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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
Ingredients
To soak and boil
- 2 ⅛ oz dried sangri beans
- 1 oz dried ker berries
- 6 ¼ cups waterfor soaking and boiling
- ½ tsp salt
For the masala
- 4 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp raisins (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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.
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 minStep 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.
KrazyBadal
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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