Badi Chura

Ingredients:

Badi- 1 cup, 1/4 of a medium size onion
2 garlic cloves, 1 green chili (As per taste),Salt
Oil to fry badi

Method:

Fry badi in oil and remove it on tissue paper and let it cool.
Grind all ingredients with badi except salt.
Add salt to the mixture and now
Badi Chura is ready. Serve with Pakhala (Rice dipped in Water).

Kankada Tarkari (Non - Veg)

Ingredients:

4 large crabs
3 tbsps mustard oil
2 tbsps red chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
3 tbsps turmeric powdersalt as per taste
1 medium sized onion - ground to a paste
2 tbsps freshly ground ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp pepper powder

Masala preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix the red chilli powder, coriander powder, 2 tbsp turmeric powder, salt with a little water to make a fine paste
2. Mix the onion paste and the ginger garlic paste along with a little water to make a fine paste.

Method:

1. Separate the claws from the crab. Now cut the crabs into 2 pieces.
2. In a vessel, put the crabs along with the claws. Put enough water to cover the crabs. Add 1 tbsp turmeric powder and salt and bring to a boil. As soon as the boiling starts, remove the vessel from heat and drain the water. Now wash the crabs with normal water and put aside.
3. In a wok or karhai, heat the mustard oil to the smoking point. Add the paste as mentioned in point 1 of Masala preparation. Stir it for 5 minutes. Make sure that the paste doesnot stick to the wok. Add a little water and bring to a boil.
4. Now to the above mixture, add the paste as mentioned in point 2 of Masala preparation.
5. Constantly stir the above mixture. Cook till the red masala is well done. Add some water and bring to a boil.
6. Now to this mixture add the crabs and the claws. Mix thorougly so that all he crabs are coated with the red masala.
7. After 2-3 minutes of boliling, sprinkle the pepper powder and remove from heat and server hot with white rice.

Anda / Egg Chop

Ingredients:

Eggs - 4 (hard boiled) Potatoes - 2 medium Garlic- 6 cloves Onion- 1 small Green chilli 1 Haldi- 1 teaspoon Besan- 1 cup Water-1/2 cup Baking soda- 1 pinch Crushed black pepper - 1 pinch

Method:

Boil eggs and peel the shell Boil potatoes and peel the skin.Mash and set aside. In a pan heat 1 table spoon oil, fry diced onions,crushed garlic and diced green chillis. Put 1 teaspoon haldi, stir and add the mashed potatoes. Mix well.Add salt to taste. In a separate bowl, add 1 cup besan, soda, salt and black pepper and slowly add the water while constantly stirring. Make a batter not too watery. Heat oil in a frying pan for deep frying. Take a hanful of potato and coat the surface of the egg. Make sure the coating is uniform all around. Carefully deep the egg into the besan batter and deep fry the eggs in medium heat.

Gulugula

Preparation For : 4 People | Preparation Time : 30 Minuites (Approx)

Ingredients:

* Aatta ( Wheat Flour ) - 400 gm
* Khira ( Milk ) - 600 ml
* Khira Sara ( Fresh cream ) - 2tbsp
* Chinni ( Sugar ) - 200 gm
* Pan Madhuree ( Aniseeds ) - 3tsp
* Aleicha ( Big Cardamom) - 2pcs
* Baking Powder - 1 pinch
* Luna ( Salt ) - As per taste
* Refine Tela ( Refined Oil) - for deep frying

Method:

* Take a deep bowl, add flour, sugar, aniseed, cardamom powder, baking powder and salt to taste and mix it well.
* Add fresh cream and milk to the above mixture and blend it gently to form a fluffy batter.
* Keep the batter aside for at least 1hour.
* Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
* Make medium size balls of the batter and fry until they are crisp golden brown.
* Serve it hot.

Bara

Ingredients :

2 cups Biri Dali(urad dal)
2 medium sized onion chopped
2 tsp. chopped coriander leaves
6 green chilies, chopped finely
A pinch of baking soda
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Soak the Biri Dali in water for 4-5 hours. Drain it and grind it in a grinder using very little water to get a smooth dough. Mix the chopped coriander leaves,
chopped onion, green chillis, salt and baking soda. Heat oil in a kadhai. Take some oil in palm, take small balls of dough in hand, flatten it little bit and with a small hole in the center.
Fry it in oil till golden brown.

Ghuguni

Ingredients:

Ghuguni (whole yellow peas) - 2 cups
Teja patra
onion- 1 medium
Ginger- 1 small piece
Cumin Powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon

Method:

Masala- Grind ginger to a fine paste.
Soak matar for 4-5 hours in water.
In a pressure cooker, heat oil and put Teja patra. Add onions and fry till golden brown.
Add Ginger paste and cook well. Add turmeric, cumin and coriander powder.
When masala is well cooked, add the soaked matar and add 2 cups of water (Matar should be submerged in water).
Pressure cook till you hear 1 whislte. When cools down, open and check for softness.
You can garnish with coriander leaves, 1 teaspoon jeera-lanka gunda and small diced coconut pieces.

Simayi Khiri

Preparation For : 4 People | Preparation Time : 30 Minuites (Approx)

Ingredients:

* Seemayee(Vermicelli) – 75 Gm
* Chini(Sugar) – 65 Gm
* Kaju(Cashew Nuts) – 10 Gm
* Kishmish(Raisins) – 20 Gm
* Gujurati(Cardamom) – 4 pieces
* Khira(Milk) – 500 ml
* Gua Ghia(Cow Ghee) – 1 tea spoon

Method:

* Crush the cardamom seeds and keep the powder aside.
* Heat the Cow ghee in a frying pan. Fry the cashew nuts and raisins till it turns golden brown. Take them out and keep aside.
* Fry the vermicelli in the rest of the Cow ghee, till it is turns golden brown.
* Boil milk in a deep fry pan. Add the cardamom powder and vermicelli.
* Boil the milk till vermicelli is cooked well.
* Add sugar, fried cashew nuts and raisins and mix well.
* Boil for some time till all the ingredients are well mixed and well cooked. Serve it with roti or puri or as a sweet dish( dessert

Chuda Upma

Ingredients:

Thick Chuda (poha) - 2 cup
Green Chillies sliced - 2, Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp, Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 small diced, Tomato - 1 medium diced
Potato - 1 medium diced Urad jai - 1tsp, Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Peanuts - 1tbsp, Curry leaves - 2-3 Oil - 3tbsp. Salt to taste, Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Wash chuda in cold water, drain water. Add turmeric powder to chuda and keep aside.
Heat oil a pan.
Add curry leaves, green chillies, mustard seeds, jeera seeds, urad jai and peanuts. Stir in for few minutes.
Add onions and potatoes and stir for 5 mins.
Add tomatoes and salt to taste.
Add chuda to the mixture in the pan. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Suji Halwa

Ingredients:

* Suji (rawa ) -250 gm
* Chini ( Sugar) -200 gm
* Gheea (Ghee) -50 gm
* Kaju ( Cashew Nut) – 20 gm
* Kismis (Raisin)-20 gm
* Teja Patra ( Bay Leaf)- 2pc
* Gola Maricha (Black Pepper)- 1 tsp
* Salt – as per taste

Method:

* To start with , roast rawa in a frying pan for around 10-12 minutes stirring in between , until it turns golden brown and then keep aside.
* Take a deep pan. Heat half spoon of ghee, fry the cashew nut and raisin till the nuts turn little golden brown and then add water (double the amount of rawa) to it.
* Add sugar and salt as per taste. Boil it for sometime .
* When it starts boiling put small amount of rawa and stir it. Repeat the same for the rest of rawa.
* Stir it properly to avoid forming lumps. Keep it on the flame for 2 min. Remove from flame and serve it hot or cold.

Puri Alu Tarakari

Preparation For : 4 People | Preparation Time : 1 hour (Approx)

Ingredients

* Aata (Wheat Flour) – 500gms
* Refined oil -as per requirement
* Aalu(Potato)-300grm
* Piaja (Onion)-100grm
* Aada(Ginger)- 1inch
* Rasuna(Garlic) -15 cloves
* Tamato (Tomato)-75 grm
* Haladi Gunda (Turmeric powder) -1 tsp
* Lanka Gunda (Chilies Powder ) -1 tsp
* Teja Patra( Bay Leaf) – 2 pcs
* Aleicha (Small Cardamom)- 2pcs
* Lavanga (Clove) -2 pcs
* Dalchini (Long Cinnamon)- 1 inch
* Luna(salt)- as per taste

Method:

* Sift together the flour, salt and oil (2 tps) and add just enough water to form smooth dough.
* Make small balls from the above dough, flatten each ball into a round shape.
* Heat oil in a frying pan, and fry these flatten balls till it turns golden brown from each side.
* Make fine paste from onion, garlic and ginger. Then cut tomatoes into small slices.
* Cut the unpeeled potatoes into slices, boil these until these tenderly boiled. Then drain out the water, peel off the potatoes and cut into cubes.
* Make a powder of the cinnamon, cardamom, clove and black pepper.
* Heat oil in that pan, add the masala paste ( from step - 4 ), and then add turmeric powder, chill powder to it
* Stir the above mixture and fry this paste over medium flame until it begins turning light brown
* Add the tomatoes ( from step- 4 ), boiled potato and continue to fry till the paste is well cooked.
* Then add water (3/4 cup ) to it , add salt to it as per taste and stir it properly. Boil it for 10-20minutes until the gravy thickness to the desired consistency.
* Add the garam masala powder (step -6 ) and serve with Puri.

