Sol Kadhi

Though I have not really explored Goan and Maharashtrian cuisine, there are some dishes which I come across quite frequently. And one of them happens to be the 'Sol Kadhi'. This is a very refreshing drink that is served with the meals that usually consist of rice and a non-vegetarian side. The sourness of the kokum and the sweetness of the coconut combine in this dish to lend it a very fresh flavor that is simply incomparable.

So, when I got some Kokum on my hands, this was the first recipe that I had to try. And it turned out to be delicious even though I have not followed the authentic recipe. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 8 Kokum pods
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1 green chili
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 pinch cumin
• salt to taste
• a sprig of coriander for the garnishing

Preparation - Soak the Kokum in 2 cups of hot water for half an hour. Rub them and squeeze out the juice.

Similarly add some warm water to the grated coconut and give it a buzz in a blender jar. Strain to extract the coconut milk. Repeat 1-2 times.

Grind the cumin seeds, green chili and garlic cloves into a coarse paste. Add to a blender jar containing the coconut milk and kokum juice. Blend for 1 minute to bring the flavors together.

Strain and pour into glasses or small cups. Garnish with some chopped cilantro . Serve.

Note - The drink tends to settle down if left standing for a while. So, give it a stir/shake just before serving.

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.

Raavan Bhaat ( Happy Dusshera )

It is Dusshera eve and the little voice in my head wants to have a free rein over my thoughts and potentially, any actions originating from them. Now this seemingly harmless voice has got me into trouble quite a few times in the past and hence I was not too keen to listen to it. And I guess neither would you if it keeps popping sacrilegious questions like 'Why do we celebrate the death of a devil who obviously died eons ago ( sometime during in the 'Treta Yug' ? Huh !! ). There are no written records about his life except for a few poetic accounts written by sages who might have been high on 'God-knows-what' substance.'

Or the pensive 'Was Ravan really so bad ?. The poor guy had only kidnapped another man's wife and taken her to another country. Something that can be effectively dealt under Section 360 and 365 of the Indian penal Code.'

Sometimes it borders on the outrageous. 'Where was the feminist lobby when Lakshman lopped off Srupanekha's nose ? For God's sake, she had merely indulged in some harmless adam-teasing !! In a country where women are burnt with acid, stabbed or even mowed down for repulsing the advances of certain men and these men then go scot-free, why was this 'khap'/'panchayat' style justice (or rather injustice) meted out to her. Should not they have demanded equal rights for women ? Or sat on a 'dharna' ?

By now you must have understood how dangerous this 'little voice' can become if not squashed in the nick of time. But as it happens more often than not, I ended up listening to it for a wee bit longer than advisable. No, it is not that I am being too soft. Rather it was the 'something' that it kept repeating. Strangely enough, it made a lot more sense than the other thoughts going around in my mind.

'Evil', as it told me, 'resides in each one of us. Each one of us is blessed those ten heads just like the much feared and sometimes revered demon'. And before I could counter it with a 'Whoa, you think I am bonkers ?', it quickly pointed out that the heads are merely symbolic. 'They stand for those ten traits that lead us to the path of evil and the subsequent downfall. Ego, attachment, anger, hatred, fear, jealousy, greed, lust, insensitivity and delusion, all of these ultimately corrupt a person. Hence it more sense for us to pledge to give up a bad habit on this day instead of thronging some overcrowded venue and participate in the burning of a effigy. It is just good money going up in bad smoke !!' it reasoned.

It does make sense, doesn't it ? Pick at least one bad habit that you have been planning to give up. Or, if you imagine yourself to be 'perfection personified' , just think about what has been making you unhappy or dissatisfied in the last couple of days. Once you are able to pinpoint the cause, I am sure you can trace it back to one of these ten evils and take corrective measures to get rid of it. It won't be easy but it will help you avoid bigger pitfalls in the long run.

The little voice has certainly redeemed itself to some extent. Maybe I will be more open to it when it pops around the corner the next time. But for now, let us come to this delicious recipe taken from Vikas Khanna's 'My Great Indian Cookbook'. Named after the demon for it supposedly prohibitive spice content, it is smoking hot, tangy and plain mind-blowing in every sense of the word. No wonder, I had to pair it with some chilled lassi to soothe my screaming palate.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

• 3 cups cooked Rice (Basmati or any other fragrant variety)
• 1 1/2 tsp tamarind juice ( as per taste )
• 2 tsp powdered jaggery ( as per taste )
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2-3 pinch asafoetida
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• 2-3 dry red chili
• 2 tsp oil
• salt to taste

For the spice powder -

• 2 tbsp channa dal
• 2 tbsp urad dal
• 1/4 cup peanuts
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 5-6 red chilis ( you can double the quantity if you can bear the heat )
• 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds

Preparation - Dry roast all the ingredients for the spice powder till fragrant. Remove from flame and transfer into a blender jar. Grind into a fine powder.

