Janhi Chingudi (Ridge Gourd with Shrimp)

Ingredients

Ridge Gourd - 4

Shrimp - 15 Large (remove vein and shell)

Potato - 1 Large

Ground Onion-Ginger-Garlic Paste - 4 tbsp

Curry Powder - 4 tbsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Canola Oil - 3 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp or as per taste

Cumin seeds - 1/8 tsp

Dry Red Chilli - 2

Method

Let the Shrimp thaw and be soft to touch.

Heat Canola oil. 

Once the oil is hot, add the Shrimp. Sprinkle Turmeric Powder and Salt and mix well. Stir every min or so till the Shrimp is cooked. Do not overcook.

Keep the Shrimp aside. In the oil remaining in the pan, add the chopped Potato. I chopped the Potato length-wise so it is similar in shape to the chopped Ridge Gourd.

Once the Potato is cooked, keep it aside with the Shrimp.

In the oil that remains, add Cumin seeds and dry Red Chilli.

Once this oil is tempered with Cumin seeds and dry Red Chilli, add a pinch of sugar and caramelize the same.

Add the Ground Onion-Ginger-Garlic Paste and mix well.

Once the paste is half-cooked, add the chopped Ridge Gourd

Note: Chop the Ridge Gourd into two or three pieces, so that it is easier to chop individually. Remove the skin and then chop into small cubes,

Cover if necessary.

Once the Ridge Gourd looks cooked, add the already cooked Shrimp and Potato pieces.

Mix well. Cover if necessary. Add a dash of water to prevent the dish from sticking to the sides of the pan.

Enjoy with Rice\Dal or Roti\Chapatti.

I was a never a fan of this vegetable, right from my childhood days. During my parents recent visit, my mom prepared this dish. I loved it but that was it. It's been a few months since and I thought of grabbing a few Ridge Gourd during my recent grocery shopping. Was I surprised how delicious this dish turned out to be!?! Think it's gonna be a staple.

The garlic-based Spinach dish in this pic is also a recent favorite of mine. I am adding a lot of new vegetables to my pantry this holiday season - can't be more proud of myself! The cooking experience when relaxed is a different experience - it is not a chore.

More about Ridge Gourd and it's health benefits (blood purifier, manages insulin levels, etc. among others) can be found here. More details about the vegetable can be found here (the image is from the same website).

Ridge gourd medically referred to as Luffa acutangula as well as called turiya or even turai or beerakai or dodka in several languages in India is yet another variety of gourd along with a functional veggie that provides a facet to the veggie delicacies. This can be referred to as Chinese Okra or even Sponge gourd.

Achari Brussel Sprouts

Yay! Another new vegetable added to my kitchen - yes, Brussel Sprouts. I have always avoided it for no apparent reason - in my experimentation mode which usually creeps in during the holidays, I got adventurous, if one may say so. 

Brussel Sprouts - 1 pack typically includes about 20 pieces

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Cut off the tough base of the Brussel Sprout and cut it length-wise into halves.

Marinade with Turmeric and Salt. I left it overnight, but an hour or so should suffice, I guess.

Canola Oil - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Dry Red Chilli - 3

Onion-Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tbsp

Achari Spice Mix - 3-4 tbsp (I used a brand gifted by my cousin, bought from Indore, India; Shan brand should also work)

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Heat Canola oil in a pan.

As it warms up, add the Cumin seed as well Dry Red Chilli and let it sizzle.

Add the ground Onion-Ginger-Garlic paste. Mix it well and let it cook.

As the spice mix is getting cooked, add the Achari spice mix and coriander powder.

Add the marinaded Brussel Sprouts and mix it well.

Cook in high heat till the sprouts are cooked. Add few drops of water if you see the spice getting stuck to the pan sides.

If needed, cover for a few mins in Lowe heat.

Serve it as a side with Rice or Roti/Chappati. Enjoy! I had mine with Roti, Dal (lentils), Mutton Liver curry and Cauliflower/Mushroom Pakoda (fritters) - yum, that was a feast!

Chicken Kadai (with Banne Nawab Masala)

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 whole (about 20 pieces)

Onion-Ginger-Garlic paste - 15 tbsp (paste made with 2 Tomato, 1 large Onion, 6 cloves Garlic, 1 inch Ginger)

Banne Nawab brand Kadai Chicken Masala - 1/2 packet

Turmeric - 1tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp or as per taste

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Dry Red Chilli - 3

Dry Bay Leaf - 3

Canola oil - 3 tbsp

Method

Thaw the Chicken to room temperature.

