Oriyarasoi is on twitter !

Showing posts with label Cooking without onion and garlic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooking without onion and garlic. Show all posts

Friday, October 7, 2016

Makhana Malai Matar ( Navratri special No-onion No-garlic recipe)

Sattvik food has it's own health benefits. It detoxifies the body and improves one's stamina. At times, it is often referred to as the yogic diet as it is the preferred diet of ascetics who can endure long periods of meditation without food and water. To enable the body to adjust to such extreme conditions, it needs to be brought to a state of balance by following pure eating habits. Because the emphasis is more on the seasonal produce, ghee, nuts, whole grains and dairy products, consuming a Sattvik diet ensures that less amount of preservatives make their way into the body.

While it is tough to make the switch for people who are used to non-vegetarian food on a regular basis, one must try and adopt a Sattvik diet on certain days of the month. It is best when done on a periodic basis and also in moderation. The 'Kartika' and 'Margasira' months in the Odia calendar offers have earmarked days when one has to stick to a Sattvik diet. On these days, the usual dishes prepared in most Odia homes are Dalma (dal with vegetables), sagaw bhaja (stir fried green leafy vegetable), khatta ( sweet tangy chutney) and a few stir fried vegetables like raw banana, yam, radish or drumsticks . No onion or garlic is used in any of these preparations.

However, it sometimes happen that guests do come over on such days. And it becomes necessary to cook some universally accepted dishes for them. Especially for those folks who prefer North Indian food. This 'Makhana Malai Matar' is one such light gravy based dish that goes well with puris or rotis.

Read on for the recipe -

















Preparation Time- 20 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1 cup Makhana / puffed Fox-nuts
  • 1/3 cup green peas
  • 1/4 cup Malai or cream
  • 1 tsp Kasuri methi
  • 2 pinch garam masala (optional)
  • 2 pinch turmeric
  • 2 tsp ghee ( use oil if you prefer )
  • salt to taste


For the gravy -


  • 1/2 inch finely chopped ginger
  • 3 tsp chopped coriander stems
  • 2 dry red chilis (less spicy)
  • 1 green cardamom
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2-3 cloves
  • 1 medium sized tomato
  • 7 cashews ( soaked for 1-2 hours )
  • 1 tsp oil
  • a pinch of salt

Preparation - Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a pan. Add the Makhana and roast to a golden. Remove and keep aside.

Add 1 tsp oil to a wok. Add the whole spices and chilis. Wait for 20 seconds. Once fragrant, throw in the ginger and chopped coriander stem. Fry for 2-3 mins or till the raw smell of ginger goes off.

Finally add the tomato and sprinkle the salt over it. Cover for 2 mins to soften a bit. Once the tomatoes are mushy, add the cashews and fry for 1 minute. Remove from flame and keep aside.

Transfer to a blender jar once it has cooled down. Add 1/5 cup of warm water and blend into a smooth paste.

Cooking - Heat the remaining ghee in the wok. Throw in the green peas. Fry then for 2-3 mins.

Then add the masala paste and cook till the oil separates. 

Add 1 cup of warm water, turmeric, garam masala and Kasuri methi. Adjust the salt. Bring to a slow boil.

Let it simmer for a while before adding the malai or cream. 

Add the roasted Makhana just before switching off the flame.

Serve hot with rotis or puris. Goes well even with jeera rice.
































For more recipes without onion and garlic check here -







Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Kadali Kasa (Raw banana fry)

Simple fries served hot with white rice, dal and raita happen to be among my favorite meal options. Of course, my first choice would be some nice one-pot meal but since kid loves these fries so much that the one-pot meals are becoming increasingly rare.

This stir fry is made with green banana that was boiled first. Hence it uses very little oil for cooking. Add that to the natural goodness of green bananas and you have a very healthy and tasty side-dish that will become a regular on your lunch/dinner menu. It was a regular at home when we were kids as we had a lot of these plants growing in our garden. It used to be fun plucking the fresh vegetables and taking them right into the kitchen for preparing lunch.

Read on for the super easy recipe:





Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients - 

  • 1 raw banana
  • 1 dry red chilli
  • 1/5 tsp cumin-mustard seeds
  • a pinch of asafotida
  • few curry leaves (optional)
  • 1/5 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
  • 2 pinch turmeric
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tsp oil



Preparation - Cut the banana into two. Put it in a pressure cooker along with 1 cup water and little salt.

