Oriyarasoi is on twitter !

Showing posts with label authentic oriya preparation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label authentic oriya preparation. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Mackarel Fish Curry ( With Mustard paste and dried mango )

Changing priorities dictates our changing preferences. From working out to eating out, nothing has been left untouched as we (my husband and me) inch towards the mid-thirties. With lifestyle diseases already taking a toll on some of our dear friends and colleagues, it could have hardly left us unaffected. Weight gain from a slowing metabolism, hyper-acidity from faulty eating habits, back ache and joint pains from the body being subjected to years of abuse, the signs of ageing slowly but surely start to manifest themselves. And hence the desire to hold on to 'youth' for a little longer. Not just to hoodwink death, even if it is for a fewer more breaths. But to live a life that is uncomplicated by health problems.

These days the workouts have become more regular and intense. Eating out has reduced drastically and even on those rare occasions, the menu is thoroughly scrutinized for healthier choices. The menu at home has not been spared either. Mutton is on the way out and fish is the preferred non-vegetarian favorite. So, it was but natural that we would start with exploring new varieties. While fish like Basa and Seer fish are undoubtedly tasty, they produce less than amazing results when prepared the traditional way. The mustard gravy is as essential part of the Odia meal and we love to stick to it also because it is lower in calories as compared to other curries. Out of the varieties that we experimented with, the Mackarel is the only one which passes the 'taste' test with flying colors. And thank god for it ! One of the richest sources of omega 3, it is one of your best bets to combat the aging process .

So, read on for this easy-to-prepare recipe -


















Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -
  • 600 gm Mackarel 
  • 1 large potato 
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 green chilis
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
  • 3 tsp mustard oil
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • salt to taste
  • juice of half lime
  • cilantro for garnishing
  • 1-2 dried mango pieces 

For the mustard paste -
  • 3 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 5-6 garlic cloves
  • 1-2 green chili


Preparation - Wash and clean the Mackarel fish.

Soak it in warm water ( 15 mins ) to which 1 tsp salt and lime juice has been added. This helps in removing the fishy odors to some extent.

Remove and pat dry with paper towel. Marinate with salt and turmeric.

Make a fine paste out of the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilis and garlic cloves.

Chop the onion in small pieces . Quarter the tomato.

Peel and dice the potatoes.

Soak the dried mango in 1/2 cup warm water.

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a non stick pan. Add the fish and fry for 6-7 min on both sides on a medium flame.

Remove and keep aside.

Now throw in the potatoes and fry till light brown. Remove and keep aside.

Add the remaining oil to the same wok. Add the mustard seeds and let them start popping. Then add the slit green chili and crushed garlic.

Once garlic turns light brown, add onion pieces. Fry to a translucent.

Then add the tomato pieces and sprinkle little salt. Cover and cook till mushy.

Add the mustard paste along with two cups of warm water. Slide in the fried fish and potatoes.

Add a little turmeric and adjust the salt. Cover with a lid and let it simmer till the potatoes are done.

Add the soaked mango pieces along with the water used for soaking. Simmer for 3-4 mins.

Remove from the flame and garnish with the chopped cilantro.

Serve hot or warm with steamed rice.


Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Ghora Pitha

Thanks to the promulgation of culinary shows, the ranks of home chefs are burgeoning in every state/city and Odisha is no exception to this phenomenon. While there are enough varieties of 'pithas' in Odisha to keep one's palate occupied, I keep coming across new ones on a regular basis. A small twist here or there, and maybe the addition of a brand new ingredient, and voila, a new one is born. And the numbers only seem to increase by the day.

On my recent visit, I was pleasantly surprised to come across one such innovation in my Mom's kitchen. Her enthusiasm to try out something new makes her create awesome dishes even though she is in her sixties. I guess the innovation genes are hardwired in the family DNA. Anyways getting back to the dish, it is a simplified form of the 'ghora manda' or 'ghura manda' that is usually prepared during the Manabasa Gurubar puja.

Read on for the recipe -





















Preparation Time - 30-35 mins

Ingredients -

  • 1 1/2 cup arwa rice
  • 1/4 cup coconut (chopped into small bits)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • sugar as per taste
  • 1 tsp ghee
  • a pinch of camphor

Preparation - Wash and soak the rice for 2-3 hours. Drain excess water and grind into a fine paste. Adjust the consistency to a flowing liquid one ( just like Chittau Pitha batter or Neer Dosa batter ).

Cooking - Slowly drain the batter into a large wok taking care to leave behind any solids (residue) in the bottom of the grinder/mixie jar. (If this residue gets into the wok, it makes the pitha grainy and spoils the overall texture.)

Add salt and sugar to the wok. Switch on the flame taking care to keep it low. Keep stirring at regular intervals so that it does not catch at the bottom. Once the mixture thickens to that of a custard ( or somewhat thicker than Ragi malt ) consistency, stir in the coconut pieces, powdered camphor and the ghee. Switch off the flame.