Marinade with Salt and Turmeric for approx. 30 mins.

Heat Canola oil in a pan.

As it warms up, add Cumin seeds, dry Bay leaf and dry Red Chilli to temper the oil.

Add the ground Onion-Ginger-Garlic paste. Mix it well.

Stir it frequently till the paste is cooked and oil starts separating.

Add the Chicken and mix it well. Cook at Medium-High heat to avoid the Chicken from becoming too watery.

As the Chicken is half-cooked, add the Kadai Masala spice mix. Mix it well.

If the spice mix or Chicken is sticking to the sides of the pan, add few dashes of water and remove the stuck items before it burns. Cover it for a few mins, if needed, to make it cook faster.

In the last 5 mins, you can add half an Onion, chopped into long slices. Mix it well and continue cooking. Serve it warm with Roti/Chapatti or Rice/Dal.

Note - There is a recipe enclosed in the Banne Nawab brand Kadai Chicken Masala spice mix. We love that preparation as well but it is different from the above.

Stir fried Bok Choy with Peanut Vignaigrette

Ingredients

Bok Choy - 1 pack (about 8)

Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Canola oil - 2 tbsp

Peanut Vignaigrette- a dash or 3-4 tbsp (as per taste)

Salt - 1/4 tsp or as per taste

Pepper - as per taste

Method

Chop the base of the Bok Choy

Cut it into halves or quarters length-wise

Clean it using running water - there may be dirt trapped in the base.

Heat Canola oil in a pan.

Add Peanuts to lightly roast them. Keep close watch in order to not burn them.

When the Peanuts are roasted, add the chopped and cleaned Bok Choys.

Add Salt and Pepper. Mix it well.

You can serve it at this point.

Alternatively, add the Peanut Vignaigrette and let it cook for another 5 mins.

Serve hot. 

Another alternative is to use chopped garlic instead of Peanuts - this will give two slightly different dishes than the above. Refer "Bok Choy Recipe by Steamy Kitchen" that shows how to clean Bok Choy and the Garlic-based recipe.

I am a Bok Choy fan now, as you can see! :) Happy holidays, everyone!

Tuna Fried Rice

Ingredients

Canned Tuna (in Olive Oil) - 1 can
Potatoes - 4 Medium, boiled and coarsely mashed
Onion - 1 Large, chopped
Green Chilli - 3/4, chopped (if not available, 1 dry red chilli will do!)
Dry Bay Leaf - 2

Cooked Rice - 2 cups (or more, if you want more Rice compared to Fish!)
Eggs - 4

Shan Egg Fried Rice Spice Mix - 1/2 packet (optional)
Salt, as per taste
Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp (or lesser, optional)
Cumin Seeds - 2 to 3 pinches

Canola Oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Method

Use Paper towel to squeeze out the olive oil from the canned Tuna. The Tuna should eventually fall apart.
Mix it with Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder and Salt.
Add the mashed Potato to the above and mix it together.

Heat 2 tbsp Canola oil in a flat pan.
Add Cumin Seeds, dry Bay Leaf and Green Chilli (or Dry Red Chilli). Let it sizzle and temper the oil.
Add chopped Onions. Stir and let it cook in medium heat for 5 mins till the Onion is translucent.
Add the already prepared Tuna-Potato mixture and mix it well.
Add little water if the mixture is sticking to the sides of the container. Keep stirring and let it mix till the raw smell is gone. Takes about 5-10 mins.
Keep this mixture aside. We will add it to the cooked Rice later.

Heat 1 tbsp Canola oil in a flat pan.
Once the oil is warm, add the eggs and let it cook. Stir it so that you have well cooked pieces of eggs.
Add Salt and Black Pepper for flavor.
Add the cooked Rice (room temperature is preferred for the Rice). Mix it well.
Add the Shan Egg Fried Rice Spice Mix, if you are planning to use it. Mix it well.
Add the prepared Tuna mix and combine them all together. This takes about another 5 mins.

I usually cover it and let it sit for 10-15 mins before serving. It goes well with a slice of Onion and Tomato or Raita or just Tomato Ketchup!

Bon Appetit! :)

Guguni - Yellow Peas (street food of Odisha)

This is one of the dishes unique to Odisha - a popular street food apart from being akin to Cholley of Punjabi household in a Odiya household. It is the only use of Yellow Peas in my house - if you have any other recipe that uses the same, please do share.

