Lau santula

This is one of the classic oriya recipes. It is a must have for a postpartum diet and elderly people. Also, since it is a low calorie recipe, it is good for all of us who will be trying to lose some pounds after the festival season is over. Read on:

Preparation Time - 10-15 mins

Ingredients - 4 cups peeled and diced bottle gourd, 1 medium sized onion, 3-5 garlic flakes, 3 tsp chopped coriander leaves, 2 dry red chillis, 1/2 tsp pancha phutana, salt, turmeric, 2 tsp oil.

Preparation - Boil the lauki in a pressure cooker with a little salt and turmeric for 1 whistle. Remove from flame and allow steam to escape. Do not throw away the excess water.

Chop the onion into small pieces. Crush the garlic flakes.

Cooking - Heat oil in a wok.

Add the pancha-phutana and broken red chilli . Once the chilli changes it color, add the chopped onion. Fry till translucent.

Add the boiled bottle gourd along with excess water. Cook for 2 mins

Add the crushed garlic and coriander leaves. Remove from flame.

Serve hot with whole wheat/multigrain rotis of a wholesome meal.

Mandira Khichudi

Khichdi or Khichudi as it is called in Orissa is a wonderful and healthy one pot meal. One can also add vegetables like beans, carrots, cauliflower and potato to it to up the nutritional content. However the version that is served at temples does not use any veggies. It is the clever use of spices and condiments that makes it super fragrant and delicious.

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup gobindobhog/sitabhog rice, 1 cup moong dal, 1 tbs cumin seeds, 2-3 bay leaves/annapurna leaves, 2-3 dry red chillis, 1 inch long ginger, 1/2 tsp asafoetida, 2-3 tsp sugar (optional), 1/3 cup raisins, 2-3 tbs ghee, 1/2 tsp turmeric.

Cooking - Heat a frying pan. Dry roast the moong dal till it gives off a faint fragrance. Remove and keep aside to cool down.

Wash the rice and moong dal. Mix in the turmeric and keep in a plate to dry a bit.

Heat 1 tsp ghee in a tadka pan. Add broken red chillis and cumin seeds. Once the seeds start spluttering, add the asafoetida and remove from flame. Keep aside.

Heat the remaining ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the rice and moong dal. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add 6-7 cups of boiling water. Add crushed ginger, bay leaves, raisins, salt and the contents of the tadka pan.

Close lid and cook for 3-4 whistles.

Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Stir in the sugar.

Serve with tomato khajuri khatta and sagaa bhajja on Osa bara / fasting days.

This is usually offered as a prasad to Goddess Durga on Ashtami/Navami.

Parwal-Potato Chips

A few days back I blogged about the 'Berhampore Aloo Chips', a Berhampore (Orissa) speciality. It is a wonderful side dish that goes really well with my Osa bara randha (fasting food), i.e., arwa bhata and dalma / khechudi and dahi. This time I prepared the chips with potola(pointed gourd) & kaankada (spine gourd) along with aloo for my Navratri dinner. (The kaankada does not really show up as i only two pieces left from the previous week's)

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients- 5-6 nos parwal/pointed gourd, 5-6 kaankada/spine gourd, 1 medium sized potatoes, 1 tsp rice flour, 1 tsp corn flour, 1 tsp besan, a pinch of turmeric, 2-3 tsp sesame, 1/5 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, salt to taste, oil for deep frying.

Preparation - Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into thin strips ( thinner than those you make for french fries ). Also peel and cut the parwal into thin strips. Do the same with the kaankada. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add all the remaining ingredients except for oil. Mix together so that all the strips are coated properly.

Cooking - Heat oil in a deep wok.

Add the vegetables in small batches and fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes or till they turn crisp.

Remove from wok and keep on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Enjoy them as a side dish for your Ashtami/Navami lunch/dinner.

Makhane ki Kheer

Phool Makhana or Lotus seed is more commonly available in North India where it is used during vrats. As it not regarded as a cereal its atta is also used for making rotis and it finds use even in curries. It can even be consumed as a snack in the roasted form.

