Bhaji ka Chaar

Bhaji ka char is a tangy, spicy curry made from seasonal greens and dals. It is a very rustic recipe commonly prepared in Muslim households in Mysore and surrounding areas. For me this is a very special dish as this is simple, delicious and highly nutritious. In our house the expert in making bhaji ka char is my aunt, Afza aunty. Come monsoon or winter, whenever there was a sharp chill in the weather my request to Afza aunty was “ Aaj bhaji ka char banao”. My aunty used to happily oblige as this is her favourite too. The recipe is totally borrowed from her and reproduced below.Thank you Afza aunty for the recipe and the beautiful memories.

Before we get to the actual details, there are few points to note. The bhaji or greens used in the char are either chaulai or chudi ki bhaji or dant  ( all called as amaranth leaves in English) or munge ki bhaji ( moringa leaves) or you can mix chaulai, dant and dill leaves ( Sui ki bhaji) in equal proportions. Palak, methi or other green leafy vegetables cannot be used as the taste will not be the same. The next important point is the kind of dal used in the char. We use lobia but few also use tur dal. I have tasted both the variations but prefer the lobia as the dal is firm and gives a nice taste. 

Now let’s get to the details of preparation of one of my favourite dishes. 

Ingredients 

List 1 - bhaji ka Char

1. Chudi ki bhaji  - 2 big bunches. Cleaned, chopped and washed
2. Lobia ( brown)- 250 g
3. Salt
4. Water 

List 2 - bhaji ka char spices

1. 12-15 Green chilli
2. 1 big garlic, separate into cloves
3. Pepper, whole - 2 table spoon
4. Onion - 1 large onion
5. Cumin seeds - 2tsp
6. Tomato - 1 medium sized
7. Coconut pieces - 1 large fresh piece taken from half of the coconut 
8. Oil - 1 tablespoon 
9. Tamarind pulp - 1cup. Keep additional if a tangier curry is preferred
10. Cloves- 3-4 pieces 
11. Salt as needed
12. Fresh coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

List 3 - bhaji ka Chakna 

1. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
2. Red chilli - 6 crushed coarsely
3. Grated coconut- 1/2 cup
4. Oil - 2 tablespoon 
5. Salt
6. Garlic - 2 cloves crushed

List 4 - chutney

1. Fresh coriander leaves - 1 small bunch
2. Pepper whole - 1 tablespoon 
3. Green chilli whole- 6-8
4. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Coconut - 2 tablespoon 
6. Tamarind - coin sized 
7. Salt

Method - bhaji ka char

1. In a pressure cooker, add the lobia and bhaji. Add water to cover the greens. 
2. Cook for 15 mins after first whistle on medium flame. Switch off and Let the mixture cool.
3. In a heavy iron pan , heat 1 tablespoon oil and roast the green chilli, pepper, garlic, cumin, cloves until slightly brown. Set aside
4. Roast the onion on an open flame until the upper layer is charred. Peel and chop
5. Repeat with tomato and coconut. 
6. Separate the cooked bhaji and dal and the water
7. In a mixer add 3-4 tablespoon of cooked dal bhaji mixture. Add the roasted onion, tomato, coconut, coriander and the roasted spices. 
8. Add salt and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
9. In a separate vessel, add the strained water from lobia -bhaji mixture 
10. Add the ground paste (after reserving a portion), tamarind pulp and adjust salt.
11. Mix well. Taste and check seasonings. If spicier curry is required add more masala paste or tamarind pulp if tangier gravy is preferred. 
12. Set aside. No further cooking is required. The char is not tempered.

Bhaji ka chakna

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds
2. Let it crackle, then add crushed garlic , coconut slices and red chilli flakes 
3. Fry until chilli coconut mixture is well roasted 
4. Add the lobia and bhaji mixture. Mix well
5. Add salt and cook until mixture is dry. 

Chutney

1. Dry roast all the spices given from serial number 2 to 5 in list 4 
2. Transfer to a grinder. Add salt, coriander leaves and tamarind.
3. Grind to a fine paste by adding minimal water. 
4. Transfer to a dry container. 

Serving

The bhaji ka char, bhaji ka chakna and spicy chutney are served together with hot boiled rice or ragi ka hit ( finger millet preparation). The chutney is mixed with rice and bhaji ka char while eating if more spice is preferred.

Notes:

1. The bhaji ka char needs to be consumed immediately. If stored, it can be boiled , cooled and refrigerated. The taste after boiling changes slightly 
2. Bhaji ka char is also prepared with dry red chillies. Recipe remains same, replace green with red chillies