Fajeto in Gujarati means a ‘mortification/discomfiture/embarrassment/humiliation/awkwardness’, a ‘faux pas/gauche-ness’ or something that ‘leaves one red in the face’; and thereby hangs a pretty tale.

Legend tells us that a family was resting late on a summer afternoon, after a large and sumptuous meal of ‘puris and Aamras’ (Indian fried bread with mango juice and pulp flavoured with condiments.).

Now, at the time of this tale in India, the lady of the house would soften the whole mangoes, and ease the pulp and juice out with her hands through the hole formed by removal of the stem.

This caused the seed and a fair part of the mango pulp to remain within the skin and stuck around seed. This remainder was discarded and fed to the cows in the evening.

So, back to our lady of the tale. While the family snored through its afternoon nap, who should arrive, but a large party of their daughter’s in-laws. Very important, very important guests, indeed! What were the parents to do? It was just past lunch time, so, no food and in the mango season too! It becomes imperative for the family to serve a lunch, mangoes included.

The clever lady washed clean the seeds and skin of the mango in a vessel of water; added some curds to this flavoured water, condiment, spices and voila! A delicious mango curry was born. This was Fajeto. She cooked some Khichri [a quick and easy dish mix of rice and dal boiled with salt and turmeric powder (http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/recipes/khichri/ )] to go with the mango curry and literally, hey presto! One of the most delicious combinations of Parsi-Zoroastrian cuisine was perpetuated –Khichri and Fajeto. To this day, I doubt if there is a better combination of foods.

I could not swear to the authenticity of the tale; but I promise the Fajeto curry is incomparable in taste and texture.

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup pulp of ripe mangoes;

1 Cup curds (may be replaced with plain yogurt where curds not available);

1 tbsp gram flour;

3 green chilies;

10 curry leaves;

1 inch piece of peeled ginger minced;

½ teaspoon turmeric (Haldi) powder;

1 tbsp jaggery;

Salt to taste;

1 tbsp ghee;

2 tsp cumin seeds;

½ tsp mustard seeds;

2 dry Red Chilies;

2 teaspoons chopped coriander leaves.

METHOD:

Mix the curd with 3 cups of water to make a smooth liquid of pouring consistency, Add the gram flour

1 inch piece of peeled ginger minced, ½ teaspoon turmeric (Haldi) powder to this liquid,

Heat on medium fire for about 10 minutes,

Stirring gently but continuously.

Stirring helps to achieve a proper smooth texture ensuring that the curds and water do not separate nor do the curds curdle further because of overheating.

In a separate vessel, heat the ghee,

When hot but not smoking, add the mustard seeds and the cumin seeds,

When the seeds begin to splutter, add the Red chilies, the green chilies and the curry leaves. (Please take care when frying the chilies, these are likely to burst and burn the hands and face. The smartest thing to do is to immediately cover the frying vessel after introducing the chilies in it take the vessel off the fire. The chilies will fry in the hot oil off the stove.)

Pour the curd and water mix slowly into the tempering of the seeds, chili and leaves in ghee.

Equally slowly introduce the mango pulp into the tempered curd mix stirring gently but constantly to ensure a smooth curry.

Sprinkle finely cut fresh coriander leaves,

Stir constantly but gently and further cook the curry on medium to low fire for about 10 minutes. (Please watch out for curdling).

If the curry appears to be curdling, immediately take it off the fire.

DO NO LET THE CURRY BOIL AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECIPE.

Serve as a delicious soup of with Khichri (recipe at http://www.mumbaiblogg.com/food/recipes/khichri/) or with Savoury Dhebras or rice flour chapattis.

BAFAENU—RIPE MANGO PICKLE (Quick and Easy Recipe)

Here is a Quick and easy recipe for Bafaenu, in the event some friends find the earlier recipe too cumbersome and elaborate. However, this Bafaenu may not stay well for as long as the Bafaenu from the first recipe. It would last at the very least for four to six months; though I have known it to stay well for much longer. You may also refrigerate the pickle after the first four, if you so desire.

