Dal Palak

INGREDIENTS

• 100gms Toor Dal
• 1 Bunch Spinach Leaves, rinsed, washed and chopped finely
• 1 Medium Onion, chopped finely
• 1 Tbspn Garlic, chopped finely
• 1 Tspn Mustard Seeds
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Dry Red Chilli
• A pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing
• 1 Tspn Garam Masala (optional)
• Lemon Juice (optional)
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Salt, as per taste

METHOD

• Pressure cook the dal with salt, turmeric and water for 3-4 whistles or till dal is soft.
• Meanwhile in another pan, add oil and shallow fry the spinach, till soft and well cooked. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add dry red chilli, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing. Fry for a while before adding onion. Fry onion till brown. Then add the garlic and stir for a couple of minutes till garlic starts browning.
• Now, add the boiled dal as well as the cooked spinach. Add garam masala and lemon juice. Mix and simmer for another couple of minutes.
• Dal palak is all ready to go with plain rice or roti's. Enjoy !!

Palanga Besar / Spinach in Mustard Gravy

Palanga Besara or Palak Besar from the kitchens of Odisha !

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Bunch Spinach Leaves/ Palanga Saga / Palak , chopped finely
• 1 Medium Potato, cut into small cubes
• 1 Medium Brinjal, cut into cubes
• 1 Medium Onion,chopped finely
• 1 Green Chilly or as per taste
• 1 Tbspn Ginger Garlic paste
• 2-3 Tspn Mustard Seeds
• 1-2 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 10-12 Badi, fried
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Salt, as per taste

METHOD

• Blend the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and green chilly to a fine paste.
• Heat a pressure cooker and add oil. Add dry red chilli and cumin seeds. Add sliced onions and fry till cooked. Then add the vegetables and fry for a couple of minutes.
• Add the masala blend with salt, turmeric and some water. Put the lid and let it cook for 2 whistles or till pototoes are soft. 
• Meanwhile, in another pan add some oil and shallow fry the spinach in it. Alternatively, spinach can be directly added to the pressure cooker (once the steam escapes and lid is open) and cooked in the gravy, till the spinach is soft.
• Once, the steam releases from the pressure cooker, add the spinach to it. Let it simmer for about 5-6 minutes and then switch off flame.
• Add badi and mix well.
• Palanga Besar is 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 !!

Paneer Bhurji

INGREDIENTS

• 100gm Cottage Cheese
• 1 Medium Onion, chopped finely
• 1 Medium Tomato, chopped finely
• 1 Green Chilly or as per taste, chopped finely
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• 1-2 Sprigs of Coriander Leaves
• Salt, as per taste

METHOD

• Heat a pan and add oil. Add cumin seeds and as they crackle, add onion and green chilly. Stir till onions are cooked.
• Add tomato, salt and turmeric powder, and cook till tomatoes are soft.
• Now, add the cottage cheese and mix well. Cook for another couple of minutes.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot, with roti's !

Raw Jackfruit Curry

 
INGREDIENTS

• 1 Medium Jackfruit / Panasa/ Kathal
• 2 Medium Potatoes, boiled
• 1 Large Onion, chopped finely
• 1 Tbspn Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 Large Tomato, pureed
• 1-2 Green Chillies or as per taste, chopped finely
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1" Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Dry Red Chilli
• 2 Tspn Garam Masala
• 2 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Salt, as per taste

METHOD

• Cut the skin off the jackfruit. Cut it further into cubes. Boil the pieces in a pressure cooker, with salt and turmeric, till soft. Jackfruit takes a little longer to cook.
• Heat some oil (preferably mustard oil) in a pan. 
• Add dry red chilli, cumin seeds, bay leaf and cinnamon. Stir. Add the onions and fry till cooked. Add ginger garlic paste. Fry till raw smell disappears. Add tomato puree, salt and turmeric powder. 
• Fry till tomatoes are well cooked and oil starts oozing from masala. Add a pinch of sugar and let it caramelize.
• Add in the boiled jackfruit and potatoes. Give it a stir and add water. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer for another 5-6 minutes or till desired gravy consistency is acquired. Add garam masala. Stir and voila.....raw jackfruit curry is ready !!

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.

Stuffed Parwal / Gota Potala/ Bharwan Parwal

INGREDIENTS

• 5-6 Potala
• 1 Medium Potato
• 1 Medium Onion, sliced thinly
• 1 Tbspn Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Dry Red Chilli
• 2 Tspn Poppy Seeds/ Posto, blend to a fine paste.
• 1 Tspn Turmeric Powder
• Salt, as per taste

 METHOD

• Wash and scrap the skin off the parwal. Make a slit lengthwise and scrap out the seeds. 
• Boil the potato and peel off skin. Mash and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil and add dry red chilli and cumin seeds. Add onion and the scraped out parwal seeds. Saute till brown, then add the ginger garlic paste, salt and turmeric. Fry till well cooked. Add the posto paste and fry for another couple of minutes. Add the mashed potato and mix well. Another couple of minutes of mixing and the stuffing will be ready. Switch off flame and allow it to cool.
• Fill each parwal with the stuffing. 
• On a pan over medium flame, add oil. Shallow fry the stuffed parwal's till well-cooked. Covering with a lid makes the cooking faster. Stir occassionally.

....and a lip smacking delicacy straight from the rustic kitchen's of Odisha is ready for you !!