Karachi Food Diaries Day 25 - 26 (Seviyan, sweet saffron vermicelli)

December 31 Friday- Day 25

New Year's Eve!

January 1 2011 Saturday- Day 26

Hurting from the previous night, I stumbled out of bed around 1pm. Lunch was simple; daal, potato cauliflower medley, keema with roti and rice. To usher in the new year on a fitting note, we decided to go out for dinner. So, my mother, her sister, my sister and three female cousins, with a couple of bottles of wine in tow, headed to Okra again. My original response to this restaurant on this trip had been lukewarm. I was ready to give it another chance.. and it didn't disappoint! The food was delicious. Starters were duck pate, calamari and escargot. The calamari was perfectly grilled, smoky and tender with a light lemony dressing, the pate was cleverly presented and the escargot was out of this world! Juicy and large, served on little toasted bread rounds to soak up the buttery goodness. I could have eaten the whole plate by myself! Good start to the meal. The round of entree was also as satisfying.

          

My two favorite dishes were filet mignon in a morel sauce and tilapia with green chillies. The sauce in the former was rich and creamy with a generous use of morels. The filet was topped with fried slivers of beets. It was utterly original and very tasty. The tilapia was crispy and tender, if a tad bit burnt, with a delicious green chilli sauce that definitely had a bite. The dish was served on a bed of greens with a side of grilled onions and garnished with lemon and cilantro. I am hungry again just writing about it! We ate, drank, laughed over shared stories from the night before and more. With a rich, delicious dark chocolate molten cake to go, we moved our party to my aunt's place and continued well into the night.  

Seviyan

I decided to share the recipe for seviyan (sweet saffron vermicelli) here. The reason being that it is a treat that is prepared on festive, celebratory occasions and is a delicious, easy dessert. Prepare a simple syrup by dissolving 2 cups of sugar in a pot of water over medium-high heat. Separately, prepare 1 lb. vermicelli by breaking it into small, equal length pieces (about 1 inch). In a preheated frying pan, add 2 tbsp. ghee (clarified butter) add to this the vermicelli, 3 whole cloves, 5-6 cardamom pods and some raisins and cook till a deep brown color. Transfer this to the syrup pot along with a generous portion of chopped peeled almonds and pistachios (about a cup). Also, add to this a mixture saffron (a pinch) soaked in warm milk for about 2-3 minutes. Stir the ingredients well and cook till the vermicelli softens and all the water dries up. Serve warm with a generous dollop of cream.

Happy 2011!

Karachi Food Diary Day 15 - 17 (Biryani, rice casserole)

December 21, 2010 Tuesday- Day 15
Life has become much more chaotic. The house is full of people and kids. Meals are now not within my control. I eat as I am served but still somewhat consciously by keeping my breakfast regular and healthy and eating lots of vegetables on the side with all my meals.
In the evening, we ordered in food from a local restaurant called Bundu Khan. They have been in business for a good 60 years or so and are famous for their delectable, delicious kababs and tikkas. This is the place to go to for local food!

Seekh kabab

Chicken Tikka

It was out of this world. Juicy, tender, perfectly seasoned and fresh of the grill.. with hot naan and paratha. Heavenly. Thankfully, I had a small bite as we were invited to drinks later which actually turned out to be a elaborate feast of Hyderabadi food; my favorite. I couldn't not indulge in khatti daal with beans, baghare baingan (stewed eggplant-yum) and various other delicious foods.

December 22, 2010 Wednesday- Day 16
My dinner tonight was with my father-in-law. The menu was biryani and fried fish (despite having an aversion to fish, he always has it cooked for me when I visit). Biryani is an elaborate rice casserole usually cooked with a meat; either chicken or beef. The meat is first marinated with spices and cooked completely and then covered with a layer of parboiled white rice. It is then garnished with saffron, fried onions and fresh coriander, covered tightly to steam and cook without the addition of any more liquid. Before serving, the dish is mixed so that the meat and the rice combine yet retain their individual taste and appearance. It is an art and a process but the result is so worth it. Guiltily, I indulged in a double portion. The fish, on the other hand, was not crisp enough. In this part of the world, I feel the best form of eating fish is in a curry. Other versions are somewhat disappointing.

