Black Rice And Pumpkin Soup ( My experiments with Ambila )

 IMP - Black Rice And Pumpkin Soup is an original recipe created by the blogger and has been published for the first time on oriyarasoi.com.


Ambila. Sweet, sour and with a hint of chilli, this traditional soup from Odisha is a hot favorite during the winter months. It has quite a few variations in terms of the vegetables used and the choice of souring ingredient. While availability of certain ingredients is definitely an important factor, the major influence lies in the preference of the local populace. Though dried mango is the most popular souring agent used, tamarind or even sour curd is preferred by certain people. The sweetness also varies as per personal preferences. Strangely enough, the absence of any sweetening agent is enough to label it as 'Kanji', another close cousin of the ambila.

While both these traditional recipes are quite popular in my home, I picked the 'Ambila' for a makeover because of the 'sweet' component. The strong earthy flavor of black rice pairs rather well with coconut and jaggery, both of which are integral to the 'Ambila'. The deep hue (anthocyanins) of the black rice adds a whole new appeal to this traditional recipe.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 35 mins ( plus 30 mins soaking )

Ingredients - 

• 1/2 cup sliced pumpkin
• 3-4 tbsp black rice ( coarsely ground )
• 4 tsp jaggery ( or as per taste )
• 1/3 cup freshly grated coconut
• 1-2 dried mangoes pieces
• 1/2 tsp pancha phutana 
• 1-2 dry red chilis
• 1 1/2 tsp canola/rice bran oil
• a  pinch of turmeric
• salt to taste

Preparation - Soak the coarsely powdered rice for 30 mins in 1/2 cup. 

Soak the dried mango pieces separately in 1/3 cup water

Cooking - Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a deep vessel. Add the pumpkin slices along with a pinch of turmeric. Fry for 3-4 mins.

Add about 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the soaked rice and let it boil for 15 mins.

Stir in the jaggery and grated coconut. Boil for 5 mins.

Finally add the dried mango along with the water used for soaking. Adjust the salt. Keep boiling for 5 mins.

In another small pan, heat 1 tsp oil. Add the broken red chili and pancha phutana. Once it starts spluttering, pour it over the ambila.

Serve hot.

Black Rice Modak ( Sijha Manda gets a Makeover )

IMP - Black Rice Modak  is an original recipe created by the blogger and has been published for the first time on oriyarasoi.com.



In Odisha, we have a very famous proverb which goes like 'bara masa teyra parba'. It means that the number of festivals that we celebrate outnumbers even the number of months in a year. And 'pithas' are a very important part of most Odia festivals. Traditionally made with rice, they are usually stuffed with a sweet coconut / chenna filling. A 'Pitha' is not very sweet like a dessert. Since most 'pithas' are usually served with a lentil curry or even warm milk, just a hint of sweetness is enough.

Sadly, semolina (suji) or maida/atta usually replacing rice in most 'pithas' these days. As people increasing view rice as a villain which causes weight gain, rice is being edged out from these traditional recipes. But while the 'pitha' made with semolina or refined flour may taste better, it can hardly be termed as an healthy choice. Switching to a better grade of rice seemed the most plausible decision. Being a food blogger, one is not only aware of current food trends but also the nutritional values of most ingredients. Hence, when I decided to keep it healthy as well as tasty, black rice turned out to be the top contender among all other ingredients.

Sijha Manda or Sukla Manda is one of the most popular 'pithas' from Odisha. It is an integral part of all the Lakshmi pujas. It can be described as a steamed rice dumpling with a sweetened stuffing. Hardly surprising that it was one of the first few recipes that came to my mind when I wanted to experiment with black rice as an ingredient in a traditional Odia dish. 

Read on for the recipe - 

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients - 

• 1 cup black rice
• 2 tsp semolina
• 2 tbsp almond meal ( powdered almonds )
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• jaggery as per taste ( 3-4 tbsp )
• 1 tsp ghee
• 2 pinch cardamom
• 2 pinch salt

Preparation - Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour.

Strain and spread out the rice grains on a flat surface. Let it dry in the sun for 2 hours or till surface moisture is no longer perceptible. 

Grind into a fine powder.

Cooking - Boil 2 cups of water in a pan. Add the jaggery, ghee, coconut and almond meal.

Once the jaggery is completely dissolved, add the powdered rice in small batches while stirring continuously. Take care to avoid the formation of lumps.

Cook on low flame for about 10 mins. Then add the semolina and cook for another 5 mins till everything forms a tight dough. Remove and keep aside to cool it down.

