Moong Dal Puri

Moong dal puri !! Ahh... The mere mention of which is capable enough to make one drool :D :D .

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups Wheat Flour/ Atta
• 3/4 Cup Moong Dal
• 1 Tbspn Curd
• 1/2 Tspn Carom Seeds/ Ajwain
• 1 Tspn Ginger paste
• 1-2 Green Chilly or as per taste
• 3-4 Sprigs of Coriander Leaves, chopped
• Salt, as per taste

 METHOD

• Wash and soak the Dal for about an hour.
• Blend the soaked dal with ginger and green chilly, to a fine paste.
• Add the dal paste to the wheat flour along with the rest of the ingredients. Knead to form a soft dough. Cover and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
• Pinch out small portions and roll out to make small disc shapes. Fry in hot oil. As the puri puff up, turn and let it cook on the other side as well. Fry till it turns golden brown.

Ambula Rai

Dried mango soaking in a mustardy-curd gravy. Ahh! the delectable taste of this authentic Odiya side dish, stands second to none.

Super easy and super tasty !
Made without any hint of onion and garlic, this dish sure makes it to the Puja-day menu :D.

INGREDIENTS

• 4-6 Ambula/ Dried Mango
• 1/2 Cup Curd 
• 1/4 Cup Coconut, grated
• 1 Tspn Mustard Paste
• 1-2 Green Chilly, increase as per taste
• 1 Sprig Coriander Leaves
• 1 Sprig Curry Leaves
• 1 Tbspn Ghee (or cooking oil)
• 1 Tspn Panch Phootan
• 1 Tspn Roasted Cumin-Red Chilly Powder
• A pinch of Hing/ Asafoetida
• 1-2 Dry Red Chilly
• 2 Tbspn Sugar
• Salt, as per taste

 METHOD

• Soak the ambula pieces in water for a couple of hours.
• Blend the coconut to a fine paste.
• In a container, add the coconut paste, mustard paste, curd, sugar, salt, finely chopped green chillies, chopped coriander and roasted cumin-chilly powder. Add the pre-soaked ambula pieces (discard the water in which the ambula was soaking in). Mix well. Check the seasoning and adjust.
• Heat ghee in a pan and add panch phootan. When it starts spluttering add the dry red chilly, hing and curry leaves. Saute for half a minute and then pour this tempering into the gravy. Mix well. 
• Lay out a plate and serve the day's menu along with 'The Day's Special' - Ambula Rai ;P !!

Mitha Khechudi

A typical festive day in Odisha and this rice dish usually makes its way through to lunch. Without any requirement for onion and garlic, it has established itself as a perfect puja day recipe !

Mom's Recipe, packed with proteins, carbohydrates & nostalgia -

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Basmati Rice
• 1/4 Cup Mung Dal/ Moong Dal/ Green Gram
• 8-10 Cashew
• 8-10 Raisins
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1" Cinnamon/ Dalchini
• 2-3 Green Cardamom
• 1 Black Cardamom
• 4-5 Cloves
• 4-5 Whole Black Pepper
• 1 Tbspn Sugar
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Ghee
• Salt, as per taste

METHOD

• Rinse and soak the rice and mung dal for about 30 minutes.
• Heat about a couple of tbspns of ghee in a pan. Add the dry spices, cashews and raisins. Saute for about a couple of minutes or till the flavors start emanating and cashews start browning. 
• Drain the water from the rice and mung dal. Add the rice along with the dal. Saute till they start to get a brownish color. Add salt, sugar, turmeric and water (2 and 1/2 Cup - water should be double the rice and mung quantity). Mix well and cook on the lowest flame.
• Stir occasionally to prevent the contents from sticking to the base of the pan. Add more water if necessary, for rice to get cooked.
• Serve this khechudi warm, with any Dal dish.

Rinse and soak the rice and mung dal for about 30 minutes.

The dry spices, cashews and raisins.

Heat about a couple of tbspns of ghee in a pan. Add the dry spices, cashews and raisins. Saute for about a couple of minutes or till the flavors start emanating.
Drain the water from the rice and mung dal. Add the rice along with the dal. Saute till they start to get a brownish colour.

Add salt, sugar, turmeric and water (2 and 1/2 Cup - water should be double the rice and mung quantity). Mix well and cook on the lowest flame.
Stir occasionally to prevent the contents from sticking to the base of the pan. Add more water if necessary, for rice to get cooked.

And, relish !!