Pour the hot mixture onto a greased steel plate with raised sides (about and inch and a half is good). Allow it to rest till it is completely cool.

Cut into pieces and serve. Tastes better on the next day so do pop in some of it into the fridge.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Kakharu Patra Bara ( Tender Pumpkin leaf Fritters )

Pumpkin leaves or 'Kakharu patra' is one of the many greens consumed in Odisha. Though the leaves are rather coarse to touch and one might have initial misgivings about consuming them, they are quite delicious if prepared properly. While the 'Kakharu Dunka Raee' is the most popular recipe that makes use of the leaves, there are lesser known stir fries made with the tender ones.

But it was one of those days when I wanted something crispy to go with my rice and dal. And these leaves were the only thing I had in stock. Hence I ended up chopping them finely, mixing them with some garlic, onion and a binding agent to prepare some nice pan-fried fritters.

Read on for the recipe -

















Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

  • 9-10 tender pumpkin leaves
  • 1-2 small garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  • 1 small onion (finely chopped)
  • 1/5 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp besan
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • salt to taste
  • 3-4 tsp for pan frying


Preparation - Wash and shake off the excess water from the pumpkin leaves. Chop into fine pieces.

Take into a mixing bowl along with the garlic, onions, besan, cornflour, red chili powder and salt. Mix everything using a few drops of water.

Cooking - Heat a frying pan. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil all over the surface.

Take spoonfuls of the mixture on the pan and flatten into small discs. Drizzle more oil around each one.

Cook till brown spots appear on the surface. Flip them over.

Drizzle little more oil around each one. Remove them once they are crisp and done on both sides.

Serve hot with rice and dal.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Kadali Chopa Patua ( Green Banana Peel Chutney )

Yet another testimony to the culinary prowess of the Odia woman of yore, this recipe is literally making the best out of waste. Much before the Masterchefs of the tech savy world took it upon themselves to invent a gastronomic masterpiece out of kitchen wastage (peels, seeds, leaves, etc), somebody had already incorporated the idea in a lip smacking dish. Today's recipe is a simple yet amazing dish made from the discarded peel of the raw bananas.

I remember tasting this heavenly dish prepared by my grandma's friend who used to make it on a 'sila' or 'silbatta'. She used to come to our house to pluck the green bananas right from the small grove in our backyard and in return, we got to sample some of her yummy creations. It was my Mom who learnt this recipe from her. Along with the peels, one can also use the very small bananas that are right at the bottom of the bunch.

It is tough to find such fresh vegetables when one does not possess a garden or a farm. But I prefer buying the green bananas from the local vendors instead of the supermarkets for best results. Try buying ones that have a uniform green color and are free from black spots or markings.

Read on for the recipe -

















Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1 raw banana ( we will use the peels for this recipe )
  • 1 small potato ( cut into thin long pieces )
  • 1/3 tsp mustard
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1 green chili
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp mustard oil
  • salt to taste


Preparation - Peel the banana and soak the peels in a bowl of water to which a little turmeric has been added.

Grind the peel along with the mustard seeds, green chili and garlic into a smooth paste.

Peel and chop the potato into tin long pieces. Mix the banana peel paste, chopped potato, mustard oil, salt and turmeric in a thick bottomed saucepan. Add about 1/4 cup water to it.

Cooking - Put the saucepan on a low flame and let it cook till the potatoes turn mushy. Keep stirring at regular intervals so that contents at the bottom do not get burnt.

Remove from the flame.

Serve at room temperature with white rice and dal . Or enjoy along with mudhi/bhel !!






Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Talaa Pitha ( Ice Apple / Sugar Palm Fritters from Odisha )

Would you like to guess what is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the 'Talaa Pitha' which are a variety of incredibly aromatic and sweet tasting fritters. No, it is not the heavenly aroma that envelopes the entire household when they are being prepared nor it is the residual note of bitterness that lingers for a few seconds after the very last bite. Rather it is those old fashioned milk cans made from steel. The reason behind this bizarre connection is that that my grandmother used to get the sugar palm juice/extract from our native village in these milk cans. The mind certainly works in a strange fashion, doesn't it ?

Being an arthritic patient, she could not extract the juice herself as it requires a lot of effort. Hence we always got the extracted juice from our village which is a few hours distance from Rourkela. Since the sugar palm ripens during the cold winter months, the cool temperatures prevalent in the hilly regions of Western Odisha ensure that the fermentation process does not set in within a day or even two. Once the juice is cooked and made into these delicious fritters, they can be stored in air tight containers for up to a week.

I found this ripe fruit on my weekly trip to the HAL market in Marathahalli and could not resist buying one even though it cost me eighty rupees. One can get one for about 10 bucks in Odisha so it seemed rather steep at first. But the dormant foodie in me suddenly turned hyper thinking about the glorious possibilities that it could open up. And I ended up buying one. So, while a variety of dishes can be prepared using this wonderful fruit, the fritters and the poda pith happen to be my favorites. Here I am sharing the recipe for the fritters -

[This time does not include the 40-45 minutes of time required to extract the juice. Plus more time is required to boil and then cool it down completely before using it in any recipe. Refer to the process mentioned in the last section of this post.]

















Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1 cup sugar palm juice / Talaa 
  • 1 cup rice powder ( arua / jeera rice, approx as it depends on the thickness of the juice )
  • 2 tsp semolina (suji)
  • 3-4 tsp sugar (optional, the sugar palm already has loads of it )
  • oil for deep frying


Preparation - Take all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix together to get a thick but dropping consistency.

Let it stand for 10-15 mins.

Cooking - Heat sufficient oil in a wok for deep frying the fritters.

Drop a few teaspoons of the batter at a time. Fry on all sides to a rich brown shade.

Remove and keep aside.

Repeat the process for the remaining batter.

Let it cool down completely before enjoying the fritters. Keep away some of them in an airtight container as they taste even better on the next day.


















Extraction and Prepping of the juice -
  • When you buy the ripe Sugar Palm, check for one that is a little mushy when you press it.
  • Wash the outer surface and slice off the top portion.
  • Carefully peel the black fibrous outer layer and throw it away. 



  • Put 1 cup water in a deep bowl and place the orange flesh in it. Squeeze and mash it to remove the hardened seeds. Throw away these seeds.
  • Finally use a strainer to separate the juice from the fibers.




  • Put this juice in a thick bottomed pan and place it on the burner. Bring it to a bubbling stage on a low flame.
  • Let it bubble for 4-5 mins before switching off the flame. Remember to keep stirring it throughout.
  • Once it cools down completely (takes a few hours), one can use it. Boiling the juice reduces the bitter notes in it though a slight bitterness can still be detected. Add a little sugar will mask it further. 


Thursday, September 15, 2016

Sorisa Broccoli ( Broccoli in Mustard Paste )

I have often been asked "Can simple food be good enough ? We have invited so and so for the dinner/lunch". And every time the reply has been "Of course, simple will be the best. That is why they also call it soul food. It ties up one's soul to those memories embedded in some corner of the mind. It does not stop at just appealing to the senses, it goes beyond and strikes a connection at multiple levels." And that is usually enough to shut them up ! Though a few keep grumbling afterwards, it is in the best interests of one's sanity to shut out such discordant notes.

However the term soul food, which is actually African American in origin, holds different connotations for different folks. For someone like me, bred on a diet of lentils, rice and a mind boggling variety of vegetables, any meal which includes the all three qualifies as 'soul food'. The whole idea behind soul food is to evoke that feeling of emotional well-being. Without getting high. Period.

Mustard paste is the most widely used ingredient (or sauce) across Odia cuisine. It can be used to flavor anything from stir fries, curries and even a few varieties of relish. Almost every indigenous vegetable barring a few can be cooked with a flavoring of mustard paste, garlic, green/red chili and some mustard oil. The best thing about such preparations, which employ low heat, is that it retains the original flavor of the main ingredient.

However, it is a bit of a challenge to adapt new vegetables to this method of cooking. It invariably takes the trail and error route. I have tried my hand at quite a few exotic greens and some have been disasters. This post is dedicated to the lone surviver, the one that passed with flying colors and no less. The broccoli turned out to be the clear winner in this desi-fication drive. Given that it has some inherent bitterness which can get enhanced by the addition of mustard paste, I added a bit of tang to balance out the flavors.

Read on the recipe -

















Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

  • 250 gm broccoli
  • 2 tsp big mustard seeds
  • 2 dry red chili
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1-2 tsp mustard oil 
  • 2 dried amchur pieces ( or 1/3 tsp amchur )
  • salt to taste
  • 2 pinch turmeric


Preparation - Cut the broccoli into medium sized florets. Blanch and keep aside.

Make a fine paste out of the mustard seeds, garlic and red chili. Dilute with 1/2 cup water and let it stand for 10 mins.

Slowly drain off the water into another cup while retaining the solids at the bottom. Throw away these solids which can sometimes lead to a bitterness in the curry.

Soak the amchur pieces in 3-4 tbsp of hot water for 10-15 min.

Cooking - Take the blanched broccoli, mustard water, soaked amchur, turmeric, salt and 1 tsp of mustard oil in a thick bottomed casserole (small size). Mix everything together before putting it on a low flame.

Let it cook for 10-12 mins or till the broccoli is done. There should not be any excess water in the casserole.

Remove from flame.


















Drizzle with raw mustard oil just before serving at room temperature. Goes best with a simple meal of dal, rice and a salad.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Ambada/Ambeda Khatta ( Tangy Indian Olives Curry )

One of the most endearing and enduring memories of my childhood days have been those village feasts where everyone sat down on the floor to partake the meals. Served on disposable plates sewn out of dried Sal leaves (khali patra), even the simplest of meals acquired that 'wow' factor in my city bred conscience. Even as the piping hot rice was piled on the sal leaves, the aroma released by the heat was enough to set the salivary glands in a state of overdrive. A topping of dal and some random vegetable curry usually followed the rice.

