From Greeks to Persians to Iranians, Sindh has attracted many conquerors and migrants since time immemorial. Did you know, archeologists have found traces of villages located in Sindh from 7000 B.C. The word Sindh is actually derived from the Sindhu River (Indus river), the most prominent river of the area. Alexander’s army referred to Sindhu river as Indos, and this is how the modern name Indus came into being, and the ultra-advanced civilization around it, got acclaim as the Indus Valley civilization in modern textbooks. Everything to the right of the Indus River was called ‘Hindu’ by groups marching from West, especially the Iranis, and thus the name ‘Hindustan’ gained currency. And even though, Sindh has been a part of Pakistan since the year 1947, there are plenty of Sindhis in India who, with their recipes are knowingly and unknowingly keeping their culture alive.
Sindhi Kadhi, Koki Roti, Dal Tuk are some of the famous Sindhi recipes that can make us drool by their mere mention, but have you ever tried the Sindi Dal Toast or the Sindhi Sandwich? The Sindhi love for dal, or lentils is no strange fiction, but pairing it with toast, is surely something. And the ‘dal’ of this dal toast is not any ordinary dal, it is Moong Dal prepared with heaps of masalas, onions, tamarind and mint chutney. It is hot, spicy, juicy and all things eclectic, just what you expect from a typical ‘Sindhi Rasoi’. The toast is an ideal breakfast or brunch option when you are looking for something simple yet memorable. Without further a do, let’s get started with the recipe.
- 1 cup of moong dal
- 2 slices of bread
- 1 large-sized potato (boiled)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp coriander leaves
- Half cup of chopped onion
- 2 tbsp tomatoes (chopped)
- Pinch of chaat masala
- Pinch of red chilli powder
- 1 cup of sev
- 1 Tsp tamarind chutney
- 1 tsp Dahaniya-Pudina chutney
- Salt to taste
Method
1. Soak moong dal for an hour. Once soaked, pressure dal with salt and turmeric powder until soft.
2. Mash boiled potatoes, mix with salt, red chilli powder, chaat masala.
3. Fill the mashed potato masala between the slices of bread and grill or toast them.
4. Take the dal out and temper it with regular ghee and cumin seeds tadka.
5. Pour the dal on the sandwich and top it with the chutneys, sev, coriander leaves, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes and chaat masala.
6. Serve hot.
Doesn't that sound like a cakewalk, Sindhi Dal toast is popular street food in Maharashtra, Think you can recreate the street-style magic at home? Well, you do have an easy recipe, so no excuses are good enough. Try it out soon and let us know how you liked it.