Mitha Dali

At the mere mention of Puri, the first image which floats up in my brain, is the Puri Temple - The Lord Jagannatha's Temple where He is worshiped along with his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra on the Ratna Bedi along with Sridevi, Bhudevi, Sudarshan Chakra and Madanmohan.
A very sacred place, It has a special space in the hearts and minds of many.

Personally, I have a lot of fond memories attached with Puri. And to be very frank, most of it are with the Mahaprasad. During each visit to The Temple, I would eagerly wait for all the rituals to get over, for then we would head for the Anand Bazar where the Mahaprasad is sold.
One whiff of the aroma and I would be sure that this is exactly what heavenly food smells like... then of-course, it is !! For it is said that Maa Lakshmi, Herself presides over the temple kitchen. No wonder heavenly food comes out.

We would have a hearty meal and on our way back would carry some for neighbours and friends. Given a choice I would probably have carried back each of the dishes for a second meal....and a third...probably each meal of each day :D!!
Anyway we (the kids) would be asked for our wishes (a special portion for us too :D :D ) and each time 'mitha dali' would be the unanimous scream!
And, the following meal would see 2 greedy kids devouring away mitha dali till the point the earthern pot (containing the dali) would be as clean as new :P .

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Channa Dal
• 1/4 Cup Coconut, grated
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tbspn Panch Phootan (cumin, mustard, nigella, fennel and fenugreek)
• 1 Tspn Coriander Seeds
• 1" Cinnamon 
• 4-5 Cardamom
• 4-5 Cloves
• 4-5 Black Pepper
• 2 Tbspn Jaggery (or sugar)
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Ghee
• Salt, as per taste 

METHOD

• Soak the Channa Dal for about 30 minutes. Rinse and pressure cook the Channa Dal with salt, turmeric and jaggery, for 10 minutes or till Channa Dal is soft.
• Blend the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Add little water to make a paste.
• After the steam releases from the pressure cooker, add the above paste along with the coconut and bring to a boil. Then simmer for around 15 minutes or till a relatively thick consistency is achieved.
• In another pan, heat a couple of tbspn of ghee. Add the panchphootan seeds. Saute for about half a minute and then add the dal. Mix well and simmer for about a couple of minutes. 
• Serve and relish the ever awesome 'mitha dali' :D.

 Soak Channa Dal for about half an hour.

 Pressure cook the soaked Dal with salt, turmeric and jaggery (I have used dark jaggery).

 Make a paste of cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.

 Add the coconut and the dry spices paste to the boiled Dal. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
In another pan, heat ghee and add panch phootan. As they splutter, add the Dal. Simmer for a couple of minutes.

Relish :D !!



 

No Onion No Garlic Paneer Butter Masala

INGREDIENTS

• 200gm Paneer
• 1 Tbspn Ginger Paste
• 2 Medium Tomato, pureed
• 15-20 Cashews
• 1 Bay Leaf 
• 2-3 Cardamom 
• 1" Cinamon
• A pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tspn Garam Masala
• 1 Tspn Chilli Powder or as per taste
• 1 Tbspn Butter
• 1 Tspn Turmeric
• 1/2 Tspn Sugar
• 1 Tspn Kasuri Methi
• 1 Tbspn Milk or Cream
• Salt as per taste

METHOD

• Heat a pan and add the butter. When it melts, add the cumin seeds, hing and whole spices. Saute for a minute.
• Add ginger paste and saute till raw flavour goes away.
• Add the tomato puree turmeric, sugar and salt. Fry till tomatoes oil oozes out from them.
• Add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the milk or cream. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Cut the paneer into cubes and add.
• Add the kasuri methi, chilli powder and garam masala. Mix well and simmer for another 5-6 minutes.
• Garnish with julienned ginger. 
• Serve hot with naan, roti or rice.

Besara

INGREDIENTS

• 50gm Brinjal
• 50gm Pumpkin
• 50gm Sweet Potatoes
• 50gm Yam
• 50gm Parwal/ Potala
• 50gm Raw Papaya
• 1 Green Chilli or as per taste
• 1 Tspn Ginger Paste
  1 Tspn Mustard Seeds
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tbspn Coconut, grated
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Salt, as per taste

METHOD

• Cut all vegetables into roughly 1" cubes. 
• Blend the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and green chillies to a fine paste.
• In a pressure cooker, add the vegetables with the masala paste, ginger paste, salt and turmeric. Add necessary water. Cook it for about 2 whistles or till vegetables are cooked. Let the steam escape.
• In another pan, add ghee. Add mustard seeds, dry red chilli and cumin seeds. Pour the contents from the pressure cooker and mix well. 
• Simmer for a couple of minutes and besara will be ready.

