Chuda Santula

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

Ingredients: Chuda ( Beaten Rice, Poha, Chiwda ) ( 1 bowl ), onion ( 1 small ), potato ( 1 small, optional ), mustard-fenugreek-fennel-coriander seeds ( 1/3 tsp), green chilli ( 1 no ), oil ( 3 tsp), turmeric, lemon ( half ), chilli powder ( 1/3 tsp , optional ), curry leaves ( 1 stem ), peanuts ( 1/3 cup ), coriander leaves, freshly grated coconut , salt to taste.

Preparation: Wash the chuda and keep aside. If its the thicker variety, its needs to be soaked for 5 minutes. For the thinner variety (also called nylon chuda), no soaking is required.

Cut the onion and potatoes into long strips. Finely cut the coriander leaves.

Cooking: Heat a pan. Add 1 tsp oil and throw in the peanuts. Stir for 3-4 minutes till they start crackling.Remove from pan and keep aside.

Add 2 tsp oil to pan. Add the mustard-fenugreek-fennel-coriander seeds, curry leaves, turmeric and green chilli. When the seeds start crackling, add the onion and potato pieces with a little bit of salt. Cover the pan and cook till they are almost done.

Add the washed chuda and stir gently to mix it well with the other ingredients. Put in some more salt. Takes 2-3 mins to be done. Then remove from fire, add the fried peanuts, grated coconut, coriander leaves and squeeze the lemon over it. Mix gently and serve with tomato sauce/ketchupp.

Makes for an easy to prepare and healthy recipe for your lunchbox.

Note  - Only mustard seeds

Green Banana Tikki

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

Ingredients: Green(raw) bananas ( 2 nos ), onion ( 1 small), green chilli ( nos), coriander seeds ( 1/3 tsp ), cumin seeds ( 1/3 tsp), dry red chilli ( 1 no), bread ( 1 slice ), bread crumbs , oil for frying, salt.


Preparation: Cut the banana into and peel the banana skin. Put in a pressure cooker with a little water and cook for 5 mins with the lid closed. Remove from fire keep aside to cool.

Heat a pan. Add the dry red chilli, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Roast for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and grind into a fine powder.


Cooking: Chop the onion and green chillis into small pieces. Add to a mixing bowl along with the boiled bananas, coriander-cumin-chilli powder, soaked bread slice and salt. Shape into small round tikkis. Roll over the bread crumbs.

Heat a non-stick pan. Drizzle with oil. When it starts smoking, add the tikkis and drizzle some more oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side . Flip it over and cook it equally on both sides.

Devour the hot tikkis with a mint-corinder chutney.

Aloo chop(tikki) is usually eaten as a side dish with lunch/dinner in Orissa. For this dish, i have substituted the potato with raw banana which is a more nutricious vegetable.

Peas pulao ( One of the Lunchbox Favorites )

Peas pulao along is a quick and easy to prepare recipe which can be easily carried to school/office in the lunchbox. Most kids love green peas and the visual appeal of this dish makes it a hit with them.

Recipe -

Cooking Time Required: 20 mins ( plus some standby time )

Ingredients -

• 1 cup Basmati Rice
• 1 cup green peas
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3-4 nos cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ghee
• salt to taste
• chopped cilantro for garnishing (optional)

Preparation: Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins.

Cooking: Add the rice to a pressure cooker and add one and half cups of water ( or as specified on the packet ) along with 1/2 tsp ghee and salt to taste. Close the lid and put it on a stove. Wait for 1-2 whistles or till the rice is cooked. Remove from the flame, let the steam escape before opening lid and then fluff it with a fork. Keep aside to cool.

Heat a pan. Add the cumin, cloves and cinnamon. Dry roast till fagrant. Add the remaining ghee , followed by the green peas and a pinch of salt. Stir for 2-3 mins and then add the cooked rice. Toss gently to mix. Garnish with chopped cilantro just before removing from the flame.

Serve with dal fry or any other gravy of choice.

Maccha Patua ( Fish cooked in a mustard-garlic paste )

Cooking Time Required: 15-0 mins
Cost of preparation: 70-80 rupees

Ingredients: Medium-sized Pomfret ( 1 no.), mustard seeds ( 1 tsp), poppy seeds ( 1 tsp), garlic pods ( 6-7 nos ), green chilli ( 1 no ), mustard oil ( 1 tsp), turmeric ( 1 pinch), salt.

Preparation: Grind the mustard seeds, poppy seeds and 3 of the garlic pods into a fine paste. Wash and clean the pomfret and cut into small pieces.

Cooking: Take a thick bottomed wok and put the pomfret pieces into it. Add the mustard-poppy seeds paste, chopped garlic pods and green chilli, mustard oil, turmeric and salt along with half cup water. Mix thoroughly and put the wok on the fire.

