Pahala Rasagola

After a lot of failed attempts, I finally recreated the 4 PM magic of Pahala at home. Ok , I was late by a whole hour but as those delectable rasgullas sat in my kitchen soaking up in the sugary syrup I was transported back to this nondescript village near Bhubaneshwar. While it is not the oldest variety of Rasgulla that originated in Orissa, it has certainly taken over the former by miles. The history of Pahala dates back to only about a few decades whereas the Puri Rasgulla has been there since the time Lord Jaganaath is said to have created it.

For the uninitiated, a pit stop at Pahala is considered mandatory when travelling on the Bhubaneshwar Cuttack highway (NH-5). And it is considered criminal to eat just one of the rust colored beauties. Read on to know more about them:

Preparation Time - 1 hour 30 minutes (putting it roughly)

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Ingredients -

• 1/2 liter whole milk ( Cow milk specifically, I used the Nandini Brand available in Bengaluru )
• 1/2 tsp maida/suji/semolina/bombay rawa ( suji should be raw, DO NOT roast )
• a pinch of powdered caramelized sugar
• a pinch of cardamom powder
• 1/4 tsp citric acid crystals / 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups water

Preparation - Bring the milk to boil on a medium flame in a thick bottomed vessel. Once it gets to a rolling boil, keep on the flame for another 2-3 minute.

Dissolve the citric acid crystals in 1 cup of HOT water. Or the vinegar in a cup of normal water.

Remove from flame and keep aside for 4-5 minutes. Add the citric acid in one corner of the vessel till the milk shows signs of curdling. Using a spatula, mix the contents of the vessel thoroughly till the greenish water (whey) and milk solids (chenna) get completely separated. ( You might not need to add the entire cup of citric acid but use sufficient amount needed to split the milk )

Place a thin cloth on a metal strainer ( Do not use  plastic as the mixture is still very hot at this point ). Pour the contents of the vessel over it. Wash the chenna under running water for 2 minutes to remove all traces of citric acid. Bundle/gather the corners of the cloth and squeeze out all the water but do not squeeze too hard.

Hang it for 1 hour. Not less nor more. Too much moisture or too less of it can cause rasagulla to disintegrate.

Remove the cloth and place the chenna on your sanitized kitchen counter / chopping board. Start kneading it with the heel of your palms. Then gather the chenna into a ball and start kneading again. Do this for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the suji and powdered caramelized sugar over the kitchen  sugary stuff can cause if consumed regularly ) and there will be quite a lot of oiliness/greasiness on your hands/counter. Work them into the dough. Knead till you can no longer feel the graininess of the suji. The dough will start looking like an orange peel by this time with a dimpled appearance ( reminded me of cellulite which such (and also on the kneading surface). Cover dough with moist cloth and keep aside.

Take the 2 1/2 cups of water in a pressure cooker and place it on a medium flame. Add sugar and cardamom powder, and dissolve it with a ladle. Allow it to come to a boil.

Back to the dough. Remove the cloth and knead it again for 3-4 minutes. Pinch small balls out of it and roll them into smooth looking balls between your palms. There should be no cracks as the water can seep in and disintegrate the balls. (The trick is to apply a little pressure at first when shaping into a ball, them roll it very gently. I got only 5 balls from the 1/2 liter milk that I used.)

Place the balls gently in the boiling water. Close the lid (but remove the weight/whistle first) and cook for 30 minutes ( first 5 minutes on a HIGH flame ). Resist the temptation to open the lid and keep checking on them every 5 mins.

Remove from flame and keep the pressure cooker aside for 5 minutes.

In the meantime boil about 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Remove the balls from the pressure cooker and put into the hot water for 5 minutes ( on medium flame ). Switch off flame.



Transfer the balls back into the sugar syrup and allow to stand for 15 minutes.

Serve immediately. (Pahala rasgullas are best enjoyed hot/warm)

Or keep it in the fridge for a few hours. The chilled ones are also delicious.

Vangi Baath (Brinjal rice)

Vangi baath or brinjal rice is a spicy and sour rice dish (with a hint of sweetness which is optional) that is quite easy to prepare. Though I had tasted this for the first time in Hyderabad, I did not quite like it at the time. But it was reintroduced to me by one of my roomies who used to cook it with a special home-made masala and I have been a fan ever since. Maybe the fact that she was a Kannada Brahmin made all the difference. After all, its origins are attributed to the Brahmin community of Karnataka.