December 23, 2010 Thursday- Day 17
Light lunch and a dinner of khichri, kababs and yogurt. The reason for this being that I had a happy hour invite and then a dinner invite for later. In true desi fashion, dinner is served much after midnight after the guests have over-imbibed and danced their feet off. So, it is always wise to line the tummy before stepping out. The first event was a 1920's jazz party and the theme was taken very seriously. The guest were almost all in costume; pearls, head bands, feathers all around. The host had taken the initiative to provide accessories for the errant guest who came out of costume, like me. Much dancing, chatting and drinking later, we headed out to the dinner. The vibe here was different; bigger, smokier and a more intoxicated crowd was spread out between a few rooms and around the pool area. At this point, I had had enough. Mercifully, the food was served soon.  It was a spread of rich desi dishes; twice-cooked keema (minced meat), kababs, tikkas and the delicacies of nihari (traditional beef stew cooked over a couple of days) and pae (goat feet in curry). I had a small, restrained bite and happily called it a night soon after. It is dawning on me that this is definitely not the right season to embark on a quest for mindful eating!

Biryani

Biryani originated in Persia and made it's way to South Asia, either through the Arabian Sea or Afghanistan. It was introduced to the military by Mumtaz Mahal (wife of Shah Jehan for whom the Taj Mahal was built and who lies buried there) as a 'whole meal'. The dish grew to gain immense popularity with regional versions abounding, each more delicious than the other. Wash 1 cup rice in several changes of water. In a heavy pot, bring water to a boil with 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, 4 cardamom pods and salt. When boil is reached, add rice, turn the heat down and cook till half done (the trick to determine doneness is to squeeze a rice kernel between the thumb and forefinger. If the rice breaks into three, soft ends and hard center, then it is ready). Remove from heat and spread out on a tray. Salt and pepper half a chicken, on-the-bone and cut up into several pieces. Thinly slice a large onion and fry in a preheated heavy dish on medium heat till golden brown. To the same oil, add the chicken pieces and also cook until golden. Remove the chicken and set aside. Now to the onions, add 2-3 alubukhara (dried plums), 1 tsp. ginger paste, 1 tsp. garlic paste, 2 tsp. coriander powder, 2 tsp. cumin powder, 1 tsp. ground garam masala, 1 tsp. cayenne and salt to taste. Now cook on medium- high heat till all the spices are blended into a smooth paste. Add the chicken pieces and 2 tbsp. yogurt. Mix well and keep cooking till the chicken is cooked through and the oil starts bubbling. Now the layering process starts. In a separate heavy pan, layer half the rice. Next, layer the chicken mixture*. Finally, add a layer of the remaining rice. This is then drizzled with a mixture of saffron soaked in warm milk and 1/2 tsp. sugar which should have been prepared 3-4 hours ahead of time. Next, the dish needs to be tightly covered. In the past, the lid of the pot was sealed by a roll of dough along the edges. If you want to take the extra step that is up to you. Move the dish to an oven preheated to 425 degrees and cook further for another 30 minutes. To serve, mix well. Enjoy with a side of plain whipped yogurt.

* At this point, I sometimes add another layer of thin lemon slices, julienned green chillies and chopped coriander. This is not the traditional preparation but adds a delicious burst of flavor. 

Karachi Food Diary Day 10-11 (Rice pudding, kheer)

December 16, 2010 Thursday- Day 10
Muharram 9th.. lots of majlises. Lunch was at home, deliberately light; kichri (light, fluffy rice and lentil dish), beef and potato cutlet and yogurt. There was also an interesting pasta dish. It seems the continental cuisine, or for that matter any other cuisine, is adapted in the most interesting way to the local desi palette. This dish was shell pasta with tomatoes, sliced green chillies, spring onion, cilantro and cheese (I believe cheddar) and, I suspect, a generous squish of tomato ketchup. Pasta was nice and soft; i know not the ideal, but tasty and satisfying in a very desi way.

Khichri

Desi Pasta

A number of emotions well up at these majlises. It feels like there is a window opening up on itself. It is the palpable spirituality and I also credit my yoga practice that the overwhelming feelings I have are those of love and thankfulness; for being able to be in Karachi at this time, for those around me. Hisas at the two day gatherings was kheer; the most divine rice pudding in the world. Later that night went to my aunt's house for the final masjlis. Up till this point all the gatherings were, for the most part, for women. Tonight was mixed. It has been a family tradition dating back to my great-grandmother in the days immediately following India-Pakistan partition in 1947. The imambarah was glittering and even more divinely lit than ever. Various aunts and uncles took turns speaking and sharing their knowledge and experiences. The grand finale was the recitation of a beautiful lament written by my great-grandfather. After the evening ended, I did something that takes me back to my childhood; the centuries old candle-lighting ceremony. The philosophy behind it is to stay up the whole night and keep the memory alive of those who lost their lives the next day starting at dawn. This is done by visiting an odd number of imambarahs, lighting candles and singing laments. In the past we even went to as many as 9. However, keeping the time (we started at 11:30pm) and the security situation (this being Karachi, of course) in mind, we stuck to only 5. So, me, my mother, aunt and various cousins piled up in our cars and headed out. At one of the house, the men also joined in the lament and the result was powerful, harmonious and beautiful. Got home at 4:30am and fell asleep immediately.

