benazir's blog

Panj Pharon Tarkali

I have a very easy recipe for you and guess what is even more amazing that you can use 3 types of vegetables of your choice for this dish. Tarkali means vegetable in Urdu and a curry of any type in Hindko which means also if the dish was not a non veg dish is still is called tarkali to a Peshaweri person. Peshaweri people are native to Peshawar area in Pakistan and their language is Hindko but they can speak Pashto too because they are around lots of Pathan people. My mother in law as I mentioned in an earlier post was Pathan from the Momand Tribe and my father in law was Peshawari.

This dish is not a Peshawar area dish. It is Bengali and it is still tasty. People from West Bengal in India where Calcutta is. Now it is spelled Kolkata just like India changed the name of Bombay to Mumbai. For this dish you can use 1/2 bag of frozen vegetables or 3 large veggies such as eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage. beets. turnips, rutebega or even any type of squash. If small like green beans or peas then it is 1 cup. Also you can throw in 1 bunch of 3 types of greens or you can mix one of these bunches with either rutabega or turnip if you follow me. You can even chop up 3 large carrots and 1 small head of cabbage of any type and add 1 potato if you wish or even 1 cassava. It is totally what you perfer according to your taste. You can even include 1/2 of a daikon radish or 4 red radishes, 3 kachaloo also called arbi, cocoyam or taro depending on where you are from, and 1 small pumpkin if you choose. You just be the judge when you are making this dish. kachaloo is Hindko cocoyam and arbi is the Urdu word for same vegetable.

In a pot on high heat add 1/4 cup of either corn, vegetable or canola oil. Add 1 pinch each of kalounji, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and mustard seeds. This is the panj pharon spice which is the Bangali five spice blend and this is used whole not being crushed this time and it has to crackle then you can proceed to the next step. Also this can be done in an instant pot on sautè function for 10 minutes. Just let it get hot and start crackling the whole masala in this manner. Only after you add your 3 vegetables of choice you switch to pressure cook setting.

Add 1 onion or shallot in half moon slices and cook until it is golden in color. Add 1 green chili, chopped, 1 whole round or long red chili, 1 pinch each of turbidano sugar, pink salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, stir and add 1 chopped tomato and reduce to low heat and let cook until the tomato turns mushy. Add 1 bay leaf and your 3 vegetables of choice. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes. This has to be very mushy and it is also advised to use a pressure cooker if you do not want to do stovetop. Instant pot is lovely and putting it on pressure cook setting for 20 minutes is a great idea. Enjoy with roti and lassi.

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