Cooking - Heat a wok. Add the mustard seeds, asafoetida, red chillis and curry leaves. Once the seeds start spluttering, add the tamarind paste and powdered jaggery along with 1/2 cup warm water.

Let it boil and then the reduce flame to a simmer. Once it turns thick, add the cooked rice along with the powdered spice and salt to taste.

Toss gently to ensure that the spices get distributed evenly without ever breaking the grains.

Remove from the flame and serve .

Stuffed Spine Gourd Curry ( Pura dia Kaankada / Bharwan Kakrol )

The most popular spine gourd recipe in Odisha is the perhaps the stir fried or deep one, followed closely by the gravy version. While I do like this vegetables, all the above mentioned recipes consume a copious amount of oil which kind of puts me off. As a result, I rarely buy this vegetable these days.

But on my last trip to the local market, I found a strikingly verdant lot on display. Tempted by the freshness of it, I bought a few. But once I reached home, I was in again besieged by the same dilemma. After some thinking on the low calories versus taste debate, I decided to settle down on both by choosing to stuff it with some spiced cottage and potato.

The curry turned out to be super delicious as well as light. And worked well both with rice and rotis !!

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 35 mins

Ingredients -

• 6-7 Spine gourd/ Kaankada /Kakrol
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 medium sized tomato
• 1/3 tsp garam masala
• 1 dry red chili
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil

For the stuffing -

• 50 gm paneer
• 1 small potato (boiled and peeled)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 1/4 tsp GG paste
• 2 pinch coriander powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 pinch garam masala
• 2 pinch kasuri methi
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil

Preparation - Wash the spine gourd and rub the outer skin with a knife. Put a slit along the length .

Transfer to a pressure cooker and add 1 cup water. Close lid and cook on high for 2 whistles.

Keep aside till steam escapes.

Once it is bearable to touch, take each spine gourd and scoop out the innards without damaging the outer skin.

Cooking -

For the stuffing - Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the chopped onions and fry till translucent.

Add GG paste and fry till raw smell goes off. Add all the powdered spices, wait for 30 seconds and then add the mashed cottage cheese and potato. Season with salt.

Cook for 2-3 mins and then add kasuri methi. Cover and switch off the flame.

For making the gravy -

Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the dry red chili, diced onion, ginger and garlic cloves. Fry for 4-5 mins.

Then add tomato and cook till it starts to turn mushy.

Switch off flame, allow for cool down and transfer to a blender jar. Make a fine puree.

Transfer the puree back to the wok. Add 1/2 cup water and bring it to a slow boil. Season with salt and ddd garam masala. Reduce to a simmer.

Stuff the spine gourds and gently place them in the simmering gravy. Let it simmer for 5-6 mins.

Switch off the flame and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Spiced Yogurt with Rice Balls ( Kadhi Chawal with a Twist )

IMP - This i an original recipe created by the blogger and has been published for the first time on Oriyarasoi. 


Technology has changed the way we perceive food. Exposure to various TV channels, YouTube videos and mobile Apps has elevated the entire dining experience from a mundane level that merely seduced the taste-buds to an exotic gastronomic level that tickles one's imagination with terms like molecular gastronomy and food degustation being thrown at us with alarming regularity. Easy availability of exotic ingredients and equipment has further fueled this experimentation process.

If you been a part of the blogging journey since the early days, it will be easy for you to make out the general shift in the way I play with my food. From doing pretty traditional and often obscure Odia recipes, I have graduated to giving them a makeover. The Chuda Ghasa parfait for example, is one such traditional dish that I deconstructed and transformed into a layered dessert that can be loosely termed as a parfait. One of my leading inspirations has been chef Vikas Khanna and one of his television series in which we gives an innovative twist to traditional recipes.

Kadhi Chawal is a yummy light yogurt based gravy that is simmered with pakodas ( deep fried gram flour fritters ) and paired with exquisitely aromatic Basmati rice. With the 'meal in a bowl' theme running though my mind and given my desire to assuage my craving for this dish at any time during the day, I started experimenting quite a bit. After a few not so savory outputs, I hit upon the right combination. In this particular recipe rice is transformed into crisp vegetable and rice balls that I serve on a bed of slightly chilled yogurt gravy. And best part is that it can be garnished and passed off as some exotic kind of snack. One can barely guess what goes into it until one has taken a good bite of it. It takes a group encounter with the tantalizing sour-sweet yogurt, the fragrant rice grains and the crisp veggies for one to realize that one is but meeting an old ally in a fascinatingly new avatar.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

For the Kadhi -

• 1 cup dahi
• 2 tsp besan
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1-2 finely chopped green chili
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste

For tempering the Kadhi -

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• a pinch of fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 tsp coriander seeds
• a sprig of curry leaves 
• 2 Kashmiri chilis
• 1 tsp oil

For the Rice Balls -

• 1 cup cooked rice ( use a sticky and aromatic variety like Gobindobhog )
• 1 cup finely chopped veggies ( carrots, green peas, french beans, spring onions )
• 1/4 cup mashed potato ( I prefer the newly dug out ones that are sticky )
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 2 pinch garam masala
• salt to taste
• 4 tsp oil for cooking rice balls in a appam pan

Preparation - Take the yogurt in a mixing bowl and whisk it gently to break down any lumps. Add salt, besan, grated ginger, chopped green chili and salt.

