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Monday, January 17, 2011

Malpua


















Cooking Time Required: 20-25 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Whole wheat flour
  • 1 overripe banana 
  • 1/2 cup condensed milk 
  • 2 tsp cream 
  • 1 tsp fennel (pana mahuri)
  • oil for frying
  • pinch of baking powder
  • 1/2 cup sugar ( as per taste  )
  • milk required to get desired consistency


Preparation: Add milk, condensed milk and baking powder to the flour. Make a semi-thick paste. Allow to stand for 15 mins.

Mash the banana and add to the flour paste along with the paana mahuri.

Cooking: Heat oil in a deep wok for frying. Put spoonfuls of batter into the oil. Fry on both sides till cooked.

[Or pan fry them just as I do to reduce the number of calories consumed. They are not crispy at the edges but taste equally delicious. ]

Heat 1 cup of water. Add the sugar . Bring to a boil and allow to simmer till it turns into a light sugar syrup( do not make it very thick ).

Remove the fried malpuas from the wok and add to the sugar syrup. Soak for 10 mins.

Serve hot.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Mula Saaga





















Cooking Time Required: 30 mins
Cost of preparation: 20-25 Rupees

Ingredients: Mula saaga ( radish leaves, 200 gm ), brinjal ( small pieces, 1/2 cup ),
pumpkin ( small pieces, 1/2 cup ), saru ( colocasia, 1/2 cup ), tomatao ( 1 no., medium ),mustard paste ( 1 tsp ), dry red chillis ( 3-4 nos ), pancha-phutana ( 1/2 tsp ), garlicflakes ( 3-4 nos ), oil , salt, freshly grated coconut ( 1/3 cup ).

Preparation: Wash the mula saaga and cut into small pieces. Transfer to a pressure cooker,add salt and 3-4 cups of water. Allow to cook for 5 mins ( or 1 whistle ). Remove from fire and keep aside for steam to escape.

Drain the excess water.

Cooking: Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add all the vegetables and stir fry for 2-3 mins.

Transfer the vegetables to the pressure cooker containing the boiled saaga. Add the mustard paste and salt with 1/2 cup of water.

Cook for 1-2 whistles. Remove from fire and allow steam to escape.

Heat 3 tsp oil in a wok. Add pancha-phutana and red chillis . When the chilli darkens, add the crushed garlic flakes.

Add the boiled saaga and vegetables. Cook till the excess water evaporates.
Garnish with grated coconut. Serve with rice and dal.

Note: Boiling the mula saaga and removing the water reduces the bitterness of the mula saaga. One can skip this step depending on ones preference.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Vegetable Upma















Cooking Time Required: 15-20 mins
Cost of Preparation: 25-30 Rupees

Ingredients: Suji ( Semolina/Bombay rawa, 1 cup ), onion ( finely cut, 1 small ), Cut vegetables ( ( potatoes, beans, cauliflower, green peas ), 2 cups ), moong dal ( 2 tsp ), chana dal ( 2 tsp ), pancha-phutana ( 1/2 tsp ), red chillis ( 2-3 nos ), oil/ghee ( 3 tsp ), salt .















Preparation: Wash and keep aside.

Cooking: Heat a pan. Dry roast the semoline till it turns golden brown . Keep aside.

















Boil 2 1/2 cups of water in a saucepan.

Heat the oil/ghee in a wok. Add pancha-phutana and red chilli .Stir fry till the chilli darkens.

Add onions and fry till translucent. Add the dal and stir fry for 2 mins. Add the cut vegetables and stir fry till the vegetables are cooked .















Add the boiling water to the vegetables. Add the semoline while stirring continuously. Cook till all the water is absorbed. Cover with a lid and remove from the fire.

Keep aside for 5 mins.

Serve for breakfast with Ghuguni/dalma .

Friday, January 14, 2011

Makara Chaula


















Preparation Time Required: 15-20 mins

Ingredients:


  • 1/2 cup Raw rice (though any arua chaula will do, Sita bhoga is preferable)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
  • 1/3 cup small sugarcane pieces
  • 1-2 ripe banana
  • sugar to taste
  • 1/2 tsp pepper powder
  • 1/4 cup cottage cheese (Chenna)
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1/2 cup chopped fruits of your choice 



















Preparation: Soak the rice overnight. Wash and drain. Spread on a plate and allow to dry at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

Grind into a coarse powder and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the banana and mix well. Peel and crush the banana. Add to the mixing bowl and mix.