It is free from fat and cholesterol, rich in iron and phosphorus and is also a good source of antioxidants. Its nutritional profile makes it ideal for weight-watchers or people suffering from high blood pressure/cholesterol. It also helps digestion, reduces frequent urination, strengthens body and improves energy levels.

I used 'Phool Makhana' to make this delicious and nutritious kheer during the Navratri days. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup phool makhana, 2 cups whole milk (boiled), 3 tsp sugar, 6-7 tbs milk powder/3-4 tbs condensed milk, 1 tbs ghee, handful of almonds, 3-4 glazed cherries, 2 pinch ground nutmeg, 1 pinch cardamon powder.

Preparation - Chop the almonds and cherries.

Cooking - Heat a pan. Add ghee and then the phool makhana. Roast for 3 minutes on a low to medium flame till crisp. Remove and keep aside to cool down.

Crush all the makhana lightly ( do not powder) except for 5-6 nos.

Add the almonds to the pan and roast for 2 minutes.

Bring the milk to a boil. Dissolve the sugar in it.

Add the crushed phool makhana and almonds. Boil for 10-12 minutes on a low flame.

Add the whole/intact phool makhanas and the milk powder along with the nutmeg and cardamon. Remove from flame after 1 minute.

Allow to cool down. (one can also refrigerate it)

Garnish with the cherries and serve.

Important Oriya Festivals & Special Recipes

Each festival/celebration/occasion calls for a special recipe/dish. While some of these are traditional in nature and have been handed down from generation to generation, we all do have some family favorites. Staying in nuclear families and away from Orissa makes it difficult for many of us to stick to the traditional recipes as either the awareness/recipe/ingredient eludes us. While the last one is beyond our reach, this list is an attempt on my part to create awareness about such traditional recipes. The list is not comprehensive and i would appreciate any useful inputs/additions. Read on for the list:

Makar Sankranti (January) - Makara Chaula (makara-chaula)
Samba Dasami (January) - Ghadaghadiya Tarkari
Saraswati Puja (January) - Chuda Ghasa(chuda ghasa)
Shivratri (March) - Panchamrita(panchamrit)
Dola Jatra (March) - Amba panna
Mahabisuba/Panaa Sankranti - Bela Panaa/Chattua Panna(bela panaa)
Ram Nabami (April) - Chaula Kheeri (chaulaa kheeri)
Rajaa (June)- Janta Poda pitha(janta poda pitha), Budha chakuli (buddha chakuli), Saru chakuli(saru chakuli
Ratha Jatra (June-July) - Poda pitha (Poda pitha)
Bahuda Jatra (July) - Chakuli (Leuta pitha)
Jyesta Purnima - Chaula Kheeri
Ganesh Puja - Rasi ladoo, Chuda ghasa
Dwitibahana Osa - Pariba Ghanta(pariba ghanta)
Durgasthami - Kanika (kanika)/Khechudi (khichudi)
Kumar Purnima - Khaee Chanda
Kartika Somabar - Muga Dalma/Habisa Dalma, Aau khatta
Prathamasthami - Enduri Pitha (enduri pitha)
Manabasa Gurubar (November - December)- Gaintha/Attakali, Kakara, chakuli, Dahi Pakala, Sagaa, Khechudi
Dhanu Sankranti (December-January) - Dhanu Muaa

Chaunk wala Raita

This is one of my favorite raita recipes and one that i usually make on a Osa-bara (Vrat) as it does not use onion. As is quite common in Orissa, I use a lot of tempering to add flavour to this otherwise plain Cucumber raita. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10 minutes or less

Ingredients - 1 medium sized cucumber, 2/3 cup fresh yogurt, 1 tbs chopped coriander roots, 1 sprig of curry leaves, 1/2 inch long ginger, 2-3 green chillis, pinch of asafoetida, 1 tsp mustard seeds, salt to taste, 1-2 tsp oil.

Preparation - Peel and cut the cucumber into small pieces.

Take the yogurt into a mixing bowl. Add salt and whisk lightly. Add the cucumber pieces.

Take the green chillis, coriander shoots and ginger in a mortar and use a pestle to crush them lightly. Alternatively use a small stone to crush the ingredients.

Cooking - Heat oil in a tempering pan (if you do not have one, use a small frying pan instead). Add the mustard seeds and when they start spluttering add the crushed ingredients. Fry for 1 minute till they release all the flavours.

