Raam Rochak Tarkari ( A no onion no garlic dumpling curry from Odisha )

Raam Rochak Tarkari can be described as a 'no onion no garlic version' of the 'Besan tarkari' or Moong Dal dumpling curry which is quite popular in Odisha. This particular version is also offered as prasad to Lord Jaganaath in Baripada's Jaganaath Temple.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients -

for the dumplings -

• 1 cup split yellow moong dal + 1 handful green moong dal
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 2 pinch roasted jeera powder
• salt to taste
• sufficient oil for deep frying

For the curry -

• 1 cup diced brinjal
• 1 cup diced potato
• 2-3 dry red chilis
• 1 1/2 inch ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 nos green cardamom
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• 3-4 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Soak the green moong dal overnight. The split yellow dal can be soaked for 1-2 hours. Wash, drain all water and then grind them together into a coarse paste.

Add salt, roasted cumin powder, chili powder and asafoetida to this paste and mix well.

Grind the red chilis, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger into a fine paste. Keep this masala (spice) paste aside.

Cooking - Heat suficient oil for deep frying. Add teaspoonfuls of the seasoned moong dal batter into the hot oil and fry till golden brown on all sides. Remove the dumplings from the wok and keep aside.

Similarly, make more dumplings out of the moong dal batter.

Heat 3-4 tsp oil in another wok. Add the ground masala paste and fry till oil separates.

Add the diced potato and brinjal. Fry for 2-3 mins. Then add salt and turmeric. Cover with a lid and cook till the potatoes are 3/4 th done.

Add about 2-3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and then add the dumplings. Allow the curry to simmer for 4-5 mins.

Remove from the flame and keep aside. Garnish with some fresh cilantro if you like.

Serve hot with white rice or Dala khichidi.

Note - It is usually served with 'Dala Khichidi', another Baripada specialty.

The Man who Incarcerated Salman !!

Justice Abhay Thipse. The guy who is suddenly more in limelight (and certainly more respected) than the sentenced star himself. It takes a lot of conviction to look through Salman's larger than life image and treat him like a commoner. And no, he is not driven by that base instinct to see a Goliath fall. He is a guy who is doing his job and doing it rather well. That much is certain as he let go of the star on bail when an appeal was made ( yes, that bail was a tad bit too fast but maybe he had other reasons for it ).

Like the majority of Indians, Justice Thipse could also be a fan of Salman Khan and might also watch his movies at the nearest multiplex. But that did not affect his objectivity while delivering the sentence. Salman was drunk and he did not possess a licence. Enough reason to stay away from the wheels. And that applies to anybody and everybody.

Agreed that the superstar has done a lot for charity in the last few years but cannot change what happened all those years back. Well, to put the record straight, Salman was never the proverbial good boy. His relationships with his ex-girlfriends was always in the limelight. He broke a bottle on someone's head and abused another. And he may actually have ruined a very promising actor's Bollywood career. I have put it as 'maybe' because nobody can predict who will actually succeed in Bollywood. Lady luck plays a greater role than lineage, looks and talent put together.

What goes around, comes around. And I prefer to call it Karma. Salman's largess in the recent times reminds me of some of my so called 'god-fearing' relatives. They may not treat their parents well, encroach upon a sibling's property, defend a criminal in court or even make some money under the table. But they keep arranging these elaborate 'havans' and doing charity. Makes me wonder if it is their guilt which propels these actions or is it just a smokescreen to keep people from seeing the reality.

I was never very interested in this case and just hoped that the law would take its own course. But what changed my mind was the confession by the trusted driver of Salman Khan. The poor guy, after so many long years, finally admitted that he was the one behind the wheels on that fateful night. How can someone believe that ? What kind of money was making him mouth such a damning lie ? It just reminded me of Akshay Kumar''s movie 'Khatta Meetha' in which a poor driver was offered money to take the blame on his own head and then bumped off. Somehow this celluloid meets reality episode made me very queasy. I am swearing off Salman's movies for the rest of my life.

And as for the ludicruous comment that 'footpaths are not meant for sleeping', I would like to counter in Big B's style. "Mumbai ki footpath kisi ke baap ki jagir nahi hain. If they are not meant for sleeping, they are also not meant for driving.Hain"

Badaa Piaji ( Twice Fried Onion Fritters from Odisha )

'Dahi Bara - Ghuguni - Alu dum' maybe the most iconic street food that defines Cuttack. But another yummy snack comes a close second on the list of must-try's whenever one visits the city which is also famous for the silver filigree artifacts. However it remains little known even within the state. The 'Badaa Piaji', a unique twice fried version of another popular snack 'piaji', is quite crispy and delectable.

