Dhan Dar Patio

This is a traditional Parsi Dish cooked on special occasions like Birthdays and Sunday afternoons :)

On the Ashram everyday is a special occasion, so while i was typing this out in the night for the blog, my mouth was watering and so we had it for lunch today... photos attached! :)

Dhan=Rice



That's very simple: Take as many handfuls of rice as there are people to eat. Bung them in a cooker, add water so it covers the rice by about half an inch. Add a tablespoon of ghee (you can add less if you want), add salt to taste, add 2 bay leaves, 2-3 cloves and 1-2 cardamon(crushed)... cook for 3-4 whistles and then simmer for a few minutes. Wait until the cooker has cooled down before opening it.

Dar:


5 Handfuls of Tuvar Dal (the usual yellow dal we use to make... well, dal) will be enough for about 6 people. Wash the dal 3-4 times. Preferably soak it overnight or at least for 3-4 hours. Put in a cooker, add water so it covers the dal by about half an inch (more if you want the dal thin), add salt to taste and some ghee (the more of ghee, the more richer the dal). Cook for 3-4 whistles and simmer for 10ish minutes. Wait until the cooker cools down before opening it.

In a tadka vessel, add some ghee and heat it. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and a pinch of hing... let it crackle for a few seconds and add to the dal. Whirrrrrr the dal with a hand mixie to get a nice silky smooth consistency.

Patio:

Pronounced PA (of PAttern) T (for tea) EO

Chop up 12 medium sized tomatoes. Par boil (meaning almost cooked) some green peas and diced carrots (2-3 should be enough). If you are using frozen peas, use a small packet and simply put them in water for a little while. Also chop 2 small brinjals into cubes. Chop a small bunch of spinach and methi (fenugreek if i am not mistaken) leaves as well. Desiccate some coconut, about a big generous handful.

Heat up some ghee or oil in a big saucepan. Add 2 slit green chillies, 12-15 curry leaves, 4 cloves of garlic which are either chopped finely or crushed and cook till garlic has turned golden brown. Add the desiccated coconut to this and cook until golden brown. Next add a tablespoon of garam masala, 2 tablespoons of dhania jeera, a pinch of red chilly powder (more if you want it spicier), a pinch of haldi (turmeric) powder. Cook the masalas properly. Add the carrots and the brinjals and cook well. Add the tomatoes and cook away until completely done. Next add the spinach and methi and cook till the mixture has thickened a bit. Finally add the green peas.



Chop up some fresh corriander leaves and garnish the patio before serving. BTW, in my patio, there is no green chillies or chilly powder and it tastes fantastic!

For eating: in a plate, put the cooked white rice and spread it a bit. Next add the yellow dal onto the rice. Parsis will add so much dal that the rice cannot be seen at all :). Then add the red patio onto the dal. The quantity depends on how spicy you have made the patio and how spicy you like your food... Add a dollop of butter in the middle of the whole thing.

Usually something fried (like a cutlet) along with this goes down really well... In the photo there is soya fillet fried to perfection, the lime is for the fillets, and looks nice in the photo :)