Kolotha Dal ( the Western Odisha Version )

A heart warming recipe that is usually made during the winter months, Kolotho or Horsegram dal is one of those dishes that never given their due credit. Perhaps best known for keeping the body warm and driving away the common cold, its equally beneficial properties of regulating blood sugar and reducing/preventing the incidence of kidney/gall bladder stones are hardly known to many folks.

This is the time of the year when the freshly harvested batch of the lentil hits the markets. While most of it is sold whole, sometimes tribal women (especially in Odisha) also sell the roasted & broken version of this dal in the weekly markets (also known as 'haat'). Here is the version that my mom makes and I can never resist myself from having a bowl of the hot dal when it has been freshly tempered -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cups roasted & broken horsegram
• 1 medium sized tomato
• 1 ambula (or dried mango)
• 2 dry red chili
• 4-5 fat garlic cloves
• 1/3 tsp panch phutana (else one can also use a mix of mustard & nigella seeds)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash and cook the dal with 3 cups water, salt and turmeric in a pressure cooker. It takes 6-7 whistles or about 15 mins on a medium low flame. Keep aside till steam escapes.

Soak the ambula in 1 cup hot water.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the panch phutana and the broken red chilis.

Add the crushed garlic once it gets spluttering. When the garlic starts turning brown, add the finely chopped tomato and cook till mushy.

Pour the dal into the wok. Bring it to a boil. Allow to boil for 2 mins before adding the ambula along with the water in which it had been soaked. Simmer for 5-6 mins.

Remove from flame and serve hot with rice.

Note - This dal will not get completely mushy such that when you allow it to stand for a few minutes, there is a layer of clear liquid which separates out. Once can also add more water while cooking this dal and use only the liquid portion as a soup.

Patanjali Shikakai Hair Cleanser & Olive - Almond Conditioner Rave Reviews

One month. Fifty days. Hundred days. Six months. The steady flow of report cards on the performance of the Modi government refuses to ebb. I personally find it tiresome that a nation that had monumental patience with the Congress ( or should I say Gandhi family ) expects results overnight. Unlike instant noodles of coffee, government run machinery takes time to be installed and only when things are in their proper place, it can churn out the desired results. While I am no blind follower of Modi, I would like to give him time to bring about any conspicuous change.

However, coming back to vainer pursuits, we all love it when a product gives us great results from the very first use. The Patanjali Kesh Kanti Shikakai Shampoo and Kesh Kanti Conditioner (Olive-Almond) definitely falls into that category. I must confess that while I loved the first shampoo variant (yellow bottle with orange cap) launched by Patanajali, the subsequent hair cleansers (Reetha, Natural, Milk protien) failed to live up to my expectations. So, it was with a good deal of hesitation that I tried out the latest variant and the newly launched conditioner.

Read on for the reviews -

Patanjali Kesh Kanti Shikakai Hair Cleanser

A translucent shampoo with a light orange tint, it gives a good amount of lather with a small quantity and cleans my hair of excess oil from the very first wash. And my hair does contain a fair bit of oil as I do a good amount of 'Champi' on the previous night. The fragrance is quite good (slightly ayurvedic but not heavy) and lingers on for a day or too.

It contains natural ingredients like Shikakai, Hibiscus, Bhringaraj, Sugarcane and walnut which nourish the hair from scalp to the ends. Actually it reminded me of the home made hair masks I used during my school and college days. I actually left the product in my hair for 5-6 minutes as most herbal formulations usually take sometime to act. But as a downside, it contains silicones and is surfactant (detergent) based.

The product claims to be useful in dryness and roughness of hair, prevents hair fall and improves hair glow.

It is priced at Rupees 95 /- (for 200 ml).

Patanjali Kesh Kanti Hair Conditioner - Almond

A white color thick cream that spreads well, it requires only a tiny amount to cover my hair. Applied it to my hair after shampooing and thoroughly squeezing out any water. Worked it though the ends and left it on for 3 minutes before rinsing it off. I could feel the de-tangling effect even as I applied it. The directions printed on the tube mention that the product should be applied to hair after a wash, gently massage onto the scalp and leave for 1-2 mins before rinsing off with water. But as a general rule, conditioners are not supposed to be applied onto the scalp as they make it greasy and block the hair follicles, hence I applied it only on my hair ends.

It leaves behind a very mild fragrance once it is washed off and hair feels beautifully nourished from the first use itself. The product claims to condition, nourish and detangle hair, reduce hair fall, split ends and make hair healthy and strong.

It contains natural ingredients like olive oil, almond oil, gooseberry extract, hibiscus extract, shikakai extract and Bhringaraj extract. However, it also contains chemicals like silicones and parabens.

