Mudhi Mansa ( Puffed Rice with Mutton Gravy - A Baripada Special)

For me, 'Mudhi Mansa' evokes those childhood memories of eagerly awaiting for the pressure cooker to be emptied of the mutton curry (jholo). My mom would then put in a bowl of mudhi inside the pressure cooker and use it to scarpe off the gravy that remained clinging on the walls. This mudhi would then be garnished with some chopped onions and green chillis. Finally it would be presented to the ever hungry kids who had been eyeing the entire process with fidgety impatience. The entire bowl would be emptied within 5 mins with almost an mini war taking place for that last handful. That kind of sums up my memories about it. Now if you have been thinking about so much fanfare over what should technically be a leftover, let me educate you that 'mutton' is almost a revered ingredient in any Odia household and every bit of it is treated with the respect that it commands.

But moving on to Baripada, it is not just considered a leftover but an entire recipe that is part and parcel of the culinary heritage of the district. And you have to beleive this because no wedding menu is considered complete without it.

Here is the recipe for Mudhi mutton -

Ingredients -

• 3-4 cups puffed rice
• 1/3 cup mutton gravy/jholo ( just warm, not too hot or cold )
• 2-4 pieces of mutton (from same curry)
• 1-2 small pieces of mutton fat or charbi (also from the same curry)
• 1/2 of a small onion ( chopped into thin pieces )
• 2 green chilis (finely chopped)
• 2 tsp chopped coriander
• 1 small tomato (finely chopped)
• 1/4 th of a small cucumber (chopped into thin long pieces)
• 1 tsp mustard oil
• pinch of salt (optional)

Preparation - Take everything into a mixing bowl. Toss together and serve immediately.


Click here for the recipe of mutton jholo .

Raam Rochak Tarkari ( A no onion no garlic dumpling curry from Odisha )

Raam Rochak Tarkari can be described as a 'no onion no garlic version' of the 'Besan tarkari' or Moong Dal dumpling curry which is quite popular in Odisha. This particular version is also offered as prasad to Lord Jaganaath in Baripada's Jaganaath Temple.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients -

for the dumplings -

• 1 cup split yellow moong dal + 1 handful green moong dal
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 2 pinch roasted jeera powder
• salt to taste
• sufficient oil for deep frying

For the curry -

• 1 cup diced brinjal
• 1 cup diced potato
• 2-3 dry red chilis
• 1 1/2 inch ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 nos green cardamom
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• 3-4 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Soak the green moong dal overnight. The split yellow dal can be soaked for 1-2 hours. Wash, drain all water and then grind them together into a coarse paste.

Add salt, roasted cumin powder, chili powder and asafoetida to this paste and mix well.

Grind the red chilis, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger into a fine paste. Keep this masala (spice) paste aside.

Cooking - Heat suficient oil for deep frying. Add teaspoonfuls of the seasoned moong dal batter into the hot oil and fry till golden brown on all sides. Remove the dumplings from the wok and keep aside.

Similarly, make more dumplings out of the moong dal batter.

Heat 3-4 tsp oil in another wok. Add the ground masala paste and fry till oil separates.

Add the diced potato and brinjal. Fry for 2-3 mins. Then add salt and turmeric. Cover with a lid and cook till the potatoes are 3/4 th done.

Add about 2-3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and then add the dumplings. Allow the curry to simmer for 4-5 mins.

Remove from the flame and keep aside. Garnish with some fresh cilantro if you like.

Serve hot with white rice or Dala khichidi.

Note - It is usually served with 'Dala Khichidi', another Baripada specialty.