Zaiqa

My love for Kulfa ki bhaji is beyond words. I adore the earthy taste of this succulent green leafy vegetable that is also a weed and rich in omega-3-fats and vitamins. It has thick and spongy leaves, and reddish stems, both of which are edible.

Names of this green leafy vegetable in other languages:

Portulaca Oleracea L. (Purtulacaceae)
English: Purslane, Garden purslane, Pigweed, Hogweed
Hindi: Khulpha, Khursa,
Bengali: Lunia, Bara Lunia
Maharashtrian: Ghol
Tamil: Pachiri
Gujarati: Luni bhaji
Telugu: Gangapaayala, Peddapaayala, Payala kura, Peddapaavila aaku koora, Goli Kura
Kannada: Doddagoni Soppu
Arabic: Ba’le, Bakli, Farfhin, Arnuba, Bighal, Barabra (Maghrib), Rijl, Rujila, Al-hamqa, Al-baqla, Badalqa, Kharqa
Armenian: Perper
Urdu: Kulfa ki bhaji
Greek: Glystiritha, Andrakln
Italian: Portulaca, Porcellana, Perchjazza (Bari, Apulia)
Spanish: Verdolaga
French: Pourpier potager
Turkish: Semizotu, Temizlik (Aksaray Province)

source: Wikipedia Commons

I was in Saudi Arabia the last month to visit the two holy mosques of Makkah and Madinah alhamdulillah, which must explain my absense from the blogosphere. To my surprise,I discovered Jeddah has become a mini version of Hyderabad. There are meat markets there that sell fresh Lamb meat from Hyderabad, lambs are I suppose shipped from Hyderabad/India/Pakistan and then slaughtered in Jeddah. And many restaurants that specialize in Hyderabadi food. I was amazed but equally happy. Also the fruit and vegetable market of Jeddah also called as the Halaqa is the biggest I have ever seen with so much variety of fresh produce that Jeddah is a foodies paradise for sure. (Susie’s Jeddah Vegetable and Fruit Market Album)

source: Wikipedia Commons

At the Halaqa there, I bought and alhamdulillah enjoyed many fresh fruits and vegetables which are otherwise not that easily available here in Toronto. The following is my mother in laws recipe. Succulent purslane leaves are cooked along with meat and the resulting dish is simply superb.

Kulfa Gosht – Chunks of Lamb in a succulent and spicy Purslane leaves mash

Ingredients:

Canola oil – 3 tbsp
Onion – 2, small, sliced
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Tomato – 2, small, diced
Red chilli powder – 2 1/2 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Lamb meat with bone – 650 gms
Green chillies – 4-6, chopped
Kulfa ki bhaji/Purslane plants – 4 big bunches

Kulfa Gosht – Chunks of Lamb in a succulent and spicy Purslane leaves mash

Method:

1. Chop off and discard the roots, tough stem ends and any yellow flowers of the purslane plant. Use the tender stalks as well as the leaves and chop them roughly.
2. In a pressure cooker at medium high heat, pour oil as soon as it warms up and add the sliced onion and fry until lightly browned. Add ginger garlic paste and fry along for a minute. Add red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder and diced tomatoes. Mix well. Add the meat and green chillies and stir to mix. Let cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add water to cover the meat and also add the chopped purslane leaves. Cover with the lid and pressure cook until the meat is tender. Uncover and let it cook for a while. Serve along with warm parathas.

Luv,
Mona

Its a wonderful day today in Hyderabad. The weather is the coolest it has ever been since I landed here, and my jet lag seems to be fading away gradually. So, I thought this morning as the perfect opportunity to visit the wholesale market in Hyderabad at Gudimalkapur, and indeed the visit was totally worth it. The market was a frenzy, but a treat my sore eyes. There were huge piles of fresh greens, seafood, vegetables and fruits, flowers and I bought all that I could at very reasonable prices.

Kulfa ki bhaji ~Purslane

To start with I chose Kulfa ki bhaji (in Urdu language), (Purslane in English) that I bought to cook and satisfy my long patience. It had been more than 3 long years since I had tasted Kulfa ki bhaji and many other such basic fresh vegetables and fruits available here in Hyderabad. Purslane is a succulent with thick leaves and reddish stems and a crisp citrusy taste.

Today my Ammi prepared Kulfa ki Katli, a dal preparation cooked along with Kulfa ki bhaji, tomatoes, tamarind and other aromatic spices. Aloo Methi and Khushka were accompaniments to this humble dal concoction and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

Kulfa ki Katli – Purslane simmered in Aromatic and Tangy Dhal

Ingredients:

Thick Tamarind concentrate – 1/4 cup
Kulfa ki bhaji/Purslane – washed and drained, tender leaves and stems chopped fine, roots discarded ~ around 3 cups, loosely packed
Tuvar ki dal – 1 cup, washed in several changes of water and drained
Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Tomato – 1, medium sized, roughly chopped
For Baghaar:
Canola oil – 4 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
Dried red chillies – 2, each split into two
Garlic pods – 2, finely chopped
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add the washed dal, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, tomatoes, salt and curry leaves. Add about 4 cups water and pressure cook until the dal is mushy. Once done, mash the dal with a dal ghotni, or blend it until smooth. Add the chopped purslane and gently mash just a little bit. Add tamarind and pour in more water to adjust the consistency. Let it cook on medium high flame. Meanwhile prepare baghaar, add oil to a small frying pan at medium high heat. As soon as it is hot, add the baghaar ingredients and let them splutter for just a few seconds. Immediately pour this baghaar hissing into the cooking dal. Let the dal cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Serve warm along with rice and a curry of your choice.

I have never been able to find this green leafy vegetable/herb in Toronto. If anyone of you living in Toronto has been able to spot Purslane at grocery stores, please let me know. Also, if anyone is willing to trade seeds with me, I am more than happy. Please contact me if interested.

Note: If Purslane is unavailable you can try this recipe with any of your favorite greens. I have tried this dal using baby bok choy and spinach.

Luv,
Mona