Masala Machha Bhaja.

                  I learned cooking this dish from my grandmom-in -law. She is an amazing cook. I relish her foods.  I tried this delicious fish fry and it came out to be too good. You can serve it as a starter to lunch or dinner or it can be eaten with rice or famous odia "pakhala".

ingredients:-
 4-5 slices of rohu fish (rohi machha).
1 medium onion cut into cubes.
2-3 cloves of garlic.
1/2 inch ginger slice.
1 tbsp besan / gram flour.
1tsp turmeric powder.
1 tsp chilli powder.
Oil for frying.
(I took mustard oil but you can take any cooking oil. )
Preparation:-
     Make a fine paste of the onion cubes, garlic and ginger in a food processor or grinder. Don't add water into it as the recipe require it to be dry. Clean and wash the fish. In a bowl take the fish ,put the onion ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chili powder, salt and besan or gram flour. Mix it well so that the masala will coat the fish slices.
         Put  a frying pan on flame. Add oil for frying. When the oil is smoking hot , sprinkle some salt in it to prevent spluttering of oil later on. Now fry the masala coated fish till its cooked throughly on a medium flame. Serve it with onion slices and lemon wedges. Nice and yummy traditional Odia dish is ready to eat.
Enjoy !

Gupchup or PaniPuri.

               Gupchup is very famous street food in Odisa. During our school and college days ,lunch or dinner used to be skipped  for this mouth watering snacks. After spending some quality years in Maharastra , my taste for gupchup is  now a mix of both the states flavour.  Here goes the recipe for the delicious gupchup from my kitchen.
Gupchup:




ingredients:
2 packet puris(available in any indian stores)
for the masala fill:
2 cups dried peas or chhole(garbanzo beans).
2 big potatoes.
for the pani
1 bunch mint leaves.
1 cup coriander leaves.
4-5 green chilli.(you can add more if u like)
1 tsp jalzeera powder.
1/2 tsp garam masala powder.
2-3 ambula( you can use tamarind as a substitute to the ambula. in that case take a small lemon size ball of tamarind. Soak in water for 4-5 hrs)
1 medium size onion finally chopped.
 2-3 green chilles cut into small pieces.
1 cup sev or bhujiya.
cilantro leaves finally chopped.


Preparation:-
             Soak the peas or chhole(as per your preference) for  4-5 hrs. Wash the potatoes cut into half's and pressure cook with the peas so that both r boiled but not over cooked.add on a little salt while pressure cooking .let it cool, peel the potatoes , take a knife and cut into small chunks, you can smash them if you like it that way.  Add the cooked peas or chhole, add on salt garam masala . Mix well and keep aside.
        Now we will make the pani for the gupchup. Grind the coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chillies in a mixier, with adding a ittlle water when required.  Make it to a fine paste. Take the soaked tamarind or ambula, squeeze it and mix it properly, add on more water(3-4 cups), take out the stones of ambula or the tamarind remnants  after taking out the juice. Add the green leafy paste to the water, jalzeera powder, salt. It tastes good if u chill it for some time. Or you can add crushed ice to it while eating.
      To serve first set up all the ingredients  puris, masala filling, bhujiya, sliced onion, green chillies , chopped cilantro leaves, and the pani  on a table within easy reach of everyone. Give small bowls to everyone you are serving . Take a puri , fill with a little aloo peas stuffing, onion, cilantro, bhujiya and lastly fill it with the pani and let it go in one gulp. Its really fun to eat this with friends.
    
    ( I  prefer  buying the puris, but if you want to make them in home too, u can do it by just going thru the following steps.
       take 500 gm semolina flour, 2 tbsp butter or oil, salt and adequate oil for deep frying.
mix the semolina flour , salt, and butter together.  Now add a little water time to time to make a smooth dough. cover the dough for 15 mins with a damp cloth. After 15 -20 mins divide the dough into equal parts and with the help of a rolling pin roll the dough, take a circullar cookie cutter(1/4'') and cut into small circles. Heat the oil in a deep pan and deep fry a few  small circles in the pan at a time. fry like you make puris. drain and keep on paper towels. You can store these for couple of days.)

"DALMA"The most delicious and famous of all odia recipe.

          Hey folks  sitting in a home with snow covered surrounding, when the mind flies thousand miles in a second( no mind fare for this…thanx to the govt.!) to my home, I just find myself sitting in my mothers kitchen and having some all time great foods. Isnt it true, we miss home when we miss the foods cooked there, isnt any good memory is associated with good food ? I know its true and every single mom is a great cook for their kids. and when this kids grown up to be big boys or gals,  moms kitchen means something more to them .
                       This recipe is from my mothers kitchen. She is an amazing cook. I learned to cook this odisha famous dish from her. When the aroma of this beautiful dish fills the home, my dil goes uuummm…..