I made it with parboiled rice ( which is healthier) but usually people make it with raw rice. I quickly made a bit of 'Vangi baath masala' at home (got the recipe on net) but it is quite easily available in the shops. And even my kid likes it when I reduce the amount of 'Vangi baath' masala and add a sprinkling of jaggery. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins ( if you have cooked rice else add time needed to prepare rice )

Ingredients -

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 1/2 cups sliced brinjal
• 8-10 cashews
• 2 tsp channa dal
• 1/2 tsp thick tamarind paste
• 1 red chilli
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 4 tsp cooking oil
• 2 pinch turmeric
• salt to taste

For the Vangi baath 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 - Add a little salt and turmeric to the brinjal slices. Keep aside for 10 mins.
Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan. Add all the ingredients for Vangi Baath 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 brinjal slices and fry till cooked.

Add 1 1/2 tsp of the Vangi Baath 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, mustard seeds and channa dal. After channa dal turns a little brown, add cashews. Pour the tempering over the rice. Mix in.

Serve hot with yogurt and papad.

Note - If you like a hint of sweetness, add about 1-2 tsp powdered jaggery while adding the tamarind paste.

Shikanji (North Indian style lemonade)

With the summers fast approaching, lemonades are becoming a regular feature in my home. While the traditional lemon drink served in Odisha uses just sugar and a pinch of salt apart from lemon and water, down South they sprinkle it generously with mint leaves. Different from these two, the North Indian version is a little more spicy. It makes use of black salt 'kala namak' and roasted cumin powder along with the other ingredients. It is popularly known as 'Shikanji' or 'Shikanjvi' and is widely available at roadside stalls throughout summer.

Most of us adore the plain old nimbu-pani and this version just adds a refreshing twist to a crowd favorite recipe. Lemon being high on the list of 'Detox foods', with its properties of being a blood purifier and a cleansing agent, sip on a glass or two everyday without guilt. (Just try to replace the sugar with some honey/sugarfree if you watching weight). Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 5 minutes

Ingredients -

1 big lemon
5-6 tsp sugar
2 pinch roasted cumin powder
1/5 tsp black salt/kala namak
2 glasses water ( about 500 ml )
Ice cubes (optional)

Preparation - Cut the lemon into two halves .(Check the pic below to see how the lemon should be cut so that maximum juice can be extracted. You will be surprised as to how many folks are ignorant about this simple trick)

Take the water in a blender/juicer jar. Add the sugar, black salt and squeeze in the lemon. Blitz till the sugar is dissolved.

Pour in tall glasses. Add the roasted cumin powder and ice cubes.

Serve immediately.

Note - One can also some fresh mint leaves to this preparation.  You can also add the cumin powder during the blending stage instead on sprinkling it later on.

Aam Kasundi Begun (Eggplant in a mango-mustard sauce)

Aam Kasundi Begun. Sounds almost poetic, doesn't it ???. Ever since I read this name in the TOI last week,  I have been scouring the net and some of my cookbooks/paper cuttings to get the exact recipe. After referring  quite a few sources (including Bong Mom's Cookbook) , I decided to take a bit from here and a bit from there. And the result was almost magical. It surpassed my expectations by a plenty of notches. Tangy, tart, hot, titillating, fragrant.

This is the first time I made it. And since I havn't tasted an authentic 'Kasundi' dish ever, I can not vouch for its authenticity. But the taste is something that I can vouch for...quite unforgettable. "Cholbe naa", I can almost see some of my Bong friends shaking their heads. And I almost wish for Ushnish da to appear out of thin air and reveal the magical recipe to me. On second thoughts, I think I will drop a note to him and ask him to rate my recipe. Till then this has to do (already planning for an encore on Thursday).

Read on for my version of an 'Aam Kasundi Begun':

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups sliced eggplant
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp grated coconut
• 4 tsp roughly chopped raw mango
• 2 garlic flakes
• 2 green chillis
• 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste
• 3 tsp mustard oil

Preparation - Add a little salt and turmeric to the eggplant slices. Keep aside for 15 mins.

Dry grind (fine powder) the mustard seeds first. Then add raw mango, coconut, green chilli, coriander and garlic flakes to the same grinder cup along with a few teaspoons water. Grind into a smooth paste.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok till it smokes.

Add the eggplant slices and stir fry till almost done.

Add the kasundi paste and coat all the slices. Fry for 1-2 minutes.

Add 1 cup boiling water and cover with a lid. Cook on medium heat till almost all the water evaporates.

Serve with white rice.

Note - If you find mustard to be too hot/spicy, then replace half of the quantity of mustard used with poppy seeds. Also treble the quantity of coconut used in the gravy to mellow it further.