Unlike the 'Piaji' which is made from a batter of soaked and ground Bengal gram, the 'badaa piaji' uses Bengal gram flour along with loads of chopped onions in the batter. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 2/3 cup Bengal gram flour / Besan
• 2 large onions (finely chopped)
• 2-3 green chilis (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander stems
• a few curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• a pinch of turmeric
• a pinch of baking soda
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

Preparation - Take all the ingredients (except oil) in a mixing bowl. Add water in small quantities to make a batter which is about the same consistency as 'Bara' or Vada batter .

Cooking - Heat sufficient oil in a wok. Drop small balls ( about a heaped tablespoon each) of the batter into the hot oil and fry to a light brown shade. Remove and keep aside for about a minute.

Flatten the balls with a heavy object (use a rolling pin) . Do not make then very thin else they may break.

Put them back into the hot oil and fry till brown and crisp.

Repeat the same process with the remaining batter.

Serve hot with 'Ghuguni' and some sliced onions. DO NOT forget to sprinkle a generous amount of black salt.

My first expert - My Mom !!

They hold your hand when you take those first few steps. They teach you how to mouth the right words. They keep trying to feed you even when you spit out those alien tasting solids. They motivate you on the first day of school. Even when you are crying out your eyes. They teach you to hold the pencil and write those first alphabets. They console you when you have had a fight with your best friend. They get up in the middle of the night to fix you a quick sandwich/drink when you are burning the midnight oil studying for those board exams. And they never forget to feed you a spoonful of curd (for good luck) when you step out of the house to write those exams. No wonder, a mother is every girl's/boy's best friend.

The list of things that mothers teach you or do for you is almost endless. However old we grow, or how much ever wise for that matter, we keep reaching out to them for advice on anything and everything related to relationships, home remedies or even what to cook for a particular meal.

And it was my mother who helped me learn cooking despite the distance ( in thousands of kilometers) between us.  Yes, I was a pampered little kid who never really learnt to cook anything beyond Maggie till the time I got a job and had to start living on my own in an alien city. It was very tough at first but my mother helped me out with advice on which utensils to buy, the ingredients to be bought, the right quantities and of course the finer details of the preparation. Looking back, I realize it would have been very difficult to survive in a new city on take-away's if I did not have her on call support 24 X 7. Not only she helped me master the art of cooking but also inspired me to start a food blog that is doing quite well. All thanks to my Mom.

Eating healthy and feeding us healthy food was always her first priority. And hence she always insisted on using the least amount of oil and spices. Needless to say, she always taught me ways to cook with less oil and gradually her guidelines became a part of my cooking process. Even today when I am a mom myself and I have difficulty feeding my son, I turn to her first instead of asking the pediatrician. Because no matter how old you grow, your mother will always remain your mother.



This post is written for Godrej Expert.

Maa Ki Daal ( Mother's day Special )

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!! Well, actually I would like to wish all the mothers every single day throughout the year since it is a 24 X 7 job with no pay and no leaves. But since the second Sunday of May is the designated day, hence a special post that is dedicated to all the mothers who follow by blog :) !!

Read on -

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -

• 2/3 cup black lentils (urad dal)
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 1/2 tsp GG paste
• 2-3 medium sized tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp Garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Kasuri Methi
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• cilantro for garnishing

Preparation - Wash and soak the black lentils overnight.

Chop the onion into small pieces. Grind the tomato into a puree.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the cumin seeds an allow to splutter.

Add the chopped onions and fry till translucent.

Follow with the GG paste and fry for 2-3 mins.

Add the powdered spices and fry for 30 seconds before adding the fresh tomato puree. Cook till the oil starts to separate from the tomatoes.

Wash and drain the soaked lentils. Add them to the pressure cooker along with salt, 21/2 cups water and the Kasuri methi. Cook for 7-8 whistles. Remove from flame and allow steam to escape naturally.

Return it to the burner, this time with the lid open. Allow it to simmer for 10-12 mins( take a dal masher and lightly mash the lentils while it is still on the burner).

Finally add the cilantro just before removing from the flame.

Serve hot with roti or white rice.

Note - One can also cook the dals separately and then add to the onion tomato gravy. This method is advisable when the lentils are old or the tomatoes are too acidic/sour, both of which will increase the cooking time.

Kolkata Chicken Biryani

After rummaging through the Southern cookbooks and devouring the best of the biriyanis (Hyderabadi/Ambur/Thalapakatti/Thalasseri), we now make a pit stop at Kolkata. Why Kolkata, the land synonymous with fish and sweets ? Well, that is because Kolkata is also home to a entirely new biryani variety that was inspired by the awadhi version.

