Kashmiri Recipes
RECIPE NO. 94
'Nadeir Yakhin'
(E-Lotus Roots cooked with Curd) (H-'Kamal ke
Jadh ki Yakhni)
This Dish is almost a must in Big
Vegetarian Dinners and Feasts, with big menus, and is usually cooked in an
earthenware pot (K- 'Deg'). Generally, one piece with a spoonful
of the Curdy Gravy, is served to each guest. It is also prepared in an
earthenware smaller pot, a 'Leij', or in a steel 'Patila', for
Dometic Meals. Each person takes 3 or 4 pieces, with a liberal serving of its
delicious Gravy, with Plain Cooked Rice.
Note :- A stalk of Lotus
Roots is called a 'Nadur' in Kashmir, and more than one stalk 'Nadeir'.
| 1. Lotus Roots, of above 1"
diameter |
1 kg |
| 2. Mustard oil |
1 cup |
| 3. Curd |
1 kg |
| 4. Milk |
1 cup |
| 5. Cloves |
3 nos |
| 6. Cumin Seeds |
1 tsp |
| 7. Asafoetida |
a pinch |
| 8. Ginger Powder |
1 tsp |
| 9. Aniseed Powder |
2 tsps |
| 10. Black Pepper Powder |
1 tsp |
| 11. Black Cardamom Powder |
1/2 tsp |
| 12. Cinnamon Powder |
1/2 tsp |
| 13. Caraway seeds |
1/2 tsp |
| 14. 'Garam Masala' |
1 tsp |
| 15. Salt |
about 1 tsp |
| 16. Sugar |
1/2 tsp |
| 17. Green Cardamoms |
a few |
Scrape the Lotus Roots with a knife and cut
off root heads, and any bad ends of the stalks. Cut horizontally, into
about 2" pieces. Wash thoroughly to clean the outside, and remove mud
etc. from the holes of the pieces.
1. In an earthenware pot ('Leij'), or in a
steel or tinned copper or brass 'Patila', boil, for half an hour,
the prepared Lotus Root pieces, in enough water to keep these immersed
wholly during boiling. To save time, only 5 to 10 minutes of pressure
cooking is enough. Take out with a perforated ladle or strain through a
colander, the boiled pieces, and retain the Soup in a steel bowl, and let
it cool.
2. Add to the Soup the Curd, Milk, Aniseed and
Ginger Powders, Sugar and Salt, and blend the ingredients, by churning
with a small churn--stick (H- 'Biloni), to a Curdy Sauce.
3. Now, in the cooking vessel, heat the oil on a
medium flame, till foam disappears. Add the Cloves, Cumin Seeds and
Asafoetida. Stir with a steel ladle, and add immediately the prepared
Sauce. Continue stirring with the steel ladle, so that Curd does not
crack, till the Sauce comes to a boil.
4. Add boiled Lotus Root pieces, and let these
cook on a low heat, for another 15 to 20 minutes, turning these now and
then with the ladle. When the Curdy Gravy thickens, add Caraway Seeds and
Cardamom, Cinnamon and Black Pepper Powders, along with the 'Garam
Masala'. Mix the Spices by stirring with the ladle. A few crushed
Green Cardamoms may be added. 'Nadier Yakhean' is ready for serving.
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