Once the temperature is bearable, rub a little ghee on your hands and knead the dough for 5 mins.

Divide the dough into 10-12 portions . Give a desired shape to each portion.

Steam the dumplings for 10-15 mins.

Serve warm.

Eggless Turmeric Coconut Cake ( A Christmas Collaboration )

This year saw the humble turmeric grab the spotlight on an international stage ! The 'haldi-wala doodh' reinvented itself as the gourmet showstopper aka the 'turmeric latte' . Long relegated to the kitchen shelves of every Indian household, the western world is warming up to the superfood status of this miraculous spice. The fact that it possesses a beautiful burnished hue is a major factor behind it's appeal.

When scouting for Christmas recipes, this wonder ingredient was on mind all the time. I wanted to incorporate the beautiful hue and aroma of turmeric in my cake but in a manner which is very different from the Sfoof, a Lebanese tea cake. This cake draws it's inspiration from the 'Enduri pitha', a steamed dish from Odisha which is remi to the Konkani 'Patholi'. It is infused with the sweet aroma of turmeric leaves, cardamom, and coconut. Interestingly, coconut cakes are an important part of the Christmas celebrations in tropical countries like Sri Lanka and even Australia.

While I wanted to use a few drops of freshly squeezed turmeric juice to lend that golden color to my cake, I couldn't find some on my last trip to the local vegetable market. Had to settle for the powdered one. But the flavor turned out to be very different from anything that I have ever tried. Overall, the cake was extremely rich, moist, dense and something that will reminds one of the tropical climes. Read on for the recipe -

[ Don't forget to scroll down to check out a true blue Christmas pudding by my dear friend Parinaaz ]

Preparation Time -

Ingredients -

• 3 cups Maida / all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Sugar 
• 1 cup Ghee 
• 2 cups Yogurt
• 3-4 tbsp condensed milk
• 1 cup freshly grated coconut
• 3 tsp Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed turmeric juice (or 1/2 tsp turmeric powder)
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper
• Turmeric leaves to line the baking tray (optional but recommended)
• a pinch of salt
• a few spoonful of freshly squeezed coconut milk to thin the batter if required

Preparation - Sift all the dry ingredients together.

Add the solid ghee and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk for a few minutes. Then add condensed milk, and curd one by one to the mixing bowl. Whisk till everything forms a homogeneous mixture.

Fold in the dry ingredients taking care to whisk in the same direction.  Finally, fold in the grated coconut.

Line the baking tray with the turmeric leaves. Apply a thin layer of ghee on the leaves. Pour the batter into the baking tray.

Baking - Pre-heat the oven at 180 C for 10 mins.

Place the tray in the oven. Bake at 180 C for 40-50 mins or till a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. (the baking time will change depending on the size of the tray)

Remove from the oven and let it cool down.

Invert onto a cooling rack and remove the turmeric leaves. Once it is completely cool, cut it into pieces and serve.

Store the rest in an airtight container.

Check out this fabulous Christmas pudding from A Dollop Of That !! -

Christmas Pudding with brandy sauce !!

Baked Malpua Tarts with Creamy Khira !! (Diwali Desserts Collaboration)

The fairy lights have come up and the house smells of freshly washed curtains and cushion covers. A sporadic burst of crackers can be heard now and then. The cracker shops can be spotted at every clearing with the crowds thronging them seeming to be rather oblivious to the fact that it is all about perfectly good money up in smoke. Something we could do without in cities that already have their lungs choked with smoke and pollution.

Personally, I have resolved to skip bursting crackers to celebrate Diwali and instead use the money to spread a few cheers. A rocket worth five hundred bucks may not make you smile for more than five seconds but imagine the joy of your maid/driver/watchman when they get a few hundred extra bucks to celebrate this festival. It may translate into that new t-shirt that their kid has been demanding or the high school textbook that their child score better marks in the board/entrance examination. Small gestures can make a lot of difference.

And I am really one to believe in the power of small changes. That is why I ended up buying a lot more clay lamps this year to support the potters who earn the lion's share of their living during this season. Even as I enjoy the faint sizzle and the earthy smell as these lamps soak a tub of water, it is time to add the most awaited post for the ongoing Diwali collaboration.

Giving the perfect twist to the traditional Malpuas, I baked them in the shape of earthen lamps and filled them with lightly chilled Khira (or chenna payas ) just before serving.

