Coconut Cucumber And Radish Raita

During the winter months when tons of radish floods the local markets, most folks find a way to include this wonderful vegetable into their everyday menu. Be it the North Indian Muli ka paratha or the spicy stir fried version in South India, every state has its own special radish dish. Folks in Odisha like to add it to their Kanji ( a light soup ), have it crushed and mixed with lime juice as a salad and also as a glorious raita with coconut added to mellow down the strong radish flavour. I have simply modified this recipe by adding some cucumber and also a hint of mustard. The end result is a very light and refreshing recipe that is the perfect complement to any meal ( especially ones that feature a rich gravy dish ).

Read on -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup grated radish
• 1 cup grated cucumber
• 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
• 1 1/2 cup yogurt
• 2/3 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• 2 dry red chilis
• 1 tsp mustard paste ( use less if you are not used to the pungency or use yellow instead of black mustard )
• salt to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp oil

Preparation - Take the yogurt in a mixing bowl. Add salt and mustard paste. Beat it lightly to break the lumps.

Squeeze out water from the radish and cucumber. Add to the mixing bowl along with the coconut.

Cooking - Heat oil in a tempering pan. Add the mustard seeds, broken red chili and curry leaves. Once it starts spluttering, pour it over the contents of the mixing bowl.

Mix well. Add a little water if you want a thinner consistency.

Serve immediately or chill for 15 mins before serving.

Note - Consume on the same day.

The Dalma-niac Soup !! ( Traditional Dalma gets a mad makeover )

There are certain days when the 'makeover' madness takes hold of me and just refuses to let go. I try giving a makeover to everything, either living or non-living, that comes within a few feet radius of me. Not everything that is affected by my Midas touch turns out to be gold and I often end up deleting/discarding/reverting my genius stroke. And in the unfortunate event of there being a certain kind of permanency to my spur-of-the-moment actions, I learn to live with the taunts that come my ways for a not so inconsiderable period.

However, this is one of my more successful experiments which helped me banish ( or to be more honest, just reduce ) rice from my diet to a certain extent. For the uninitiated, Dalma is lentils cooked with a medley of veggies, and tempered with red chilis, ghee, cumin and coconut. I have turned this into a full bodied soup that is guaranteed to banish all hunger pangs.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup split yellow moong dal
• 1 tsp arwa/jeera/gobindoghog/basmati rice
• 2 cups mixed veggies ( raw papaya, pumpkin, potato, carrot, tomato/green mango )
• 1/2 tsp roasted cumin-chili powder
• 2-3 tsp coconut milk / freshly grated coconut for the garnish
• 1/2 tsp ghee
• salt to taste
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 inch cinnamon
• 2 dry red chili

Preparation - Dry roast lentil and rice till they turn fragrant.

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the broken red chili and spices.

Wash the rice and lentils . Transfer to the same pressure cooker with 2 1/2 cup water. Add the washed veggies, salt and turmeric. Close lid and cook for 2-3 whistles.

Keep aside till steam escapes. Open lid and puree the contents with the help of a hand blender.

Put it back on the flame and add the coconut milk. Let it simmer for 3 mins.

Remove from flame and pour into soup bowls. Garnish with the roasted cumin-chili  powder.

Serve immediately.

Note - Dalma, ghee and arwa chawal is like one sacrosanct trinity and hence I have included all the there elements in the soup. However the other two, i.e., the coconut (sweetness) and cumin-chili powder (pungency) can be omitted (though not recommended) or adjusted as per one's preference.

Tarana ( A festive recipe for Bada Osa )

Women folk are unusually resourceful. Who else would have thought of coming up with a dish from what can be described as a side-effect of preparing another dish. The other dish that I have mentioned is the Gaja or manda pitha that is prepared for Bada Osa. The 'khali' or cooked batter that remains sticking to the walls of the container is made into a somewhat watery kheer called the 'Tarana'.

