Poda Pitha And Ratha Jatra (The famous Chariot Festival of Puri)

Ratha Jatra also known as the Chariot festival or Car festival, is one of the most important festivals in Orissa and also a major tourist attraction. This festival is celebrated in honour of Lord Jaganaath who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Every year in the month of Asada, the Chariots of the Lord Jaganath accompained with those of his siblings, Lord Balabhadra & Goddess Subhadra roll from Srimandira to Gundicha temple, the abode of his Mausi maa ( Mother's sister ). The sight of the sea of humanity which follows the Gods during this journey is a truely overwhelming experience.















The majestic sandalwood chariots take more than two months to prepare and are built newly every year. The chariots also have very interesting names :
Nandighosa - Lord Jaganath's chariot
Taladhwaja - Lord Balabharda's chariot
Darpadalan - Lord subhadra's chariot.

Important rituals on this day are :
Pahandi - the Lords are carried from the temple to the chariots in a grand procession; and
Chera pahanra - the chariots of the Lords are swept by the incumbent King of Puri with a broom which has a few gold strands in it.

The chariots are pulled by the eager followers who believe it be aspicious. The journey takes about midday to evening. In case the Lords are not able to complete the journey on the same day, they resume the remaining jouney on the next day.

The Lords stay at Gundicha temple for 7 days and return to Shri mandira in a similar procession which is called the Bahuda or Ulta Ratha Jatra.

During their stay at the Mausi Maa Mandira, various edibles are offered to the Lords as prasad. SOme of them are Khaee, Khira Kadali, Gajja, Pheni, Poda pitha, Manda pitha, Enduri pitha, Arissa pitha and Karaka pitha.

Ratha jatra is also celebrated at the ISKON temples and by the oriya community settled in various parts of India and abroad.

Catch the live action in Hyderabad @ Jaganath Temple, Banjara Hills or @ ISKON temple, Secundrabad.

Jai Jaganath!!!

Atta Chakuli with Oats

Atta chakuli or pancakes made with wheat flour are a popular breakfast recipe in Odisha. Varying from savory and spicy to the sweet ones flavored with fennel, they are easy to prepare and quite filling too.

Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins
Cost of preparation: 30-40 rupees

Ingredients: Whole wheat flour ( 1 cup ), oats flour ( 1 cup ), curry leaves ( 1 sprig , optional ), onion ( 1 small ), green chilli ( 2 nos ), salt, oil ( 1 tsp per chakuli if cooked on a non-stick tawa).

Preparation: Mix the whole wheat flour, oats flour, salt along with sufficient water into a smooth paste ( consistency should be same as that of dosa batter ).

Chop the onion and garlic into small pieces.

Cooking: Heat the dosa tawa. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of oil. Add a pinch of pancha-phutana followed by the green chillis, onions and curry leaves.

Stir fry for 40-50 secs. Pour half of the wheat-oats batter into the pan and rotate the pan to spread it. Sprinkle a few drops on oil on the sides.

Cook on both sides for about 3-4 minutes each.

Serve hot .

Note: For People who like it sweet, skip the onion, green chilli, curry leaves and pancha-phutana . Instead add milk and sugar while making the batter for atta chakuli. Cook the chakuli using a little ghee instead of oil.

Kadali Bhaja ( Raw banana fry )

Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Raw bananas
• 2 red chillis 
• 1/5 tsp pancha-phutana 
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• 2-3 tsp oil 
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp jeera-lanka powder

Preparation: Peel and cut the banana into long strips about 5-6 mm thick. Add salt and turmeric and mix well. Keep aside for 10 mins.



















Cooking: Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add the pancha phutana and red chillis ( broken into pieces ). Add the banana pieces and stir fry for 1-2 mins.

Add half cup of water And cover with a lid. Allow to cook till 10 min or till the banana is done.



















Uncover and add the remaining oil on the sides of the pan . Stir lightly.

Allow the bananas to turn slightly reddish/brown .
Remove from pan,  sprinkle the jeera lanka powder all over the bananas and serve hot.

Kadali Bhanda Raee ( Banana flowers cooked in mustard paste )

Cooking Time Required: 15-20 mins


Ingredients:

• 1 no Kadali Bhanda/ banana flowers bunch
• 1 small potato
• 1 small tomato ( optional )
• 5-6 garlic flakes
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 green chilli
• 1 dry red chili
• 1 tsp mustard oil
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• salt to taste

Preparation: Preparing the banana flowers is a time consuming and messy affair. It might just seem to be a daunting task for first timers.

Here is the list of steps that one needs to follow :

1. Rub a little bit of oil on your palms and fingers. This is to prevent blackening caused due to the sticky juice of the flowers.

2. Keep a bowl of water with salt and turmeric at hand.

3. Remove the outer hard dark pink/crimson-colored bracts. These are not edible.















4. Now remove the bunch of yellowish pink flowers just under the hard layers. Remove the thin long stamen (with a thick head) and a hard petal-like layer (tepal) from each flower. These two parts are not edible.