Cooking - Cook the banana for 2 whistles. Allow steam to escape before opening lid. Remove the peel from the banana (this step becomes a lot easy in this case as opposed to peeling the uncooked banana). Cut into small cubes.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add cumin-mustard seeds and broken red chilli. When it starts spluttering, add asafoetida and curry leaves. Allow curry leaves to brown a bit.

Add the banana pieces along with salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Fry for a few minutes till raw smell of turmeric goes away. Remove from flame .

Serve with rice/rotis.



Thursday, October 31, 2013

Cabbage Poriyal

'Poriyal' or vegetables lightly stir fried with a generous amount of freshly grated coconut is one of my favorites. I call it the south indian version of the oriya 'bhajja'. It is light and healthy. And takes minimum amount of time and effort. While one can make it with various vegetables (especially gourd), Cabbage poriyal is the diah that one encounters most frequently at the South indian restaurants serving thali meals. It is also called 'Thoran' in Kerala.

Last time I made this recipe without using onions ( it was a Monday ) and it turned out pretty well. Read on for the recipe:
















Preparation Time - 10-15 mins

Ingredients - 1 small cabbage (shredded into small pieces), 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut, 2 green chillis, 1 sprig of curry leaves, 4 tbs split urad/channa dal, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 3 tsp oil, salt to taste.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add channa dal/urad dal and fry for 2 minutes till they turn a few shades darker.

Make slits in the green chillis and add them to the wok. Follow with the curry leaves.
Finally add the asafoetida and then the cabbage. Mix in.

Sprinkle salt and turmeric. Mix and cover with lid for 3 minutes.

Remove lid and stir lightly at regular intervals till done.

Enjoy with piping hot rice and sambhar.



Saturday, October 26, 2013

Sagaa Bhajja ( Osa Bara Randha )

Sagaa Bhajja or fried Amaranthus leaves is one of the regular items in a oriya meal. It is a simple and yet flavorful dish. The wide variety of green leafy vegetables available in Orissa add a lot of versatility to this recipe. Kosala sagaa , Leutiya sagga, Khada sagaa, Kalama sagaa, Pita sagaa and Sunisuni sagaa are some of the commonly available ones.

As my grandma said the ideal sagaa bhajja is one in which the leaves should not be bunched together and it should be cooked just right (with a little bite left in it....somewhat like pasta ) and not mushy. She made sure that I perfected this recipe. She is no more but i think about her every time i make this dish.

Usually onions and garlic are added to this recipe but when cooking on a fasting day (osa bara) we rely only on pancha phutana, red chillis and freshly grated coconut to bring alive the flavours of this dish. One has to sure that the oil is heated to the right temperature so that the spices release all their flavours.

During the ongoing Kartika Masa, this is a must have on the Mondays along with a Habisa Dalma and Oou khatta. Read on for the recipe:
















Preparation Time - 10-12 mins

Ingredients - 4 cups of shredded ( finely cut ) sagaa ( I have used Khada sagaa), 2/3 tsp pancha phutana, 2 red chillis, 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut, 3 tsp oil, salt to taste.

Preparation - Heat the oil in a wok. One has to sure that the oil is heated to the right temperature so that the spices release all their flavours. Too cold a temperature will not allow the phutana to splutter while too hot will burn it and ruin the taste.

Add broken red chilli and pancha phutana. Allow the spluttering to start.

Add the shredded sagaa in small batches and mix with the spices.

Cover and cook for 1 minute on medium to high flame. Remove the cover and stir gently to prevent leaves from bunching/sticking together.

Repeat the above step alternately till saga is done and excess water evaporates. Add the salt and mix in. Switch off the flame and sprinkle freshly grated coconut. Mix thoroughly.

Serve hot with arwa anna, Habisa Dalma and Ouu khatta.


Thursday, October 10, 2013

Parwal-Potato Chips

A few days back I blogged about the 'Berhampore Aloo Chips', a Berhampore (Orissa) speciality. It is a wonderful side dish that goes really well with my Osa bara randha (fasting food), i.e., arwa bhata and dalma / khechudi and dahi. This time I prepared the chips with potola(pointed gourd) & kaankada (spine gourd) along with aloo for my Navratri dinner. (The kaankada does not really show up as i only two pieces left from the previous week's)

Read on for the recipe:















Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients- 5-6 nos parwal/pointed gourd, 5-6 kaankada/spine gourd, 1 medium sized potatoes, 1 tsp rice flour, 1 tsp corn flour, 1 tsp besan, a pinch of turmeric, 2-3 tsp sesame, 1/5 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, salt to taste, oil for deep frying.

