Chuda Ghasa

Some people are born privileged while others take it as a privilege to be able to stay alive ! And somewhere between these two extremities, lies a mass of humanity that takes refuge in religion.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Ratha Jatra / Bahuda celebrations that take place every year in Odisha. It is a riot of colors, cacophony of sounds, medley of emotions and melting pot of humanity as the Lord undertakes his annual journey. The mood of the crowd can only be described as sheer madness. Nothing else even comes close.

These clicks are an attempt to capture the mood of the Bahuda celebrations during which Chuda Ghasa is used as an offering. While it must be quite apparent to most of you that I am not a big fan of mood photography, I do want to learn it. More like adding a skill to the resume just because it helps you stay on your toes.

Coming back to the photos, the flowers and the leaves reflect the colors of the Nandighosa, Taladhwaja and Devadalana. The coconut is symbolic of the devotees breaking coconuts to fulfill their wishes. And the smoke depicts the aalati and dhoopa that adds a mysterious appeal to the whole atmosphere. I did miss the sound element which is also an important part of this festival, Maybe will get to work on it another day.

Read on -

Preparation Time : 20 mins


Ingredients:

• 2 cups beaten Chuda / Beaten rice / Chivda
• 1 cup finely grated coconut
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 4-5 tsp sugar
• a tiny bit of food-grade camphor
• a pinch of green cardamom powder
• a few slices of coconut

Preparation: Grind the chuda in a mixer-grinder to a coarse consistency. Transfer to a plate/ flat surface. Add the sugar and ghee.

Now comes the tough part. Rub the mixture between the fingers so that it forms a texture that resembles breadcrumbs. The ghee and sugar should get mixed evenly .



















Add the grated coconut, cardamom powder and the powdered camphor. . Sprinkle a few drops of water. Mix thoroughly .

It should not feel too dry. One can add more ghee if that is the case. Or some chopped cucumber/banana slices will also do the trick.

Consume within a day or two as the moisture content of the grated coconut makes it soggy.

Note:- Chuda ghasa is a an important part of the prasad prepared during Ganesh Puja / Saraswati puja.

Chuda ghasa is also served as a breakfast/snack item. Chuda ghasa - Buta Dalma is very popular in Puri district of Orissa.

Usually the camhor is added when it is to be used for prasad. Else one can add powdered cardamon/black pepper ( golmaricha) instead of camphor.

Enduri Pitha ( Haldi Patra pitha )

Enduri Pitha is traditionally prepared during Prathamastami or Padhuanstami, a festival during which mothers offer prayers for their firstborn. Enduri pitha is also called 'Haldi patra pitha' in Western parts of orissa, especially in Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh districts. Prathamastami also marks the day when people first start making 'Badis' . The first batch of 'Badi' is worshipped with 'Doob' grass and vermilion (sindoor). Usually, people lay badi in these winter months (November-January) and store it for usage during the entire year. This is because the low temperature and mild sun ensure that the badi dries up evenly without cracking up at places.

In some parts of Orissa, like Cuttack or the nearby areas, seven pieces of Enduri pitha are offered to the God while other areas offer seven pieces of Chakuli as the prasad. The firstborn child is decked up in new clothes, Chandan/sindoor is applied on his/her forehead and 'Aarti' is done with raw rice, doob grass, flowers and a Deepam (lamp) in our place. However other parts of the state use about five to seven leafy greens to complete this ritual.

Cooking Time Required: 30 mins
Makes 8-10 pithas.

Ingredients: Black gram ( beeri dali, 1 cup ), rice rawa 3 cups or rice 2 cups, coconut ( 1 no. ), sugar ( 5-6 tsp ), ghee ( 1 tsp ), cardamom ( 1-2 nos ), turmeric leaves ( 8-10 nos ), salt, refine oil for greasing the leaves.

Preparation: Soak the black gram for 5-6 hours. Grind into a fine paste.

Soak the rawa for 1 hour. Squeeze out excess water. Add to the gram paste along with 1/2 tsp salt. Keep overnight or 10-11 hours.

Grate the coconut or cut into big pieces and grind into a coarse paste in a grinder.

Cooking: Heat a wok. Add 1 tsp ghee. Add the cardamon powder, grated coconut and sugar. Stir fry for 5-6 mins. Remove from the wok and keep aside to cool.

Heat water in a idli maker/pressure cooker. Bring to a boil.

Wash the turmeric leaves. Add 2-3 drops of oil and smear it all over each leaf. Take a blob of the batter and spread evenly on the leaf.

Spread 2-3 tsp of the coconut over the batter.
















Fold the leaf carefully and place on the idli stand.
















Repeat the process for the remaining batter/leaves. The leaves can be stacked one over the other for 2-3 layers. Close the lid and steam for 15-20 mins. Remove from the stove.

















Remove the turmeric leaves. Serve the pitha with ghee/sugar or dalma. Sada enduri ( without the sweet stuffing ) is very popular with Mutton Jholo or Mutton Kasa.

NOTE: Usually raw rice (aruwa) is used instead of rice rawa but I sometimes use rice rawa as it is cuts down soaking time and the subsequent grinding effort. The rice to black gram proportion is kept 2:1 . Rawa is used to cut down on the overall preparation time and simplify the dish without compromising on the taste.