However, all tongues were kept hanging in limbo for the arrival of the 'piece de resistance', if I may christen it so, of all odia feasts. The mutton curry was undoubtedly most sought after dish at these feasts. But any guesses what came a close second on my list? None other than the 'ambada khatta', a sweet and tangy relish made out of Indian olives. While, the coastal regions of Odisha swear by the 'Oau' or elephant apple, the 'ambada' is more prevalent in the Western parts of the state. Given that the mutton curry is quite spicy and laden with fat, the sweet sour nature of the 'khatta' acts as the perfect foil for it.

It had been ages since I got the chance to feast on some of this delicious stuff. Hence I was almost euphoric when I chanced upon a vendor selling them in Bengaluru. The young fruit is usually tender and one can easily split it into four halves. But the ones that I found were quite mature and hence I just ended up putting slits on their surface. They got nicely cooked in the gravy and lent their juices to it. However, the consistency was a little thinner than usual. One can mash them up a little to thicken the gravy. I was quite happy with the thin consistency so I just let it be.

Read on for the recipe -


















Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

  • 250 gm Ambada/Ambeda/Indian Olives
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp mustard 
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1-2 dry red chili
  • 3-4 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 tsp pancha phutana
  • a sprig of curry leaves
  • 2 pinch asafoetida
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tsp oil

Preparation - Dry grind the red chili, mustard and cumin seeds. Once powdered, add the garlic and a little water. Grind into a fine paste and keep aside.

If the ambada is tender, cut each one into 4 halves. Else just put 3-4 slits on the surface.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the pancha phutana and let it splutter.

Add curry leaves and asfoetida. Fry for 30 seconds before throwing in the ambada.

The ambada need to be cooked/stir fried till it turns brown and the skin is almost ready to peel off.

Now add 2 1/2 cups water, salt and turmeric. Let it simmer for a while to let the juices seep into the gravy.

Then add sugar and boil some more till it reaches the desired consistency. 

[Mash them up a bit if you want a thicker curry. However, it will also increase the sour quotient of the gravy and hence you have end up putting more sugar to balance it out]

Serve with rice and mutton curry.


















Note - This can be preserved in the fridge for a couple of days. 

Friday, September 2, 2016

Magaja Laddoo ( Ganesh Chaturthi Colab with A Dollop Of That & Delish Potpourri )

It's time to welcome home the 'Vighna Harta', the Hindu God endowed with the power to remove all obstacles. He is the God of new beginnings, of wisdom, success and prosperity. Hence for many of us, Ganesh Chaturthi is the right time to begin something new. However, the festivities surrounding this occasion vary with various parts of the country. In Odisha, it is just a one day affair whilst in states like Maharashtra, the celebrations last 10 days on such a grand scale that everything else almost comes to a standstill.

With just 3 days to for the festival, it is high time to get the grocery shopping done for the various kinds of Prasadam to be prepared on the day. Except for the perishables, which of course have to wait for the last day. Different regions swear by their own version of the elephant God's favorite. But 'Laddoos' are onething that remain a constant. Almost every image of Ganesha is depicted with a laddoo in his hand or a plateful of these placed right in front of him.

Hence, my special recipe for this day had to be some kind of a laddoo. And I finalized on the 'Magaja Laddoo' or'Atta laddoo', which is quite popular in Odisha. When I was a child, these laddoos were made by my grandmother who absolutely adored them. She used to dot them with roasted charoli seeds and the combination of flavors was just heavenly. These are a specialty of the cold winter months when the hilly regions of Odisha can turn quite cold. As expected, quite a bit of ghee goes into the making of these laddoos which are said to keep the body warm.

My version of these laddoos is however low in ghee. And I have further fortified their nutritional quotient by adding powdered almonds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, charoli and pumpkin seeds.

Do not forget to scroll down to the bottom of this post for more amazing laddoo recipes from my blogger friends !!

Read on for the recipe -


















Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients -


  • 2 cups whole wheat atta (flour)
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tsp flax seeds
  • 2 tsp charoli 
  • 2 tsp pumpkin seeds
  • 10-12 almonds
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup ghee
  • 2-3 cloves (powdered)
  • 1 green cardamom (powdered)


Preparation - Dry roast the sesame seeds, flax seeds, charoli, pumpkin seeds and almonds separately.

Keep them aside to cool down. Transfer all these nuts into a mixer jar (chutney jar is fine) and powder them. Do not overdo the grinding as these the natural oils tend to seep out.

Cooking - Dry roast the whole wheat atta on a very low flame on a skillet. Gradually it will start turning a few shades darker and giving off a heavenly aroma.

At this stage, add the ghee, powdered nuts and sugar . Cook for a while to bring everything together.

Finally sprinkle the powdered cardamom and cloves. Mix in and remove from the flame.

Let it cool a little till it becomes bearable to touch. Take small amounts of the mixture and press tightly to bind them into laddoos. Shape them while they are still warm as they tend to be fragile and difficult to mold once cooled down.