This one is minus the aromatic mint and coriander leaves /paste that is a must with the Southern biryanis. And potato makes an appearance instead which also makes this version a tad bit sweeter.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 1 hour

Ingredients -

For the Biryani Masala (to be roasted and ground) -

• 2-3 green cardamom
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• 4-5 cloves
• 1/2 tsp white peppercorn
• 1/2 tsp shahi jeera
• 1 mace (javitri)
• a tiny bit of nutmeg ( jaiphal)

For the marinade -

• 500 gm chicken pieces
• 2-3 tbsp thick curd
• 2 tsp GG paste
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp biryani masala powder ( as mentioned above )
• salt to taste

For the Biryani rice -

• 250 gm Basmati rice
• 1-2 green cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 4-5 peppercorns
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 mace
• 1/2 tsp ghee
• salt to taste

Others -

• 2 large onion ( chopped into small pieces )
• 2-3 tsp fried onions
• 1 large potato ( diced into 6 pieces and fried )
• 2 eggs ( boiled and cut into halves )
• a pinch of saffron (soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk)
• 1 tsp kewra water ( I used kewra leaf instead )
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4-5 tsp oil
• 2-3 tsp ghee

Preparation - Dry roast the spices mentioned for 'Biryani Masala' (do it separately if possible). Ground into a fine powder.

Marinate the chicken pieces with all the ingredients mentioned under 'For the marinade'. Keep aside for 4-5 hours in the fridge.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the sugar and allow it to caramelize a bit.

Add the onion pieces and fry to a translucent. Add the chicken pieces next and cook till almost done. Add the fried potato and cook for 2 mins more. Remove from the flame and keep aside.

Heat sufficient water in a saucepan. When it gets to a boil, add the salt, ghee and whole spices. Follow it with the washed rice. Cook on medium heat till almost 80 percent done. Drain the water.

Final layering - Take a thick bottomed pan. Grease the bottom with ghee. Put a layer of the chicken and follow it with another layer of rice. Repeat till all the rice and chicken is used up. The top layer should be that of rice. 

Place the eggs on top. Drizzle the saffron milk, kewra water and ghee. Sprinkle the fried onions. Close the pan with a heavy lid.

Place it on very low heat (use a tawa instead of keeping it on direct flame) for 20-25 mins.

Remove and keep aside for 10 mins before serving.

Note - If using Kewra leaves, boil it along with the rice and retain it for the dum process. I had mixed some fried onion with the chicken towards the end of the cooking process which gave a darker hue to the biryani. Else it will be significantly lighter in color (almost orange red ).

Sabitri Sajaa ( Savitri Vrat Series )

Today's post is a sneak peek at what should be there in the 'Sabitri Sajaa' or the thali/basket that forms a part of the offerings on Sabitri Brata. As one can easily make out, most of these are the essentials for most married women .

So,lets decode them one by one ( starting from the center and then going in a clockwise fashion )-

1. Sindoor/Vermilon -  It is the single most sign that a married woman sports on her forehead or in the middle parting of her hair . Hence, I have placed it in the center.

2. Alta - This is the red liquid that you see on the hands and feet of most Indian classical dancers. Married odia women apply it on their feet on every auspicious occasion.

3. Bangles - Glass bangles to be precise. It is compulsory for married women to sport a few of these on their wrists.

4. Mirror - A symbol of vanity, all women love looking into it (we all love to be presentable, don't we). This is also a must have in the thali.

5. Comb - Another vanity item that needs no introduction. Mostly a small comb is put as a symolic gesture rather than a full sized one. You can buy a full sized one if you are doing the Brata for the first time.

6. Kajal - To heighten the beauty of those mesmerizing dark Indian eyes !! Yes, no one wear this black stuff better than the Indians. What you see here is a small one that is mainly used for pooja purpose but you can also substitute if with a Kohl stick if you want.

7. Lali Sankha - These opaque red bangles are a must for all married Odia ladies. Usually , one needs to buy two sets ( or 4 pieces ) of these for the brata. Two have to be tied to the Tulsi plant (Chaunra) and the other two are supposed to be worn after performing the pooja.

8. Brata (or red thread) - Odia women tie it around the upper arm (right hand) after performing the pooja. (Not in picture )


Ofcourse one can also include bindis, liquid sindoor and any new jewelry pieces along with the above mentioned items in the thali. The new saree which is supposed to be worn after the pooja is also offered for worship.

[ To be continued ......]