Khoraak
Community: Sindhi
Introduction
Sindhis are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who speak the Sindhi language and are native to the Sindh province of Pakistan. After the partition of India in 1947, most Sindhi Hindus and Sindhi Sikhs migrated to the newly formed Dominion of India and other parts of the world. Today, ethnic Sindhis are both in India and Pakistan. Indian Sindhis are predominantly Hindu, while Pakistani Sindhis are predominantly Muslim.
Food often defines the character of a community. This is especially true when it comes to niche culinary traditions such as the delectable Sindhi cuisine.
For the people of Sindh, a community uprooted and dispersed by Partition, cooking provides a vital connection to their homeland. Their kitchens, with their distinct recipes and ingredients, helped identify and anchor them in the places they adopted as their new homes
This history is also why frugality lies at the heart of many Sindhi recipes — having to rebuild their lives from scratch led to them valuing what was available to them wherever they settled.
Sindhi cuisine also reflects the influence of culinary cultures of the Rajputs, the Mughals, the Sikhs and even the Arabs, For instance, karaha prasad (wheat halwa) has been adapted from Sikh cuisine, gheeyar (Sindhi jalebi) is a gift from Rajasthani food.
What also adds to the distinct flavours of the Sindhi cuisine are three things: slow cooking, layering of garam masala and a penchant for combining sweet and savoury flavours. A love for amchoor (dry mango powder) , basar (onions that have been sautéed white instead of brown) and addition of lot of dry fruits while preparation of desserts are some other characteristic features of this rustic and robust cuisine.
Description of Recipe
It is an authentic sweet dish of Sindhi community consumed during winters and festivals. It is made with wheat flour, dry fruits, Ghee, sugar and poppy seeds.
Details of ingredients and their amounts
| Ingredient | Household Measurement | Amount (in cups/spoons) | Amount (in gm/ml) |
| Wheat Flour | 1 katori | 85 gm | |
| Sugar | 1 katori | 85 gm | |
| Ghee | 1 katori | 85 gm | |
| Almonds | 15-16 | 16 gm | |
| Raisins | 8-9 | 8 gm | |
| Pistachios | 4-5 | 2 gm | |
| Edible Gum | 10 gm | ||
| Poppy Seeds | 20 gm | ||
| Milk | 20 ml | ||
| Desiccated Coconut | 10 gm |
Method of Preparation:
- Take a deep big vessel and put in on flame. Add ghee to it and let it melt.
- Meanwhile, Take a bowl and soak Almonds, Pistachios, Raisins, Poppy seeds (Half) and Sugar in Milk.
- Add sliced Cardamom to the melted ghee in vessel.
- Add powdered edible gum to it.
- Now add the wheat flour and start stirring continuously on low flame.
- Keep stirring until it turns dark brown.
- Add the soaked mixture to the roasted mixture in Vessel. Mix it well and stir it for 3-4 mins on low flame.
- Turn off the flame and transfer the whole content to thali / plate with edges or a Cake pan. Put some Poppy seeds on the base. Layer the contents on it and Let it Set.
- Sprinkle rest of poppy seeds on top.
- Garnish it with desiccated coconut.
- With a knife, Cut it into equal small pieces & garnish it with chopped almond on top. Let it cool for 1 hour andthen it can be served and stored.
Nutritive Value of the recipe
| Ingredient | Amount | Energy (kcal) | Carbs (gms) | Protein (gms) | Fat (gms) | Iron (mg) | Calcium (mg) | Vitamin A (mcg) | Vitamin C (mcg) |
| Wheat Flour | 85 gm | 272.23 | 54.54 | 8.98 | 1.3 | 3.48 | 26.3 | 0.38 | |
| Sugar | 85 gm | 340 | 85 | ||||||
| Ghee | 85 gm | 765 | 85 | ||||||
| Almonds | 16 gm | 97.48 | 1.68 | 3.33 | 9.42 | 0.81 | 36.8 | 0.12 | |
| Raisins | 8 gm | 23.73 | 5.5 | 0.22 | 0.03 | 0.34 | 4.15 | 0.03 | 0.15 |
| Pistachios | 2 gm | 10.79 | 0.32 | 0.47 | 0.85 | 0.09 | 2.7 | 0.37 | |
| Edible Gum | 10 gm | ||||||||
| Poppy Seeds | 20 gm | 84.51 | 2.47 | 4.06 | 6.08 | 2.03 | 274.4 | 0.12 | |
| Milk | 20 ml | 14.58 | 0.99 | 0.65 | 0.9 | 0.03 | 23.6 | 0.46 | 0.4 |
| Cardamom | 0.5 gm | 1.35 | 0.26 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 1.56 | 0.06 | |
| Desiccated Coconut | 10 gm | 40.89 | 0.63 | 0.38 | 4.14 | 0.13 | 0.8 | 0.04 | 0.08 |
| TOTAL | 1650.56 | 151.39 | 18.12 | 107.73 | 6.95 | 370.31 | 1.46 | 0.75 | |
| TOTAL PER SERVING | 275.09 | 25.23 | 3.02 | 17.95 | 1.15 | 61.71 | 0.24 | 0.125 | |
| % CONTRIBUTION OF MACRONUTRIENTS TO TOTAL ENERGY | 36.68 % | 4.39 % | 58.7 % |
Final Yield of Recipe
| Total Weight (in gms) | Total yield | Serving size |
| 318 | 6 pieces | 1 piece |
Nutrients present:
Carbohydrate, FatSuitability of Recipe:
This recipe is usually consumed by Sindhi community during winters as it is considered a ‘hot’ or warming food, to be eaten during winter to replenish and strengthen the body. This recipe is energy dense and nutrient loaded as comprises of nuts like Almonds, Pistachios.