DALMA:

ingredients:


   Tuvar dal/ arhar dal/harada dali -  3 palm full
   Chana dal - 2 palm full.
   Moong dal - 1 palm full.
   Ginger - 2 inch long.
  1 cup grated coconut.
  1 cup each of diced raw plantain(kancha kadali), raw papaya, radish, pumpkin, arbi(taro or      saru),spinach, tomato.(it will be great if u can get khamba aloo or mati alu (true yam).
 cilantro leaves finally chopped.
 1tbsp ghee.
 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds.
 5-6 dry red chilli.
 2 tbsp whole cumin seeds.
 1/2tsp turmeric powder.
 Salt.
(Take a fry pan, roast the whole cumin seeds and4-5 dry red chillies. Remove from heat and let it cool. After it cools properly , grind it in a mixture grinder to get the delicious roasted cumin and red chilli powder.  It can be added to any odia curry to enhance the flavour.)

 Preparation:
                      Take adequate amount of water in a pressure cooker, so that you can cook the dalma with it. Crush the ginger in a pastel. Put the pressure cooker on flame. Add the crushed ginger to it. Let it boil for few minutes. Mix all the dals in a bowl,wash it well and add that to the boiling ginger water in the pressure cooker. Let it boil for 4-5 mins. Add on the vegetables to that. Put salt and turmeric powder and cover the lid. Let it be cooked till 2 whistles in a medium flame.(everything should be cooked properly). Wait till the pressure goes off. Open the lid and stir it to see the consistency. Just don't make it very watery, it should be a bit thick.
               Take a deep pan on flame. Add on fenugreek seeds and 1-2 dry red chillies. Wait till you can smell the beautiful aroma of the methi seeds, add the ghee now. Stir it for 1 min, and finally add the boiled dalma to it. Be careful while giving this tadka as it can spill. Mix the grated coconut with it. garnish with cilantro leaves and serve it with hot rice with lemon and ghee. It goes well with tomato khatta and any bhaja. You can try it with paratha too. yumm , nutritious protein rich food is ready to be eaten.
  happy cooking friends !  

ILISHI MACHHA.

    There is a saying in Odia "Chakiri kariba polici, machha khaiba ilishi". Ilishi machha is known to be the king of fish in Odisa. The ilishi lives in sea and travels 50-100 kms to the river for spawning, where its generally caught. The taste is very different from the  taste of other fishes. As it is considered to be a very oily fish, a little oil is required while cooking. In my home my father used to cook this with a lot of green chillies. The final outcome from the kitchen looked so beautiful and tempting that you will be hungry with having a look on it. And the funny thing about this fish is the aroma tells for itself. I like to prepare ilishi this way by steaming it with  mustard paste and coconut.

ILISHI SORISHA BATA:


ingredients:
4-5 pieces of ilishi
1 tbsp mustard seeds.
vinegar to soak the mustard seeds.
3-4 green chillies.
1 tbsp garted coconut.
2 tsp mustard oil,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
chopped cilantro leaves.

Preparation:
      Soak the mustard seeds with vinegar to reduce the pungent taste. Soak it for 1-2 hours. In a food processor make a paste of the mustard seeds, green chilles, half the grated coconut and a little salt. make a fine paste with adding a little water as required. Take a bowl, smear some oil to grease it. In a bowl mix the mustard paste, mustard oil, the remaining grated coconut, turmeric powder, salt properly. Put the fishes into the previously greased bowl and smear on the mustard mix.  Cover the pan with an aluminium foil and let it be cooked in a microwave for 10 - 12 mins. After its cooked and cooled garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot with steamed rice. Add on green chillies to enhance the taste. Just be careful while eating as it is full with tiny thin bones. Enjoy.

Lullabies and Stories.

            

           There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter,                    the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.  ~         Elizabeth Lawrence   
                        
         Lullabies are often sung by parents or grandparents or the care takers to the children to calm them, to make them sleep or simply spending time with them.Music helps us with memory with interpreting emotion,language and may makes us effective communicators.

            When my daughter was a newborn, I dont know what kind of activities to do with her. Some how I remember  my mother sung bedtime songs or lullabies to her .One by one she will sing it for hours. The soothing lyrics of the songs,her calming voice made my daughter to sleep,or calm down. somehow I remember my childhood stories of odia folk tales, stories of the epic "Ramayan" or the "Mahabharat". I learnt some songs from my mother and later on my daughter started enjoying it, and soon it became a bedtime ritual for her.  We all have some or few treasure moments of our childhood to cherish. When we go down the memory lane and think about the moments and time, about our childhood, it gives us immense happiness.
               