[ Yumm Alert - More mouthwatering dishes to be discovered at the bottom of this post !! ]

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25 mins for Malpua  + 1 hour  for Chenna Payas

Ingredients -

For Malpua -

• 1 cup Whole wheat flour
• 1 overripe banana 
• 2 tsp condensed milk 
• 2 tsp cream 
• 1 tsp powdered fennel (pana mahuri)
• oil for frying
• pinch of baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tsp butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar ( as per taste  )
• milk required to make a tight dough

For Khira - 

• 1.5 liters whole milk ( or 1 liter milk and 2/3 cup Ricotta cheese )
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 7-8 cashews
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp Demerara sugar ( or as per taste )
• 1 vanilla bean or few drops of vanilla extract 
• 1/2 tsp ghee/clarified butter

Preparation - 

For the Malpua - Add the butter to the wheat flour and rub it in so that it resembles bread crumbs.

Take the banana in a mixing bowl and mash it nicely using a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and mix everything into a tight dough. Pop it into the fridge for 30 mins.

Dust a working surface. Take out the dough and roll it into a sheet about 3 mm thick. Cut out circles from the rolled dough, pierce them with a fork and place them into the cavities of a muffin tray. Using slightly wet fingers shape the edges to resemble earthen lamps. 

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees for 10 mins. Put in the tray and bake for 12-14 mins till the tarts start browning a bit. Remove from the oven and allow to stand outside till completely cooled down.

For the Creamy Khira -

Dilute the vinegar with 2 tbsp water.

Boil 1/2 litre of milk in a pan. When it comes to full boil, add the diluted vinegar. Boil for another 4-5 minutes so that the chenna/ricotta cheese ( solid portion of the milk) clearly separates from the remaining liquid. Drain the liquid. Wash the chenna/ricotta cheese under running water to remove traces of vinegar. Squeeze out the remaining liquid from the chenna/ricotta cheese. Allow it to cool down.

Heat a little ghee on a pan. Fry the cashews to a golden shade. Remove from pan and keep aside.
Add the raisins to the same pan and lightly fry for 30 seconds. Remove from pan.

Heat a thick bottomed wok. Add the remaining milk and bring to a boil. Put a slit in the vanilla bean and toss it into the wok. Allow milk to reduce to half the original volume.

Then add condensed milk, sugar and fried cashews. Let it simmer for 10 mins before you add the chenna/ricotta cheese.

Keep stirring at regular intervals till the mixture becomes thick ( 'rabdi' like consistency ), Add the pistachio flakes, remove from the flame and keep aside.

Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

Take the Baked Malpua tarts and fill them with the slightly chilled and delicious creamy khira . Serve to your guests and brace yourself for the deluge of compliments.

And do check out these fabulous recipes by my fellow bloggers !!!

Saswati's luscious  Mawa Cupcakes with Kesar Pista Malai Frosting !


And

Parinaaz's tantalizing Paan Pops !!

Happy Diwali ! Let the lights guide you !!

Black Rice Truffles with Coconut Custard ( The Vegan Attakali )

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


At times, when I look at food, my thoughts begin to wander far and wide. How would a dish look like if it were to be prepared in a different realm or even in a different era ? That inspires me to take a very mundane everyday dish and give it a makeover. For me a makeover is all about preserving the very soul of a recipe while mutating it into something very different. And that is exactly what I have done with the 'attakali', a traditional Odia dessert. Of course, this recipe is a late Teacher's day tribute to Masterchef Vikas Khanna for it is his show 'Twist of Taste' that really inspires me to take on such mammoth challenges.

For the uninitiated, 'attakali' consists of rice balls immersed in a rice custard (more like a phirni). It is quite low in calories as compared to other desserts and is usually prepared on certain festive days. In my recipe, I have used two varieties of rice. The black or purple rice from Manipur is used to create the rice balls and the sweet smelling Gobindo bhog from Bengal is cooked in coconut milk to create a vegan custard. The nuttiness of the black rice complements the sweetness of the Gobindo bhog to build a unique flavor. This is a vegan version of the 'attakali'.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients -

For the rice balls -

• 1/2 cup Black (Manipur) rice 
• 3-4 tsp jaggery
• 2 tsp almond paste (optional)
• a pinch of cardamom
• toasted sesame seeds for garnishing

For the coconut custard

• 3 tsp Gobindo bhog rice ( one can use Jeera rice instead ) 
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 2-3 tsp sugar 
• 2 pinch white pepper powder
• toasted charoli seeds

Preparation - Wash and soak the two rice varieties separately . 

Grind the purple rice into a fine paste without using too much water. Add the jaggery and grind it again. Keep aside

Grind the Gobindo bhog rice separately.

Cooking - 

For making the rice balls -

Boil about 1/4 cup water in a wok. 