It is priced at Rupees 60 /- (for 100 mg).

The light orange liquid shown in the below pic is the shampoo while the white cream next to it is the conditioner.

A quick Recap -

Kesh Kanti Shikakai Hair Cleanser 

Pros -
1. Light shampoo with a good fragrance
2. Lathers well (even with oiled hair)
3. Priced economically at Rs 95 /- for 200 ml.
4. Contains beneficial natural ingredients.
5. Made my hair smooth, tangle-free and shiny. Even the scalp seemed clean but not dried out.

Cons -
1. Contains silicones
2. Availability might be an issue but one can buy it online too .

Kesh Kanti Hair Conditioner Almond (God knows why they forgot to mention Olive in the English print. The Hindi one reads "Jaitoon-Badam").

Pros -
1. Good de-tangling effect and makes hair quite silky.
2. Nice fragrance that is also mild.
3. Priced very economically at Rs 60/- for 100 gm. Will go a long way as very little amount of the product is required.
4. Contains beneficial natural ingredients.

Cons -
1. Contains silicones and parabens.
2. Availability might be an issue but one can buy it online too .

Biri Gojja ( A Steamed savoury delicacy )

Biri Gojja is one of the very few savoury pithas that I have ever tasted/tried. While most of the Odia pithas are more or less on the sweeter side, some like the saru chakuli, poda pitha (the Western Odisha version), sada enduri (without stuffing) and biri gojja fall into the exceptions category. Since I do not have a sweet tooth, I am naturally inclined towards the latter and love to have then with a nice curry like Ghuguni, alu dum or even Mutton/Chicken curry.

The biri gojja can be described as similar to a sijha/sukhla manda with an steamed 'biri bara' kind of stuffing. Biri or black lentil is ground into a thick batter and seasoned with various spices before being stuffed into the pitha. This recipe belongs to the Salepur/Padmapur region of Odisha and not many people know about it. However my in-laws belong to that region and my  MIL's sister churns out the most lip-smacking gojja's ever. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cups raw rice 
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ghee

For the stuffing -

• 2/3 cup black lentil/biri (skinless)
• 1-2 finely chopped green chilis
• 1 sprig curry leaves (finely chopped)
• coarsely crushed black pepper
• salt to taste

Preparation: Soak the rice for 10-15 mins. Wash and drain all the water ( Use a colander, do not dry under the fan or the sun ). Put in a grinder and grind into a fine powder.

Wash and soak the black lentil for 2-3 hours. Grind into a smooth and thick paste. Season it with salt, pepper, curry leaves and green chilis.

Cooking: Bring the water to boil. Add salt. Add the rice flour in small batches and mix continuously so that no lumps are formed.

Stir the mixture on a low flame for about 15 minutes till it takes on a softer consistency than the dough used for making rotis. Sprinkle the ghee and mix in . Switch off the flame at this stage.

Allow the dough to cool down a few degrees till it is tolerable. Rub ghee all over your hands and knead the dough for 5 mins to make it smoother.

Rub some more oil over your hands. Pinch small lumps out of the dough. Roll each lump into a ball and gently pat it to flatten it out into a circle. Put some of the black lentil dough on one half of the circle and fold the other half over it. Press it gently to close on the sides but keep the middle portion slightly open. (This ensures that the batter gets cooked thoroughly during steaming).

Boil water in a idli maker/steamer. Spread some banana leaves/thin cloth over the idli plates. Put the gojjas/dumplings over the leaf/cloth. Close the lid and steam 25-30 mins. Allow to stand with lid covered for 5-10 mins.

Take out of the idli vessel/steamer and serve warm.

Note: When adding the rice flour to milk and water, pass it through a sieve to avoid any lumps. It is important to work with the dough while it is hot else it loses its elasticity .

The Magic of the senses

The demands of parenthood and the rush of corporate life often leaves couples with very little time to nurture their relationship. The magic of looking into each others eyes, whispering those murmured words, resting one's head on the other's shoulder, one hand seeking the comfort of the other are lost in the cacophony of ensuring that life runs on the smooth track (read maintaining a steady income).

Me and my husband being no exceptions, had become quite oblivious to each other in the years following our marriage. It took a vacation to Coorg and some exclusive time together to ignite the dying embers in our relationship. The Monsoon getaway was planned in a hurry and we did not get the best of the hotels. But our accommodation was neat and cozy.

