Come election night, no matter who we voted for, we are all going to need some strong sustenance to get through it. The first dish that came to mind when I conjured something warm, spicy, sour and comforting was a childhood favorite, SEYAL DABROTI (bread). I promise this dish will satisfy your insides and help get through the long night.
I am part Sindhi and part South Indian so growing up our kitchens emanated heavenly smells from both parts of the country. SEYAL in the Sindhi language refers to the browned onion and tomato mix that forms the base for this almost chili consistency dish. As in most traditional dishes, every family has their version of it. It can be red in color from the browned onions or green when prepared in a coriander paste.
Over the years, this dish has evolved into a Red/Green combination. My family loves it as a Sunday Brunch and is definitely on our list of comfort foods. My feeling is this dish was invented out of a need to use bread that had gone hard. All of us hate to throw bread away when its a little stale and really cannot be used in a sandwich. The gravy or SEYAL that is the base for this dish is an extremely versatile one and you could pretty much add any type of bread or fish and it would blend beautifully.
I have used 2 day old baguette that had gone hard so I broke it up into rough pieces before adding it to the gravy. You could even use old Rotis or naans if you would rather avoid bread. And just an FYI, stale bread absorbs liquids better. Here I share with you my version of a Sindhi staple.
Ingredients
6-7 slices of stale bread (white or brown) or a 1/2 baguette cut into 1” cubes or Rotis shredded up.
3 tbsp oil
1 bay Leaf
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1tsp Red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsps Coriander powder
14 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
Toppings
1/2 tsp Chaat Masala
Crushed potato chips or Sev ( Crunchy noodles made from chick pea flour)
Chopped cilantro
Salt as Needed
Green paste
1/4 cup Cilantro
1 Serrano pepper
1 clove garlic
3-4 Mint leaves
Blend all green paste ingredients and keep aside.
Heat oil in a sauté pan over a medium flame, add the bay leaf and the onions, cook till they turn a light brown. Now add the green paste and cook, stirring continuously till the oil starts leaving the sides. Add the turmeric, chili and coriander powders and sauté for another few minutes. Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes and add salt, 1 cup water and let it come to a boil.
Add the bread just before serving , mix well and cook for a few minutes.
Serve in individual soup plates and garnish with the Chaat masala, cilantro and the Sev.
I served it with beer but a hot cup of tea or a cocktail would go great too.
Like I said, use old rotis or naans instead of bread, if you wish.
Happy Cooking!