Choley and Soya Masala ( 1 tsp Oil recipe )

 IMP - Choley and Soya Masala is an original recipe created by the blogger and has been published for the first time on oriyarasoi.com.


It is not magic that makes food special. Nor it is the use of the most expensive or rare ingredients. Rather, it is that one indispensable ingredient called love and everything else that goes with it. Be it love for that someone special, for good food or even for great company, love is the driving factor behind almost every great meal. Imagine being engulfed by a feeling of inner joy when you see someone mop up every bit of that dish with great pleasure and yet take the time to carefully lick those fingers for any lingering traces of deliciousness. That's love for sure.

But then love takes on different interpretations for different folks. Without going into the intricacies of what is right or wrong T, I choose this Valentine's day to promote a bit of 'self-love'. And what better way of loving oneself than taking small steps for ensuring good health ? I am going to do just that by kicking off the ' 1 tsp oil recipe' series which will let one enjoy those favorite meals without the added guilt pangs and undesirable side effects.

The very first recipe of this series is a protein packed 'Choley and Soya Masala'. Usually people tend to associate 'choley' with copious amounts of oil, spices and some residual heartburn too. This preparation helps eliminate all that. Plus one gets the added benefit of soya protein.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30-35 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup Garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup small soya chunks
• 1 medium sized onion
• 5-6 fat garlic cloves
• 1 inch ginger
• 3 tbsp chopped coriander roots 
• 1 large tomato
• 3-4 cloves
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder ( use less or more as desired )
• 1 1/2 tsp Tata Sampann Choley Masala
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
• 1 boiled potato (optional)
• green chillis for garnishing
• onion rings for garnishing
• lemon juice (optional)

Preparation - Wash and soak the garbanzo beans overnight or for 10-12 hours.

The soya chunks can be soaked in hot water 1-2 hours prior to cooking.

Grind the onion, ginger and garlic together into a smooth paste. The tomato needs to be pureed separately.

Clean the coriander roots thoroughly and chop into very small pieces.

Cooking - Transfer the garbanzo beans to a pressure cooker. Cook with 2 cups water, salt and turmeric for 3-4 whistles. Keep aside till steam escapes.

Squeeze out the water from the soya chunks. Wash them under fresh water 2-3 times before giving a final squeeze.

Heat the oil in the pressure cooker. Add the sugar and keep the flame low.

Once the sugar starts turning light brown, add the cloves and cinnamon. Quickly add the onion, ginger and garlic paste to avoid burning the spices.

Cook till the raw smell goes off.

Now add the tomato puree and cook for 3-4 mins. Add the chili powder, Tata Sampann Choley Masala and a wee bit of turmeric. Cook for 3 mins.

Drain the garbanzo beans and transfer to the cooker along with the soya chunks. Peel the potato and cube it before adding it the contents of the cooker.

Add 1 1/2 cup hot water, salt and the chopped coriander stems before closing the lid. Let it cook for 1 whistle on a low flame.

Serve hot with a dash of lemon juice, slit green chilies and onion rings.

Goes best with rotis or even steamed rice.

Apple Peppers Walnut Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Salads and more salads !! While it was black rice a couple of weeks back, now it is the turn of salads to capture my imagination. In sync with my fitness resolutions for the current year, I am substituting a bowl of salad for lunch at least 2-3 times in a week. Chickpeas, kidney beans or even tofu is a regular addition to my salad bowl as these ingredients have a high proportion of protein.

However last week, I ended up missing lunch on one of the days. Being caught up with some work, I realized quite late that it was well past 3 in the afternoon. As I did not want to eat anything heavy so late in the day, I skipped the dal-chawal lunch that I had prepared for kiddo. A quick raid on the fridge did not yield my usual protein sources. But I had quite a few apples in stock. And there were the walnuts from goingnuts.in that had arrived the previous day. So, I whipped up a quick salad with the aforementioned ingredients, some leftover colored peppers and a balsamic vinaigrette. It turned out to be delectable and filling to the core

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time -

• 1 apple (I used Gala, cut into thin slices)
• 1 cup mixed yellow and red peppers (thin long pieces)
• A few leaves of lettuce 
• 1/2 cup walnuts

For the Balsamic vinaigrette -

• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 2 pinch black pepper
• salt to taste

Preparation - Take all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a bowl and whisk together till it forms a uniform mixture.

Toss in the apples, peppers, lettuce and walnuts in a big bowl. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette over it as per your taste.

