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    Mirchi Tales » Recipes » Pakistani Recipes

    Lotus root or bhae ki sabzi with potatoes

    Published: Feb 4, 2017 · Modified: Jan 23, 2018 by Kiran

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This popular Sindhi vegetarian recipe is made from lotus root (bhae in Urdu/Sindhi) in a onion based gravy with potatoes and tamarind pulp.

    The lotus root known as bhay/bhae/bhein in Sindhi and kanwal kakri in Urdu/Hindi is an indigenous vegetable grown in interior Sindh and used widely in Sindhi cuisine. I had it for the first time at my husband’s house. It’s a staple vegetable which mostly is consumed in its own salan (curry), sometimes with potatoes and as pakoras (gram fritters).

    It’s something that my husband has grown up eating, and I really wanted to try making it for him. It took quite a few tries but I finally managed to make a couple of recipes that he loves.

    This vegetable is only found at limited sabzi wala’s in Karachi. The places where I was successful in finding it were Imtiaz supermarket, Delhi colony and Jumaraat bazaar (Thursday Bazaar) near Boat Basin. Other sabzi wala’s may also have it.

    Cleaning lotus root / bhae

    Bhae is grown in mud, which is why every single piece one buys will be covered in it. Scrape it off with a knife and then wash it carefully making sure it’s completely clean.

    Cutting lotus root/ bhae

    Bhae is known for it’s particular ‘raisha’ / ‘laces’ / 'threads' that are exposed when bitten apart. In order to get that taste, it needs to be cut on the diagonal before cooking.

    Sliced lotus root or bhae as it is called in Sindhi
    Lotus root or bhae needs to be cut on the diagonal to be able to expose the thread

    For more vegetarian recipes on the blog click HERE

    Would love it if you could try out and rate the recipe, and let me know how it was in the comments below! 
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    📖 Recipe

    This popular Sindhi vegetarian recipe is made from lotus root (bhae in Urdu/Sindhi) in a onion based gravy with potatoes and tamarind pulp.
    Print Recipe
    3.50 from 2 votes

    Lotus root (bhae) ki sabzi with potatoes

    This popular Sindhi vegetarian recipe is made from lotus root (bhae in Urdu/Sindhi) in an onion based gravy with potatoes and tamarind pulp.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time45 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course, Vegetarian
    Cuisine: Pakistani, Sindhi, Vegetarian
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 1307kcal
    Author: Kiran

    Ingredients

    • 3 bhae or lotus root mud scraped and cleaned
    • 2 medium potatoes peeled and chopped into quarters
    • 4 tablespoon oil
    • 1 teaspoon ginger paste
    • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
    • 2 onions sliced
    • 1 tomato sliced. Quantity can be increased
    • 1 teaspoon coriander or dhaniya powder
    • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
    • 1 - 2 tablespoon tamarind paste adjust to taste
    • 2 Green chili for garnish
    • 2 tablespoon Coriander for garnish
    • 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala for garnish

    Instructions

    • Clean and cut the lotus root / bhae diagonally. Boil in salted water for about 20 – 25 minutes. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the bhae but ideally, a knife should be able to pass through the stems.
    • Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes. Soak in water, if cooking after a while so that they don’t turn black.
    • Heat oil. Add ginger and garlic paste. Fry for 30 seconds and then add sliced onions.
    • Cook onions till medium brown, but not burnt. Add tomatoes along with coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric and salt. Cook for about 8-10 minutes till tomatoes are soft.
    • Add potatoes along with water (about ½ cup – 1 cup depending on preferred amount of gravy). Cook till potatoes are soft.
    • Add lotus root / bhae along with tamarind pulp. Cook for about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings if required.
    • Add green chilies and coriander. Keep on stove for 2-3 minutes till flavor infuses.
    • Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve hot with roti.

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Esra says

      January 30, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      2 stars
      So yummy!

      Reply
    2. Ülker Pakel says

      October 18, 2017 at 8:07 pm

      5 stars
      Goes well with green chutney.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Pakistani Food Dishes, 69 Traditional & fusion Recipes | Recipe52.com says:
      October 11, 2020 at 8:31 pm

      […] Lotus root sabzi Bhai ki sabzi (Mirchi Tales ) […]

      Reply
    2. Sindhi Style Prawn Fry - Pakistan Eats says:
      March 10, 2020 at 10:16 pm

      […] impressive variety of dishes prepared with lotus stem or bhea. See Kiran’s great recipe for bhea ki sabzi […]

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kiran!

    Welcome to my kitchen. Here you will find Pakistani and Indian recipes along with delicious tea time desserts. I am all about putting a modern twist to traditional South Asian recipes for the contemporary kitchen.

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