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Sunday, June 24, 2012

Chinguri Checcha ( Mashed Prawns )





Cost of Preparation: 80-90 Rupees


Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins



Ingredients: Prawns ( 250 gms ), Garlic pods (7-8 nos ), onion ( 1 no., small ), green chilli ( 1 no ), mustard oil ( 1 tsp ), turmeric ( 1/5 tsp), salt to taste, oil for cooking.


Preparation: Wash and clean the prawns. Do not remove the shell. Add salt and turmeric and mix well.


Cooking: Heat a pan. Add 2-3 tsp oil.

Add the prawns and fry them on medium flame for 5-6 mins.

Allow to cool down a bit and remove the shells.

Transfer to a grinder jar along with the onion pieces, garlic pods, green chilli and a pinch of salt. Grind into a coarse paste. Add the mustard oil to this paste and mix well.

Serve along with white rice.

Chittau Pitha

Made with rice and coconut, the Chittau pitha is a beautifully perforated dish from Odisha that reminds one of the appams. The usage of black lentil is optional though with some people avoiding it altogether. If black lentil is added it is called ' Biri Chittau'.  Addition of black lentil can also be avoided during the summers or in a hot climate as itcauses rapid fermentation and makes the batter sour.






Cooking Time Required: 30-35 mins

Ingredients: Raw rice/ arua ( 4 cups ), coconut ( 1 no ), salt to taste, oil for cooking.


Preparation: Wash and soak the rice for 4-5 hours. Drain and transfer to the mixie jar.

Break the coconut and cut into small pieces.

Add the coconut pieces to the same mixie jar. Grind into a fine and watery paste.


Keep aside for 2-3 hours to allow for fermentation in hot weather. 5-6 hours is needed for cold weather.


Cooking: Heat a thick bottomed wok ( kadai ). Add a little oil .


Add salt to the batter and mix well. Pour sufficient batter into the wok to form a

thick pancake.


















Cover with a lid. Take a wet cloth and put around the rim of the lid.( OR sprinkle

water along the sides of the wok )



















Allow to cook on a low flame for 5-6 minutes ( Do not flip over ).



















Remove from the wok.


Note: Chitta pitha is cooked on one side only and remains soft on the other side. Its

distinguishing feature is the presence of tiny holes all over its surface.
















Any guesses as to the best way of devouring these piping hot beauties ???









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.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Piaja Sandha Bhaja ( Onion flower stalk fry )


















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

Ingredients: Piaja Sandha/Onion flowers stalks ( 1 bunches ), potato ( 1 no, medium
sized ), dry red chillis ( 2-3 nos.), roasted cumin-chilli powder ( 1/3 tsp ), turmeric ( 2-3 pinch ), salt to taste, vegetable oil ( 3-4 tsp ), pancha phutana ( 1/2 tsp ).

Preparation: Wash and cut the onion flower stalks into inch sized pieces.

Wash and cut the potato into small pieces so that both vegetables can cook togather.

Cooking: Heat a non-stick pan. Drizzle a little oil. Turn the flame to high.

Add the broken red chillis and pancha-phutana. Allow seeds to crackle.

Add the potato and onion stalk pieces. Sprinkle turmeric and salt. Mix well and cook
covered for 8-10 mins. Stir occasionally so that the vegetables do not stick to the pan.

Sprinkle the chilli-cumin powder, mix well and remove from the stove.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.















In a slight variation of this recipe, swap the pancha phutana with mustard seeds and add 1 tsp of mustard paste (diluted with 1-2 tbsp of water) towards the end of the cooking. Once this liquid is absorbed, swap the roasted cumin chili powder with fried and crushed urad dal badis. Remove from the flame and serve immediately to retain the crunch provided by the badis.





















Onions flower stalks are available twice a year in most markets in Odisha, first during the early winter and then during late spring. They make a wonderful side dish with Pakhala too.


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Kakharu Phula Bara ( Pumpkin Flower Fries )

We Odias will eat anything as long as it is sourced from a plant. Not that we do not eat non-vegetarian food. We do with utmost delight. But are very fastidious about it. Certain cuts of meat will never ever make it to our dining tables and the same holds true for a variety of salt-water fishes. But when it comes to a plant based diet, we will happily munch on the fruits, flowers, leaves, stems and even the roots of certain plants.

The 'Kakharu phula' or the pumpkin leaf is considered to be quite a delicacy in Odisha. But interestingly, it is only the male flowers that are plucked for consumption. The female flowers are always left behind on the creepers to develop into fruits.