Mix lightly and serve immediately.

Black Rice Sushi ( Welcome 2017 )

A fresh new year. New hopes. And new beginnings. Without any doubt, it is that day of the year when we are at out optimistic best. The more superstitious among us would like to put the events unfolding on this very day as the harbinger for the rest of the year. But it is important to believe that while cosmic events do influence our life, we too are an integral part of the universe. And the vibes (both positive/negative) given out by us are ultimately adding to the energies that surround us.

Apart from the 'positive thinking', 'eating healthy' happens to be one of my top resolutions for 2017. While it is true that I did not actually wait for the year to commence to get on with my resolutions, I plan to stick to it with greater diligence this year. It includes cutting down on meat and fish to introducing more of superfoods like broccoli, black rice, quinoa, chia seeds in my everyday diet. Plus there will be greater focus on native superfoods like amaranth, spinach, gooseberry, turmeric, alsi (flaxseeds) and subza(basil) .

Starting the year on a healthy note, the first post of 2017 is a super healthy 'Black Rice Sushi' with a filling of tofu, avocado, carrot and cucumber. This is one recipe that can easily be made a part of one's lunchbox. I am skipping the Nori sheets as I want to keep it completely vegan. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 35 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup sticky Black rice
• 1 small carrot (cut into long pieces)
• 1 small cucumber (cut into long pieces)
• Tofu (cut into long pieces)
• avocado (cut into long pieces)

For the Sushi rice vinegar or 'Tezu' -

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar ( use rice vinegar if you have it )
• a drops of soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp water
• 1/2 tsp honey
• salt taste

Preparation  - Soak the black rice overnight.

Steam the carrot pieces till tender.

Mix the ingredients for the 'Tezu' in a cup.

Cook the black rice till it is slightly mushy. Add the tezu and mix it in. Allow to stand till it cools down and is just bearable to touch.

Take a aluminium foil and spread some of the black rice in a rectangle shape keeping about 1 1/2 - 2 inch space from the margins.

Place the tofu and the vegetable slices in the center of the rectangle. Lightly moisten the edges of the rice.

Gently grabbing the foil from the sides and using your fingers, roll it over keeping the vegetables in the center. Roll over a few times .

Remove the aluminium foil

Take a very sharp knife, moisten it and cut the sushi into 1 1/2 inch sized pieces.

[ Do check the video at the bottom of this post to learn the tricks of making a Sushi. ]

Serve it with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.

How to roll a sushi without using a Nori sheet -

Thai Black Rice and Coconut Pudding ( Vegan Recipe )

Black rice. There is something magical about this ingredient that goes beyond it's qualities. Yes, it is highly Instagram-worthy. And cooked the right way, it can induce nothing less than a a food-orgasm. Plus it is one of the most versatile ingredients that I have worked with. Very filling and a little quantity goes a long way. Given a chance I could go on and on about my sentiments for this wonder ingredient but for now, I can just about summarize it as a mixture of love bordering on obsession.

Back to this 'Sticky Black rice and Coconut Pudding' recipe, I fell in love with the very sound of it. Caught it for the first time while surfing on television and looked up the recipe on the web. But since I had no access to black rice at that point of time, it was relegated to some corner of my memory. Only recently did it pop up once again when I was collating all the black rice dishes that I have worked on in the last few months. I realized that I had missed out on the very first dish which had triggered my interest in this wonderfully exotic ingredient.

A native Thai recipe made with the short grained glutinous black rice, I have not made any major changes to it . Except for substituting the Thai rice with another short grained variety cultivated in India. Original recipe is taken from - thekitchn.com . Don't mistake it for the Kavuni Arisi Payasam (from Chettinad) or the Amubi (from North East India ) .

Read on -

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -

• 1 cup black rice 
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup thin coconut milk
• 4 heaped teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• thin coconut slices for garnishing

Preparation - Wash and soak the black rice in 3 cups of water. Let it stand overnight.

Cooking - Transfer the soaked rice along with the soaking water and the thin coconut milk to a thick-bottomed saucepan, Bring to a boil on low heat.

Once the rice is about 3/4th done, add the brown sugar and salt. Let it simmer till all the liquid dries up. (The last 3-4 mins are crucial and one has to be careful not to burn the pudding.)

Around the same time, dry roast the coconut slices on a iron skillet. Take care to keep the heat low else they tend to burn. Once they are light brown , remove from the flame and keep aside.

