ORIYA CUISINE!

It's that time again to celebrate "Regional Cuisines of India",started by LakshmiK of "Veggie Cuisine".This month's host is Swapna from 'Swad of India' blog and we are showcasing the state of Orissa.Thanks for hosting Swapna!:)



An award from my dearest beautiful and a great writer friend Mona of "The two bits" blog!

She honored me with a "Inspirational Blogger Award" and gave me a logo.She says:

"For Asha, who amazes me with her dedication towards her love for culinary skills.I have yet to see a person so deeply involved and so disciplined".
Thank you Mona! I am humbled and appreciate it too,a big hug to you my friend!:))

Now about Purba:
I was not at all familiar with the state of Orissa or it's cuisine.So I bought this popular Oriyan/Odiyan cookbook called Purba which means "east" in Hindi and Orissa is in the east of India.It's cuisine is very similar to Bengali cuisine.There are few Seafood dishes, but I am not very fond of Seafood unfortunately.I chose these dishes from this book to be safe so I don't mix up with other states'(except Bengal) cuisine.Enjoy!:)

Orissa:

Orissa is a state situated on the east coast of India.Orissa is home to the Hirakud Dam, one of the longest dams in the world.It's a state with a long coastline and a storehouse of mineral wealth.Oriya/Odiya is the official language of the state.Oriya belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language, and is closely related to Bengali and Assamese. The capital of Orissa is Bhubaneswar. It is famous for its magnificent temples. Along with the Lingaraja Temple of Bhubaneswar, the Jagannatha Temple and the Sun Temple of Konark are important in the archaeological history of India.Orissa is a land with rich social and cultural history, well known for its exquisite temples, enchanting natural resources, beautiful handicrafts and charming Sambalpuri Sarees. The Simlipal National Park Tiger Reserve is a vast expanse of lush green forest with waterfalls, inhabited by tigers, elephants, and other wildlife. The Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary has been protecting estuarine crocodiles!Info about Orissa from here.


Goolgula:
YAY!! That's what I said when I saw this recipe in this book.They are what we call Uddina Bonda in Karnataka with a different rib tickling Oriyan name! There is no stopping for me now,is there??:D
Here is the Oriyan appetizer!

You need:
1 cup urad dal(split Black gram dal), 2 tbsp yogurt, salt,1/8 tsp baking soda(optional). oil to deep fry.(Add minced onion,chillies,cilantro,crushed cumin seeds to the batter to make it masala Goolgula!)
How to make it:
1. Soak urad dal for 3-4 hrs and drain well until dry. Grind it with 1/2 tsp salt or to your taste until you get a smooth thick batter without adding water if possible.
2. Take it out in a bowl, add soda,beat well ,adjust the salt.
3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan to 375 F. When hot, drop urad dal batter using a spoon or with your fingers dipped in water into round balls.
4. Fry until golden, making sure all sides are cooked evenly by occasionally stirring the oil.
5. Serve with coconut chutney.
Chutney: Grind 1/2 cup fresh coconut,green chillies,salt,Cilantro,little ginger and yogurt to smooth paste.Season with mustard seeds and red chillies.

Luchi:
A easy and crispy Luchis made of plain flour similar to Pooris which are made of wheat flour but creamish in color and makes a great bread with veg and non-veg side dishes.


To make Luchis
1. Mix and knead 2 cups Plain flour,1/2 tsp salt,a pinch of baking powder to a stiff dough.Do not make it soft,it will not puff and makes it hard to roll.
2. Rest the dough for 15mins and roll into 4 to 6" circles, deep fry until puffed both sides.Try to fry and keep them creamish in color,do not fry until reddish like Pooris.
3. Drain on paper towels.That's it! Serve with any side dish you like.

Dalma:
A vegetarian dal dish with Channa dal ,loads of veggies is a great tasting dish which has a unique Oriyan names for seasonings!! Tastes delicious with Luchis.


