Odisha Mo Odisha

Chuda Ghasa (or Ground Flattened Rice) is famous and widely used in Odisha as prasad for Ganesh Pooja (and Saraswati pooja)..especially in the bigger pooja pandals..  the basic recipe is simple.. and it can be beautified with a variety of ingredients depending on your taste and palate... Here goes a very simple version of Chuda Ghasa.. that I made for Ganesh Pooja day 2. What I used... 2 cups of chuda/poha/flattened rice 2 table spoons of desi ghee 1 table spoon tightly packed jaggery powder (more if you like more sweet) 1 tea spoon of black pepper powder 1/2 cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen-thawed) 1/4 cup finely chopped apples (more if you love fruits) Fistful raisins Grapes for decorating (and eating of course..) Process Dry roast chuda/poha in a open pan till crispy.. in US, we get poha which is not so fresh. so dry roasting helped me bring back the crisp taste of chuda..  Let it cool a bit. while still warm.. grind it into a coarse powder.. I hav...

Today is Ganesh Pooja.. a.k.a Ganesh Chaturthi.. a.k.a Ganpati.. A day which I always wait for.. My family is a great follower of Lord Shree Krishna.. and so am I too.. But lord Ganesha always have a very special place in my life.. my heart.. my soul.. and today.. I cooked soulfully for him.. (I wish he could taste and give me some feedback... I'm sure his feedback will matter the most).. :) Back home, Ganesh Pooja was only one day holiday and Mami'd make nice aromatic pulao & some gravy.. There'd be " manda peetha" for sure which I can only dare to imagine to make at home.. some day.. some day soon I hope !! Awesome food would be followed by a two-wheeler trip in the city (cars are out of the question on pooja days in Cuttack).. visiting all the Ganesh Pandals & tasting nice Kataki style Ganesh Pooja bhoga (Modak, Laddoo, Chuda Ghassa, Panchamrita.. etc etc) Today was simple food.. vegetarian of course.. no onions .. no garlic.. Satwik Khadya.. ...

Some week days are just lonely and depressing.. just plain boring I'd say. I was not in a mood to do anything... anything at all.. Well, then I thought, people have to eat, right?? It was kind of cold outside due to clouds. The California weather is deceptive. You never know what's coming your way. Well anyways, the cold weather made my tummy yearn for some hot food... hot and spicy food. Now, you see, that is the problem. No mood for serious cooking + severe craving for hot and spicy food = Innovation for lazy ones !! So I somehow dragged myself out of the couch to the refrigerator. The first thing I saw was the Frozen Idly packet. It was like a cute little bulb that got lit in my brain.. imagine the ones that you see in cartoon movies.. it goes.... "tttiiinnnggg" !! We have had spicy fried idly many times before in vegetarian south indian restaurants and this time, I decided to make my very own fried idly. Simple yet filling. Colorful and spicy. And ...

Baked Pomfret Curry ... Is this baked fish??.. or is this a curry??? ... Interesting yes? Recipe.. As simple as it gets... I made this on a week day.. Thursday if I recall.. while working from home.. literally made it during my coffee/otherwise breaks.. :) Hope you enjoy it... we surely did.. tasted awesome with fluffy white basmati rice.. hmmm.. yummy.. Could not give it to the little one though, because I made it spicy..and he isn't ready for it yet.. :) But some day.. some day soon !! What I used.. 7 pomfret pieces (actually three pomfret steaks & 4 or so pomfret tails - Kind'a leftover fish from last time, I think) --> Washed & marinated with salt & turmeric for about 30 mins. Masala Paste - Ground with water to a smooth paste (add more water if masala is too thick) 1/2 cup frozen grated coconut 2 table spoons mustard seeds (Black + yellow mixed) 2 tea spoons cumin seeds 2 green chillies - chopped 1/2 tea spoon turmeric Salt to taste ...

Sometimes, it just beats me, as to why is Indian cooking so time-taking and tedious. Well, no doubt its very very tasty... I'd give my life for it.. but if its a weekday and you are hungry and you have to make something at home because you are too tired to go out.. what would you do????? What do I do?? I take a hot bath first... and try to think of one pot meals.. :) The kottu paratha is one of my favorite one-pot meals (meaning which cooks in one pan only & you don't need another side dish). It isn't Odiya...it's a Tamil dish (I think). I have seen many variations in the preparation but when it came to making at home.. I had no idea what to put in it.. so I put whatever I could recollect .. I hope you try it and it comes out all nice for you too... Ingredients here... Frozen Malabar Paratha (diced up real nice) .. I'm not very proud of it, but I can't make malabar paratha at home yet.. come on.. people need time !! 1 big juicy to...

Today is lord Krishna's birthday which is celebrated with much joy and pomp all over India & also in those parts outside India where Indians reside... All temples are decorated beautifully & many temples have small swings for lord, which usually commoners like me are allowed to pull a bit to participate in the celebrations.. :) Well, this year, we celebrated Krishna Janmashtami at home and we went to the temple too.. so here goes my pooja bhoga (food offering for the pooja).. Kaanika with green peas & potola rassa. Matar Kanika Ingredients 1 cup basmati rice - washed thoroughly & soaked for about 30 mins. Handful of cashews & raisins 2 table spoons ghee 2 cardamoms pods + 1 inch stick of cinnamon + 6 - 7 peppercorns 2 -3 tablespoons sugar (or more if you like your kaanika sweeter) Wee bit turmeric powder Wee bit salt 1/2 cup green peas (thawed or fresh) Process Heat ghee in a nonstick pan. Next goes the cashews & raisins. Fry a ...

In Katak (where I grew up).. making the ever so delicious goat curry is typically a Sunday affair.. Baba will get up early in the morning, have his tea & take the "non-veg" bag (Yes.. however funny it sounds, its still followed in Odisha.. there are different bags for vegetables..grocery stuff & then non-veg things)..  Anyways.. Baba'd then meet up with his friends.. and I remember one uncle who actually knew a very good butcher.. who'd then cut fresh goat meat and pack different bags for the gentlemen who'd have gathered around his butcher's block or may be sipping the second cupp'a tea in the nearest tea stall while all the cutting & chopping is happening.. :) I know.. I know.. its a boring detail of a much less than mundane life.. why I share it with you? Well.. we always need to remember our roots you see.. The root to an awesome Odiya style goat curry a.k.a Khaasi Mangsha Tarkaari is in fact strictly driven by the quality of the goa...