While the Tarana is rather thin in consistency, it packs in quite a punch with a combination of flavours like black pepper, green cardamom and bay leaf. As it is cooked twice, once in the form of a khali and another time as a kheer, it is very light and easy to digest.

But it can also be made with fresh arwa pithau too. This takes a little longer to cook but is equally delicious. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

• 3 tsp thick rice paste (jeera rice/ gobindobhog rice)
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp crushed peppercorn
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 green cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ghee
• a pinch of salt
• 3 tsp sugar

Preparation - Wash and soak the rice for 5-6 hours. Grind into a smooth paste.

Cooking - Bring the water to a boil. Add the batter little by little and mix continuously to thicken the mixture.

Cook for 10 mins on a medium flame. Add the milk and season with bay leaf, crushed peppercorn and cardamom.

Boil for another 10 mins. Finally add the salt, sugar and just a drizzle of ghee. Stir a little to dissolve the sugar.

Remove from the flame.

Serve at room temperature. 

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.

Roasted Tomato Salsa ( aka Bilati Baigana poda from Odisha )

Bah. That's too glam a name for something as rustic as the 'Bilati baigana poda' or 'Tamatar Poda'. Yup, that's what we call this dish which originated in the rural kitchens of Odisha, one of the most backward states of India. Then why on earth am I calling it a salsa ? First it shares a helluva lot of resemblance with this Mexican delight . Second, I believe in free speech . I think, Therefore I am. Get the drift.

Coming to the authentic recipe, the tomatoes are usually roasted in the dying embers of a wood fired stove or 'chulah' as we call it in India. But most of us have done away with the cumbersome (and also polluting contraception). Hence it makes sense to roast them on a gas burner using a grill or just pop them into the oven ( low heat for 10 mins and turn up to get them blackened on the outside).

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 large ripe tomato
• 1 medium sized red onion ( finely chopped )
• 3-4 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)
• 1-2 green chilis (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp mustard oil 
• 1 tsp coarsely chopped cilantro
• salt to taste

Preparation - Roast the tomato till the outer skin is blackened. Allow it to rest for a few mins.

Peel it carefully and chop it up into chunks.

Throw into a mixing bowl and toss in the other ingredients. Mix and keep aside for a few mins.

Enjoy as a dip or with white rice.


Note - Generally all the ingredients are mashed together with bare hands. But I have used a knife and spoon for the sake of hygiene.

Chuda Ghasa Parfait ( Diwali Recipes Collaboration )

Its time to begin the festivities as the 'Festival of lights' is literately knocking on our doors. To make this Diwali extra special for all my readers and well wishers, I will be collaborating with a very talented blogger Parinaaz Marolia . Parinaaz is a mum to a toddler, passionate blogger and amateur photography dabbler. She blogs at A Dollop of that! It is mostly about Parsi recipes and baked stuff.
For today's post, she has made assorted chocolates in two variants brandy creme and honeyed pistachio. ( For more info, scroll down to the bottom of this post )

As an added bonus another blogger is joining us at the last minute. Ms Saswati Hota, also from Odisha, is a part of the Indian Air Force family . She is contributing with a sweet known as Labanga Latika in Odisha.

Coming back to my recipe, Chuda Ghasa is a traditional preparation from Odisha. A coarse mix of beaten rice with sugar, ghee and freshly grated coconut, it is prepared during festivals. Some people also add chopped fruits and boondi to it to enhance the taste. With this recipe, I have attempted to deconstruct it and serve it in the form of separate layers just like a parfait. But a much healthier and simpler one.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup beaten rice
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp ghee
• 2 tsp freshly grated coconut
• 3 tbsp chopped berries (I had only dried ones)
• 2 tbsp chopped orange
• 1/2 cup hung curd (Greek yogurt)
• 1 tsp chopped pistachios
• 1/4 cup sweetened boondi ( or 1 motichoor laddoo)
• 1-2 green cardamoms
• a pinch of cardamon
• a pinch of saffron

Preparation - Take the beaten rice, 2 tbsp sugar and cardamom in a mixer. Give a buzz to get a coarse mix. Add the ghee and freshly grated coconut to the mixer jar and give another buzz. This is the regular chuda ghasa which looks like breadcrumbs.