Dahi Bara

Ingredients:

250 gm. skinless blackgram dal / dhuli urad dal (chopa-chhada biri)
3 to 5 red chili (sukhila lanka)
½ teaspoon mustard (sorisha)
½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 & a half cup refined cooking oil (rifain tela)
½ teaspoon cumin seeds powder (jeera gunda)
½ tea spoon red chili powder (lanka gunda)
¼ cup semolina (suji)
½ teaspoon baking powder (khaiba soda)
Curry leaves (bhursunga patra)
¼ liter curd (dahi)
Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Wash the black gram dal and soak it in water for 4 to 5 hours (best to soak overnight). Then grind it properly. Add semolina, baking powder and salt and mix well. Leave it for a while. Then heat oil in a frying pan and fry the baras made out of the batter. You have the option either to make the bara in normal shape or with a hole in the middle. For this first wet your palm with water. Take a little of the batter and make a ball. Slightly flatten the same and using your thumb make a hole at the middle as you carefully slip it into the frying pan. After the frying is over put the baras separately. Now heat 3 teaspoon oil in a frying pan. Add cumin seeds, mustard, curry leaves and red chilies and let them splutter. Then add all this to a container containing the curd. Now put the fried baras into this curd. Your dahi bara is ready. Sprinkle the cumins seeds powder and red chili powder before serving. Serve cold.

Khaja

Ingredients:

2 cups refined flour (maida)
A little more than ½ cup of pure ghee (gua gheea)
One & a half cup sugar (chini)
One & a half cup refined cooking oil for frying (rifaain tela)
(Pure ghee may also be used for frying)
Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

First of all make a paste of ghee and flour by mixing half a cup of ghee with equal quantity of flour. Keep this paste aside. Add a pinch of salt and three teaspoon of ghee to the remaining flour. Mix thoroughly well and then add water slowly as you go on kneading. You should get a stiff dough and not a watery one. Knead it further till the dough gets smoothened. Now roll the dough into a rectangular shape with the thicknes of a chpati (roti). Then spread the ghee+flour paste evenly over the rectangular surface. Now roll the rectangular dough from one side to give it a rope like shape. Then cut it into one inch size pieces. Roll each piece again to make about 5 inch long khaja. Now heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry the pieces of khaja on medium to low flame. After the frying is over, prepare a syrup of sugar with water. For this add sugar to boiling water and continuously go on stirring till you get a sticky syrup. Now dip the khajas into it (one at a time) and take out. Serve after the same becomes col. It is prepared in the kitchen of the Jagannath Temple of Puri daily for being served as prasad.

Enduri Pitha

Ingredients:

1 & a half cup rice (chaula)
1 cup black gram (biri)
1 cup scrubbed coconut (nadia kora)
100 gm cottage cheese (chhena)
150 gm jaggery (guda)
3 small cardamoms (gujurati / aleicha)
6 peppercorns (golmaricha)
Green turmeric leaves (haladi patra)
Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Soak rice and blackgram for about 4 hours. Use only the skinless blackgram for the purpose. Wash the same thoroughly and then grind into thick batter. It need not be a very fine paste. Grind leaving a little coarseness in the rice. Whip well. Leave the batter for fermenting for about 8 hours. Add salt and mix well. Now to prepare the stuffing, place a frying pan on medium flame. Put the scrubbed coconut, cottage chheese and jaggery. Stir and fry till it becomes a little dry. Add powdered cardamom and blackpepper. Mix well and keep aside. Now to prepare pitha take one whole green turmeric leaf (If the leaf is of bigger size you may trim it). Put a little batter on the leaf and flatten the same. Then put the required quantity of stuffing on the batter and fold the turmeric leaf lenghwise in such a way that the stuffing gets sandwitched in between two layers of batter. Tie a thread around the folded leaf to keep it secured. Now we are going to steam it in the traditional way. It is similar to the way we steam idli. But the round shaped moulds found in idli stands won't do. Because our pitha is long shaped. So if you are using an idli stand instead of using the round shaped moulds make suitable modifications. Other wise to follow an age-old Oriya method take a wide mothed pot. Fill it upto half with water. Then tie a muslin cloth tightly around its mouth. Carefully place the tied leaf containing stuffed batter on the cloth. Cover it with a concave lid. Steam it till done and fork comes out clean. This way go on steaming pithas one after another. The delicate aroma of turmric leaf is the special feature of the pitha. But in case of non-availability of green turmetic leaf, you could alternatively use plantain leaf. But in that case the aroma of turmeric leaf would be missing.

Enduri pitha is a special delicacy of the Prathamastami festival. This has been a part of the traditional Oriya festivities. There is a striking similaity of the pitha with patholi, a popular dish of Kerala. It is surprising how this recipe found common acceptance in two different remote culinary cultures centuries ago.

Saru Chakuli

Ingredients:

2 cups rice (arua chaula)
1 cup black gram (biri dali)
1 table spoon refined edible oil (rifaain tela)
salt to taste (luna)

Method:
Soak rice and black gram together in water for about 4 hours. For this purpose you should use only the skinless black gram. Grind the softned rice and black gram to a fine paste. Add salt. Then add water to get a semiliquid batter and whip well. Heat tawa (non-stick tawa is most suitable) on medium flame. Spread a litle oil on the tawa. Lower the flame. Take the batter in a big spoon and spread the same on the tawa as is done while preparing dosa or omelette. Turn the pitha upside down. Then take the same out carefully. This way go on pithas one after another. Remember to grease the surface of tawa with eible oil once every two or three pithas. The thinner variety (similar to plain dosa) is called saru chakuli . You have to use a little more batter and make thicker pithas in the shape of pancakes to prepare what is called just chakuli. Tastes great if served with dalama or coconut chutney.

Chuda Ghasa

Ingredients:

½ kg beaten rice (chuda)
75 gms clarified butter/ ghee (ghia)
150 gms jaggery (guda)
1 teaspoon black pepper powder (golmaricha gunda)
½ shell coconut – scraped (nadia kora)
2 cardamom (aleicha)

Fruits / nuts for garnishing (khismis / seo/ kadali)

Method:

Grind the chuda coarsely in dry jar mixer. Take the ground chuda in a big bowl. Add ghee to it. Do not melt the ghee. Put the same in chuda and mix it by hand. You need to do it thoroughly so that the ghee melts in the body temperature of your hands and smoothens out the chuda. Add the jaggery powder (do not use jaggery in liquid form) to it and then mix. The body heat again will soften the chuda and jaggery too will get blended thoroughly. Best way is to take a small amount at a time and mix it by keeping the same in between both your palms. It takes a minimum of 20 minutes to get a perfect consistency. At this stage add the scraped coconut, black pepper powder and cardamom powder. Mix again for 10 minutes. At this point the moisture from the coconut would further soften the chuda, but it won’t soak it. Now add dry fruits like raisins and /or fruits like apples and banana (cut into small pieces). Your Chuda Ghasa is now ready. A great deal of physical exercise - wasn’t it ! But you are surely going to be compensated for the hard labour with the appreciative words of the people who get to taste it. This delicacy is offered as prasad (bhoga) during Ganesh Puja and Saraswati Puja in Orissa. This is also a special delicacy that is offered to lord Shiva during Shiva Ratri celebrations at the Sri Lokanath temple in Puri.

Patoli Pitha

Ingredients:

½ cup wheat flour (ata)
1 cup paneer (chhena)
½ cup molasses (paania guda)
4 cup refined flour (maida)
2 cup grated coconut (nadia kora)
2 cup sugar (chini)
1 teaspoon cardamon powder (aleicha gunda)
300gms ghee (ghia)
salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Take three-and-a-half cup of refined wheat flour in a bowl and add water and salt to it. Make a thick batter of it. While preparing the batter ensure that no lump is formed in it. Take grated coconut in another bowl. Add paneer and sugar to it. Mix them thoroughly. Heat a pan and fry the coconut and paneer mixture on it. Then add cardamon powder to it. ( This mixture is later to serve as the stuffing). Now take another pan and heat it. Take a tablespoon of the refined flour batter which was prepared earlier and spread the same on the pan with the back of the spoon, spiraling from the middle to the circular edge of the pan. Ensure that the spread is thick. Then put the coconut and paneer mixture in the middle of that batter spread . Fold the spread from four sides to give it the shape of a four-folded rectangle. Make as many such four-folded pithas as possible. Now take ½ cup refined flour, wheat flour, molasses and water in a bowl and make a thin paste of the same. Then dip the rectangular pithas into it . Subsequently deep-fry the same in ghee until both sides of the pitha become red-brown. Now your patoli pitha is ready. This pitha is regularly offered as prasad to the Lord of the famous Baladev Jew temple of Kendrapara.

Rasabali

Ingredients:

500 gm paneer (chhena)
3 to 4 teaspoon wheat flour (ata)
250 gm sugar (chini)
2 gm cardamom (aleicha)
500 ml milk (khira)
300 ml refined oil (rifain tela)

Method:

Mash the paneer after adding wheat flour to it. Then add 2 teaspoon sugar and cardamom powder. Mix them well to make a smooth batter. Make small balls of the batter. Take one ball on your left palm and spread it with the help of your right palm to give it a round shape. Heat oil in a pan and deep-fry the round shaped rasabalis in it. Add the remaining sugar to the boiled milk and stir well. Then add the fried rasabalis to the milk and keep the same on low flame for a minute. This sweet delicacy of Kendrapara area is now ready to be served.