Read on for the recipe of 'Kakharu Phula bara' -



















Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins

Ingredients  -


  • 20 nos Kakharu phula/Pumpkin flowers
  • 2-3 nos dry red chillis
  • 1/3 tsp cumin seeds
  • 5-6 tsp rice
  • 1 tsp besan
  • salt to taste
  • 3-4 tsp of any vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp freshly grated coconut ( optional ) 

Preparation - 



















Remove all the parts of the flowers except for the petals. Wash them gently and pat dry with a paper towel.

Soak the rice in a cup of warm water for about 2-3 hours.

Wash and grind the soaked rice along with the cumin, red chili and coconut into a smooth paste of medium consistency. Add the besan to this paste and mix it well.

Cooking: Heat a non-stick pan. Drizzle/spray a little oil.

Hold two of the pumpkin flowers together ( or you can do this with individual flowers too ) and dip into the batter. Put it on the pan.

Repeat with the remaining flowers.

Cook on one side till crisp and reddish. Flip over, spray a little oil and cook the other side till reddish in color .

Serve hot with rice as a side dish.


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Papad Tarkari ( Popadom curry )
















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

Ingredients: Yogurt ( 1/2 cup ), medium sized boiled potato ( 1 no ), green chillis ( 2-3 nos), chopped coriander stems ( 1 tbs ), mustard seeds ( 1/3 tsp ), mustard powder ( 1/5 tsp ), oil ( 3 tsp ), garlic flakes ( 2 nos ), fried and broken papad/papadom ( 1 cup), coriander leaves for garnishing, salt ( to taste).

Preparation: Peel and cut the potato into cubes.

Chop/slit the green chillis and completely crush the garlic flakes.

Add salt to the curd/yogurt in a mixing bowl along with 1/2 cup of water. Whisk it till no lumps remain.

Cooking: Heat the oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds followed by the crushed garlic, green chillis and chopped coriander stem. Stir fry for 30 secs.

Add the potato cubes to the wok. Fry for 2-3 mins. Switch off the flame and allow to
stand for 1 minute.















Add the whisked yogurt to the wok while stirring continuously. Do this for 2 mins.

Switch over to a low flame, add the mustard powder and continue stirring till the
contents come to a boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes.















Add the papad pieces at this stage and switch off the flame.















Garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately with plain white rice.

Note: I prefer using the Lijjat Urad dal papads for this recipe.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Fish head with baby potatoes and dried lentil dumplings

A very basic curry made with crushed fish head and potatoes, this one is symbolic of the very essence of Odia cuisine. Practicing frugality and making the most out of the scarce resources, the Odia women in rural areas come up with the most ingenious recipes to feed their families. This one for example used just the fish head (and also tail in some cases) with a large quantity of potatoes and onions. The abundance of potatoes make it somewhat sweeter in taste than the regular mustard gravies. The fat in the fish head melts and permeates the curry to give it that undeniably awesome flavor.


















Cooking Time Required: 15-20 mins


Ingredients -

  • 1 no. Maccha munda/Fish head 
  • 1 tsp mustard-garlic paste
  • 1 mediu sized onion 
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 
  • 10-12 baby potatoes / 1 large potato (if baby potatoes are not available)
  • 2 nos dry red chili/green chilli 
  • 8-9 nos boris/dried lentil dumpings ( optional )
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 3-4 tsp vegetable oil ( mustard oil is preferable )



Preparation: Clean the fish head thoroughly. Add salt and turmeric and keep aside for 15 mins. (Any large sized freshwater fish weighing 1 kg or more will do.)

Wash and cut the onion into chunks. Cut the baby potatoes into two.

Cooking: Deep fry the fish head till crispy, crush nicely and keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a wok. Fry the boris/lentil dumplings to a reddish color and remove from the wok.

Add the remaining oil followed by the mustard seeds and broken red chillis . Allow seeds to crackle.

Add the onion chunks and stir fry till translucent. Add the baby potatoes at this stage and fry for 3-4 mins. Add the crushed fish head along with 1 cup of water, mustard-garlic paste, salt and turmeric . Bring to a boil.

Allow to simmer for 5-6 mins while stirring at intervals. Remove from fire, add the fried boris and keep aside for 10 mins.

Serve with rice and dal.

















Note: Add 2 green chillis while making the mustard-garlic paste for upping the spice
content.



















This is an old photo where I have used baby potatoes. For an added twist, this recipe is also prepared with dried/smoked fish.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Coffee and orange flavoured French Crepes















Cooking Time Required: 15-20 mins
Cost of Preparation: 30-35 Rupees

Ingredients: Whole wheat flour ( 1/2 cup ), egg ( 1 no. ), milk ( 3/4 th cup ), cooking butter ( 3 tsp ), sugar ( 2 tsp ), salt ( a pinch ), baking powder ( 1/5 tsp ), grated orange rind ( 1/4 tsp ), coffee powder ( 1/4 tsp ), orange marmalade ( 2-3 tbs ).