Add the purple rice and jaggery paste. Cook on low to medium flame as it thickens. 

Once it starts to solidify, add the almond paste and the cardamom powder. Remove from the flame and keep aside it is bearable to touch the dough.

Rub a few drops of oil on the fingers and knead it again. Divide the dough into small portions and shape into balls by rolling between the palms. 

Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on a plate. Roll these balls gently on the seeds.

For the coconut custard -

Bring the coconut milk and sugar to a gentle boil. Add the Gobindo bhog rice paste and keep stirring it till it thickens to a thin custard like consistency. 

Add the powdered white pepper and toasted charoli at this stage. Mix it in. Remove from the flame. Let it cool down before popping it into the fridge for 15 mins.

Serve the rice balls (at room temperature) with a dollop of the chilled coconut-rice custard. 

Note - Want to look up the original 'Attakali' recipe ? Check out HERE.

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.

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

Red Cabbage pakoda ( with Amaranth flour )

I always knew that government officials are a tardy lot who take forever to move files and cannot be budged into action without the lubricating effect of a few crisp currency notes (aka bribes). But copying or plagiarizing from blogs ?? Incredulous !! I find it tough to believe this. Even more than the fact that there are others who have turned blogging into a social media circus.

Honestly this is a creative thing and the biggest appreciation comes when someone reads our stuff and complements us . But can I possibly accept compliments for a borrowed piece of work ? Bullshit !! Other than garnering a few likes and a complement or two, it does nothing good for a blogger. And surely it does not earn you some great 'fans' or friends as I like to call them. Thank you Nidhi dear for pointing it out to me.

Anyways getting back to all things good, I actually tried this out during the Navratri days but could not get it published in time. Since I had given up onion and garlic for a few days, I had tried this yummy snack one afternoon. As part of my 'desi'-fication drive, I adopted yet another foreign vegetable and tried to give it an Indian twist.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 2-3 tbsp amaranth flour (rajgire ka atta / Farari flour)
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 2 pinch roasted cumin-chili powder
• a pinch of garam masala
• a pinch of turmeric
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp chopped cilantro
• very little water to loosely bind the ingredients

Preparation - Take all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add a little water and bind it lightly.

Cooking - Heat oil in a wok. Add a small amount of the mixture and fry it for a few mins. Remove and keep aside on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Serve hot !!

Note - This is inspired by a loose kind of onion pakoda that I sometimes prepare. But one can chop the cabbage into still finer bits and add more binding to get the regular kind of pakoda. 

Fruity Khira ( Ricotta Cheese Pudding with assorted fruits )

Easter is around the corner and a lot of folks would be meticulously working on a mouth watering spread for that special lunch /dinner with friends and family. While there are a lot of traditional favorites for the occasion, an unusual dish is always a welcome addition to the menu. Leave aside the usual puddings and cakes for something wonderfully delightful. A pudding made with ricotta cheese and served with assorted seasonal fruits can add zing to even the most boring conversations that sometime follow a lunch or dinner!!

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time -

Ingredients -

• 1.5 litres whole milk ( or 1 liter milk and 2/3 cup Ricotta cheese )
• 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 7-8 cashews
• 2 tbsp pistachio flakes
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp sugar
• a pinch of saffron 
• 1/2 tsp ghee/clarified butter
• 2 cups assorted fruits ( Fig, Kiwi, Apple, Pineapple, Watermelon, Grapes )

Preparation - Dilute the vinegar with 2 tbsp water.

Cooking - Boil 1/2 litre of milk in a pan. When it comes to full boil, add the diluted vinegar. Boil for another 4-5 minutes so that the chenna/ricotta cheese ( solid portion of the milk) clearly separates from the remaining liquid. Drain the liquid. Wash the chenna/ricotta cheese under running water to remove traces of vinegar. Squeeze out the remaining liquid from the chenna/ricotta cheese. Allow it to cool down.

Heat a little ghee on a pan. Fry the cashews to a golden shade. Remove from pan and keep aside.
Add the pistachio flakes to the same pan and lightly fry for 30 seconds. Remove from pan.

Cooking: Heat a thick bottomed wok. Add the remaining milk and bring to a boil. Allow it to reduce to half the original volume.

Then add condensed milk, saffron strands, sugar and fried cashews. Let it simmer for 10 mins before you add the chenna/ricotta cheese.

Keep stirring at regular intervals till the mixture becomes thick ( 'rabdi' like consistency ), Add the pistachio flakes, remove from the flame and keep aside.

Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours before serving.

