Chhatua pàna( sweet sattu drink)

Chhauta Pana

  

On April 14 of every year pana Sankranti or Maha Visuba Sankranti falls. It is also odia new year. It is first day of the traditional solar month of Mesha. People used to visit Shiva, Shakti or hanuman temple on this day. This day also considered as the birthday of Lord Hanuman. A traditional pana is served on this day, a tradition that partly is the source of the festival's name.

From childhood I saw my mom preparing special pana ( drink) adding variety of things. The main ingredient of the drink is sattu ( in Odia we call it chhatua) powdered dry roasted chana dal and wheat. Dad used to offer this as Prasad to Lord and a special little pot, which have a hole under it, is installed near Tulasi plant. During Puja every day mom fill the little pot and from the hole water will fall on the plant. But with passing time I couldn't observe all these rituals but I prepare special drink as my mom to offer Bhagwan. Here is the recipe..

Preparing of sattu....

Channa Dal- 1/2 cup

Wheat- 1/2 cup

Dry roast chana dal and wheat separately. Then mix it together and make a powder.you will get almost 1cup of sattu. For pana you need 3tbsp of sattu but rest can be stored for future use. 

For Sattu Pana

Chatua (Sattu)- 3tbsp

Milk- 1glass

Curd- 6tbsp

Chhena- 4tbsp

Banana- 2

Scraped Coconut- 3tbsp+ 3tbsp

Apple- 1/4

Grapes- 10 to 15

Chopped Raw Mango- 3tbsp

Bundi Ladoo for garnishing( optional)

Sugar to Taste.

In a big mixing bowl add every thing except boondi laddo ( though I didn't use laddo as it was not at home). Mash it with hands. 

If you feel drink is bit thick the add some more chilled milk to it to make it thin. Pour it in two glasses and garnish it with scarped coconut, chopped apple, grapes and boondi ladoo.

Serve chilled

Watermelon Lemon Cooler

Watermelon Lemon Cooler

Summer and watermelon just complements eachother. Watermelon is one of the many fruits which we get in summer. It is a trailing vine originally from Southern Africa. It is a large annual plant with coarse hairy leaves and white to yellow flowers. Watermelons are tropical plants.

Watermelon contains 92% of water and 7.5% of crab. It contains no protein and fat. It contains a high amount of vitamins, mineral and anti oxidents and low amount of calories. Watermelon decreases risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and also grows healthy complexion and hair. It is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, copper, vitamin B5 and vitamin A.

I love watermelon. In summer I made this summer cooler. But this time I made it more healthier as I used honey instead of sugar. So dieting people can drink it without any guilt. Mint, black salt and lemon bring out the best taste from the drink. Most refreshing and cooling  drink for this summer. Here is the recipe for all.

Watermelon​ Cubes- 300gms

Black Salt- 1/2tsp

Honey- 5 to 6 tbsp

(Depending upon the sweetness of melon)

Lemon- 1

Mint leaves- 1handful

Ice Cubes- 1/2cup

Take watermelon cubes and try to remove seeds. Clean the mint leaves to remove dirt.

In a blender jar add melon cubes, salt, ice cubes and mint leaves and blend it together. Strain the liquid in a strainer.

Now add honey and lemon juice to it. Taste the drink and balance the taste. 

Serve cold.

Mango Mastani

Mango mastani

Mastani is a thick milkshake which contains lots of dry fruits. It is originated at pune city. It is a very popular drink of pune and easily available every where in Pune. Most probably this drink got its name from queen Mastani Bai of Baji Rao Pashwa. There are lots of flavors of this mastani drink, they are dry fruits mastani, chocolate mastani, keshar mastani etc. The best mastani is sold at sujata mastani in pune.

Some years back I went to pune t visit my brother. There I had mango mastani. Mango and mango milkshake is my favorite but this mastani became most favorite drink of my family. During summer this became a special part of our evening snacks time. Most of the time after having this drink, we wouldn’t have anything else. It is a very filling drink. Let’s go to the ingredients and method of the preparation of the drink.

Mango- 3 medium

Sugar- 3 to 4 tbsp

(depend upon the sweetness of the mangoes)

Vanilla ice cream – 3 scoops

Chilled milk- 400ml

Ice cubes- 6 tp 7

For garnishing

Almond- 6 to 7

Sliced cashew- 6 to 7

Raisin- 9

Tutti frutti- 3tbsp

Vanilla ice cream- 6tbsp

Cherry- 3

Soak the mangoes in water to remove the dirt. Then peel the mangoes and cut them into small cubes. After that one will get 1 ½ cup of mango cubes from the above mangoes. Keep 3tbsp of mango cubes separately. Slice the cashew nuts. Soak and peel the almonds and slice them and keep aside.

In a blender jar add mango cubes, sugar, milk,, ice-cream and ice cubes and blend. It should be mixed properly. Mango mastani is ready.

For serving- take three glass and place chopped mango cubes (which was kept separatle before). Then add a scoop of vanilla ice cream in each glass. Then pour the drinl to the glass up to ¾. Then gain place another scoop of ice cream on the top of the drink. Then add sliced almond, cashew nuts, raisin, tutti frutti and cherry.

Serve and drink immediately.

Poha Cutlets

Poha Cutlets

In my previous blog I have started a series of evening snacks for kids during this summer vacation. in this process I have posted Matar Paneer Bread Roll. Again I am posting another snack item with ingredients easily available at home. The name of the recipe is Poha Cutlet.

