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Ker sangri

Desert berries and beans

Desert berries and beans from Rajasthan, slow-fried with mustard oil and spices (soak overnight)

Ker sangri is a true desert dish from the Thar in Rajasthan: ker are small, sour wild caper berries and sangri are the thin, chewy bean pods of the khejri tree, both picked in summer and sun-dried to last the year. Soaked, boiled and fried in plenty of mustard oil with chilli, mango powder and coriander, they become tangy, earthy and almost pickle-like. It keeps for days, which is why it travelled with camel herders. Serve with bajra roti or puri, or as a side to dal baati. Chef's tip: taste a ker berry after boiling; if it is still very bitter, boil it again in fresh water before frying.
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

To soak and boil

For the masala

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (1)

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Method

0/7 done
  1. Step 1: Pick over 2 ⅛ oz dried sangri beans and 1 oz dried ker berries, discarding any stones or stems. Rinse well, then soak them together in half of 6 ¼ cups water overnight (8–10 hours). They will roughly double in size and the sangri turn from brittle to bendy.

    600 min
  2. Step 2: Drain, rinse again and put in a pan with the rest of the soak water and ½ tsp salt. Boil over a medium heat for 15 minutes, until the sangri are tender but still a little chewy and the ker can be squashed between your fingers. Drain and squeeze gently to remove excess water.

    15 min
  3. Step 3: Heat 4 tbsp mustard oil in a heavy kadai over a high heat until it just begins to smoke, then take it off the heat for a minute. Heating mustard oil this way drives off its raw, eye-watering sharpness.

    3 min
  4. Step 4: Return to a medium heat, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let it crackle, then ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing) and 4 dried red chillies for a few seconds, until the chillies darken but don't blacken.

  5. Step 5: Turn the heat to low, add 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder, 2 tsp ground coriander and ½ tsp ground turmeric with 4 tbsp water. Stir for 1 minute; the water stops the ground spices scorching and makes a glossy paste in the oil.

    1 min
  6. Step 6: Add the sangri and ker, ¾ tsp salt and 1 tbsp raisins if using. Fry over a low-medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the masala coats everything, the oil separates and the beans smell toasty.

    10 min
  7. Step 7: Sprinkle in 1 tsp dried mango powder (amchur), toss for 1 minute and take off the heat. Serve warm or at room temperature; it tastes even better the next day and keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

    1 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
190 kcal
Protein
4 g
Carbs
14 g
Fat
14 g
Fibre
9 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does ker sangri take?
About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegan?
Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
What can I use instead of asafoetida (hing)?
A pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder (asafoetida stands in for onion and garlic).

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