Beeh-yond Borders: The Lotus Stem that Keeps Sindhi Cuisine Alive
Harshita Lalwani explore the enduring bond between the Sindhi community and the humble lotus stem, or beeh — a beloved vegetable that transcends migration and Partition, keeping cultural identity alive through tradition and food.
The Sindhi passion for food surprises many, as it defies common stereotypes about our community. But it’s not just about finding the best ingredients—it’s about sharing them with loved ones, preserving our culture, and bridging the past with the present. In a time when our pantries are becoming more pan-Indian than Sindhi, we still go out of our way for ingredients like beeh, holding on to the flavors that define us.
If any vegetable exemplifies this Sindhi trait, it’s the lotus stem. My fondest childhood memories revolve around my nana buying fresh beeh from local grocers in Khar, Mumbai, and my nani cooking her version of kuneh jo beeh—steamed lotus stem—before sending it home with us to Pune. Now that we all live in the same city, my grandparents brave a 40-minute drive through chaotic traffic just to share a lunch of kuneh jo beeh with us.
For Sindhis, cultural identity rests on language and food. Once a towering regional identity before Partition, we’ve transitioned into a diasporic community of stateless citizens, often overlooked in heritage mapping. Whether it’s regional cuisine, traditional attire, or historical markers, our cultural identity is absent from India’s official narratives. But amidst this erasure, our food remains steadfast, and our enduring love for beeh stands as a testament to our heritage.
Farming in Sindh.
Lotus stem. Credit Dr Ghulam Sarwar Channa.
Beeh is much more than a meat substitute for Sindhis—it’s an emotion. Although neither I nor my grandparents have memories of Sindh, sharing a meal of beeh bridges the gap between us and a homeland separated by history.
How much do I love beeh? Let me count the ways. You can fry it into crispy beeh pakoras with a besan batter, slow-cook it into a fragrant seyal beeh (a tomato, onion, and garlic-based gravy), or transform it into beeh ji tikki, a patty that rivals any plant-based burger. But my all-time favourite is my nani’s unique take on kuneh jo beeh. Traditionally cooked in clay pots over a coal stove with minimal spices, her version begins in an aromatic gravy and finishes in the oven, achieving that distinctive charred flavour. Yes, eating it means pulling out the occasional hairy fibre, but the effort is always worth it.
As Sindhi food blogger Alka Keswani of Sindhi Rasoi explains, “Beeh is an essential part of Sindhi cuisine, almost mandatory for wedding meals like beeh patata (lotus stem and potato curry). It was a dish made for special occasions and served to the naathis (sons-in-law) to ensure they and all guests were well-fed.” In earlier times, beeh was sold wrapped in soil from the pond to extend its shelf life, making it a practical gift when visiting married daughters or sisters.
Before Partition, beeh was foraged from its natural habitat. Deepa Chauhan, a former MasterChef India contestant and host of Sindh ji Rasoi, adds, “Beeh had to be foraged back then, though it is likely farmed now. But it’s not something you grow as easily as rice or wheat.”
Eating beeh is like tuning into a long-lost radio station—a forgotten frequency that suddenly clears the static to awaken our Sindhi identity. Our search for beeh in Indian markets is more than a culinary quest; it’s a metaphor for our third-culture existence. Though our lotus stems no longer come from the waters of the Indus, we continue to plant new roots while staying connected to the old ones.
After all, some beeh is always better than no beeh at all.
RECIPE FOR VEENA JAINANI’S KUNEH JO BEEH
Ingredients
6-7 medium-sized lotus stems
1 onion, diced
4 garlic pods, diced
¼ inch ginger, diced
2 chillies, chopped
For gravy
1 cup yoghurt
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
Chopped coriander
Method
Chop off the ends of the lotus stems, peel them and cut them diagonally. Run them through water making sure that there’s no dirt stuck in the holes.
Add the lotus stems to a pressure cooker and add enough water so that all the lotus stems are adequately covered. Pressure cook them for four whistles, and check after to see if they are fully cooked through. If not, cook them for four more whistles.
In a pan, add 2–3 tablespoons of oil or ghee and then add diced onions, garlic, chillies and ginger. Meanwhile, in a bowl add all of the gravy ingredients and mix it properly.
Once the onion mixture turns golden, add the gravy mixture to it and then add the cooked lotus stems. Let this simmer for 5–7 minutes.
For the sigdi effect, transfer the dish to an oven-safe glass bowl and let it bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 200 °C. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve as a side dish.
Harshita Lalwani is a food writer and freelance digital marketing strategist who also writes a monthly Substack newsletter on Sindhi food heritage called, Sindhi with a dash of Hindi. Follow her on Instagram.
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