Store in airtight containers once completely cool. Stays fresh for over two weeks.

That's not all !! Check out these fabulous recipes -






















Parinaaz's Dink Che Laddoo / Dry Fruit Laddoo with edible gum

And























Saswati's Carrot Cottage Cheese Truffles / Gajar Paneer ke Laddoo !!

Once again, wishing everyone "A very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi " !!

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Chattua ( Happy Janmashtami And a Tale of True Friendship )

Krishna and Sudama. Childhood friends separated over the years. The chasm in their bond thought to have widened given their disparate fortunes. But staying true to the tradition of true friendship, they did not let anything get in their way. The impoverished Sudama did not let his ego hinder him from paying a visit to his old friend who had reached the stature of a King. Nor did Krishna show any signs of an inflated self-image when he embraced the former with open arms.

No words were exchanged as to the actual purpose of Sudama's visit. And yet Krishna understood his friend's plight. The once penniless Brahmin finds himself as the owner of a palatial house on his return. Krishna did not give him occasion to lavish praise for that would have created an imbalance in their relationship. Such is the beauty of friendship. It is rightly said that we cannot choose our birth but we are free to choose our friends. So, choose wisely.

By now most of you would be wondering about the connection between this beautiful story and my recipe. Ok, let me give you a hint. One of the important components of this recipe is something that Sudama had taken as a gift when he went to visit Krishna. Bingo! It's beaten rice which is also known as pohe/avalakki/chuda in various parts of the country.

Chattua ideally refers to roasted Bengal gram flour. In large parts of Odisha, it is consumed as a porridge mixed with milk and sugar. But these days, a special kind of Chattua has overtaken the older version. A mix of roasted gram, beaten rice, cashews, milk powder, glucose biscuits and sugar goes into the making of this one. Some versions also include roasted wheat, ragi and other grains to boost the health benefits. Here is my version of 'Chattua' that I usually make in small quantities and keep in a small jar within my reach. Two to three spoonfuls is guaranteed to take care of those unwanted hunger pangs. At the same time, it can also be eaten in the regular manner with warm milk.

Read on -

















Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -
  • 2/3 cup beaten rice
  • 2/3 cup roasted bengal gram
  • 1/4 cup cashews ( substitute with almond and walnut to make it healthy )
  • 1 tbsp flaxseeds
  • 1 tbsp sugar ( depends on taste so I skip adding it in mine )
  • 6-7 glucose biscuits (any brand)
  • 2 tbsp milk powder (any brand)

















Preparation -  Heat a skillet. Dry roast the beaten rice till it turns crisp. Remove and keep aside till it cools down.

Add the cashews to the same skillet. Roast till they darken faintly. Remove and keep aside till cool.

Finally add the flaxseeds to the skillet. Once they start popping remove and keep aside till cool.

Take all the ingredients in a mixer jar and grind into a powder of medium consistency.

Store in a airtight container and consume within 1-2 weeks.

















To consume as a porridge, add about 1/2 cup of this powdered mixture to 1 cup of warm milk.

















Note - Chattua can be used as a substitute of Cerelac for children older than 1 year. I have also tried the same recipe with my kid. He was ok with it till he grew bored with the porridge stuff and wanted something chew-able. 

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Five Must-Try Desserts from Odisha ( Rakshabandhan Special )

It's sibling bonding time yet again. The rakhis have been purchased and even dispatched via courier for those staying away from each other. The pooja thalis are all but ready. Even the return gifts have been ordered (online in most cases to facilitate easy exchange). With the stage all set for the Rakshabandhan festivities tomorrow, it time to finalize the menu for the celebrations.

And desserts happen to be the sweetest way to seal this bond of love. Take your pick from one of these fabulous desserts originating from Odisha. Spend a little time and energy to make it at home instead of going for the store bought stuff. I bet the smile on your brother's face will be worth the effort .

Here we go -



















1. Pahala Rasgulla - Though a little low on sweetness, these delicious and melt in the mouth rasgullas are seriously addictive.

















2. Kheeri (Kheer) - Slow cooked on a low flame for a couple of hours (atleast 2 hrs), it's silken sweetness is guaranteed to engulf one's senses.

















3. Chenna Payas - The silken texture of thickened milk juxtaposed with succulent pieces of paneer, this dessert is great when paired with fruits !!


















4. Rasmalai - Luscious balls of paneer soaked in decadently flavored milk, this is one dessert that is fit to be on a royal menu !!


















5. Chenna Poda - This burnt cheesecake is unique to Odisha and is tough to find in the other cities of India. Try replicating it at home if you are feeling nostalgic.

