Kitchen guide

Traditions of the Thathai Bhatia kitchen

• Vegetarian cooking, traditionally without meat, fish, eggs or gelatine.
• Dishes are made without onion or garlic.
• Masoor dal (red lentils) and rajma (kidney beans) are traditionally not used.
• Food is saatvik: light, fresh and simply spiced, so each ingredient's own taste comes through.
• In many homes, freshly cooked food is first offered to Shrinathji (Bhog Dharanu) and then enjoyed as prasad.

These traditions come from the community's Pushtimarg Vaishnav faith. Kutchi Bhatia cooking is a little different and includes onion and garlic in some dishes.

Flavour without onion and garlic

Vaghar (tempering)

Hing and jeera in hot ghee or oil start almost every savoury dish. Heat the fat until it just smokes, lower the heat, then add the spices. They are ready when they crackle or change colour.

May'r

A thin paste of besan and water gives the lunch curries body: 1 tsp besan to ½ cup water, about 1 tsp besan per person.

Fresh flavours

Green chilli, ginger, plenty of fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.

Sourness

Ambeli (sun-dried raw mango), amchur, kokum flowers, tamarind, curd, tomato or lime, balanced with a little sugar or jaggery.

Whole spices

Cloves, cinnamon and cardamom are used lightly. Garam masala is rare in the old recipes.

One vegetable, four ways

Mitho (sweet), tikho (spicy), taraylo (fried) or khatto (sour).

Signature ingredients

Besan (gram flour), bhey (lotus stem), red rice flour (garay chokay jo atto), and the lo ji kadai, the iron wok.

How a Bhatia meal is served

Lunch (Sakhree)

Traditionally the main meal of the day. Rice (choka) is eaten first, then phulko, roti or puri. A typical lunch is choka, a dar or poath, a vegetable or curry and phulko, with pappad, tuk, pickle or curd alongside.

Dar–Bhaat–Kadi

The best-loved lunch: rice topped with moong, kadi poured over, with pappad and tuk on the side.

Dinner (Raat jo Khado)

Usually lighter: phulko with one or two saags, a dar or light poath, little or no rice, and often something sweet to finish.

Breakfast (Nashto)

Puri, batata, pappad and mirchi; koki with curd, pickle and salted ginger; dar-pakwan with attay jo seero; jallebi with fafria.

Evening nashta

Boondi with besan, bhaat with saagbiri, santa with kachori, mohanthal or mesu with moti channa, and pakoras with dharan ji chutney.

Eating kadi

The curry leaves, kokum flowers and banana peel add flavour and are usually set aside on the plate. Drumsticks are sucked for their soft pulp, and the potato, yam and banana pieces are eaten.

Summer sharbats

Mogray jo sharbat (jasmine), chandan and gulab (sandalwood and rose), and thadai cool the body.

Festival and occasion food

What goes with what

Lunch

• Choka + Kadi + pappad + tuk: Dar–Bhaat–Kadi
• Choka with almost any curry: Besan Saag, Maghamethi, Tuvar ji Poath, Teedali Poath, Tamatay ji Kadi, Osan
• Jeeray Dhaka piya Choka + Teedali Poath + Maghamethi
• Tari + Teedali Poath
• Saaya Choka + Masalay piyo Saag, Pappad Vanghar jo Saag or Vari Vanghar jo Saag
• Amrit Pak + Vari Vanghar jo Saag or Dar Palka
• Ufri Khichadi + Sacho Saag, Dahi ji Kadi or Tamatay Batatay jo Saag
• Naram Khichadi + curd, Osan or Dahi ji Kadi, with Moori Vanghar ja Chakra or Vanghar Batatay ja Salura
• Chiblaro + Boondi vari Dahi or Kela vari Dahi, Tamatay ji Kadi or Dahi ji Kadi
• Sabudhanay ji Khichadi + plain curd, for Igyas

Dinner

• Phulko with a dry or semi-dry saag: Bhay Batatay, Bhindan, Guvar, Methi Vanghar, Vanghar jo Bharto, Salura, Toorain, Tindoraan
• Or a light dar: Dar Palka, Dar Karelo, Chanay ji Tikhi Dar, Dudhi Channay ji Dar
• Charranh or Tamatay ji Kadi with phulko or puri

Breakfast

• Puri + Batata + Pappad + Mirchi
• Koki + curd, pickle, salted ginger and tea, or Sekela Tamata or Khummar
• Dar Pakwan + Attay jo Seero + fried green chillies
• Jallebi + Fafria
• Missi Roti + Sekela Tamata
• Methi ji Roti, Ufrato or Chantaro Tikho + Dharan ji Chutney

Snacks

• Boondi + Besan
• Bhaat + Saagbiri
• Santa + Kachori
• Mohanthal or Mesu + Moti Channa or Besan
• Rabri (chilled) + hot Jallebi
• Besari + Gajari Mirchiyun
• Any fried snack + Dharan ji Chutney and Chutney Mithi

Cooking words

The 13 Bhatia cooking terms from Panja Khada.