Travelling from Bangalore to Coorg by car can be quite tiring. Add that to the fact that it started raining almost immediately once we reached the hotel.  Thankfully, the hotel was ensconced in the thick vegetation of the valleys and our hotel room provided a beautiful view of the misty peaks. With no other option at our disposal, we decided to take a short rest in our room. The journey had taken its toll on our kid who was blissfully sleeping by now. After a quick shower, we changed into more comfortable wear and ordered for some tea. With time at my disposal, I quickly rubbed on some Parachute body lotion ( this was another ritual that I had been ignoring for sometime ).

There was no network in the area which meant that our smartphones and laptops would also afford a vacation. Even the TV installed in the room provided a limited number of channels for our viewing. The prospect of being bored loomed large but even before we realized it, conversation was flowing freely over the comforting ginger tea. We ended up reminiscing about our honeymoon in Ooty, our first date and the way I had spilled ice-cream over his shirt, the Goa trip where we has spent hours sitting on the beach and even the online chats (on Yahoo Messenger) during those months of being in a long distance relationship.

Suddenly he was besides my chair and seeking my hand. The moment our fingers were entwined, it brought back all the warmth that had somehow gone missing in our life. Suddenly it was yesterday and it seemed we were holding hands while sitting on the beach. The sun had gone down and the raindrops which had been splattering aimlessly on the window panes has magically transformed into a million diamonds in the lights from the hotel lobby.



This article is written for Parachute advanced body lotion (click Here). Check out the awesome video to infuse a little bit of magic into your relationship -

Tomato Bhendi Hendua

Hendua or the dried form of bamboo shoots ( also known as Karadi in Odisha) is one of the lesser known ingredients from Western Odisha. While it has a sharp and quite distinctive smell, it lends a note of tanginess along with a delectable flavour when added to any dish. Since it offers a gustatory sensation quite unlike anything else, you either love it or hate it, but you cannot simply choose to ignore it. This dish was cooked by a dear friend's mother at my request. A big thanks for sharing it with me.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients -

• 3 large tomatoes
• 5-6 nos ladies finger or okra
• 3-4 green chillis
• 3 tsp mustard paste
• 1/4 tsp panch phutana
• 1 tbsp hendua
• 2-3 pinch turmeric
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Chop the tomato into small pieces. Cut the okra into small pieces along its cross-section.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the pancha phutana and the slit green chilis.
Once the chilis start to brown, add the hendua and fry for 1-2 mins.

Add the chopped okra and fry lightly for 2-3 mins.

Finally add the chopped tomatoes along with the mustard paste, turmeric and chili. Allow it to cook till the tomatoes have softened completely and any raw smell/taste has gone off.

Serve it with white rice.

Sajana Phula Batibasa ( Drumstick flowers cooked with poppy seeds )

Another simple and tasty preparation with drumstick flowers. Making to most of the opportunity to sample drumstick flowers and leaves during my stay in Rourkela, I cannot help but try out both old and recipes with them. Since winter has set in, most of the leaves have fallen out but the drumstick trees are laden with flowers and fruit during this time of the year.

Read on -

Preparation Time - 10-12 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup drumstick flowers
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 2 garlic flakes
• 2 green chili (broken into 2-3 pieces)
• 1 1/2 tsp mustard oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Pluck the drumstick flowers from the bunch. Throw away the dried and shriveled ones. Wash and clean them.

Cooking - Mix all the ingredients in a small wok. Add about 1/4 cup water. Cover with a lid and cook on a low to medium flame for 7-8 minutes.

Serve hot with white rice.

Janhi-Chingudi Sukhua Tarkari (Ridge gourd-shrimp curry)

It is no secret that I love mixing veg and no-veg ingredients in my recipes. Maybe it has got something to do with my Odia roots. But I suspect that laziness plays a good part in it. Since cooking veg and non-veg separately calls for more effort and simply skipping one just does not sound/feel right, one has to choose the middle path of mixing and matching the ingredients from both core groups. I keep trying out recipes from different parts of the state/country. Poee chingudi, chingudi dalma,chicken saagwala,  maccha mahura, maccha chencheda, sukhua-bilati baigana poda, the list is a long one.

This recipe however is indigenous to Western Odisha. Most village folks prefer to add fresh shrimp caught straight from the neighborhood pond/river. But when the water dries up during the summers, the sun dried/smoked version of shrimp makes for a good substitute.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 3 cups ridge gourd (cubed)
• 1 cup dried shrimp
• 1 medium sized onion (roughly chopped)
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp pancha phutana
• 1-2 dry red chili
• 2 tsp big mustard seeds
• 2 pinch turmeric
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash and soak the dry shrimp for 1/2 hour.

Grind the mustard seeds, garlic pods and 1 red chili into a fine paste. Dissolve it in 2/3 cup water.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the broken chili and pancha phutana. Once it gets spluttering, add
the onion. Fry till translucent.