Garnish with the roasted coconut slices. Serve warm.

Black Rice And Pumpkin Soup ( My experiments with Ambila )

 IMP - Black Rice And Pumpkin Soup is an original recipe created by the blogger and has been published for the first time on oriyarasoi.com.


Ambila. Sweet, sour and with a hint of chilli, this traditional soup from Odisha is a hot favorite during the winter months. It has quite a few variations in terms of the vegetables used and the choice of souring ingredient. While availability of certain ingredients is definitely an important factor, the major influence lies in the preference of the local populace. Though dried mango is the most popular souring agent used, tamarind or even sour curd is preferred by certain people. The sweetness also varies as per personal preferences. Strangely enough, the absence of any sweetening agent is enough to label it as 'Kanji', another close cousin of the ambila.

While both these traditional recipes are quite popular in my home, I picked the 'Ambila' for a makeover because of the 'sweet' component. The strong earthy flavor of black rice pairs rather well with coconut and jaggery, both of which are integral to the 'Ambila'. The deep hue (anthocyanins) of the black rice adds a whole new appeal to this traditional recipe.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 35 mins ( plus 30 mins soaking )

Ingredients - 

• 1/2 cup sliced pumpkin
• 3-4 tbsp black rice ( coarsely ground )
• 4 tsp jaggery ( or as per taste )
• 1/3 cup freshly grated coconut
• 1-2 dried mangoes pieces
• 1/2 tsp pancha phutana 
• 1-2 dry red chilis
• 1 1/2 tsp canola/rice bran oil
• a  pinch of turmeric
• salt to taste

Preparation - Soak the coarsely powdered rice for 30 mins in 1/2 cup. 

Soak the dried mango pieces separately in 1/3 cup water

Cooking - Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a deep vessel. Add the pumpkin slices along with a pinch of turmeric. Fry for 3-4 mins.

Add about 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the soaked rice and let it boil for 15 mins.

Stir in the jaggery and grated coconut. Boil for 5 mins.

Finally add the dried mango along with the water used for soaking. Adjust the salt. Keep boiling for 5 mins.

In another small pan, heat 1 tsp oil. Add the broken red chili and pancha phutana. Once it starts spluttering, pour it over the ambila.

Serve hot.

Black Rice Modak ( Sijha Manda gets a Makeover )

IMP - Black Rice Modak  is an original recipe created by the blogger and has been published for the first time on oriyarasoi.com.



In Odisha, we have a very famous proverb which goes like 'bara masa teyra parba'. It means that the number of festivals that we celebrate outnumbers even the number of months in a year. And 'pithas' are a very important part of most Odia festivals. Traditionally made with rice, they are usually stuffed with a sweet coconut / chenna filling. A 'Pitha' is not very sweet like a dessert. Since most 'pithas' are usually served with a lentil curry or even warm milk, just a hint of sweetness is enough.

Sadly, semolina (suji) or maida/atta usually replacing rice in most 'pithas' these days. As people increasing view rice as a villain which causes weight gain, rice is being edged out from these traditional recipes. But while the 'pitha' made with semolina or refined flour may taste better, it can hardly be termed as an healthy choice. Switching to a better grade of rice seemed the most plausible decision. Being a food blogger, one is not only aware of current food trends but also the nutritional values of most ingredients. Hence, when I decided to keep it healthy as well as tasty, black rice turned out to be the top contender among all other ingredients.

Sijha Manda or Sukla Manda is one of the most popular 'pithas' from Odisha. It is an integral part of all the Lakshmi pujas. It can be described as a steamed rice dumpling with a sweetened stuffing. Hardly surprising that it was one of the first few recipes that came to my mind when I wanted to experiment with black rice as an ingredient in a traditional Odia dish. 

Read on for the recipe - 

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients - 

• 1 cup black rice
• 2 tsp semolina
• 2 tbsp almond meal ( powdered almonds )
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• jaggery as per taste ( 3-4 tbsp )
• 1 tsp ghee
• 2 pinch cardamom
• 2 pinch salt

Preparation - Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour.

Strain and spread out the rice grains on a flat surface. Let it dry in the sun for 2 hours or till surface moisture is no longer perceptible. 

Grind into a fine powder.

Cooking - Boil 2 cups of water in a pan. Add the jaggery, ghee, coconut and almond meal.