INGREDIENTS:

25 ripe but firm mangoes about the size of your palm,

2 kg approx (2 Ser) jaggery;

900 gms (1/2 seer) mustard powder, preferably ground at home;

260 gms kilo (1/4 seer) garlic coarse paste;

750ml (1 seer) vinegar, preferably Sugar cane vinegar;

250 ml (1 pav) a *cooking oil of your choice;

60 Gms (5 Tola) salt;

Coarsely ground:

60 Gms (1 chatak) Red Chili powder;

60 Gms (1 chatak) turmeric powder;

METHOD:

Wash the mangoes, towel dry, and boil;

When fully cooked and soft, remove the mangoes from the vessel;

Spread them out to dry;

Mix the mustard in half the quantity of vinegar and whip;

Let the mustard mature in the vinegar;

Once the mustard is mature add the rest of the vinegar and the turmeric powder, and chili powder;

The mangoes should by now be dry, check for any remaining moisture (the slightest moisture will cause fungus to form and ruin the pickle);

Place the mangoes in a jar Of China clay or in a glass jar;

Sprinkle all the jaggery in small bits over the mangoes as you place them in the jar

Pour the vinegar mixture over the mangoes, sprinkle the salt and pour the oil over it;

DO NOT MIX OR STIR IN ANY FORM WHATSOEVER. It is likely to break the mangoes and destroy the pickle;

Close the bottle with an air-tight lid;

Tie a piece of cheese clothes or Muslin cloth on the lid;

For a few days, open the jar Every 2 days and bring the bottom-most mangoes to the top;

Thus evenly marinating and pickling the mangoes;

Then let it rest for a further 15 days to complete the pickling process.

The pickle is now ready to eat.

Please DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HASTEN THE PROCESS by using a stove to cook the mangoes in the vinegar marinade.

This will destroy the vinegar marinade and may even turn bitter.

* Then they used home drawn unrefined peanut oil.

Bafaenu , a Ripe Mango Pickle that will keep for over a year. Ripe Mangoes a great favourite in India are preserved by the Parsi Zoroastrian Community and eaten for  large part of the year , beyond the mango season in India.  This ripe mango preserve, ‘Bafaenu’ as in the recipe below, I have found has a shelf life that extends to the next mango season. If carefully made, handled and stored in a cool dry place, it can last for beyond a year, provided you can control your taste buds. The Bafaenu makes a nice addition to the menus in Boman Mahino, a thirty day period dedicated to Boman Yazad, the energies that produce a good mind and so, protect the environment  and thus, the animal kingdom. the Parsi Zoroastrians of India abstain from all non-vegetarian foods during this period; it coincides with the mango season at present, falling around the month of June each year.

INGREDIENTS:

25 ripe but firm mangoes about the size of your palm,

Preferably Bulsar Alfonsos mangoes;

2 kg approx (2 Ser) jaggery;

900 gms (1/2 seer) mustard powder, preferably ground at home;

260 gms kilo (1/4 seer) garlic coarse paste;

750ml (1 seer) vinegar, preferably Sugar cane vinegar;

250 ml (1 pav) a *cooking oil of your choice;

60 Gms (5 Tola) salt;

Coarsely ground:

60 Gms (1 chatak) Red Chili powder;

60 Gms (1 chatak) turmeric powder;

60 Gms (1 chatak) black pepper;

60 Gms (1 chatak) cumin;

METHOD:

Wash the mangoes;

Towel dry

**Steam the mangoes the mangoes still soft

When fully cooked and soft, remove the mangoes from the steamer;

Spread them out to dry;

In the meantime, mix the mustard in half the quantity of vinegar;

Let the mustard mature in the vinegar;

Once the mustard is mature add the rest of the vinegar and the coarsely ground garlic, black pepper and cumin, turmeric powder, chili powder, and salt;

