A Mid-monsoon Afternoon's dream : Tala pitha

 

As I sniffed the slightly squishy fruit I held in my hands,  I realized my childhood memories are replete with myriad scents. And Sugar palm or Toddy Palm is just one of them. It carries the scent of the monsoons. Not the much romanticized 'Petrichor' kind but one that develops as the rains progress from sudden showers to a steady drizzle that continues for days. The wetness of the lawn grass and the musty odor of clothes that had no chance to dry completely. Accompanied by the dampness of the walls and floors that would send me scurrying to the kitchen for warmth. And the nibbles that came with the turf. 

On one of those rainy days, a huge can would arrive from Jangra. I clearly remember being fascinated by the viscous saffron-hued contents. But it was the smell which has stayed with me till date. The golden-orange pulp of the Sugar Palm would fill the home with an ethereal fragrance. One moment I am here and in the next, I have been transported to a different realm. 

Jangra. The land of my forefathers. The ancestral home built by my grandfather's great grandfather. The numerous rooms,  courtyards, and doorways put together in a complex interconnected maze that often caused an 8-year-old to lose her way. Still, my curiosity got the better of me and I would sneak around exploring the fascinating labyrinth that stood almost at the edge of the river cliff. I am told most of it has been lost to the murky black waters of the mighty Brahmani river.

As the cousins and other ladies clambered down the treacherous slope with practiced ease, I would find myself sitting near the edge and counting the Sugar Palm trees growing near the river. They looked like sentinels, standing tall and formidable. It was much later that I realized they were real sentinels, acting as windbreakers and slowing down the soil erosion. They stood where they did for a good reason. Another reason why they could have been planted a little away from the inhabited village was the propensity of the fruits to fall down in quick succession once they ripened. 

I have often described the taste of the ripe fruit as a mix of mango and Jackfruit, with notes of banana and even Bael(Aegle marmelos) to anyone who asks me about it. But what do I know? No two people can smell things the same way!! All thanks to a complex receptor mechanism hard coded into our DNA. I learned it the hard way when the three of us couldn't agree upon certain foods and I always ended up on the losing team. Finally realized that the boy's receptors are mapped to his Dad's genes.

A few of the Sugar palm/ Talaw' delicacies made in Odisha -

Tala Bara

Tala Chakuli

Tala Kakara

Tala Poda Pitha

Tala Enduri

Tala Muan Pitha

Tala Chittau

Tala Kakara Recipe

Ingredients: 

1 cup rice flour

1 cup sugar palm juice

1/2 cup jaggery

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp salt 

Oil for deep frying ( cold-pressed mustard oil gives it an authentic taste )

1 tsp of ghee (optional)

Note :

The freshly extracted sugar palm juice needs to be strained, boiled for 10-15 mins and allowed to cool down in order to reduce the bitterness before using it in any kind of recipe. The consistency of this liquid will also vary with the amount of water used during the extraction. I had boiled and stored a big batch of the sugar palm extract which I have used in this recipe. If making it with freshly extracted juice, you will need to add a little more water, boil it for sometime and let it come down to room temperature before proceeding with this recipe. 

Preparation: 

Take the sugar palm juice in a thick-bottomed pan or wok. Bring it to boil on a low flame. Add the jaggery, fennel, and salt to the boiling juice. Once the jaggery melts, sift in the rice flour and keep stirring continuously to avoid the formation of lumps. Keep the flame low during all the time.

Remove from fire once the liquid is completely absorbed and the mixture resembles a loose dough. Do not overcook.

Allow to cool down a bit. Add a few drops of ghee. Knead the mixture into a smooth dough. The kneading should be done when the dough is still hot ( should have a tolerable temperature ).

Divide the warm dough into small balls (given quantity makes about 10 of them). Flatten them into small discs but do not make them very thin.

Cooking: Heat a wok. Add sufficient oil for frying. When the oil is sufficiently hot but not smoking, add the flattened balls. Reduce the flame a bit and fry them till they are golden brown in color.