Consume within a day if kept outside the refrigerator. Can be refrigerated for 2-3 days.






Note: The ingredients listed above are traditionally used in Makara chaula. Some other popular ingredients are jaggery, sweet potato (peeled and grated) and jicama (sakara/chini aloo in Odia) ( also peeled and grated ).

Makara Chaula is prepared during the Makara Sankranti festival in Orissa. The rice used is preferably from the fresh harvest. There are slight variations in the ingredients depending on the regions.

Monday, January 10, 2011

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.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Dahi Maccha ( Fish cooked in Yogurt gravy )

















Cooking Time Required: 25-30 mins
Cost of preparation: 50-60 rupees

Ingredients: Fish ( Rohu/Bhakura/Mirkali, 4 pieces ), curd ( 5-6 tbs ), cumin seeds ( 1 tsp ), ginger ( 1 inch long ), garlic cloves ( 10-11 nos ), curry leaves ( 7-8 nos ), green chillis ( 3 nos ), pancha-phutana( 1/ tsp ), pithau ( rice paste, 1 tbs ), oil ( 4 tbs ), salt, turmeric.

Preparation: Grind the cumin seeds, ginger and garlic into a smooth paste with a little water.




Add a little bit of the masala paste to the fish pieces along with a little bit of salt and turmeric. Keep aside to marinate for 30 mins.



Cooking: Heat 1 tbs of oil in a frying pan. Add the marinated fish and cook lightly on both sides. Keep aside.



Heat the remaining oil in a wok. Add the pancha-phutana, curry leaves and green chillis ( slit along the length ). Stir fry for 30 secs.

Add the cumin-garlic-ginger paste with a pinch of turmeric . Cook for 3-4 mins. ( Do not overcook )



Add a little bit of water ( half cup ) to the wok to bring down the temperature before adding the curd.

Add the pithau to the curd with along with a little water. Beat for 2 mins to mix it. Add to the wok. Bring to a boil while stirring the curd gravy to prevent curdling.



Add the fried fish at this stage. Boil for 10 mins ( do not cover with lid ) on low flame to allow the fish to absorb the flavours.

Serve hot with rice.

Note:- Do not increase the flame at any point after adding the curd as it might result in curdling.

The rice paste is used to prevent the curdling.

Yogurt

Friday, January 7, 2011

Chaulaa Kheeri ( Mandira Preparation )



















Cooking Time Required: 60-80 mins
Cost of preparation: 100-110 rupees

Ingredients:


  • Fragrant rice ( 1/2 cup )
  • milk ( 1 litre )
  • ghee ( 3 tsp )
  • sugar ( 2-3 tbs )
  • cashews ( 1/2 cup )
  • salt ( a pinch )
  • cardamon ( 2 nos )
  • condensed milk ( 1/2 cup )


Cooking: Wash the rice and transfer to a pressure cooker. Add 1/4 of the milk, ghee ,sugar and salt. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 whistles. Remove from fire and allow to cool down slightly.

Boil the milk separately. Fry the cashews and keep aside.

Transfer the contents of the pressure cooker to a wok. Add boiling milk and cashews. Allow the milk to boil till it thickens ( Takes about 1 hour ). Add cardamon powder and condensed milk at the last. Cook for 2-3 more mins. Remove fom fire and allow to cool.

Garnish with finely chopped almond/cashews and serve.

Note: Boiling the milk, sugar and ghee in the pressure cooker gives a lovely brownish clour to the kheer.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Buta Dalma ( Mandira Dalma )



















Cooking Time Required: 20 mins
Cost of preparation: 35-40 rupees

Ingredients: Chana dal ( 11/2 cup ), pumpkin pieces ( 1 cup ), potatoes ( 1/2 cup ), freshly grated coconut ( 1/ cup ), roasted cumin-chilli powder ( 1 tsp ), turmeric (1/2 tsp ), salt.

For seasoning : Dry red chillis ( 3-4 nos ), cumin seeds ( 1/2 tsp ), fennel seeds ( 1/2 tsp ), asafoetida ( 1/3 tsp ), bay leaf ( optional ), ghee ( 2-3 tsp).


