Chattua Panaa

'Panaa Sankranti ' or 'Mahavisubha Sankranti' which falls on 14th April signals the beginning of the Oriya new year. On this day, a special drink is offered as prasad and is also widely consumed by the masses. Various regions within Odisha have their own localized version of this drink, but the two most popular ones happen to be the 'Chattu Panna' and the 'Bela Panaa'. While the former has a base of roasted gram dal (sattu in Hindi/chattua in Oriya) along with fruits, the latter is made from the pulp of the fruit of the Elephant apple tree. This tree is more commonly referred to as the 'Bel' tree and is sacred for most Hindus, particularly the Shaivites (devotees of Lord Shiva).

You might be wondering as to the timing of my post. Well, it has started getting a little hot and we are drinking a lot of juices/liquids these days. So, when it came up during a recent discussion that India has such a huge variety of drinks to offer, we tried to do a verbal recall of the stuff that we have tried till date. Now even my husband found it hard to recall that we have this 'delicious 'Panaa' to Odisha's credit. Hence an attempt to bring the focus back on this special drink that is both healthy and filling. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10 minutes

Ingredients - 3 tsp chattua ( roasted gram dal flour ), 1 small banana, 1/2 of one apple, 2 tsp yogurt, 3 tsp chenna ( panner ), 1 tsp sugar or 1.5 tsp powdered jaggery, a pinch of cardamom, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp freshly grated coconut for garnishing.

Preparation - Chop the banana and apples into small pieces. Lightly crumble the chenna/paneer.

Transfer everything into a grinder jar. Buzz for a few seconds till the sugar gets dissolved.

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

Pour into a glass and garnish with grated coconut. (Add 2-3 ice cubes if desired)

Serve immediately.

Quick Kesar Kalakand (Holi Special)

Kalakand is a classic Indian dessert that requires hours of slogging in the kitchen to prepare a single batch and undoubtedly years of practice to perfect it. But the crumbly melt-in-the-mouth goodness more than makes up for the effort. It was quite by chance that I came across this quick version of 'Kalakand' when leafing though Tarla Dalal's cookbook. First, I was not looking for a dessert. Secondly, while I had seen the recipe pics earlier, I had not even glanced at the time required to prepare it. But this time when I noticed that it would take less than 20 minutes to get a batch ready, I promptly added it to my 'Holi Special' menu.

The only thing that we need to take care of is the quality of the paneer.  It should be fresh (no frozen ones allowed) and soft ( Check out the Delhi Panner at Total Superstore or Hypercity) . Also do not overcook the mixture. I have a confession to make. I would never have dared to prepare this dessert had it not been for Tarla Dalal's recipe. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 3/4 cup finely grated paneer, 1/2 cup fresh cream, 1/4 cup sugar, 8 tbsp milk powder, 1/2 tsp cornflour, a generous pinch of saffron, 4 tbsp milk.

Preparation - Soak the saffron in 2 tbsp warm/hot milk.

Dissolve the cornflour in 2 tbsp of milk at room temperature.

Cooking - Heat a wok. Add grated panner, fresh cream, sugar and milk powder to it. Mix everything and cook on a low flame.

Add the saffron milk after 2 minutes.

Cook till the mixture starts coming together and leaving the sides of the wok. (continuous stirring is required throughout the process)

Add the cornflour mix at this time. Cook for another 2 minutes and remove from flame.

Spread uniformly on a flat vessel or thali into a layer of about 1.5 cm thickness. Keep it in the fridge for half an hour to set the mixture. Remove and cut into cubes.

Garnish with a few strands of saffron and nuts and serve.

Note - I have used Kesar or saffron as the flavoring. One can also stick to cardamon flavor as mentioned in the original recipe or experiment with a range of flavors like chocolate, mango and even pineapple.

Stuffed Dahi Vada

Another Holi special recipe from my kitchen. Dahi vadas are a hit with almost everyone. From the tiny watered down version popular in Odisha to the huge ones immersed in a thick gravy of sweet and spicy yogurt, this snack has got quite a few varieties throughout India.