The mangoes should by now be dry, check for any remaining moisture (the slightest moisture will cause fungus to form and ruin the pickle);

Place the mangoes in a jar Of China clay or in a glass jar;

Break up the Jaggery into small bits and sprinkle all of it as you lay each layer of mangoes in the jar;

Pour the vinegar mixture over the mangoes;

DO NOT MIX OR STIR IN ANY FORM WHATSOEVER that is likely to break the mangoes and destroy the pickle;

Close the bottle with an air- tight lid;

Tie a piece of cheese clothes or Muslin cloth on the lid;

Every 5 days open the jar and bring the bottom-most mangoes to the top;

Thus evenly marinating and pickling the mangoes;

Do this thrice: i.e. 3 times in the next 15 days;

Then let it rest for a further 15 days to complete the pickling process.

At the end of 30ndays, the pickle is now ready to eat.

Please DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HASTEN THE PROCESS by using a stove to cook the mangoes in the vinegar marinade.

This will destroy the vinegar marinade and may even turn bitter.

* Then they used home drawn unrefined peanut oil.

**In the days this recipe was noted down, long before kitchen gadgets were easily available, my granny had once spoken of how my  great-great-Grandma used a laborious process of boiling water in a huge vessel, fitting a sieve of exact size on the boiling vessel, ensuring that the rim of the sieve hooked completely onto the rim of the vessel, then as the  water started to steam and enough steam built up, placed the mangoes in the sieve, while ensuring that one’s hands do not suffer steam-burns while not damaging  the mangoes, also , ensure the boiling water does not rise high enough to wet the sieve (no water must touch the mangoes) then sealing the entire apparatus with a large enough lid.

(Okra and Potatoes, Stir Fried)

Bhindi and potatoes, cooked the Sindhi way is a great favourite of my niece. Sindhi Bhindi was the first vegetarian dish the child ate without a fuss and in fact, asked for more……and that from a Parsi child?!

Niloufer Dadina  successfully tried the Sindhi bhindi Recipe on November 3, 2017. Her Comment: “Tried your Shindhi lady fingers today, YUm……. Send me more”

RECIPE

Serves 2

PREPARATION TIME:  5 minutes

COOKING TIME: 12 minutes

Cooking vessel: Large frying pan.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Large Potatoes (peeled) any firm variety;

500gms. Bhindi (Okra);

2 tablespoons peanut oil or any preferred cooking medium;

¼ teaspoon each of Rai (Mustard seeds), Jeera (Cumin seeds), Methi (Fenugreek seeds);

About 7 curry leaves;

2 green chillies or as per taste;

¼ teaspoons each, Amchur (dry-mango powder) or juice of half a lime

¼ teaspoon Jeera (Cumin);

1/4 teaspoon Salt.

Method:

PLEASE DO NOT USE ANY WATER IN THIS RECEPIE.

1. 1. Dice the potatoes into 0.5 cm x 0.5cm pieces. Place them in a bowl of water so they don’t turn brown.
   2. Cut the okra horizontally into 1

      

      cm pieces. Discard the head and tail.

   3. Pour one tablespoon oil in the frying pan and put on a high flame on the stove to heat.
   4. Drain the potatoes in the meantime.
   5. To check if the oil is heated, hold your palm 10” above the pan. If you can feel the heat at that distance, it is hot enough.
   6. Once the oil is well heated but not yet smoking, put the potatoes in for frying.
   7. Move the diced potatoes round in the pan to be properly coated with oil.
   8. Cover the pan. Let potatoes cook for 1 minute.
   9. After a minute add a pinch of table salt and a pinch of cumin (Jeera) powder.
   10. Reduce heat. Stir the potatoes to coat with this seasoning.
   11. Let it cook in covered pan. You know the potatoes are cooked when they break easily if poked with a spoon.
   12. Remove the potatoes from the pan. Leave the pan on the stove.
   13. Add another tablespoon of oil. Bring once more to a high flame.
   14. Add to the oil: ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds (Rai); ½ teaspoon cumin (Jeera)

       

       seeds; ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek (Methi) seeds; a few Curry Leaves, two or three Green Chilies split lengthwise or adjust as per taste. I normally slit the chilies and discard the rib and seeds from the inside and use only the skin.

