Kolotho Dalma (Coastal Odisha Special)

In Coastal Odisha, if you happen to cook any lentil with vegetables, you end up with a dish that is suffixed with a 'dalma'. So, when I decided to add some veggies to my regular horsegram dal recipe (a western odisha version and my personal favorite), I had to peddle it as 'dalma' to please my husband who is rather fond of this particular category. While there are different versions of the recipe favored by different households, I have used the recipe provided by my mother in law who prefers to ditch the 'ambula' or dried mango / tamarind in favor of an overload of country tomatoes.

It is a very healthy and delicious recipe that provides a good dose of protein and fiber in one go. A word of gentle caution though. Since it is a winter recipe that is used to keep the body warm in the chilly weather, it is best to avoid consuming the lentil frequently during the summer months. However, one can continue to drink the water that is obtained by soaking the lentils overnight as it is perceived to be a cure for kidney and gall bladder stones.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

• 2/3 cup kolotho/horse gram (lightly roasted & broken)
• 1/4 cup baigana/eggplant (cubed)
• 1/4 cup saru/taro (cut into roundels)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin (cubed)
• 1/4 cup green papaya (cubed)
• 1 drumstick ( cut into 2 inch pieces )
• 1 small potato (cubed)
• 2-3 big ripe tomatoes (roughly chopped)
• 1/2 tsp pancha phutana (mix of fenugreek, cumin, mustard, nigella & fennel seeds)
• 4-5 garlic flakes
• 3-4 dry red chilis
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 3 tsp rice bran oil
• 1/3 turmeric
• salt to taste

Cooking - Wash and cook the kolotho in a pressure cooker with 2 cups water, salt and turmeric. Allow for 2-3 whistles. Remove from flame and allow steam to escape.

Open the lid and add the vegetables (except tomatoes) before closing it once again. Cook for 1 whistle on high flame. Remove from flame and keep aside till steam escapes.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, sprinkle a little salt and cook till they become mushy. Add the tomatoes to the contents of the pressure cooker. Put the cooker back on the flame. Adjust the consistency of the dalma by adding some hot water if required.

Heat the remaining oil in a tempering pan. Add the pancha phutana, broken red chilis and curry leaves. Allow it to splutter before pouring it over the dalma.

Serve hot with some white rice and a light stir fry.

Click here for other recipes with horse gram.

Vegetarian Keema Matar (Soya Matar)

Most of the time when I am indulging in a non-veg recipe, I have the tendency to think if it can be replicated/substituted with some vegetarian/vegan ingredients. So, when I cooked Keema matar last week, I felt a strong urge to try it with my favorite vegetarian meat aka soya nuggets. And I was pleased as a punch with the terrific results. The aromas of the spices, the richness of yogurt and the unmatched taste of the fresh green peas ( no frozen ones plz ) make this dish quite unforgettable.

I would love to make this dish for lunch (atleast twice or thrice a week till the fresh peas are in season) and pair it with rotis and some sweetened yogurt. While you can use soya granules if you have them, I made this by soaking the soya chunks in hot water, squeezing them dry and grinding them into a coarse paste. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup soya keema/granules
• 1 cup shelled green peas (fresh ones only)
• 1 large tomato
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 green chili (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1/3 tsp coriander powder
• 1/5 tsp Garam masala
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 2 inch long cinnamon stick
• 1-2 green cardamom
• 1-2 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp thick curd
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Preparation - Soak the soya granules in hot water for 5-10 mins. Wash and squeeze out the water. Repeat twice with warm water.

Chop the onion into medium sized pieces. The tomato can either be finely chopped or grind into a paste.

Beat the curd lightly with a spoon to break any lumps.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Throw in the whole garam masala. Add the onions and fry for 1-2 minutes before adding the ginger paste, garlic paste and green chili. Fry for 3-4 minutes till the raw smell goes off.

Add the soaked soya kheema at this point along with the coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder and half of the garam masala. Fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add the tomato pieces and fry for 2-3 mins. Add the beaten curd and cook for another 2-3 mins.

Finally add the green peas, salt and remaining garam masala.

Serve hot with rotis.

Note - Add some meat masala to add that extra zing to this dish !!

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.

