Allo Bukharay ki Chutney - Pakistani Style Plum Sauce

Pakistani summer brings such amazing variety of fruits to the table. In old times without freezers and refrigerators readily available in homes, grannies made chunteys and preservatives out of seasonal fruits to allow the families to enjoy these fruits long after their season was gone. 

Reading allo bukhara chutney post by a fellow blogger come - con - ella made me look for my mother-in-laws recipe of making this particular chutney and allo bokharay aur imli ka sherbat (Plum & Tamarind Drink) at home. I will share the drink's recipe at some other point in time. I was able to try MIL's version of plum chutney which turned out to be worth making again in large quantity to consume and distribute as a culinary gift.

Allo Bukhara Chutney is a perfect condiment that can be served with a meal or with your afternoon tea time pakoray and samosay. Once you have made this at home, you will never buy that bottle of ready made chutney. This can be made in large quantities and stored in sealed bottles in fridge for atleast 2 months. 

Ingredients

Fresh Plums - 1 kilo

Brown Sugar - 1/3 cup

White Sugar - 1/3 cup

Crushed Red Chilies- 1 tsp 

Roasted Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Roasted Char -e -Maghaz( Dried Melon seeds) - 1/4 cup

Salt - 1 tsp (adjust to taste)

Water - 1 cup

Method

1. Boil a large pot of water. As soon as the water boils add washed plums to it. Time for 3 minutes and drain plums in a colander.
2. Once the water drains, put a pan under the colander as the plums will start releasing its juices. Ensure that you save all of it.
3. Peel the plums and put them in a cooking pan with all the juices.
4. Add all ingredients to the plums except roasted Char e Maghaz/Melon seeds.
5. Cook till plums break down completely (About 25-35 mins on medium heat) and the mixture becomes a thick syrup that covers the back of your cooking spoon.
6. Let it cool for 15 mins and add the Char e Maghaz and mix. 
7. Once cooled completely, the chutney can be saved in sealed jars or sealed plastic containers and put in fridge for extending its life.

Pakistani Style Vegetable Pickle - Achaar

Before the arrival of mass produced - ready to use jams, pickles and chutneys, everything was prepared at home. In early eighties, my Nani- maternal grandmother prepared achaar - pickle, murabbay and Chutneys at home ritualistically. These homemade products were consumed around the year and the friends and family also had their share in the prized produce. This activity would take place during summer holidays when tons of extended family would be over.

Nani, her sister and sisters in law and other lady cousins visiting her, would divide the work of cleaning and chopping up tons of vegetables along with cleaning, roasting and grinding of sack load of the spices. Rock salt was bought and crushed at home in a gigantic brass pestle mortar called hammam dasta. Dried Haldi rhizomes/roots were crushed to make powder at home. Large Martabans – Clay pots were bought and seasoned for the pickling process. Fresh Mustard oil was ordered from nani’s trusted Teli – the Oil maker. Mustard oil was prepared for use on an outdoor wood fire stove.

Pickling involved tons of work and working together allowed these ladies to bond and share their issues, stories and happy moments. During these moments Nani would find out the domestic issues and offer help, advice and intervention if needed. Nani being the oldest daughter in law kept her own and her husband’s family together which was a rare trait of hers.

This year I decided to make nani’s traditional pickle at home which was my first attempt of pickling. I had help from my cook hence the process was smooth. My produce also has share for my mother in law and aunts who are anxiously waiting for it to get ready. I hope I can continue to do this every year. To me this activity is therapeutic and my own way of connecting to a woman I loved and didn't get the chance to know alot.  

Ingredients:

Lemons – 12 (Quartered – remove the seeds)

Fresh Green Chilies – 20 long (make a lengthwise slit)

Carrots – 4 Medium. (Cut like match sticks but thicker in size)

Green Mango – 6 – Cut in chunks

Fresh Curry Leaves - 24

Garlic – 2 bulbs (Peeled)

Mustard Oil – 6-7 Cups

Spices:

Fennel seeds /Saunf– 2 Tsp – heaped

Nigella seeds/ Kalonji – 3 tsp – heaped

Mustard Seeds / Rai Dana– 3 tsp – heaped

Fenugreek Seeds /Methi Dana – 3 tsp – heaped

Crushed red chilies – 3 tsp – heaped

Turmeric/ Haldi – 1 tsp

Salt – 10 tsp – Heaped

Prepare the Mustard oil

Pour the Mustard Oil in a deep sauce pan. Put 3 cloves of garlic with skin in the cold oil. Boil the oil at high heat for 15 mins. This is done to eliminate the natural bitterness and dense smell of the mustard oil. Ensure that the kitchen is well ventilated as you boil the oil. It will release tons of smoke and unpleasant smell so be prepared. It’s a good idea to exit the kitchen as it boils and come in to switch off the stove. Light some extra candles in the kitchen as you undertake this activity. I would not suggest doing this if you live in a flat with open plan kitchen as the house will smell of oil for days.