Ingredients

Yellow Peas (dry) - 1 cup, soak overnight

Ginger - 1 inch

Cinnamon - 1 stick

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry Red Chilli - 2-3

Dry Bay Leaves - 3-4

Boiled Potatoe - 2-3, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

Water - to pressure cook the Yellow Peas and for the gravy

Canola Oil - 1 tbsp

Tomato-Ginger-Garlic-Onion Paste - 10 tbsp (Grind 2 medium Onions, 1 inch Ginger, 2 Tomatoes, 7-8 Garlic Pods)

Onion - Raw, chopped to garnish

Cilantro - Fresh, chopped to garnish

Rock Salt - to garnish, as per taste, optional

Method

Soak Yellow Peas (dry) overnight in water.

Pressure cook the soaked Yellow Peas and chopped Potatoes (1/2 inch cubes or smaller) with Salt, Turmeric, Cinnamon stick and Chilli Powder(optional, as per taste) - I usually cook it for 3-4 whistles. Let it sit till the cooker cover opens by itself.

In a flat pan, hear Canola oil. 

Add dry Cumin seed, dry Bay Leaf and dry Red Chilli and let it sizzle and temper the oil.

Add the ground Tomato-Ginger-Garlic-Onion Paste. Stir often and let it cook.

When the oil separates, add the boiled Yellow Peas and Potatoes (without the water).

Let it cook for 5-10 mins and then add water as per the desired consistency.

Serve hot. Garnish with raw chopped Onion, chopped fresh Cilantro and powder Rock Salt - optional, as per taste!

Khichdi with Split Moong Dal

I first had this at my friend Prajakta's place. This morning, when I was thinking of having something hot to get some relief for my sore throat, this is the only dish that was coming to mind. Also, a one pot meal wonder to ease Sunday cooking - so off I went experimenting! 😊

Thank you, Prajakta, for this wonderful soul-food recipe.

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 1 cup

Split Green Moong Dal - 1 cup

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Asafetida - 4-5 pinches (Or dashes from a bottle with small hole)

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp, or as per taste

Dry Red Chilli - 3

Sugar - a pinch

Water - 8 cups

Method

1. Heat Ghee in Pressure Cooker

2. Add Cumin Seed and Asafetida

3. Add Dry Red Chilli, Turmeric and Salt

4. Add Sugar

5. Add the soaked and cleaned Rice and Dal mix (I soaked it in hot water for 5 mins and rinsed clean). Stir it till the grains are apart and do not stick to the side of the vessel.

6. Add water. Mix well and bring it to a boil in High heat.

7. Reduce heat to Medium-High. Cover the cooker and let it simmer for approximately 7 mins till the whistle goes off.

8. After the first whistle, reduce heat to Medium and let it cook for another 6 mins.

9. Stop the heat. Let the cover open by itself after a few mins.

10. Serve hot with Papad or Mango Pickle.

Kala Chana Pulao

A Rice preparation that is wholesome, delicious and also an one-pot wonder - what is not to like in it? :) Found the recipe here - Thank you, Ujwal!

Ingredients

1 cup Rice - soaked for 1 hour
2 tbsp Canola Oil
3/4 tsp Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
1 Onion sliced, medium in size
1/2 tsp Ginger Paste - 1/2 tsp Garlic Paste (I used 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste)
1/2 -1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Vegetable Curry Powder
Salt (to taste)
2 tsp Lemon juice
Coriander leaves (A few with stalk)

Soak together overnight
1/2 cup Kala (black) Channa
1  Cinnamon
2-3 Cloves
2 cups Water




Method

1. Soak Channa overnight with all the ingredients given under "Soak together overnight" and pressure cook for one whistle, Keep on low flame for 20 mins thereafter. Reserve the stock.
2. Strain Channa. Measure stock and add enough water to make it upto 2 cups (double the volume of the rice).
3. Heat Canola Oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add Jeera. When it turns golden, add the sliced Onion and stir fry till the raw smell is gone.
4. Add Ginger Garlic paste and fry for a min. 
5. Add in cooked Kala Channa, Lemon juice, salt, Garam Masala, Vegetable Curry Powder, Red Chilli powder. Fry for 2 minutes. Add Rice. Mix. Add coriander leaves.
6. Add the measured stock and water mixture. Boil.
7. Cover with a well fitting lid. cook on low flame until almost done.
8. Fluff with fork to let the steam escape so that rice grains do not stick to each other. If needed, cover it for a few mins to continue cooking the Rice in it's steam.
9. Garnish with a sprig of Coriander leaf or Mint leaf.