Friday, July 15, 2016

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 -


Monday, July 4, 2016

Panasa Manjee Raee ( Jackfruit seeds in a traditional mustard-garlic preparation )

Have had enough of the sweet succulent jackfruit flesh ? Well, then it is right time to embrace yet another produce of the jackfruit tree. Those big white seeds that we tend to throw away are perfectly edible and are considered a delicacy in several parts of the country. In fact, the seeds are carefully harvested, cleaned and dried in the sun to be stored and consumed over the next few months. And having grown up in Odisha, I have eaten quite a few curries and fries that have jackfruit seeds as a ingredient. Apart from the sorisa bhaja, masala bhaja, raee and just the plain roasted ones prepared in a wood fired/coal fired stove, it has a propensity of making it's way into just about every vegetarian dish. No wonder I cannot get it out of my head even if I have practically given up on ripe jackfruits ( for some reason, I find it overpoweringly sweet these days ).

Last weekend on a trip to the HAL market in Bengaluru, I chanced upon a lady selling these yummy seeds. I brought half a kilo and even though it was a Sunday ( obligatory non-vegetarian day in our kitchen ), quickly prepared this delicious curry with about one third of them. Very simple and frugal, one just needs some Badi ( urad dal vadi ) apart from the regular ingredients from one's pantry. While I choose to call it a 'Raee' because of the ingredients used, it is almost dry in consistency and hence often considered as a 'bhaja'.

Read on for the recipe -



















Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients - 

  • 150 gm jackfruit seeds
  • 4-5 urad dal Badi
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1 dry red chili
  • 1 green chili
  • 2 pinch turmeric powder
  • 3 tsp oil
  • dash of mustard oil for final garnish
  • cilantro for garnishing
  • salt to taste

Preparation - Remove the outer white layer of the jackfruit seeds. Wash them.

Chop each one into small pieces.

Make a fine paste out of the mustard seeds, red chili and garlic. Dilute the paste with 1 cup of water and let it stand undisturbed. 

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the Badi and fry on low flame to a golden brown. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Add another 2 tsp of oil to the same wok. Add the chopped jackfruit seeds. Stir fry for about 2-3 mins.

Carefully drain the water from the cup containing the mustard paste into the wok. The black residue part should be left behind in the cup. 

Add turmeric and salt to taste. Cook covered till 3/4th done.

Crush the fried badis and add to the wok. Let it cook till all the excess water evaporates.

Finally mix in the mustard oil, chopped green chili and cilantro. Remove from the flame.

Serve it at room temperature with some steamed rice and yellow dal. Enjoy !!






Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Sijha (Muan) Pitha ( And A Happy Raja to All )

The swings have sprung up all over the city. The latest Odia blockbusters are also out. Malls look all spruced up. Ongoing sales have the people coming out of their home in droves. Pretty girls are everywhere to be seen. And there is even a 'Raja Queen' contest to anoint the prettiest amongst them. That's the typical scene in Bhubaneshwar or even the smaller towns and cities of Coastal Odisha during Raja, the 3 day festival that is celebrated in honor of Mother Earth. Being one of the rare festivals that celebrate menstruation, the three days signal a period of complete rest from physical labor ( in accordance with what Ayurveda prescribes and not what marketeers of the extra absorbent winged protection and menstruation cups would like us to believe ) and eating to one's heart content.

Now for a scene from a typical Odia household that boasts of a hell raiser (aka a teenager). Makeup. Check. New outfits. Check. A spring in the step. Check. Pitha. Skip. "It's so loaded with calories", being the most common refrain with teenagers who are turning weight conscious. "What ? Do these teens think that KFC and their ilk fry chicken in water ?", I want to shout back. But then I already know the answers. As do these people.

But then, some wise Odia lady of yore was obviously thinking ahead of her time as she lovingly doled out pithas to her extended family. The humble pitha or the traditional Odia snack ( both sweet and savoury ) comes in a dazzling array of shapes, sizes and flavors. And thankfully, all of them are not ghee-guzzling entities that could give nightmares to any fitness freak. Or for that matter, any individual who believes in a moderate diet. The 'Muan Pitha' or 'Sijha Pitha' is just one among them. A steamed savoury delight with just the right amount of sweetened roasted coconut stuffed into it, it is usually eaten with a yellow peas curry or Ghuguni.

The traditional method of preparing one is to tie a piece of clean cloth over the mouth of a wide vessel containing water. A thick batter is poured over the cloth, covered with a lid and steamed till it is cooked. But I have employed the steamer attachment of a rice cooker to prepare this Pitha with almost identical results. Plus, it is minus the mess caused by the traditional one.

Read on for the recipe -



















Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -



  • 1 cup urad dal ( skinless )
  • 2 cups rice
  • 2 cups freshly grated coconut
  • 1/2 cup powdred jaggery ( as par taste )
  • 2 green cardamom ( powdered )
  • 1 tsp black pepper ( powdered )
  • 1 1/2 tsp ghee
  • salt to taste


Preparation - Soak the rice and urad dal overnight. Wash and grind into a fine paste the next morning. Allow to ferment for 10 hours or so depending on the climate. 

Season the batter with salt just before steaming the pitha.

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a wok. Add the coconut and roast till it starts getting a little brown.

