Rice and Dhal and Fry Jashwa (Fry Dry)

Dhal and rice is one of my favourite dishes and together with fry dry or fry jashwa as we call it here in Trinidad and Tobago, it is a perfect match made in heaven. Well, maybe a Trini heaven 🙂 .   As I was saying, this fry sardines (fry jashwa) and dhal recipe is superb, so much so that I just can’t get enough. I am sure I could eat about fifteen fry dry in one go.

A Favourite Dish: Rice and Dhal and Fry Jashwa

So why do we call this fish fry dry? It’s simple really, when the sardines are deep fried, like in this recipe I’ll be showing you, it is dry, and even down to the bones could be eaten: although some may still remove the bones and head before eating it. Nevertheless, I have no problems with the bones (See my disappearing magic trick below) which is a good source of calcium by the way. No need for calcium tablets I guess 😉

Although I did a recipe for dhal before, I still decided to show you all again, so you can get the whole picture for this recipe. In fact you could look at this post as two recipes. First we have the dal recipe and then the fry jashwa (fry dry) which is a complete meal. Before we get started cooking, I just have a point or two on cooking dhal trini style.

1. Pressure cooking split peas can be challenging at times. These days we got some split peas that did not “burst” properly and was making what we would call in trini “hocksy split peas”. To counter that we added the baking soda to the dhal receipe. Remember how we did it for the doubles recipe?

2. Cooking dhal needs some care and safety especially when chongkaying the dhal. I will explain a bit more later on when we are at that point in the recipe.

Let’s start shall we! Here’s Rice and Dhal and Fry Jashwa (Fry Dry). Enjoy!

Rice and Dhal and Fry Jashwa Recipe

2 cups rice, boiled

For dhal
1 cup split peas, soaked overnight
1/2 onion, chopped
2 pimento peppers
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 cups water
5 leaves chadon beni, chopped
1/2 tsp baking soda (optional)
1 tsp saffron powder (turmeric)
1 tsp geera
2 tsp salt
1 dash oil

For Fry Jashwa
2 lbs. Jashwa (sardines)
salt to taste
1/2 lemon
4 tbsp green seasoning
pepper to taste
flour for dusting
oil for frying

To chongkay dhal
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp oil

Boil the rice and set aside.

The split peas was soaked overnight.

Cut up the garlic, pimento peppers, onion, chadon beni.

Add the split peas and seasoning to the pressure cooker.
(Here you can boil it until it is cooked if you prefer).
Pour the water, the turmeric powder,
a dash of oil and the baking soda
(this is optional for the pressure cooker will do the job just well).

Pressure cook for about 10 minutes.

Add the geera ….

Swizzle with a dhal gutney.

The dhal looks good now. Time to chongkay the dhal.

Heat the oil in the kalchul and add the garlic.

When the garlic achieves a golden colour, add it to the dhal.

Note: Make sure to cover the pot while chongkayingto avoid getting burned.

The finished dhal. Now on to the fry dry!

Clean and wash the fish with lemon juice.

Note:Some people, when cleaning the Jashwa, remove the head, I don’t.

Add green seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
Marinate for at least 1 hour.

Dust with flour.

Fry until golden brown.

The finished fry jashwa. Serve with the rice and dhal.

OK! Want to see a magic trick?

In three pictures I am going to make this jashwa disappear. Are you ready? Here goes…

1

2

3

Abracadabra!!!

In two words I am going to disappear….

Ah….

Gone! 🙂

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