Baba Ganoush ( Culinary cousins and random ruminations )

Baigana Poda or roasted aubergine is one of my favorites winter recipes. This typical Odia recipe is characterized by the frugal use of seasoning. Just some green chillis, chopped onions, garlic, salt and a dash of mustard oil to compliment the smokey sweetness of the tender flesh. Nothing that would reminds one of the more flamboyant 'baingan ka bharta' .

But in the food-scape of this vast universe, culinary cousins keep popping up here and there. Sometimes at the most unexpected of places. Whoever would have thought that another frugal 'roasted aubergine' recipe would find so make takers in a land that is better known for it's baklava and Shawarma. The 'Baba Ganoush' is nothing but a mellower cousin of the fiery 'baigana poda'. The ingredients, olive oil, tahani (sesame paste ), garlic, lemon juice and cumin, are almost banal for the residents of Lebanon. Just as mustard oil, onion and garlic are for most odia folks.

Mellow, smokey and infused with just the right amount of pungency, the Baba Ganoush is the perfect definition of comfort food when served with some pita bread. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 35 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 big aubergine (around 300-350 gms)
• 2 tbsp tahini paste
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• a pinch of roasted cumin powder (optional)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste
• parsley for garnishing

Ingredients - Wash the aubergine and pat it dry with a paper towel. Rub a few drops of olive oil all over it and place it on the burner . Grill on medium flame till the skin starts to peel off.

Wrap it up in aluminium foil and place it in a pre-heated oven. Roast at 200 C for 20 mins.

Remove and take off the foil. Keep it aside on a plate for 10 mins to let the liquid ooze out of the aubergine. Discard this amber colored liquid along with the blackened skin.

Place the tender flesh in a bowl and mash it up with a heavy fork.

Add the tahini, lemon juice, cumin powder and finely crushed garlic to the mashed aubergine. Season with salt and mix it up with the fork.

Finally drizzle the olive oil on top and garnish with parsley.

Serve immediately with the Pita bread or even some chips.

[ Cover with a layer of olive oil and store it in the fridge up to 5 days. Bring to the room temperature before serving. ]

Black Rice On a Platter(share) !!

Image source : Plattershare.com

It's the latest superfood on the block. Nutty tasting, low in GI and loaded with anti-oxidants. black rice has been around for ages. But the world is just waking up to it's goodness.

Oriyarasoi and Plattershare.com bring you a collection of the most exotic black rice recipes. Click on to know everything that you would want to know about this amazing ingredient -


Black Rice - Is it still forbidden ? Enjoy 9 Healthy and Easy Black Rice Recipes 

Some of the recipes at a glimpse -

Thank you team Plattershare for the feature !!

The Original Turmeric Latte (Haldi Wala Doodh)

"Turmeric Latte ?? Really ?" ROFL. Some more ROFL. "Do you mean that yucky yellow drink that Mom used to force down my gullet ?",says my friend as she lets out a mock shiver.

"Yeah. But a lot more yuckier than the stuff we used to have in our days ", I replied back. "Now they add coconut milk and even some virgin coconut oil to it ", I added. Now it was my turn to let out an involuntary shiver.

"And yet there are others who really go for it with all guns blazing. How else does one come up with gems like cayanne, chia seeds, hazelnut butter, vanilla extract or something equally exotic ?". My words added to her growing horror.

Thankfully I am able to check myself before the whole post turned into a continuous rant about how the Western world embraces these 'magic' potions with a zeal that could easily rival that of village bumpkins out to get the 'darshan' of a so-called holy man. And to think that they call us superstitious.

This post is dedicated to the original 'Haldi wala doodh' which more than deserves its '15 minutes of fame'. For one, I swear my it's effectiveness is soothing down my throat inflammation.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time -

Ingredients -

• 1/2 inch fresh turmeric (else use 1/2 tsp powder)
• 2/3 cup skimmed milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cloves
• 6-7 peppercorns
• 1/3 inch cinnamon
• 1 green cardamom
• a few drops of ghee
• honey to taste (optional)

Preparation - Slice the knob of raw turmeric.

Coarsely pound all the spices in a mortar.

Cooking - Add the 1/2 cup of water along with the ground spices and the turmeric to a saucepan.
Simmer it on low flame for a few minutes .

Add the milk to the same vessel. Let it boil for 2-3 mins on a low flame.

Strain into a glass/cup and stir in the ghee and honey.

Drink it while it is still hot.