Beetroot Poriyal (Detox Mondays)

With my maid still not back from her vacation, I am loath to doing much cooking. A simple dal-rice with stir fries or some snack items like dosa-chutney/idli-ghuguni have been dominating the menu last week.

While trying to finish off any remaining vegetables from last week, I discovered this beetroot still sitting in the
fridge. And thought of making a quick and healthy 'poriyal' for dinner. As I have mentioned earlier, beetroot is considered to be a very powerful blood purifier and hence vital to every detox diet. That is the reason I have started consuming this vegetable only recently. If you find it repulsive in the raw form, this is pefect for you.

With this recipe, I am flagging off a 'Detox Series' wherein I will be posting about some detox recipe/information/tips on Mondays. Great start to the week, isn't it ?? Read on for the first recipe of this series :

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Preparation Time - 10-15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 large beetroot ( chopped into small pieces )
• 1 1/2 tsp oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 pinch asafoetida
• 2-3 tsp whole urad dal (skinless)
• 2-3 green chillis (cut into long pieces)
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
• 2 tsp coriander laeves (for garnishing)
• salt to taste

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves.

After the curry leaves have wilted a bit, add the urad dal and asafoetida. Fry till the dal turns a few shades dark.

Add the green chillis and fry for 1 minute.

Add the beetroot pieces alng with salt and turmeric. Mix the contents of the wok. Cover and cook till tender. (Stir 2-3 times in between. Add a bit of water in between if you find it getting too dry)

Finally add the grated coconut, mix in and switch off flame.

Remove from wok. Sprinkle lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Serve with rotis or rice and rasam/dal/pappu kura.

Note : You can also add a bit of chilli powder/grated ginger/finely chopped garlic during the cooking.

Thalassery Biriyani (Malabar Biriyani/Kerela Biriyani)

Thalassery Biryani is the famous biriyani served at Muslim weddings in Kerela. It was originally made from a short grained and flavorful rice variety called Jeerakasala but now people has started using Basmati rice as well. While I came across a lot of variations on internet, some using curry leaves, other had coconut milk and still others used rose attar, this one seemed authentic. It is taken from a local TV channel called Amrita TV.

It does not use any red chilli powder, only green chillis. And the gravy made for chicken does not use any oil in it. Only the fried onions called 'Bista' are added to the gravy to deepen its flavor. Read on for the recipe.

Preparation Time - 1 hour ( and some more standby time )

Ingredients - (serves 2)

• 400 gm Chicken pieces (medium sized)
• 2 1/2 cups Jeerakasala rice ( or Jeera Samba rice )
• 3 large Onions (finely sliced in circular/semi-circular shapes)
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 1 inch long ginger
• 4-5 green chillis
• 2 large tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 1 cup mint leaves (chopped)
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 lemon
• Salt to taste
• Ghee + Oil for frying the onions

For the Biriyani Masala Powder

• 3 cloves
• 1 1/2 inch cinnamon
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 petal Mace
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp cumin seeds 
• a pinch of Nutmeg

( Some recipes also have a little bit of aniseed and shahjeera added to this masala. But the one I tried was quite good

in itself. )

For cooking the rice -

• 1 tsp ghee
• 1 star anise
• 2-3 cardomoms
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash and marinate the chicken with salt and turmeric.

Cooking - Heat oil in a wok for frying the onions.

Fry onions in small batches on medium heat and take each batch out of the oil for a few second during frying. This makes them crisper as it allows the water content of onions to turn into vapour.

Dry roast all the spices (except nutmeg) mentioned under Biriyani Masala. Allow to cool down a few degrees. Then grind into a powder in a mixer/coffee grinder. (Add a little bit of coarse salt when using a mixer, it helps to get a fine powder )

Roughly grind the ginger, garlic and green chillis.

Cook the rice in a pressure cooker along with the ingredients mentioned under 'For cooking the rice'. After levelling the rice with a spatula, add water in sufficient quantity so that it stands nearly 1 1/2 inch above the rice. Close lid and cook for 1 whistle. Remove and open after steam escapes. Fluff up with a fork.

Heat a thick bottomed vessel (we will be using it for the DUM process later on, so it should be really thick). Add the chopped tomatoes with a little water. Cook till soft and mashy.

Add the ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and cook till raw smell goes off.

Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the powdered masala and chopped mint leaves. Mix well and cook till chicken is 80 percent done.

Add 3/4 th of the fried onions at this stage. Mix well and cook till chicken is tender.

Add lemon juice and coriander leaves. Mix well and switch off flame.

Layer the cooked rice over the chicken. Add remaining fried onions and dot with the saffrom milk.