Cook with the lid covered for about 10 minutes or till the fish is well cooked. The water should have evaporated and the mustard-poppy paste formed a thick layer around the fish pieces.

Serve with rice and yellow dal. Tastes best when eaten hot.


Note - A simple and delicious recipe, this is popularly called 'patua' in Orissa. Traditionally the fish is wrapped in plantain/banana and cooked slowly over a charcoal or wood fire. Or even steamed in a pot of rice .

Alternately, coat the fish pieces with the mustard-poppy-garlic paste, garlic pieces, green chillis, turmeric and salt. Wrap the fish in a plantian/banana leaf and cook in a microwave .

Yellow dal

Cooking Time Required: 20 mins
Cost of preparation: 10-15 rupees

Ingredients: Toor dal ( 1 cup), garlic pods ( 4-5 nos), green chilli ( 1 no), mustard seeds ( 1/3 tsp ), coriander seeds (1/4 seeds), fennel seeds (1/4 tsp), red chilli powder (1/5 tsp, optional), finely cut coriander leaves ( 2 tsp), turmeric, oil ( 1 tsp), salt to taste.

Preparation: Wash and soak the daal in warm water for 2-3 hours.

Cooking: Add the dal to a pressure-cooker along with salt and turmeric. Add about one and half cups of water. Close the lid and put on the stove. Allow for two whistles. Remove from the fire and keep aide to cool. Once the steam escapes, open the lid and mash the dal .

Chop the garlic into small pieces. The chilli should be diced into 3-4 pieces along its length.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. When it starts smoking, add the mustard, coriander and fennel seeds, followed by the garlic pieces and red chilli powder. Also add the green Chilli. Stir for 20-30 secs and pour over the dal along with half cup warm water . Sprinkle the coriander leaves over the dal and close the lid. This will help the dal to absord the flavours of the tadka.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Enjoying a hard earned meal : Rice with Yellow dal and tomatao-badi curry.

Soya Chilli

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

Ingredients: Nutrela Soyabean chunks ( 2 cups), frozen green peas ( 1/2 cup), onion ( 1 medium ), green chilli ( 1-2 nos), ginger (1 inch long), ginger-garlic paste (1/2 tsp), cumin powder (1/3 tsp), tomato sauce ( 2 tsp), maida ( 1 tsp), cornflour ( 1 tsp), oil for frying, salt.

Cooking: Wash the soya chunks and put in a pressure coooker. Add 1-2 cups water and salt. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from stove and keep aside to cool.

Squeeze out the water from the soya chunks, add ginger-garlic paste, cumin powder, maida , cornflour and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Heat oil in a deep kadai (wok). Add the soya chunks and fry till they turn reddish brown. Keep aside.

Cut the onion, green chilli and ginger into thin long pieces. Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan. Add the ginger,chilli and onion pieces and fry till the onion turns pinkish. Add the soya chunks and green peas. Stir fry for about 3-4 mins. Drizzle the tomato sauce over the pan and fry for a minute. Remove from fire and serve hot with rice/roti/puri.



One can also add spring onions and yellow/red peppers to this preparation.

Jhal Mudhi

Cooking Time Required: 10 minutes
Cost of preparation: 10-15 rupees

Ingredients: Mudhi (also known as muri or bhel) (100 gms), boiled bengal gram ( 1/3 cup), roasted/fried peanuts ( 1/3 cup), mixture (20 gm),onion ( 1 small), green chilli ( 2 nos), lemon juice(1/2 tsp), mustard oil (1/2 tsp), red chilli powder (1/4 tsp), coriander leaves, salt.


Preparation: Cut the onion, chilli and coriander into fine pieces.

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Consume immediately before the mudhi gets soggy.

The mixture used should be of the spicy and fiery variety. One can also add small bits of boiled potatoes to the mudhi.

Methi saga bhaja

Cooking Time Required : 15 mins
Cost of preparation: 10-12 rupees

Ingredients: Methi (fenugreek) leaves ( 2 bunches), potato ( 1 small), garlic pods ( 2-3 nos), green chilli/red chilli ( 1 no), mustard seeds (1/5 tsp), oil ( 2 tsp), salt.

Preparation: Wash the fenugreek leaves thoroughly and cut into fine pieces. The potato should also be cut into very small pieces. Crush the garlic pods.

Cooking: Heat a wok (kadai). Add the oil. When it starts smoking, add the mustard seeds, crushed garlic pods and chilli. Add the potato pieces to the spluttering seeds and stir for about 3-4 minutes. Lastly add the fenugreek leaves and salt.

Alternately stir fry and cook the with the lid covered till both the potato and fenugreek leaves are done.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Tip: Methi leaves are aromatic but leave a bitter taste in the mouth. Adding potato pieces or coarsely broken dal (toor or moong) helps to balance out the bitterness.