Sajana Phula Patua (Drumstick Flower in Mustard Paste)

This was the last dish that I made with drumstick flowers before leaving my native. A simple and authentic preparation usually made in my mother's family, it is delicious yet very healthy. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup drumstick flowers
• 1 medium sized potato
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 green chili
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 3 tsp mustard oil
• 2 pinch turmeric
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash and clean the drumstick flowers. Cut the potato into thin pieces.

Grind the mustard seeds, chili and garlic into a smooth paste.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the potato pieces. Fry for 2-3 mins.

Add the mustard paste along with 5-6 tbsp water. Throw in the drumstick flowers. Sprinkle turmeric and salt. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame for 3-4 mins.

Remove from flame and serve hot with rice/rotis.

Check out more drumstick flower recipes on my blog !!!

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. 

Budha Kakudi Raee

After making the khatta last week, I was still left with a big chunk. Since I was in a rather lazy mood (which is becoming a permanent fixture btw) for the next two days, I decided to make a simple raee that my mom used to make. While the raee can be made in a dozen ways, I stick to the method which is simplest and most frugal. It is something like one of those '5 ingredients fix' that one sees on lifestyle or cooking channels but I have used seven instead of five.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups budha kakudi/ripened cucumber (chopped into small pieces)
• 2 tsp mustard seeds + a pinch for tempering
• 7-8 garlic flakes (crushed)
• 1-2 green chilis
• 2-3 pinch turmeric
• 2 tsp mustard oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Grind the mustard seeds, 1 green chili and half of the garlic flakes into a smooth paste.

Take the mustard paste, chopped green chili, budha kakudi and turmeric in a mixing bowl. Mix together.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds and 2 crushed garlic flakes. Allow the seeds to splutter.

Add the budha kakudi and mustard seeds paste to the wok. Add salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover with a lid and allow to cook till the pieces soften.

Once the budha kakudi or cucumber pieces are cooked, drizzle the remaining oil over it and add the remaining garlic flakes. Remove from the flame.

Serve with white rice and dal.

Panchras Dal (Gujrati recipe)

Another one of Tarla Dalal's recipes, this is a spicy Gujrati dal preparation that is fast becoming a permanent fixture in my kitchen. Apart from being very healthy, it tastes similar to some of the spicier dalma preparations of Odisha (even my husband kept asking from whom I had got the recipe). A must try for folks who love the dalma served at temples, this one is much more spicier (and just a little tangy) than the variety that we usually cook at home. While the recipe calls for the use of onions, one can skip the onions without compromising much on taste.

I have made a few changes in the original recipe to save time and effort. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup toor dal
• 1 cup red pumpkin
• 1/2 cup potatoes
• 1 cup raw banana
• 1/2 cup eggplant
• 1/2 cup carrots
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp corinader powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp oil/ghee
• salt to taste

For the masala paste

• 1 /2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 whole Kashmiri chili
• 1 green chili
• 1 inch ginger
• 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 tbsp dried coconut milk powder
• 2 tsp oil

Preparation - Soak the toor dal for 1-2 hours.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the cumin and coriander seeds. When they start to give out a fragrance, add the broken red chili, followed by the chopped onion. Fy till onion starts to turn light brown. Remove from wok to a blender. Add the chopped ginger, green chili and tamarind. Buzz for 30 seconds to 1 minute to get a smooth paste.

Dissolve the cconut milk powder in 2-3 tbsp warm water and keep aside.

Cooking - Wash and cook the toor dal with 2 1/2 cups water, salt and turmeric for 2-3 whistles. Keep aside till steam escapes. Mash the dal with a heavy ladle.

Simultaneously, heat the oil in a wok. Add the cumin seeds . When it starts to splutter, add the chopped veggies along with all the powdered masalas. Fry for 2-3 min on medium heat. Then add 1 1/2 cup water, salt and a pinch of turmeric. Cove with lid and cook for 8-10 mins.

Once the veggies are almost done, pour the cooked dal and the masala paste into the wok along with 1 1/2 - 2 cups of water (adjust consistency as per your taste/preference). Simmer for 5-6 minutes before taking to a boil. Allow to boil for 3 mins or till everything is mixed together. Add the coconut milk and boil for 1 more minute. Remove from flame.

Serve hot with rice/rotis.

