Phula Kobi Jholo/Rasa ( Cauliflower curry )

Cooking Time Required: 30-35 mins
Cost Of Preparation: 50-60 Rupees

Ingredients: cauliflower ( 250 gm), onion ( 1 large ), potato ( 1 small), red chillis ( 3-4 nos), ginger garlic paste ( 2-3 tsp ), tomatao ( 1 large ), coriander stems ( 1-2 tsp ), green peas ( 1 cup ), cumin seeds ( 1/3 tsp ), cumin powder ( 1/2 tsp ), coriander powder ( 1 tsp ), kasuri methi ( 2 tsp ), cardamon ( 1-2 nos ), cinnamon ( 1 inch long ), cloves ( 1-2 ), bay leaf ( 1 no. ), salt, turmeric, oil ( 6-7 tsp ).

Preparation: Cut the cauliflower into medium sized florets. Potato should be cut into cubes.

Cut the onion into small chunks.

Boil the tomato for 5 mins.

Cooking: Heat 3 tsp oil in a frying pan. Add turmeric followed by the cauliflower florets and stir fry for 7-8 mins. Add the potato cubes and fry for 3-4 mins more. Remove from pan and keep aside.

Heat 2 tsp of oil in the same pan. Add coriander stems, cardamon, cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves. Fry for a minute.

Add the onions and fry till translucent. Peel the tomato and add to the pan. Cook for 2
mins.

Transfer to a mixer-grinder and grind into a smooth paste while it is still hot.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok. Add the red chillis and cumin seeds.

Add the onion and tomato paste along with the ginger-garlic paste and a little bit of salt. Fry for 4-5 mins till the raw smell goes off.

Add the cumin and coriander powder. Fry for 1-2 mins.

Add the fried florets and potatoes along with the green peas, kasuri methi, salt and 2-3 cups of water.

Boil for 8-10 mins or till the gravy thickens to ones' preference.

Serve hot with rotis/paratha/rice.

Cauliflower

Chinguri Sukhua Tarkari ( Dried Shrimp Curry )

Cooking Time Required: 15-20 mins
Cost of preparation: 25-30 Rupees

Ingredients: Chingudi sukhua/dried shrimps ( one can use any other fish as well, 100-150 gm ), potato ( 1 large ), onion ( 1 large ), green chillis ( 2-3 nos )besara ( mustard-garlic paste , 1-2 tsp ), pancha-phutana ( 1/3 tsp ), salt, turmeric, mustard oil .

Preparation: Wash and drain the sukhua.

Cut the onions into thin strips. The potato should be diced into small cubes.

Cooking: Heat 1 tsp of oil in a wok. Add the washed sukhua and stir fry for 4-5 mins. Do not fry it till crispy.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the green chilli and pancha-phutana.

Once the seeds start crackling, add the onions. Fry the onions till they turn translucent.

Add the potatoes and fry for 4-5 mins.

Add the sukhua, besara and turmeric along with 1 cup water. Cook for 7-8 mins till the potato is well cooked and most of the water disappears. Add the salt and cook for another minute ot two.

Serve with rice and yellow dal/ pakhala bhata.


Note: While preparing any sukhua/dried fish/shrimp one needs to be careful with the salt. Most of the sukhua/dried fish is steeped in salt. One should add the salt towards the end to avoid making the curry very salty.

Alu Dum ( Oriya style preparation )

Cooking Time required: 25-30 mins
Cost of preparation: 40-45 Rupees


Ingredients: Baby potatoes ( 200 gm ), onion ( 1 no., medium sized ), tomato ( 1 no. medium ), coriander leaves ( 1 bunch ), ginger ( grated, 1/3 tsp ), garlic flakes ( 5-6 nos), thick yogurt ( 1 tbs ), garam masala ( 1/4 tsp ), cumin powder ( 1/3 tsp ), coriander powder ( 1/4 tsp ), red chilli powder( 1/3 tsp ), green chilli ( 1 no. ), salt, turmeric, oil for deep frying.

Preparation: Cut the coriander stems and keep aside.

Cooking: Boil the potatoes for 10 mins . Keep aside to cool. Peel the potatoes and prick all over with a fork.

Heat oil in a wok. Fry the baby potatoes till they turn golden brown. Remove from wok and keep aside.















Cut the onion and tomato into large chunks.

Heat 1-2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the onion and garlic flakes. Fy till translucent. Add the tomatoes and fry for 3-4 mins. Transfer to a grinder along with the green chillis and grind into a smooth paste.















Heat 2-3 of oil in the wok. Add grated ginger and coriander stems. Fry lightly. Add the turmeric, cumin powder , coriander powder and red chilli powder. Follow with the ground paste and salt, and fry for a few mins.

