Mughlai dish Shola's roots can be traced back to Afghanistan.
It makes for a wholesome standalone meal, but can be savoured along with some refreshing raita as well.
"Traditionally it's made from leftover mutton korma and features spinach, lentil and rice," says Bethica Das who has conjured her own variation where she replaced the rice with foxtail millets, and swapped mutton for chicken.
Shola
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 cup boneless chicken, chopped into very small pieces or chicken kheema
- 1 cup palak or spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup foxtail millets, soaked for an hour
- 1/3 cup split green mung dal, soaked for an hour
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- ½ tbsp dhania or coriander powder
- ½ tbsp jeera or cumin powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tbsp red chilly powder
- Salt to taste, around 1 tsp
- 1 tomato, chopped
- ½ cup dahi or yoghurt
- 2 green chillies, slit
- Water
For the garnish
- Small bunch green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 green chilly, chopped
- Small piece ginger, julienned
- Lemon wedges
Method
- Heat the oil in a pressure cooker.
Saute 1 of the 2 sliced onions in it till light brown.
Add the ginger-garlic paste.
Add all the dry spices.
Add a little water.
Keep stirring till the oil separates.
Add the tomatoes and stir fry till mashed.
Add the chicken and continue to saute till well browned.
Add the yoghurt.
Keep stirring till it leaves the sides of the cooker.
Add the chopped spinach, soaked mung dal and the foxtail millets.
Add the slit green chillies and 3½-4 cups water.
Add the salt.
Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles.
Take off heat and keep aside.
- For the tempering, heat the ghee in a pan.
Fry the remaining sliced onion till light brown.
- Serve the Shola in a serving dish and pour the tempering over it.
Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chilies, the boiled egg, julienned ginger, lemon wedges.
Have this one-pot delicacy just as it is or with some raita.
Bethica Das is a Sharjah-based food blogger. Please do check out her recipes HERE.