Once the jaggery is completely dissolved, add the powdered rice in small batches while stirring continuously. Take care to avoid the formation of lumps.

Cook on low flame for about 10 mins. Then add the semolina and cook for another 5 mins till everything forms a tight dough. Remove and keep aside to cool it down.

Once the temperature is bearable, rub a little ghee on your hands and knead the dough for 5 mins.

Divide the dough into 10-12 portions . Give a desired shape to each portion.

Steam the dumplings for 10-15 mins.

Serve warm.

Kahwa Bubble Tea ( And the last Collab for 2016 )

'Eat clean, workout everyday and live healthy'. This just about summarizes my health resolutions for the next year. And while everyone is waiting for the clock to strike midnight on the eve of New Year for going ahead with their resolutions, I believe in doing it 'now'. Yes, my resolutions are very much 'on the floor' as I am consciously making healthy choices even as I eat out (rarely though) during this festive period. For example, just last night I opted for an 'Penne Arrabiata' instead of digging into those sinful pizzas, pies and creamy pastas that everyone was ordering. And picked a plain lime water to go with it. No soda . No sugar. Hardly a bad choice when I think about the number of calories that I avoided in one single meal. Small changes that go a long long way in one's battle against the bulge.

And since I am totally focused on the 'eat clean' goal for 2017, 'drink clean' also becomes an inseparable part of my goal by default. It is hardly possible to meet the goal of keeping one's system clean if one is guzzling up on those chemical/alcohol/sugar laden drinks. And for that sole reason, I will be sharing more about natural drinks on the blog in the coming year.

Coming back to our last collaboration ( with Parinaaz's A Dollop Of That ) for 2016, we are sharing the recipes for some celebratory drinks/mocktails that will add zing to your house parties. Skipping the alcohol, we are keeping it colorful and refreshing. My contribution is a Kahwa flavored bubble tea. Sourced from the pristine Kashmir valley, this variety of green tea is much more flavorful that the others I have tried till date. And as far as bubble teas are concerned, they are going to be the next big thing ! Don't you want to be the first one to introduce it to your guests ?

Read on -

Preparation Time - 20 mins ( plus standby time for soaking the tapioca pearls )

Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup tapioca pearls ( the bigger the better )
• 3 tsp Kahwa Green Tea ( or use regular green tea )
• a few strands of saffron
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1-2 green cardamom
• honey as per taste
• 4-5 cups water 
• edible blue color ( I used dried Aparajita flowers. also called 'clitoria ternatea' )

Preparation - Wash and soak the tapioca pearls overnight.

Take out 2 tsp of the soaked pearls and add to a saucepan along with 2 cups of water and a pinch of saffron. Boil till you get a thick gel like consistency.

Color the remaining pearls with the blue dye.

Boil 4 cups water in a saucepan along with cinnamon and cardamom. Switch off flame after 5 mins. Add the green tea and cover. Keep aside for 5 mins. Strain and let it cool down. Pop it into the fridge for 15-20 mins. Sweeten with honey as per preference.

For assembling the final drink - Place 2 tbsp of the blue pearls at the bottom of a tall glass. Top it up with the golden saffron flavored gel. Now very carefully, top it up with the chilled Kahwa tea.

Serve immediately.

Don't forget to check out another amazing drink by an awesome blogger -

Blue Mule Mocktail by Parinaaz !!

Pumpkin, Black Rice and Sun Dried Tomatoes Salad ( Christmas Special Colab )

These days there is a slight nip in the air, a certain spring in my steps, a smile on my lips and a rather familiar melody keeps playing in my head at all times of the day. And all this is making me feel more generous than ever. Little wonder that they also call Christmas as the 'season of giving'. No prizes for guessing that it is none other than 'Jingle bells' that's been on my mind all this time.

And I suspect that everyone who has been brought up in the sleepy little town of Rourkela also feels the same way about this festival. Giving the thriving numbers of the Christian community in our place, most of us were blessed to have a very special christian friend. For me, Christmas was all about hogging on cakes and more desserts at my special friend's house. And walking through the rows of shops selling all those glitzy stars and baubles! Of course living near a church and studying in a convent meant that those carols too had become an integral part of those days. No wonder Christmas makes me feel so nostalgic !

