Dear Mamta's kitchen

Tonight, I decided to try a new recipe for something called Saunfiya Jhinga. It called for (among other ingredients)

2 tsp/4 gm Fennel (moti saunf), broiled, pounded.

Here's what I can't figure out. It appears that the recipe is calling for me to broil the fennel plant. However, it seems a lot of work for such a small amount of greenery. Then in the recipe it says to saute the fennel seeds. It does not mention the rest of the plant anywhere else in the recipe, but later on it says to add "all the other ingredients."

Is this just asking for Fennel seeds? Thanks!

Hello Seth

You don't need to be a registered user to use my website, that is only for people who work on it. On this forum, you just put your topic and your name in the boxes provided and ask away.

Is this the recipe you are talking about; http://goo.gl/ge4rKu ?

The word 'Saunfia' simply means saunf flavoured, saunf being fennel. It is mostly used in seed form in Indian cooking, though it's fine leaves (dill) are also used in some dishes. I don't personally know anyone using fennel bulb in Indian cuisine, but it is possible that modern Indian chefs do use it.

You can buy Fennel seeds at most Indian stores. There are two types; fine and coarse. Unfortunately, I can not post pictures for you here. Fine seeds are used as mouth fresheners and in desserts and drinks. For cooking, we generally use coarser ones. Your recipe asks for 'moti' saunf, the word moti meaning fat or coarse. Moti also means Pearl in a different context.

Fennel seeds are often added to dishes called 'aachari/achari', which means pickle like or pickle flavoured.

Americans use the word broiled for cooking under/over dry heat. For Indian cooking, fennel seeds can be dry fried on a griddle or an un-greased frying pan. Your recipe however asks for adding it to hot butter. These heating processes release the flavour.

Personally, if I was making Aachari Jhinga, I would be adding

Panch Pooran for a stronger pickle like (Aachari) flavour.

If you actually want to make a pickle, try this; Prawn Patia. Otherwise, you can make any prawn curry in aachari flavour by simply staring it off with Panch Pooran tarka and adding a little more chillies/spices.

Hope this helps?

Thank you, Mamta. You really cleared things up.

Mamta, your link SAYS 'Prawn Patia', but goes to the recipe for Prawn Balchao Pickle. Just pointing it out.

Oh dear! Unfortunately, I can not correct it, only delete the whole post. so it will have to remain. So here is Prawn Patia.