Odisha Mo Odisha

 Do you remember any wedding that you went to which had amazing desserts? Any reception or wedding party where you enjoyed a bowl full of kheer rather than the actual main course meal?  I do. I remember very vividly my brother-in-law's wedding in Winter 2010 where the rice kheer (In Odiya we call it Kheeri) was to die for. Whoever knows me will know that I do not have a sweet tooth. I don't prefer sweets. Given the choice between sweet & savory, I will always pick savory. BUT... this kheeri was so yummy & the more it sat in the fridge, it tasted yummier.  After some asking around, I found that the trick was the whole milk & milk powder that was used & the kheer was cooked on low heat for a very very long time and it had the perfect mix of rice + mik etc etc. Well all these statements were not really helping me because no one (I repeat NO ONE) knew the exact measurements.  So I tried & tested this recipe almost every year during the winter break (B...

 Lately, I have been making my own dosa batter at home. It is easy since we are at home due to the pandemic & we have time & energy. Also, we are trying to use less store bought ready-made food items just for the heck of it.  This dosa batter is super simple & is what mother used to make at home (Odisha). The texture is a little bit grainy but you can go as gritty or as smooth as you'd like based on your taste buds. There are no such rules. Also, I do not ferment my dosa batter in an oven or Instant-Pot. It did not work for me & created a layer of batter on top which was yucky. So I don't use it but if you have seen other people use it successfully then please by all means.. go ahead & try that. The best part of this recipe is that even if the batter is not super fermented, you can still make a super yummy "Chakuli" (Chakuli : Crepes made out of batter usually similar to dosa batter made out of rice + urad dal mi...

 With the entire internet culinary world revolving around the Instant Pot, how could I stay behind. I have been following My Heart Beets website for all my IP related dessert ideas & this fudge or barfi (Indian Fudge) is just that. This recipe is inspired from the internet & turned out to be a little painstaking yet delicious.  This is a 4-ingredient fix. This is a Sugar-Free recipe.  I am sure this can be made in pressure cooker or open pan but I have not tried it that way. I made it in the Instant Pot like the recipe called for.  This is the dessert that I made Pre-Thanksgiving just to get the sweet juices flowing.  What I used 1 Lb pitted organic dates (Note to self : Next time, let's try the regular mezdool dates which are darker in color) 2 tbsp Ghee 1/4 cup each chopped almonds + chopped cashews 1 tsp cardamom powder 6 Qt. Instant Pot with the trivet A round oven safe glass bowl which fits into  the 6Qt. IP A sheet of cling film Process Roughl...

 Sometimes when we have finished a late lunch on a lazy Sunday, I feel like having warm dessert. Please do not ask me why I feel so.. I just do. It could be some small hereditary emotion that I inherited from my mother. She's a sweet lover & after every meal (or with every meal) she prefers to have something sweet. I am not a huge sweet person. In fact, I prefer deep fried salty snacks anytime above sweets. But then sometimes on lazy Sundays, it feels only right to have something sweet & warm to make you feel cozy inside & out.  Fall is almost done & winter is here for the year 2020. This year, there will be no parties to go to where I can flaunt my baking skills. There'll be no get-togethers where I can show my cake skills. Hence, I was trying to combine two emotions together on this lazy Sunday.  Chocolate Cake... No Baking ... Easy & quick ... Minimal ingredients... Soft, Warm & Sweet !! A cake in a coffee mug concept in not new in our world. Us...

 There's no story today. It's a weekend & I got tired of being lazy so I cooked some yummy vegetarian Odiya recipes today for the family. I made it into a Thali & went all out to make it look pretty using a stainless steel tray (divided plate i.e.) Add caption Menu was simple & did not take much time other than the Potala Rasa (Recipe below) Menu White Basmati Rice Green Papaya Daal (Yellow lentils cooked with green papaya & tempered with hing & jeera with desi ghee) Potala Rasa (Recipe below) Baigani & Kobi Pakudi (Eggplant slices & cauliflower florets --> dipped in spiced Besan mix --> Deep fried --> Yes.. It's Pakudi or Pakoda or Fritter whatever you want to call it) What I used for Potala Rasa 1.5 Lbs of Potala (Pointed gourd) --> Washed --> Trimmed --> Cut diagonally  Onion+Ginger+Garlic Ground Masala Paste - About 2 tbsp Another paste made of 1/3 cup grated coconut + 10 half cashews + 1 green chillies + 1 ripe red tomato 1...