In another mixing bowl, add all the ingredients (except for oil) mentioned for the rice balls. Mix and mash lightly till it come to a stage where the mixture can bind together. Divide into small portions. Roll each portion into a ball.

Cooking - Transfer the yogurt mixture to a wok and bring to boil on a medium flame. Once it starts bubbling, let it simmer for a few mins before removing from the flame.

Meanwhile, take 1 tsp oil in a tadka pan. Add the Kashmiri chili, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. Once the seeds start spluttering, immediately remove from the flame, cover and keep aside for 5 mins. Strain the oil which would have imbibed all the flavors and pour it over the kadhi.  Pop it into the fridge to chill for a while.

Heat a non-stick appan pan. Pour a little oil in each hole. Place the rice balls gently into the holes taking care not to splash the hot oil onto your hands. Turn after a few minutes and cook to an even brown color on all sides. Remove from the pan and place on plate.

Serve the crisp and hot rice balls on a bed of chilled kadhi. Do not forget to garnish with some chopped cilantro and a dash of amchur (if you need that extra kick).

It was quite a co-incidence that even as I was putting the final touches to my recipe and looking to share it on my social media channels, I stumbled upon a post that immediately grabbed my attention. A exciting venture by my food inspiration Vikas Khanna, and my favorite food and travel writer cum host Vir Sanghvi was staring at my face. Check out this video to learn what's cooking between the two -

As I went through the video, I realized that my adventures with food might just be the tip of an iceberg. There are limitless avenues to be explored and new dimensions of taste to be developed. If you share the duo's passion for food, you can also share some interesting tale of your experiments with food on the website HERE. It might have been some necessity that drove you to concoct something extraordinary out of the mundane or maybe it was just a stroke of pure genius, you never know what might please the judges. Who know's it might just be your lucky day and you could get a chance to feature in a video with the food visionaries.

Paneer Kali Mirch ( A refreshingly different Cottage Cheese curry )

The start to this year has been rather low key. Health concerns have taken up all our priorities for the last few days. And added to that, we have made a resolution to cut down of meat and fish this year. Hence, a paneer curry was the natural choice for the first lunch of 2016.

I had noted down this recipe from one of the FB forums sometime back. And decided to add my own touch at the last minute. Result was a rich yet refreshing gravy that made our lunch quite festive.
Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 200 gm paneer cubes
• 1/2 cup milk / yogurt ( depends on whether you want that hint of sourness )
• 1 tbsp fresh cream
• 1 large onion ( chopped into thin long pieces )
• 1 tsp ginger juliennes
• 1 tsp crushed peppercorns
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp oil
• 2 tsp butter
• 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
• salt to taste
• 5-6 cashews
• 2 cloves

Preparation - Soak the cashews in a cup of hot water for 20 mins.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the chopped onions and fry till brown. Remove from wok. Grind into a smooth paste along with the soaked cashews.

Heat the butter/ ghee in the same wok. Add the ginger juliennes and cloves. Fry for 30 seconds before adding the onion-cashew paste. Saute for another 2-3 mins.

Lower flame and add the milk/yogurt, crushed peppercorns, garam masala, cumin powder and salt. Bring to a slight boil and then add the cream.

Drop in the paneer cubes along with the chopped mint. Cover immediately. Switch off flame after a minute.

Serve immediately along with jeera rice / phulkas or naan.

Note - There are multiple variations to this recipe and hence taste will wildly vary. With mine, I have limited the use of strong spices which can mask the kali mirch or peppercorn flavour. Another version which I tried and liked was one by Tarla dalal which makes use of garlic. 

Broccoli Butter Masala ( Navratri Special )

When it comes to 'sattvik' or 'niramish' fare, i.e., cooking without using any onion or garlic, many of us have a mental blockade. "Will it taste good ?" or even "there can be no substitute for fish/chicken/or any other meat of your choice", are some of the common nags that I have come across. But over a period of time I have explored the sattvik fare from various regions of India and most of it has turned out to be delicious. For example, let us take the Monday/Thursday meals cooked in most households in Odisha. Rice, dal with veggies, minimal spices and a ghee tadka, a sweet-sour chutney kind of thing, stir fried veggies and greens (either stir fried or cooked with moong dal). Simple and, nourishing yet delicious enough to qualify for an everyday meal. People who prefer rotis over rice can opt for a simple 'vrat ke alu' or 'kachey kele ki subzi' with rotis or parathas made with Rajgire ka atta.

Having tackled the first question, let us move on to the second one. But what is one supposed to serve if guests drop in ? Well, there are 'no onion no garlic' versions of most curries like the Navratan korma, matar paneer and butter masala (and it is also available on my blog) along with delicious sattvik 'no onion no garlic' biryanis that one can choose from.