I have stuffed the vadas with a potato and veggie mixture to make them more filling. Serve these dahi vadas with a hidden twist to your friends/guests. Do make some extra as they will surely be asking for seconds. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time : 20-25 mins


Ingredients: Urad dal ( 1 cup ), green chillis (chopped), onion ( 1 small, finely chopped ), curd ( 1 1/2 cup ), cumin powder ( 1/2 tsp ), red chilli powder ( 1/2 tsp ), amchur powder ( 1/3 tsp ) , baking powder ( 1/3 tsp ), semolina ( suji , 1 tbs ), black salt( kala namak ) , salt, oil ( for frying ), coriander leaves (optional ).

For the stuffing - 1 cup boiled and mashed potato, 1 cup chopped vegetables ( corn, carrots, beans, green peas, beetroot - any 2-3 will do ), 1 small onion ( finely chopped), 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/4 tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder, salt to taste, 2 tsp oil.

Preparation: Soak urad dal for 3-4 hours. Grind into a smooth paste. Add salt and allow to stand for 5-6 hours.

Add a little portion of the curd to some warm water in a mixing bowl. Add a little salt and mix well.

Cooking: Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the onions and fry till translucent.

Add the chopped vegetables along with coriander powder and fry for 3 minutes. Add the mashed potatoes along with salt and chilli powder. Cook for 3-4 minutes, add roasted cumin powder and mix well. Remove from flame and keep aside to cool down.

Take the batter in a mixing bowl. Mix the suji and baking powder into the batter.

Take water in a deep vessel. Add 3-4 tsp curd and salt.

Heat the oil in a wok.

Put a ladle of the batter on a plastic sheet ( used milk packets are ideal ). Add a spoonful of the stuffing in the center. Fold and close the plastic sheet to bring the ends of the batter togather. Carefully slide the stuffed vada  into the oil. Fry till it turns brown . Remove the fried vadas and add to the curd water.

Allow to soak for 1-2 hours.

Beat the rest of the curd in a mixing bowl with salt, cumin powder, amchur, black salt and chilli powder. Add a little water if needed.

Remove the soaked vadas from the curd water and transfer to a plate. Add the beaten curd over it. Sprinkle the onions, green chillis, coriander leaves, cumin and chilli powder over it.

Note - You can stuff the vadas with a mix of raisins and dry fruits also if you prefer a richer (and calorie high) version of the recipe.

Chettinad Veg Biriyani

So, its a Sunday. And I am back with a special recipe. But this time it happens to be a vegetarian one. The last week was a little hectic and we ended up eating out/ordering food on most days. As I have not really done much cooking, did not get the chance to prepare any non-veg dish at home.

In fact, I was wondering about my Sunday special post when I came to know that some guests would be coming over. And with them being vegetarian, I thought of making this biryani. (One pot meals like this are a life-saver when you are running short on time) Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 45 mins - 1 hour

Ingredients - Button mushroom ( 400 gm ), paneer ( 200 gm ), chopped carrot ( 1 cup ), green peas ( 1/2 cup ), chopped cauliflower ( 1 cup ), finely chopped tomato ( 2 nos, large ), thinly sliced onion ( 2 nos, large ), basmati rice ( 3 cups ), green chillis ( 3 nos ), ginger garlic paste ( 2 tbsp ), 1 cup chopped mint leaves, 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves, 6 cloves, 1 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf, 3 marathi moggu, 1 mace, 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 3 1/2 tbsp ghee, 2 tbsp oil, salt to taste.

For the marinade - 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder, 3-4 tsp (heaped Chettinad masala, salt.

Preparation - Take the yogurt, chettinad masala, salt and both chilli powders in a mixing bowl. Beat lightly so that all the spices are mixed and no lumps remain.

Clean and cut the mushrooms into half.
Transfer the mushrooms along with the chopped cauliflower, carrots and green peas into the marinade bowl. Mix thoroughly. Keep aside for 1 - 1 1/2 hour.

Chop the panner into cubes. Put into hot water in which a little salt and turmeric have been added.

Cooking - Heat the oil and 2 tbsp ghee in a wok. Add the sliced onions and slit green chillis. Fry till onions turn translucent.

Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for 4 minutes or till raw smell goes away. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric and chilli powder. Fry for 1 minute or less.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook till soft. (Cover with a lid to make it quick)

Add the chopped mint and coriander. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the marinated vegetables and cook alternately on HIGH and MEDIUM flame. The excess water from the vegetables and mushroom should evaporate but without turning them too mushy. ( a little bit of water is OK )

Add the panner 1-2 minutes before switching off the flame. Keep aside.

Wash and drain the basmati rice. Keep aside.