Bafaru steaming

Say it: bah-fah-roo · Hindi: bhafna

Cooking by the heat of boiling water without the food touching the water. Used for dhokra, sooji ja dhokra (semolina dhokra) and muthia. The word is used interchangeably with tokaru (boiling) in some cases: for potatoes, chickpeas (channa) and cowpeas (lobiya) Bhatias say bafaru rather than tokaru.

Ek Tar / Bha Tar one-thread / two-thread syrup consistency

Say it: hick-taar / buh-taar · Hindi: ek taar / do taar

Describes how thick the sugar syrup (chasni) is. Nearly all sweets start from the same basic syrup, but each recipe needs its own thickness. To test it, take a little syrup between your index finger and thumb and see how many threads form: the more threads, the thicker the syrup. Ek tar is one thread; bha tar is two.

May'r thickening batter / binding paste

Say it: may-er

A mix of channay jo atto (Bengal gram flour/besan) and water used to give body to curries — chiefly the lunch curries — because Bhatia cooking uses no egg or gelatine. Ratio: 1 tsp gram flour to ½ cup water, giving a watery paste. Rule of thumb: 1 tsp gram flour per person (so 4 tsp for 4 people).

Moar binding / taste-enhancing agent

Say it: mow-urr

Oil or ghee worked into flour when kneading dough, so the finished item is crisp and firm. Usually 1 or 2 spoons per batch.

Sekaru roasting

Say it: say-kuh-roo · Hindi: sekna or bhunnana

Because Bhatia cooking has no meat, roasting is not done in a tandoor as in general Indian cooking; it is done on a tawa (griddle) or directly over a flame. Traditionally it was done straight over charcoal, whose smoke gave the food a distinctive flavour.

Seejairu inverse steaming

Say it: see-jai~ru

Used for low-moisture vegetables — potato, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots. The vegetable goes in a deep pan which is covered with a thali (a plate with a horizontal rim) holding water; heat from the boiling water cooks the vegetable slowly and keeps it from burning.

Taranu frying

Say it: tah-rah-nu · Hindi: talna

General word for shallow frying, deep frying and stir frying. Most Bhatia frying is done in a kadhai, which uses less ghee or oil and whose shape fries larger batches evenly.

Tokaru boiling

Say it: tow-kuh-roo · Hindi: ubalna

Bringing food to the boil. Found in all Bhatia lunch curries: the curry is brought to a boil, then the heat is lowered to medium for the rest of the cooking.

Under boiling water kept ready

Say it: un-dur

In the days of cooking on coal and wood, cooks kept a pot of water boiling to speed up cooking. It is used for rice cooked by the draining method and for curries.

Vagharnu tempering / cooked seasoning

Say it: vah-ghhar-nu · Hindi: tarka

Spices fried in hot oil or ghee: the hot fat extracts and holds the essence, aroma and flavour of herbs and spices. Method cue: heat the oil or ghee to smoking point, then lower the heat; crackling or a colour change shows it is ready. Adds both flavour and visual appeal.

Vaylaroo rolling

Say it: way-luh-roo · Hindi: bhelna

Rolling dough pieces into discs of various sizes.

Vilowrunoo churning

Say it: vee-low-run-nu · Hindi: manthan

Especially manual churning with a mandiro (wooden churner), e.g. churning curd into buttermilk. Largely replaced now by automatic mixers.

Visamaru simmering / finishing on slow heat

Say it: vee-sa-mur-oo · Hindi: dum lagana

Used when a dish is nearly cooked: heat is lowered to a simmer, the kadhai or toap is set on a tawa and covered with a rekabi (lid). In the coal-cooking days, smouldering coal was placed on the lid so heat came evenly from above and below.

Measures

Andaz Apna Apna.

Bhatia kitchens have always run on andaz: a pinch of this and a handful of that. The recipes here use simple measures instead, so a dish turns out the same every time.

• Liquids: measures are filled to the brim.
• Solids: spoons are heaped unless the recipe says “level”.
• Teacups are filled to the brim, for solids too.

Kitchen tools

The traditional utensils, with their Bhatia names.

Chaklo – Velayrn

Board and rolling pin. The chaklo is a flat, circular, raised board of marble or wood; the velayrn is a long, cylindrical rolling pin of wood or stainless steel, with handles or tapered ends. Together they are used to roll dough for the various breads.

Chaku

Knife. General word for knives of every kind.

Charani

Strainer (general word for strainers of any size). Two named kinds: Chai ji charani — tea strainer, set over or in a cup to catch loose tea leaves; Attay ji charani — flour sieve, a fine mesh in a frame with a tall metal rim. Bhatias make breads such as phulko and paratho from scratch, so the dough must be smooth and the flour is passed through this sieve to remove lumps.