Preparation - Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into thin strips ( thinner than those you make for french fries ). Also peel and cut the parwal into thin strips. Do the same with the kaankada. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add all the remaining ingredients except for oil. Mix together so that all the strips are coated properly.

Cooking - Heat oil in a deep wok.

Add the vegetables in small batches and fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes or till they turn crisp.

Remove from wok and keep on paper towels to absorb excess oil.


































































Enjoy them as a side dish for your Ashtami/Navami lunch/dinner.




Sunday, October 6, 2013

Chaunk wala Raita

This is one of my favorite raita recipes and one that i usually make on a Osa-bara (Vrat) as it does not use onion. As is quite common in Orissa, I use a lot of tempering to add flavour to this otherwise plain Cucumber raita. Read on for the recipe:


















Preparation Time - 10 minutes or less

Ingredients - 1 medium sized cucumber, 2/3 cup fresh yogurt, 1 tbs chopped coriander roots, 1 sprig of curry leaves, 1/2 inch long ginger, 2-3 green chillis, pinch of asafoetida, 1 tsp mustard seeds, salt to taste, 1-2 tsp oil.

Preparation - Peel and cut the cucumber into small pieces.

Take the yogurt into a mixing bowl. Add salt and whisk lightly. Add the cucumber pieces.

Take the green chillis, coriander shoots and ginger in a mortar and use a pestle to crush them lightly. Alternatively use a small stone to crush the ingredients.

Cooking - Heat oil in a tempering pan (if you do not have one, use a small frying pan instead). Add the mustard seeds and when they start spluttering add the crushed ingredients. Fry for 1 minute till they release all the flavours.

Add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Remove from the stove and allow to cool for 1 minute. Pour over the contents of the mixing bowl. Mix in the tempering, add a little water if the raita is too thick and adjust the salt if required.

Serve with rice/rotis/puris/parathas and curry.


Thursday, October 3, 2013

Khatti Meethi Dal

The humble 'Dalma' (link here) used to reign supreme on my menu on the fasting (Osa-bara) days till I discovered its tantalizing Western counterpart. Like a willful seductress it threatens to steer me away from my ever dependable wife 'dalma'. When I first glimpsed her while leafing through a Tarla Dalal cookbook, i was hardly impressed. But the supremely impossible task of feeding vegetables to my kiddie made me try it out. And i have been re-visting her ever since while side-stepping the risk that it poses to my digestive system ( Tamarind and my system are not exactly compatible ). But for the more fortunate beings, this tangy-sweet-spicy Gujrati Dal is a must try.

With Mahalaya today, the nine day Navaratri fasting/celebrations have begun and most of us will be avoiding the use of onion/garlic in our meals/snacks. I have adapted the original recipe for fasting days as the former makes use of onions. Read on for the recipe:

















Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup toor dal, 1/2 cup whole/skinless masoor dal, 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced pumpkin, 1/2 cup diced carrot, 1/2 cup diced eggplant, 1/2 cup peeled and diced raw banana, 1 cup diced potato, 2 tbs powdered jaggery, 1 1/2 tbs tamarind paste, 1/2 tsp turmeric, salt to taste.

For tempering - 3 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2 whole red chillis, 3 cloves, 1 inch long cinnamon stick, 2 sprigs of curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional).

Preparation - Take the jaggery and tamarind in a bowl. Add 5-6 tbs water and make it into a paste.

Cooking - Wash and transfer the dals to a pressure cooker with 2-3 cups water. Add salt and turmeric .Cook for 2-3 whistles.

Allow to stand till steam escapes. Open lid and beat the dal with a heavy spoon to get a smooth mixture.

Boil the vegetables with 2-3 cups of water, little salt and turmeric. Remove from stove when done.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds, broken red chilli, cloves and cinnamon. Fry for 20-30 seconds. Add the asafoetida and curry leaves followed by red chilli powder.

Add the dal an boiled vegetables to the wok. Boil for 2-3 minutes.

Add jaggery-tamarind paste. Simmer for 5-6 minutes.

Remove from flame and serve with rice.



Sunday, September 29, 2013

Berhampur Alu Chips

My husband spent his college days in Berhampore. This has turned him into a huge fan of the local cuisine. He keeps raving about the snack (Jala khia) items which he considers to be out of this world. But there was this place called 'Nandan' that he misses the most and in particular its 'Chattu' tarkari or mushroom curry and 'panner tarkari'. We have been planning to visit this place after marriage but have not found the time to do so.