The 'Broccoli Butter Masala' is just an addition to this list and the fruit of my efforts to marry Indian cooking with exotic ingredients. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 medium sized tomatoes
• 10 cashews
• 15 raisins
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp fresh cream
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
• a pinch of garam masala
• 2 pinch turmeric
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp kasuri methi
• few whole spices ( 1 green cardamom, 2-3 cloves, 1" cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 6-7 peppercorns )

Preparation - Boil sufficient water in a saucepan.Once it gets to a bubbling boil, add the broccoli florets and let it cook for a minute or two.

Remove and immediately dunk in cold water. Drain the water after 5 mins. This helps bring out the gorgeous green hue of the broccoli.

Soak the cashew and raisins in 1/2 cup warm water for 20 mins. Grind into a smooth paste.

Puree the tomatoes.

Make a paste out of the coriander powder, garam masala, red chili power and turmeric along with a little (2-3 tsp) water.

Cooking - Heat the oil and butter in a wok. Add the masala paste and fry for 2 mins.

Add the tomato puree and fry till oil starts to separate.

Add the cashew and raisins paste and cook for 3 mins.

Finally add the milk and 1/4 cup water along with the blanched broccoli florets. Sprinkle Kasuri methi on top.

Bring to a boil on low heat and let it simmer for a while till the broccoli turns soft and the gravy coats the florets evenly.

Add the cream. give it a mix and remove from flame.

Serve hot with puris or a simple pulao.

Khatta Meetha Karela ( Sweet and Sour Bitter gourd crispies )

Karela or bitter gourd is touted as one of the healthiest vegetables for diabetics. Whether taken in the raw form (juice) or eaten boiled and mashed, it is an integral part of their menu. But consuming it in the same avatar day in and day out tends to get tedious after a while. Hence, this simple and easy to do bitter gourd recipe that requires very less oil.

It is a variation of the crispy karela recipes that one can find in the Northern states of India.
Read on for recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup thinly sliced bitter gourd
• 1 big onion ( thinly sliced )
• a pinch of amchur
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp grated mango ginger
• 1 tsp powdered jaggery
• salt to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp oil

Cooking - Heat the oil in a large thick bottomed skillet. Add the bitter gourd slices along with salt and turmeric. Stir fry on low heattill the bitter gourd loses most of its water content and starts getting crisp.

Add the onion slices along with a pinch of salt. Stir fry on low flame till onion turns brown.

Add amchur, chili powder, mango ginger and jaggery. Fry for 2 mins or till the spices coat the bittergourd and the onions.

Remove from flame.

Serve as it is or as a side along with white rice, dal and a curry.

Note - One can also add some grated coconut when adding the mango ginger.

Mustard Jackfruit Masala

Raw jackfruit happens to be among my favorite vegetables and the seasonal availability only adds to its exotic appeal. While I usually stick to one of the odia recipes when I cook this vegetable, this time I tried an Andhra style preparation. This is one of Tarla Dalal's recipes. and I have only done a bit of 'hera-pheri' .

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup raw jackfruit (cubed)
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds ( I recommend yellow which is less pungent )
• 3 dry red chillis (i used Byedgi)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2-3 garlic cloves (slightly crushed)
• a generous pinch of asafoetida
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash the jackfruit pieces and transfer to a pressure cooker along with 2 cups water, turmeric and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook on medium flame for 1 whistle.

Keep aside till steam escapes. Drain the excess water.

Grind 2 dry chilis, 1 tsp mustard seeds along with 2 tsp water. Keep aside.

Cooking - Heat a wok. Add the mustard seeds and broken red chili. Follow it with the garlic, urad dal, curry leaves and asafoetida.

Add the boiled jackfruit and mustard-chili paste. Toss it for 4-5  mins.

Serve hot with white rice.

Note - The mustard need to be ground into a fine paste unlike what it appears in the picture. As I was having a little trouble with my grinder on that day, it did not come out fine.

Shalgam Ki Subzi (Turnip Stir Fry)

It is difficult to find 'shalgam' or turnip in Odisha. Alteast ten to fifteen years back, I had never seen the vegetable being sold in the local markets. So, every time I came across this vegetable in Hyderabad or Bangalore, I would think about trying it out. But since I was not too sure about how it needs to be cooked, I kept postponing it till my vegetable lady egged me on to buy some. 'Didi, you can make it like Ol-kopi, they are similar in taste', she told me. And it turned out to be true. At first I had tried a spicier version just like I do it for Kholrabi  (Ol Kopi or Ganthi kobi). The leftover bits went into the 'Sarson ka saag'. The second time I bought the vegetable, I made a simpler version that works well for chapatis.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients - 

• 2 medium sized turnips ( peeled and cut into 3-4 mm thick pieces )
• 1/2 of a small onion
• 1/2 tsp GG paste
• 1 dry red chili
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 pinch garam masala
• 1 large tomato (finely chopped)
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• cilantro for garnishing (optional)

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the broken red chili and cumin seeds. Once it gets spluttering, add the chopped onion and allow it to turn translucent.