Cool the oil. Put aside.

Prepare the vegetables

Cut all the vegetables as instructed.

Mix all the spices and spread evenly over the vegetables. Use a glazed clay dish or High grade plastic utensil for this activity. Grannies advise not to use any metal utensil in pickle making as the acid from the lemon can corrode the metal leading to pickle going black and bad in days ahead. I have used clay pots and a wooden spoon to do the mixing.

The spiced vegetables need to be put in sun for about 2-3 days till their water dries up.

On the third day, add the vegetables to the big claypot /martabaan and pour the cold mustard oil over the vegetables till everything is completely submerged in the oil.

The pickle is required to be put in sun daily for about 10-15 days in summer and 15-20 days in winter before the vegetables become soft and ready for consumption. Mix the pickle daily with a dry wooden spoon. 

Everyone has their own favorite things to eat with this condiment. I enjoy this with Daal Chawal - Curried Lentil and boiled rice. Happy Pickling! 

This is how the final product looks after 15 days of sun bathing.

Remembering Anwer Sultana: Baisani Roti with soy and Afghani Chutney

Chickpea flour flat bread with Dill

Dill – also called soy in Urdu always reminds me of Anwer Sultana – My nani – maternal grandmother. Couple of decades ago during winter vacations, all of us cousins would come down to Rawalpindi to spend winter break with our grandparents. Nani had a huge herb and vegetable garden at the back of the house. The garden had one particular herb every winter – soy/dill. The shrub always grew taller than me, an 8 year old back then making me disappear in the dill patch while trying to catch ladybirds. They too loved the perfumed dill as much as I did.

Nani loved getting Baisani roti made at the tandoor situated close by. She would supervise and instruct our cook named Rasheed aka Sheeda as how to make the dough. It always had plenty of fresh dill from her garden. Once the dough was prepared, sheeda would take it to the nearest wood fired tandoor and get the baisani roti made. The tandoor wala knew how begum sahiba liked the rotis. We kids loved having it with home churned butter while soaking the winter sun followed by a kino eating marathon.

January marks the death anniversary of Anwer Sultana who now rests at Emanabad, a small city situated 30 kms from Lahore. I found myself strolling down the memory lane catching ladybirds while buying some dill at the local vegetable shop last week. I have not known a woman as kind and as beautiful as Anwer Sultana. I do wish she was still alive so we could have the conversations we never had a chance to have! Now they only happen in my head!

This baisini roti with Afghani chutney can easily replace your doritos and salsa any given afternoon!

Ingredients:

Chickpea flour: 1 cup

Whole wheat flour: ½ cup

Butter: 50 grams (melted)

Fresh Dill – Handful chopped

Fresh Coriander – handful chopped

Crushed Red chilies – ½ tsp

Green Chili – 1 thinly chopped.

Roasted Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp lightly crushed

Roasted Coriander Seeds – 1 tsp crushed

Water – for kneading

Needs a Food Processor & a Griddle

Method:

1. Add everything except the water in the food processor. Pulse it for 10 seconds.
2. Now switch on the machine and slowly add ¼ cup of water till everything comes together and forms dough.
3. Take the dough out and knead it for 2-3 mins. Put it in a bowl with a tbsp. of oil on it. Cover and let it sit for 30 mins.
4. Now make small balls of dough, roll them out and cook them on hot griddle on both sides.
5. Remove, cut in triangles and serve hot with Salsa or chutney.

Ingredients for Afghani Chutney

Mint – 1 cup

Fresh Coriander leaves – 2 cups –chopped

Garlic – 2 cloves

Tomato – 1 large (Try finding a green one)

Fresh Green chilies – 4

Juice of 4-5 Lemons – medium sized

White Vinegar – ¼ cup

Salt – to taste

Method:

Add all the ingredients in a liquidizer and make a smooth paste. In case more liquid is needed increase the amount of vinegar.

Anwer Sultana