Name of the modified recipe
Khoraak for lactating mothersDetails of ingredients and their amounts
| Ingredient | Household Measurement | Amount (in cups/spoons) | Amount (in gm/ml) |
| Wheat Flour | ½ katori | 45 gm | |
| Ragi flour | ½ katori | 45 gm | |
| Jaggery | 1 katori | 85 gm | |
| Ghee | 1 katori | 85 gm | |
| Almonds | 22 gm | ||
| Raisins | 8 gm | ||
| Pistachios | 2 gm | ||
| Edible Gum | 10 gm | ||
| Poppy Seeds | 20 gm | ||
| Milk | 20 ml | ||
| Cardamom | 0.5 gm | ||
| Desiccated Coconut | 10 gm |
Method of Preparation:
- Take a deep big vessel and put in on flame. Add ghee to it and let it melt.
- Meanwhile, Take a bowl & soak Almonds, Pistachios, Raisins, Poppy seeds (Half) & Sugar in Milk.
- Add sliced Cardamom to the melted ghee in vessel.
- Add powdered edible gum to it.
- Now add the Ragi Flour add the wheat flour and start stirring continuously on low flame.
- Keep stirring until it turns golden dark brown.
- Add the soaked mixture to the roasted mixture in Vessel. Mix it well & stir it for 3-4 mins on low flame.
- Turn off the flame and transfer the whole content to thali / plate with edges or a Cake pan. Put some Poppy seeds on the base. Layer the contents on it & Let it Set.
- Sprinkle rest of poppy seeds on top.
- Garnish it with desiccated coconut.
- With a knife, Cut it into equal small pieces & garnish it with chopped almond on top. Let it cool for 1 hour & then it can be served and stored.
Nutritive Value of the recipe
| Ingredient | Amount | Energy (kcal) | Carbs (gms) | Protein (gms) | Fat (gms) | Iron (mg) | Calcium (mg) | Vitamin A (mcg) | Vitamin C (mcg) |
| Wheat Flour | 45 gm | 144.12 | 28.88 | 4.76 | 0.69 | 1.84 | 13.92 | 0.2 | |
| Ragi flour | 45 gm | 144.32 | 30.07 | 3.22 | 0.86 | 2.08 | 163.8 | 0.11 | |
| Jaggery | 85 gm | 300.67 | 72.14 | 1.57 | 0.14 | 3.94 | 90.95 | ||
| Ghee | 85 gm | 765 | 85 | ||||||
| Almonds | 16 gm | 97.48 | 1.68 | 3.33 | 9.42 | 0.81 | 36.8 | 0.12 | |
| Raisins | 8 gm | 23.73 | 5.5 | 0.22 | 0.03 | 0.34 | 4.15 | 0.03 | 0.15 |
| Pistachios | 2 gm | 10.79 | 0.32 | 0.47 | 0.85 | 0.09 | 2.7 | 0.37 | |
| Edible Gum | 10 gm | ||||||||
| Poppy Seeds | 20 gm | 84.51 | 2.47 | 4.06 | 6.08 | 2.03 | 274.4 | 0.12 | |
| Milk | 20 ml | 14.58 | 0.99 | 0.65 | 0.9 | 0.03 | 23.6 | 0.46 | 0.4 |
| Cardamom | 0.5 gm | 1.35 | 0.26 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 1.56 | 0.06 | |
| Desiccated Coconut | 10 gm | 40.89 | 0.63 | 0.38 | 4.14 | 0.13 | 0.8 | 0.04 | 0.08 |
| TOTAL | 1627.44 | 142.94 | 18.69 | 108.12 | 11.33 | 612.68 | 1.39 | 0.75 | |
| TOTAL PER SERVING | 271.24 | 23.82 | 3.115 | 18.02 | 1.88 | 102.11 | 0.231 | 0.125 | |
| % CONTRIBUTION OF MACRONUTRIENTS TO TOTAL ENERGY | 35.1% | 0.045 % | 59.7 % |
Final Yield of Recipe
| Total Weight (in gms) | Total yield | Serving size |
| 324 | 6 pieces | 1 piece |
Suitability of Recipe:
This recipe can be consumed by lactating mothers as it can serve as postpartum healing food. Modified traditional recipe ‘Khoraak’ consists of Ragi flour - which enhances milk production and imbibes the milk with the essential amino acids, iron and calcium required for the nutrition of the mother as well as the child. Being rich source of Calcium , it strengthens bone. Provides digestion aid to the Mother & baby. Sugar in traditional recipe is modified with jaggery as it enhances the iron content of recipe while providing sweetness to the dish.