5. Cut up the flower into small pieces and immediately dunk it into the turmeric water. This prevents the flowers from darkening due to oxidation.

6. Repeat the process for each layer. After the first 5-6 layers, the flowers will be closed. Hold each bunch in one hand and rub your palm over the top part to open up the flowers. Now it will be easier to remove the stamen and the tepal.

7. The flowers will keep getting smaller in size. Once it reaches a length of 1.5 inch, one need not remove any of the parts. These can be chopped and added to turmeric water.

8. Boil the flowers along with the salt and turmeric water for about 3-4 mins. Drain and wash under running water to get rid of the bitterness. ( It is preferable to taste the flowers at this stage. If it still tastes too bitter for one's palate, it should be discarded ).


Cooking: Heat 3 tsp oil in a wok. Drain and squeeze the banana flowers and add to the wok. Stir fry for 5 mins. Remove from wok and transfer to a pressure cooker.

Cut the rest of the vegetables into small pieces and add to the pressure cooker.

Grind the dry red chili, mustard seeds, and half of the garlic flakes into a smooth paste. Add to the pressure cooker along with 1/4 cup of water.

Add the green chilies ( slit into 2 ), remaining garlic flakes, mustard oil, salt, and a pinch of turmeric.

Mix the contents of the pressure cooker and close the lid. Put on stove and allow to cook for 2 whistles.

Allow the steam to escape. Open the lid and check if there for excess water remaining. If so, put it back on the stove and cook on a high flame with the lid open to evaporate the water.

Serve with rice.

Note: This curry tastes best when cold and it is even better the next day. Most of the curries prepared with mustard and garlic taste best when served cold.

Makara Chaula

Preparation Time Required: 15-20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Raw rice (though any arua chaula will do, Sita bhoga is preferable)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
• 1/3 cup small sugarcane pieces
• 1-2 ripe banana
• sugar to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese (Chenna)
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 cup chopped fruits of your choice 

Preparation: Soak the rice overnight. Wash and drain. Spread on a plate and allow to dry at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

Grind into a coarse powder and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the banana and mix well. Peel and crush the banana. Add to the mixing bowl and mix.

Consume within a day if kept outside the refrigerator. Can be refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Note: The ingredients listed above are traditionally used in Makara chaula. Some other popular ingredients are jaggery, sweet potato (peeled and grated) and jicama (sakara/chini aloo in Odia) ( also peeled and grated ).

Makara Chaula is prepared during the Makara Sankranti festival in Orissa. The rice used is preferably from the fresh harvest. There are slight variations in the ingredients depending on the regions.

Chuda Ghasa

Some people are born privileged while others take it as a privilege to be able to stay alive ! And somewhere between these two extremities, lies a mass of humanity that takes refuge in religion.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Ratha Jatra / Bahuda celebrations that take place every year in Odisha. It is a riot of colors, cacophony of sounds, medley of emotions and melting pot of humanity as the Lord undertakes his annual journey. The mood of the crowd can only be described as sheer madness. Nothing else even comes close.

These clicks are an attempt to capture the mood of the Bahuda celebrations during which Chuda Ghasa is used as an offering. While it must be quite apparent to most of you that I am not a big fan of mood photography, I do want to learn it. More like adding a skill to the resume just because it helps you stay on your toes.

Coming back to the photos, the flowers and the leaves reflect the colors of the Nandighosa, Taladhwaja and Devadalana. The coconut is symbolic of the devotees breaking coconuts to fulfill their wishes. And the smoke depicts the aalati and dhoopa that adds a mysterious appeal to the whole atmosphere. I did miss the sound element which is also an important part of this festival, Maybe will get to work on it another day.

Read on -

Preparation Time : 20 mins


Ingredients:

• 2 cups beaten Chuda / Beaten rice / Chivda
• 1 cup finely grated coconut
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 4-5 tsp sugar
• a tiny bit of food-grade camphor
• a pinch of green cardamom powder
• a few slices of coconut

Preparation: Grind the chuda in a mixer-grinder to a coarse consistency. Transfer to a plate/ flat surface. Add the sugar and ghee.

Now comes the tough part. Rub the mixture between the fingers so that it forms a texture that resembles breadcrumbs. The ghee and sugar should get mixed evenly .



















Add the grated coconut, cardamom powder and the powdered camphor. . Sprinkle a few drops of water. Mix thoroughly .

It should not feel too dry. One can add more ghee if that is the case. Or some chopped cucumber/banana slices will also do the trick.

Consume within a day or two as the moisture content of the grated coconut makes it soggy.

Note:- Chuda ghasa is a an important part of the prasad prepared during Ganesh Puja / Saraswati puja.

Chuda ghasa is also served as a breakfast/snack item. Chuda ghasa - Buta Dalma is very popular in Puri district of Orissa.

Usually the camhor is added when it is to be used for prasad. Else one can add powdered cardamon/black pepper ( golmaricha) instead of camphor.