Add the GG paste and fry for 2 mins. Add the tomatoes along with all the powdered spices. Stir fry for couple of minutes till the tomatoes turn mushy and the oil starts to leave.

Add the turnip pieces, mix in and turn up the flame for 2 mins. Add about 1/4 cup water along with the salt. Cook with lid covered for 5-6 mins or till the turnip becomes soft.

Remove from flame and garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with rotis !!

Check out a spicer version ( Masaledar Shalgam ) here !! ( Prepared it in the same way as I cooked the Kholrabi but did not post a separate recipe )

Sri Lankan Pumpkin Curry (Wattaka Kalu Pol)

Pumpkin Curry ??? No ways. Going by the way most people feel about this humble vegetable, I had actually put off posting the recipe. But leafing though my diary to sort out/refresh some of the low oil dishes that I have cooked over the years, I stumbled upon this gem of a recipe. I had first watched this curry being prepared by an old Sri Lankan lady on television but I could not catch all the ingredients that go into the making of this dish. So, when I searched for this recipe on the net, I stumbled upon Dani Venn's blog . She has a great collection of recipes and please do check them when you have the time.

Coming back to the recipe, I decided to stay true to the ingredients used (though I skipped the rice and desiccated coconut paste) but made some minor change in the order in which they go into the dish. Call it 'cultural conditioning' or whatever you like, but I could not understand the logic behind adding the tempering ingredients after frying the onion, ginger and garlic :). The curry turned out to be delicious (and amazingly aromatic) despite using so less oil.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

For curry powder -

• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 cardamon pods
• 2-3 dry red chilis
• Sprig of curry leaves
• 1 1/2 inch long cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon rice
• 1 tsp turmeric powder

Others -

• 1 tsp rice bran oil
• 1 medium sized onion(finely chopped)
• 3 garlic flakes (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger (finely chopped)
• 1 red chili (broken into small pieces)
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp fenugreek seed
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• 2 pandan leaves, roughly torn into pieces
• 500g pumpkin (peeled & diced into 1 1/2 inch cubes)
• 2 cups thick coconut milk

Preparation - Heat a frying pan. Add the rice to it and roast for 2-3 mins. Then add all other spices (except for turmeric) mentioned under 'For curry powder' and roast till they give off their fragrance.

Remove from flame and allow to cool down. Grind into a fine powder and mix turmeric with it. Since this is more than what you need for the curry, keep the rest of it in an air-tight bottle in the fridge.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the broken red chili, mustard and fenugreek seeds to it. Once they start popping, add the onions. Fry till translucent.

Add the chopped ginger and garlic. Fry for 2 mins before adding all the powdered spices.

Fry for a minute and then add the curry leaves, pandan leaves and pumpkin cubes.

Add the coconut milk to the wok and let it simmer on a low flame.

Once the pumpkin is cooked, add 2 levelled teaspoons of the curry powder and mix it well. (Add more curry powder if you like it spicy).

Remove from the flame and serve hot with white rice and yogurt.

Bathua Saag-Dal curry

Bathua Saag or lamb's quarter is a leafy green vegetable that is found during winters. It is quite easy to prepare as both the leaves and stem are edible. It is best to choose stems that are firm. Rich in iron and calcium, they also serve as a good source of vitamins and fiber.

Since I made this vegetable for the first time and was not so sure about the recipe, I decided to cook it along with dal, a hint of tomato and lots of onions. With just one teaspoon of oil going into it, this turned out to be one of the tastiest low calorie dishes that can be paired with rotis. Read on for the easy recipe -

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 1/2 cups bathua saag (chopped & tightly packed)
• 1/4 cup toor dal
• 1 large onion
• 1 small tomato
• 2-3 garlic flakes
• 1/2 tsp pancha phutana (alt - use a mix of mustard-cumin seeds)
• 1-2 dry red chili
• 2 pinch turmeric
• 1 tsp rice bran oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash the bathua greens in plenty of water. Drain excess water and chop into small pieces.

Chop the onion and tomatoes into small pieces.

Cooking - Transfer the chopped greens into a pressure cooker. Wash the toor dal and add to the cooker. Also add half of the onions and the tomato along with turmeric, salt and 1/4 cup water.

Close the lid and cook for 2-3 whistles. Allow steam to escape before opening lid.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the pancha-phutana and broken red chili. Once it gets spluttering, add the remaining onions and crushed garlic. Fry for a minute before pouring the contents of the pressure cooker into the same pan. Allow to simmer for 2-3 mins before removing from the flame.

Serve hot with rotis.

Note - One can also add one palak / amaranthus to the bathua greens to make it more nutritious. Usually people in Odisha use moong dal instead of toor dal for this recipe.

