A RAMCHANDANI SPECIAL: SUBRU UNCLE'S TRADITIONAL SINDHI CURRY MO

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes in plenty of water until tender, drain and keep aside.
• In the meantime, heat oil in a pot.
• Add fenugreek (methi) seeds and allow it to crackle.
• Once it stops crackling and turns lightly golden brown, add cumin seeds and allow to crackle.
• Once it stops crackling, add 10-15 fresh curry leaves, green chillies and ginger.
• Mix well and stir-fry until the raw smell of ginger is gone.
• This takes about 5 minutes.
• Then add gramflour and stir-fry it for 20 minutes, mixing it continuously, on low flame, until it is no longer raw taste-wise.
• (Note: Use 5 tsps. heaped of gramflour).
• Add the remaining 10 fresh curry leaves alongwith asafoetida powder.
• Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes on high flame.
• Stir in water, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
• Add tomatoes, yam and flat Indian beans (guavar).
• Bring to a boil.
• Lower flame, add 4 tsps.
• of salt and mix well.
• Allow the curry to come to a boil twice (two times) again.
• In the meantime, soak the ladyfinger with 1 tsp.
• of salt in 1 cup of tamarind water (see the following steps to know how to make it).
• Bring this to a boil.
• This step is done so as to ensure that the ladyfinger will not break while cooking in the curry.
• (This is a special tip passed on to me from Subru uncle!).
• Add all the chopped vegetables now alongwith the ladyfinger mixture (add the water as well in which you boiled the ladyfinger), mix well and boil for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, soak about 3 inches of tamarind in 1 cup of hot water and squeeze out the pulp from the tamarind as nicely as you can.
• Measure out 1 cup of this pulp.
• This pulp is what I call'tamarind water'.
• Note that the consistency of this tamarind water should be such that it consists more of tamarind and less of water.
• Now add this tamarind water to the curry.
• Boil for 30 minutes.
• Remove from flame, garnish with corriander leaves and serve hot with cooked long-grain Basmati rice and/or low-fat plain yogurt for a complete meal in Asian-Indian curry and veggie food heaven!
• Please note: When we prepare this curry at home (every Friday for lunch this is a staple in my home!), we do not use carrots and white pumpkin, that's why I have mentioned these as optional ingredients.
• You can use them if you wish to.
• ENJOY!