Chaadaakhai Special

A quick recap of my top picks for this Chaadaakhai !! The recipes are already posted on my blog.


1. Mutton Jholo - click here 

2. Chicken Chettinad - click here

3. Chicken Biryani - click here

4. Chingudi Jholo - click here

5. Kanchaa Illishi Tarkari - click here

[Sorry about not being able to provide the images. There seems be a network/server issue this morning]

Wishing a very Happy Kartik Purnima and Guru Nanak Jayanti to all !!

For all my Odia friends/readers, wishing you all a very happy 'Boita Bandana' !!

Aa ka maa boi
pana gua thoi
pana gua tora
masaka dharama mohara
dinaka dharama tohora

Phalahari Choley (No onion No garlic recipe)

Today is the first day of Panchuka or the five holiest days of the Hindu month of Kartika. While it is a standard practice among all (almost) oriya folks to refrain from eating non-veg throughout the month, these five days are strictly adhered to. The days begin with 'Brundawati Puja' or the worshiping of the Tulsi plant. Beautiful and colorful patterns called 'Muruja' ( Rangoli ) are drawn around the Tulsi 'Chaunra' or the pot/pedestal on which the plant has been placed. In addition those folks who observe 'Anla Nabami' or the day preceding 'Panchuka', a small 'anla' or gooseberry plant is also worshiped along with the Tulsi.

As this month is the peak time for all Shiva devotees, one witnesses long queues at the Shiva temples or 'Dhams' especially on the Mondays. Most folks residing in or around Bhubaneshwar try to visit Dhabaleshwara or Lingaraja, both of which are popular Shiva temples. Another popular destination during Panchuka is the Jaganaath Dham at Puri. Lord Jagannath and his siblings take up five different get-ups or 'Beshas' during those five days. These are in the order - 'Lakshmi-Narayana Besha', 'Bankachula Besha', 'Tribikram Besha', 'Lakshmi-Nrusingha Besha' and the 'Raja Rajeswari Besha'. The last day getup or the 'Raja Rajeswari Beshi' is a splendid sight with the deities decked up with huge golden ornaments and limbs.

In some of the Odia families Panchuka also means giving up on eating onions and garlic. Hence the lunch menu is largely restricted to dalma, arwa anna, saga, bhaja and khatta. For dinner, it is usually paratha/puri along with dalma or a no onion-no garlic version of alu dum/kabuli chana/santula/buta dali-kakharu tarkari. While I usually prepare kabuli chana/choley with onions, there is a very delicious version that is reserved for osa-bara days. Read on for the simple yet delicious recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins


Ingredients -


2 cups kabuli chana/garbanzo beans
3-4 small potatoes (cubed)
1 1/2 cups pumpkin cubes
2 small tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp choley masala/curry powder (use a no onion-no garlic one)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1-2 dry red chili
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp kasuri methi
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
3 tbsp oil


Preparation - Soak the kabuli chana overnight. Wash and cook with 1 cup water, salt and turmeric. Remove from flame after 4-5 whistles on medium flame. Keep aside till steam escapes. Drain excess water

Boil the potatoes and pumpkin cubes till just done. Drain the excess water and keep aside.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the broken chili and cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add the finely chopped tomato.

Allow the tomato (2-3 mins) to soften before adding the choley masala, chili powder, potato and pumpkin pieces. Fry for 4-5 mins till they start getting mushy. Add the drained kabuli chana at this stage. Mix together and cook for 3-4 mins.

Add 1 1/2 - 3 cups boiling water along with garam masala and sugar. Rub the kasuri methi between the palms to warm it before adding it to the wok. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 5-6 mins.

Remove from the flame. The consistency of the curry will thicken as and when it cools so be careful about the water proportion.

Serve hot or warm with paratha/phulka/rotis.

Pani Santula

Pani Santula or boiled veggies in a soupy base is one of the healthiest side dish that one can have with rotis. Most people in Odisha consider it as a must-have component of their dinner as it contains a heavy does of fiber and nutrients while being light on the stomach. It uses minimum spicing and one can also make it without adding any onion or garlic.