Budha Kakudi Khatta

Recently we were invited to a kid's birthday party. My husband and my mother in law also accompanied us to the event. Once the candles were blown out and the b'day song sung enthusiastically by everyone present, the hosts cut up the cake and served it to all. I had to help my little one finish off his piece first. And all the while he insisted on holding the spoon and eating it by himself. As I started to pick up my plate, he showed an interest in devouring my piece too. I just about managed to taste a tiny morsel as he eagerly demolished it. If you are wondering why I am narrating this incident, it is just to show how a mother makes sacrifices, whether small or big, every single day of her life. Happy Mothers Day to all mothers who are reading this. Because every day is special for a mother.

Coming back to the recipe. 'Budha kakharu' or ripened cucumber is one of the ingredients that go into the making of  'Dwitibahana ghanta'. But rarely is it made into a dish by itself. However, as the 'Kartika Somabar' staple 'Oou' is not available in Bangalore, I decided to make a sweet-savoury preparation with the available vegetables. The ripe yellow melons ( which are not exactly same as 'budha kakudi' which we get in Odisha but taste somewhat similar) caught my attention and I decided to give them a try. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 Budha kakudi (melon)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chillis
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 3-4 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/3 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp roasted cumin-chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp pancha phutana
• 3 tsp cooking oil
• freshly grated coconut for garnishing
• salt to taste

Preparation - Peel the budha kakudi and cut into medium sized cubes.

Grind the mustard and cumin seeds into a smooth paste.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the pancha phutana and broken red chilli. Allow to splutter.

Add the budha kakudi cubes to the wok. Sprinkle some salt and fry for a while till it starts turning a bit mushy. Add the mustard-cumin paste and fry for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of water along with salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Cover with a lid and allow to cook on medium flame for 10 minutes. (Keep checking in between and add more water if required )

Add the sugar and tamarind paste. Simmer for 5-6 mins.

Finally add the grated coconut and roasted cumin-chilli powder. Mix in and remove from the flame.

Serve with arwa bhata (rice) and dalma (dal cooked with veggies).

Karele ka Bharta (Kalara Bharta/Bittergourd bharta)

For most of us, the term 'bharta' evokes images of a popular Punjabi eggplant recipe. But there is nothing Punjabi about this one. Nor does it use any eggplant. This is one of the simplest things that one can do with bittergourd or 'karela', which is also termed as the 'manaa' for diabetics. It contains atleast three compounds ( one of them being polypeptide-p which also acts like insulin )which help to reduce/regulate blood sugar levels . Even the leaves of this plant are edible and are consumed for its medicinal properties.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 medium sized bitter gourd
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2 green chilis
• 1/2 tsp pancha phutana (panch phoran)
• 2 tsp mustard oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic 
• 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash the bitter gourd and cut into two. Cook with 1/2 cup water, salt and turmeric in a pressure cooker. Remove from flame after 2-3 whistles. Once the steam escapes, open the lid and drain off excess water.

Mash with salt and green chili.

Chop the onion into medium sized pieces.

Cooking - Heat the oil in kadai / wok. Once it starts smoking, add the pancha phutana and the onions. Fry till onions turn translucent.

Add the mashed bitter gourd and cook for another 6-7 minutes till it starts to brown a bit.

Remove from flame. Sprinkle lemon juice and crushed garlic, and mix.

Serve hot with rotis.

Note - One can also add some tomatoes instead of the lemon juice.

Capsicum- Mushroom Korma

An easy vegetarian korma !! Or a toned down version of the luxurious gravy dish that most people remember savoring at a restaurant !! My modified version is one that can be had on a everyday basis and it goes equally good with both rice and rotis.

It is somewhat similar to ( and inspired by ) the mushroom-capsicum curry that we make with mustard sauce in Odisha. Do check the recipe (HERE)

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

• 200 gm button mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped capsicum
• 1 medium sized boiled potato (boiled, peeled & cubed)
• 1 medium sized tomato 
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 4-5 garlic flakes
• 1-2 dry red chilli
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1-2 green cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 8-9 cashews
• 3 tsp oil
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste
• coriander for garnishing

Preparation - Clean the mushrooms and cut each one into 4 pieces along the length.

Chop the tomato into small pieces.

Grind the onion, ginger, garlic, red chili, 2/3 tsp cumin seeds, cardamom and cinnamon into a smooth paste using as little water as possible. Keep aside.