Add the powdered jaggery and cook till jaggery melts and coats the coconut evenly. Finally add the powdered spices,mix in and switch off the flame.


















Grease a steamer pan with ghee . Pour a layer of batter about 1 cm thick. Spread a layer of the sweetened roasted coconut over it and finally cover it with another layer of the batter.


















Boil water in the main pan. Place the steamer pan over it and close lid. Let it steam for about 15-20 mins.

Switch off the rice cooker/steamer. Remove the steamer attachment carefully. Let it cool down for a while before you cut the pitha into pieces of desired size.

















Serve with a curry of your choice.





Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Badi Chura ( Revisiting those memories of communal living )

"Living like chickens packed into a coop yet so much disconnected from each other. I miss living in Rourkela", I mentioned to Mom in one of my everyday rants. As most people in Bangalore, I too live in a closed society where I barely get to know the person living next door. One just about manages a shadow of a smile when one bumps into a familiar face in the common areas. Of course there are the occasional 'Hi's' and 'hello's' and the once in a year gathering at the kid's B'day party. But that just about sums up the level of socializing with one's neighbors.

Coming back to the conversation I was having with my Mom, it all started when she mentioned laying a small batch of 'Badi's' or lentil dumplings which are sun dried and stored for usage throughout the year. It kind of took me by surprise as I had always known Mom to make these huge batches that involved soaking and grinding up to 3-4 kg of black lentils or 'biri'. The terrace would be swept/washed clean, a large number of bamboo mats would be spread out over the area and old cotton sarees/ bedsheets ( sanitized ones ofcourse ) would be placed over the mats. Ladies from 3- 4 neighboring houses would pack off the kids and husbands, and then gather at one particular house. They usually made teams of two. Working furiously, they would lay 'badis' of various sizes and seasonings ( rasi, kakharu manjee, badam, khaee ) over the sheets. It usually took 2-3 hours to finish a particularly big lot. Once done, they would sit back and relax over tea and a long conversation. Finally, they would decide the house and the date for laying the next lot before taking leave. 

I happened to remind Mom about this ritual which has remained fresh in my memory despite the intervening years. In response to my query, she sighed sadly and smiled at the same time. If you have grown up looking at someone for the major part of your life, you can instinctively pick up the slightest nuances in their voices. Even when separated by a distance of over a thousand kilometers. "Most of your aunties are in Bangalore or abroad. They have gone there to look after their grandchildren as both the parents happen to be working. And now I am too old to manage a large batch all by myself", she told me. Whether it was my conscience working overtime or did I just pick up a hint of an accusation in her voice ? "Four years of engineering and six years of work experience with one of the top MNC's , and yet she chooses to give it up to look after a kid ? What a waste !", I could almost hear my relatives and neighbors telling her. 

It is no easy job to bring up a kid. And in no way is it any less satisfying. I am proud to be a hands-on Mom but a little bit of encouragement from the family never hurts. It felt bad momentarily but then I chose to focus on the latter part of her statement. If she did not have the energy to manage laying a big batch of 'badis', how could she have managed a toddler with incredibly high energy levels ? I regularly encounter old people picking and dropping off their grand kids at school. I can feel their sadness which comes from missing the easy camaraderie with which they have spent the better part of their lives. I can sense their hunger to strike a conversation with anyone who has the time to spare. Sadly, time is a luxury that most working people cannot afford to spare. And that includes their very own children. But I stopped myself from bringing it up at the last moment. I could not add to the sense of sadness that she already felt.

Today, when I was making some badi chura for lunch, I could not help but recall this bit of conversation. So much has changed over the years. 'Badi' making has moved out of our homes and has now become a small scale industry  as these days most people buy their stock of 'badis' from the markets. And slowly even the 'badi' is being edged out of the regular Odia menu by new and more innovative recipes.

Sharing a simple and very tasty 'Badi Chura' recipe with a view to keep the traditional 'authentic odiya food' alive -



















Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -
  • 1 cup Badi
  • 1/2 of a medium sized onion
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 2-3 green chilis
  • a sprig of cilantro
  • a dash of mustard oil
  • salt to taste
  • more oil for frying the badis



Preparation - Heat a skillet. Drizzle oil over it and add the badis. Fry on low heat they they turn golden with a few brown spots.

Once done, remove and keep aside to cool down.

Take the crisp badis and crush then lightly using any heavy object. Keep aside.

Chop the onions, garlic and green chilis into small pieces. Crush together. Finally add the crushed badis to it. Sprinkle salt and mustard oil. Crush a little more as you mix everything together.















Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately to prevent it from turning soggy.

Note - One can also use the chutney jar from one's mixer grinder to crush everything together. But that gives a different taste and texture. 

