Gazing at the sand dunes in the Thar Desert of the Marwar region of Rajasthan, I always wonder what dreadful crime the earth must have committed that the lord of the winds had, in a fit of pure rage, scratched all the life and greenery off her and left marks on her soft, golden palms.
This region has no vegetation whatsoever. In spite of this, the cuisine of this region is one of the most colourful and distinctive. Owing to the harsh weather, there is a scarcity of fresh green vegetables, and so people are forced to use dehydrated stalks and beans of various kinds. Papad ki sabzi is a case in point. Made using the famous pappadams of northern India, this recipe transforms the usually crisp pappadams into a moist, spicy (and a little oily) curry. You will not even be able to tell that these are pappadams. Make it at home and keep everyone guessing!
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida powder
1 tsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 cup (commercial urad dal) papad, cut into 2" squares
½ tsp salt or to taste
In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt with spice powders and whisk well. Put oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. When hot, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the spices crackle, remove pan from heat and set aside for 1 minute. Add spiced yogurt and return pan to heat. Reduce heat to low and keep stirring till the mixture starts to simmer. Add papad, ½ cup of water and salt and cook till papad is soft and gravy thickens slightly. Serve hot with bajra roti (p. 206).