One of his favorite items from the college days is the vegetable chips, crisp fried vegetables with a generous dose of sesame. Potato being the mandatory ingredient, the other vegetables that can be added are potolo (pointed gourd)/kaanada (spine gourd)/kalara (bitter gourd). However we prefer to use only the potatoes as even my little one likes it. Read on for the recipe:



















Preparation time - 20 minutes

Ingredients - 2 medium sized potatoes, 1 tsp rice flour, 1 tsp corn flour, 1 tsp besan, a pinch of turmeric, 2-3 tsp sesame, 1/5 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, salt to taste, oil for deep frying.

Preparation - Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into thin strips ( thinner than those you make for french fries ). Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add all the remaining ingredients except for oil. Mix together so that all the strips are coated properly.

Cooking - Heat oil in a deep wok.

Add the potato strips in small batches and fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes or till they turn crisp.

Remove from wok and keep on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Serve with rice or have them as snacks/starters.




















Note - This stays fresh for a few hours after frying so one can prepare it in advance if any guests are coming over for lunch/dinner.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Dahi ke Kebabs

I caught this recipe being aired on 'Khana Khazana'. Since my Little one was hollering at the same time, I might have missed a thing or two. But nonetheless the kebabs turned out fabulous. Also, this recipe does not use any onion and garlic so it can be savored any day.




















Preparation Time - 15 min

Ingredients - 200 gm hung curd, 4 tsp besan / bengal gram flour, 1 tbs chopped coriander, 1 tbs chopped ginger, 1 tbs chopped green chilli, 1 tbs coarsely ground pepper, 1 tsp powdered sugar, 2-3 tbs pomegranate seeds, salt to taste, cornflour for dusting, oil for frying.

Preparation - Take all the ingredients (except for oil and cornflour) in a mixing bowl. Mix gently into a soft dough.




































Take a small potion of the dough and shape into tikkis. As the dough will be very soft, use cornflour to dust a working surface and make into tikkis.


















Cooking - Heat a non-stick frying pan and drizzle with oil.

Place the tikkis on the pan and cook on both sides to a brown color.


















Serve hot with pudina chutney/tomato sauce.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Re-posting: Pariba Ghanta ( Dwitibahana Osa Special )

Dwitbahana Osa is a fast observed by childless women in Orissa ( Do not worry if you are unable to relate to this....this custom started centuries ago before the DINKs first appeared on the scene ) . Once a woman observes a fast, she usually continues the tradition throughout her life. The presiding deity 'Dwitibahana' is offered a variety of fresh vegetables and soaked legumes/pulses to appease him. These offerings are used to prepare 'Ghanta', an Oriya delicacy and consumed the next day by these fasting women and their families. As 'Ghanta' is usually made in huge quantities and distributed among the neighbors.

The sprouts, raw banana and raw papaya used in this preparation are rich in folic acid which is usually prescribed by doctors to women who are trying to conceive. Folic acid is also very important for the early stages of fetal developement.

'Dwitibahana Osa' is being marked on 26th September this year . Though I prepare 'Ghanta' on special occasions, this year it is going to be special as my MIL is here with us. Check out Hypercity @ Kundanahalli ( You can get chopped vegetables here ) or Total @ Murugeshpallya for the vegetables and sprouts. Since the chopping of the vegetables is the most time consuming step, try to do it the day before. Here is the recipe:


















Preparation Time - 20-25 mins ( I have excluded 30 mins required for chopping all the vegetables and grating the coconut )

Ingredients - Diced pumpkin/Kakharu ( 1 cup ), Ash gourd/Pani Kakharu ( 1/2 cup ), Raw Banana/Kancha Kadali ( 1/2 cup ), Suran/Yam/Mati Alu ( 1/2 cup ), Colocassia/Saru ( 1/2 cup ), Raw Papaya/Kancha Amruta Bhanda ( 1/2 cup ), Aubergine/Baigana ( 1/2 cup ), String beans/Jhudunga ( 1/2 cup ), Lima beans/Simba ( 1/2 cups ), Oau/Amba ( 1/2 cup ) or Desi Tomato ( 1 cup ), Ripe Cucumber/Budha kakudi ( 1 cup ), Parwal/potola ( 1/2 cup ), spine gourd/kaankada ( 1/2 cup),  Soaked and sprouted mixed pulses 4 cups ( yellow peas/matar, chick peas/kabuli chana, green moong/gota muga, bengal gram/kala chana ), 1 whole coconut ( half grated and half chopped ), turmeric ( 1 1/2 tsp ), ginger (  2 inch ), jeera-lanka gunda ( 2-3 tsp ), ghee ( 4 tbs ), dry red chilli/sukhila lanka ( 3-4 nos ), jeera ( 1 tsp ), bay leaves ( 2 nos ), garam masala ( 1/2 tsp, optional), sugar ( 4 tbs ), salt to taste.