Chitau Pitha

Ingredients:

500 gm rice (chaula)
1 coconut (nadia)
½ tea-spoon baking powder (baking powder)
1 cup milk (khira)
1 cup sugar (chini)
8 teaspoon ghee (ghia)
6 cardamom (aleicha)
Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Soak the rice in water for about 2 to 3 hours. Grate the coconut. Grind the cardamom. Wash the rice properly and then add milk and coconut to it. Grind the mixture of rice , milk and grated coconut to form a batter. Add sugar, baking powder, cardamom powder and salt to it and thoroughly whip the same. Then keep the batter aside for 2 hours. Pre-heat the frying pan with ½ tea-spoon ghee. After the pan is heated put 2 table-spoon of batter and spread to give it the shape of a pancake. Cover the lead. Put the pan on low flame for about 2 minutes. Thereafter open the lid and take out delicious Chitau Pitha. This way you may prepare the pithas one after another, and serve hot soon after preparing the same This pitha is offered to Lord Jagannath in Puja on Chitalagi Amabasya (also known as Chitau Amabasya).

Chhena Poda

Ingredients:

1 kg cottage cheese (chhena)
150 gm semolina (suji)
500 gm sugar (chini)
100 gm cashew nuts (kaju)
50 gm raisin (kismis)
50 gm cinnamon (dalchini)


Method:

Mix the cheese, semolina and sugar and knead it properly to get a homogeneous batter. Add a little water if required while kneading. Add cashew nuts, raisin and cardamom to the batter. Put the same in the dish container of oven leaving about one inch at the top of the container empty. Pre heat the oven. Now bake the batter for about one-and-a-half hours (until the top appears brown). Take the container out of the oven. Allow it to cool. Delicious chhena poda is ready. Cut it into desired shapes like cakes before serving.

Chandra Kanti

Ingredients:

200gm split green gram (mung dal / muga dali)
200gm sugar (chini)
50gm rice (chaula)
1 cup milk (khira)
1 teaspoon cardamom - powdered (aleicha)
½ litre refined oil (rifain tela)

Method:
Soak mung dal and rice in water for about 3 hours. Wash them thoroughly and then grind finely and make a batter. At first pre-heat the pan. Put the milk in the pan and add sugar to it. Stir the milk so that the sugar coagulates with the milk. Add the batter to the pan. When the batter gains its consistency, add elaichi powder and stir well. Now apply a coat of oil on a plate and pour the mixture into it. Keep the plate unaltered for 15 minutes so that the mixture hardens and attains the shape of the plate. Cut the settled mixture into desired shapes. Pre-heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the cut tikkis on low flame till they become golden brown. Now the chandrakanti pieces are ready to serve .

Kakara Pitha

Ingredients:

For dough (khali):
4-cups wheat flour (ata)
2-cups sugar (chini)
½ litre refined oil (rifaain tela)

For stuffing:
Grated coconut-1 cup (nadia kora)
½ - cup sugar (chini)
1 teaspoon aniseed (pana-madhuri)
1 teaspoon black pepper (gol maricha)
4 cloves small cardamom (chhota aleicha)

Method:

For Dough:
Add ½ cup water to ½ table-spoon wheat flour to make a paste. Heat 5 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar in a frying pan. Add the paste to the pan when the sugar solution becomes saturated and stir well. Make sure that no lump is formed while stirring. Leave the pan on the flame for 2 minutes for the mixture to boil. Now add rest of the flour to the mixture and lower the flame. Stir it properly. Now transfer the mixture from pan to a flat plate. Knead to make a smooth dough by adding 1 tablespoon of refined oil. The refined oil prevents formation of lumps.

For Stuffing:
Roast aniseed, black pepper and cardamom and then powder them. Fry grated coconut and sugar in a frying pan. Do not add oil. Add the powdered ingredients to it and stir. The stuffing is ready.

Make small balls of the dough. Flatten each ball and put the stuffing on it and again form a ball so that the stuffing remains at the center. Now flatten the balls to give it the shape of a kachori. Heat the oil in the pan and fry the flattened balls till it becomes golden brown. Your kakara pitha is ready to serve.

Variation:
A small variation in the above recipe may be made to prepare modak (also known as manda pitha in certain areas of Orissa). The difference lies only in the final shape of the pitha. At the end of the procedure, instead of flattening the balls to give them the shape of kachori, leave them in the shape of round shaped balls and fry as stated. Your modak / manda is ready.

Poda Pitha

Ingredients:

300gm Rice (chaula)
150gm black gram - without outer skin (chopa-chhada biri)
1 cup finely scrubbed coconut (nadia kora)
10-15 small pieces of thin coconut slices (nadia khandi)
200gm sugar (chini)
50gm chopped ginger (kata ada)
½ bowl of cashew nut – broken into pieces ( khandi kaju)
1 table spoon ghee or refined oil (ghia / refain tela)
½ teaspoon salt (luna)
1 teaspoon baking powder (baking powder)

Method:

Soak the rice and black gram in water in separate bowls for about 4 hours. Wash them thoroughly. Put the black gram with water in the grinder and form a fine batter. Do the same with rice too but keep in mind that the batter should be coarse and not as fine as the batter of black gram. Mix both the batters and add coconut slices, grated coconut, chopped ginger, salt, sugar, cashew nuts and baking powder. Mix all the ingredients well and keep it covered for about 2 hours for self-fermentation. Pre-heat the pressure cooker. Form a thin layer of oil on all the inner surface of the cooker. Now pour the mixed batter into the cooker and close the lid (without mounting the whistle-weight). Place the pressure cooker in simmer flame for about one hour. Now your hot poda pitha is ready. When the cooker comes to normal temperature take out the pitha carefully, and cut it into desired shapes and serve. (Note: Instead of pressure cooker, oven may also be used)

Manda Pitha

Ingredients:

2 cups of crushed rice (chaula chuna)
3 cups of milk (khira)
1 cup of finely grated coconut (nadia kora)
¾ cup sugar (chini)
5-6 small cardamom (aleicha)
1 teaspoon black pepper powder (gol maricha)
Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Stuffing-

Mix finely grated coconut and sugar in a heated frying pan. Add cardamom and black pepper powder and mix thoroughly.

Pitha-
Heat milk. Add salt to the milk. Prepare dough by adding crushed rice to the boiling milk. Stir it continuosly and boil further until you get a thick dough. Keep the dough in room temperature and knead it by adding one spoon oil to make it more soft. Form 8 to 10 balls by rolling them with the help of your palms. Flatten each ball and place the stuffing in it. Close the flattened balls after putting the stuffing and carefully give them a rounded shape again. Steam the stuffed balls for 3-4 minutes in a steamer. Put them on a sizzler plate and serve hot. It may also be seved in room temperature.
Variation:

You may also prepare another variety of Manda Pitha where semolina (suji) is used instead of crushed rice. This is known as Suji Manda. Follow the steps mentioned above. But replace 2 cups crushed rice with 2 cups of semolina. However in this case use a little more milk (say 4 cups). For another kind of Manda in which wheat-flour is used, please refer to the 'Variation' section of Kakara Pitha published elsewhere on this page.

Aarisa Pitha

Ingredients:

2 cups rice (chaula)
1 cup sugar (chini)
½ litre refined cooking oil (rifaain tela)

Method:

Soak the rice in water for about 2 to 3 hours. Wash it with water and then drain all the water. Keep the rice in room temperature to dry for about 2 to 3 minutes. Grind it to make a semi-rough powder of it by using a grinder. Heat ½ cup of water and add 1 cup of sugar. As you go on stirring on medium flame, the boiling water forms a syrup. The syrup should be consistent. Slowly add 2 cups of rice powder to the syrup and stir continuously to form a batter. Take the batter in small portions and flatten the same with the help of your palms in the shape of small thick puris/ kachoris . Fry the thick puris (pithas) in oil till they become golden brown. Take them out and serve hot. The pitha also tastes great when served after cooling. A hard pitha may also be preserved in room temperature for about two weeks.

CHHAPAN BHOG

CHHAPAN BHOG
56 sacred items of Jagannath Temple, Puri.