Add 1/2 cup water along with garam masala, yogurt and fried potatoes. Allow to boil for a few min or till most of the water evaporates.

Serve with rice/rotis/puris.

Alu dum is a popular street food in Orissa. It is garnished with sev, chopped onion, green chillis and coriander leaves and served on a leaf bowl by street vendors.

Baigani ( Eggplant fritters )

Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins
Cost of Preparation: 20-25 Rupees

Ingredients: Baingan/Eggplant/Brinjal ( 1 no., large ), gram flour ( 3 tbs ), cornflour ( 1 tbs ), kasuri methi ( 1/2 tsp ), roasted coriander-cumin powder ( 1/ tsp ), red chilli powder ( 1/3 tsp ), baking powder ( a pinch ), salt, turmeric, oil for deep frying, green chilli ( optional ), coriander leaves .

Preparation: Slice the eggplant into circles ( 4-5 mm thick ). Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Rub it all over the eggplant slices.

Keep aside for 15 mins.
















Mix the gram flour and cornflour with all the remaining spices and a little bit of salt.Add water to prepare a paste of thin consistency. ( One can also add finely cut green chilli and corinader leaves to this paste )

Cooking: Heat the oil in a wok.

Dip each eggplant piece into the gramflour-cornflour paste. Shake off any excess and dip into the hot oil. Fry on both sides till golden brown.

Remove from the wok and put on blotting paper ( or one can use a newspaper which works equally good ).

Garnish with finely chopped coriander and green chillis.

This can be served either as a snack or a side dish with Mutton Jholo/Kasa and Basmati Rice/Puri.

Eggplant

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.

Kakharu Chana Dali Tarkari ( Pumpkin-Chana dal )

Cooking Time Required: 20-25 mins
Cost of Preparation: 50-60 Rupees


Ingredients: Pumpkin ( 1 cup, cut into small cubes ), potato ( 1 cup, cut into small cubes ), chana dal ( 1 cup ), paneer ( 100 gm ), onion ( 1 no, medium sized ), cumin seeds ( 1/3 tsp ), coriander seeds ( 1/2 tsp ), cinnamon stick ( 1/4 inch ), bay leaf( 1 no. ), cardamon ( 1 no ), red chillis ( 3 nos ), salt , turmeric, oil ( 3 tsp ), pancha-phutana ( 1/3 tsp), ghee ( 1 tsp ), garam masala ( 1 pinch ).

Preparation: Grind one half of the onion along with all other spices except for the red chillis, bay leaf and turmeric. Cut the other half into small pieces.

Soak the chana dal for 5-6 hours before cooking.

Cooking: Fry the paneer pieces for 3-4 mins in a pan.

Boil water with salt and turmeric in a vessel. Add the fried paneer pieces to the boiling turmeric water. Boil for 5-6 mins.

Wash the chana dal and boil in a pressure cooker for 1-2 whistles.
Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the pancha-phutana, red chillis and bay leaf. Follow with the finely cut onion pieces.

Fry till the onions turn translucent. Add the masala paste along with a little salt and cook for 5-6 mins till the paste starts to leave the sides of the wok.

Add the potatoes and pumpkin pieces. Fry till it is half cooked. Add the chana dal and cook for a few mins.

Add the paneer pieces along with 1 cup of water. Cover with a lid.

Boil for 4-5 mins till the excess water is absorbed . Drizzle with 1 tsp ghee and a pinch of garam masala. Remove from the stove and keep coveed for 5 mins.

Serve hot with rotis.


Note - Skip the onions during the fasting days.

Lau chopa bara / pakoda

Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins
Cost of Preparation: 15-20 Rupees


Ingredients: Lau chopa ( bottle gourd peels, 1 cup ), besan ( gram flour , 1 cup ), onion ( 1 small ), jeera-lanka powder ( 1/3 tsp ), curry powder ( 1/5 tsp ), green chillis ( 1-2 nos ), finely cut coriander leaves ( 2 tsp ), oil for deep frying, salt, baking powder ( 1 pinch ).

Preparatiion: Wash the peels and cut into thin strips.

Take the besan, curry powder, jeera-lanka powder , baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl along with a little amount of water. The paste should be of a thick consistency.

Add the finely cut lau peels, green chilli, coriander leaves and onions to the paste and mix well.


























Cooking: Heat the oil in a wok.

Shape the paste into small balls and add to the wok in batches . Fry till the balls turn a uniform golden brown on all sides .

Remove from the wok and keep on a blotting paper.

Serve hot as a snack with tomato sauce.