Cover the vessel with a cloth and put on the lid. Allow to sit on lowest possible heat/flame for 15-20 mins. (I did this process using an induction cooker.)

Remove the lid and cloth. Mix the layers a bit.

Serve hot with raita and coriander coconut chutney.

Gulkand and Kesar Milkshake

Superhero Panda is all exhausted with the enormous task of saving the planet. He goes to meet Dr. Panda. The latter advises him to drink two glasses of milk everyday. But our Superhero hates the white stuff.

Doc Panda calls up his Mama. "You know Mama has a solution you everything", he tells to our Superhero.
So, Mama comes up this refreshing rose and saffron flavored drink.

Superhero gulps it down in no time. Doc Panda suppresses a smile when he sees Superhero back on his feet.

Read on for the recipe of Superhero's energy potion :

Preparation Time - 5 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 glass cold milk
• 2 tsp gulkand or rose jam
• a pinch of saffron
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• 2-3 ice cubes (optional)

Preparation - Soak the saffron in 3 tsp of warm milk for 10 mins.

Add all the ingredients to a mixer jar. Buzz for a few seconds. Yummy milkshake is ready.

Pour in a glass and serve.

So, our Superhero Panda is all recharged and is back on his mission to save the Planet.

Posto Patua

Posto or poppy seeds is very commonly consumed in the western regions of Odisha. Infact, it is used as a substitute for mustard seeds in quite a few curries. Its cooling properties make it an ideal addition to the summer diet. This is a very simple recipe that goes great with hot rice as well as 'Pakhala', the famous watery rice dish from Odisha.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 12-15 mins

Ingredients -

• 5-6 tbsp poppy seeds (posto)
• 1 small onion, chopped into medium pieces
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 green chillis
• 1 tsp coriander stems (use whites only)
• 2 pinches of pancha phutana
• 1 dry red chilli
• 2 pinch turmeric
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Dry grind the poppy seeds to a coarse powder in the chutney jar of a grinder. Add a little salt, garlic cloves, green chillis and coriander stems along with a little water to the same jar. Buzz for a few seconds. ( If it is too dry to be ground, add water little by little)

Heat the oil in a wok. Add broken red chillis along with pancha phutana.

Once spluttering starts, add onions. Fry till translucent.

Add the poppy seeds paste along with 1/4 cup water, turmeric and a bit of salt (if required).

Cook till constant stirring till most of the water dries up and the poppy seeds paste does not taste raw anymore. Remove from flame.

Serve hot with white rice and toor dal.

Soya nuggets manchurian

So, my maid is on extended leave and hubby has to attend a dinner tonight. Not much cooking on the cards today. A wholesome pongal and stir fried beans for lunch, and panner paratha for dinner is sure to keep little one happy. Only I am in a mood for something spicy (and effortless at the same time). Too lazy to do the dishes later.

Quickly rummaging though the cupboards, I discover a box of Nutrela soya nuggets staring balefully at me. 'Oh! I did not know we had soya at home', I exclaimed. Quickly turning it over, I check the date on the packaging. Still good. Maybe I got it just after coming back from BBSR and it has been lying unused all the while. A quick recipe demonstrated by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor on 'Khana Khazana' is still fresh in my mind. So, 'Soya Nuggets Manchurian' it is got to be.

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 

• 1 cup soya nuggets
• 1/2 of a small capsicum
• 2 tbsp spring onions chopped
• 1 small onion
• 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp soya sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp corn flour
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tsp chilli sauce
• 2-3 green chillis
• 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Cooking - Cook the soya chunks in a pressure cooker on HIGH flame for 1 whistle. Remove, allow steam to escape and open lid. Drain off the water and wash 2-3 times in fresh water. Squeeze out all the water.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a non-stick pan. Add the soya nuggets. 

Add salt, 1/2 tsp soya sauce, 1 tsp chilli sauce and salt to taste.

Carefully sprinkle 1/2 tsp of corn flour uniformly over the nuggets and add just a sprinkle of water.

Toss well to coat all the nuggets. Remove from pan and keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok. Add the chopped onions and fry till a little translucent.

Add chopped ginger and garlic. Fry for 2-3 minutes till they darken a bit.

Add the soya sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar and tomato sauce along with 1/2 cup water.

Once it gets to a boil, add the soya nuggets. Boil for 2 minutes.

Add chopped capsicum and half of the spring onion whites.

Dissolve the cornflour in 1/3 cup water and add to it. Allow the gravy to thicken/reduce as you prefer it.

Adjust salt. 

