Iftaari
Iftari. The time we absolutely love.
My childhood iftaris seemed to be pretty simple. A few samosas, rooh afza sharbat, followed by dinner. As we started to move our iftaris also evolved. The menu bloomed while in Lahore. The food available in Lahore is just awesome. My father used to buy dahi baras and fruit chaat. They were just amazing!
It was there that I learnt how to make my first fruit chaat (we Sindhis usually donot make fruit chaats ). My class fellow taught me how to. I made it with lemon juice and put in a little too much. I still remember the too tangy taste of it!
My childhood iftaris seemed to be pretty simple. A few samosas, rooh afza sharbat, followed by dinner. As we started to move our iftaris also evolved. The menu bloomed while in Lahore. The food available in Lahore is just awesome. My father used to buy dahi baras and fruit chaat. They were just amazing!
Chaating away!
It was there that I learnt how to make my first fruit chaat (we Sindhis usually donot make fruit chaats ). My class fellow taught me how to. I made it with lemon juice and put in a little too much. I still remember the too tangy taste of it!
The latest modified one that is now made by Chef Zarka is with Tang (in the absence of oranges). Add in any fruit available (and yes mangoes taste exotic in it), some tang, a dash of water, salt, pepper, some sugar, mix, and hand it over to the refrigerator an hour earlier so that the taste all blends in.
Pakoras
Rarely made at home nowadays (too oily you know). Its not that I dont love them anymore. They are like all time favourite. Mix vegetable pakoras, dip pakoras, chinese pakoras (with cabbage, soya sauce, pepper, chinese salt and of course besan--- just fry. Amazing amazing...).
Youtube ki kahani
Just to add a new touch to the usual iftaaris, I surfed through youtube and learnt this fantastic new recipe. Post call but very enthusiastic, I started making the katchoris. The recipe said that grind moong daal put in pan, add tablespoon of oil, lots of dry masalas and just stir fry. To start of with, it seemed a little odd. The daal will remain hard I thought. But no it was on youtube. Couldn't be wrong. I made the flour dough,, made little rotis, filled in the filling, made it into a ball and then flattened it into a small roti again. As I fried it, it looked so scrumptuous.
I displayed them on the dinning table, admiring the beauties all the way. My father took one, I followed suit. I took a bite, the topping was perfect, but the filling. It was like mud (and I am not joking). I was upset, clearly upset. Looked at my father, and he smiled away, "its ok".
Lesson learnt. daal needs some water to be cooked.
As I type this its 9 am, hours away from iftari.............