Coming back to the food, while it is the cakes, breads and pot-roasts which occupy center-stage during the Christmas festivities, the sides are equally important in my opinion as they help in balancing out the entire meal. And with the sugary stuff tipping the calorific scales, a filling salad is all I can ask for. Keeping it vegan is a personal choice though. While I prefer rice or pasta, feel free to use ricotta or feta cheese as a substitute (though I would rather not call it so as the former is carbs while the latter is all protein). And with this being a collaboration post, there are more such savory recipe ideas to help you out with a Christmas lunch/brunch/dinner.

Read on for my rather simple and yet wholesome recipe that boasts of a melange of flavors ( imagine the earthy flavor of spinach, the nuttiness of the black rice, the sweetness of the caramelized pumpkin and the tartness of the sun-dried tomatoes ) that have just been brought together in a manner that invokes sheer delight. And I bet you would calling for the seconds instead of reaching out for that rather sinful cheesecake -

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients - 

• 1 cup cubed pumpkin
• 1/3 cups black rice
• 1/2 cup spinach (blanched)
• 7-8 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 tsp EVOO
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• freshly ground pepper
• salt to taste

Preparation - Toss the pumpkin cubes with some of the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle salt and put in the oven. Roast at 180 C till it shows signs of browning / caramelization. 

Cook the black rice separately till it is cooked yet slightly firm to touch.

Mix the olive oil, honey, orange juice and remaining vinegar in a bowl.

Take the black rice, roasted pumpkin, blanched spinach, chopped sundried tomatoes in a bowl. Sprinkle the dressing all over it. Toss together.

Season with salt and ground pepper.

Serve warm. Or slightly chilled ( letting it sit in the fridge also allows the flavors to come together which makes it taste better ).

And there is more to be discovered as my amazing blogger friends share some of their delectable Christmas recipe !! Scroll down for more drool-worthy discoveries - 

Parinaaz's Mushrooms in Pepper Sauce with Herbed Rice & Roasted Potatoes

and

Saswati's Holiday salad with a honey apple cider vinaigrette

Happy gormandizing !!

Piaja Sagaw Bara ( Rustic Spring Onion fritters )

In most Odia homes, a pakhala meal calls for the inclusion of the 'Ulli piyaja' or sambar onions as they are commonly known. So, it hardly comes as a surprise that almost everyone with a vegetable patch would be found growing a batch of these flavorsome onions. They are a hardy lot requiring minimum care and even a small patch yields enough to last through the summer season when 'Pakhala' becomes the staple food of a scorched Odisha.

But it is not only the onions that are prized. Even the leaves are quite tasty and can add a lot of flavor to the dals or other mixed vegetable curries ( especially santula ).However, my favorite recipe with those greens happens to be the yummy fritters that they yield .

It is a rather unremarkable recipe that just calls for the use of a bit of rice paste that acts as the binding agent. But the taste is simply unparalleled. These fritters can be had with Pakhala or hot rice though you will definitely get tempted to bite into a few straight from the skillet. 

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 

• 2 cup chopped onion greens ( tightly packed )
• 1 small onion ( finely chopped )
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• salt to taste
• 3 tsp oil

For the rice paste -

• 1/4 cup raw rice
• 2 pinch cumin seeds
• 1 dry red chili

Preparation - Wash and soak the rice for 3-4 hours. Grind into a smooth paste along with the cumin seeds and red chili using little water.

Muddle/crush the onion greens and potatoes lightly. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add just enough of the rice paste ( 2/3 of the given quantity is enough ) to bind the greens. Sprinkle salt and the sesame seeds. Mix everything.

Cooking - Heat a thick bottomed skillet. Drizzle oil over it. 

Take about two teaspoonfuls of the spring onion mixture for each fritter and place it on the skillet. Flatten it a bit but do not spread it too thin. Let it cook on a low flame till it turns a little brown on one side.

Flip it over. Drizzle a little more oil on top. Cook to a similar brown hue.

Remove and serve immediately with hot rice or Pakhala.

Torani Kanji ( Fermented rice water and vegetable soup from Odisha )

Kanjee is one of those coolants from Odisha that also doubles up as a soup .Or maybe it is just an excuse to sample this delicious liquid goodness throughout the year !! And why not when it is available in multiple flavors. There is a pariba kanjee, khada kanjee, saga kanjee, dahi kanjee and the most delicious of all, the 'Torani Kanjee'. Hats off to the Odia ladies of yore who had the ingenuity to make delicious meals out of frugal resources !! It is tough to believe that bringing about a slight change in the ingredients can alter the taste to such an extent.