Garnish with spring onion greens . Serve hot with white rice.

Note - Add more cornflour if you want thick gravy.  Similarly, increase the amount of tomato sauce for more sweetness.

Amba Panaa ( Raw mango drink for Holi / Odisha style Aam Panna)

This is a special drink prepared in Oriya households on the occasion of Holi or Dola Yatra as it is commonly known. Small processions of Lord Krishna and his consort Radha ensconced in a 'Doli' or 'palki'  do the rounds of the city. They visit peoples homes where prasad is offered to them.

In keeping with the tradition of offering seasonal produce to the Gods before consuming it, the first mango of the season is offered to Lord Krishna and his consort when they visit someone's house in Odisha. While some people offers the green mangoes itself, others prefer to make a sweet drink out of it. As it is made primarily for offering to God, it is a rather simple drink without too many ingredients. And the green mangoes are neither roasted nor boiled like they do it for the 'Aam Panna' consumed mostly in north.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 minutes

Ingredients - 3-4 tsp raw mango paste, 2-3 tsp powdered jaggery, 2 pinch pepper powder, a few sweetened boondis, 250 ml water.

Preparation - Mix the raw mango paste, jaggery and pepper powder with water. ( Use a mixer/blender for quick results)

Garnish with the sweetened boondis. Add a few ice cubes if you like.

Serve.

Note - This version of the Amba panaa is offered as Prasad to Lord Krishna during Holi. However, if you making it on a regular day, add some roasted cumin-chilli (jeera-lanka) powder and black salt to enhance the flavors. Also, it tastes best when made with semi-ripe mangoes but they are difficult to come by before the month of April.

Chicken Kofta Biriyani

Sorry about not being able to share any special non-vegetarian recipe on Sunday. To make up for it, I am posting one mid-week.

So, here I am with yet another Biryani recipe. This time it is a special biryani from Awadh. Also known as the 'Pearl Biriyani', this has chicken koftas mixed with flavorful Basmati rice. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time -40 mins

Ingredients - Chicken breast ( 1 no), basmati rice (2 cups), onion (2 large, finely sliced), tomato (1 large + 1 medium, finely chopped), GG paste ( 2 tbsp ), yogurt ( 1/2 cup), whole spices ( 4 cloves, 1 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 2 cardamom, 1 bay leaf, 2 mace), kashmiri chilli powder ( 1/2 tsp ), chilli powder ( 1/2 tsp ), 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, turmeric powder (1/2 tsp), a handful of mint leaves, 3-4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, oil (2 tbsp), ghee (2tbsp), a generous pinch of saffron, 1/4 cup milk, 1 cup caramelized onions, salt to taste.

For the kofta - 1 tsp cornflour, 1 egg white, 1 small onion (finely chopped), 1-2 green chillis (finely chopped), 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped), 1-2 tsp coriander leaves (finely chopped), a pinch of garam masala, salt to taste, oil for deep frying.

Preparation - Cut the chicken breast into small pieces. Boil with 2 cups water and a little salt till tender. Remove, strain and keep aside to cool. (do not throw away the water)

Shred the chicken breast and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients mentioned under 'For  the Kofta' except for the oil and egg white. Mix together and add the egg white little by little, taking care to prevent it from getting too watery. Make small balls out of the mixture and keep aside.

Soak the saffron in warm milk.

Cooking - Heat oil in a wok for deep frying. Add the koftas in small batches. Fry evenly till golden, remove and keep aside.

Add 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp ghee in a thick bottomed vessel. Add the whole spices and fry till fragrant. (Do NOT burn)

Add the sliced onions and fry till translucent. Add GG paste and cook for till raw smell goes away.

Add all the powdered masalas and fry for 1 minute.

Add the finely chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes or till tender. Oil should start leaving the sides of the vessel by now. Add the mint and coriander leaves and just mix in.

Add the yogurt and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the washed and drained rice. Add 2 cups of warm water, and close the lid. Cook for 1 whistle.

-Remove and keep aside for 10 minutes. Open the lid.

Meanwhile grease a thick bottomed vessel with ghee. Add 1/3 of the cooked rice to it and spread evenly with a spatula. Add 1/3 of the koftas, some caramelized onion and a little of the saffron milk.

Repeat with the remaining rice, koftas, caramelized onions and saffron milk. Put a thick cloth over the mouth of the vessel and then cover with a heavy lid.

Heat a heavy tawa on a low flame. Place the vessel over the tawa and allow to stand for 10-15 minutes.

Remove and open the lid. Fluff up and mix the layers with a fork.

Serve hot with raita.

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