Heat the remaining ghee in a 5 liter pressure cooker. Add the whole spices like bay leaf, crushed cardamon, cinnamon, mace, star anise, cloves and marathi moggu. Fry for 30 seconds.

Put half of the vegetables into the pressure cooker and spread into a even layer with spatula. Layer half of the rice over it. Then put another layer of the vegetables followed by the final layer of rice. Carefully pour 3 cups of warm water over the rice and vegetables without disturbing the layers too much. Sprinkle salt and a little ghee (optional).

Close the lid and put on the weight. Cook on high for 4 minutes and then on a very low flame for 10 minutes. (You might get 2-3 whistles during this period).

Remove from flame and keep aside (undisturbed) for 20 minutes. Open and fluff the rice with a long-pronged fork.

Serve hot with a simple raita.

Note - Even when cooking in a pressure cooker, layering helps to distribute the spices and condiments uniformly throughout the rice. However if you just mix the rice and vegetables, the latter have a tendency to come to the surface after the addition of water.

Liebster award !!!!!!! (Finally)

Finally a Liebster award!!! Thank you Bhawya for nominating my blog!!!

What is Liebster Award?
“The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The Meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.”

Rules to receive this Award:

1) This is an award passed on to bloggers who have less than 200 followers. A means to identify new blogs and create more friends.
2) Thank the blogger who have passed on this award to you.
3) Answer the questions that the blogger has posted for you.
4) Identify some other new bloggers to whom you would like to pass on this award.
5) Identify some questions that you would like your fellow bloggers to answer.

Here are my answers to Bhawya's question,
1) Few words about yourself and your blog?
    Hi, I am Sweta (but most ppl know/refer me as Oriyarasoi or AuthenticOriyaFood :)..not that I mind). I am a former IT professional and mother to a boisterous 2 year old. 

It was only after my marriage that I started taking cooking seriously. I did know the basic stuff but that was it. Everytime I would think of a recipe, I had to look it up on the net. But Oriya recipes were hard to come by and i ended up calling my mother or my MIL. That made me start this blog which is mainly focussed on Oriya recipes but I do cover cuisine from other regions as well.

2) Which is your favourite food?
     Chicken and any rice dish (one pot meals basically).

3) Any dish which you haven't yet prepared but would love to prepare?
    That is a long list actually. And funnily most of the dishes have name starting from 'Chicken...' .

4) Do you have any obstacles to blogging? How did you overcome them?
     It was after the birth of my son. Without a proper support system, I hardly had time to eat and sleep. Had to take a long break from blogging at the time. But now that he is growing up and expects a lot of variety in  his meals, I am back to blogging with a bang.

5) Your inspiration?
     I know a lot of wonderful cooks so it is rather tough to pick one.

6) What was the first dish you prepared by yourself?
     Maggie (if you can actually call it a dish). It was sometime in the 6th or 7th standard.

7) The dish which you love to cook and why?
   Chicken Biriyani. I get the maximum number of requests for it and it is also widely appreciated.

8) Your signature dish?
    Stuffed Red Bell Peppers.

9) Any two recipes which you would like to try from my blog?
    Since chicken happens to make me go weak in the knees, it would be -
    Arabic Chicken Biriyani here 
    and Pepper Chicken Gravy here .

10) Some words to budding bloggers?
      Cooking is an art and takes time to master. So do not lose heart if you are having a bad day in the kitchen. And sometimes it helps to follow your instincts instead of sticking to every word mentioned in the cookbooks. But the most important is 'Taste the food at every step' so that you know how a dish is shaping up.

Coming to blogging, since it is a medium to share your/experiences recipes with others, make sure you write it down in a detailed, step by step manner.

My Nominees are

Chikku's Kitchen - http://chikkuskitchen.blogspot.in/
Merry Tummy - http://merrytummy.blogspot.in/

My Questions to Nominees are

1) Few words about yourself and your blog?
2) Which is your favourite food?
3) Any dish which you haven't yet prepared but would love to prepare?
4) Do you have any obstacles to blogging? How did you overcome them?
5) Your inspiration?
6) What was the first dish you prepared by yourself?
7) The dish which you love to cook and why?
8) Your signature dish?
9) What was the most romantic meal that you cooked/ordered ?
10) Mention a kitchen disaster that you would like to forget ?
11) Any two recipes which you would like to try from my blog (provide link)
12) Some words to budding bloggers?