1) Ukhuda (Sugar coated pup rice)
2) Nadia kora (Coconut ladu)
3) Khua (condensed milk)
4) Dahi (Yoghurt)
5) Pachila kadali (Ripe Banana)
6) Kanika (Flavoured Rice)
7) Tata Khechudi (Dry Khechudi)
8) Mendha Mundia (A kind of cake)
9) Bada Kanti (Fried Cake)
10) Matha Puli (A kind of Pan cake)
11) Hamsa Keli (Sweet cake)
12) Jhili (Thin pan cake like Dosa)
13) Enduri (Idli)
14) Adapachedi (Ginger Paste)
15) Saga Bhaja (Fried leafy vegetables)
16) Kadali Bhaja (Fried Plantain)
17) Maric Ladu (Chilli Ladu)
18) San Pitha ( Small size Cake)
19) Bara (Donalds)
20) Arisha (Sweet fried cake made of rice flour)
21) Bundia (Sweet granules made of gram flour)
22) Pakhal (Water rice)
23) Khiri (Milk Rice)
24) Kadamba (A kind of sweet)
25) Pat Manohar (Name of a sweet)
26) Takuaa (Sweets shaped like tongue)
27) Bhaga Pitha (A kind of cake )
28) Gotai (A kind of salty cake)
29) Dalma (Dal with vegetables)
30) Bada Kakara (Large Fried sweet cake)
31) Luni Khuruma (Salty Biscuits)
32) Amalu ( Malpua, Sweet Puri)
33) Suar Pitha (Poda Pitha, Baked Cake)
34) Biri Buha (Black gram cake )
35) Jhadai Nadaa (Small ball shaped cakes)
36) Khasta Puri (Strong fried cakes)
37) Kadali Bara (Fried Plantain)
38) Sana Arisha (Small fried cakes)
39) Sakar (Chatni)
40) Podo Pitha (Panned Cake)
41) Kanji (Sour Rice)
42) Dahi Pakhal (Curd rice )
43) Bada Arisha (Large size Fried cake)
44) Tipuri (Three stage fillings)
45) Sakara (Sugar candy)
46) Suji Khir (Milk with samolina)
47) Muga Sijha (Boiled green gram)
48) Manohar (A kind of sweet)
49) Magaja Ladu (A kind of sweet)
50) Pana (Sweet Drink)
51) Anna (Rice)
53) Ghia Anna (Ghee rice)
54) Dali (Sweet Dal)
55) Besar (Curry)
56) Sag (Leafy vegetables)

Mula Saaga

Ingredients:

250 gm radish leaf (mula saaga)

1 cup cut vegetables (kata pariba)

(vegetables like potato , brinjal, pumpkin and radish may be used)

1/3 cup grated coconut (nadia kora)

2 tablespoon refined cooking oil (rifaain tela)

¼ cup mustard paste (sorisha bata)

2 red chillies (sukhila lanka)

1 teaspoon panch phootan (paancha phootana)

(panch phootan = cumin +mustard +nigella + fenugreek + aniseed)

1 table spoon cooking oil

½ tea spoon turmeric (haladi)

5 to 6 Badi / Wadi / Bodi (badi)

Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Wash the radish leaves well and cut into small pieces. Heat oil on a frying pan. Add one teaspoon paanch phootan and the red chillies. Fry until the same crackles. Then add the radish leaves and vegetables. Fry a bit. Now add the mustard paste with a bit of water. Also add turmeric powder and salt. After they are boiled add grated coconut with fried badi. (Use of ‘badi’ may be avoided if you can’t get it). Mix well. Cook a little further. It is the most awesome saaga (sag) that Oriya people eat. Good for health.

Kancha Kadali Bara

Ingredients:

2 plantains (kancha kadali)
4 potatoes (aalu)
3 tablespoon gram-flour (besan)
1 onion (piaja)
2 green chillies (kancha lanka)
¾ cup grated coconut (nadia kora)
½ teaspoon chili powder (lanka gunda)
1 sprig coriander leaves (dhania patra)
2 to 3 tablespoon refined cooking oil (rifaain tela)
Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Wash the plantains and potatoes well. Presure-cook them in water for 2 to 3 minutes. Then peel the skin of the plantains and potatoes and mash them well. Now add gram-flour, chopped green chillies, chopped onion, chilli powder, coriander leaves, grated coconut and salt to taste. Mix them well. You should get dough- like consistency. Then heat the cooking oil on a non-stick pan. Make flat tikis (similar to koftas) and shallow-fry them on the non-stick pan. Serve hot. You could also try the recipe without the use of gram-flour (besan).

Pani Kakharu Sakara

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped white gourd (pani kakharu)

1 table spoon panch phutan (pancha phutan)

(panch phutan: cumin+mustard+nigela+fenugreek+aniseed)

½ cup grated coconut (nadia kora)

½ cup tamarind water (tentuli rasa)

½ cup sugar or jaggery (chini / guda)

curry leaves (bhursunga patra)

4 dried black-gram chunks (baddi)

2 red chillies (sukhila lanka)

2 teaspoon pickle masala (achar masala)

1 table spoon cooking oil (tela)

salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Then add the pancha phutan, curry leaves and baddi. After the baddi turns brown add chopped white gourd. Also add pickle masala, sugar/ jaggery and salt. Fry for a while. Then add water. Cook until the white gourd becomes soft. Top it with grated coconut. Boil for two more minutes. Pani kakharu sakarara is ready to be served.

Chhena Tarkari

Ingredients:

1 litre milk (khira)
1 table spoon lemon juice / vinegar (lembu rasa)
2 potatoes (aalu)
1 big onion (piaja)
3 pods garlic (rasuna)
1 tomato (tamatar)
1/2 inch ginger (ada)
1 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)
1 teaspoon coriander seed (dhania)
2 bay leaf (teja patra)
1/2 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
2 cardamom (aleicha)
3 cloves (labanga)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haladi gunda)
1 and a qurater table spoon gram flour (besan)
200 ml any refined cooking oil (rifaain tela)
coriander leaves (dhania patra)
chilli powder to taste (lanka gunda)
salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Here we are going to prepare something which is very different from the regular paneer curries. Hence we need to prepare cottage cheese which is not as hard as paneer. Heat the milk to boiling point. Add the lemon juice/ vinegar and switch off the flame. Allow the milk to curdle for 10-15 mins. Now strain the curdled milk in a muslin cloth and hang it for some time. Squeeze out the water. No need to take out all the water like paneer, the chhena should be soft but not very watery. (Alternatively the cottage cheese/ chhena readily available in the market may also be used). Take the chhena. Add besan and knead it nicely. Make small balls and flatten them like bara (similar to kofta). Deep fry the baras in oil and keep aside. (Do not add salt to the baras). Grind the dry spices (cinnamon, cardamom and cloves), onion, garlic and ginger to a smooth paste. Cut the potatos into the shape of cubes. Fry the potato cubes and keep aside. Heat oil in a wok/ kadai. Add the ground masala, bay leaves, turmeric and chilli powder. When the oil separates from masala add tomatoes. Reduce heat and stir till the tomato becomes tender. Now add the potato cubes and salt. After sauteing for a minute add water and bring it to a boil ensuring the potatoes are cooked. Now add the baras and simmer for a minute. Garnish with coriander leaves before serving.

Raam Rochak Tarkari

Ingredients:

100 gms green gram / moong dal (muga dali)

1 pinch baking powder (khaiba soda)

1 pinch asafoetida (hengu)

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder (lanka gunda)

1 tablespoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1 inch ginger (ada)

3 to 4 red chillies (sukhila lanka)

250 gm brinjal (baigana)

1 medium size potato (aloo)

1 table spoon coriander powder (dhania gunda)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haladi gunda)

½ teaspoon garam masala powder (garam masala gunda)

100 gms refined oil (rifaain tela)

Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Soak moong dal in water for 2 to 3 hours after washing it thoroughly (half-crushed moong dal with peel may be used for better flavour and aroma). Grind the same into a not-so-fine paste. Cut brinjal and potato into 1 inch cubes and keep aside. For preparing masala, make a fine paste of cumin seeds, ginger and red chillies. Now add one teaspoon of the the masala paste, a pinch of asafoetida and a pinch of baking powder to the moong dal batter. Mix it well. Heat oil in a pan / kadhai and deep-fry moong dal baras (by making small baras / vadas out of the batter) till the same turn golden brown. Keep the fried baras aside. Now heat about 50 gms of refined oil and add about 2 tablespoon of the cumin seeds + ginger + chilly paste (masala) prepared earlier. Add 1 tablespoon of coriander powder and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder to it and stir till the oil comes out of the fried masala. When oil comes out of the masala, you are ready for the next step. Add the brinjal and potato cubes to it and add chilli powder and salt to taste. Cover the pan/ kadhai and cook it for some time on medium flame. Keep stirring in between. When it is cooked add 1 glass of water for gravy and let it boil for about 1 minute. Then add the fried baras into it. Let it again boil for about 2 to 3 more minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder into it. Serve hot with rice. Makes a great combination with Dala Khechidi (See the recipe mentioned above). Raam Rochak Tarkari is popular in the Baripada region of Orissa.

Dala Khechedi

Ingredients:

250 gms rice (chaula)
200 gms half-crushed green gram/ moong dal (muga dali)
1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder (haladi gunda)
1 table spoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 pinch asafoetida (hengu)
100 gms pure ghee (gua gheea)
3 to 4 red chillies (sukhila lanka)
2 bay leaves (tej patra)
2 inches cinnamon (dalchini)
4 to 6 cardamom (aleicha/ gujurati)
salt to taste

Method:

Wash rice and moong dal properly. Then add 2 to 3 teaspoon pure ghee and turmeric powder. Mix well and spread on a plate to let it dry for 10 minutes. Crush cinnamon and cardamom well to prepare garam masala powder. Heat the pressure cooker and put the rest of pure ghee into it. (In the traditional kitchen it is supposed to be cooked in an open pot; however pressure cooker may also be used). Add the cumin seeds. Then add bay leaves and red chillies. Also add a pinch of turmeric powder. As it starts to crackle add the rice mix into it. Stir for about one minute. Then add water. Ensure that the quantity of water added is almost the double of quantity of rice and dal mix. Add salt to taste. Also add the garam masala powder into mix. Then put the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook it on medium flame. After one whistle put off the flame. Open the lid after some time. You may also add a little pure ghee at this stage. Serve hot. (Best to serve it with Raam Rochak Tarkari, the recipe of which is mentioned below). This is a famous prasad of the Shri Jagannath temple in Baripada.