 Nankhatai was a favorite but was not made very often in our home. Mother had this electric round oven which has a glass top & whenever she'd bake these goodies the whole house would smell awesomely of ghee & we'd be drooling till the Nankhatais were cooler so we could dig in.  I remember, baking Nankhatai took preparation. Mother would order extra "Maida" than what we usually had on hand. She's order extra Ghee too. Mostly they were plain nankhatais but sometimes (if I remember correctly) she'd use cashews. So, yes.. She'd get things ready & on a lazy Sunday afternoon she'd bake them. Nankhatai is a cookie. It is made using all purpose flour, sugar & some dry fruit or nut. This particular recipe is a slight twist & is inspired by many many recipes that I watched on YouTube. The cookies turned out to be perfectly baked & awesomely crispy yet soggy.. just what a Nankhatai should be like.  So here goes..My recipe for Nankhatai.. F...

Does it happen you all as well?  Do you sometimes feel like the only snacks in your pantry is either a type of cookie or some store bought Indian mixture? Do you sometimes feel that you need some home made snack that is easy to make & stays longer in a air-tight jar? If yes, then today's recipe is for you .... Today's recipe is a family favorite from Odisha. We all all HUGE fan of "Chuda Bhaja" (Chuda : Flattended Rice ; Bhaja : Dry Roasted). Please do not think that we only dry roast the chuda & eat that. No... Thats not the case. This snack has all goodness of dry fruits & nuts and all aromatics from curry leaves. Of course you can dress it up or down by using (or not using) cashews & raisins & green chillies etc.  For this Diwali, I made this form of chuda bhaja & everyone just loved it. With the Nankhatai & other Diwali sweets this snack was a big savory hit. What I used 3 cups flattened rice or poha 4 tbsp mustard oil 1/2 cup peanuts 1...

This recipe was a desperate cry for finding something gluten free which is NOT rice or Poha. We have been trying to stay gluten free as it is helping me immensely with my migraines. Sometimes eating gluten free poses this challenge when you are trying to eat Indian. Usually when we think gluten free in Indian food we immediately think about Rice or Poha or Ragi but I was super tired of eating them. I wanted something with lentils & started to browse the good old YouTube. There were many videos on cheela or dosa made with Besan (Chickpea Flour) or Moong Dal but none of them had any green veggies in it. So I decided to mix it up a little bit. This recipe is super simple & can be made easily for breakfast or lunch or dinner. This turns into a dosa so obviously you can dress it up or down as you feel. Add onions. Add potato masala. Opportunities are endless.  What I used 1 cup split moong daal (washed & soaked in warm water for around 1 hour or so) 2 - 3 cups Baby spinach S...

  Every Saturday morning brings the same dreadful question - "What shall I make for breakfast?" Saturdays are special. Weekday breakfast ranges from toaster waffles to just buttered toast. Sometimes the kids settle with chocolate chip or Oreo cookies and milk. Yes, milk is a must but the sides keep changing. I do not actually make breakfast on weekdays other than may be eggs. Sunday is special too but by the time Sunday comes by, I am already sad that Monday will be here soon. So I don't so much on Sundays. Sunday is booked for sulking & being sad.  Saturday however is special. It brings the joy of the weekend. It has no meetings. It has no prior commitments. It is just "Saturday".  I try to cook a hot breakfast for every Saturday. Out of all our family favorites, the Vermicelli upma is the second best choice (Poha being the first one).  This upma is loaded with vegetables & aromatics like curry leaves & sometimes it has roasted groundnuts too. Overa...