Paneer - Mushroom Schezwan

This is an easy and quick vegetarian side dish that I prepared sometime back. Somehow I never got around to posting it. But this week I am not doing much cooking and so while looking to post some recipe this one popped up from the drafts. This one suits my lazy mood perfectly as it requires very less cooking time. It is the cleaning and chopping of the veggies and mushroom that takes the major chunk so if you buy some chopped veggies one can actually get this ready in less that 10 minutes.

The veggies, panner and mushroom make it one nutrition packed dish and with all those lovely colors even the kids find it difficult to resist. One can also add assorted peppers for making it more appetizing. But make sure that you cook the veggies till a little tender (for kids) as opposed to leaving it quite crunchy while serving it to guests. Also go easy on the schezwan sauce in case of the former. Read on for the recipe:

Ingredients:
For marinate : Button mushrooms ( 200 gm), Paneer cubes ( 200 gm), Capsicum ( 1 medium ), carrot ( 1 medium), french beans ( 10-12 nos ), onion ( 1 medium ), spring onions whites ( 3 tbsp, cut into strips), schezwan sauce ( 2-3 tsp), soya sauce ( 1/2 tsp ), finely cut garlic ( 1 tsp ), pepper powder ( 1/4 tsp), salt, tomato sauce ( 1 tsp ), cornflour ( 1 tsp), sugar ( 1/2 - 1 tsp ), oil ( 3 tsp ), spring onion greens for the garnishing.

Preparation: Clean the mushrooms and cut each into 4 parts. Blanch and keep aside. ( Put in hot water for
2 mins, remove and run under cold water.

Put the panner pieces in boiling water (salted) for 2 mins. Drain and keep aside.

Cut the capsicum, carrot, french beans and onion into long strips.

Take the schezwan sauce, soya sauce, pepper powder, tomato sauce, cornflour and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add 2-3 tbsp water along with a little salt. Mix well.

Cooking: Heat the oil in a frying pan.

Add garlic pieces and fry for 5-10 seconds.

Add the onions first and fry till till translucent. Next add spring onion whites, french beans and carrots. Fry for 1-2 mins on medium to high flame.

Next add the mushroom and peppers and fry for 3 minutes on a HIGH flame.

Add the contents of the mixing bowl, stir well and fry the veggies for 1-2 minutes on medium flame.

Finally add the paneer and fry for another one minute or so. (Fry less if you want a little amount of sauce to remain but if you prefer it completely dry increase the flame and cook for 1-2 minutes longer)

Garnish with finely chopped spring onion greens. Serve hot with rice or as a starter. ( If using as starter, cut the mushrooms into 2 instead of 4 halves, and keep it a little crunchy )

Thandaii Kulfi

Holi is still two weeks away but I am getting into the mood already. I guess the colors being sold in the shops nearby are influencing me along with the promise of gorging on variety of sweets/savory snacks. Though I havn't really played with water colors for a couple of years, I was crazy about it during my childhood days. Our Holi sessions would start early and extend much into the afternoon. The number of days it took to get all that color off one's skin was used as a yardstick to measure how much fun one had on the day. I remember sneaking small packets of color to school and playing with friends after the classes got over. But it was an unfortunate brush with some chemical laden colors that had me erupting all over. The pain was quite horrible and I swore never to play with water colors again.

So, now I just play a bit with Gulal or the dry color for the sake of tradition. But I more than make up for it by relishing some great food. Since everyone is so tired/thirsty playing in the sun, the snacks and refreshments served should ideally be something cool/chilled. Apart from traditional drinks like lemonade and Thandaii, dahi vada and namkeen para make for great Holi snacks. This is a modified version of the traditional 'Thandaii', albeit in the form of Kulfi. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients - 1/2 liter milk, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup fresh cream, 2 tbsp cornflour, 3-4 tsp chopped nuts, 4 tbsp thandai extract.

Preparation - Dissolve the cornflour in 1/3 cup milk ( at room temperature ). Keep aside.

Cooking - Bring the remaining milk to a boil in a heavy/thick bottomed vessel and allow to simmer till reduced to 3/4th.

Add and dissolve the sugar in it.

Now add the cornflour mix gradually with continuous stirring. Keep stirring till it thickens sufficiently (3-4 minutes would do but be careful as it has a tendency to stick of the bottom of the vessel and get burnt).