Mix the hung curd with 2 tbsp sugar, a pinch of saffron and pistachios.

Mix the boondi/crumbled motichoor laddoo with the 2 tsp chuda ghasa.

Take two small glasses . Spread a thick layer of the chuda ghasa on the bottom. Top it with the oranges and chopped berries.

Top it with the hung curd .

Finally add a layer on boondi mix and garnish it with toasted pistachios.

Chill it in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.

Do not forget to check this out !!

Parinaaz's recipe - Assorted Chocolates (feat.) Liquor & Honeyed-Pistachios

And

Saswati's recipe - Labanga Latika

Jhili (Or Jhiliya) (A very Odia legacy)

None of us are above greed. It exists in each one of us to some extent. While it is easier to recognise it when it exerts itself in more obvious ways, but it also affects some very sublime decisions that we may take. For example, the typical Odia fare from western Odisha is very much frugal and is devoid of spices like cardamom, saffron and rich nuts like almond and pistachio. But in our quest (greed) for a better taste makes us skip the indigenous ingredient and lean in favour of something more exotic.

I remember from my conversations with my grandmother that the green cardamom was a very late entrant into her kitchen. Bay leaves, peppercorn and cinnamon were the most popularly used flavoring agents. But over a period of time, cardamom became an intergal part of every sweet dish/mutton curry. Indigenous nuts like the peanut and charoli were overtaken by cashews and pistachios. In fact a lot of ingredients that we use today have slowly crept into our menu over the decades and have become firmly rooted over time.

I was ruminating over the indigenous Vs foreign debate last week when I suddenly remembered this dish cooked by my grandmother. A fitting tribute to the frugal yet delectable Odia cuisine, I decided to make it minus any adaptations (Read condensed milk, cardamom, cashews, and so on). Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -

• 2/3 cup raw rice
• 1/2 cup boiled rice
• 1 liter milk
• powdered jaggery as per taste
• bay leaves for flavoring
• a little bit of salt

Preparation - Wash and soak the rice for 5-6 hours. Drain the water and transfer it to a mixer. Grind into a smooth but thick batter (like Bara/vada batter or even thicker).

Cooking - Boil 3-4 liters water in a wide mouthed pot till it gets to the full boil stage. Pass the batter through a seive and let it fall into the boiling water. It will form thin elongated shapes or globules depending on the size of the holes and the thickness of batter.

Let it cook for 5-6 mins. Then drain the hot water and transfer the tiny globules it into cold water (abt 1 liter) . Let it languish for 15-20 mins or till it firms up.

Add milk to the mixture and put it on boil. Throw in the bay leaves.

Once the milk has sufficiently reduced,  add the jaggery. Boil it for some more time.

Switch off the burner and let it cool. It tastes good when at room temperature and even better if consumed the next day ( do not forget to refrigerate ).

Stays good for 3-4 days.

Easy Chicken Curry ( Rice cooker method )

These days I am going though a lazy phase, which is quite ok considering that I have been blogging for 6 years now. I cook simple and nutritious meals that take less time and energy. Food is more about sustenance these days and I hardly feel like cooking or eating anything fancy. That gives me more time to read books (or sustenance for the soul as I refer to my best friends) and I have a big pile that is crying out to be read.

Hence, instead of the regular chicken curries that I make, I prefer cooking this one step chicken curry that hardly needs monitoring. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

• 500 gm chicken pieces
• 1 large onion 
• 7-8 shallots ( or one small onion diced into 4 )
• 8-9 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 inch long ginger
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 green cardamom
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 dry red chili
• 1 large tomato
• 3 green chilis (slit lengthwise)
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• 2 pinch garam masala
• 1/4 salt to taste
• 4 tsp mustard oil
• a dash of soy sauce (optional)

Preparation - Wash and clean the chicken pieces.