Chimto

Horizontal tongs. Iron or stainless-steel tongs with pointed or flared tips; ideal for roasting things like pappad and phulko directly over a flame, and also used to serve rotis.

Hammam – Dasto

Mortar and pestle. Usually brass, iron or stainless steel; used to pound spices. Being replaced in modern kitchens by mixer-grinders.

Jharan

Large perforated frying spoon. General name for a long-handled frying spoon with holes; heavier than a kunch; comes in various sizes and perforation patterns, and the name changes with the perforation shape and the snack — e.g. Besan jo jharan, Fafriyan jo jharan. Used mainly for savouries such as besan (gram-flour sticks/sev), moti channa and fafria.

Kadai

Frying vessel (wok-like). A deep, bowl-shaped pan with two side handles, like a Chinese wok. Traditionally cast iron — called Lo ji kadai by Bhatias — though stainless steel is now more popular. An all-purpose vessel for deep frying, shallow frying, stir-frying and sautéing. Some Bhatia curries, e.g. osan, are cooked in the cast-iron lo ji kadai, which adds iron and darkens the colour of the dish.

Kunch

Perforated metal ladle. A round, perforated metal spoon, lighter than a jharan; used to turn food while frying for even browning and to lift fried items out of the kadai.

Kevai

Long round spoon. Round bowl, long handle, hollow base; used to stir curries and for tempering (vagharnu).

Kharrar

Small mortar and pestle. Boat-shaped, commonly black stone or marble; used to grind small quantities of spices or saffron by hand.

Khurpi

Flat spatula (flat spoon). Iron khurpis were popular earlier, but most Bhatias now use stainless steel. Used to flip or turn items such as parathas and garari.

Mandiro

Wooden churner. The Bhatia counterpart of an egg beater: a long wooden stick with a star-shaped base, used to churn curd. In larger village versions a rope tied to the stick was pulled back and forth by two people. Now replaced by the electric mixer. (Used in vilowrunoo, churning — see Cooking words in this guide.)

Masalay jo Dhabbo

Spice box (box of small bowls). Bhatia dishes use many spices and herbs, not just one or two, so cooks keep the commonly used ones together in a box of small bowls, each with its own tiny spoon; saves opening every spice jar while cooking.

Paat

Flour-mixing basin. Used to mix and knead flour into dough; usually stainless steel, with a flat base and outward-slanting sides.

Pakkar

Tong (vertical tong). In Bhatia the word means "to catch", which describes its job: gripping hot kadais, tawas, toaps and similar vessels.

Parran

Flat colander with a horizontal rim. Used to wash food and to drain food cooked in water; also used for steaming items such as muthias.

Rekabi

Lid. General term for lids of all sizes for pots and pans; mostly stainless steel. (Used in visamaru, simmering.)

Tawa

Iron griddle. Circular, flat or slightly concave, spreads heat evenly from centre to edge; used for roasting breads such as phulko and koki and snacks such as garari.

Toap

Cooking pot. Traditionally brass or copper, now largely stainless steel; various shapes and sizes, with flat or rounded base, straight sides and a horizontal rim.

Handy tips

Green chillies in tempering

When you drop chopped or whole green chillies into the hot fat of a vagharnu (tempering), press them down with the back of a spoon so they don't sputter and burst.

Tamarind

Soak it in warm water to draw out the most extract and get a smoother paste.

Saffron

Roast it very lightly before crushing it into milk or water — it absorbs better and gives better colour.

Thick yogurt

Set the yogurt in an earthen pot for a thick result.

Curd that won't set

Stand its bowl in warm water — it should set in about 15 minutes.

Okra (ladyfingers)

Toss the chopped pieces in 1 tbsp of lemon juice before frying or cooking to stop them turning sticky.

Storing raw rice

Add bay leaves to the raw rice — they keep insects out and make the rice fragrant.

Keeping vegetables green

Sprinkle a little sugar over the vegetables while they cook to hold their green colour.

Indigestion remedy

Put a little lemon juice and a spoonful of ginger juice into a bottle of soda to help relieve indigestion.

Insect-free pantry staples

Roast rawa (semolina) and moong dal on low heat for 10–15 minutes to keep insects out.

Bananas

Wrap banana skins in a wet cloth to stop them turning black while stored.

Soft, fluffy rotis

Knead the flour with hot water.

Fluffy, non-sticky rice

Add 2 drops of lemon juice to the rice while it cooks so the grains stay separate and fluffy.

Keeping produce fresh

Wrap fruits and vegetables in newspaper before putting them in the fridge so they last longer.

Rescuing overripe tomatoes

Dip them in cold water, apply some salt, and leave them overnight — they will be fresh and firm the next day.

Glossary

Bhatia, English and Hindi names for ingredients, from Panja Khada.