Add the nuts, switch off the flame and keep aside to cool down.

Add the thandai extract and beaten fresh cream. Beat again so that it takes on a uniform consistency and no lumps remain.

Pour into Kulfi moulds. Freeze for 6-7 hours or overnight.

For serving, immerse the kulfi moulds in water for 30 seconds, remove and rub lightly between your palms. Insert a sharp object (like a fork) and take out the kulfi. Cut into bite sized pieces and serve.

Note - Refer to my post on 'Thandaii' for making the thandaii extract.
 ( Use a slightly warm knife to be able to cut though the kulfi with ease. This gives nice sharp edges unlike the one you see in my pics. This one was taken in a hurry and I could not get around to warming my knife. Reminds one of the saying 'Practice before you speak', doesn't it ??? )

Ram Khichdi ( Kathiwadi Khichdi)

This is another recipe that I made from a Tarla Dalal cookbook. As I am into comfort food for the entire week (OK...maybe I will cook something special on the weekends), I wanted something light and nutritious for lunch. Also, it had to be palatable for my kid. While leafing though the cookbook, this recipe caught my attention. Along with the rice and pulses, it also had assorted veggies which made it a complete meal in every way.

Just tweaked the recipe a bit as per kiddo's liking and he really enjoyed it along with his favorite fryums. The final tempering done after cooking the khichidi is optional. I used it mainly as the combined flavors of the curry leaves, asafoetida and cumin resemble that of pongal, kiddo's favorite dish.

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup split moong dal, 2 cups of assorted vegetables ( cauliflower, carrot, french beans, aubergine, potato, sweet potato, green peas - use atleast 3 or 4 vegetables ), 1/2 of a small onion, whole spices ( 1 bay leaf, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves ), 2/3 tsp cumin seeds, 2 pinches garam masala, 2 pinches asafoetida, 1 green chilli, 1 red chilli, 1/4 tsp turmeric, salt to  taste, 2 tsp ghee, 3 1/2 cups of hot water.

For final tempering - 1 tsp ghee/oil, 1 sprig curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida, a pinch of carom seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds.

Preparation - Wash and soak the rice and moong dal. Was the vegetables and keep aside.

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the broken chillis along with cumin seeds and asfoetida. Follow with the whole spices and fry for 10 seconds.

Add the chopped onion and vegetables. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add turmeric and garam masala.

Add the soaked rice and moong dal (discard the water used for soaking). Mix everything well and fry for 3 minutes.

Add the hot water and close the lid. Cook for 3-4 whistles. (Again this depends on the pressure cooker and the consistency you require. For example, if you are making it for toddlers you need to cook for longer duration and so on.)

Allow steam to escape before opening lid.

Heat the oil in a small pan for the final tempering. Add cumin seeds, carom seeds, asafoetida and finally the curry leaves. Once the leaves are wilted, pour this tempering over the khichidi. Mix well.

Serve hot with raita and papad/pickle.

My 5 favorite foods for daily Detox

Detox is the process of cleansing or removing toxins and accumulated waste from the body. It has the advantage of improving immunity and resulting in higher energy levels. It also takes care of a number of minor ailments, improves the digestion process and results in better skin/hair.

While one should ideally go for a detox diet once every 3 months (this might vary from individual to individual as the amount of accumulated toxins vary in each case), some health/time constraints might prevent one from doing so. For such cases, the best option would be to include certain cleansing foods in one's diet.

These 5 foods are my favorite choice for an everyday detox. They are economical and easily available.

1. Aloe Vera juice - Start with less quantity at first. A single dose of 25 ml once or twice a day is the recommended dose for most folks.

2. Green Tea - One or two cups of green tea in a day, preferably without sugar. A little bit of honey added for sweetness is OK.

3. Garlic - Include 3 cloves of garlic in your meals twice a day. Its anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties are widely known.

4. Ginger - Add it to your tea or use generously in curries, an inch of this aromatic root is the daily recommended dose. It is known to increase feelings of satiety and prevents one from going on a binge.

5. Lemon juice - A glass of warm water with 1 tbsp lemon juice first thing in the morning, followed by another tablespoon more during the day is enough to keep your digestive system on a roll.

