Mooli Thechwani

No, this is not a sindhi recipe or a sindhi surname :)) it's a super easy and tasty Garhwali dish to mark my beginning of a few favourite recipes of some winter veggies...I have already posted a recipe on Mooli raita earlier (http://sparrow-in-the-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/11/radish-n-walnut-raita.html )...this dish is called by this name as the radish and potatoes in this dish are not cut but 'thechaoed' or crushed/bruised into pieces.Traditionally this is done over a stone mortar and pestle (those heavy ones used by our moms/grand moms) ..My shortcut method is to slice the radish/potato into slices of medium thickness and then bash them around a bit in the mortar and pestle :) The vegetables should look bruised slightly ,don't totally crush them ..best had hot with parathas or even rice . Also the recipe used a seed called jhakiya which even I have not been able to locate in any store here, so use small black rai instead..

Ingredients (serves 4)

2  moolis, thechaoed :)
2 potaotes, thechaoed :)
2 tablespoons oil
pinch of heeng
1 teaspoon jhakiya/rai seeds
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, pureed
1 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
Salt
4 cups water , add more for a thinner gravy
2 tablespoons atta

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the heeng and rai/jhakiya and let the seeds splutter.
2. Add the ginger,green chilli and fry for few seconds.
3. Add the onion and cook till soft.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook till the paste dries up.
5. Add all the masalas and salt and fry for a minute.
6. Add the potatoes and mooli ,and toss for 2-3 minutes with the masala.
7. Dissolve the atta in half a cup of water and add this paste along with remaining water and cover the lid.
7.Place on high flame and after one whistle,reduce to sim. Leave on sim for 7-8 minutes and turn off gas.
8. When steam is released, open the lid and serve hot,garnished with coriander leaves