Add the shrimp and fry for 2 minutes before adding the ridge gourd cubes to it. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the water in which mustard paste has been dissolved, taking care to discard the solid bits that have settled in the bottom of the cup.

Add salt and turmeric. Cover with a lid and cook on medium flame till the ridge gourd is done. Increase the flame a bit if there is a lot of water remaining. This curry should have a semi dry consistency.

Remove from the wok.

Serve with white rice.

Toilet for Babli (A Domex Initiative)

Dreams of making it big drives them to school, but bitter ground realities like the lack of basic sanitation (read toilets) forces them to stay away. With nearly 47 % of the government school lacking toilet facilities, the girls prefer to skip school (on those days of the month) or even drop out altogether once they reach adolescence. A big blow to any development/growth  plan considering that women make up half of the population or workforce of the country. The CIA World Factbook suggests that if just 1 percent more girls were enrolled in schools in India the country's GDP would rise by an estimated $5.5 billion. Most of these drop-outs who have not completed basic schooling end by being married off early which more often than not results in early motherhood (and miscarriages or low-weight babies in most cases). If at all they choose to work, they have to make do with menial work and dismally low salaries. A catch 22 situation, this perpetuates the existing gender gap between men and women.

Those few ambitious ones who dare to brave it out resort to extreme measures like skipping the breakfast or mid-day meal and even forgoing on the minimum water intake so that they do not have to answer nature's call during the school hours. However such habits can lead to further complications like nutritional deficiency, lack of attention stemming from low hemoglobin levels and in a few cases even urine infection from holding it for too long. The other option available is defecating or urinating in the open fields which more often than not leads to various infections and health ailments. It is also a blow to their dignity as have no choice but to expose themselves to the prying eyes of whoever chooses to watch them.

The situation back home is no better for most of these girls. Forced to step out of the safety of their homes if they need to answer nature's call during the night, they are sitting ducks for most sexual predators. A recent crime (involving minors) in the heartland of India brought this lacunae to light. Ensuring that every Indian household has a toilet has become imperative to ensuring the safety of the women. While the issue of open air defecation is not specific to a particular gender, it is highly diabolical that while women are being murdered in the name of honor, no attempt is made to preserve their honor within the four walls of the house. Or maybe these are people who believe that it is 'OK' for the womenfolk to expose their bum rather than their faces.

It is high time that such people are educated and brought in the fold of the 'Swaach Bharth' campaign that has been flagged off by our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. It would do everyone good if some of his enthusiasm rubs off on each and every Indian and we do our bit to make India a cleaner and wealthier nation. Three cheers for Domex (and HUL) for taking this great initiative.


This article is written for Domex which runs the Domex Toilet Academy programme which makes toilets accessible and affordable. The '#ToiletForBabli' is an initiative to make Indian villages 'open-defecation' free and provide our children with a better and healthier future. You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life.

Sajana Phula Bara (Drumstick flower fritters)

Another easy recipe with drumstick flowers !! This one is in the form of a snack and takes minimal effort. Given the fact that it is loaded with nutrients, your guests will be more than happy at being served a plateful of good health.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups (packed lightly) drumstick flowers
• 1 large potato (boiled, peeled & mashed)
• 1 medium sized onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 pinch garam masala
• a pinch of turmeric
• 2 tsp coriander leaves (chopped)
• 1-2 green chili (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• 4-5 tsp cooking oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Wash and clean the drumstick flowers. Be careful to retain only the fresh flowers and buds.

Cooking - Heat 3 tsp oil in a wok. Add the onions and fry till translucent.

Add the flowers and fry for 2 mins .

Add the mashed potato along with chili powder, garam masala, salt and turmeric. Fry for 3 mins.

Finally add the green chili and coriander leaves, mix in and remove from flame.

Allow to cool down till it is bearable to touch. Pinch small portions and shape into flattened discs.

Make a thin batter of the besan. Season it with a little salt and chili powder. Lightly brush the discs with the batter. (one can also roll them with some bread crumbs to get a crispy outer layer)

Heat a non-stick tawa. Sprinkle a few drops of oil. Place the discs on the hot tawa and cook on both sides till there is a little browning.

Remove from tawa and serve hot with ketchup.

Sajana Phula Bhaja

Drumstick flowers or Moringa flowers are known as 'Sajana phula' in Odia. Not very long back, a drumstick tree was a mandatory part of every garden in Odisha. The other must plants were the banana plant, papaya and a fruit tree like mango and/or guava. But with rising land rates and shrinking plot sizes, the gardens are being dispensed with and most people no longer have access to such a delicacy. And sadly one does not find it being sold in the markets.