Serve hot with cool Raita!

Bingsu .. no cousin of Bingo!

Tried this dessert this past weekend and how I regretted not having tasted it so far. Sometime back, I had carried it out and of course, it was a disaster. Never ever carry it out - even if you do, have it soon after.

Bingsu is a Korean dessert consisting of shaved ice, condensed milk, chopped fruits and red bean paste. The wikipedia page for the same is here. I had this at Shilla's Patisserie at Centerville, VA. It is served in large portion - two or three people can easily share it depending on appetite. Do check it out! As well as the Mango Souffle Cake pic below - so light, creamy and delicious.

While we are on Korean food, sharing a pic of the Vegetable Pancake and Mushroom Tofu Soup from Lighthouse Tofu next door. I can have this seven days a week - that should tell you how much I like it!! Enjoy!!

Fragrant Lemon Rice

It is surprising that we eat Rice often and yet I had not made Lemon Rice ever! From childhood memories, there was one Holi (the color festival of India to welcome Spring season) when my mom had prepared Lemon Rice. After the exciting morning playing colors with friends and family, the Lemon Rice was distinctly fragrant and flavorful. It is one of those meals that leaves a distinct mark in your memory.

When having friends over for a simple dinner this past weekend, I decided to try my hand at making the Lemon Rice. So scoured the websites and VahReVah! video tutorial on the same. Finally decided to use the recipe posted here at "Chef In Making - Recipes with a twist" and slightly modify it. Thank you, soniaabrol, for the recipe.

To prepare for approx. 20 people, use the following measure of ingredients when you have a few appetizers and other side-dishes to accompany. For more or less people and more or less menu items, change the rice amount accordingly.

Ingredients

Rice - 4 cups (raw)
Canola Oil - 2 tbsp
Asafoetida (Hing) powder - 1/8 tsp or 6-7 pinches
Mustard Seeds - 1 tbsp
Dry Red Chillies - 6-7 (or depending on taste)
Curry Leaves - a bunch, approx 15-20 leaves
Peanuts - 1 cup (more or less on preference)
Cashews - 1/2 cup (optional)
Chana Dal - 1/2 cup
Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/8 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp (or depending on taste)
Sugar - a pinch
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp (or depending on taste)
Coriander Leaves - to garnish (optional)

Method

1. Soak and clean the Rice. Keep it soaked for 10 mins or so.
2. Boil a large pot of water. I cook Rice in open pot instead of Rice cooker. So the Rice should be nicely submerged in water and boiling. I let the Rice boil and continue cooking for approximately 10-15 mins. The Rice should be cooked so that it retains it's shape and is not mushy. Strain the remaining water from the Rice.
3. Spread out and cool the Rice under a fan so that it does not continue cooking in the steam. Stir it every now and then so it uniformly cools down. I use a flat large plate or container for this part to increase the surface area of cooling.
4. Take a large pot. Add Canola Oil.
5. Add Asafoetida (hing) powder and let it sizzle a bit and flavor the Oil. 
6. After a couple of seconds, add Mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter.
7. Add dry Red Chilies, Curry leaves and raw Peanuts.
8. When the Peanuts are almost roasted, add the Cashews if you are adding. Cashews get browned faster, so keep a close watch once you add them.
9. Add Chana dal and Urad dal. Let them cook until they are nicely brown and fragrant. Keep a close watch here as well as they brown quickly. You want them roasted and have a light golden brown color on them.
10. Add Turmeric Powder, Salt, Lemon Juice and Sugar. Mix well. I don't like the Rice too sour, so I add less Lemon Juice - depending on your taste, you will want to add more or less of the same.
11. Stir in the cold rice and fold it into the spice mix. The rice will turn a beautiful light yellow in color.
12. You can garnish with fresh chopped Coriander leaves. I skipped this part coz the Rice was flavorful as-is and did not want the dominant smell of Coriander leaves to take over the same.

Enjoy with Cucumber Raita. It can be made with left-over Rice as a quick breakfast as well. This can be a one-dish meal as well.