Soya-Palak ki subzi (Soyabean au Palanga tarkari)

Political correctness is a virtue which every public figure should possess. As they are under the scanner every time they try to channelize their inner thoughts, they need to learn how to make it sound good. Else they might end up sounding like Mr Nadella who has finally spoken the 'satya' or the truth about the mindset of the Indian male, which incidentally happens to be one of the most insecure breeds amongst all home sapiens. Indian women are born to obey their fathers (and brothers), then their husband and finally their sons. And that is something we have been doing without raising a voice (even when not-so-stray incidents of domestic violence happen). So, when a Nadella decides to advise them on doing good 'karma', all the collective pent-up frustration of the estrogen clan starts pouring out on the internet. While I am no supporter of the now 'infamous' guy, I would very much prefer that these women take it out on the men in their lives instead. Charity begins at home.

Back to my kitchen. While I prefer cooking soya chunks in a traditional (read typical Odia) curried form, spinach usually ends up being pureed with onion, ginger and garlic. This spinach puree is quite versatile and I keep adding it to paneer, sweet corn, potato and even rice preparations. I also stuff it into sandwiches at times.

But last week I was in a hurry to finish all the vegetables/perishables lying in my fridge before leaving for a weekend trip. I had prepared my favorite soya curry for lunch and some of it was still remaining for dinner. As I cleaned out the fridge, I noticed this bunch still lying untouched. Came up with the plan of improvising my leftover curry with some greens. Hence I combined two of my favorite formulas to come up with this curry.

Read on for the easy and yummy recipe -

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup soya nuggets
• 1 1/2 cup baby spinach (with stems removed)
• 1 medium sized potato
• 1 medium sized onion
• 6-7 garlic cloves
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 small tomato
• 1 dry red chili
• 2 green cardamom
• 2 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 small bay leaf
• a small bit of a black cardamom
• 1/2 tsp meat masala
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• 4 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• 2 pinch garam masala

Preparation - Roughly chop onion, ginger and garlic. Transfer to a mixer jar along with the broken red chili and buzz for 1 sec to get a very coarse paste ( you should be able to make out each ingredient ).

Soak the soyabeans in 4-5 cups hot water for half an hour. Remove from hot water and wash under running water. Squeeze out the water and once again wash it under running water. Repeat 2-3 times.

Blanch the spinach ( put in boiling water for 2 mins, remove and immediately transfer to cold water ). Buzz in a mixie jar for 2-3 seconds to obtain a coarse puree.

Cooking - Heat 3 tsp oil in a pressure cooker. Add all the wholes spices and fry for 5-6 secs till they start to give out a fragrance.

Add the onion paste and fry till it turns reddish (use low flame with regular stirring else it will burn). Add the
tomato and cook for 2-3 mins till it softens.

Add the powdered masalas (except garam masala) and salt at this stage and fry for 1 min. Add the soaked (and thoroughly squeezed soya nuggets) along with the diced potato to the cooker. Stir fry on medium flame for 3-4 mins.

Add 2 1/2 - 3 cups hot water, adjust salt, sprinkle garam masala and close the lid of the cooker. Cook for 1-2 whistles on medium flame. Remove from flame and allow to stand aside till steam escapes.

Heat remaining oil in a wok. Add the spinach puree and fry for 2-3 mins. Add the contents of the pressure cooker to the wok. Bring to boil and let it simmer for 2 mins.

Serve hot with white rice, roti or parantha.

Note - One can also skip the whole garam masala and add some powdered garam masala instead.

Dahi Boondi

I love trying out various kinds of 'raita' as it is one of those easy and quick side dishes which really adds that extra bit of zing to any kind of meal. It is always served with heavy and oily dishes as the good bacteria present in the yogurt helps in digestion and also nullifies the irritant effect of the strong spices which are a signature component of Indian food. It also multi-tasks as a palate cleanser. But on the days when one is feeling lazy, a simple raita paired with chapatis/parathas or even with a veg pulao, becomes a complete meal by itself.

While I usually make raita with some vegetable and/or fruit, I sometimes get tempted to try out Boondi raita when there is a packet of 'kara boondi' lying in my kitchen. Read on for easy recipe -

Preparation time - 5 mins (plus 20 mins in the fridge)

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 cup kara boondi
• 1 tsp English mustard 
• 2 tsp amchur powder
• 2-3 green chilis (de-seeded and slit lengthwise)
• chopped coriander for garnishing
• salt to taste

Preparation- Take the yogurt in a mixing bowl. Beat gently to break any lumps. Add salt, English mustard, amchur and green chilis. Mix well. Adjust the consistency by adding 1 - 1/2 cup water along with the boondis.

Chill for 20 mins before serving.

Click here for another version of Boondi raita.