Preparation: Break the egg in a bowl. Beat well. Add the milk, sugar, coffee powder, grated orange rind and salt. Beat for 2 mins.

Sift the flour with the baking powder. Add to the beaten egg and milk. Melt 2 tsp of butter and add to it. Beat for 4-5 mins.

Cooking: Heat a small frying pan to a low temperature. Add a few drops of oil/butter. Rub with a cloth to spread uniformly without leaving excess greasiness.

Take 2 tbs of the batter and tilt the pan to spread uniformly.

Cook for 40-45 secs on either side and remove from pan.

Spread a thick/thin layer ( as per taste ) of orange marmalade all over the pancakes
and twist into a tight roll. Cut up into bite sized pieces and serve immediately.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Masala Papad Cones















Cooking Time Required: 10-12 mins
Cost of preparation: 10-15 rupees

Ingredients: Boiled potato ( 1 small ), Lijjat papad ( 1 no ), chopped coriander ( 1
tbs ), chopped ripe tomato ( 2 tbs ), red chilli flakes ( 1/3 tsp ), lemon juice ( few drops ), olive oil ( 1/5 tsp ), roasted sesame seeds ( 1/2 tsp ), salt ( to taste), any vegetable oil for deep frying.

Preparation: Peel and cut the potato into very small pieces. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add all the ingredients except for the papad and oil . Mix well.
















Cooking: Heat sufficient amount of oil in a deep wok.

Cut the papad into 4 pieces (quarters) and roll each piece into a cone shape. Hold the shape with the help of a pair of tongs and dip into hot oil for 20-25 secs.

Remove fried papad from wok and keep on a blotting paper/paper napkin. Allow to cool
for 5 mins.
















Stuff the prepared mixture into the papad cone.

Garnish with coriander leaves and chilli flakes and serve immediately.

Note: Use fresh papads for best results. I used a packet which was opened a month back and the papads turned a little brittle.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Muga Dali-Piaja Patra Tarkari ( Moong dal-Spring Onion curry )

















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

Ingredients: Muga dali/moong dal ( 1 cup ), spring onions ( 200-250 gm ), dry red
chillis ( 2-3 nos.), pancha-phutana ( 1 tsp), garlic flakes ( 5-6 nos), turmeric (2-3 pinch ), salt to taste, any vegetable oil ( 3-4 tsp ) .

Preparation: Wash the spring onions and drain excess water. Cut into inch long pieces.

Dry roast the moong dal till it gives off a sweet fragrance.

Cooking: Wash and transfer the moong dal to a pressure cooker. Add salt, turmeric and 2 cups of water. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 whistles.

Remove from the stove and allow steam to escape. Lightly mash the dal.

Add the spring onions to the mashed dal and cook on medium flame for 4-5 mins.

Heat oil in a wok. Add the pancha phutana and broken red chillis. Crush the garlic
flakes lightly and add to the spluttering seeds. Fry for 10-20 secs.

Pour the contents of the wok over the dal and spring onions. Close the lid and simmer for 2 mins.

Serve hot with white rice/rotis.

Note: Reduce/increase the water content depending on whether you are planning to have it as a curry or dal.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Dahi Pacchadi ( Apple & coconut raita )



















Cooking Time Required: 10-12 mins
Cost of preparation: 25-30 rupees

Ingredients: Yogurt ( 1 cup ), apple ( 1 no ), freshly grated coconut ( 1 cup ), green chillis ( 2-3 nos), pudina/mint leaves ( a handful ), amba ada/mango ginger ( 1 inch ), black salt ( kala namak, 1/5 tsp ), jeera-lanka ( cumin-chilli ) powder ( 1/5 tsp ), oil ( 1 tsp ), mustard seeds ( 1/5 tsp ), chopped graped ( 1/3 cup), sugar ( 1 tsp), salt ( to taste).

Preparation: Cut the apple into small pieces (preferably like matchsticks).

Crush the mint leaves and extract the juice. Crush amba ada and green chillis. Keep aside.

Take the yogurt in a mixing bowl. Add jeera-lanka powder, amba ada, green chillis, mint juice, sugar, black salt and salt along with 3-4 tbs water. Beat well.

Add the apple pieces and grated coconut to the mixing bowl with required amount of water and mix well.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds to it. Pour the spluttering seeds over the contents of the mixing bowl. Garnish with chopped grapes. ( Optional: Few mint leaves can also be added to the garnish )

Serve as a side-dish with any non-vegetarian/vegetarian meal.

Note: Mango ginger is a herb of the turmeric family. It has a mild mango flavour with notes of ginger. Used for tempering dals, raita, chutneys and pickles.

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