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Poi Besara ( Fish Head and greens curry from Odisha )

The scorching summers in Odisha are fiery enough to bleach, burn and obliterate most greens from one's backyard garden. But one creeper that is not only capable of withstanding this heat but thriving in it, is the Malabar spinach or 'Poi'. I vividly remember watering most plants twice a day during the summers, once early in the morning and another time during the evening, just to enable them to survive the wrath of the sun God. But this dark green plant seemed oblivious to the misery of it's fellow plants as it continued to grow at a vigorous rate and bloom. That is, inspite of the regular plucking of the leaves and the tender stem. With the vegetable supply dwindling down during summers, the Malabar spinach was a much needed addition to the summer menu.

One of my favorite curries with Malabar spinach was a frugal but delicious fish head curry. To quell the sibling rebellion over who would get the choicest bit of the fish, aka the head, my grandmother would fry the bit, crush it to bits and fry it up again. This would be made into a curry with malabar spinach, some pumpkin, potato and any other veggie one would find at the time. Instead of the heavy onion-garlic-ginger paste that goes into the chencheda, this one would be spiced with an ultra light mustard-garlic-chili paste.

Read on for the recipe - 


















Preparation Time - 30-35 mins

Ingredients -

  • 2 medium sized potatoes ( cut into small cubes )
  • 1 cup pumpkin ( cut into small cubes )
  • 1 cup Malabar spinach stems ( slit into 2 )
  • 2 cups malabar spinach leaves ( shredded)
  • 1 large Rohu/Catla fish head 
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 10 garlic cloves
  • 2 dry red chilis ( use for if you want it hot )
  • 5-6 tsp oil
  • salt to taste
  • 1/5 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp mustard seeds for tempering
  • a pinch of nigella seeds ( kala jeera)

Preparation - Wash and marinate the fish head with salt and a little turmeric.

Make a fine paste out of the 2 tsp mustard seeds, half of the garlic cloves and red chilis. Dissolve this paste in 1 cup water and keep aside.

Crush the remaining garlic. Chop the onion into medium sized pieces.

Cooking - Heat 3 tsp oil in a wok. Add the fish head and fry it.

Once it looks browned on all sides, remove it and crush it with a heavy object. Add it back to the wok and fry to a crisp on a low flame.

At the same time as you start cooking the fish, heat the remaining oil in another wok. Add the mustard, nigella seeds and crushed garlic. Once they turn fragrant, add the onion. Fry to a translucent.

Add the potato, pumpkin and malabar spinach stems. Sprinkle salt over the veggies and let them cook for 6-7 mins on medium flame.

Finally add the malabar spinach leaves and toss on high for 2 mins.

Now carefully pour the mustard paste water over the vegetables taking care to leave the solid residue in the cup .( The solid portion can make the curry bitter )

Add another cup of water and adjust the salt. Cook covered till all the vegetables are done, especially the malabar spinach stems which take long time to cook.

Once most of the water is gone, add the crisp fish head bits to the curry. Mix and remove immediately from flame.

Serve hot with white rice and dal / pakhala. 

















Note - If you do not have fish head, this can be made using other parts of the fish. But with fish head, the taste is best.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Chingudi - Kakharu Manjee Checcha ( A blend of toasted shrimp and pumpkin seeds )

Nirvana. Jannat. Bliss. I could barely utter these words as I experienced the explosion of flavors on my tongue. The nuttiness of the toasted pumpkin seeds, the sweetness of the shrimp, the heat from the green chilis, the tang from the tomato, the freshness of cilantro and oh, just that hint of garlic. The coming together of all these elements had just awakened my senses. Ah, at last I was having a good decent odia meal. It felt quite liberating and exhilaratig to leave behind the almost sterile bhajas (fries) and the tarkaris ( curries). Poda (burnt/grilled), chakta(mashed) or checcha(crushed) is what captures the essence of Odia cuisine. And this amazing chingudi - kakharu manjee checcha just reinforces that belief !!

Read on for the recipe -


















Preparation Time : 10-15 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1/2 cups baby shrimp ( chuna chingudi)
  • 1/2 cup kakharu manjee (pumpkin seeds)
  • 1/2 of a small tomato
  • 2 garlic flakes
  • 1 green chillis
  • 2 tsp mustard oil
  • 2 tsp chopped onion
  • 2 tsp chopped cilantro
  • Salt to taste


Preparation: Wash and clean the prawns.

Chop the onion, garlic and green chilli into small pieces.

Cooking: Heat 1 tsp of oil in a wok. Add the prawn and fry on low to medium flame till crispy.
Remove and keep aside.


Add 1 tsp oil in the same wok. Add the pumpkin seeds and toast for 3 mins.
Remove from the wok.

Transfer the shrimps and the pumpkin seeds into a mixer/blender jar. Add the onions, garlic, cilnatro and green chillis. Sprinkle a few drops of mustard oil and salt. Give a quick buzz. ( Or you can do it the traditional way using a heavy mortar and pestle. )

Chingudi - Kakharu majee Checcha is ready .

Serve with pakhala/ rice .


















Shrimp

Featured Post

Green Papaya Laddoos (SugarFree recipe)

Mom is undoubtedly the dessert specialist at home. God forbid, if she takes to blogging, she could give a lot of folks a run for their mone...