Macrolyun, or macaroni, found a place in the Sindhi culinary universe long before Partition, thanks to the Sindhi men who would travel around the world on business (the Sindhis are primarily a community of traders). Some Sindhis probably picked up the elbow macaroni in Europe or America and the women back home turned it into a delicious curry in the way they knew best. The bland pasta soaks up the flavours of the Sindhi onion-tomato gravy and pairs well with phoolpatasha and potatoes. The dish is made for many religious or celebratory occasions.
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Serves
3
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Cook Time
45m
Ingredients
- ¾ cup phoolpatasha or makhana
- ½ cup macaroni
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 3 onions, finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 2-3 green chillies
- 2 large potatoes
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- Salt to taste
- Water to adjust consistency of gravy
- Few sprigs of coriander
Preparation
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pressure cooker. Add the chopped onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté on medium flame until onions turn light brown.
- Add the tomatoes, chopped green chillies and salt. Cook until tomatoes soften.
- Stir in turmeric and coriander powder. Mix well.
- Pour in a cup of water and shut the pressure cooker.
- After one whistle, lower the flame and let the gravy cook for 5-8 minutes. Turn off the flame.
- Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Smear them with salt and keep aside.
- When the pressure in the cooker subsides, whisk the gravy using a wooden whisk or churner.
- Toss in the potatoes and give it a thorough stir.
- Add another 2 to 3 cups of water and let the curry bubble on medium flame for a while. When the potatoes are half done, tip in the macaroni and makhana. You can dry roast or shallow fry the makhana before adding it to curry.
- Sprinkle in garam masala and chopped coriander leaves. Shut the cooker again and wait for one whistle.
- Lower the flame and let the curry cook under pressure for 2 minutes.
- Serve hot with Bhugha Chaawran, a typical Sindhi style of rice cooked with caramelised onions.