Odisha Mo Odisha

 It's a weeknight. The instant pot is looking at you with sad eyes because you have not used it in a while.  "Why have you not not opened me in a while?" it asks... I looked at the instant pot & said, "Because I don't want to eat Pulao or Biryani anymore" and I don't know what else to make in you which will have veggies & will be liked by the kids". The instant pot smiled back at me. It said "Do you have any bread at home? any kind?" I said " Yes we have some eggless dinner rolls. Why do you ask?" "Viola....... Let's make Bhaaji in the instant pot & surprise the family with it".. said the Instant Pot Making Bhaaji in the instant pot was so easy & so less time consuming that I could not believe I pulled off a proper pav-bhaaji dinner on a weeknight. YAY !! What I used My IP 6Qt Duo (of course) 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 cup each of cubed carrots + green peas + red potatoes (skinless) + cubed cauliflower + gr...

 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...

 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...

There is no story for this recipe. This recipe is what I call a "CRY FOR GREEN FOOD IN YOUR DIET". Yes, I have been trying to get as much greens into our diets since many months now. Especially because they are nutrition dense & when it comes to baby spinach, they are really tasty too. I am not a huge fan of the regular spinach and they can be bitter but the baby spinach is not.  But then, what can you make with baby spinach? I tried them in Soup & Pasta and then in Khichdi and everywhere they lost their authority & face. While their taste lingered, their color was gone.  So I thought if instead of pureeing them, I just chopped them fine & added them to the Flour and made a paratha dough, then it'd look nice & surely it did.  Here's what I used 2 cups of roughly chopped baby spinach 2 tbsp dried fenugreek (aka Kasuri Methi) 1 cup of whole wheat flour Salt + Turmeric + Red chilli powder + Garam masala powder (all to taste) 1/4 cup yoghurt 2 tbsp Bes...

 Thanks to my dependable Vegetable chopper & the super innovative Instant Pot, making Gajar Halwa is literally "Halwa" (Indian street language for something super easy & silly).  It was an Odiya festival. Now, I have forgotten which exact festival it was but I do remember is that we were asked to make "bhoga" for "thakura" and something sweet should be made for "Thakura". Also, it was a weekend & I was in the mood for wearing saree (it being a festival & all). So there I was draped in a yellow saree which my M.I.L gave me the first time I went to her home after the wedding, with my small food chopper & about 2 Lbs of carrots, all ready to make the famous Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Porridge) What I used 2 Lbs Carrots  Cleaned --> Peeled --> Chopped into small pieces --> Chopped further in the food chopper into very very fine (almost created) texture 4 - 5 tbsp Ghee 1/4 cups halved cashews 1/4 cups raisins 4 cardamoms crush...

 Some days are just so lazy that they inspire you to do one-pot meals which is full of the right combination of Carbs + Veggies + Fat right in a Pressure Cooker. Those are the days when your hands & legs have given up totally. Those are the days when your mind has stopped thinking about food. Those are the days when the creativity has reached it's fullest content. When that happens to you, try this recipe. It is a super quick recipe because I used Organic Frozen Vegetables & Yes, I used my good old Indian Hawkins Pressure cooker for this recipe (as the title suggests).  This recipe is Gluten Free & gets done in like 15 minutes or so and is best enjoyed with some simple Raita  & Pakudi or Papad or may be a sprinkle of thin sev. Take your pick. It's a lazy day/night so do your best. You deserve a little downtime.  What I used 1 cup Basmati Rice Washed & soaked in water (till we are ready to use it) 1.5 cups organic Frozen Vegetables. I have the pre-...

Simple weeknights call for simple yet comforting soup & bread. Today's recipe is something very simple yet so scrumptious that everyone is my family just went head over heels for it. Although our regular dinner menu is usually simple like khichdi or simple fried rice, this soup & bread recipe is beyond simplicity.  Someone has said it correct - In simplicity lies the most beautiful of emotions. I am not sure who said it, but whoever that was they were very very correct.  Here goes the recipe for my take on the ever so comforting tomato soup & garlic bread (using regular white sliced bread).   Tomato Soup Roughly chop... Small piece of a red onion (like 1/4 cup chopped) 10-12 garlic pods 5 plump red tomatoes Heat oil in a soup pan (Deep, Heavy bottom & Preferably with a cover) Add a 1.2 inch piece of Cinnamon + 1 bay leaf whole Next add the chopped onions + Garlic Let it fry for 5-7 mins Next add the tomatoes + wee bit salt Cover & cook for ar...

 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...

 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...