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Photo: Natasha Amar
Active Time:35 minsTotal Time:45 minsServings:4Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:35 minsTotal Time:45 minsServings:4
Active Time:35 mins
Active Time:
35 mins
Total Time:45 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:4
Servings:
4
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
I Didn’t Know How to Tell My Father I Loved Him. So I Learnt to Make Sai Bhaji
Ask any Indian Sindhi and they’ll tell you that sai bhaji (which translates to “green vegetable” in the Sindhi language), a hearty spinach and legume dish that’s usually served with rice, is straight-up nostalgia and comfort in a bowl. They might even admit what nearly every Sindhi truly believes in their heart: that the best sai bhaji in the world is the one their mother makes.
I believed this too. Then one day, my mother, who was great at everything from financial planning to rustling up three-course meals from leftovers, passed away without warning, taking her sai bhaji recipe along to the heavens.
At that point in our lives, we didn’t know each other well.
When my mom died, of course, I didn’t know how to tell this newly widowed man that I loved him, just as he didn’t know how to tell his 18-year-old daughter, now on the cusp of adulthood, that he loved her.
So after her last rites, when all the guests had left and it was just the two of us and a heavy, awkward silence in the house, I found myself resorting to my mother’s love language to show him I cared: I set about cooking him a meal. Instinctively, I decided it had to be sai bhaji.
As a child, I’d watched her cook sai bhaji often, my legs dangling from the countertop where I sat chatting about my day at school while she chopped vegetables. Sometimes she’d assign me easy tasks like rinsing the spinach. “Make sure you wash it again and again to remove all the dirt,” she’d say.
The main ingredients of sai bhaji remain the same—spinach, dill leaves, chana dal (split chickpeas), onions, tomatoes and spices—but rarely will two family recipes for sai bhaji ever taste alike. The secret, very often, lies in the vakhar, a term that refers to the mix of vegetables added to the dish—usually some combination of potatoes, carrots, eggplant, okra and haricots verts.
A lot can also change according to the ratio of spices and condiments; some people like their sai bhaji with a strong garlicky flavor while others might cut back on the spices to highlight the taste of the spinach. Then there are the differences in preferred consistency, depending on whether you intend to serve it with rice, with roti or on its own.
That evening, I needed the cooking to be quick and simple. I had never cooked an Indian main dish before. I drew on my memories and followed the steps in what seemed like the most logical order. I alternated between tasting and adding more spices and hoped that I’d end up with at least a half-decent meal. Since I was convinced she was still around watching over us, it felt like if I failed, I’d disappoint her.
What I was really saying is, “I love you, Papa. We’ll get through this.”
Natasha Amar
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients2tablespoonscanola oil2medium onions, finely chopped2teaspoonsginger garlic paste (see Tip)1green bird’s-eye chileorgreen Thai chile, finely chopped½teaspoonground coriander½teaspoonground cumin½teaspoonground turmeric2largetomatoes, finely chopped1small potato, diced (1/2-inch)1medium carrot, diced (1/2-inch)½cupchana dal (split chickpeasorBengal gram), soaked for 4 to 8 hours1bunchfresh spinach, chopped¼cupfresh dill leaves, chopped½teaspoonsalt3cupswater, divided
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
2tablespoonscanola oil
2medium onions, finely chopped
2teaspoonsginger garlic paste (see Tip)
1green bird’s-eye chileorgreen Thai chile, finely chopped
½teaspoonground coriander
½teaspoonground cumin
½teaspoonground turmeric
2largetomatoes, finely chopped
1small potato, diced (1/2-inch)
1medium carrot, diced (1/2-inch)
½cupchana dal (split chickpeasorBengal gram), soaked for 4 to 8 hours
1bunchfresh spinach, chopped
¼cupfresh dill leaves, chopped
½teaspoonsalt
3cupswater, divided
Directions
Heat oil in a 6-quart electric pressure cooker on Sauté mode for 1 minute. Add onions and ginger garlic paste; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add chile, coriander, cumin and turmeric; stir until well combined. Add tomatoes, potato and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
Rinse and drain chana dal. Add to the pressure cooker along with spinach, dill, salt and 2 cups water. Close and lock the lid. Cook on High pressure for 10 minutes. Turn off the cooker and let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then carefully release the remaining pressure manually.
Add the remaining 1 cup water. Puree the sai bhaji with an immersion blender or in a regular blender until chunky-smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Simmer over low heat until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
To make aheadSoak chana dal 4 to 8 hours ahead. Refrigerate sai bhaji for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
To make ahead
Soak chana dal 4 to 8 hours ahead. Refrigerate sai bhaji for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Equipment6-qt. electric pressure cooker
Equipment
6-qt. electric pressure cooker
Tip
EatingWell.com, June 2022
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)248Calories9gFat34gCarbs9gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