Sajana Phula Rai

Ingredients:

1 cup moringa oleifra blossoms (sajana phula)
1 medium onion - chopped fine (piaja)
2 pods garlic - crushed (rasuna)
2 table spoons cooking oil (tela)
1 teaspoon pancha phutana mixture
(pancha phutana =
cumin+mustard+nigella+fenugreek+aniseed )
2 tablespoon beaten yoghurt (dahi)
1 pinch turmeric powder (haladi gunda)
salt to taste (luna)
chilli powder to taste (lanka gunda)

Method:

De-stem the sajana blossoms carefully making sure only the petals are retained. Wash and drain. Heat the oil, sputter the pancha phutana. Add the blossoms, turmeric, salt and chilli powder. Mix well. The moisture in the blossoms should help wilt them quickly (in two minutes or so). Otherwise, sprinkle some water to wilt the florets. When done, mix in the yoghurt, take off the heat and serve hot alongwith the main course.

Sajana (moringa oleofera) blossoms in early spring and this is a delicate dish made from its florets. Most rai recipes use mustard based spices mix, but this one uses a very subtle flavour of pancha phutata alone. The yoghurt in the recipe lends a mild sourness and a gentle binding consistency to the rai. Green peas can also be added to the rai.

Ghee Rice (Ghia Anna)

Ingredients:

Rice (Chaula)	2 Cups
Split Bengal Gram/ Chana Dal (Chana dali/ Buta Dali)	2 tbsp
Ghee (Desi Ghia)	2 tbsp
Curry Leaves (Bhrusunga Patra)	1 sprig
Cumin Seeds (Jeera)	1 tsp
Dry Red Chillies	2 Nos.
Lemon Juice	2 tbsp
Salt	To taste

Method:

1. Soak chana dal in water for one hour. Boil it along with rice in a pressure cooker with 4 cups of water and salt. You may also boil it in a colander, but in that case add salt after boiling excess water (peja).
2. Then heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds, chillies and curry leaves. Put this seasoning on the cooked rice and mix thoroughly. 
3. Add lime juice and mix again. 
4. Serve with dalma or any vegetable curry. ‘Ghia Anna’ is quite popular in Puri district. 

Pala Chhatu Bara

Ingredients:

500 gm mushroom (pala chhatu)

100 gm rice (arua chaula)

3 garlic cloves (rasuna kola)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haladi gunda)

1 teaspoon chilly powder (lanka gunda)

2 tablespoon mustard oil (sorisha tela)

one big size onion (piaja)

Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

First of all prepare rice flour paste called pithau (for this, soak the rice in water for about one hour and then grind the same with garlic and jeera). Wash the mushroom and cut into small pieces. Cut the onion into medium slices. Mix the mushroom with the pithau, onion slices, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Add salt to taste. Heat mustard oil in a tawa or frying pan on medium flame. Make flat baras (giving them shape like kofta).

Chhinchada (Non - Veg)

Ingredients:

Head of Katla /Rohu fish (bhakura / rohi machha munda)
(head portion of a 1.5 to 2 kg fish)
250 gms pumpkin (boiti kakharu)
100 gms Taro (saru)
150 gms brinjal (baigana)
1 medium size green plantain (kanchcha kadali)
2 medium size potatoes (aalu)
1 medium size tomato (tamatar)
1 big onion (piaja)
1 inch ginger (ada)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (kata rasuna)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haladi gunda)
1 teaspoon chilli powder (lanka gunda)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (sorisha)
1 bayleaf (teja patra)
2 red chillies (sukhila lanka)
1 table spoon chana dal (chana / buta dali)
3 tablespoon mustard oil (sorisha tela)
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the chana dal in water for half an hour. Clean and wash the fish head and cut it into small pieces to the extent possible. Then marinate the same with half-a-teaspoon turmeric powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Peel and cut the vegetables ito cubes. Grind onion, garlic and ginger to a smooth paste. Heat one-and-a-half tablespoon of oil in a pan/ kadai. Then hot fry the fish head pieces for about 5 minutes on medium flame. Remove and keep aside. Now put one-and-a-half-tablespoon oil in a pan / kadai (of bigger size, so that it can hold all the vegetables). Heat oil on medium flame. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, red chillies and bay leaf. Subsequently add the onion-ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powdr and chilli powder and saute. When oil separates from he masala add tomatoes, salt and the fish heads. Then saute till tomatoes are cooked. The fish heads need not be intact. They should get crushed while stirring the pieces. If they don't by this time, don't worry. Add the vegetables and soaked chana dal and cover. Add a little water so that the veggies don't stick to the bottom of the kadai until cooked. Cook on medium to low flame for about 10 minutes stirring once / twice. By this time the fish heads would get crushed and the vegetables become cooked. Serve hot with boiled rice and dal for a sumptuous meal.

For a variation, you could also replace all the vegetables (except potato and tomato) with cabbage of equal qauantity.

Maansha Kasha (Non - Veg)

Ingredients:

500gms mutton (maansha)
2 medium size potatoes (aalu)
3 medium size onions (piaja)
40 gm ginger (ada)
1 medium size whole garlic (rasuna)
1/2 teaspoon sugar (chini)
1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder (haladi gunda)
2 bay leaf (teja patra)
2 inches long cinnamon (dalchini)
3 small cardamoms (aleicha /gujurati)
100 ml. mustard oil (sorisha tela)
Red chilly powder to taste (lanka gunda)
salt to taste (luna)

Method:

To begin with prepare masala paste by grinding the onions, garlic and ginger. Make a coarse paste of it rather than fine paste. Peel off and cut the potatoes into halves and semi-fry the same in a frying pan with a little mustard oil. Crush the cinnamon and cardamoms and keep separately. Heat the presure cooker and put mustard oil into it. Then add 1/2 teaspoon sugart. As the sugar gets heated and turns golden brown add the masala paste immediately and go on stirring. Now add the tumeric powder, bay leaf and red chilly powder. Mix the same well as the open pressure cooker is on medium flame. Add a little water. When the water dries out and oil begins to appear from out of the masala almost after 10 minutes, add mutton add salt. Mix it all properly. Then stir the same intermittently for about 5 minutes. At his stage add the crushed cinnamon and cardamom (garam masala) and the semi-fried potatoes and half a cup of water. Put the lid tightly and pressure cook it for almost 10 minutess on low - medium flame. Your maansha kasha is ready. If you wish to prepare the item in gravy form (called maansha jhollo) add 2 cups of hot boiled water and boil it a little further. Before serving you may also garnish the same with onion, tomoto, carrot and coriander leaves, if so desired.

Chingudi Chadchadi (Non - Veg)

Ingredients:

250 gm tiny prawns with shell (chhota chingudi)

3 teaspoon mustard paste (sorisha, rasuna, lanka bata)

(prepare by grinding mustard, garlic and red chilly)

3 green chillies (kancha lanka)

½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haladi gunda)

2 tablespoon mustard oil (sorisha tela)

Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Clean the tiny prawns but do not remove the shells. Take the prawns in a kadhai or frying pan. Add the mustard paste to it. Also the turmeric powder, green chillies and salt. Then add the mustard oil along with 1/3 cup of water. Mix well. Put the frying pan on medium flame. Stir frequenty. Cook until it all becomes dry. Serve with hot rice.

Machha Thukuthuka (Non - Veg)

Ingredients:

250 gm very small fish (chuna machha)

2 teaspoon mustard (sorisha)

½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

5 cloves of garlic (rasuna)

3 teaspoon mustard oil (sorisha tela)

juice of half a lemon (lembu rasa)

1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haladi gunda)

1 teaspoon chili powder (lanka gunda)

4 curry leaves (bhursunga patra)

½ teaspoon panch phootan mixture

(panch phooutan: cumin+ mustard+ nigella+ fenugreek+ aniseed )

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the fish thoroughly by taking out their tails. Also clean the insides by removing the gall bladder and intestine etc. This is done to avoid any possible bitter taste. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt to it for marinating. Make a fine paste of mustard, cumin seeds and garlic. Now heat mustard oil in a pan and add curry leaves and panchafutana to it. When the futana starts cracking add the mustard+cumin+garlic paste. Add water to the pan. Then add the remaining turmeric powder and chili powder. Once the water starts boiling put the marinated fish into it and add salt to taste. When the curry starts boiling add lemon juice and keep the pan on the flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Now the chuna machha thukuthuka is ready to be served hot and relished by all. This item is very popular in Berhampur.

Kolatha Dali

Ingredients:

150gm horse gram (kolatha dali)

100gm rice flour (chaula gunda)

2 brinjals (baigana)

2 potatoes (aalu)

2-3 tomatoes (tamatar)

1-2 drumsticks (sajana chhuin)

2 lima beans (simba)

50 gm pumpkin (kakharu)

1 teaspoon mustard seeds(sorisha)

50gm garlic (rasuna)

2 teaspoon mustard oil (sorisha tela)

Salt to taste

Method:

Boil the kolatha dali (horse gram) in pressure cooker. Cut and wash all the vegetables. Make a mixture of rice flour and water. Add the vegetables to the cooked kolatha dali and place the cooker on the flame with its lid open. Add salt. As soon as the vegetables start boiling, add the flour mixture and go on stirring continuously. Fry mustard seeds and garlic in mustard oil and add to the prepared kolatha dali. Now your Kolatha Dali is ready. It should be served hot. Tastes great if served with rice and fried vegetables, especially in the winter season. This is a popular dish of Sambalpur district.