Similarly, soak the cashews for half an hour in warm water before grinding them into a smooth paste.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter.

Add the onion and spices paste to the wok. Fry lightly till the raw smell just goes off. Add the tomato and cover for 1 minute to allow the tomatoes to soften.

Add the mushrooms, capsicum and potato to the wok. Stir fry on high heat for 3-4 mins till you can see the mushrooms starting to shrink.

Add 1 cup hot water to the wok along with salt and turmeric. Bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer on low flame.

Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the cashew paste and mix well. Allow the curry to simmer for 3-4 mins. Finally garnish with corinader leaves before removing from the flame.

Serve hot or warm.

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.

Gajar Alu Suva Bhaji

A simple stir fry with carrots, potatoes and suva greens, this one is loaded with nutrients and quite easy to prepare too!! The sweetness of the carrots and potatoes go beautifully with the sweet smelling herb. I have used the herb to flavour this stir-fry rather than as a core ingredient.

This recipe goes well with rotis and parathas. It is a good option for a 'lunch box/dabba' wala subzi as it is dry and can be made in a jiffy. Leave out the potato if you find it too starchy or if suffering from high blood sugar.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 small carrots
• 1 medium potato
• 3-4 tbsp suva/dill leaves
• 1 small onion
• 1-2 dry red chilis
• 2 pinch cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 2 pinch coriander powder
• a pinch of cumn powder
• a pinch of turmeric
• 2 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash and cook the potato and carrots for 1-2 whistles. Remove and keep aside till steam escapes. Remove their outer skin/peel. Cut into cubes.

Chop the onion into small pieces.

Cooking - Heat oil in a wok . Add  broken red chili and cumin seeds. Allow the seeds to splutter.

Add chopped onion and fry till translucent. Add all the powdered masalas along with the suva leaves and fry for 1-2 mins.

Add the boiled carrot and potato. Toss everything together. Remove from the flame.

Serve hot/warm with rotis/paratha.

Mooli ka Parantha ( Radish Paratha )

This North Indian specialty hardly needs an introduction. Flavorsome mooli paranthas accompanied with an achar are mostly consumed in the winter months.

While most folks usually cook the grated mooli with a whole lot of masalas before using it as a filling, I prefer to incorporate it directly into the dough. It is healthier and definitely lower in calories. Adding a little yogurt in this case also helps to mellow down the pungency of the radish (but do remember to squeeze out all the water before you add yogurt else the dough will turn soggy). Read on for the easy recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup grated mooli (radish)
• a fistful od finely shredded radish leaves (optional)
• 1 tbsp hung curd
• 1/3 tsp chili powder (or finely chopped green chilis)
• a pinch of turmeric
• a pinch of roasted cumin powder
• a pinch of garam masala
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• salt to taste
• ghee/oil for cooking the paranthas

Preparation - Add salt to the grated radish and keep aside for 30 mins. Then squeeze out all the water from the radish.

Take in a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients except for the ghee. Mix everything into a dough. If it happens to be too sticky/wet , dust some more flour.

Divide the dough into 4-5 portions and shape each into a thick disc.

Dust a working surface with flour and roll out the disc into a thick circle.

Cooking - Heat a pan/tawa. Put the rolled out circle on it.

Wait for 20-30 seconds before flipping it over. Drizzle ghee from the sides and press down lightly with a spatula. Flip it over once again and add some more ghee on the sides.

Cook on both sides on a medium flame till small brown spots appear. Remove from pan/tawa and keep aside.

Repeat for the remaining discs.

Serve hot with pickle.

Sarson da Saag ( Mustard Greens)

Punjabi food conjures up images of sweet succulent chicken pieces dumped in a sea of red. Or even fiery char-grilled chicken legs/thighs oozing/dripping fat. For the vegetarians, it would be luscious Paneer pieces simmering in a creamy gravy accompanied by Tandoori Rotis dripping butter. Not to forget the smooth as velvet Dal Makhani. While these restaurant style recipes have a hell lot of mass appeal, the recipes that I hold close to my heart are the ones closer to home and hearth. Recipes that a loving mother/aunt or even a grandmother would have prepared by investing hours ( and patience ) to get it to the right texture and consistency. These are recipes that have the proverbial 'miiti ki kushboo' associated with them.