Grind the onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and dry red chili into a paste.

Take the chicken in a bowl. Add salt, turmeric, the onion masala paste, 2 tsp mustard oil and soy sauce. Mix well. Let it marinate for 30 mins.

Cooking - Heat the remaining oil in the rice cooker pan. Add the marinated chicken and toss for 2-3 mins till the color changes. Then add the finely chopped tomato, shallots, green chilis, garam masala and some of the coriander leaves. Add 1/4 cup water. Mix and cover with the lid.

Give it a gentle stir/toss after 10 mins and cover again.

It will switch off automatically once the chicken is done. Add the remaining coriander leaves to the cooked chicken.

Serve hot.

Note - This is a semi dry curry but one can increase the quantity of water to get more gravy. However we need to switch it off manually before all the water evaporates.

Welcoming Raja Festival 2015 !!!

Raja or the advent of monsoon is a big festival in Odisha. This year it is being celebrated from 14th to 16th of June. It is time to don the chef's hat and indulge in making some of Odisha's glorious 'Pithas'. Apart from the regulation Poda pitha, karara and chunchipatra pitha, there are lots of delectable pithas that one can sample from. Check below -

Check out the recipes HERE.

Mudhi Mansa ( Puffed Rice with Mutton Gravy - A Baripada Special)

For me, 'Mudhi Mansa' evokes those childhood memories of eagerly awaiting for the pressure cooker to be emptied of the mutton curry (jholo). My mom would then put in a bowl of mudhi inside the pressure cooker and use it to scarpe off the gravy that remained clinging on the walls. This mudhi would then be garnished with some chopped onions and green chillis. Finally it would be presented to the ever hungry kids who had been eyeing the entire process with fidgety impatience. The entire bowl would be emptied within 5 mins with almost an mini war taking place for that last handful. That kind of sums up my memories about it. Now if you have been thinking about so much fanfare over what should technically be a leftover, let me educate you that 'mutton' is almost a revered ingredient in any Odia household and every bit of it is treated with the respect that it commands.

But moving on to Baripada, it is not just considered a leftover but an entire recipe that is part and parcel of the culinary heritage of the district. And you have to beleive this because no wedding menu is considered complete without it.

Here is the recipe for Mudhi mutton -

Ingredients -

• 3-4 cups puffed rice
• 1/3 cup mutton gravy/jholo ( just warm, not too hot or cold )
• 2-4 pieces of mutton (from same curry)
• 1-2 small pieces of mutton fat or charbi (also from the same curry)
• 1/2 of a small onion ( chopped into thin pieces )
• 2 green chilis (finely chopped)
• 2 tsp chopped coriander
• 1 small tomato (finely chopped)
• 1/4 th of a small cucumber (chopped into thin long pieces)
• 1 tsp mustard oil
• pinch of salt (optional)

Preparation - Take everything into a mixing bowl. Toss together and serve immediately.


Click here for the recipe of mutton jholo .

Weekly Snapshot (25/05/2015 - 30/05/2015)

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Top 5 recipes for this week -

• Stuffed Chachindra 
• Mansa Kasa (Mutton curry)
• Dahi Bara-Ghuguni - Aludum
• Batibasa Omelette
• Badami Paneer 

Latest on Oriyarasoi

• Blog Nominated for WIN 2015 +BlogAdda !!
• The high point for this week was writing the post on Bhubaneswar and its awesome gastronomic culture !! I know I have missed a few..planning to cover all those in another post for those. Check it out here .