Tomato Khajura Khata

Ingredients:

250 gm tomato (tamatar)

100 gm date palm (khajuri)

2 tablespoon freshly grated coconut (nadia kora)

½ inch ginger (adaa)

2 dry red chillies (sukhila lanka)

1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haladi gunda)

50 gm sugar (chini)

1 tablespoon refined oil (Refine tela)

salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Chop the tomatoes into small pieces. Crush the ginger. Heat oil in a frying pan/kadhai. When the oil is considerably hot, sauté the khajuri. Then transfer the khajuri to a plate. Put red chillies to the hot oil in the frying pan. Add the crushed ginger and turmeric powder to it. Fry it for some time. Subsequently add the chopped tomatoes and salt to it. Stir it and then cover the pan with a lid for some time. Keep stirring until the tomatoes make a thick paste. Then add ½ cup water to it and leave the mixture to boil. Now add fried khajuri, grated coconut and leave it to boil on a medium flame for about 5 minutes. Make sure the lid of the pan is closed before boiling. Then add sugar and continue boiling for another 5 minutes. Tomato khajuri khata is ready to served. You may garnish it with coriander leaves (dhaniya patra).

Pithau Bhaja

Ingredients:

1 cup rice (arua chaula)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
2 bay leaves (teja patra)
4 cloves garlic (rasuna)
1 inch ginger (ada)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (raashi)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haladi gunda)
1 cup refined cooking oil (Refine tela)
Salt to taste (luna)
Vegetables to be used (any, some or all):
plantain (kancha kadali)
yam (mati alu)
brinjal (baigana)
pumpkin (kakharu)
raw papaya (kancha amrutabhanda)
lotus stems (padma nada)
potato (aalu)
(some other vegetables may also be used)

Method:

First of all soak rice in water for one hour. Make a paste of the soaked rice, cumin seeds, bay leaves, garlic and ginger by adding a little water in a grinder. Grind it to a coarse paste till it gains consistency like the dosa batter. Shift the paste into a container and add turmeric powder, sesame seeds and salt and mix well. Keep it aside. Now wash the vegetables and cut them into thin slices. Take a kadai / pan and add the vegetables into a quantity water that would completely soak all the vegetables. Add turmeric powder. Now turn the flame on and start boiling the vegetables. Add salt to taste. Keep in mind that you have to add a little more salt since the water would have to be drained out later. Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes. Remember that we are here para boiling rather than completely boiling the vegetables. Make sure that the vegetables are not over cooked. (You can directly use brinjal and pumpkin without para boiling, since they are soft vegetables.) Now strain the vegetables and drain out water. Then heat the tawa on medium flame and pour a generous quantity of oil so that oil is spread all over the tawa. Now soak the para boiled vegetables one by one in the rice batter and place them on the tawa. You can cover the whole tawa with vegetable slices. After one minute turn each slice upside down and fry. If a little bit more oil is required, add the same and allow all the slices to be fried well on both sides till they turn crisp. Then serve hot with rice and dal.

This kind of dry fried vegetables in rice paste is quite popular in Orissa. It is a quick recipe that uses lesser oil. You can also make the rice paste and keep it in refrigerator for immediate use in future.

Dahi Baigana

Ingredients:

200gm fresh Curd (Dahi) 250gm Brinjal (Baaigana) 250ml Refined Oil (Refine tela) 4 Green Chillies (Kancha Lanka) ½ teaspoon Mustard + Cumin Seeds (Sorisha + Jeera) 6-8 Curry leaves (Bhursanga patra) Salt to taste

Method: Whip the curd well by adding salt . Cut the brinjals into thick pieces of length around 2”. Fry the cut brinjals in a frying pan. Then put them into the whipped curd . Heat two teaspoon of refined oil in another frying pan. Add mustard, cumin seeds and curry leaves. When the seeds start cracking add green chillies. Transfer the contents of the pan to the curd containing brinjals. Stir lightly. Keep the dish aside for 10 minutes and then serve with hot rice.

Ghanta

Ingredients:

50gm Arum (Saru)

50gm Potato (Alu)

50gm Yam (Desi Alu)

50gm Pumpkin (Kakharu)

50gm striped Pear Gourd/ Parwal (Potala)

2 Tomatoes (Tamatar)

5-6 Indian beans (Simba)

7 French beans (Bean)

4 long beans (Jhudunga)

1 Brinjal (Baaigana)

total 1 cup of dry yellow matar / kabuli chana / lima beans seeds (matar chana + kabuli chana + simba manji)

½ tablespoon Turmeric Powder (Haladi Gunda)

1 medium sized Ginger (ada)

5 Garlic Cloves (Rasuna Kola)

1 Onion (Piaja)

2 Bay leaves (Teja Patra)

1 tablespoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)

1/2 teaspoon Mustard (Sorisha)

4 Red Chillies (sukhila Lanka)

½ cup Coconut – cut into small pieces (Kata Nadia)

1 tablespoon Refined oil (Refine Tela)

Salt to taste (Luna)

Method:

Cut the vegetables after thoroughly washing them. Boil all the pulse seeds after soaking them in water for about 8 hrs. Make a paste of onion, ginger, and garlic. Fry cumin seeds and red chilies in a pan and then make rough powder of the same. Boil all the cut vegetables, pre-boiled seeds, coconut pieces. Add salt, turmeric powder, bay leaves. Take a tablespoon of oil in another pan and put it on medium flame. Add ½ teaspoon each of cumin seeds and mustard to it. When mustards start cracking add the paste of onion, garlic and ginger and stir well. After the paste turns golden brown, add the boiled mixture of vegetables etc. and stir continuously. Put the pan on low flame for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and red chilly powder to the pan and stir well. Now your Ghanta is ready to be served.

Etiquette of Indian Dining

As in many cultures, eating and drinking are important and widely respected parts of Indian culture, local customs, traditions, and religions. Proper table manners vary from culture to culture, although there are always a few basic rules that are important to follow. Etiquette should be observed when dining in any Indian household or restaurant, though the acceptable standards depends upon the situation.

Cutlery:
Though Indian cooking uses an extensive array of specialized utensils for various purposes, Indians traditionally do not use cutlery for eating, as many foods - such as Indian breads and curry - are best enjoyed when eating with the hand. There is a story that the Shah of Iran, on a visit to India, was so impressed by the custom that he remarked that to eat with a spoon and fork is like making love through an interpreter. Indians usually give the following explanation for the practice of eating with hands: "Food is divine and needs to be enjoyed with touch, smell and taste. There is no joy in using a knife and fork to eat it."

Eating with one's hands is a technique that can be quite clean when done correctly, but may require a degree of practice. First, the hands must be thoroughly washed, with particular attention paid to the fingernails. Having long fingernails in India is considered unhygienic (with the exception of sadhus and other ascetics).

Using the fingers, the food should be scooped onto the flatbread (naan, roti, etc.) and quickly brought to the mouth. In North India, when eating curry, the gravy must not be allowed to stain your fingers--only the fingertips are used. In South India, it is considered ill mannered to let your food stain the out side of your fingers or palm while eating and food is to be eaten only with the tip of the fingers, though popular belief is to think it is okay use more of your hand. In South India, the plate is not to be touched or held by the left hand while eating.

When flatbreads such as chapati, roti, or naan are served with the meal, it is acceptable to use pieces of them to gather food and sop up gravies and curries.

Not all Indian foods should be eaten with the hands, however. If the food is "wet" or "watery," like many daals and soups, spoons should be used. Additionally, foods such as rice are traditionally eaten with spoons in both North and South India, though this can vary depending upon the region.

Additionally, spoons (usually two used in a clasping motion) and forks are commonly used to distribute foods from a communal dish, as it is considered rude to touch the foods of others.

Traditional Indian cutlery does not recognize the use of forks and knives while eating, limiting their use to the kitchen only. Spoons were made of wood in ancient times, evolving into metallic spoons during the advent of the use of the thali, the traditional dish on which Indian food is served.

Ushte:
The concept of 'jutha' (in North India), 'ushtha' (in Western India), 'etho' (in Bengal, Eastern India) or 'echal' (in Tamil Nadu), Enjulu (in Karnataka), engili (in Andhra Pradesh) is a common belief in India. 'Jutha' is, essentially, something that has come in contact with your mouth, your saliva or your plate while eating - something that directly or indirectly came in contact with your saliva. It is considered extremely rude and unhygienic to offer someone your ‘jutha’ and it can only be offered to livestock or very close family/friends.

Right Hand:
The cardinal rule of dining is to always use the right hand when eating or receiving food and never the left. The left hand is considered unclean. However, it is advisable to use the left hand if there are any cutlery for taking food from the dish onto your plate. In some cases, use of the left hand is acceptable, such as when eating onions and other food accompaniments. Indians in distant rural India are not as concerned about the propriety of eating with the right hand. Also, in some communities, it is now acceptable for left-handed individuals to eat with their left hands.

Beef and Pork:
Almost all Hindus consider cattle sacred, and do not eat beef. Muslims consider the pig unclean and do not eat pork. Restaurants in more conservative Indian states, therefore, don't serve beef or pork, and if they are not on the menu then one would not ask for them for risk of offending the restaurateur. On the other hand, beef is commonly available in the North-Eastern states and Kerala and also in Goa and pork is common in Goa, the state of Karnataka and Kerala.