Ambula Raee

Cooking Time Required: 10 minutes
Cost of preparation: 10-12 rupees

Ingredients: Ambula (4-5 pieces), mustard seeds ( 1 tsp), garlic pods ( 5-6 nos), green chilli (2 nos), mustard oil ( 1 tsp), sugar ( 1 tsp), salt.

Preparation: Soak the ambula for 3-4 hours in a cup of water. Grind the mustard seeds and half of the garlic pods into a fine paste. Cut the chilli into small pieces.

Cooking: Mix all the ingredients except for sugar in a kadai . Add another cup of water.Put on the stove and bring to a boil. Keep it on the fire till the quantity reduces to half. Add the sugar and boil for another 2-3 minutes.

Cool it. Relish with rice.

Mansa Kasa (Mutton kasa)

Cooking Time Required: 1 hour (will vary with the quality of mutton)

Ingredients: Mutton ( 500 gm), onion ( 2 nos, medium), potato ( 1 large ), tomato ( 1
medium), green chilli ( 2 nos ), ginger garlic paste ( 2 tsp), cumin-mustard seeds ( 1/3 tsp), coriander powder ( 2/3 tsp), cumin powder (1/3 tsp), chilli powder (1/3 tsp), garam masala ( 1/4 tsp), mustard oil ( 2 tsp ), oil (5-6 tsp), turmeric, salt to taste.

Preparation: Wash the mutton thouroughly. Drain excess water . Add salt, turmeric and one tsp mustard oil. Keep aside to marinate for one hour.

Cut the potato along its length into four pieces. Heat a pan. Add one tsp oil and the potato pieces. Fry till the potato turns light brown.

Grate half an onion and cut the rest into small pieces.

Cooking: Heat 4 tsp oil in a kadai (wok). When it starts smoking, add the green chilli, cumin and mustard seeds. When the seeds start spluttering, add the grated onion. Stir fry for two minutes, and add the onion pieces. When the onion turns pinkish red, add the ginger garlic paste. Stir till the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away. Then add the mutton fat (charbi) and cook for 5 minutes.

Cut the tomatoes into small pieces and add to the wok along with coriander and cumin powder. Stir for 2-3 minutes and then add the mutton. Cook for another 20 minutes while stirring at regular intervals. The mutton should start to darken in color. Transfer the contents of the wok into a pressure cooker along with the fried potatoes and add garam masala. Add about 1/4 cup water. Cook for 10-15 minutes on low flame.

Remove from fire and allow steam to escape. The mutton should be tender. In case it is still not done, cook for another 5 minutes with the lid closed.

Enjoy hot with rice or rotis.

Paneer Curry

Cooking Time Required: 30 mins
Cost of Preparation: 50-60 rupees

Ingredients: Paneer (cottage cheese, 200 gm), potato ( 1 no, medium), tomato ( 1 no, large), onion ( 2 nos, medium ), green chilli ( 1 no ), ginger garlic paste ( 1 tsp), maggie bhuna masala ( 1 tbs ), cumin-fennel-methi seeds (1/3 tsp), cumin powder (1/3 tsp), coriander powder (1/3 tsp), garam masala (1/4 tsp), kasuri methi ( 1 tsp), turmeric , ghee ( 1 tsp), oil ( 3-4 tsp), salt to taste.


Cooking: Peel the onions and cut into two. Put in a pressure cooker along with the tomato, add 1 cup water, cover the lid and put on the stove. Keep it on for two whistles, then remove and keep aside to cool. Once cool, drain excess water and mash the boiled onion and tomato. Cut the paneer into medium sized cubes and keep aside. Cut the potato into four pieces along its length and keep aside. Soak the kasuri methi in a cup with some warm water.


Heat the ghee in a pan. When it becomes hot, add the paneer pieces. At the same time, take water in a pan and put on the stove. Add salt and turmeric to the water and bring to a boil.
Stir fry the paneer till the colour changes from white to light golden brown. Remove from the pan and add to the boiling water. Boil for 2 mins and keep aside.


Heat the oil in a kadai (wok). When it becomes hot, add the potato pieces. Fry for 5-6 mins, remove and keep aside. Then add the fennel-methi-cumin seeds along with the green chilli. Add the mashed tomato-onion paste to the spluttering seeds. Stir fry for 2-3 mins. Then add the ginger-garlic paste along with some salt. Stir fry till the paste darkens slightly. Add the cumin and coriander powder. Stir for about a minute, and add the maggie bhuna masala. Stir another two mins and add 2-3 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add the potato and paneer pieces. Boil for 10 minutes. Add the kasuri methi and garam masala. Boil for another 2-3 minutes and remove from the stove. Tastes equally good with rice, roti or puri.