Add the asafoetida and curry leaves. Remove from the stove and allow to cool for 1 minute. Pour over the contents of the mixing bowl. Mix in the tempering, add a little water if the raita is too thick and adjust the salt if required.

Serve with rice/rotis/puris/parathas and curry.

Chocolate Halwa

Everyone loves chocolate, age/gender being no bar. And it is being  incorporated in Indian desserts in a big way. Chocolate burfi, chocolate sandesh, chocolate lassi are some of the common examples. My kid is no exception to this rule and i try to use this flavor to camouflage items that he normally avoids.

This is one of my kid's favorite. And it is super easy to prepare. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10-12 mins

Ingredients - 3 tbs semolina/suji, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tbs almond meal, 2 tsp chopped cherries/tutti-frutti, 3 tsp sugar, 1 cup milk,  10-12 drops vanilla essence, 1-2 tsp butter .

Cooking - Dry roast the semolina and almond meal on a pan. Remove and keep aside.

Heat the milk in a wok. Take a few teaspoons of the warm milk in a cup, add the cocoa powder and dissolve it. Pour the chocolate mix back into the wok.

Add sugar, vanilla essence, almond meal and roasted semolina. Stir the contents for 3-4 minutes on a low to medium flame till a viscous mixture is formed (this will harden further on cooling). Stir in the butter and cherries/tutti-frutti.

Allow to cool down slightly and then fill into molds. Remove from mold when ready to serve.

Serve warm or chilled. (Garnish with nuts if desired.)



Sending this recipe to Chandrani's event Festive Treats for the month of Sep-Oct. Read more about her events.

Khatti Meethi Dal

The humble 'Dalma' (link here) used to reign supreme on my menu on the fasting (Osa-bara) days till I discovered its tantalizing Western counterpart. Like a willful seductress it threatens to steer me away from my ever dependable wife 'dalma'. When I first glimpsed her while leafing through a Tarla Dalal cookbook, i was hardly impressed. But the supremely impossible task of feeding vegetables to my kiddie made me try it out. And i have been re-visting her ever since while side-stepping the risk that it poses to my digestive system ( Tamarind and my system are not exactly compatible ). But for the more fortunate beings, this tangy-sweet-spicy Gujrati Dal is a must try.

With Mahalaya today, the nine day Navaratri fasting/celebrations have begun and most of us will be avoiding the use of onion/garlic in our meals/snacks. I have adapted the original recipe for fasting days as the former makes use of onions. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup toor dal, 1/2 cup whole/skinless masoor dal, 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced pumpkin, 1/2 cup diced carrot, 1/2 cup diced eggplant, 1/2 cup peeled and diced raw banana, 1 cup diced potato, 2 tbs powdered jaggery, 1 1/2 tbs tamarind paste, 1/2 tsp turmeric, salt to taste.

For tempering - 3 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2 whole red chillis, 3 cloves, 1 inch long cinnamon stick, 2 sprigs of curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional).

Preparation - Take the jaggery and tamarind in a bowl. Add 5-6 tbs water and make it into a paste.

Cooking - Wash and transfer the dals to a pressure cooker with 2-3 cups water. Add salt and turmeric .Cook for 2-3 whistles.

Allow to stand till steam escapes. Open lid and beat the dal with a heavy spoon to get a smooth mixture.

Boil the vegetables with 2-3 cups of water, little salt and turmeric. Remove from stove when done.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds, broken red chilli, cloves and cinnamon. Fry for 20-30 seconds. Add the asafoetida and curry leaves followed by red chilli powder.

Add the dal an boiled vegetables to the wok. Boil for 2-3 minutes.

Add jaggery-tamarind paste. Simmer for 5-6 minutes.

Remove from flame and serve with rice.

Chinguri Chura

'Chuna Chinguri' or the tiny prawns are very difficult to come by in Banglore. So when I found a fresh lot at my nearest Bengali Fish stall, I was delighted. These tiny prawns are sweeter than the big ones and can be fried to a very crisp texture. Also, I find it easy to clean the lot. One just needs to pinch off the heads and wash them in lots of fresh water to remove the sands.