Today I am sharing one such recipe which is very close to my heart. The 'Sarson da saag' which never fails to transport me to the lush yellow-green mustard fields of Punjab. Doesn't it remind you of  DDLJ and SRK-Kajol singing 'Tujhe dekha to yeh jaana sanam'. That song remains a favorite till date. Read on for the very earthy recipe -

Preparation Time - 25-30 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 bunch mustard leaves
• 1 bunch spinach (palak) leaves
• 1 large tomato
• 2 medium onion
• 1 inch ginger
• 6-7 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2-3 dry red chilis
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp ghee
• extra butter for final garnish

Preparation - Wash and clean the greens by immersing them in warm salt water for 1-2 hours. Drain the water and replace with fresh water. Repeat 2-3 times. This will remove all the insects, mud and sand.

Chop up the greens into small pieces. Peel and dice one of the onions. Roughly chop up the tomato ginger and garlic flakes. Transfer everything to a pressure cooker along with 1/4 cup water. Add turmeric and salt to taste.

Finely chop up the remaining onion.

Cooking - Cook for 3-4 whistles. Keep aside till steam escapes.

Use a hand blender to grind the cooked greens into a coarse paste.

Heat the ghee in a wok. Add the broken chilis and cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to pop, add the chopped onions. Fry till they start to brown at the edges.

Add the coarse paste and bring to a boil. Then turn down flame and simmer for 3-4 mins before removing from the flame.

Serve hot with makki ki roti or just normal rotis.

Note - One can also add some methi/fenugreek greens to this recipe. It adds a different flavour and makes it still healthier. 

Soya Badi Jholo (Vegetarian Mutton Curry)

Sometime during my school years, soya nuggets or 'soya badi' as we call them in Odisha, began to make an apperance during the meal times. At first they seemed rubbery and had an yucky flavour. Almost all the kids hated them. But gradually people mastered the art of cooking this 'protein rich' ingredient (or maybe our taste buds got acclimatized to it) and it became very popular as vegetarian mutton. In those days, large families with limited income often added some soya badi to their Sunday mutton curry. With a texture that closely mimics mutton ( of course when both have been cooked thoroughly ) and a rather sponge like ability to soak/imbibe the flavour of whatever is cooked alongside, it became an overnight hit with the mutton loving Odia folks. Such was its popularity that it even began to show up at wedding banquets.

Those were the long gone days of sit-down dinners and one had to wait for one or two batches to finish eating before one could expect to find a place to sit down. Disposable incomes were low and so were the spending habits of people. It was sometime around this time that both chinese cuisine and IT appeared on the horizon. And both have since then revolutionized our lives. Maybe it was this indo-chinese food phenomenon that diverted one from the humble soyabean. Suddenly the curry of choice was the either a manchurian or something that that been 'chilli-fied' (read marinated and/or stir-fried with a mix of chinese sauces). But soyabean has finally staged a comeback after lying low for a couple of years. One finds it added to salads, tikkis, curries, biryani and even some desserts these days.

But the recipe that I will be sharing today is the time tested version that my mom used to cook. In Odisha you will find that it is prepared in the typical manner of a mutton curry. Read on for more -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup soya nuggets
• 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.

Cooking - Heat 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 thoroughy 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.

Serve hot with white rice, roti or parantha.

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.

Rajma Galouti Kebab

Had my eyes on this for a long time but finally got a chance this week as I was running a little short on vegetables. A good thing that my timing coincides with the holy month of Ramzan as this would be great on the 'iftar' menu. Read about it for the first time in one of those handy cookbooks written by the late Tarla Dalal and quite liked it for its simplicity. Then came an episode on Khana khazana featuring another strikingly different version of this delicacy which seemed to have originated in some far away universe. The latter was loaded by spices and too much of nuts I felt.

I decided to go with my favorite cook's recipe and modify/tweak it a bit while making the best use of ingredients available in my pantry. But when I made the first lot, I realized that the rajma gives a dry texture to these kebabs. Typical of any lentil fritters. So the potato/panner/khoya/nuts paste are very much required to impart that silken melt-in-the-mouth kinda texture to the kebabs. The addition of ghee is also crucial for the same reason. They turned out fine with the addition of more potato and unsweetened khoya.Read on for my version -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

1 cup rajma/kidney beans
1 medium sized potato (boiled & peeled)
1/3 cup grated paneer
4 tbsp grated/crumbled unsweetened khoya
1 medium sized onion
2-3 green chilis
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
2-3 tsp chopped coriander leaves
1-2 tsp chopped mint leaves
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/5 tsp cumin powder
1/3 tsp red chilli powder
2 pinch garam masala
1/3 turmeric
salt to taste
5-6 tsp oil/clarified butter (gives a more authentic taste)


Preparation - Wash and soak the rajma beans overnight.