While I have used quite a few veggies as stocked in my fridge, one can also add more or skip a few as per convenience. Some veggies like cauliflower, carrot, drumstick add a lot of flavor to this dish. Read on for my version -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup red pumpkin
• 1/2 cup raw papaya
• 1/2 cup raw banana
• 1/2 cup yam (mati alu)
• 1/2 cup taro (saru)
• 2-3 pointed gourd (potolo)
• 1 small eggplant
• 1 cup chopped yard long beans (jhudunga/barbati)
• 1/3 cup beans
• 1 medium potato
• 1-2 tomatoes
• 1 large onion (roughly chopped)
• 3-4 crushed garlic flakes
• 1 tsp pancha phutana
• 2-3 dry red chili
• 1/2-1 tsp roasted cumin-chilli powder (jeera lanka gunda)
• salt to taste
• turmeric (optional...but I have used it)
• 2 tsp oil/ghee for tempering

Cooking - Boil 2 cups water along with a little turmeric and salt to taste.

Add the pumpkin, papaya, raw banana, yam, taro and potato. After 3-4 mins, add the remaining veggies except tomato. Cover and boil till they are cooked but not mushy.

Heat the oil/ghee in a pan. Add the broken chili and pancha phutana followed by the onion and garlic.

Once the onion turns translucent, add the chopped tomato. Allow the tomato to turn soft before pouring the tempering over the boiled veggies. Sprinkle cumin-chili powder and boil on high for 20-30 seconds.

Remove from flame and serve immediately with hot rotis.

Book Review : God is a Gamer (Ravi Subramanian)

"Indian teams of multinationals these days are just expected to execute not think".

Ravi Subramanian literally manages to hit the nail on the head. Even for someone who has been following him ever since the days of 'If God was a Banker', it comes across as quite 'tongue-in-cheek'. For me, this is a coming-of-age book for the guy who has actually been through the innards of the corporate world.

A plot that is entangled in greed (after all Bitcoin is money even though it is virtual), gaming, cyber-terrorism and politics, this one had me hooked till the end. Alas, all good things have to come to an end. But sometimes an encore is also a possibility (thank God for that) as in case of this book. I am reading it for the second time even as I pen down the review.

The plot that begins with two top notch bankers lobbying with an influential Senator who has the ear of the US President. There is a fleeting mention of Wikileaks which is used as a ruse to introduce the reader to the concept of Bitcoins, the virtual currency which was darling of the tech world till the collapse of Mt Gox in Feb 2014. Mt Gox was a Japan based exchange for Bitcoins that transacted over 70 percent of the virtual currency. Ravi has done a fair job of describing how Bitcoin works in layman terms. He even includes a website Cotton Trail ( does the term 'Silk Route' ring any bells ? ) that trades/accepts payment in Bitcoins in the book.

It is only when the Senator gets assassinated and a phishing scam happens that things start to heat up. The reader is exposed to the power play that takes place in Corporate boardrooms and politicals corridors. We have a female head of a powerful bank who is involved in money laundering, dalliances with a Finance minister and finally ends up dead ( is it a suicide or a murder ??).

The gaming angle and Facebook are given ample coverage. The role of social media in marketing anything and everything (whether it is a game or a even blog like "Confessions of a Hooker") is brought under the lens.

Plus there are the situations which cater to the Indian mindset too. The meeting between a father and a long lost son, the son helping the old man out with his latest venture, the father's unshakable faith in the son's ability to deliver, a romantic angle, an honest man getting bumped off because he chose to depose against a powerful figure, US investigators using guile to get past the famed Indian red tape in the course of their investigation are some of those.

There is a new revelation in almost every chapter and that is what sustains one's interest throughout the book (Ex- Do you know what Satoshi Nakamoto stands for ? ). This is difficult to keep the facts out of your head. One keeps working out the plot over and over while making amendments as and when new facts show up. But it is the twist in the end which delivers the knockout punch.  A must read if you are crazy about thrillers that draw heavily on technology.

Pepper Garlic Liver Masala !!!