One needs to plan well in advance to prepare this dish. Water discarded from cooked rice is collected over days and stored in an earthenware pot which allows it to ferment and develop a sour taste. It is a bit of a technical process wherein we retain half of the previous day's rice water and mix it with the current day's lot after it has been cooled and diluted. It is a slow and elaborate process which is worth the wait. I still get nostalgic remembering the huge pots in which my grandmother used to brew and simmer this thing. It has a particularly strong aroma ( somewhat pungent actually ) that is sure to tickle the olfactory ducts of the neighbors. Hence the generous quantity in which is it prepared.

While one can enjoy the 'Kanjee' all around the year, the abundance of vegetables and leafy greens (especially 'kosala sagaw') during the winter months make it a must-have during the fall. There is something very soothing about sipping 'Kanjee' from a big bowl while enjoying the wintry sun. So, here is the recipe of the 'Torani Kanjee' which I got from Mom after a lot of advice and deliberation. 'Keep the torani carefully covered', 'do not let it become too stale and smelly', 'remember to throw away half of the pervious lot when you mix in the fresh one', and so on. Guess it is ingrained in a mother's psyche to keep the advise coming even after we are completely grown up.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 2-3 litres of torani (rice water)
• 1/2 cup radish slices
• 1/2 cup pumpkin pieces
• 1/4 cup green papaya slices
• 1 small eggplant ( cut into semi-circles) 
• 6-7 okra ( cut into inch long pieces
• 10-12 fat garlic cloves
• 4-5 dry red chili
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 pinch kala jeera
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 3 tsp mustard oil
• 3-4 pieces of ambula ( dried green mango )
• salt to taste

Preparation - Collect the excess water after cooking rice. Dilute it with a cup of water. 

Drop in a piece of ambula and cover the vessel with a thin cloth . Let it stand overnight.

Again collect the rice water on the next day. Dilute and allow to cool down completely. 

Throw away half of the previous day's rice water along with the ambula. Add the fresh lot along with another fresh piece of ambula. Let it stand overnight.

Repeat this process for 3-4 days. Once the torani starts to smell a bit pungent and taste sour, we can proceed for the kanjee.

Cooking - Dilute the torani with 2-3 cups water and transfer to a deep saucepan. Add salt to taste and a bit of turmeric. Bring it to a full boil. (be careful as it tends to rise and come out of the vessel )

Add the chopped vegetables to the torani. Let it boil on a medium flame till all the vegetables are cooked.

Check for salt and sourness. If it lacks enough tang, drop in 1-2 pieces of ambula.

Heat the oil in a tempering pan.  Once it starts to smoke, reduce heat. Add the broken chilis, mustard and kala jeera .Quickly follow with the crushed garlic and curry leaves. Once the garlic turns brown on the edges, pour the contents of the tempering pan over the kanjee.

Let it boil for another 2-3 mins before removing from the flame.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

It can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days .

The veggies I have used -

Black Rice Risotto ( Comfort food takes a Vegan turn )

Khichdi for the Indians. Risotto for the Italians. Comfort food can take any name but ultimately it is all about conveying the feeling of sheer happiness. The feeling of being connected to everything dear yet the euphoria of soaring in the clouds without any strings attached. That's the magic of comfort food. It makes you feel alive all over. Again and again.

And that's precisely why we go seeking for our grandmother's or mother's recipes when we are feeling low. It triggers all those childhood memories of being held in a warm embrace, being rocked to comfort and then being pampered silly with the dish of our choice. Of the phenomenal taste of all those slow cooked recipes that only love and patience can achieve. And lots of patience is what it takes to cook up a risotto. Especially when you are making it black rice.

Unlike the traditional variety that calls for the use of wine and cheese, I made one without using either. I added a touch of vinegar to get that acidity and used some almond milk towards the end for that creamy texture. Cooked it in a open shallow pan by adding just enough liquid at regular intervals. And loved the way it turned out. Nice, rich, creamy and nutty. 

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 90 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup Black rice
• 8 almonds 
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 medium sized onion
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups vegetable broth ( optional , I use water )
• salt to taste
• parsley for garnishing

Preparation - Wash and soak the black rice overnight.

Soak the almonds separately.

Peel the almonds and grind into a fine paste . Dilute with 1/2 cup water and grind for another 30 seconds. Strain the almond milk.

Cooking - Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add finely chopped onions and garlic. Saute till the onions just start to caramelize.