Bottle Gourd

Moist Lemon Cake

Cooking Time Required: 1 hr
Cost of Preparation: 55-65 Rupees


Ingredients:
For the cake: Maida ( flour, 2 cups ), eggs ( 4 nos), cooking butter ( 1 1/4 cup ), castor sugar ( 1 cup ), baking powder ( 2 tsp ), lemon juice ( 2 tsp ), milk ( 1/2 cup), rind of 1 green lemon ( grated )/lemon essence ( 4-5 drops ).


For the syrup: Sugar( 3 tbs ), lemon juice ( 1/2 cup).


Preparation: Beat the sugar and cooking butter for 5 mins .

Break all the eggs into one bowl and beat well. Add to the sugar and butter mixture and beat for 2 mins.

Fold in the flour and baking powder in batches along with the milk till no lumps remain.

Add the lemon juice and grated rind/lemon essence at the end. Beat for 5-6 mins.


Cooking: Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.

Grease the baking tray with butter. Sprinkle some flour to prevent the cake from sticking to the sides.

Pour in the batter and place inside the oven for 30 mins.

Remove the cake from the oven when it is still hot and cut it into pieces of desired size without removing it from the baking tray.

Boil the lemon juice and sugar in a thick bottomed saucepan till the sugar dissolves.

Pour the lemon syrup into the cuts or gaps between the pieces using a spoon. Cover the baking tray with a thick plate and allow to stand for 5 mins.

Uncover and allow to cool down.

Stuffed Papaya Paratha

Cooking Time Required: 20-25 mins
Cost of preparation: 30-35 Rupees

Ingredients: Flour ( sufficient for 8 rotis ), raw papaya ( 100 gms ), ajwain ( 1 tsp ), red chilli powder ( 1/2 tsp ), salt, ghee ( 2 tsp ), cooking butter/nutralite for frying the parathas.

Preparation: Knead the flour into a soft dough. Cover with a moist cloth and keep aside.
Peel and finely grate the papaya .















Cooking: Heat 2 tsp ghee in a wok. Add the ajwain followed by the grated payaya. Sprinkle salt and red chilli.

Cook for 8-10 mins till the papaya is cooked. Remove from stove and keep aside to cool down.

Make small balls out of the dough. Roll into small chappatis.

Spread the papaya stuffing over a chapati. Put another one over it. Roll the sides and join the rotis.

Heat a pan. Add 1-2 tsp of nutralite butter. Add the parathas and fry till done on both sides.

Serve with more butter/pickle/chutney.

Lauki ki Burfi ( Lau burfi )

Cooking Time Required: 15-18 mins
Cost of preparation: 15-20 mins


Ingredients:

• 2 cups lauki/bottle gourd pulp
• 1-2 tbsp sugar (adjust as per taste)
• 2 tsp ghee  
• 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 4-5 almonds

Preparation: Ground the lau into a smooth paste in a mixer-grinder. Do not throw away any excess water.

Cooking: Heat 1/ tsp in a wok. Cut the almonds into small pieces and add to the wok. Fry lightly and remove from wok.

Pour the remaining ghee into the wok. Add the lau/lauki paste. Cook till the ghee leaves the sides of the wok ( takes about 8-10 mins ).

Add the sugar and condensed milk at this stage . Cook for 2-3 mins till the sugar gets dissolved.
Add the fried almonds and remove from the fire. Allow to cool down slightly.

Take a steel thali/plate and spread the paste into a uniform layer having a thickness between 5-8 mm. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove from the fridge and cut into desired shape. Serve .

Note : This makes for 4-5 burfis.

Besara dia maccha munda

A delicious curry of fish head with a garlicky mustard paste !!!

Cooking Time Required: 20-25 mins
Cost of Preparation: 30-35 Rupees

Ingredients: Bhakura Maccha munda ( fish head ), potato ( 1 no., medium ), tomato ( 1 no., large ), mustard seeds ( 1 tsp ), garlic flakes ( 10-12 nos ), green chillis ( 2 nos ), mustard oil ( 3 tsp ), salt, turmeric.

Preparation: Grind the mustard seeds and half of the garlic flakes into a smooth paste.

Peel and cut the potato into small cubes. Cut and de-seed the tomato .

Cooking: Wash the maccha munda and add salt and turmeric to it.

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan. Add the maccha munda. Fry it on both sides . Crush into small pieces in the pan and fry for some time till the pieces turn crispy.

Remove the fried fish from the pan.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a wok. Add a few mustard seeds along with the green chillis. Add the potato pieces and fry till half cooked.

Add the mustard paste, crushed garlic flakes, tomato pieces, salt and turmeric along with a cup of water.

Cover with a lid and allow to cook on a low flame. Simmer till all the water evaporates.

Serve with rice.