Other Rules:
In formal settings, it is expected that everyone will wait for the host or the eldest person - the elder taking priority over the host - to begin eating before everyone else starts. Everyone must wash their hands before sitting at the table as some Indian foods are eaten by hand. One must wash one's hands after eating the food. It is not necessary to taste each and every dish prepared; but you must finish everything on the plate as it is considered a respect for served food. For that reason, take only as much food on the plate you can finish.

Indian Cuisine

Not to be confused with Native American cuisine.

The cuisine of India is characterized by its sophisticated and subtle use of many spices and vegetables grown across India and also for the widespread practice of vegetarianism across its society. Considered by some to be one of the world's most diverse cuisines, each family of this cuisine is characterised by a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. As a consequence, Indian cuisine varies from region to region, reflecting the varied demographics of the ethnically diverse Indian subcontinent.

India's religious beliefs and culture has played an influential role in the evolution of its cuisine. However, India's cuisine also evolved with the subcontinent's cross-cultural interactions with the neighboring Middle East and Central Asia as well as the Mediterranean, making it a unique blend of various cuisines from across Asia. The colonial period introduced European cooking styles to India adding to its flexibility and diversity. Indian cuisine has also influenced cuisines across the world, especially those from Southeast Asia. In particular, curry has been widely adopted in cuisines around the world.

History and Influences:

As a land that has experienced extensive immigration and intermingling through many millennia, India's cuisine has benefited from numerous food influences. The diverse climate in the region, ranging from deep tropical to alpine, has also helped considerably broaden the set of ingredients readily available to the many schools of cookery in India. In many cases, food has become a marker of religious and social identity, with varying taboos and preferences. One strong influence over Indian foods is the longstanding vegetarianism within sections of India's Hindu, Buddhist and Jain communities. People who follow a strict vegetarian diet make up 20–42% of the population in India, while less than 30% are regular meat-eaters.

Around 7000 BC, sesame, eggplant, and humped cattle had been domesticated in the Indus Valley. By 3000 BC, turmeric, cardamom, black pepper and mustard were harvested in India. Many recipes first emerged during the initial Vedic period, when India was still heavily forested and agriculture was complemented with game hunting and forest produce. In Vedic times, a normal diet consisted of fruit, vegetables, meat, grain, dairy products and honey. Over time, some segments of the population embraced vegetarianism, due to ancient Hindu philosophy of ahimsa. This practice gained more popularity following the advent of Buddhism and a cooperative climate where variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains could easily be grown throughout the year. A food classification system that categorised any item as saatvic, raajsic or taamsic developed in Ayurveda. Each was deemed to have a powerful effect on the body and the mind

Later, invasions from Central Asia, Arabia, the Mughal empire, and Persia, and others had a deep and fundamental effect on Indian cooking. Influence from traders such as the Arab and Portuguese diversified subcontinental tastes and meals. As with other cuisines, Indian cuisine has absorbed the new-world vegetables such as tomato, chilli, and potato, as staples. These are actually relatively recent additions.

Islamic rule introduced rich gravies, pilafs and non-vegetarian fare such as kebabs, resulting in Mughlai cuisine (Mughal in origin), as well as such fruits as apricots, melons, peaches, and plums. The Mughals were great patrons of cooking. Lavish dishes were prepared during the reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan. The Nizams of Hyderabad state meanwhile developed and perfected their own style of cooking with the most notable dish being the Biryani, often considered by many connoisseurs to be the finest of the main dishes in India.

During this period the Portuguese and British introduced foods from the New World such as potatoes, tomatoes, squash, and chilies as well as cooking techniques like baking.

Elements:

The staples of Indian cuisine are rice, atta (whole wheat flour), and a variety of pulses, the most important of which are masoor (most often red lentil), chana (bengal gram), toor (pigeon pea or yellow gram), urad (black gram) and mung (green gram). Pulses may be used whole, dehusked, for example dhuli moong or dhuli urad, or split. Pulses are used extensively in the form of dal (split). Some of the pulses like chana and "Mung" are also processed into flour (besan).

Most Indian curries are cooked in vegetable oil. In North and West India, groundnut oil has traditionally been most popular for cooking, while in Eastern India, Mustard oil is more commonly used. In South India, coconut oil and Gingelly Oil is common. In recent decades, sunflower oil and soybean oil have gained popularity all over India. Hydrogenated vegetable oil, known as Vanaspati ghee, is also a popular cooking medium that replaces Desi ghee, clarified butter (the milk solids have been removed).

The most important/frequently used spices in Indian cuisine are chilli pepper, black mustard seed (rai), cumin (jeera), turmeric (haldi, manjal), fenugreek (methi), asafoetida (hing, perungayam), ginger (adrak, inji), coriander, and garlic (lassan, poondu). Popular spice mixes are garam masala which is usually a powder of five or more dried spices, commonly comprised of cardamom, cinnamon and clove. Each region, and sometimes each individual chef, has a distinctive blend of Garam Masala. Goda Masala is a popular spice mix in Maharashtra. Some leaves are commonly used like tejpat (cassia leaf), coriander leaf, fenugreek leaf and mint leaf. The common use of curry leaves is typical of all South Indian cuisine. In sweet dishes, cardamom, nutmeg, saffron, and rose petal essence are used.

The term "curry" is usually understood to mean "gravy" in India, rather than "spices."

Geographical varieties:

Northern:
North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the proportionally high use of dairy products; milk, paneer, ghee (clarified butter), and yoghurt (yogurt, yoghourt) are all common ingredients. Gravies are typically dairy-based. Other common ingredients include chilies, saffron, and nuts.

North Indian cooking features the use of the "tawa" (griddle) for baking flat breads like roti and paratha, and "tandoor" (a large and cylindrical coal-fired oven) for baking breads such as naan, and kulcha; main courses like tandoori chicken also cook in the tandoor. Other breads like puri and bhatoora, which are deep fried in oil, are also common. Goat and lamb meats are favored ingredients of many northern Indian recipes.

The samosa is a popular North Indian snack, and now commonly found in other parts of India, Central Asia, North America, and the Middle East. A common variety is filled with boiled, fried, or mashed potato. Other fillings include minced meat, cheese (paneer), mushroom (khumbi), and chick pea.

The staple food of most of North India is a variety of lentils, vegetables, and roti (wheat based bread). The varieties used and the method of preparation can vary from place to place. Popular snacks, side-dishes and drinks include mirchi bada, buknu, bhujiya, chaat, kachori, imarti, several types of pickles (known as achar), murabba, sharbat, aam panna and aam papad. Popular sweets are known as mithai (meetha means sweet in Hindi), such as gulab jamun, jalebi, peda, petha, rewdi, gajak, bal mithai, singori, kulfi, falooda, khaja, ras malai, gulkand, and several varieties of laddu, barfi and halwa.

Some common North Indian foods such as the various kebabs and most of the meat dishes originated with Muslims’ incursions into the country. Considering their shared historic and cultural heritage, Pakistani cuisine and north Indian cuisine are very similar.

Eastern:
East Indian cuisine is famous for its desserts, especially sweets such as rasagolla, chumchum, sandesh, rasabali, chhena poda, chhena gaja, and kheeri. Many of the sweet dishes now popular in Northern India initially originated in the Bengal and Orissa regions. Apart from sweets, East India cuisine offers delights of posta (poppy seeds).

Traditional Bengali cuisine is not too spicy, not too faint. General ingredients used in Bengali curries are mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black cumin, green chillies and cumin paste. Mustard paste, curd, nuts, poppy seed paste and cashew paste are preferably cooked in mustard oil. Curries are classified into bata (paste), bhaja (fries), chochchoree (less spicy vapourized curries) and jhol (thin spicy curries).These are eaten with plain boiled rice or ghonto (spiced rice). Traditional Bengali breakfast includes pantabhat (biotically degenerated boiled rice), doi-chirey, doodh-muree with fruits. Bangladesh's cuisine is very similar to that of West Bengal, corresponding to the link between Pakistani and northern Indian cuisine. Fish is relatively commonly consumed in the eastern part of India, most especially in Bengal.

Like South India, rice is the staple grain in Eastern India too. A regular meal consists of many side dishes made of vegetables. The popular vegetable dishes of Orissa are Dalma and Santula. The most popular vegetable dish of Bengal is Sukto. Deep fried, shallow fried and mashed vegetables are also very popular. Fish frequently features in a regular meal.

Southern:
South Indian cuisine is distinguished by a greater emphasis on rice as the staple grain, the ubiquity of sambar and rasam (also called saaru and rasa), a variety of pickles, and the liberal use of coconut and particularly coconut oil and curry leaves. The dosa, poori, idli, vada, bonda and bajji are typical South Indian favorites. These are generally consumed as breakfast. Hyderabadi biryani, a popular type of biryani, reflects the diversity of south Indian cuisine.

Andhra, Chettinad, Tamil, Hyderabadi, Mangalorean, and Kerala cuisines each have distinct tastes and methods of cooking . In fact each of the South Indian states has a different way of preparing sambar; a connoisseur of South Indian food will very easily tell the difference between sambar from Kerala, sambar from Tamil cuisine, Sambar from Karnataka and pappu chaaru in Andhra cuisine.Some popular dishes include the Biriyani, Ghee Rice with meat curry, seafood (prawns, mussels, mackerel) and paper thin Pathiris from Malabar area.