Tinday aur Channa dal ki subzi

This one obviously draws inspiration from the kakharu-buta dali tarkari or dalma that is so popular in Odisha. In fact mixing gourds with lentils is common practice and we end up with quite a few combinations that go really well with roti/paratha or even puri !! The cooking process is similar for all recipes and it is a good way of squeezing in some veggies along with all that protein that comes from the lentils.

Read on for this recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup channa dal
• 2-3 medium sized apple gourd (tinday)
• 1-2 dry red chili
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 tsp oil
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash and soak the channa dal for 2-3 hour so that it gets cooked easily.

Peel and chop the tinday into medium sized pieces. The onion needs to be chopped into small pieces.

Cooking - Wash the channa dal and boil in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the pancha-phutana, red chillis, cinnamon and bay leaf. Follow with the chopped onion pieces.

Fry till the onions turn translucent. Add the chopped tinda along with a little salt and cook for 5-6 mins till half done.

Add the channa dal, bring to a boil and let it simmer for a few mins or till the vegetable is completely cooked through.

Remove from flame and serve hot with rotis/parathas .

Batibasa Omelette

Was feeling quite lazy today and got this bad craving for some comfort food ! So decided to make some vegetable pulao and a nice omelette to go with it. But instead of a regular omelette, I thought of going for something that my grandma used to make for us.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 12 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp chopped onion
• 1 green chili (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp mustard oil
• salt to taste

Preparation -  Take a thick steel bowl and rub oil on its insides. 

Beat two eggs with a little salt, onion and green chili . Pour into the greased bowl and add 4-5 drops of mustard oil on top.

Cooking - Cover and place the bowl on a tawa which has been placed on low flame. Cook for 7-8 mins. 

Batibasa omelette is ready.

Enjoy as it is or serve it with rice .

Chachindra Raee ( Snake gourd cooked in mustard paste )

Chachindra or snake gourd is not a very regular vegetable in my house. My mom used to cook it at times but I did not like it much as a kid. Later as I started making a lot of healthy changes in the menu, it started appealing to me as an easy to cook and tasty vegetable. As my husband is not fond of it, I usually make a quick 'Raee' or cook it along with channa dal/toor dal for lunch. Getting my kid habituated to all kinds of vegetables is my top priority and hence I an trying to introduce him to new vegetables (especially seasonal ones) on a weekly basis.

This is a simple recipe and the preparation is not different from the usual 'raee' that is prepared in most Odia homes. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 -15 mins

Ingredients -

• 4 cups chopped and peeled snake gourd
• 1 medium onion chopped (optional)
• 1/2 tsp pancha-phutana/mustard seeds preferred)
• 1 green chilli
• 2-3 garlic flakes (crushed)
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil
• 2/3 cup grated coconut
• cilantro for garnishing

For the mustard paste -

• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 1 red chilli

Preparation -Grind the mustard, cumin and red chilli into coarse powder in dry state .Then add a little water along with garlic flakes and grind again into a fine paste.

Chop onion into small pieces. 

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the broken green chilli and mustard seeds. Follow with the crushed garlic. Allow to garlic to brown lightly.

Add the chopped onion and stir fry for 2-3 minutes till translucent

Add the mustard paste along with 2 cups water. Add salt and turmeric, and bring to a boil.

Add the snake gourd pieces and cover with  a lid. Cook till it softens. (Do not throw away excess water as this curry tends to be watery.)

Garnish with grated coconut and cilantro.

Serve with rice and dal.

Badaa Piaji ( Twice Fried Onion Fritters from Odisha )

'Dahi Bara - Ghuguni - Alu dum' maybe the most iconic street food that defines Cuttack. But another yummy snack comes a close second on the list of must-try's whenever one visits the city which is also famous for the silver filigree artifacts. However it remains little known even within the state. The 'Badaa Piaji', a unique twice fried version of another popular snack 'piaji', is quite crispy and delectable.