Garnishing - 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup cashews, 4 tbs chopped coriander leaves. (optional) ( You can keep aside 2-3 tbs of the grated coconut for garnishing. )

Cooking - Put all the vegetables into one pressure cooker. Add salt and turmeric and cook for 1 whistle. Remove from flame and keep aside till steam escapes.

Put the sprouts and chopped coconut slices in to another pressure cooker. Add salt and turmeric and cook for 2 whistles. Remove from flame and keep aside till steam escapes.

Heat 2 tbs of ghee in a large wok. Add the jeera, bay leaves, broken red chilli and chopped ginger. Fry for 1 minute maximum.

Add all the sugar, boiled vegetables and sprouts.


















Mix well and cook covered for 4-5 minutes.

Add the jeera-lanka gunda and grated coconut. Mix together and remove from the flame.

Garnish with fried raisins, cashews and chopped coriander leaves. Sprinkle the remaining ghee over the ghanta.





Serve with arua (raw) rice and khatta.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Khari pakoda

Khari biscuits are a favorite with almost everyone. They are light, airy and wonderfully crispy. I usually serve them to my guests with tea ( yeah i do try to resist them....loaded with butter...u know :) ) and they disapper in minutes. But at times some are left in the cupboard for too long or maybe hubby forgot to close the container properly and they lose their flavor ( no Tupperware/LocknLock works in this case ) . I had been putting those in the dustbin till last week.

But then i heard Ranbir Kapoor singing about 'Khari pakoday' with 'nukkad ki chai' in the promos of his latest flick 'Besharam'. Voila, and a new dish was born. Initially i tried making pakoras with the broken crumbs of khari biscuit and they are ok-ok types. But then i tried to take each biscuit, pull apart the layers and then dip them into the batter individually before frying. I must say these pakoras are wonderfully crisp and totally worth the effort.



















Preparation time - 15 mins

Ingredients - Khari biscuits, oil for frying.

For the batter - 4 tbs besan, 1 tsp cornflour, 1/3 tsp jeera-lanka ( cumin-chilli ) powder, 1/3 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp coriander shoots finely chopped, 1 tsp green chilli finely chopped, salt to taste.

Preparation - Take all the ingredients for batter in a mixing bowl. Add water and make into a paste of medium consistency. Keep aside for 15-20 mins.

Cooking - Heat oil in a wok.

Take each khari biscuit and pull apart into 3-4 layers. Dip each piece into the batter and leave in the oil. Fry till light golden brown. Remove and keep on a tissue to drain excess oil.

Serve hot with tomato sauce and tea.






















Thursday, September 5, 2013

Drumstick kadhi ( Sajana Chuein kanji )

There used to be a patch of 'Khada Saga' (Amaranth) growing in our vegetable garden during my childhood days. They are perennial plants and one can harvest and eat the leaves and tender stems throughout the year. Once cut, the leaves and stems grow back in a fortnight. But during the summer months, the foliage reduces, the plants shoot up in height and start flowering. It is now time to cut and remove the main stems called 'Khada'. These make a wonderful 'kanjee', a lightly flavoured sour soup and an appetizing raee with badi and saru (colocasia).

Since i havn't been able to source and khada outside Orissa, i turned to using drumsticks for this kanjee. Though the taste is quite different, i quite enjoyed this new recipe.
















Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 2-3 drumsticks ( chopped in 2" or 3" pieces ), 1/2 cup sour yogurt, 1 tsp besan, 1-2 red chilli, 1 sprig curry leaf, 1/3 tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp oil, salt to taste, pinch of asafoetida, pinch of turmeric.

Preparation - Lightly beat the yogurt. Add besan and salt and dilute with 1 1/2 cup water.