This is a very delicious 'Chinguri Chura' I made with them. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 250-300 gm tiny prawns, 1/4 tsp turmeric, salt to taste, 1 medium sized onion, 3-4 green chillis, 4-5 garlic flakes (peeled), 2 tbs chopped coriander leaves, 3-4 tsp oil.

Preparation - Take the cleaned prawns in a mixing bowl. Add salt and turmeric, mix well and keep aside for 5 minutes.

Chop the onion into small pieces.

Cooking- Heat a non-stick frying pan. Add the oil.

Add the marinated prawns (do not any any of the liquid that oozed out during marination). Fry for 6-8 minutes till crisp. Remove from flame and allow to cool down.

Transfer the fried prawns into a grinder jar. Add onions, broken green chilli, coriander leaves and garlic flakes. Buzz for a few seconds till they turn into a coarse powder. (Do not worry if you have a few prawns still intact.)

Serve with white rice and dal (or even better eat it with Dahi Pakhala).

Dahi Lau ( Lauki ka raita )

'Kitne ka hai Bhaiya ?', I asked the neighbourhood vegetable vendor. 'Chalis de do madam', he replied with a grin. Forty rupees a kilo for the very humble lauki, I exclaimed. There was a time when my mom used to run after us to feed us lauki-chana or lauki santula and we would go to any lengths to avoid it. But I guess the growing years and Baba Ramdev's claims about this wonder vegetable has turned me into a new leaf. This vegetable is touted to have myriad health benefits ranging from curing heart diseases, lowering blood pressure, curing jaundice,treating gastrointestinal disorders and improving liver function. With 96 percent water and just 12 calories per 100 grams, it is very helpful if you are on a weight loss diet.

Just like another superfood 'Spinach aka Palak', I keep trying to incorporate it regularly in my meals. So, here is another lauki recipe:

Preparation Time - 10-15 mins

Ingredients -

• 3 cups (peeled and diced) bottle gourd/lauki/doodhi
• 1 cup fresh yogurt/curd 
• 1 small onion (optional)
• 2-3 green chillis
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 3 tbs freshly grated coconut
• 1/2 mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• a sprig of curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil

Preparation - Boil the bottle gourd in a pressure cooker with a little salt for 1 whistle. Remove from flame and keep aside to cool. Do not throw away excess water.

Chop the onion into small pieces.

Take the yogurt in a mixing bowl and add salt, chopped onion and coconut. Beat lightly.

Cooking - Heat oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Allow to splutter and then add the broken green chilli and curry leaves. Add asafoetida after 30 seconds and switch off flame.

Add the tempering to the beaten curd along with boiled bottle gourd pieces and some of the excess water. Mix well.

Serve with rotis or rice and dal.

Note - This is a popular item during Navratri but without the onions.

Berhampur Alu Chips

My husband spent his college days in Berhampore. This has turned him into a huge fan of the local cuisine. He keeps raving about the snack (Jala khia) items which he considers to be out of this world. But there was this place called 'Nandan' that he misses the most and in particular its 'Chattu' tarkari or mushroom curry and 'panner tarkari'. We have been planning to visit this place after marriage but have not found the time to do so.

One of his favorite items from the college days is the vegetable chips, crisp fried vegetables with a generous dose of sesame. Potato being the mandatory ingredient, the other vegetables that can be added are potolo (pointed gourd)/kaanada (spine gourd)/kalara (bitter gourd). However we prefer to use only the potatoes as even my little one likes it. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation time - 20 minutes

Ingredients - 2 medium sized potatoes, 1 tsp rice flour, 1 tsp corn flour, 1 tsp besan, a pinch of turmeric, 2-3 tsp sesame, 1/5 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, salt to taste, oil for deep frying.

Preparation - Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into thin strips ( thinner than those you make for french fries ). Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add all the remaining ingredients except for oil. Mix together so that all the strips are coated properly.

Cooking - Heat oil in a deep wok.

Add the potato strips in small batches and fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes or till they turn crisp.

Remove from wok and keep on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Serve with rice or have them as snacks/starters.

Note - This stays fresh for a few hours after frying so one can prepare it in advance if any guests are coming over for lunch/dinner.