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Showing posts with label Chuda dahi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chuda dahi. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Chuda Crumble with Frozen Yogurt

Dahi Chuda. A mass of beaten rice dunked in yogurt and sweetened with some sugar or jaggery. Like most Odia dishes it is nectar for the tongue, knosh for the stomach and nirvana for the soul. And it comes with the promise of an afterglow. Yep, just like good sex, good food is supposed to give one an afterglow. Nah, I am not referring to that halo kind of thing around your head but the deliciously luminous feeling that lights up within oneself. Medically it has got something to do with release of endorphins. Go google it up if you want to find out more on this stuff!!!

While technically the dish is just supposed to be beaten rice mixed with some curd and sugar, it gets magically metamorphosed in my MIL's hands. Freshly grated coconut, some crumbled ricotta, mashed banana and even some sweetened boondi adds enough character to this dish to give the Bollywood actors a run for their money. But sadly, it lacks the kind of visual appeal that would send one's salivary glands into an overdrive. A common malady when it comes to Odia cuisine.

Hence, I picked on this yummy breakfast favorite for my next makeover. Taking inspiration from a no-bake crumble, I deconstructed the original recipe and served it as a layered treat. The bottom layer is sliced bananas and honey with a hint of cinnamon. The middle layer is beaten rice, ricotta, freshly grated coconut and sugar blended together to give it the appearance of a crumble. And the final icing on the cake or the top layer is frozen yogurt with cardamom.

While I had intended to make it like one of those 'dessert in a jar' kind of presentation, I realized at the last moment that I has already used the jar to store some pickle that I had prepared. Had to settle for a tall glass instead.

Read on for the recipe -



















Preparation Time - 10 mins ( plus 10 mins standby assuming that the frozen yogurt is readily available )

Ingredients -


  • 1/2 of a ripe banana
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 cup beaten rice/chuda/chivda
  • 2 tbsp oats
  • 2 tbsp ricotta/chenna
  • 2 tbsp freshly grated coconut
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup frozen yogurt ( cardamom flavour )


Preparation - Slice the banana and layer it at the bottom of the glass/jar. Drizzle with honey and a pinch of cinnamon.

Take the beaten rice, ricotta, grated coconut and sugar in a blender. Buzz to get a mixture that has the appearance of breadcrumbs. Pour into the glass/jar over the banana slices. Pop into the fridge for about 10 -15 mins.

Finally top it up with the frozen yogurt. Serve immediately.
























Note - Frozen yogurt is quite easy to prepare at home if you have access to good quality yogurt or Greek yogurt and some amount of patience. And best part is that you get it at almost 1/8th the price that you would have to pay outside. Will the sharing my gelatin free frozen yogurt recipe in a day or two.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Chuda Dahi (Beaten rice flakes with yogurt)

If there is one Odiya dish that will never make it to a cookbook (m keeping fingers crossed here), it is the very humble 'chuda dahi' or 'chuda chakta'. A mix of beaten rice (soaked), yogurt, ripe bananas, grated coconut (optional) ad sugar, it has been the staple breakfast option for many generations...that is till now. This inelegant dish is hardly a treat for the eyes which I believe is the only reason behind its failure to capture the nation's imagination. These days most people are being drawn to low calorie breakfast cereals and oats without even realizing that this wholesome dish is one of the healthiest breakfasts that one can have.

Beaten rice is commonly known as Poha or Chivda in India. It is a rich source of complex carbohydrates and high on the fiber content too. It is rich in iron and eleven essential vitamins too. Incidentally, this is one carb that has the amazing ability to soak up water/liquid three times of its volume thus elevating it to the status of a bulking agent (Good news for all those weight-watchers).

Five reasons why i simply love this dish :
1. It does not require cooking. Five minutes handiwork and lo....I can dig in.
2. It packs in carbohydrates, calcium (yogurt/milk) and some fruit (banana...and I do add apple sometimes) goodness too. Nutrition experts advice people to include one portion from each of the above in one's breakfast. So, its a complete breakfast in every way.
3. It is inexpensive.
4. Replace sugar with jaggery, or cut it out completely, either way it works for diabetics/weight-watchers. Ditto for the coconut. Skip if your cholesterol levels are on the higher side. For those with lactose intolerance/vegan folks , skip yogurt/milk (Add some soy milk/badam milk instead if you find it too dry).
5. It is free from preservatives. (now that is my latest obsession and the reason why I have chucked out the Read-To-Eat stuff from my kitchen cabinet)
6. It keeps me feeling full for a long time afterwards ( bless the complex carbohydrates/fiber in beaten rice ).

Read on for the recipe (Ha..ha, please excuse my calling it so):


















Preparation Time - 5 minutes

Ingredients - 1 cup beaten rice (use red one if you wish), 1 cup yogurt, 1-2 ripe bananas, 1-2 tbs fresh grated coconut, 1 tsp sugar/powdered jaggery, 1-2 tsp milk powder ( optional..but i love it).


















Preparation - Wash and soak the beaten rice. The soaking will again depend on the thickness of the flakes. ( Some varieties like Nylon chuda as not really suitable for this recipe, I prefer thick ones )

Drain all water and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add in the bananas, sugar/jaggery and milk powder. Mash everything and mix thoroughly.

Add the yogurt (some prefer milk instead...take your pick) and grated coconut and mix again.

Serve immediately . (The bananas may lead to blackening/discoloration if left to sit for sometime however it still remains fit for consumption)



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