Add the drained rice and give it a gentle stir.

Add 1 cup broth/water along with the vinegar. Sprinkle some salt. Let it cook uncovered till the liquid is almost absorbed/evaporated.

Add another cup of liquid and let it cook. Repeat the process till the rice is mushy and the risotto looks creamy.

Add the almond milk and the coarsely ground pepper. Stir it in . Adjust the salt if required.

Remove from the flame .

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm.

Padma Nada Batibasa ( Lotus Stem Cooked in Quintessential Odia Style )

After the three days of marathon feasting ( aka Raja festival ) last week, I was in the mood for some super light vegan fare. Since pitha and ghuguni had dominated the menu for the festival, I was predictably out of vegetables. Hoping against hope, I scoured the fridge to salvage enough to drum up a simple lunch for two. An opaque container came within my reach and as I picked it up, I could feel the contents sloshing about. Now, I usually make it a habit of using transparent containers in my fridge as one can clearly see what is within them. But these cute 'keep-fresh' tabs from Tupperware were on a discount and I could not help buying half a dozen. And having run out of the transparent ones, I had used one of them to store something in the fridge.

Something ? God what could it be ? I had completely forgotten about it and as I tried hard to remember, I realized that I was having another bout of momentary amnesia. Expecting the worst, I popped it open. But got a pleasant surprise instead. It had about a cup and a half of neatly cut and thoroughly cleaned lotus stems which meant I could directly cook them. No hassles. Just what I would have wanted on a lazy day.

So, I quickly made some 'batibasa' or mustard based semi dry curry with it. The beauty of the 'batibasa' lies in its simplicity. All the ingredients are thrown together and cooked on a low flame. No stirring required. Just a bit of a mustard garlic paste, a little poppy seeds paste, some more crushed garlic, a few green chilis (if you like it hot), a spot of mustard oil, a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste are all that one needs to whip up this super easy dish.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 150 gm lotus stem
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 5 garlic flakes
• 2 green chilis
• 1 tsp mustard oil ( I used Fortune Vivo which is a blend of rice bran and sesame )
• pinch of turmeric
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp poppy seeds

Preparation - Peel the cut the lotus stem. Wash it thoroughly to remove any dirt sticking to the holes.

Grind the mustard seeds, 2 garlic flakes and 1 green chili into a smooth paste.

Soak the poppy seeds in hot water for 1-2 hours. Drain water and crush them into a light paste with a pestle or a grinding stone.

Cooking - Mix all the ingredients evenly using about 3-4 tbsp water. Put it in an oven-proof dish and pop it into the oven for 15 mins at 170 degrees.

Or put it on the stove top in a thick bottom vessel. Cook covered till tender.

Serve warm or at room temperature with steamed rice and yellow dal.

Note - Lotus stem can be cleaned and stored in water for about a week when refrigerated. 

Spiced Mango Lemonade with Basil seeds ( Vegan Mango Drink )

When it comes to mangoes and mango recipes, a mango milkshake hardly makes it to the list of my favorites. I tend to find it too sweet and heavy to digest. So, I usually stick to my aamras. But lately, the mango lemonade has been a regular on my menu. On most days, I prefer to have a swig in the hours between breakfast and lunch as my energy levels tend to dip after 12. A lemonade with honey as the sweetener is my go-to drink. However with mangoes being very much in season, I do add a bit of the pulp to my lemonade. The result is a yummy cooler with the right balance of sweetness and tang.

To spice up things a bit, I add some powdered dry ginger ( excellent for keeping the digestive system in order ) and some powdered fennel ( an excellent coolant ) to it. For added health benefits and to keep the body cool during summers, throw in about 1 tsp of soaked basil seeds (subza) into each glass and you have the perfect example of 'Health bhi Taste bhi' on your hands. Though it is a bit high on the calories, it is still loaded with nutrients (and free from additives) unlike any of the store bought coolers. Try it and you won't regret it !!

Read on for the recipe of this wonderfully delicious and healthy natural cooler -

Preparation time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup mango pulp/chunks
• juice of 1 lemon
• sugar syrup (as per taste)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 pinch dry ginger powder (saunth)
• 1 pinch fennel powder
• 1 tsp basil seeds ( soaked for 3-4 hours )

Preparation - Take the mango pulp/chunks, sugar syrup, lemon juice , dry ginger powder, fennel powder and blend till smooth. Dilute with as much water as you need.