Baked Sambhar Powder Small Eggplants

Ingredients

Small Purple Eggplants : about 12 (small as in closer to egg-size, try to get all of them of same size for uniform baking)
Sambhar Powder - 8 tsp
Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1 tsp (or as per taste)
Pepper - 1 tsp
Garlic - chopped into tiny pieces - 8 cloves

Method
Give two diagonal cuts on the Eggplant leaving the stem intact.
Mix all the ingredients except Eggplant together to prepare the oil-spice mix.
Place the oil-spice mix using a small spoon into the Eggplant cuts.

Place them lying on their side in a baking pan lined with Aluminium foil.
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.
Bake for 15 mins
Reduce heat to 375 degrees F.
Bake for 10 mins
Note - Keep a close watch since oven temperature and cooking time may vary.
Poke with a knife and make sure the Eggplant is cooked.
Take it out and cover with an Aluminium foil to continue cooking and let the juice flow.
Serve hot.

It was a good side-dish with Biryani. It is so easy and quick to prepare that I will be making it more often for sure. This was definitely something I just came up with combining a number of baked Eggplant dishes as inspiration for this Indian-taste twist. It will be a good side-dish for Rice-dal and Chapatti for sure. Enjoy!

Achari Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

Shan Achari Masala - 1 pack (Shan Achari Gosht also works, but it is less spicy)
Cauliflower (aka Gobi) - 1, chopped into florets
Mushroom - 1 large pack, remove the stem of the mushroom and chop into 3-4 pieces each
String Beans - 1 bunch, chopped into 2 inch pieces
Dry Green Chana - 1 cup, soak overnight and pressure cook with an inch of chopped ginger and Salt for approx. 2 whistles
Potatoes - 2-3 medium, chopped to match the cauliflower florets size
Paneer - a few pieces, as per taste
Canola Oil - 2 tbsps
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry Bay Leaf - 3-4
Dry Red Chilli - 2-3 (optional)
Salt - 1 tbsp (or as per taste)
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Tomato - 2 medium, chopped into small pieces
Onion\Ginger\Garlic paste - 12 tbsp (grind 1 large Onion, 1/2 inch Ginger, 7-8 Garlic cloves, 2 Green Chillies is optional)

Method

Grind Onion-Ginger-Garlic-Green Chillies together
Heat Canola Oil.
Season the oil with Cumin Seeds, Dry Bay Leaf and Dry Red Chillies.
As the spices start browning, add the Onion-Ginger-Garlic-Green Chillies paste. If there is any of the paste remaining, freeze it to use later. I keep it in refrigerator if I intend to use it within the next day or two in a tightly sealed container.
Mix the paste with the seasoned Oil and stir till the paste is cooked and the Oil separates. Takes about 5-10 mins.
In the meanwhile, heat another pan and start frying the veggies one-by-one. I do one veggie at a time since that will make sure the veggies are uniformly cooked. If you don't have one or more of these veggies, don't worry - it is perfectly okay to skip them. Different combination of veggie stuff will give it a slightly different taste - not that much of a difference though! I leave them half-cooked so that when mixed with the Onion-Ginger-Garlic-Green Chillies, they can cook together completely.
As the Onion-Ginger-Garlic-Green Chillies paste is cooked, add the Shan Achari Masala. Mix together and stir for 2-3 mins.
Add the fried veggies and mix well.
Cover and cook for a few mins, particularly if the veggies are half-cooked.
Serve this hot with Rice\Chapatti.

Achari Vegetable Curry with Peurto Rican Beans in the background

Fried Plantains (Puerto Rican)

One of my friend's mother-in-law and a very dear friend of mine was recently in town. She very sweetly remembered that I had expressed an interest in learning more about the Puerto Rican cuisine and maybe a recipe or two. We ended up meeting last Sunday and cooking together. That was one of the most memorable get-togethers that I have had. We ate, drank, laughed and cooked some. "Life is good" because of such moments that we share with near and dear ones. Thank you, Beita ... love you and always count my blessings that I have you as a friend. Amen to many more such moments to be blessed on all of us.

She taught us Puerto Rican Beans and Rice (will post later) and Fried Plantains. Both were delicious, full of flavors and the best part - easy peasy to make. The whole house smelt so good when both these dishes were being cooked.

Ingredients

Plantains - not too ripe, just perfect
Canola Oil - for frying one side at a time (not as much as one would need for deep frying)

Method

Cut the plantains as shown in the pic.