   15. When the seeds start to splutter, add the Bhindi (okra).
   16. Sprinkle the Bhindi (okra) with a large pinch of salt.
   17. Fry for two minutes, moving the vegetable around from time to time.
   18. Add the fried potatoes.
   19. Add a large pinch of cumin (Jeera) powder                                               
   20. Stir around to mix the vegetables.
   21. Cover and let cook on a low flame. Normally less than 5 minutes.
   22. Once the Bhindi (okra) is cooked, put the stove off.
   23. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
   24. Sprinkle a large pinch of Amchur (dry-mango powder). If not available, squeeze the juice of ½ a lime on the vegetable.
   25. Your Sindhi Bhindi is ready to eat.

Beetroot salad (Rodbettor Salad) is quick and easy Swedish Salad, an absolutely delicious diet recipe for the first time cooks. Every time I have served it, it has been a resounding success and it so easy to make. There are many variations of this salad (given at the end), BUT this is my favourite.

Goes with everything; especially well with curries, hot spicy food, roasts, fish dishes and cold meat. It is a Great addition to your meal or accompaniment to your sandwich.

Serves: Two persons
Actual salad making time: 5 minutes
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

RADISH

HORSE RADISH

Beetroots 4;

Horse Radish 1 or radish 4;

Lime juice of ½ lime;
Salt to taste;
Pepper to taste;
A pot full of water for boiling.

MAKING THE SALAD:

Julienne the radish (as in the instructions below)

Add salt, pepper and juice of ½ a lime and mix

Dice the boiled beetroot (instructions for boiling, below)

Mix the diced beetroot and julienned radish in a bowl.

Cover the bowl and chill. Serve.

HOW TO COOK THE BEETROOT AND PREPARE RADISH:

1. Take 5 moderate size beetroots. Avoid very large ones as they could be fibrous and thus spoil your dish and are hard to cook.

2. Cut off the stalks and leaves, if any. Leave the skin on.

3. Put the beetroot in a large boiling pot; fill with enough water to stand an inch or two above the beetroot. Add a pinch of sugar or 1//2 tea spoon of jagary or any other natural sugar. Place the pot on a high flame to boil. (If you have an electric steamer, steam the beetroot. It tastes a 100 times better).

4. In the mean time, scrape the upper surface of the radish to clean it.

5. Then halve it round the middle. Further, Cut the two halves length wise. You now have 4 pieces. Cut all four into thin strips (juliennes), as fine as possible.

6. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime on it, add a sprinkling of a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, mix and leave aside.

7. Now, check to see if the beetroot is done. To check whether the beetroot is fully cooked, poke the beetroot with a knife. The knife must easily slide all the way in without having to force it at any stage.

8. Once the beetroot is well cooked, remove the pot from the flame. Spoon out the beetroot and let it cool.

9. Once cool, peel the beetroot and dice then bright red flesh into your salad bowl.

10. Taste the radish you had put aside. Adjust seasoning (Taste for salt n pepper)

11. Add the radish juliennes to the diced beetroot.

12. Mix, chill and serve.

ALTERNATE RECIPES:

You can replace:

The boiled and diced beetroot by pickled beetroot. This is acceptable all over Europe. In this case eliminate the lime juice from the above recipe as the pickled beetroot is sour enough;
Or
The radish with red onions;
Or
Lime juice with your favourite vinegar;

OR
Dress the salad with one table spoon each of crème fraiche and mayonnaise or to your taste;

OR
You can add:
Or
Green apples to the salad; again reduce or eliminate the lime juice. The apples are tart;
Or
Pickled gherkins and dill; again eliminate the lime juice;
Or
A spoon of Dijon Mustard, (remember it is sour) chopped chives and dill.