You need:
1 cup chana dal, 1/4 cup brown chana (kala chana), 1 small potato, 1 eggplant, 2 tomatoes.
For Seasoning: Rasuna phutana baghara (1/2 tsp each of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Fenugreek seeds, 2 sliced garlic, 1 red dry chili broken to small pieces and fennel seeds)
For Sprinkling: Gunda sprinkle (1 tsp toasted and crushed cumin seeds)

How to make it:
1. Soak kala(brown) chana for 3 hours and cook until soft. Cook channa dal, potato, eggplant, tomato in a pressure cooker until soft but not mashed.Add brown chana.
2. Season with rasuna phutana baghara with 2 tsp of oil and 2 tsp butter. Add to the dal,mix gently.
3. Sprinkle cumin seeds on top and garnish with minced cilantro.Serve with Luchis.

Anda Saga Rai:
I decided to make a non-veg dish (Yes! Eggs are non-veg!! Pops out of a Chicken and doesn't grow on plants, remember!!But everybody should eat Eggs which are very healthy if eaten in moderation in my opinion!) as well which is a good side dish with Luchis.This dish is a healthy blend of protein,greens and Carbs. Anda is Egg, Saga is Greens.That book says to add Poi saag, which I am not familiar with at all.So I added Amaranth greens,any Greens will do like Spinach,Kale,Collard etc.

You need:
4 eggs (hardboiled), 2 small potatoes, 2 cups of spinach or Amaranth leaves, cilantro, salt.
To Grind: 2 garlic, 1" fresh ginger, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/8 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp mustard seeds.
For Seasoning: 2 sliced garlic, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds.

How to make it:
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil, add the ground paste and fry until oil shows up on top.
2. Then add potatoes, chopped greens, 1 cup of water, cover, and cook until potatoes are soft, but not mashed up.
3. Add salt and half sliced hard boiled eggs, minced cilantro, and simmer for 6-7 minutes.
4. Heat oil, add the seasoning. When reddish, add to the Anda saga. Serve with rice or Luchis.


Luchis with Dalma and Anda Saga Rai:


Chena Kheeri:
I was going thru' loads of Bengali Rosgullas ,Sondesh and Chum Chums in this book for dessert until I found this dish.Sounded simple enough for me and made it quickly.Boy! Was I in for a surprise?!It tasted out of this world.I really didn't expect it to taste so good at all! Glad I chose the easy one!:D

You need:
1/2 cup grainy chena (paneer), 2 cups evaporated milk, 6 or more tbsps sugar,10 finely chopped pistachios, a pinch of saffron.
How to make chena or paneer:
1. Heat one cup of half and half or heavy cream( NOT fat free!)in the microwave in a bowl for 3 minutes, take it out.
2. Squeeze 2 tsps lemon juice, stir. Return to the microwave, heat 2 more minutes. When you see the curd and whey separate, strain through a fine sieve or cheese cloth to get the solids.Let it drain completely.
3. Heat a nonstick pan,add drained Paneer and stir until you get a grainy texture to the paneer and thicker but not reddish.Keep it aside.
To make the kheeri:
1. Heat the evaporated milk, sugar, half the Pista and saffron until it reduces 2/3rd for 5-7 minutes.
2. Take off the heat, add grainy paneer,crushed pistachios and mix gently.
3. Garnish with rest of the Pistachio. Serve this Kheeri warm or chilled for a fabulous tasting dessert.

Okay, here comes another! Mango Ice Cream!:)

To make Ice Cream: Freeze 1/4 cup mango pulp,when hard,cut into big chunks and return freezer(or you can use fresh Mango bits.
Beat 1 Egg and 6 tbsp Sugar until creamy and fluffy.Add 1 cup Heavy cream,1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup Mango pulp (canned),mix.Add to the machine for 25 mins.Add frozen and chopped chunks of Mango pulp or fresh Mango bits to the machine and let it mix for a minute and freeze the Ice Cream in the freezers for 3-5hrs.
Without Machine: freeze the Ice Cream mix for until half frozen,blend until creamy ,add mango bits, mix and freeze again until firm.Serve on a Waffle Bowl.

That was a great Oriyan gastronomical trip,wasn't it? We certainly enjoyed it.Looking forward to hosting Karnataka in few weeks! YAY!:)