Kurkuri Bhindi

I have been quite occupied over the last week doing cleaning, rearranging furniture and other household activities. That left me very less time to cook lunch for myself. Hence I would mostly end up doing simple stir-fries (bhaji) which even my kid liked to have with his khichidi . The only day I made rice and dal for lunch, I only had about a dozen ladies fingers sitting in the fridge. As I had cleaned out the fridge the previous day, I did not get time to stock up on the veggies. Being in the mood for something chatpata, I quickly decided to make some crispy ladies finger fries. Even my son is fond of this vegetable so i first marinated it with minimum spice/heat. Keeping aside some of the fries, I drizzled mine with more chilli powder and amchur. Totally lip-smacking dish.

While Kurkuri Bhindi is actually a Rajasthani recipe which is much more flavorsome, mine is just a simplified version of it. Read on for this simple recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 12-14 ladies fingers/okra
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp amchur/chaat masala
• 1 tsp besan
• 1/2 tsp rice flour
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying
• 2 pinch black pepper powder (my special addition)

Preparation - Slit the ladies finger lengthwise and cut into smaller 2 inch long sections ( mine were small so i kept it as such ).

Sprinkle all the spices/masalas over the ladies finger and toss together to coat evenly. Keep aside for 10 mins.

Add the besan and rice flour and mix once again.

Cooking - Heat sufficient oil in wok or deep vessel. Add the ladies finger in batches and fry till they become crispy.

Serve hot as it is or garnished with lemon juice, coriander leaves and tomato slices.

Suva greens - Moong dal ( Dill cooked with yellow lentils )

I was introduced to this sweet smelling greens by one of my neighbors. Since I had never came across this variety during my stay in Odisha, I was a little doubtful about cooking it for the first time. I did not want to make a bhaji out of it. As I was having rotis for lunch, I wanted something wet. It was then that I thought of preparing it with roasted moong dal. We use this recipe for cooking almost every kind of greens, from spinach (palak) to amaranthus leaves and fenugreek leaves (methi) to even drumstick leaves (moringa). I would put it as the fail-safe formula for cooking greens (apart from stir frying them).

Read on -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 bunch suva greens (dill)
• 1/3 cup roasted split moong dal
• 3-4 garlic flakes
• 1-2 green/red chili
• 1/4 tsp pancha phutana
• 2 pinch turmeric
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil

Preparation - Wash and clean the greens. Chop into small pieces.

Cooking - Cook the dal along with salt and turmeric in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles on medium heat. Keep aside for 10 mins so that the steam can esacpe. Open the lid carefully and add the chopped greens to the hot dal and immediately close the lid. Keep aside for 5 mins.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add pancha phutana and allow to splutter. Add the broken chilis followed by the crushed garlic cloves.

Once the garlic lets off a fragrance, add the contents of the cooker to the wok. Turn up the flame and boil for 5 mins.

Serve hot with rotis.

Bendakaya bhaath (Okra/Bhindi Rice)

A yummy variation of the very popular Vangi Baath from Andhra/Karnataka, this one simply replaces the eggplant with okra and throws in some garlic seasoning. The recipe is sure to find a lot of takers among the kids who usually shun the eggplant version. I personally love it as it is very easy to make and it is one of the best (and easiest) things that one can with leftover rice.

Read on for the easy breezy recipe  -

Preparation Time - 15 mins ( if you have cooked rice else add time needed to prepare rice )

Ingredients -

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 10-12 ladies finger
• 8-10 cashews
• 2 tsp whole urad dal (skinless)
• 1/2 tsp thick tamarind paste
• 1 red chilli
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• a pinch of fenugreek seeds (optional)
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 3-4 garlic flakes (crushed)
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 4 tsp cooking oil
• 2 pinch turmeric
• salt to taste

For the Masala

• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
• 6-7 cloves
• 2 red chilli
• 1 marathi moggu
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 tbsp split urad dal
• 1 tsp oil

Preparation - Cut the ladies finger into 1 1/2 inch long pieces.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan. Add all the ingredients for Masala and fry till a  fragrance starts to fill the kitchen. Remove and allow to cool a bit. Grind into a fine powder.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the ladies finger pieces along with a bit of salt and turmeric. Fry till cooked.

Add 1 1/2 tsp of the Masala Powder ( I keep it less spicy ) along with the tamarind paste (diluted with 3-4 tsp water). Fry for 1 minute.

Add the cooked rice and mix in. Adjust salt.

Heat 1 tsp oil for the tempering. Add broken red chilli, asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal. After urad dal turns a little brown, add garlic, cashews and curry leaves. Pour the tempering over the rice. Mix in.

Serve hot with appalam and papad.

Note -

1. If you want to keep it more healthy, swap the white rice with brown rice/parboiled rice.

2. If preparing this for your kid, do remember to cut the okra into tiny pieces and go easy on the powdered masala.

Easy Vegetarian Quesadillas

Having got bored with the usual breakfast menu, I was looking for a change. Something more filling and healthy was what I wanted. That is when I came across someone's post of Quesadilla on FB. Not that I had not seen it before. But it never occurred to me that I could make this super easy snack at home whenever I wanted instead to buying it from outside everytime. That way I could also decide what filling I wanted to put inside it.