Unlike the 'Piaji' which is made from a batter of soaked and ground Bengal gram, the 'badaa piaji' uses Bengal gram flour along with loads of chopped onions in the batter. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 2/3 cup Bengal gram flour / Besan
• 2 large onions (finely chopped)
• 2-3 green chilis (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander stems
• a few curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• a pinch of turmeric
• a pinch of baking soda
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

Preparation - Take all the ingredients (except oil) in a mixing bowl. Add water in small quantities to make a batter which is about the same consistency as 'Bara' or Vada batter .

Cooking - Heat sufficient oil in a wok. Drop small balls ( about a heaped tablespoon each) of the batter into the hot oil and fry to a light brown shade. Remove and keep aside for about a minute.

Flatten the balls with a heavy object (use a rolling pin) . Do not make then very thin else they may break.

Put them back into the hot oil and fry till brown and crisp.

Repeat the same process with the remaining batter.

Serve hot with 'Ghuguni' and some sliced onions. DO NOT forget to sprinkle a generous amount of black salt.

Khadaa Tarkari / Amaranthus Stems Curry ( Yet another Rustic treat from Odisha )

'Khadaa Khia' in Odisha refers to the slang for an impoverished person who tries to pass off as belonging to a higher society. The term comes into use as 'khadaa' or the thickened stems of Amaranthus plant are mostly consumed by poor folks who do not have access to other vegetables. The plants require minimal care and grow wild in the mountainous areas where poor folks can forage some for their meals.

But since I have never embraced stereotypes, there is no question of reinforcing them. Hence I was delighted when I first glimpsed this vegetable in Bangalore (Bellandur market to be precise).  The stems can be made into a stir fry, added to curries and sometimes also to 'Kanji' while the leaves can go into a kharada or bhaja. Some folks also make a very delicious preparation with Khada, dried jackfruit seeds and badi.

Read on for my favorite preparation with 'Khadaa' -

Preparation Time - 20 mins ( plus 10-15 mins for cleaning and chopping )

Ingredients -

• 2 cups tender khadaa /amaranthus stems
• 1/2 cup pumpkin ( peeled and chopped into small pieces )
• 1/2 cup ridge gourd ( peeled and chopped into small pieces )
• 1/4 cup potato ( peeled and chopped into small pieces )
• 1 medium sized onion (roughly chopped)
• 1-2 garlic flakes (slightly crushed)
• 1-2 dry red chilis
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• 1/5 tsp jeera powder
• 1/2 tsp pancha phutana
• 2-3 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation -  The khadaa  needs to be soaked in water for 1/2 hour and then washed 2-3 times with fresh water to dislodge any sand/mud sticking to them. Chop into 2 inch pieces and peel them .

Cooking - Heat oil in a wok. Add the broken chili and pancha phutana. Once they start spluttering, add the chopped onion. Fry till they start turning red around the edges. Add the garlic and allow it to turn golden (but not brown).

Add the khadaa and other veggies at this point. Fry on medium flame for 3-5 mins.

Add about 1 1/2 cup water, salt, turmeric and jeera powder. Cover and cook till the all the vegetables are soft. If excess water remains, turn up heat for 2 mins.

Remove from the wok and serve hot with white rice.

Weekly Snapshot ( 26/04/2015 - 02/05/2015 )

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Top 5 recipes for this week -

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• Zunka ( A rustic Maharashtrian Delicacy )
• Amritsari Alu Gobi
• Vegetarian Kheema Matar

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Lamcha

I am back from a family wedding and in dire need of a mental detox. Even before the celebrations were over, my 'Hum saath saath hain' types extended family was coming apart at the seams. Not to be content with bitching behind each others back, some of them were having a field day hurling accusations at each other. And that too in full public view or hearing ( with the latter having a more damning effect). If one was ever in doubt as to why those ladies steal all the screen time in those silly soaps, the drama unfolding before my very eyes was proof enough to show that the weaker sex calls the shots on the domestic front. When they are not fretting over someone else's saree or jewelry, these women focus their energies on jacking up their position in the pecking list of a favorably disposed relative.

