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I tasted this recipe for the first time after I got married. It was my first Sheetla Ashtami after the festival of Holi. This dish was prepared in the evening, and after the pooja the next day, we all had it with puris. I was truly astonished by its taste. I had seen these ingredients earlier but never realised that such a delicacy could be made from things that grow effortlessly in the desert. I have always had an inclination towards learning and cooking. Later, my daughter also became fond of Bikaneri food. Over time, it became my favourite recipe. Even my colleagues are very fond of my kair sangri, methi dana with aloo, aloe vera with kishmish, and papad ki sabji.
Rajwada-Style Kair Sangri Panchkuta
Ingredients
Kair (Capparis decidua), sangri, kachri, sabut amchur, sabut Marwari mirch, Bhey, onion and garlic (optional), babool ke beej or kumoth, curds, haldi, mirchi, dhania powder, kaju, kishmish, and mustard oil.
Method: Soak kair, sangri, kachri, and all the dry ingredients for 4-5 hours, then wash them several times to remove any dirt. Heat mustard oil in a thick-bottomed pan until it starts to smoke. Add onion and garlic (optional) and sauté until the colour changes. Stir in cashews and kishmish. In a bowl, mix curds with red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, and salt, then add this masala to the sautéed onion and cook until the oil separates. Add the soaked kair and sangri to the pan, stir well, cover briefly, and stir again. Your special Rajwada-style kair sangri is ready. Serve hot with poori or missi roti.
My Food Story is a collection of stories and recipes that celebrate India’s traditional plant-based ingredients sourced from local biodiversity. You can see these recipes on our interactive dashboard (https://www.cseindia.org/page/myfoodstory).
Sunita Yadav is a teacher from Rajasthan