Finely chop the onions and green chillis.

Cooking - Transfer the rajma to a pressure cooker with salt, turmeric and 1 1/2 cups water. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles till soft but not too mushy. Allow steam to escape naturally. Then drain the kidney beans and keep aside.

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

Add the ginger and saute for 30 seconds. Add the powdered masalas and fry for another 20-30 seconds.

Add the kidney beans along with the grated potato, paneer and khoya. Use a heavy spoon or ladle to mash up the beans and get a uniform mix of the ingredients. Adjust salt.

Finally add the chopped green chili, mint and coriander leaves. Mix well. Remove from flame and keep aside till it cools down a bit.

Take small portions from the above mixture and shape into flattened circles or tikkis.

Heat a flat non-stick pan and brush with some oil/ghee. Place 3-4 of the flattened circles on it. Let it cook on one side for 3-4 minutes on low to medium flame. Brush on some oil/ghee on the top of each before flipping it over. Let it cook on this side for another 3 mins. Remove and keep aside.

Serve hot with mint-coriander chutney/ketchup or even a yogurt dip.

Note - There kebabs are actually meant to be deep fried but I wanted to keep the calories in check with all the ghee and khoya going into it. Hence pan-fried them.

Lau Posta (Bottle gourd in poppy seeds gravy)

How do I classify if a recipe is 'authentic' odia or not ?? How far do I need to travel back in time to unearth its origins ? Now that people keep asking me that question, I have set my own parameters to gauge the authenticity of a recipe. If it was a dish that my 'Jejema/Dadi' or 'Aai/Nani' used to cook up, then I deem it as authentic else i contribute it to external influences. It is not a foolproof yardstick as both my grandmothers spent the better half of their adult lives in a place like Rourkela which has a very cosmopolitan feel to it. You find a lot of Bengalis, Biharis, people from the North and South alike due to the presence of SAIL in the city. But still they would have learnt a lot of cooking from their respective mothers ( girls in those days were trained in the kitchen at a very young age ) and picked up the nuances of regional Odia cooking.

However, I cannot say the same for the next generation ( my Mom, MIL, mausi, etc ) who were influenced to a great extent by magazines like Women's era, Grihalakshmi and the sort. Now this would vary from person to person given the kind of environment that they were exposed to. Not very accurate, many would argue. I agree on that point.  Given some kind of documentation, things would be easier to decide but sadly Odia recipes are not very widely published. One might find something written in Odia but it is difficult to find a good book that has been written in English. That acts as a hindrance for some people of my generation who are not very fluent in the written word owing to a convent school background within the state or maybe because their fathers were working in another part of the country or even abroad. But with a lot of Odia blogs coming up these days, things are looking brighter and better.

Coming to the recipe that I am sharing today, I first read about it in a Facebook group. It is very similar to the 'Janhi-Posto' but cooked using the traditional 'batibasa' method. Very easy and quick to make and quite delicious tasting too. Read on for the details -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 small bottle gourd (peeled and diced)
• 1 medium sized potato (peeled and diced)
• 1 medium sized onion (cut into small pieces)
• 10 garlic flakes
• 1 medium sized tomato ( finely chopped)
• 2-3 green chilis
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• 1/3 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp mustard oil + extra for drizzling later
• 1-2 tsp chopped cilantro
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp badi chura ( urad dal vadis, fried and crushed )
• salt to taste

Preparation - Dry grind the poppy seeds with 1 green chili and 7 garlic flakes. Then add little water and grind again to get a smooth paste.

Take the chopped vegetables, chopped onion, slit green chili, turmeric, red chili powder, mustard oil, bay leaf, half of the cilantro, poppy seeds paste and salt in a wok. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well.

Cooking - Put the wok on a low flame and cover with a lid.