                   I will like to pen down few lines of one lullaby, I have heard from my mother.

             "Atika doati dhoi thoili, Nigidi padila ghia,
               tubai lo...
              Ama bapa nkara bahuta jhia,Dada nku gotia dia
               tubai lo...
              Dada nahi nahi kale,
                tubai lo..
               Khudi nka manare kapat thila,Daria ku peli dele,
                 tubai lo..
              Daria pani ta huku huku,Kie neigala jai phula ku,
              Tala mala raija ku… 
                  tubai lo...
              Tala maluani pani kangaluni, Hasta re kholanti chua,
                 tubai lo… 
               kana mala dei hengula diaan, Neigale jhankadia
               Jhankada pokhari kau
               tubai lo….
               ame dui bhauni puchi khelutilu, Jhuri maruthile bohu.
               tubai lo…..
              Gobar gadia poka, tubai lo…
              Ame dui bhauni puchi kheluthilu, jhuri maruthile loka.
               tubai lo..
              Tota charipata buli aasili,Amba nahi amba chana
              bhainka gharaku anei deli , padichhi phula bichhana.
              tubai lo…
              Phula bichhanara jari, tubai lo..
              kaha sange bhai karichha kali , srimukha jauchhi jali
               Nai separi ku anei deli,Kumbhir galuchhi matti
               tubai lo..
              Kumbhir nuhe se amari bhai,Bhanguchhanti danta kathi."
             Bangi dhana kie kuti neichhi, batare padichhi chashu
             tubai lo….
             gaan bohu mane hulahuli dia, mo dhana bedire basu..
  
                               And it goes on and on. I remembered times listening to stories told by my mother,one of my uncle(who used to visit us after his daily shift of work), and one of my friend. During my upper primary years of school, daily we walked to school , and it took us some 30 minute on our feet to reach the school.  Near to my house lived a girl "pratima". Pratima was a very good story teller .She knew many stories about the kings and queens. On the way to school  she told me many stories. And with that story our time flies and we reached our school . I remember one story my father told us years back. It was about a soldier and 3 witches. How the soldier fought with the witches , acquired all the wealth and married the princess with the help of a"tinder box".
                                Stories are a way to keep children's occupied. During my high school days , my mother kept a big brass plate or "thali" to feed us all together , before we are off to the school. She will bring  the rice, dal, sabji in that big plate for  us, and start telling a story from "Mahabharat" or "Ramayan". We were so much engrossed in that story that hardly we noticed what we are eating and how we are eating. She will accomplish her job without much effort and soon our stomach s are filled too. There goes some old song I heard from my mother.

 "Asa re asa para jodika,
  Ama pindha re basa,
Khaibaku debi tumaku, Nadia ra rasa,
Pibaku debi tumaku, Mahanadi ra pani,
Soibaku debi tumaku, Ratna khata ani."


"Bai chadhei re bai chadhei, To maa jaichhi gai charei,
Gai ru aaniba pachila bela,  Taku khai tote kariba gela,
Bai chadhei re bai chadhei, To maa jaichhi daria pari,
Daria pari re suna naara, Maa mora patarani tahara.
Bada hele jiba daria deiin,Sanga hoi maa sathire muhin.
To pua mo jhia kariba baha, Bai chadheire kheiliba aa.


        I remember some of the songs from "Manabodha Chautisha". I love the way it starts wit the Odia alphabets "KA" "KHA"  etc .


"Kamal lochana srihari, Karena sankha chakradhari
Khaga asane khagapati, Khatanti laxmi saraswati.


Specially I love it when I listen my mother doing puja and reciting all the mantaras.

Miss you Maa, Miss my home.






            




                  

        

Rasogolla

                    As the name says "Rasogolla" or the ball in syrup, is a very very popular sweet dish in Odisa.None of our festival or ceremony goes without this "soft and sweet cheese ball in syrup". And we Odia people are crazy about this speciality of Orissa. I am sure of this fact also that any non oriya person also fall in love with this Rasagolla, after eating it once. Somehow the preparation is different outside Orissa. Either it will be less sweet or chewy or spongy kind . When the name of Rasogolla comes into mind , how can a Odia forget the famous "Pahala Rasogolla". The name itself brings water into mouth. When you live outside Orissa and you look forward to a trip to the Land of LORD JAGANNATH, you will definitely have plans to go and gulp down this heavenly thing.

