Ker Sangri
Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India
A dish that could only exist in the Thar Desert, made entirely from wild plants that survive where almost nothing else grows. Ker are tiny, tart berries from a thorny bush (Capparis decidua) and sangri are long, slender beans from the khejri tree, Rajasthan's sacred 'tree of life.' Both are sun dried and stored for months, then rehydrated and cooked with dried red chilies, dried mango powder (amchur), and mustard oil into a tangy, spicy, intensely concentrated dish. No fresh vegetables, no water to spare, no refrigeration needed. It's survival cuisine perfected over centuries by desert communities where the nearest market could be a two day camel ride away. During the great Rajasthan famines, ker sangri kept entire villages alive. The khejri tree itself is so revered that the Bishnoi community famously gave their lives protecting them from being felled in the 18th century. Outside western Rajasthan, even most Indians have never encountered it.
Ingredients
- 0.5 cupdried ker (caper berries)
- 1 cupdried sangri (desert beans)
- 3 tbspmustard oil
- 4 piecesdried red chilies
- 1 tspcumin seeds
- 0.5 tspmustard seeds
- a pinchasafoetida (hing)
- 0.5 tspturmeric powder
- 1 tspred chili powder
- 1 tspcoriander powder
- 1 tspamchur (dried mango powder)
- to tastesalt
Directions
- 1
Soak the dried sangri beans in water overnight or for at least 8 hours. Soak the dried ker berries separately for 2 hours. Drain both and squeeze out excess water.
- 2
Heat mustard oil in a heavy pan until it reaches smoking point, then let it cool for 30 seconds to remove the raw bitterness.
- 3
Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and dried red chilies to the oil. Let them splutter and crackle for a few seconds.
- 4
Add asafoetida and turmeric, stir once, then immediately add the drained sangri beans. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 5
Add the drained ker berries, red chili powder, and coriander powder. Stir well and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes until both the ker and sangri are tender but still hold their shape.
- 6
Sprinkle the amchur powder and salt, toss everything together, and cook for a final 2 minutes. The dish should be dry with no liquid remaining.
- 7
Serve hot with bajra roti (millet flatbread) or plain chapati.