Remove from the hot oil using a slotted spoon and allow them to cool down. Serve at room temperature. Tastes best the next day.

Sajana Phula Batibasa ( Drumstick flowers cooked with poppy seeds )

Another simple and tasty preparation with drumstick flowers. Making to most of the opportunity to sample drumstick flowers and leaves during my stay in Rourkela, I cannot help but try out both old and recipes with them. Since winter has set in, most of the leaves have fallen out but the drumstick trees are laden with flowers and fruit during this time of the year.

Read on -

Preparation Time - 10-12 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup drumstick flowers
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 2 garlic flakes
• 2 green chili (broken into 2-3 pieces)
• 1 1/2 tsp mustard oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Pluck the drumstick flowers from the bunch. Throw away the dried and shriveled ones. Wash and clean them.

Cooking - Mix all the ingredients in a small wok. Add about 1/4 cup water. Cover with a lid and cook on a low to medium flame for 7-8 minutes.

Serve hot with white rice.

Sajana Phula Bara (Drumstick flower fritters)

Another easy recipe with drumstick flowers !! This one is in the form of a snack and takes minimal effort. Given the fact that it is loaded with nutrients, your guests will be more than happy at being served a plateful of good health.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups (packed lightly) drumstick flowers
• 1 large potato (boiled, peeled & mashed)
• 1 medium sized onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 pinch garam masala
• a pinch of turmeric
• 2 tsp coriander leaves (chopped)
• 1-2 green chili (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• 4-5 tsp cooking oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash and clean the drumstick flowers. Be careful to retain only the fresh flowers and buds.

Cooking - Heat 3 tsp oil in a wok. Add the onions and fry till translucent.

Add the flowers and fry for 2 mins .

Add the mashed potato along with chili powder, garam masala, salt and turmeric. Fry for 3 mins.

Finally add the green chili and coriander leaves, mix in and remove from flame.

Allow to cool down till it is bearable to touch. Pinch small portions and shape into flattened discs.

Make a thin batter of the besan. Season it with a little salt and chili powder. Lightly brush the discs with the batter. (one can also roll them with some bread crumbs to get a crispy outer layer)

Heat a non-stick tawa. Sprinkle a few drops of oil. Place the discs on the hot tawa and cook on both sides till there is a little browning.

Remove from tawa and serve hot with ketchup.

Sajana Phula Bhaja

Drumstick flowers or Moringa flowers are known as 'Sajana phula' in Odia. Not very long back, a drumstick tree was a mandatory part of every garden in Odisha. The other must plants were the banana plant, papaya and a fruit tree like mango and/or guava. But with rising land rates and shrinking plot sizes, the gardens are being dispensed with and most people no longer have access to such a delicacy. And sadly one does not find it being sold in the markets.

Residing in Blore, I could only dream of having access to it. So, when I made the annual trip to my native, it was on my must-eat list along with 'karadi' and the famous Rourkela 'Gupchup' . Though I sometimes have it in Bhubaneshwar, the Gupchup here is simply a class apart. Almost everyone swears by the vendor in their own locality or a nearby place. But there are some crazy folks who would not mind making a trip (in some cases a long one)  to Sec 15/ Ispat Market /Sec 20 for savoring the stuff sold by a particular vendor. Since I no longer have the inclination to follow in their footsteps, I am happy to sample the stuff dished out by the nearest vendor.

Coming back to the recipe, it is a frugal one made with the simplest of ingredients. Read on -

Preparation Time - 10-15 mins (most of it is used for cleaning the flowers)

Ingredients -

• 2 cups drumstick flowers
• 1 green chili
• 2 pinch pancha phutana
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Pluck the drumstick flowers from the bunch. Throw away the dried and shriveled ones. Wash and clean them.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the broken green chili and pancha phutana. Once it stops spluttering, add the crushed garlic flakes along with the cleaned flowers.

Stir fry for 3 mins. Add the salt and mix in. Remove from the flame.

Serve as a side dish with rice/rotis and dal.

Note - The very tender drumsticks can also be fried along with the flowers.