Residing in Blore, I could only dream of having access to it. So, when I made the annual trip to my native, it was on my must-eat list along with 'karadi' and the famous Rourkela 'Gupchup' . Though I sometimes have it in Bhubaneshwar, the Gupchup here is simply a class apart. Almost everyone swears by the vendor in their own locality or a nearby place. But there are some crazy folks who would not mind making a trip (in some cases a long one)  to Sec 15/ Ispat Market /Sec 20 for savoring the stuff sold by a particular vendor. Since I no longer have the inclination to follow in their footsteps, I am happy to sample the stuff dished out by the nearest vendor.

Coming back to the recipe, it is a frugal one made with the simplest of ingredients. Read on -

Preparation Time - 10-15 mins (most of it is used for cleaning the flowers)

Ingredients -

• 2 cups drumstick flowers
• 1 green chili
• 2 pinch pancha phutana
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Pluck the drumstick flowers from the bunch. Throw away the dried and shriveled ones. Wash and clean them.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the broken green chili and pancha phutana. Once it stops spluttering, add the crushed garlic flakes along with the cleaned flowers.

Stir fry for 3 mins. Add the salt and mix in. Remove from the flame.

Serve as a side dish with rice/rotis and dal.

Note - The very tender drumsticks can also be fried along with the flowers. 

Ghora Manda

Yesterday was the first Gurubar(Thursday) of Margasira month (2014). The custom in my father's family is to observe Manabasa for every Thursday of this month, so my mother kept the Manaa (which symbolizes Goddess Lakshmi) and offered prasad three times a day. This may vary for some folks who may choose to keep the Manaa only after 'Prathamashtami' has been observed or even others who choose to keep it after Sankranti. Apart from this, these days one may also find some Odia women (m ostly those who are working) observing only the last Thursday of the month.

Each Manabasa Gurubar calls for a special 'bhoga' or offering. While the offering of the 'chakata bhoga' or mashed banana, chenna, milk and sugar/jaggery at the first prasad in the morning is common to all parts of the state, the anna bhoga or afternoon meal offered to the Goddess widely differs. Kheeri, Tarana, Khechudi, Arwa bhata, Dahi pakhala, Kanika are some examples of the 'anna bhoga'. The evening bhoga is usually a type of a pitha like Kakara, sijha manda, Malpua, attakali, gaintha, chakuli, etc. While some folks may also choose to offer the pitha along with the anna bhoga, the general rule it that it should contain rice as one of the ingredients. Though not a hard and fast rule ( and people do have a general tendency to twist the rules as per their convenience ), one can add a small amount of rice flour if making the kakara/manda/malpua with suji or maida.

One such pitha that is very popular in the Sundargarh (or more specifically Bonei) district is the Ghora or Ghura Manda. Made with a watery rice batter (not flour), this one has an amazing texture that it akin to to a pudding. The stuffing or 'pura' can be a mix of coconut, chenna (cottage cheese), sesame and groundnuts. Soft and melt-in-the-mouth types, this takes a few trials to perfect but is very much worth the effort. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 45-50 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup arwa rice
• 1 coconut (grated)
• 1 1/2 cup chenna (cottage cheese)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• jaggery/sugar as per taste
• 2 tsp ghee
• a pinch of camphor
• 1-2 pinch cardamom powder

Preparation - Wash and soak the rice for 2-3 hours. Drain excess water and grind into a fine paste. Adjust the consistency to a flowing liquid one ( just like Chittau Pitha batter or Neer Dosa batter ).

Take the grated coconut, chenna, camphor and cardamom powder in a mixing bowl. Mash everything together.

Cooking - Slowly drain the batter into a large wok taking care to leave behind any solids (residue) in the bottom of the grinder/mixie jar. (If this residue gets into the wok, it makes the pitha grainy and spoils the overall texture.)

Add salt and a little jaggery to the wok. Switch on the flame taking care to keep it low. Keep stirring at regular intervals so that it does not catch at the bottom. Once the mixture thickens to that of a custard ( or somewhat thicker than Ragi malt ) consistency, switch off the flame.

Pour ladles of the hot mixture onto a greased steel plate or banana leaf. Gently spread (but not too much) using the back of a spoon. Layer with the stuffing of sweetened coconut and cottage cheese. Seal it or top it with more of the hot mixture. (While the more seasoned cooks can afford to touch the hot stuff, the rookies are warned to keep their fingers safe and unscathed)

Allow it to rest till it is completely cool.

Serve. (It tastes even better the next day so do remember to pop in a few pieces into the fridge)

Click here for details on the Manabasa Gurubar Puja .