Veg Mohura

Without onion and garlic, this authentic Odiya dish makes the perfect lunch/dinner accompaniment on a festival. The aroma of the various vegetables along with the ghee tempering (usually preferred) is certain to enforce a positive communication between the olfactory nerve and the taste buds ;).

 
INGREDIENTS

• 100gms Potato, cubed
• 100gms, Raw Banana, peeled and cubed
• 100gms, Eggplant, cubed
• 100gms, Pumpkin, cubed
• 50gms Yam, cubed
• 50gms Sweet Potato, cubed
• 2-3 Drumsticks
• 1 Tbspn Mustard Seeds
• 2 Tbspn Fennel Seeds
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 2 Dry Red Chillies or as per taste
• 2 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Salt, as per taste
• 8-10 Badi, fried

METHOD

• Blend the fennel seeds, mustard seeds and dry red chilly to a fine paste.
• Add all the vegetables, salt, turmeric and the masala paste to a pressure cooker. Let it cook for 1-2 whistles or till vegetables are cooked. Let it cool.
• In another pan, heat some mustard oil or ghee (as per your preference). Add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the dry red chilli and cumin seeds. Stir for a while and then add the vegetables.
• Let it simmer for a couple of minutes, before turning off flame. Add badi and mix.
• Veg Mohura is all ready to be served !!

Ghanta / Mixed Vegetable Curry

INGREDIENTS

Vegetables (each in equal quantity)

• Potato
• Tomtato
• Pumpkin
• Brinjal
• Parwal
• Beans
• Raw Banana
• Yam
• Sweet Potato
• Drumsticks
• Mixed Sprouts 

• Ghee, for cooking
• 1-2 Bay Leaf
• 2-3 Dry Red Chilly
• 1 Tspn Mustard Seeds
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tspn Fennel Seeds
• 1 Tspn Fenugreek Seeds
• 1 Tspn Kalonji Seeds
• 1" Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Tbspn Ginger Paste
• 1 Tbsn Grated Coconut
• 1 Tbspn Badi , fried
• 1 Tspn Garam Masala
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Salt, as per taste
• 1 Tspn Roasted and Powdered Cumin Seeds
• Coriander, for garnish

METHOD

• Cut all the vegetables, preferably in cubes. Keep aside.
• Heat a pressure cooker and add ghee. Add mustard seeds and when they crackle add the dry red chilly. Add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, kalonji, fenugreek seeds, bay leaf and cinnamon. Stir for a while. 
• Add the ginger paste and saute for a minute. Add chopped tomato, salt and turmeric. Fry for a couple of minutes. 
• Add all the vegetables except the drumsticks. Add the sprouts as well. Mi well and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Add a little water, mix and then pressure cook for about 2 whistles or till the vegetables are cooked. Do not add too much water, as this curry goes well as a semi dry one. Meanwhile, in another container boil some water and cook the chopped drumsticks, with salt and turmeric. Drumstick is cooked separately as it gets cooked very quickly and tends to split open.
• After the pressure releases, add the drumsticks and garam masala. Mix well and cook on a medium flame for another couple of minutes or till the water evaporates or till the desired consistency is achieved. Switch off flame. Add the fried badi and grated cocnut. Mix.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and a dash of the roasted ground cumin seeds.
• Enjoy your lunch or dinner with this awesome dish and roti's and/or rice.

Peas Pulao / Matar Pulao

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 Cups of Basmati Rice
• 3/4 Cup Green Peas, fresh or frozen
• Coriander Leaves, a handful
• 2-3 Green Chilly, slit
• Ghee
• 1" Cinnamon stick
• 1-2 Black Cardamom
• 5-6 Cloves
• 5-6 Green Cardamom
• 1-2 Mace
• 1 Bay Leaf
• Salt, as per taste

METHOD

• Soak the rice for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
  In a pressure cooker, heat some ghee. Add the cumin seeds. Add the cinnamon, black cardamom, green cardamom, mace, cloves and bay leaf. Saute for about 30 secs.Then add the green peas and green chilly. Saute for a minute. Add the chopped coriander leaves and as they sizzle add water.
  Drain out the water from the soaked rice . Add the rice and stir. Add salt.
  Add 2.5 cups of water and let it pressure cook for 2 whistles, on a high flame.
• In case of cooking in an open container, cover with a lid and check occasionally for the water level, till the rice is cooked.