Karachi Food Diaries Day 5 (Spinach and meat curry, palak gosht)

December 11. 2010 Saturday- Day 5
I was awakened by my brother this morning who had flown in the red-eye from New York via Abu Dhabi. He couldn't sleep and wanted company. I joined him for breakfast. My usual, which is now becoming a happy routine. We chatted for a while. I then went in for yoga. Lunch was eaten on the veranda; aloo tikias (potato patties filled with ground beef), bhindi (sauteed okra) and daal with salad and roti. Another great home cooked meal.

Feeling satiated, I took a nap and then went for a majlis. The hisa today was the famous Karachi chicken patty- chicken mashed with lots of butter, salt, ground black pepper and other spices in a fluffy, crunchy pastry. I dream about one of these on a regular basis. I was invited out but declined to enjoy the peace of a quiet home evening. These evenings are rare and I want to make the most of them. Dinner was palak gosht (spinach with lamb) and turnip sabzi with rice.

 Palak Gosht is the ultimate hearty, nutritious dish. Salt and pepper lamb cut up and preferably on the bone. Heat a heavy pan and then add oil. Sear the lamb pieces on all sides. Remove from pan. In the same pan, add 1 ground medium onion and let it turn reddish. At this point add 1 tbsp. ground garlic and ginger each. Mix together and fry for a couple of minutes and then add the meat and any juices that may have accumulated. Add 1 tsp. turmeric, 2 tsp. coriander powder and 1 tsp. cayenne powder and cook on medium heat till the aroma changes and mellows and the meat starts rendering its own fat. At this point, have a quick taste to check the spices and if need be add more salt. Now add 1 large bunch spinach, cover tightly, turn down heat and let cook for 10 minutes so that the spinach releases its own water. Uncover, mix well so the flavor is well distributed, cover again and let cook for another 30 minutes or until the meat tenderizes. Serve with lemon wedges and white basmati rice.  

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. 

Karachi Food Diaries Day 1-3 (Fish curry, Machli ka Salan)

December 7, 2010 Tuesday- Day 1
I got here at the godly hour of noon after an hour delay from Dubai; in the ungodly state of not having slept for the past 24 hours. I had left New York with the intention of writing a food diary to see where I find myself with this passion and the added incentive of mindful eating. I am currently reading Beard on Food which is a fitting muse. Airline food sitting discontent in my stomach, eyes dry and itchy with sleep, I breathed in the smoky winter air of Karachi and let it settle in; nothing like coming back to this mercurial, volatile, dusty, beloved city!

Dusk

My first meal was in the evening; alu gosht (meat and potato curry), kaali daal (black lentils) and karela (sauteed bitter gourd). It was deliciously home cooked and hit the spot. I asked for some sliced onions, lemon and green chillies to round out the taste. I had the velvety curry with roti (flatbread) and the the lentils and karela with rice. Yum!

December 8, 2010 Wednesday- Day 2
The next day jet lag got the better of me. Got up much after 11am. Broke my fast with tea and 2 whole wheat toasts with cream cheese. Lunch was velvetier chicken curry, smoky baingan ka bharta and masoor ki daal (red lentils). I consumed a total of 2 rotis and of course lots of lemon, chopped lettuce leaves and tomatoes and yogurt.
Since it was the first day of Muharram, in the evening, I went to a majlis (religious gathering) at an aunt's place who maintains a small imambarah at home. The month of Muharram is dedicated to the memory of Imam Hussein and his band of loyal followers who ran afoul of the ruling caliph of the day and were mercilessly ambushed and massacred. It is a period of deep mourning and galvanizing spirituality for Shias. A home imambarah is a symbolic representation of the rozas or places of burials of the saints. My aunt has inherited hers from her mother who in turn had inherited it from hers and from here onwards it is her responsibility to commemorate it every year at this time. This imambarah is set up in a large almirah. It comprises of miniature, intricately carved silver replicas of the rozas, black plush velvet alams (flags) resplendent with the names of the prophet, saints and verses in zardozi (thick embroidery with silver and gold thread). The interior of the almirah is brightly lit and garlanded with leis of fresh red roses and jasmine. The delicate fragrance wafts down and around and heightens the fragile beauty of the scene. The rest of the living room is cleared out, the seating pushed against the walls and the floors covered in crisp chandinis (white sheets) where the more agile mourners, all in black or muted colors, sit cross-legged or legs folded demurely beneath them. The effect is dazzling and heartbreaking. After the laments have been soulfully rendered, tears unabashedly shed and the salaam (obeisance) offered, the attendee disperse and mingle. One of the highlight at the end is the 'hisas' or food offerings that each participant is given. These can range from plain dried peas to sheermal (saffron-scented sweet naan) with reshmy kebab (literally, silky kebab), one of the richest, most succulent foods I have ever tasted. This evening the hisa was barfi (a condensed milk and sugar delicacy) and namak para (small, oblong pastry puffs with cumin seeds fried in oil). I had a handful of the latter with evening tea.
Dinner was simple as I was eating alone; torai (sauteed zucchini), leftover baingan and daal with roti and salad.

December 9, 2010 Thursday- Day 3
Today, I decided to taper off my self-indulgence and try and move toward more restrained and healthful eating. Also, I was starting to feel the rumblings of Karachi tummy, very similar to Delhi belly. Hmm.. mixed results. Breakfast was good. Oatmeal cooked in water topped with flaxseed meal, walnuts, dried raisins and drizzled with honey.. a treat actually. I followed this by an invigorating yoga session. As a side note, I am soo happy with yogaglo.com.  It has the best classes and is a great investment for the small price, especially if you are in a place without access to other yoga outlets. Lunch took care of my good intentions. It was bhindi gosht (okra and meat curry- yes, curries are very popular), and leftover torai, daal and roti. I was still feeling the effects of jetlag and completely overate. Immediately, took a long nap and then went to my other aunt's place where i had a chicken sandwich and dahi barah (fritters in yogurt) with tea. Dinner again was... correct, fish curry! I am a little over-indulged and curried out, Karachi tummy in full swing but tomorrow is a new day. Reset button pressed.

Fish Curry

Salt and pepper 4-5 filleted portions of a firm, white fish; halibut, haddock or cod all work well, and set aside. Add oil to a preheated pan and fry 1 white onion slivered till it turns a nice golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and lay on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Preheat another heavy pan and add oil. Immediately add 6-7 curry leaves, 1 tsp. mustard seeds and 1 tsp. fenugreek seeds. These will sputter and brown very quickly. To avoid this, add 1 tbsp. water. Let sizzle for 30 seconds or so. Then add, 1 tsp. minced ginger and garlic. Again, if needed, add another splash of water to the mix. It is important to prevent the ingredients from acquiring the bitter, burnt taste. Stir for 60 seconds and then add the spice mix; 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. turmeric, 2 tsp. coriander powder, 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder and 1 tsp. salt- last can be adjusted while cooking to individual taste, and fry the mixture till the raw spice aroma mellows and becomes more cohesive, about 3-5 minutes. Chop the earlier browned onions and also add to the dish. Separately, whip 2 cups yogurt to a smooth consistency. Slowly add this to the spices and keep stirring to mix smoothly and avoid curdling.  Now add water to create the desired curry consistency and bring the ingredients to a boil. Important to keep stirring throughout. Carefully lay fish fillets in the curry dish, reduce heat and cover to cook. Once the fish has been added, don't use the spoon to move it around. The dish now can be stirred only by being grasped by the handles and swiveled. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped green chillies, chopped dill. Serve with naan or roti.