Sindhi Staple · Spinach & Lentil Curry

Sai Bhaji

Photo: Miansari66 / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Its name is just a plain description in Sindhi — 'sai' means green and 'bhaji' means vegetable — for a dish that's really a whole pot of dal and greens fused into one.

Spinach and other leafy greens are simmered down with split lentils, tomato, onion and garlic until the mixture turns smooth and deep green, then tempered with cumin and served over rice or with roti. Sindhi food stalls keep a pot going through lunch and dinner.

Why it's made this way: It grew out of Sindh's interior farming villages, where seasonal greens and lentils were the everyday staple, and it remains one of the province's most-cooked vegetarian dishes.