Cooking - Boil the drumstick with a little salt and turmeric till tender. Drain all the water and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the broken red chilli and mustard seeds followed by the curry leaves and asafoetida. Add the boiled drumstick and fry for 30 seconds.

Reduce the flame and add the besan-yogurt mixture slowly while stirring continuously. Stir for 2-3 minutes and bring to boil. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes.

Serve hot with white rice.

Note - one can also add a touch of mustard garlic paste to the kanjee/kadhi. It gives a wonderful flavor.













Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Santula

Santula is one of the most popular vegetable dishes of Orissa. It is essentially a mixed vegetable preparation minus the spice which makes it easy to digest. Highly recommended for high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, constipation, ulcer and postpartum patients, it is full of nutrients and dietary fiber. It is also popular as pani(water)-santula and khira-( milk )santula.

It is also consumed on vrat/osa bara days. The onion and garlic is replaced by jeera-lanka powder and ghee is used instead of oil for the tempering. I find it to be the best way to use/cook all the leftover/excess veggis from the week and hence one can usually find it on the Friday dinner menu at my home. But for best results( read taste) prepare with fresh vegetables.





















Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients - chopped pumpkin ( 2 cups ), chopped green papaya ( 1 cup ), chopped string beans ( 1 cup ), chopped ridge gourd ( 1 cup ), green peas ( 1 cup ), boiled kabuli chana ( 1 -2 cups ), chopped spinach or any green leaves ( 1 1/2  cup), chopped raw banana ( 1 cup ), chopped potato ( 1 cup ), finely chopped onion ( 1 no., small ), garlic flakes ( 6-7 nos ), dry red chilli ( 2 nos ), salt to taste, oil ( 3 tsp ), turmeric ( 1/4 tsp ), pancha phutana ( 1/3 tsp, optional ), chopped coriander for garnish.

Cooking: Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add all the vegetables and green leaves along with salt and turmeric.

Cover with a heavy lid and cook till vegetables soften. Stir at regular intervals to avoid sticking to the bottom of the wok.

Heat the remaining oil in a tempering pan. Add the red chilli and pancha-phutana.

Follow with the onions and cook till translucent. Finally add the crushed garlic flakes. Fry for 5-10 seconds and then pour over the cooked vegetables. Garnish with coriander and remove from the flame.

Serve hot with rotis/paratha.




Friday, August 23, 2013

Rajma Chawal ( without onion and garlic )

Rajma-chawal remains one of my favorites right from my childhood days. I love this amazingly tangy curry with copious amounts of onion in it. But since it cannot be savored on certain no onion-no garlic days, I have been planning to find a way to substitute the onions. The current onion crisis which has hit us hard seemed to be the perfect excuse for some action.

I have used ginger and cumin liberally to get the desired pungency, and lots of yogurt and tomato puree for an added tang. Even the amount of chilli powder is more than I usually add .The sweetness provided by the sugar balances it out and all the flavors come together beautifully.




















Preparation Time - 30-40 mins

Ingredients - Rajma/kidney beans ( 1 1/2 cups ), yogurt ( 5-6 tbs ), tomato puree ( 5-6 tbs ), whole spices ( 1 small bay leaf, 4-5 cloves, 1 inch long cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin seeds ), ginger ( 1 1/2 inch julienned ), red chilli powder ( 1 tsp ), cumin powder ( 1 tsp ), coriander powder ( 1 tsp ), turmeric ( 1 tsp ), sugar ( 1 tsp ), oil ( 2-3 tsp ), salt to taste.

Preparation - Wash and soak the rajma overnight.

Transfer to a pressure cooker, add salt and half of the turmeric and cook for 1-2 whistles. They should be cooked but left with a little bite ( not too soft ).

Take the remaining turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder in a bowl. Add 3-4 tbs of water and make into a paste.

Beat the yogurt lightly and keep aside.

Cooking: Heat the oil in a wok. Add the whole spices and then follow with the ginger. Fry for 1-2 mins.

Add the masala paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add a little water if it is getting too dry.

Add tomato puree, sugar and salt, and cook till it thickens and darkens in color.

Add the yogurt and stir it for 3-4 minutes till it starts leaving the sides of the wok.

Finally add the boiled rajma along with 1/2 - 2/3 cup water. Allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from flame.

For the Basmati rice -

Take 1 cup of washed Basmati rice in a cooker. Add 3/4 cup milk and 1 cup of water. Sprinkle salt and 1/4 tsp of ghee over it. Close lid and cook for 10-12 minutes on a medium flame.












