Winter recipes from the Bohra kitchen
The chill of the
winters has set long and deep. The thick woolen clothing is out. It is also time to enjoy and savour all those dishes that winter allows one to indulge in. From hot soups to mouth-watering hot halwas, all the green leafy vegetables to fried and tandoori fares – the winter months are a blessing for the gourmet.
As you gear up to let loose your cooking skills, here are two recipes from the Bohra kitchen to try your hand at.
- Methi ( Fenugreek seeds) halwa
Methi Halwa
The Bohra recipes boast of halwas of all kinds. One of the most unique amongst the long list is Methi Halwa. It is a winter staple in many Bohra households and is cooked as a customary meal that helps you keep warm through the cold winter months. It is a simple halwa that requires very few ingredients but holds promises of a healthy outcome for its consumers.
Ingredients: (serves 4)
- 2 cups fenugreek seeds
- 1 tbsp wheat flour
- 250 gms jaggery
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2 tbsp coconut burra
- Milkmaid to taste
Method:
- Soak the fenugreek seeds overnight
- Pressure cook with little water
- Switch off the gas after three whistles. Once the lid opens, drain off the excess water and keep the cooked fenugreek seeds aside.
- Now heat a pan.
- Add ghee and sauté the wheat flour
- Add jaggery when the flour starts turning a little brown in colour
- Once the jaggery is cooked, add the fenugreek seeds, coconut burra, and milkmaid. If you want to use khoya instead of milkmaid you can use that as well. Milkmaid/khoya is added just for the extra sweetness and taste. It also helps to enhance the colour.
- Let the halwa cook for some time now on low flame with occasional stirring from time to time.
- Taste in between stirring to check
- After about 10-15 minutes, if you feel the halwa is cooked, switch off the gas
- Decorate it with chopped almonds and some raisins.
- Serve hot
- Eggs with hara lasan (lilu lasan)
Eggs with Hara Lahsan
Hara lasan or sprouted leafy garlic is a staple in the Bohra homes during winters. It is relished with a lot of non-vegetarian dishes, especially minced meat. This green leafy delight with the goodness of garlic is believed to give warmth during the cold winter months. It not only stimulates your tastes buds, but the aroma of the recipes prepared using this wonderful leafy garlic is a nasal treat as well. It is also used abundantly with eggs for breakfast.
Here is an easy way to make egg and hara lasan dish that can be made in just about 5-10 minutes, but tastes heavenly and is an ideal for winter breakfast.
Ingredients: (serves 2)
- 2-4 eggs
- 4-5 leafy garlic sprouts, finely chopped
- 3-4 tbsp ghee
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper powder as per individual taste
Method:
- Take a non-stick pan and add 2 tbsp of ghee
- Put the chopped garlic and sauté for a minute
- Crack the eggs on top of the garlic, spreading it evenly all over the pan
- Cook till the edges of the egg whites begin to crisp
- If you don’t like the running yolk and want it to be cooked as well, then add more ghee and let it cook for a while. You can cover the pan with a lid to ensure the yolk is properly cooked
- Remove it from the pan and serve with bajre ki roti
This recipe is best enjoyed when there is plenty of ghee dripping from this sunny side up a plateful of eggs.
Try these recipes this winter and let your taste buds enjoy some altogether unique savoury delight.
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