For the daily soap addicts, these are exciting times. Almost every show worth its salt (or TRP) is showing some new development. Whether it is the uncovering of the hijacking plot by Suraj and Sandhya in Diya Aur Bati or the marriage triangle of Jigar, Pari and Radha in long running 'Saathiya', the telly soap fans are lapping it up with glee. While I am no fan of such shows, it is my MIL who keeps me updated about the developments on the telly front.

Is it a mere coincidence that every show has something special going on at the same point of time ? Or is it a very well thought and perfectly timed strategic move ? Something to lure back the viewers after the lull which happened during the festive season. With the TRPs driving so much moolah, things can no longer be left to mere chance. It is yet another example of the application of predictive analytics or forecasting, big sounding terms both, which are not relegated to the world inhabited by geeks alone.

Being on a holiday/break does have its share of hidden perks. On of them being the freedom to introspect on seemingly trivial matters. Sometimes these very moments can give one a very fresh perspective and open up new channel/lines of thought. Coming back to today's recipe, it is a fairly simple and quick one. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins


Ingredients -

• 100 gm chicken liver (one can include gizzard too)
• 1 tsp pepper
• 7-8 fat garlic cloves
• 3-4 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 inch cinnamon
• a small piece of star anise
• 1 green chili
• 2 tbsp hung curd
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2 pinch turmeric
• salt to taste
• few drops of vinegar

Preparation - Wash and drain all the pieces. Add the vinegar, salt and turmeric. Mix well and keep aside for 5 mins.

Grind the pepper, garlic, cilantro, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and green chili into a paste. Add to the chicken liver pieces and marinate for 1 hour.

Chop the onion into small pieces

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the onion and fry till translucent.

Throw in the marinated chicken liver along with nay residual marinade. Stir fry for 8-9 mins. (The liver usually gets cooked within this time)

Add the hung curd and cook for another 2-3 mins. Remove from the wok.

Serve hot with rotis.

Note - This recipe tastes great with mutton liver too. But it takes longer to cook. 

Baked Dahi Vada

I am off for a month long vacation starting from Monday. In the excitement and craziness of planning the trip and doing the packing, I have not done much cooking for the last few days. Since I have a few things planned ( plus a few in the pipeline ) for the next year as well, it only makes sense to do some homework during the remaining year. One of the plans has been to push for a healthier lifestyle which starts with a healthier menu. I have been trying out low calorie versions of quite a few traditional recipes and will soon post them on my blog.

One of the first trials was my husband's favorite street food aka 'Dahi Vada'. Instead of deep frying the vadas, I have opted to cook them in a traditional appam pan using just an oil spray. The first 2-3 trails did not turn out good but then I found just the way to get them soft and spongy. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time : 20-25 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Urad dal 
• 2 tbsp Semolina (suji)
• 1 1/2 cup curd
• 7-8 peppercorns (coarsely crushed)
• 2-3 green chili
• 1 red chili
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/3 tsp baking powder
• black salt( kala namak )
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• oil spray
• 1/2 tsp oil for tempering
• salt

Preparation: Soak urad dal for 3-4 hours. Grind into a smooth paste ( when you touch the batter, it should not stick to your hands). Add semolina. Mix and allow to stand overnight.

Just before cooking, add the crushed peppercorn, finely chopped green chili, baking powder and salt. Mix well.

Cooking: Spray some oil onto an appam pan and put it on the flame. Make small balls out of the batter and put into the pan. Fry till the bottom part turns light brown ( cover with a lid for faster cooking). Flip it over and cook on the other side for another 2-3 mins.

Remove the balls and put them in water to which salt and very little curd has been added. Allow to soak for 2 hours.

Beat the rest of the curd in a mixing bowl with salt, water, cumin powder, black salt and chilli powder. Keep the consistency thin.

Remove the soaked vadas from the curd water and transfer to a plate. Add the beaten curd over it.

Heat the oil in a tempering pan. Add the cumin, broken red chili and curry leaves. Fry for 20-30 secs. Pour over the dahi vadas.

Serve immediately.