Place the soaked basil seeds in a glass. Pour the mango lemonade gently over it. Chill for 15-20 mins, Serve.

For sugar syrup - Take 1 cup sugar and 2 cups water in a saucepan. Place it medium heat. Boil till sugar dissolves. once syrup becomes sticky, remove from flame and cool down.

Chattua Panaa ( The Vegan Version )

Panaa Sankranti or the Odia New year is marked by the consumption of the signature drink, 'Panna' . Cooling and refreshing, this traditional drink comes in many versions. Infact everyone I seem to know has their own 'secret little ingredient' for this drink. Little wonder that none of the ones I have sampled over the years has ever tasted alike.

My favorite panaa however is the 'Bael Panna', a light drink made with just 3 ingredients. Wood apple pulp, yogurt and sugar diluted with water, this has the most unique taste experience that one can come across. But since the fruit is not available easily outside Odisha, I end up making the 'Chaatua panna' or 'Aam panna' most of the times. But this summer, I have reduced my intake of the 'Aam panna' as it requires copious amounts of sugar.

With today being 'Panaa Sakranti' and me being caught up in one of those #govegan moods, I decided to try out a vegan version for the 'Chattua Panna'. Used some almond milk instead of using yogurt and chenna. And added a tiny amount of rose water to the concoction. Turned out to be super delicious and healthy too !!

Read on for recipe -

Ingredients -

• 3 tsp chattua ( roasted gram flour )
• 1 cup almond milk 
• 1 small banana
• 1/2 of one apple
• a few green grapes
• 2 tsp powdered jaggery
• a pinch of cardamom
• a few drops of rose water
• a few slices of fresh coconut 
• 1 tsp freshly grated coconut
• water to adjust the consistency

Preparation - Chop the banana and apples into small pieces.

Transfer everything (except coconut slices) into a grinder jar. Buzz for a few seconds till the jaggery gets dissolved.

Check the consistency. While it is generally kept thick, you can add a little more water if you prefer a thinner consistency.

Pour into a glass and garnish with coconut slices/grated coconut. (Add 2-3 ice cubes if you want it chilled)

Serve immediately.

Note - To prepare the almond milk, soak 1 cup almonds overnight. Next morning, discard the water and peel them. Blend on high for 3-4 mins along with 2 - 2 1/2 cups water. Strain and remove the pulp. Use the extracted milk within 3-4 days ( when refrigerated ).

The pulp can be kneaded into the dough for making rotis/puris/parathas.

Citrusy Coconut Pasta ( Vegan Pasta Recipe )

IMP - This is an original recipe created by the blogger and has been published for the first time on oriyarasoi.com. 

The twain shall meet ! And how !!

Well, my latest experiment of fusing South Indian flavors with the Italian staple aka pasta only reinforces my faith that cross-cultural marriages are not just stimulating but fraught with numerous possibilities. For example, I have always been a big fan of light summery pasta sauces that just about tickle the taste buds without ever dominating the natural taste of the pasta. And the citrus coconut combination is just that.

Keeping it vegan, I omitted the cream and instead opted for freshly squeezed coconut milk. The slight notes of garlic and curry leaf add subtle character to this sauce while the coconut milk infuses it with sweet overtones. But the best part is the uplifting citrus notes that make it the perfect pasta dish for the oppressive Indian summers.

But given that some people are not too fond of coconut, I have tested this recipe by substituting a spot of cream instead of the fresh coconut milk. And it works just as fine. Just remember to go easy on the cream as we do not want to add up on the calories.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup chifferi rigate / penne
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 2 garlic flakes (minced)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 tsp canola oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Bring 5 cups water to boil in a large saucepan. Once it gets to bubbling, add salt and then when it gets to a rolling boil, throw in the pasta. It will take about 15 mins to cook to an al-dente stage.

Once the paste is done, save a cup of the pasta water and drain the rest using a colander. Give a good shake to the colander to prevent the pasta from sticking to each other.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the minced garlic and fry till golden. Add the orange juice and lemon juice along with the honey. Cook on low flame till it thickens.

Remove from the flame. Add the coconut milk and stir it in for 1-2 mins.

Throw in the cooked pasta along with the curry leaves and chili flakes. Add about 2-3 tsp of the pasta water as it helps the sauce to stick to the pasta. Put it back on the burner and cook for 1 minute.

Remove and allow to cool down.

Serve at room temperature.