Anda Tarkari ( Odisha style Egg curry)

Egg Curry is one of my favorites right from the childhood days. Since half of the family members were vegetarian by choice, egg used to be the most preferred non-veg ingredient unless we had guests coming over. And after I got married, I discovered that it is not only tasty but also easy to prepare. Luckily, I was able to convince my hard-core non-vegetarian husband into trying it out. But not without it's share of drama. But all's well that ends well. My efforts paid off for now he is a fan of the humble yet flavorsome Egg curry.

Read on for the recipe -

Cooking Time Required: 25-30 mins

Ingredients:

• 4 Eggs
• 1 large potato
• 2 medium sized onion
• 1 large tomato
• 1 inch ginger 
• 8-9 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 dry red chillis
• 2 inch long cinnamon
• 2-3 cloves
• 2 green cardamom
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pinch garam masala powder 
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 4 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp sugar

Preparation: Take a pan of water. Add the eggs along with a 1 tsp vinegar (keeps the eggs from cracking during boiling) and boil for 8-10 mins. Remove from fire and allow to cool.Break open and remove the shell.

Grind the onions, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, red chillis, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves and cardamon into a fine paste along with a little water.

Make a puree out of the tomato.

Cooking: Heat 2 tsp of oil in a wok. Add a pinch of turmeric and the eggs. Fry till eggs turn reddish brown. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Cut the potatoes into long slices/cubes and add to the wok. Stir fry till it turns golden brown. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Pour the remaining oil into the wok. Add the sugar and wait for it to turn a little brown.

Add the masala paste along with salt (helps in cooking faster) and keep stirring at regular intervals till the raw smell goes off.

Follow with the pureed tomato.  Add 3-4 cups of water to the paste and bring to a boil.

Add the fried eggs and potatoes and boil for 5-10 mins. Sprinkle garam masala on top and remove from fire.

Serve hot with either rice or roti.

Poee Chenccheda

'Poee Chenchedda' or Malabar spinach cooked with assorted vegetables and fish head is quite a delicacy. This Odia dish is low on spices and depends on the medley of the starkly different ingredients for a unique taste experience. Interestingly, for people who do not consume non-veg, malabar spinach is considered as 'amisha' or 'non-veg'. While I am not sure about the reason behind this classification, I do love this curry even without the addition of the fish head.

Cooking Time Required : 40 mins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Pumpkin cubes
• 2-3 parval/potola/pointed gourd 
• 1/4 cup brinjal cubes 
• 100 gm Malabar spinach/poee
• 1 medium sized potato
• 1/2 cup ridge gourd cubes
• 1 medium sized tomato
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 8-9 pods garlic
• 1 medium onion 
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamom
• 1-2 cloves
• cumin seeds ( 1/3 tsp), 
• red chilli ( 2-3 nos)
• turmeric (1/5 tsp)
• 1 large fish head (Bhakura maccha munda)
• 4-5 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste

Preparation: Wash the vegetable and cut into large sized pieces. Keep aside

Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric for about 5 minutes.

Grind the onion, garlic, ginger, 1-2 red chilis, cardamon, cloves and cinnamon into a thick paste.

Cut the tomato into small pieces . Remove the tomato seeds.

Cooking: Heat oil in a large wok. Add the fish and fry till it turns reddish. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Add the red chillis and cumin seeds. Allow to splutter and then add masala the paste and cook till the raw smell goes away. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 mins.

Add all the vegetables except the poee leaves. Allow the vegetables to be half-cooked and then add the poee leaves. Cook for another 5 minutes and then add the crushed fish head. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-6 minutes till the fish mixes thoroughly with the vegetables and the water disappears.

For folks who like the crispiness of the fish head, add the crushed pieces just before switching off the flame.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

The 'without fish head' version for vegetarian folks -

Note: Do not add any extra water. The vegetables need to be cooked in their own juices.

Meetha Suji (Suji ka Halwa)

Meetha Suji. I kind of grew up eating this version of 'Suji halwa' as it is popularly known in most parts of the country . Seasoned with bay leaves and just the right amount of ghee, it was the answer to every Odia kid's 4 o' clock hunger pangs. 

Cooking Time Required : 10-15 minutes

Ingredients -

• 1 cup Suji/semolina
• 4-5 tsp sugar 
• 1/4 cup ghee
• dry fruits (raisins and cashews, i skipped as my kid does not like )
• 2-3 nos bay leaves
• 1 pinch salt

Cooking: Heat a pan. Put 1 tsp of ghee on it. Add the suji and stir periodically till it darkens a few shades(light brown). Remove from fire and keep aside. Fry the cashews and keep aside.

Pour 2 cups of water into a deep vessel (kadai) and put on the stove. Bring to a boil. Add the roasted suji and mix it continuously to prevent lumps formation. When the suji starts solidifying, add the sugar, cardamon and ghee. Mix it till the sugar almost dissolves, add the cashews and raisins, and remove from the stove. Keep it covered for 5 mins. Serve it hot.

An old of mine with lots of added raisins and cashews :) :) !!