Odisha Mo Odisha

Some may call its Shrimp biryani but I call it Shrimp Pulao. Why? Because my friend, Biryani is not made with Shrimps (ever). Neither is it made with Vegetables or Paneer or Fish by the way. Biryani is something that my definition is made with meat. So let's just call this recipe Shrimp Pulao.  Anyways, this shrimp recipe is easy & flavorful and with  the correct amount of spices, it is a one pot kid-friendly wholesome meal.  The flavors are very close to what I usually use for Biryani but you can easily make changes to suit your taste buds (or your family's).  What I used My dependable Instant Pot 6 Qt. Duo 1.5 Lbs of medium frozen shrimp - Shelled & De-veined (Defrosted & marinated with salt + turmeric) 2 cups Basmati Rice - Washed nicely & soaked in water for about 15 - 20mins.  2 cups Water 2 tbsp Ghee Whole Garam Masala - 2 green cardamoms + 1 black cardamom + 1 bay leaf + 8-10 pepper corns + 1 star anise + 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp Ground Ma...

 I will go back to my favorite saying... "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going".  This is my mantra for my evening dinners these days. During the day, work (office, house & kids) keep me super busy & I totally forget to plan for dinners. So when the clock strikes 5pm, my mind always goes into the fridge & tries to figure out what to cook which will be easy & healthy and will be liked (and swallowed) by kids).  This twist on my all time favorite spinach Moong daal dosa, incorporates a variety of vegetables & makes a yummy uttapam for week night dinners.  What I used.. 2 cups skinless moong daal Small piece of ginger + 1 green chili 7 or 8 curry leaves - finely chopped 1 cup finely grated carrots (Use the good old chopper & the task will be SO easy) 1 cup finely grated cabbage 1 bunch green onions - very very finely chopped Salt & pepper to taste Garam masala (or skip if your family does not like it) Red chilli flakes (skip if you...

 Here's my take on the Gluten Free mango Cake.... There's not a story behind it other than the fact that I am trying to reduce sugar & gluten in my diet due to the health reasons & this cake gave me everything that I need for those late evening sweet cravings without feeling guilty or sad or having to plan extra time on the treadmill the next day.  This cake is made from almond flour so it's on the denser side & not entirely fluffy BUT it is soft & makes for an awesome tea time accompaniment.  Here's what I used... Wet ingredients 1 cup mango puree 3 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or butter) Dry ingredients 2.5 cups of Almond flour 2 tsp baking powder Process First mix all the wet ingredients in a clean bowl using a wire whisk Then add in the baking powder & almond flour Mix nicely using a spatula - DO NOT USE Wire whisk  Transfer the contents to a greased 10 inch round cake tin Bake until tooth-pick comes out clean on 325 F for...

 Winters always call for hot soup & lately my family & I have been relishing home made Instant Pot soups  with garlic bread (made out of $1 Walmart Bakery's French Bread). Using the Instant Pot is so so easy & the best part of the clean up or the lack thereof. Soups are best cooked in an Instant Pot where the steam cooks the vegetables & also you don't have to watch the boiling pot (literally). I have not made any soup yet in the IP using anything other than vegetables & the results have been amazing.  Making anything in the IP is less time consuming & less cleaning up & less waiting & less hassles. Literally, this soup can be whipped up in less than 15 minutes.  What I used 1/4 cup chopped red onions 2 medium heads of broccoli  chopped into small pieces 1 cup shredded carrots came prepped in a packet from walmart 2 tbsp butter 2 cups chicken broth (Can also use Vegetable broth or just plain water or a mix of either) Salt + Pepper...

 While the holidays are really good time to make up for all the sugar & carbs that I lost over the last year, I was really craving for some simple flavorful chicken stir fry one day. But eating only chicken would mean that I missed out on my fibers for the day & that won't be good.. not good at all.  So thats why I decided to thrown in high fiber low carb Broccoli along with some chicken thighs (always thighs, never breast) and some sauces together to create this easy breezy stir fry that did not take much time but packed a punch. So much punch that even the kids ate it all up. Paired with just some white basmati rice this stir fry made for a really really good & easy lunch menu in our household.  What I used 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs - Cut into bite size pieces Marinated with Salt + Pepper + Ginger Powder + Garlic Powder + Onion Powder + Paprika + Soya sauce + Corn Starch (GF) (All eye-balled - Use 1 tsp first & add more if you think needed) 3...