Stir once or twice in between. Do check for water and top up with more hot water if it is catching at the bottom. ( Usually the vegetables leave a lot of water and extra water will not be required )

Once the vegetables are cooked through, add some more mustard oil (another 1-2 tsp), crushed garlic flakes and chopped cilantro. Give a stir and remove from flame.

Garnish with the badi chura just before serving.

Enjoy with white rice or even rotis.

Bhendi Amba Khatta

Usually 'Ambula' or 'dried green mangoes' is the preferred ingredient for adding a touch of tang to this simple and tasty dish. But since green mangoes are plentifully available, i decided to save up on my ambula stock and use some green mango this time. And since some of our South Indian friends find the all out mustard-garlic flavoring a bit too overpowering, I also added a few slices of fresh coconut to the mustard paste to sweeten it a bit and turn down the heat.

The result was a sweet and tangy gravy that became the high point of my lunch. Had it with white rice and dal. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time : 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 200 gm Ladies finger/bhendi
• 3-4 thin slices of green mango
• 1 green chili
• 1 red chili
• 3-4 flakes of garlic
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh coconut
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• a pinch of fenugreek for tempering
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation: Wash the ladies finger and cut across the section into 1.5 inch sized pieces (do not slit it along the length).

Keep aside a few mustard seeds and one pod of garlic for the tempering. Grind the mustard seeds and remaining garlic pods along with the coconut and green chili into a fine paste.

Cooking: Heat 2 tsp oil in a deep vessel and fry the ladiesfinger pieces till the stickiness goes away.
Remove from vessel and keep aside.

Add another tsp oil. When it starts smoking, add the broken red chili, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. Add the curry leaves and crushed garlic pod to the spluttering seeds.

Add the green mango slices and cook on high for 2-3 mins.

Add the mustard-coconut-garlic paste along with 1 cup of water. Bring it to a boil and add the fried ladies finger pieces along with turmeric powder, sugar and salt to taste.

Allow the curry to boil for 5 mins or till the ladies finger becomes soft. Remove from the fire and serve with rice.

Palak Kofta Curry

When I made the 'Malai koftas' last week, I had some leftover paneer-potato mix that I had planned to use as a sandwich filling. But while cleaning the fridge on the next day, I found some spinach that was starting to wilt. So, I decided to use both the leftover ingredients and make a curry for dinner. But since I had those koftas the night before, I kept this dish simple. No frying. Just baked the tikkis in the oven. Also, I omitted the butter and added just a hint of cream. Healthy and tasty.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

For the koftas -

• 200 gm paneer
• 1 medium sized potato
• 1 tsp cornflour
• a pinch of garam masala
• 1/3 tsp chilli powder
• salt to taste
• oil spray

For the palak gravy -

• 1 bunch palak/spinach leaves ( 2 cups )
• 1 medium sized onion
• 5-6 garlic flakes
• 1 inch ginger
• 2 green chilis
• 2 pinch garam masala
• 1 tsp oil
• 1-2 tbsp butter (reduce the quantity if you want)
• 2-3 tbsp fresh cream (optional)
• salt to taste

Cooking - Cook the potato with 1 cup water in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Keep aside till steam escapes.

While the potato is cooking, chop the onions, peel the garlic and ginger. Also, blanch the spinach and keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Fry till onion turns translucent. Add the blanched spinach, green chillis and garam masala. Fry for 2-3 mins. Transfer to a mixer and make a smooth paste.

Peel and grate the boiled potato into a mixing bowl. Also grate the paneer into the same bowl. Add salt, cornflour, chili powder and garam masala. Mix thouroughly and divide into 6-7 portions. Shape each portion into a flattened circle about 2/3 cm thick.

Preheat oven to 200 degree Celcius. Take a baking tray and line with butter paper/foil. Spray on some cooking oil. Place the paneer-potato tikkis and bake on each side for 3-4 mins (use the upper grill of the OTG).

Heat 1 tsp butter in a wok. Add the spinach gravy along with 1/3-1/2 cup hot water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3-4 mins. Add the fresh cream and some more butter. Mix in. Add the koftas and switch off the flame.

Cover and keep aside for 5 mins before serving. (This will allow the koftas to absorb the gravy)

Serve hot with phulkas.

Note - One can also fry some tomato and grind it with the palak to give a hint of tang this dish.