+



Sending this to Priya's event CWS-Cumin : August 2013 .





Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Kanika

Kanika is a fragrantly sweet pulao that is traditionally prepared in Orissa. It finds a place of pride among the 'chappan bhog' or 56 items that form part of Lord Jagannath's menu. Before the fried rice and biryani became popular in Orissa, it used to be served at all wedding feasts, picnics and family gatherings. It is stronger in flavor than a traditional pulao and also a little sweet. Usually prepared with arua chaula 'raw rice' ( one can find it outside Odisa by the names Ambebhog/GovindBhog ), one can replace it by any other aromatic rice ( Basmati for example ). Though these days it is usually prepared for offering as prasad, I have many a childhood memories of sampling it with some finger-licking mutton/chicken curry.



















Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients - Basmati rice ( 1 cup ), ghee ( 1 1/2 tsp ), raisins ( 10-12 nos), cashews ( 10-12 nos), whole spices ( 1/2 black cardamon( bada aleicha), 1 green cardamon (chotta aliecha), 1/2 inch long cinnamon ( dalchini), 2-3 cloves ( labanga), 1/4 of a mace (jaitri), 1 big bay leaf ( tejapatra) ), 1/6 tsp nutmeg powder, sugar ( 2-4 tsp ), salt to taste, 1/5 tsp turmeric.

Preparation - wash and soak rice for 1 hour. Drain all water and spread on a plate.

Sprinkle the turmeric over the moist and mix it gently with rice. Allow to dry for 1-2 hours in natural air circulation ( can also put it in the balcony but not under direct sunlight )

Cooking - Heat the ghee is a deep and thick bottomed vessel. Add the raisins and cashews. Fry till cashews swell up but do not burn them. Remove with slotted spoon and keep aside.

Add the whole spices and stir for 20 seconds. Add the dried rice and fry it gently for 3 minutes. Still better if you can gently toss it instead of stirring as with the latter one might end up with broken rice grains.

Add enough boiling water ( a little more than two cups in my case ) to cover the rice. Add salt. Allow to cook on a low to medium flame.

Stir gently at an interval of 4-5 mins. Once rice is almost done, add the sugar, nutmeg powder, cashews and raisins, and mix them gently with the rice. (Keep aside a few cashews and raisins to garnish later.)

Allow all the water to dry up. Remove from the flame.

Serve with mutton jholo or if vegetarian, go for channa dali-amba khatta.
















Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Phalahari raita

This is a fruit raita i had made on Sankranti along with some vegetable biryani( w/o the onion and garlic ). Had it been a regular day, i would have paired it with some yummy Dahi Pacchidi.

The sweetness of the pomegranate offsets the acidic sourness of the fuji apples and black grapes, and the heat of the cumin-chilli powder, bringing together all the flavours. Add some fresh mint leaves for more zing.


















Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients - fresh yogurt ( 1 cup ), chopped apple ( 2 tbs ), pomegranate seeds ( 2 tbs ), black grapes ( de-seeded & peeled, 12-14 nos ), rock salt/regular salt to taste, jeera-lanka ( roasted cumin-red chili) powder ( 1/5 tsp ), sugar ( 1 tsp, optional ).

Preparation - Take the curd in a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and beat well to remove lumps. Add salt, sugar and jeera-lanka powder. Mix well.

Add the fruits and mix them with the yogurt.

Garnish with some grapes and pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle some jeera-lanka powder on top. Serve cold.


Sunday, August 18, 2013

Chenna paratha

This is a quick paratha recipe. I had some leftover chenna in the fridge after preparing a lip-smacking 'Chenna Tarkari' for lunch. So when dinner plans were dropped at the last moment due to an unusually heavy downpour, I decided to turn it into these delicious and wholesome parathas. And i have been hooked to them ever since. Unlike other stuffed paratha recipes, this does not require boiling, peeling, mincing, chopping or grating.















Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - Whole wheat flour ( 1 1/2 cups), chenna ( 2/3 cup ), onion ( 1 small, chopped ), coriander leaves ( 1 tbs, chopped ), cumin powder ( 1/5 tsp ), red chilli powder ( 1/5 tsp ), green chilli ( 1 no, finely chopped (optional)), salt to taste, oil/ghee ( 2 tsp ), warm ghee ( 1/2 tsp ).

Preparation - Take the flour in a plate. Rub in the warm ghee. Sprinkle salt. Make a small well at the centre and add water. Mix throughly and knead into a soft dough. Keep aside for 10 mins.