 The concept is super simple.  You want to eat vegetarian food which should... Be One-Pot which can then be put in the Dishwasher Use frozen vegetables so that I don't have to chop them Take very very less time to cook Be flavorful with typical Indian flavors Not have Gluten because it is not good for me to have gluten at night (causes Migraine) Be good for kids & grown-ups equally. That is when you take out the ever so dependable Instant Pot 6Qt, thaw some frozen organic mixed vegetables like carrots, peas, beans & corn kernel, wash up some basmati rice.... and Lo & Behold... Your One-Pot Light Gluten Free Dinner is READY. What I used 1 cup Basmati rice 2 cups of Frozen vegetables 1/2 red tomato chopped 2 tsp Neutral oil or Ghee 1 tsp cumin seeds + whole garam masala (Cardamoms + Cinnamon stick etc) 2 tsp Pulao masala 6 Qt. Instant Pot Wooden spoon/spatula Process Wash the rice thoroughly until water runs clear & keep them soaked until they are ready to be use...

Let's start with translation first since the post title is actually Odiya. Machha : Fish Kobi  : Cauliflower Tarkaari : Curry So basically you must have guessed that today's recipe is about Fish & Cauliflower. It might sound weird to mix a vegetable into a non-veg curry but it so happens that in Odisha it is most common. We use potatoes in everything. All curries have some amount of potato. This recipe is an addition to that. In this recipe we will use Cauliflower to enhance the taste as well as the nutrient density of the dish.  What I used 10 pieces of Mirkali fish. It's a fresh water fish which we get from the Bangladeshi market The fish comes frozen so the store folks cut it into pieces & I have cleaned it afterwards Marinated with salt + turmeric 11 big florets of cauliflower 2 medium potatoes cut into wedges 2 tbsp Odiya Onion+Ginger+Garlic paste 1/4 med. red onion finely chopped Whole garam masala 1 cinnamon stick 2 cardamoms 2 bay leaves 2 tsp Pancha Phutana...

 Let's start with the fact that I really do not like the "Prathamastami" as a festival. For whatever reason, the Odiya society decided to venerate & praise & give new clothes to the eldest child of the family along with a whole set of responsibilities & what-not. In my humble opinion, it should be a festival to celebrate all children of the family not just the eldest one.  Someone was even smarter to come up with something for the second child (in case they felt bad) called "Duhaan Podhuan" but then that was a weak attempt too because many (many) families have more than 2 children. What about the 3rd child now? What are we going to do about them? Aren't they humans? Don't they have hearts?  So anyways, in all I am not a huge fan of the festival in it's concept.  The food attached to it however.... YUMMM... The fragrant Enduri Pitha made inside of a pocket created with fresh turmeric leaves & steamed to perfection.. OMG..  Whether it i...

 When you get super bored with the regular style egg curry, try this egg-drop curry instead.  Why is it better & not boring you ask?? Well.. here's why... You don't have to boil the eggs hence don't have to worry about them getting overcooked Since you don't have to boil the eggs, you don't have to peel them - So YAY. You don't have to fry the eggs before making the curry so  this is really a One-pot recipe (Unlike the regular egg curry which has steps & batches)  This recipe will sound almost like Shakshuka but it's not. Shakshuka has lot more veggies & is almost dry-ish. This is a gravy based dish which is best enjoyed with white fluffy rice. No dal needed.  What I used 6 eggs (White or Brown - Your choice) 1/4 red onion chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp onion+ginger + garlic paste (The essential/basic Odiya masala paste) 1 red tomato - chopped fine Mustard oil to cook the gravy Salt + Turmeric + Cumin+Coriander Powder + Garam masala A heavy bot...

 Chicken Keema in my mind is the most modest & down-to-earth ingredient in the Indian Non-Veg category. It is soft & has very less fat (super lean) and the best part is that it cooks so so quickly.  Making a chicken keema can just be a first step to multiple recipes but for this one I am going to stick to the basic Chicken Keema No-Gravy to go with Roti.  What I used 1 lb chicken Keema (Keema : Minced) - Get it from the butcher near you so that way they are fresh. I am not a huge fan of Minced Chicken from the frozen isle. 1/2 red onion - finely chopped (super fine) 2 tbsp Onion + Ginger + Garlic masala paste (The essential Odiya Masala Paste) 1 tomato finely chopped 1/2 cup mint leaves (Finely chopped) 1/4 cup coriander leaves (Finely chopped) Whole Garam Masala - 1 piece Cinnamon Stick + 2 Green Cardamoms Salt + Turmeric + Kashmiri Red Chili powder (All per taste) 2 tsp Chicken Masala (Any brand) 1 tsp Garam Masala Mustard Oil to cook the Keema A stainless steel...