                    Its an age old tradition in puri Jagannath temple offering Rasogolla to Goddess Laxmi  by the Lord of the Universe ,while coming back to the temple after the chariot festival in order to please her for being ignored. Its called the "Niladri Vijay" .

                     While trying my hands in cooking, somehow I just passed making rasagolla. First experiment result was "ok" kind, second time it was "good" but can be improved kind. And it was "mind blowing" after that. So I will say one thing just keep on trying this sweet savory dish , and you will be more then happy with the result. So here goes the recipe for "Rasagolla" from  my kitchen for all of you who loves this dish.

Rasogolla:

Ingredients:
      1 ltr whole milk.
      1 tsp all purpose flour (maida).
       2 big lemons, cut into halves.
       2 cups sugar.
       2 cups water.
       1tsp rose essence.
       2 cardamom finally  powered.

Preparation:
           Heat milk in a deep pan , stir it and bring it to boil in a medium flame. When starts boiling properly, squeeze on the lemons. Stir it well. The milk will start curdling.  When the water separates from the cheese or chhena , switch off the gas and cover the pan for 5 mins.  With the help of a strainer, strain the chhena from the water, now tie it in a piece of muslin cloth , put some weight on it so that the water from the chhena will be drained. It may take 2-3 hrs or more, if the quantity of chhena is more.

      Get a wooden board or a container where u can knead the chhena. Add the flour , knead it till its smooth and creamy. The quality of rasogolla depends upon  the kneading. So it is the most time consuming thing in this whole preparation. Put small amount of cardamom powder( less then a pinch) in the center of the chhena balls. If you want the Rasogolla  s colour to be light brownish, u can caramalized the sugar in a small bowl and later on when its cools off, u can put small pieces inside every chhena balls center.

        Take a pressure cooker, pour 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water into it.( you can use brown sugar, and if you want u can reduce the sweetness by adding less sugar, here I have used brown sugar to make this Rasogollas) . Add on the rose essence. Put the chhena balls into the cold water mix.  Make sure the water is enough for the cooking. Pressure cook the balls in low flame till 2 whistles. Usually after 30-45 mins the rasogolla s are done . Leave it to cool. After its cools off, serve hot .When serving make sure to warm it in a microwave for 15 seconds.

                                  Soft and delicious Rasogolla s are ready. enjoy guys.


    



                    
   

Simeyi Upma(Vermecelli upma)

                   Simeyi or Vermicelli is made from hard wheat semolina. Its healthy and tasty in any kind preparation.Be it Kheer, Pulav, Upma . After getting sensitive to sugar, I switched myself to cooking this beautiful and tasty dish Simeyi Upma. I remember eating the regular sooji  upma in many places, but the one I ate at "Gajanana Restaurant " is the best one. Their they put vermicelli into the sooji  upma. While eating the upma , the strands of vermicelli comes in view. It looks attractive and tastes awsome. Feeling homesick and nostalgic remembering  delicious food.
Home sweet home , there is no place like home. Your home is there, where your heart is.


Simeyi Upma:-

Ingredients:


2 cups vermicelli or simeyi.
4 cups of water.
2tbsp oil.
11/2 cup chopped vegetables( potato, carrot, beans, peas)
1 tomato diced into cubes.
2 onion, thinly sliced.
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste.
1/2 tsp cumin powder.
1 tsp coriander powder.
whole garam masalas( clove, bay leaf, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom).
 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 bunch mint leaves chopped.
1-2 green chillies, silted.
salt .

Preparation:

                  Take a deep pan on flame. Roast the vermicelli slightly , pour water in it.  Add on 4-5 drops of oil to the boiling vermicelli(that way it wont stick to each other). When cooked , take it out, strain it with a strainer and keep aside.

Put the  pan on flame again. Pour oil , add the garam masalas, green chili and mint leaves, saute it for 1 min then add the onion slices. Fry till the onion changes its colour to translucent. Add the chopped vegetables, fry it for 3-4 mins. Add the tomato slices, cook it for 3-4 mins, then add the ginger garlic paste. Stir it properly so that it will mix with the vegetables, add the cumin powder and coriander powder. Let the vegetables to be cooked by stirring it occasionally  and covering it. After  the vegetables are done, add on the boiled vermicelli or simeyi. Put salt as per your taste, garnish with the chopped cilantro.
(You can put 1 tsp pepper powder  to enhance the taste) .

Now the beautiful and tasty Simeyi Upma is ready to be served. Enjoy with your chai cuppa !