Odisha Mo Odisha

During any wedding in Cuttack, all relatives stay in one place for many days preparing for the wedding and shopping and what not. When there is a wedding to come, how can people leave out good food... especially the Katakis (Residents of Cuttack)...  Usually, there is a dedicated cook and his assistant staying in the house of the wedding cooking spicy & oily yet yummy meals for the whole family... starting with the breakfast Puri-Sabjee .. to lunch special Rohu fish curry .. and ending with yummy D alma in dinner... One of my personal favorites is the lunch item for vegetarians... the " Chana Chena Tarkaari " (Meaning Paneer fritters in gravy)... The gravy is simple.. it can be made complicated with multiple things... but the paneer is melting-in-mouth soft on the inside and dunked crispy in the gravy.. which makes it unique in picture, taste and texture !! Here's what I used to make the " Chana Chena Tarkaari " For the "Chana Chena" (Pa

Many of my friends are not from Odisha. When I was going through my posts, I thought ... hhhmmm... my non-odiya friends... will they like mustard paste and what not.. I should make something for them which they can relate to and still it should be kind of Odiya.. What better than "curd" (Yoghurt) can I remember my friends from Hyderabad and Bangalore. Every lunch.. every dinner.. I have to put out curd for sure. One of my very close friends said.. "We end all our meals with curd.. no matter what the weather is" !! So I thought, what do we Odiyas make with curd.. Pakhala bhata yes.. but they won't know how to eat it.. :) Next.. any raita.. but even in Nothern India they make raita.. why should I make just raita for them.. next moment.. I looked at the bright green bhindi.. and it struck me.. "Of course.. Dahi Bhindi" .. So here it is.. ... Here is what you need....simple ingredients 10-12 small sized bhindis (okras) cut into 1/2&q