Cooking: Soak the chana dal for 5-6 hours. Wash and transfer to a pressure cooker, add the pumpkin and potato pieces along with 2-3 cups water (Do not add too much water as the dalma should have a thick consistency ). Add turmeric and salt. Close the lid and allow for 2-3 whistles.

Remove from fire and allow steam to escape.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the red chillis, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, bay leaf and asafoetida. Remove from the fire in 30 seconds and pour over the boiled dal. Add the chilli-cumin powder and grated coconut . Mix well. Serve with puris/ aruwa bhata.

Note:- I have used cumin-fennel for seasoning as in Mandira dalma preparation. One can use pancha-phutana instead.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Cheesy Potatoes


Cooking Time Required: 20-30 mins
Cost of Preparation: 50-60 Rupees

Makes 8-10 nos

Ingredients: Potatoes ( 2 large ), ginger garlic paste ( 1 tsp ), cumin powder ( 1/2 tsp ), red chilli powder ( 1/2 tsp ), Amul cheese cubes ( 3-4 nos ), corn flour ( 4 tbs ), besan ( gram flour, 4 tbs ), oregano ( 1/2 tsp ), pepper powder ( 1 tsp ), baking powder ( 1 pinch ), bread crumbs, salt, oil for frying.

Cooking: Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker . Keep aside to cool.

Mix the corn flour, gram flour, oregano, pepper, baking powder and salt with a little amount of water. The paste should have a thick consistency.

Peel the potaoes and mash them.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for 2 mins.

Add the mashed potato, salt, chilli powder and cumin powder. Fry till the potato leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from fire and keep aside to cool.

Grate the cheese cubes, spreading evenly over a plate. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over another plate.

Heat sufficient oil in a wok.

Shape the potato into small oblong pieces between the palm and the fingers.

Roll the pieces over the grated cheese and keep it between the two palms to allow cheese to stick firmly over the potato.

Dip the cheesy potato into the corn flour-gram flour batter. Roll it over the breadcrumbs.

Put into the hot oil . Fry till golden-brown.

Serve as a snack/starter.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Chinguri Bhajja ( Oriya Style Prawn Fry )















Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins
Cost of Preparation: 80-100 rupees

Ingredients: Small/Medium sized Prawns ( 500 gm ), cumin powder ( 1 tsp ), red chillis ( 3-4 nos ), turmeric ( 1 tsp ), garlic pods ( 6-7 nos ), green chillis ( 2-3nos ), vegetable oil ( 3 tsp ), mustard oil ( 1 tsp ), salt .

Preparation: Wash the prawns and remove the veins while keeping the shell. Add salt and turmeric, keep aside for 10-15 mins for marination.

Cooking: Heat a pan. Add the vegetable oil. When the oil starts smoking, break the red chillis into 2-3 pieces and add to the pan.

Add the marinated prawn . Sprinkle cumin powder. Stir fry till almost cooked. Do not overcook as the prawns will lose their juices and become dry.

Add the mustard oil and cook for 2-3 mins. Remove from fire.

Crush the garlic pods and green chillis and add a little bit of salt. Serve with the fried prawns.

This preparation perfectly compliments 'pakhala bhata', an oriya rice dish popularly consumed during the summer.


Shrimp

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Nadia Ambula Raee (coconut- ambula Raita)



















Cost of Preparation: 15-20 rupees
Cooking Time Required|: 10-15 mins

Ingredients: Coconut ( 1 no. ), ambulaa ( 3-4 nos ), curd/yogurt ( 1 cup ), mustard seeds ( 1 tsp ), green chilli ( 2-3 nos), curry leaves ( 2-3 nos ), cumin-chilli powder ( 1/2 tsp ), mustard paste ( 1/3 tsp ), red chillis ( 2 nos ), oil ( 1 tsp ), salt.

Preparation: Soak the ambula for 2-3 hours. Slit the green chilli into long pieces.

Grind the coconut into a fine paste . Transfer to a mixing bowl; add curd, ambula,
cumin-chilli powder, green chillis, mustard paste and salt.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the red chillis, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Pour the spluttering seeds into the mixing bowl. Mix well.

Serve with rice.

Yogurt

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