Take the chenna in a mixing bowl. Add the chopped onion, green chilli, cumin powder, red chilli powder, coriander and salt. Mix well.

















Make four balls out of the dough. Roll out the balls into rotis. Divide the chenna mixture into two portions. Spread over two of the rotis.

















Cover with the remaining two rotis. Seal the sides.

Cooking- Heat a tawa. Put one paratha and cook on one side for 1 minute. Flip and add oil/ghee. Cook till done.

Repeat for the other paratha.

Note - These parathas taste equally delicious without adding onions. On the day of Osa/Vrat I make them without the onions and just add a rock salt instead of normal salt.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Bandha Kobi Muga dali tarkari ( cabbage-moong dal curry )















Preparation time: 15-20 mins

Ingredients: Cabbage ( 1 no., medium sized ), muga dali/moong dal ( 1/2 cup ), ginger ( 1/2 inch, juliennes ), cinnamon powder ( 1/4 tsp ), coriander powder ( 1 tsp ), red chilli powder ( 1 tsp ), ghee/oil ( 2 tsp ), turmeric ( 1/4 tsp), salt to taste.

Preparation: Chop the cabbage into small pieces.

Dry roast the muga dali till it gives off a faint smell.

Cooking: Transfer the muga dali along with 1 cup water, salt and turmeric into a pressure cooker and cook for 1 whistle.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the turmeric and red chilli powder masalas followed by the ginger juliennes and fry for 1 minute. Add the chopped cabbage and fry for sometime till it starts releasing water. Add the cooked muga dali at this stage and mix well.

Transfer the wok contents into a presure cooker and cook on medium flame for 1 whistle. Remove and serve hot with rice/rotis.

Note: This recipe can be had on Osa bara/ Vrats as it does not contain onion and garlic. For added flavour garnish with freshly grated coconut and coriander leaves before serving.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Paneer Bhurji ( Mashed cottage cheese )



Cooking Time Required: 15-20 mins
Cost of preparation : 40-55 rupees


Ingredients: Paneer/cottage cheese (  200 gm ), finely chopped onion ( medium, 1 no. ), finely chopped carrot ( 1/3 cup ), minced tomato ( small, 1 no. ), green chilli ( 2-3 nos ), roasted cumin-chilli powder ( 1/3 tsp ), coriander powder ( 1/3 tsp ), garam masala ( a pinch ), minced coriander leaves ( 1 tbs ), ginger garlic paste ( 1/3 tsp), oil ( 1 tsp), salt.

Cooking: Boil water in a saucepan . Add salt and paneer pieces. Boil for 3-4 mins. Drain the water and lightly mash the paneer pieces.

Heat oil in a wok. Add the onions and fry till translucent. Follow with ginger garlic paste. Fry for 3-4 mins

Add carrot, green chilli and tomato along with a little salt. Add all the spices except for coriander powder. Stir fry for 3-4 mins.

Add the mashed panner and mix well. Stir fry for 2 mins.

Remove from the wok and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with rotis/paratha/rice.

Note: This recipe can also be prepared without onion and ginger garlic paste. Add a few juliennes of ginger instead,

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Besara dia Matti Alu Bhaja ( Suran fries )
















Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins
Cost of Preparation: 30-35 Rupees


Ingredients: Matti Alu/ Suran ( 200 gm ), cooking oil ( 7-8 tsp ), salt ( to taste), turmeric ( 1/3 tsp ), soaked rice ( 2-3 tsp), mustard seeds ( 3 tsp ), green chilli ( 1-2 nos ).

Preparation: Grind the mustard seeds with the green chilli into a fine paste.

Grind the rice separately into a thin watery paste. Add a pinch of salt to this paste.

Cut the suran into 1/2 cm thick pieces. Wash throughly.

Cooking: Take the suran pieces in a wok. Add the mustard seed paste along with salt and turmeric. Pour just enough water to cover the pieces.

Cook on a medium flame for 5-6 mins till almost done. Remove from stove, drain excess water and allow to cool down.

Heat a non-stick pan. Drizzle a little oil on it.

Dip the boiled suran pieces in the rice paste and place on the pan. Fry on both sides till lightly crisp.















Serve hot with white rice.

Featured Post

Green Papaya Laddoos (SugarFree recipe)

Mom is undoubtedly the dessert specialist at home. God forbid, if she takes to blogging, she could give a lot of folks a run for their mone...