Take the chopped fruits in a bowl and drizzle the khira/ricotta cheese pudding generously all over it. Dig in !!!

Note - Khira is traditionally prepared as a offering in the Puri Jaganaath Temple of Odisha. 

Eggplant Yogurt Salad ( Dahi Baigana in a new avatar )

As part of the food makeover series, I have picked up the mundane 'Dahi baigana', a delicious raita made with deep fried aubergines/eggplant . For this particular recipe, I had a twin agenda in mind. The first requirement was to reduce the number of calories. So instead of deep frying, I chose to bake the eggplant. But with an unscheduled power-cut throwing my plans out of gear, I decided to roast them on the non-stick tawa/frying pan instead. Used an oil-spray instead of using regular oil.

To give it a pretty look, I replaced the curd with thick yogurt and made it into a salad. Along with a few pomegranate seeds thrown in for the garnish (they do add a nice sweetness when you bite in), one can use some fresh herbs to add that extra zing to this dish. I used cilantro but it tastes equally good with basil/mint/parsley.

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 7-8 thin slices of eggplant, 3/4 cup thick yogurt, salt to taste, oil spray/1 tsp olive oil.

For tempering - 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 sprig curry leaves, 1 dry red chilli, a pinch of asafoetida, 1 1/2 tsp oil ( i used rice bran oil ).

For garnish - handful of pomegranate seeds, 1 tsp chopped cilantro, 1/3 tsp roasted cumin-chilli (jeera-lanka) gunda.


Preparation - Rub a little salt over the eggplant slices and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a tempering pan. Add the seeds along with broken chilli. Just as they start popping, add curry leaves and asafoetida. Switch off flame immediately and cover the pan with a lid.

Take the yogurt in a bowl. Add the salt and whisk gently. Strain the contents of the tempering pan when cool and add to the mixing bowl ( we will just be using the oil which has absorbed all the flavors of the tempering and leave out those offending bits ). Mix well.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade.

Dry the eggplant slices with a paper towel and brush a little oil on them. Place a foil on the baking tray and place eggplant slices on it. Cook at 200 degrees Centigrade for 2-3  minutes on each side. ( Else spray on some non-stick oil on a pan and roast the slices for 2 minutes on each side. )

Arrange the roasted slices on a platter. Pour the tempered yogurt over it. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro. Finally add the roasted cumin-chilli powder.

Serve as a salad.

Note - I quite liked this makeover as it actually captures the essence of the original recipe (like the use of tempering, addition of the jeera lanka gunda and the use of pomegranate seeds instead of sugar for adding sweetness). Let me know what you think about it.

Red Pepper Boats

'Aloo Chop' or Bonda as it is called in the Southern parts of India, is a very popular snack in Odisha. One can easily spot a shop selling these at every nook and corner of the state. Balls of slightly spiced boiled potato dipped in a batter of Bengal gram batter and deep fried, these can hardly be considered as a gourmet's delight.

As part of my new year resolution, I intend to give a makeover to some of the most common oriya dishes. This is the first in line. Cutting out the deep frying part, I stuffed the potato filling into these lovely red bell peppers and roasted them on a non-stick pan with a only a few drops of oil. The firm (read Al dente) peppers not just make for great holders but also add a fresh flavor to a popular snack. I had originally planned to add Kaffir lime leaves to the potato mixture but could not find it anywhere in Bangalore. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients - 2 medium sized red bell peppers, 2-3 medium sized potatoes ( boiled and peeled ), 1 tsp grated garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 medium sized onion ( finely chopped ), 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/5 tsp turmeric, 2-3 tsp chopped coriander leaves, 2 tbs fried peanuts, 4 tsp oil, salt to taste.

Preparation - Wash and cut each bell pepper into two. Remove any pith/seeds from within. Brush all over (both insides and outside) with oil and a bit of salt.

Cooking: Heat 3 tsp oil in a wok. Add mustard-cumin seeds when the oil starts smoking. Follow with chopped onion and the grated ginger and garlic. Fry for 4-5 mins till the raw smell goes away.

Add the mashed potato along with chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Fry for 2-3 mins. Now add the fried peanuts and chopped coriander. Fry for 1-2 mins. Remove from heat and keep aside till it is bearable to touch.

Stuff the potato mixture into the bell peppers.

Heat a non-stick frying pan. Drizzle with remaining oil. Add the stuffed peppers and cook on each side for 3-4 mins. They should be cooked but still firm.

Serve hot as starters/snacks.

Sending this to Cook With Red Event at Shweta's blog Merry Tummy.