I was once invited to my friend’s house warming ceremony. While we waited for the long hours of the Havan to get over , the aroma of exquisite home made food started filling the room .The time had finally come when the lady of the house announced, smiling, that haldi ki subzi was being served with bajre ki roti for lunch . Haldi (Turmeric)! For lunch? I quickly checked if I heard it correct. Indeed I had. Having had a light breakfast and hunger pangs gnawing within me, in no way did haldi (turmeric) and bajre ki roti (Pearl millet roti) sound appetising.
We sat down to dine and platters were placed before us with bajre ki rotis, rolled out skilfully and roasted golden brown, nearly the size of our 9 inch platters. On top of the dry bajra roti came ,with a strong aroma, a big dollop of the golden yellow subzi(vegetable), which I learnt was made of raw turmeric .Sceptically, I bit into it…..it was most delicious. It was difficult getting up from the floor after two double-duty rotis and spoons full of subzi, both items prepared with liberal doses of clarified butter.
The doubtful thought of having haldi wali subzi (turmeric with vegetable) and bajra (pearl millet) roti for lunch turned out to be a finger-licking combination. I couldn’t help but hang around the kitchen to get the recipe of this scrumptious dish.
Ingredients:
- 200 gm Gram flour
- 1 tsp dried coriander powder (roast coriander seeds and powder it)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 tbsp clarified butter*
- 250 gm curd/whey
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- For Garnish 1 tsp fresh, green coriander(cilantro), finely chopped .
Method:
-
- Mix gram flour adding 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder , 1/2 tsp dried coriander powder and clarified butter . .Make stiff dough.
- Roll it out like a long pipe and cut it into 1 inch long pieces (gatte)-around 20.
- Put the pieces in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Keep these gatte aside.
- Strain curd or whip up curd with water and add the remaining half of the spices to it. Mix well. Add the gatte Pieces.
- Heat oil. Add cumin seeds, when it crackles put the curd mixture in it. Cook it for 5-7 min, while stirring continuously tills it comes to a boil. Simmer and cook for another 10 min.
- For garnish, heat 1 tsp of clarified butter and add 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder. Now add this tadka (piping hot garnish) on the gatte subzi .
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. This dish can be served hot with rotis, rice or naans.
*Read instructions for clarified butter in article –‘How to make Clarified butter’.