Heat the oil.
Place the plantains in a layer so that one side gets cooked.
As it slightly browns, turn over the other side.
It is meant to be slightly cooked, but we also liked a batch that was slightly overdone and crispy. Or as Beita said "If you kids like it, go for it!" :)

As we kept making these, they kept disappearing. So you can imagine! Even the kids love it..so plan the portions accordingly when preparing. We had it as a side with the Rice & Beans as well. The sweetness of the fried plantains gave a nice twist to the savory Rice & Beans. Bon appetit.

Thank you, Beita, for the wonderful recipe and the memories. A shout-out to my fellow learners in this cookout - dear A-Chau and Huey :)

Lotus Root Crisps

Ingredients

Lotus Roots - fresh or frozen defrosted 2 cups

Shan Tandoori Masala - 2 tbsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp, or as per taste

Rice Flour - 3 tbsp, for crunchiness

Method

Cut the Lotus roots into pieces as shown in pic. If frozen, they come pre-cut; make sure to defrost.

Mix with the rest of the ingredients

Deep fry in hot oil.

Serve hot with Rice/Dal or eat as-is.

Tuna Dip

Ingredients

8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1/4 teaspoon Hot Sauce, to taste
1/4 teaspoon Salt, or as per taste
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
2 (6 ounce) cans Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil, drained and flaked
2 whole Green Onions, minced
3 Celery Stalks, chopped fine
A pinch Sugar

Method

Remove the oil from Tuna and put in a paper towel to wring out as much of the liquid as possible.
Mix everything together.
Keep it refrigerated till ready to serve.
Like it room temperature.

Can serve as appetizer with Crackers or Chips.
Also liked it on subs or breads as sandwich - a multi-purpose dip, for sure!

Inspired by the recipe here.

Posto Bara (Poppy Seeds fritter)

In most Odiya households, there are certain days of the week that are followed as vegetarian days (Mondays and Thursdays are the most commonly followed ones). I am not sure but this may be an entirely unique trait of the Odiya culture. That is in comparison to most other cultures where people are either vegetarian or not. So in those vegetarian days, my mom had to be really innovative to keep us happily fed (us being me and Baba - my dad). Posto Bara was a favorite for those days. It is one of those dishes which is made widely in Odiya and Bengali households.

My dad is from Mayurbhanj and they use poppy seed a lot in their cuisine. Patua also known as Patrapoda is a delicious flavorful poppy seed and mustard seed paste-based dish with tiny fishes cooked in leaf-wrap in the clay oven. My mom can make it in a regular pot as well. I have tried but can never get the same flavors. It is an intricate and careful preparation. My Didi (my paternal grandmom) also used to make it really well. Some food memories for sure...

Posto Bara is something I have been planning to make since ages. However, my last few attempts at making anything using poppy seed has been a disaster - too much mustard leading to bitter taste, coarse paste texture due to incompetent blender, etc, etc. So finally I turned around and got enthu to take another stab at it. Voila - it was a success. We loved it! Friends visiting us loved it! Got another friend who was missing her mom's food to try it - She also loved it! :)

My childhood friend Sonali's preparation - One of the best cooks, for sure! :)

This is so easy to make - I am pretty sure I will make it more often now.

Ingredients (makes about 60 small fritters)

Poppy Seeds - 2 cups
Maida - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 medium, chopped finely
Potato - 1 large, chopped finely
Green Chilli - 3-4, chopped finely (optional)
Garlic or Onion-Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Cumin-Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Canola oil for shallow frying

Method

Soak the Poppy Seeds overnight. I add warm water to begin with.
Take 1/2 tsp Canola oil and fry the finely chopped potatoes to cook it. It can be added as-is to the batter but I did not want to take the chance of it remaining raw.
Grind the Poppy Seeds to a fine batter - not too watery. As you take the batter in your hand, you should be able to mould it to the shape you want.
Add all the ingredients with the Poppy Seed batter and mix well.
Heat oil for shallow frying. Add the prepared batter to the hot oil as shown in pic below.
Cook one side. As it turns crispy and browns, it will easily move. Turn it upside down so that the other side can cook.
Place them in paper towel to pull away the extra oil.
Place them in a wax paper lined container.
Serve hot. Goes well with Rice-Dal as well as an appetizer.

Let me know if you get to try it. Have a great day!

Salmon with Crabmeat filling

Salmon is good for health - full of those Omega-3's so crucial for a balanced diet. I never liked it before till I tried it in this recipe. Was meeting my childhood friend at a Mexican restaurant in DC and chanced upon this preparation. Had to try it and it resulted in a creamy salmon with mild flavors. Hope you like it as well.

