cool water. Keep an eye on the fritters and when they start turning golden brown remove with a slotted spoon and immediately drop in the pan of water. Let them soak for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the cold water and gently squeeze between the palms till the excess liquid drains. Lay the fritters on the serving dish and starts layering with yogurt till completely covered. Drizzle with tamarind juice and sprinkle with chaat masala.

Chaat Masala: amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin, kala namak (black salt), coriander, dried ginger, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.