Note - Unlike the Western diet which advocates going off all dairy products for a complete detox, the Ayurveda actually includes milk, turmeric and ghee as essentials for a detox ritual.

Black Rice Sushi ( Welcome 2017 )

A fresh new year. New hopes. And new beginnings. Without any doubt, it is that day of the year when we are at out optimistic best. The more superstitious among us would like to put the events unfolding on this very day as the harbinger for the rest of the year. But it is important to believe that while cosmic events do influence our life, we too are an integral part of the universe. And the vibes (both positive/negative) given out by us are ultimately adding to the energies that surround us.

Apart from the 'positive thinking', 'eating healthy' happens to be one of my top resolutions for 2017. While it is true that I did not actually wait for the year to commence to get on with my resolutions, I plan to stick to it with greater diligence this year. It includes cutting down on meat and fish to introducing more of superfoods like broccoli, black rice, quinoa, chia seeds in my everyday diet. Plus there will be greater focus on native superfoods like amaranth, spinach, gooseberry, turmeric, alsi (flaxseeds) and subza(basil) .

Starting the year on a healthy note, the first post of 2017 is a super healthy 'Black Rice Sushi' with a filling of tofu, avocado, carrot and cucumber. This is one recipe that can easily be made a part of one's lunchbox. I am skipping the Nori sheets as I want to keep it completely vegan. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 35 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup sticky Black rice
• 1 small carrot (cut into long pieces)
• 1 small cucumber (cut into long pieces)
• Tofu (cut into long pieces)
• avocado (cut into long pieces)

For the Sushi rice vinegar or 'Tezu' -

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar ( use rice vinegar if you have it )
• a drops of soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp water
• 1/2 tsp honey
• salt taste

Preparation  - Soak the black rice overnight.

Steam the carrot pieces till tender.

Mix the ingredients for the 'Tezu' in a cup.

Cook the black rice till it is slightly mushy. Add the tezu and mix it in. Allow to stand till it cools down and is just bearable to touch.

Take a aluminium foil and spread some of the black rice in a rectangle shape keeping about 1 1/2 - 2 inch space from the margins.

Place the tofu and the vegetable slices in the center of the rectangle. Lightly moisten the edges of the rice.

Gently grabbing the foil from the sides and using your fingers, roll it over keeping the vegetables in the center. Roll over a few times .

Remove the aluminium foil

Take a very sharp knife, moisten it and cut the sushi into 1 1/2 inch sized pieces.

[ Do check the video at the bottom of this post to learn the tricks of making a Sushi. ]

Serve it with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.

How to roll a sushi without using a Nori sheet -

Thai Black Rice and Coconut Pudding ( Vegan Recipe )

Black rice. There is something magical about this ingredient that goes beyond it's qualities. Yes, it is highly Instagram-worthy. And cooked the right way, it can induce nothing less than a a food-orgasm. Plus it is one of the most versatile ingredients that I have worked with. Very filling and a little quantity goes a long way. Given a chance I could go on and on about my sentiments for this wonder ingredient but for now, I can just about summarize it as a mixture of love bordering on obsession.

Back to this 'Sticky Black rice and Coconut Pudding' recipe, I fell in love with the very sound of it. Caught it for the first time while surfing on television and looked up the recipe on the web. But since I had no access to black rice at that point of time, it was relegated to some corner of my memory. Only recently did it pop up once again when I was collating all the black rice dishes that I have worked on in the last few months. I realized that I had missed out on the very first dish which had triggered my interest in this wonderfully exotic ingredient.

A native Thai recipe made with the short grained glutinous black rice, I have not made any major changes to it . Except for substituting the Thai rice with another short grained variety cultivated in India. Original recipe is taken from - thekitchn.com . Don't mistake it for the Kavuni Arisi Payasam (from Chettinad) or the Amubi (from North East India ) .

Read on -

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -

• 1 cup black rice 
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup thin coconut milk
• 4 heaped teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• thin coconut slices for garnishing

Preparation - Wash and soak the black rice in 3 cups of water. Let it stand overnight.

Cooking - Transfer the soaked rice along with the soaking water and the thin coconut milk to a thick-bottomed saucepan, Bring to a boil on low heat.

Once the rice is about 3/4th done, add the brown sugar and salt. Let it simmer till all the liquid dries up. (The last 3-4 mins are crucial and one has to be careful not to burn the pudding.)

Around the same time, dry roast the coconut slices on a iron skillet. Take care to keep the heat low else they tend to burn. Once they are light brown , remove from the flame and keep aside.

Garnish with the roasted coconut slices. Serve warm.

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.