Western:
Western India has three major food groups: Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Goan. Maharashtrian cuisine has mainly two sections defined by the geographical sections. The coastal regions, geographically similar to Goa depend more on rice, coconut, and fish. The hilly regions of the Western Ghats and Deccan plateau regions use groundnut in place of coconut and depend more on jowar (sorghum) and bajra (millet) as staples. Saraswat cuisine forms an important part of coastal Konkani Indian cuisine. Gujarati cuisine is predominantly vegetarian. Many Gujarati dishes have a hint of sweetness due to use of sugar or brown sugar. Goan cuisine is influenced by the Portuguese colonization of Goa.

North Eastern:
The food of the North East is very different from other parts of India. This area's cuisine is more influenced by its neighbours, namely Burma and the People's Republic of China. Its use of well known Indian spices is less. Yak is a popular meat in this region of India.

Popularity and influence outside India:
Indian cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines across the globe. The cuisine is popular not only among the large Indian diaspora but also among the mainstream population of North America and Europe. In 2003, there were as many as 10,000 restaurants serving Indian cuisine in the United States alone. A survey held in 2007 revealed that more than 1,200 Indian food products have been introduced in the United States since 2000. According to Britain's Food Standards Agency, Indian food industry in the United Kingdom is worth £3.2 billion, accounts for two-thirds of all eating out and serves about 2.5 million British customers every week.

Apart from Europe and North America, Indian cuisine is popular in South East Asia too because of its strong historical influence on the region's local cuisines. Indian cuisine has had considerable influence on Malaysian cooking styles and also enjoys strong popularity in Singapore. Indian influence on Malay cuisine dates back to 19-century. Other cuisines which borrow Indian cooking styles include Vietnamese cuisine, Indonesian cuisine and Thai cuisine. The spread of vegetarianism in other parts of Asia is often credited to ancient Indian Buddhist practices. Indian cuisine is also fairly popular in the Arab world because of its similarity and influence on Arab cuisine.

The popularity of curry, which originated in India, across Asia has often led to the dish being labeled as the "pan-Asian" dish. Curry's international appeal has also been compared to that of pizza. Though the tandoor did not originate in India, Indian tandoori dishes, such as chicken tikka made with Indian ingredients, enjoy widespread popularity. Historically, Indian spices and herbs were one of the most sought after trade commodities. The spice trade between India and Europe led to the rise and dominance of Arab traders to such an extent that European explorers, such as Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus, set out to find new trade routes with India leading to the Age of Discovery.

Beverages:
Tea is a staple beverage throughout India; the finest varieties are grown in Darjeeling and Assam. It is generally prepared as masala chai, wherein the tea leaves are boiled in a mix of water, spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, and large quantities of milk to create a thick, sweet, milky concoction. Different varieties and flavors of Tea are prepared to suit different tastes all over the country. Another popular beverage, coffee, is largely served in South India. One of the finest varieties of Coffea arabica is grown around Mysore, Karnataka, and is marketed under the trade name "Mysore Nuggets". Indian filter coffee, or kaapi, is also especially popular in South India. Other beverages include nimbu pani (lemonade), lassi, chaach, badam doodh (milk with nuts and cardamom), sharbat and coconut water. India also has many indigenous alcoholic beverages, including palm wine, fenny and Indian beer. There's also bhang, prepared using cannabis, and typically consumed, especially in North India, during Holi and Vaisakhi. However the practice of drinking a beverage with a meal, or wine and food matching, is not traditional or common in India.

Although the above listed beverages are popular, people prefer to consume drinking water with their food. In fact it is custom to offer drinking water to guests before serving hot or cold drinks, also drinking water does not overshadow the taste of food.


Etiquette:
Several customs are associated with the manner of food consumption. Traditionally, meals are eaten while seated either on the floor or on very low stools or cushions. Food is most often eaten without cutlery, using instead the fingers of the right hand. However, these traditional ways of dining are being influenced by eating styles from other parts of the world. Eating with your hands is considered important in Indian etiquette because a person eating with his hands knows the exact temperature of food before the morsel hits his mouth thus preventing blisters in mouth due to consumption of hot food.

Traditional serving styles vary from region to region in India. A universal aspect of presentation is the thali, a large plate with samplings of different regional dishes accompanied by raita, breads such as naan, puri, or roti, and rice. In South India, a cleaned banana leaf is often used as a hygienic, visually interesting and environmentally friendly alternative to plates.

List of Indian Spices

Hello Everybody,
Here I Am sharing a list of commonly used Indian Spices,
Hope this will help You.

Below is a list of spices (and other flavoring substances) commonly used in India

* Aamchur/Amchoor powder, sour (Mango powder)
* Achar (Pickle)
* Ajmud (Celery or Radhuni seed)
* Ajmoda (Parsley)
* Ajwain (Carom seed)
* Amla (Indian Gooseberry)
* Anardana (Pomegranate seed)
* Bazil (spicepowder)
* Badam (Almond)
* Choti Elaichi (Green cardamom)
* Chakra Phool (Star Anise)
* Chironji (Charoli) or (Buchanania Latifolia), a type of nut used in making desserts.
* Camiki (Mango Extract)
* Dalchini (Cinnamon)
* Dhania (Coriander seed)
* Dhania powder (Coriander powder)
* Elaichi (Cardamom)
* Garam Masala (Spice mixture)
* Gulab Jal (Rosewater)
* Gur (unrefined sugar from the sap of the Sugarcane or Date Palm)
* Haldi (Turmeric)
* Hara Dhaniya (Coriander)
* Harad / Hime (Myrobalan Chabulic)
* Hari Mirch (Green Chilly)
* Harre
* Hara Miri Miri (Coriander powder)
* Hing (Asafoetida)
* Imli (Tamarind)
* Jaggery (unrefined sugar from Sugarcane)
* Jaiphal (Nutmeg)
* Javitri (Mace)
* Jeera (Cumin) seed
* Jethimadh Licorice powder
* Kachra (Capers)
* Kadipatta Curry Tree or Sweet Neem leaf
* Kaju Cashewnut
* Kala Namak or Sanchal Black salt
* Kali Mirch (Black Peppercorn)
* Kalonji Nigella seed
* Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek leaf)
* Katira Gum (Gond Katira) or Tragacanth Gum.
* Kebab Cheeni
* Kesar Saffron
* Kesar Miri Miri Saffron Pulp
* Khajur Dates
* Kokum Garcinia Indica
* Khus Khus Poppy seed
* Kudampuli Garcinia Gummi-Gutta - Used in fish preparations of Kerala.
* Lahsun (Garlic)
* Lal Mirchi (Red chilly)
* Lal Mirchi powder (Red Chilly Powder)
* Lavang (Cloves)
* Marathi Moggu
* Methi leaves (Fenugreek leaf)
* Methi seeds (Fenugreek seed)
* Sarson Tel (Mustard oil)
* Naaga Keshar
* Namak (Salt)
* Nimbu (Lemon)
* Nimbu (Lime)
* Pudina (Mint)
* Pyaz or Kanda (Onion)
* Kali Mirchi (Black Pepper)
* Panch Phoron
* Phathar ke phool (Black Stone Flower)
* Pilli Mirchi (Yellow Pepper)
* Safed Mirchi (White Pepper)
* Rai (Black Mustard seed)
* Rai Kuria (cracked Mustard seeds)
* Ratin Jot (Alkanet Root)
* Saji (na) phool (Citric Acid)
* Sarson (Mustard Seed)
* Saunf / Sanchal (Fennel seed)
* Shahi Jeera (Black Cumin seed)
* Sirka (Vinegar)
* Soa Sag (Dill)
* Sonth (Dried Ginger Powder)
* Suwa or Shopa (Aniseed)
* Taj (Cinnamon)
* Tartri (Citric acid)
* Tej Patta (Malabathrum)
* Thippali (Kabab-chini, Java peppercorn)
* Til (Sesame seed)
* Tulsi (Holy Basil)
* Urad dal (Split Matpe or Beluga Beans))
* Vanilla
* Zaafraan (Saffron)
* Menthulu (Fenugreek Seeds)
* Shitu (Lima Seed Skin)
* Osmanli (Onion Peelings)
* Pudina (Mint)
* Deggi Mirch, Red Chilly powder (non spicy)

Chingudi Mahura (Non - Veg)

Ingredients:

2 Potatoes (Alu)

1 Brinjal (Baaigana)

2 raw Bananas (Kancha Kadali)

100 gm – Yam (Desi Alu)

100 gm – Pumpkin (Kakharu)

2 Tomatoes (Tamatar)

Other vegetables may be added / replaced as per choice.

1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haladi Gunda)

1 teaspoonful Chilly powder (Lanka Gunda)

Salt to taste (Luna)

1 small Ginger (Ada)

5 Garlic Cloves (Rasuna Kola)

2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)

1 teaspoon Coriander seeds (Dhania)

1 Onion (Piaja)

2 table spoon Refined Oil (Refine tela)

300 gram – very small Prawns (Chhota Chingudi)


Method:

Wash the vegetables and prawns thoroughly. Clean the prawns properly and cut the vegetables into small pieces. Fry the prawns in ½ table spoon refined oil, add salt and turmeric powder to it. Keep it aside. Make a paste of onion, cumin seeds, coriander, garlic, ginger. Fry the paste in a pan with refined oil. Then add all the washed vegetables, salt, turmeric powder and chilly powder and mix them thoroughly. Pour water to it. Put the pan on low flame for about 3 minutes. Add the fried prawns when the vegetables appear boiled and place the pan on low flame again for 5 minutes. Your Chingudi Mahura is ready. Serve with hot rice.