I am lucky that none of them have the slightest inclination in reading my blogs or else I wont be here pouring out my heart to you folks. This is my first recipe after a break and I am sharing a sweet that is a childhood favorite of mine. Thought of sharing this on Holi but could not find the time as was busy in the arrangements of the wedding. Read on for the recipe -









Preparation Time - 40-50 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup chenna (home made paneer)
• 1/2 cup milk powder
• 1 tbsp maida
• 1 tbsp semolina
• 2-3 pinch cardamom powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 11/2 cup water
• Oil for deep frying

Preparation - Gather the chenna in a cheese cloth and tie it up. Allow to hang for 1 hour so that the excess water is drained off. Take it on a clean kitchen platform and mash it with the heel of your palm for 3-4 mins.

Add the milk powder, maida, semolina and cardamom powder to the chenna . Mix everything into a smooth dough. Knead this dough for another 5 mins. Keep aside for 10 mins.

Take the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 7-8 mins till the syrup reaches a medium consistency.

Heat the oil in a wok. Break small portions from the dough and shape each one into a smooth cylindrical shape. Ensure that there are no cracks.

Drop 3-4 pieces into the hot oil at a time and fry on a low temperature. Once they become brown uniformly, remove from the oil and place them in the sugar syrup. 

Bring the already hot sugar syrup to boil for 1 minute. Switch off the flame and allow the 'Lamchas' to soak for a minimum of 30 mins.

Serve warm.

Happy Makar Sankranti

Happy Makar Sankranti/Pongal to all my readers !!

Fish Curry

I love fish curry...the tantalizing red color, the aroma that tingles the nose, the heat bombs that explode on the tongue, the warm feeling that leave one guessing about the complexity of spices, everything about it is ambrosia to me. And that is why I keep trying out different varieties from different states of India..spicy, tangy, sweet, thick gravy, thin gravy...just about anything that catches my eye.

But of late I was feeling a bit confused about which one to cook, so I just threw in a bit of this and a bit of that and ended up with a lip-smacking curry. Some mustard paste, a little onion-ginger-garlic-masala paste, some yogurt, about half a cup of finely chopped tomatoes and of course the lightly fried fish are the core ingredients that go into this dish. With so many ingredients, it becomes important to get the proportions right especially as this curry needs to be a light one (with a thin-gravy).

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 6 pieces Rohu fish 
• 2 tsp (heaped) onion-masala paste
• 3-4 tsp mustard masala paste
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup boiled potato cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/5 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• (Oil for shallow frying fish)
• coriander leaves for garnishing

Preparation - Marinate the fish with a pinch of turmeric and some salt. Shallow fry on both sides to a golden brown. Remove and keep aside on a tissue paper to absorb excess oil.

Beat the yogurt to break any lumps.

Cooking - Heat 4 tsp oil in a wok. Add the onion masala paste and fry lightly for 3 mins.

Add the mustard masala paste and fry for 1 minute (do not overdo).

Add the chopped tomatoes along with chili powder, turmeric and garam masala. Cover with a lid for 1-2 mins to allow tomatoes to soften. Fry for another minute.

Add about 4 cups boiling water. Adjust the salt and allow the curry to come to a rolling boil.

Let it boil for 2-3 mins before adding the fish and the boiled potatoes. Cover with a lid and let simmer for a while till you get the desired consistency.

Finally stir in the yogurt along with a little salt. Let it boil for 2-3 mins before adding the coriander leaves and removing the curry from the flame,

For onion masala paste - 1 large onion, 8-10 garlic flakes, 2 inch ginger, 2 dry red chilis, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, 2-3 green cardamoms. Grind everything together into a smooth paste.

For mustard masala paste - 3 tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 7-8 garlic flakes, 1-2 green chili. Grind everything together into a smooth paste.