December 17, 2010 Friday- Day 11
The 10th day. Most people observe a faqa on this day, i.e., refraining from eating and drinking water till about 4pm. At about that time, we went to a family friend's place where the necessary preparations and prayers were done. The food was delicious; rice, daal, saag (spinach), haleem (slow cooked lentil and meat dish) and baghare baingan (sauteed eggplant). It was lovely.

Kheer

This rice pudding dessert is a favorite for all festive occasions. It is full of milky, nutty goodness. The most delicious kheer is the slowest-cooked one when the color changes from milky to a deep almond white. Rinse 1/4 cup short grain rice in a couple of changes of water. In a preheated heavy dish, add 1 tsp. butter and lightly sauteed the rice for a couple of minutes. Now add 4 cups of whole milk, turn heat to medium and bring to a slow, roiling boil. Once a boil has been reached, reduce heat to low and leave to cook for about 2-3 hours to achieve the creamy consistency. It is very important to keep stirring regularly during this period to prevent the pudding from sticking. As you see it thicken, add in 1/4 cup sugar, crushed seeds of 5-6 cardamom pods, 1/4 cup thinly sliced almonds and pistachios (reserve another 1/4 cup to serve as garnish), a pinch of saffron strands. Stir in all these ingredients for another 5 minutes. Take off heat and allow to cool. Taste to adjust sugar if necessary and garnish the dish with more almonds and pistachios slivers. Traditionally, individual dessert servings were allowed to cool and set in earthenware dishes. If you like to can do the same by scooping into individual ceramic or glass dessert bowls, garnishing and allowing them to cool in the fridge. Serves 4.

Slow-cooked Pot Roast- Pasandey

This dish was our staple in the mid- 1980s. We had just moved back from Dubai, leaving behind an idyllic life. My mother was homesick. We lived in an apartment overlooking the beach. She spent hours gazing out of the window, doodling, listening to music and would wax poetic about old days. The dinner menu was the furthest thing from her mind. We were on a regular diet of torai, daal, chawal and roti and on good days, pasandey. It was delicious in the beginning till we all had too much of a good thing and one of us burst out at the dinner table, 'again'?!!


2 lb. beef (flank steak is best, if not available, use skirt steak or brisket cut)
1 med. onion sliced
1 large onion chopped
*21/2 tsp. coriander powder
*21.2 tsp. cumin powder
*1/2 tsp. red chili powder
*1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tbsp poppy seeds (khaskhas)
2 cup yogurt
sea salt to taste
olive oil
1 sprig cilantro (chopped)
2 - 3 green chillies (chopped)
lemon wedges
* The spice measure above are restrained. Feel free to adjust based on personal preferences.


Preparation:
- Roast the spices (coriander, cumin, red chili and garam masala powder) in a dry, preheated pan till the mixture turns fragrant and darkens slightly (2-3 mins). Add to the uncooked meat and mix well.
- In a separate hot pan, drizzle oil till the surface is well-coated (about 2 tbsp.) and add the onion slices (to get even thickness, a mandolin is very useful). Once they start caramelizing and browning, remove from heat and add this mixture to the meat also.
- Finally, add the yogurt, diced onions, poppy seeds and salt. Mix well, allow to rest for a couple of minutes and then refrigerate for 2-3 hrs.


Recipe:
- Drizzle some oil on a preheated pan and add the marinated meat. Mix and allow to steam up on high heat.
- Reduce heat to low and let meat cook covered till tender, about an hour.
- Once tender, uncover and cook further till any liquid that has accumulated evaporates and oil starts separating, 20-30 minutes.
- Serve with chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chilies and lemon


My mother's original recommendation at the end of her recipe was, 'eat with paratha'! I like fragrant basmati rice. Both work, your choice. Bon appetit!