Ingredient:

• 1/2 Can Phillips Crabmeat (~1/2 lb)
• 1/2 Medium Onion, chopped
• 4-5 Pods of Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Chopped fresh Coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 1 long Salmon fillet, deskined

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a skillet, warm 1 tsp Canola oil with 1/8 cup butter. Add chopped onion and stir till half-cooked. Add garlic followed by the Crabmeat and coriander leaves. Add salt. Cook for about 5 mins. 
3. Fold the Salmon fillets to hold the cooked crab meat in it.
4. Brush butter on top while leaving a small piece underneath it as well as on the top.
5. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily. Broil for 1 min on low each side after the baking.
6. Garnish with chopped Coriander. Extra salt and pepper can be tossed.

Read more at http://www.mrfood.com/Fish/Crabmeat-Stuffed-Salmon#dQGIvCodu1gYjcbQ.99

Cherry Tomato Salad

Ingredients

Cherry Tomatos (prefer package of different colors) - 1 Medium pack (Costco package)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 3-4 tbsp (approx.)
Balsamic Vinegar - 2 tbsp (approx.)
Chives - 3stems, chopped into tiny pieces
Black Pepper - 1 tsp
Sugar - a pinch

Method

Chop the Tomatoes in half.
Mix the rest of the ingredients together.
Stir the chopped Tomatoes in the dressing. Keep aside.

This goes well with barbecue meat as a side. Have a great summer!

This was inspired from the recipe here.

Kale Indian Style

A new veggie in my shopping list - Kale! It appears every other item in the grocery store has Kale in it - soup, salad, pasta and what not! Being skeptical of how it will be in taste and texture has been the main reason we ignored it so long. For the first dish, wanted to make something that was closer to our Indian food taste so that we don't run miles away from it forever. :)

Googled and found this interesting dish quite similar to the traditional Odiya Saaga "Greens" dish. The recipe was taken from here.

Ingredients (2-4 servings, depending on portion size)

3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or unsalted butter

1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings

2 bunches curly or Tuscan kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into 2” pieces

2 tablespoons prepared lime pickle, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
• Add shallot (I replaced with red onion!) and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. 
• Working in batches, add kale, tossing and letting it cook down slightly before adding another handful or two, and adding a splash of water if pan looks dry. 
• Add lime pickle and cook, tossing often, until kale is wilted and tender, 5–8 minutes. I added some Chatak Chilli Pickle for added heat.
• Season with salt and pepper.

 

Egg Chop \ Egg Pakora

This is another popular street food of Bhubaneswar. Not sure about the street flavors of this dish since I have always had it home-made. My MIL used to make it for my nephew and niece and they love it. During a recent party menu-planning, I remembered this dish and gave it a shot. It turned out quite well, to be honest. The only problem is you will have to make it as close to your eating time as possible, so that you enjoy it hot and crisp when the flavor is fully there. This is another kids-favorite recipe -enjoy!

Ingredients
Eggs about 12-15

Besan - 1.5 cups

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Amchur - 1 tsp (or as per taste)

Salt - as per taste

Sugar - a pinch
Baking Soda - 1/8 tsp

Ajwain - a pinch (aids digestion of deep-fried food, prevents heart-burn)

Canola Oil - for deep frying 

Method

Layer the eggs in a saucepan and fill with cold water so the eggs are fully covered in water. Bring to a boil in high heat. Reduce heat to Medium and let it simmer for another 5 mins. Cover and keep aside for the eggs to continue cooking. When the container becomes room temperature or easy to handle, remove the water and peel the eggs. (This was Rachael Ray's tip for perfect boiled eggs.)

Chop the eggs into halves length-wise.

Make a batter of the remaining ingredients (except oil and baking soda). Keep the consistency thick so that it will stick to the slippery egg. Add the baking soda to the batter just before dipping the eggs in the batter and mix the batter well. Note - If there is more batter than you need, keep it aside before adding the baking soda; the batter lasts longer (one of my friend's mom's tip).

Heat the oil. Drop in one egg piece at a time gently so that the oil does not splatter and burn your hand, etc.

If there is time before you eat, keep it warm in oven at 175 degrees F. Don't microwave it else the egg may turn rubbery and the crispiness of the outer shell will no longer be there.

 

Serve with Tomato ketchup, slice of Onion and Lime. Chilli Sauce would also be a good accompaniment.