While the totillas are made from bleached wheat flour or maida, I decided to stick to the usual multi-grain wheat flour that we use on a everyday basis. For the stuffing, I have used peppers, spring onions and tomatoes but one can add anything from mushrooms to paneer along with loads of leafy stuff like cabbage, spinach, lettuce, etc. Read on for my version -

Preparation Time - 25 mins (plus some standby time)

Ingredients -

For the Tortilla/rotis -

• 1 cup wheat flour or maida
• 1 tsp butter
• salt to taste
• a dash of pepper
• warm milk for kneading

For the filling and final touches -

• 1 cup chopped vegetables ( I used spring onions, peppers and tomatoes )
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• pinch of cayanne pepper
• pinch of pepper
• salt to taste
• 4 tbsp grated cheese (I used Amul processed cheese, use can use any other too)
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise (optional but give a great taste)
• EVOO for brushing the quesadillas.

Preparation- Take the flour in a wide plate. Add salt, pepper and butter. Rub in.

Add milk to the flour, little by little and keep on mixing so that it is well incorporated into the dough. We want a soft dough. It is ok if it is slightly sticky but too sticky means more flour should be added.

Cover dough with moist cloth and rest aside for 30 mins.

Cooking - Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the vegetables to it and sprinkle pepper and salt. Saute on high for 2 mins max. Keep aside to cool down.

Pinch small balls from the dough. Dust a working surface with flour and roll out into thin circles.

Heat a tawa/flat pan. Put the roti/tortilla on it. Wait till small bubbles begin to form. Add some of the stir fried veggies to one half of the circle. Sprinkle mayonnaise and cheese on the veggies. Fold over the other half so that the veggies and the cheese are sandwiched inside.

Slightly press with a splatula for 1 minute or so to allow the cheese to melt from the heat. Brush some olive oil on the side. Flip over and brush more olive oil on the other side. Cook for 30 seconds.

Remove from tawa and keep aside. Repeat with the remaining dough and veggies.

Serve hot with a hot sauce/sour dip of your choice.

Special Alu Bharta

Had a very bad experience yesterday!!!! A very popular Odiya website 'http://recipe.fullodisha.com/'  is copying my images ( from very old posts ) and claiming it as own. While I duly sent them a message, they have not reverted back to me. Feel sad when people display a lack of spine. I have been working hard for the last 5 years trying to collect Odiya recipes from various people that I come across and showcase them as a part of our culture. This incident made me feel like going off the public platform. But then we do not throw away the tea cup if a fly falls into the tea. We discard the tea and start afresh. Hence will be 'water marking' all my pics thereafter. Hope this serves as a lesson for all bloggers.

For today, a special alu bharta that my mom used to prepare.............

Preparation Time - 10 mins


Ingredients -

• 2 large boiled potatoes
• 1 medium sized onion ( chopped into mediun sized pieces )
• 1/2 inch ginger (grated)
• 1-2 dry red chilli (broken)
• 1-2 green chilli (broken)
• a pinch of jeera
• a pinch of mustard seeds
• 2 pinch curry powder ( or one can use meat masala /sambar powder - anything that you like )
• a handful of peanut seeds ( my mom does not add it )
• 2 1/2 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Peel and slightly mash the potatoes.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok.

Add the peanuts and allow to crackle . Then add the mustard, cumin, red and green chillis. Fry for 5-6 seconds.

Add the onion and ginger. Fry till translucent.

Finally add the curry powder and fry for 1-2 minutes.

Add the mashed potato and fry till it starts to leave the sides and come together.

Remove from wok.

Serve hot/warm with rice/roti/parantha.

Note - While adding sambar powder, my mom used to add a few curry leaves and some tomato. Though not authentic alu bharta, it tasted great.

Mango Sasav (Ambe che Sasav)

Another one of Tarla Dalal's recipes. Hats off to the greatest Indian Chef who ever walked this planet. Her collection of recipes are truly amazing and diverse. She seems to have covered the entire span of the subcontinent while researching for her books and picked out some true gems.

Today I will be sharing this simple Konkani recipe that has green mangoes, coconut and toasted mustard seeds. While it is mostly made with tender green mangoes, I could not find the same and hence used cubed green mangoes. Quite a magical combination. Goes best with plain white rice. Read on for the easy recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 cup freshly grated coconut
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tsp tamarind pulp ( optional )
• 7-8 peppercorns
• 2 cups green mangoes ( cubed )
• 2 tsp jaggery
• salt to taste

Preparation - Dry toast the mustard seeds in a pan till they start to pop. Keep aside to cool down.

Take the mustard seeds with grated coconut, tamarind pulp, turmeric, chilli powder and peppercorns in a blender jar. Add 1/2 cup water and make into a smooth paste.

Transfer the paste to a thick bottomed pan/wok and bring to a boil.

Add the mangoes along with jaggery and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Note - I have used dark colored jaggery powder in the recipe which turned the dish brown. But traditionally it is a yellow colored dish. BTW planning to try this with ripe mangoes next time.