Tawa Rice

It has been a while since I blogged about some comfort food. I have been trying a lot of recipes lately and sharing the best of them with you. But all the effort has really tired me out and over the next week I will be taking it quite light. Simple one pot meals will be the order of the day and the first one will be this really simple Tawa fried rice which I generally make from leftover rice. While I prefer it spicy with loads of raita to counter the heat, I reduce the amount of spice and sprinkle it generously with processed cheese for my toddler. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10-12 mins (if using cooked/leftover rice)

Ingredients - 2 cups cooked rice, 1 medium sized onion finely chopped, 1 medium sized tomato finely chopped, 1/2 cup chopped capsicum, 2 tbsp yogurt, 2 tsp oil, 2 pinches of garam masala, salt to taste.

To be made into a coarse paste - 7-8 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder, 1/2 tsp chili flakes.

Cooking - Heat a non-stick tawa. Drizzle with oil.

Add the finely chopped onion and fry to light brown.

Add the garlic-chili paste and fry for 2-3 mins.
'
Add the chopped tomatoes, capsicum, yogurt and garam masala. Cook for 2 mins.

Add the rice and stir on high for 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with raita and papad/chutney.

Note - Garnish with coriander leaves and a dash of lemon juice. (Sprinkle grated Amul cheese if serving to kids)

Chichen Salna (or Chicken Chalna)

Before I ventured into blogging, I was a total stranger when it came to South Indian cuisine. Ofcourse, there was the occasional dosa, idli, uttapam and the usual accompaniments like sambhar and chutney. But that is just about the tip of the iceberg. Everything was labelled 'South Indian' with no distinctions being made between regions like Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Karnataka and Kerela, leaving no scope or mention of the diversity that exists within each region.

But the exposure that I recieved over the last 5 years has truely transformed me.  Today I know what people mean when they say that food knows no language or barriers. Now when I prepare some of these dishes at home and enjoy them, I truly appreciate and admire the people who created them. Small details like why some cuisine uses an abundance of a particular ingredient or why a curry is so laden with spices and condiments become clear when you have more insight on the lives/culture of the people belonging to that particular region. For example, the very rich and aromatic Chettinad curries owe their origin to the opulent Chettiar traders who obviously had very deep pockets to be able to afford such luxury. But the Chicken Salna in contrast was meant for the working class people and hence the sparing use of spices, a
watery consistency and sometimes the use of potatoes to add volume. (The roadside stalls obviously do not use expensive poppy seeds or cashews to thicken the gravy but instead use thickening agents like besan/cornflour).

A few years back, I could only think of a Macher Jholo/Besara or a Mutton/Chicken Kasa/Jholo when I needed to cook for a Friday dinner or a Sunday lunch. But now my repertoire of non-vegetarian dishes has only been enriched by the addition of such delicacies. Hence I feel the need to share/blog such dishes as I believe that food would win hands down as the medium of national integration (but how do we sell such an idea to our politicos who are busy playing the caste/regional card ??). Read on the recipe for my version of the Chicken Salna:

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients - 1/2 kg chicken cut into medium sized pieces, 1 large onion finely chopped, 1 small tomato finely chopped, 1 tsp GG paste, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 sprig curry leaves, 2 tbsp oil, salt to taste, fresh coriander leaves for garnishing.

For the masala paste - 5 shallots, 1 1/2 tbsp coriander roots, 1 green chilli, 4 tsp freshly grated coconut, 5-6 cashews + ( 3 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp poppy seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp peppercorns - to be dry roasted first )

Preparation - Wash and marinate the chicken pieces with salt and turmeric.

Heat a tawa or any flat bottomed vessel. Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned in the masala paste.
Allow to cool down. Transfer to a grinder cup. Grind into fine powder (as fine as possible).
Add the remaining ingredients of the masala paste along with 3-4 tsp water. Grind into a paste. (Add little more water if needed)

Cooking - Heat oil in a kadai. Add the curry leaves first and allow to crisp a bit. Then add onions and fry to a medium brown.

Add GG paste and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the marinated chicken along with chilli powder. Roast/Fry on a high flame for 4-5 minutes. Then lower flame and cover with lid till half cooked.

In the meantime, fry the tomato pieces with a little oil till it is completely mushy.

Add the cooked tomatoes to the chicken along with the masala paste. Mix well and fry on medium to high flame for 3-4 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water and adjust salt. Cook on a simmer till chicken is completely cooked through.

Serve hot with parottas/rotis or even with white rice as I did.

Note -  You can make the gravy still watery if you like, especially when having it with hot rice.