Poha is nothing but flattened rice or beaten rice. It is a staple breakfast item in many household. Different vegetables are added in different parts of the country. We Odia speaking people take poha (which we call “Chuda”) with curd and sugar. It is something very filling and healthy breakfast option for all. But my modern day’s kids don’t like chuda dahi (poha with curd). So make them eat poha I prepare this snack item.

Poha is a very healthy food. Eating poha on regular basis can prevent iron deficiency or anemia. It is a great source of carbohydrates. It can be a replacement of unhealthy snacks like chips. These days people are cutting down gluten riched grains like wheat and barley though they are not allergic to it. For them poha is a good alternative as it has very low amount of gluten. Poha is a good food for diabetic people as it realizes sugar slowly to the blood stream. It also keeps stomach full for a longer period.

Poha- 2cups

Chhena (paneer)- ½ cup

Green pea- ½ cup

Potatoes- 2 medium

Salt to taste

Haldi- a pinch

Red chilli [powder- 1/4tsp

Onion- 1 medium

Coriander Leaves-1/2 a handful

Green Chilli- 1

Chaat Masala Powder- 1tsp

Garam  Masala Powder- 1tsp

Bread Crumbs- 2tbsp

Oil for frying

Take half cup of green peas in a bowl and add water, 1/2tsp of salt and 1/2tsp of haldi  to it and keep the bowl on fire and let it cook. When cooked, strain and make it dry. When cool down, mash it with hand and keep aside.

Boil the potatoes up to soft and let it cool down. Then peel and mash the potatoes and keep aside.

Wash and clean poha properly. Then soak it for 15mins.

In the mean time clean and chop onion, green chili and coriander leaves and keep aside. Scramble the paneer and keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadai.

After 15mins squeeze out water from poha and Make it as dry as possible. In a mixing bowl add squeezes out poha, mashed potatoes, scrambled paneer, cooked and mashed green peas, chopped onion, green chilli, coriander leaves and other dry spices and bread crumbs. Mix properly and shape them like cutlets. Keep it for 15mins in fridge.

Slowly slide the cutlets in hot oil and fry up to golden brown and remove to the kitchen towel. If you want a healthier version then it can be shallow fry on a tawa or frying pan.

Serve hot with the chutney or sauce of your choice. I served it with a easy yoghurt dipping,.

Ajinomoto, Truth and Facts

Ajinomoto (MSG)-What we Think, What is Reality

I was invited to attend a seminar on truth and facts of Ajinomoto on 29^th march 2017. It is an interesting event to attend as I didn’t know much about it. During the seminar Mr. Atsushi Mishuku, Director and General Manager of Ajinomoto India Pvt Ltd gave a brief introduction about the product. Mr. Govinda Biswas, Manager Marketing, who briefed us about the MSG, the product, process of manufacturing and benefits. Dr. Dharini Krishnan, president of Indian Dietetic Association, who was also on dais, gave the details presence and benefits of MSG.

 After that a young nutrition/ dietician DT Devisri Sundaram informed the benefits of Ajinomoto

Umami or savory taste is one of the five basic tastes. It is discovered by Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, a chemist in the year 1908. New taste umami through taste receptors specific to glutamate. Glutamate is widely present in savory foods such as broth and fermented products and commonly added to some foods in the form of monosodium glutamate. Glutamate is present in breast milk also.

Ajinomoto is the brand name owned by Ajinomoto Co. Inc, Japan for its very popular umami taste seasoning MSG. It was first marketed in the year 1909 in Japan. The meaning of Aji-No-Moto in Japanese “Essence of taste”. Ajinomoto is MSG which is glutamic acid + 1 molecule of sodium. It is a pure vegetarian product obtained from sugar cane and tapioca. Sugar cane goes to the factory where sugar cane juice or molasses extracted. Then molasses is fermented to get glutamic acid. This glutamic acid crystallized to obtain msg. Then these crystals are packeted and sold as ajinimoto.

Msg contains 12% of sodium but in normal salt this percentage is 39%. So msg is having 1/3 of sodium than normal salt. In clinical trial it is said that glutamate is an importance substance of efficient protein digestion and absorption. Glutamate receptor cells in stomach gives a feeling of enoughness which makes one to avoid excess eating and helps to avoid obesity. Different food safety organizations state that MSG and use of MSG isn’t bad for the health.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given MSG its generally recognized as safe (GRAS) designation. A popular belief is that large doses of MSG can cause headaches and other feelings of discomfort, known as "Chinese restaurant syndrome", but double-blind tests fail to find evidence of such a reaction. The European Union classifies it as a food additive permitted in certain foods and subject to quantitative limits. MSG has the HS code 29224220 and the E number E621. (Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate)

But again here comes the question why there is such hue and cry about the product. Why people are not using MSG is their daily life. Why such negative publicity regarding the product. Though it’s a safe product to take there need a lot of awareness and tutorial for public to accept the product. Lots of baby steps should be taken regarding this concept.

The Seminar too had the added attraction of live cooking by Dr. Chef Vinoth Kumar, CEO Of Sai Institution. He gave a cooking demo using the product ajinomoto. He prepared Paneer 65. Here is the recipe

Cottage Cheese- 250gms

Dry Red Chillies- 25gms

Black Pepper Corn- 15gms

Coriander Seeds- 10gms

Ginger- 25gms

Garlic- 25gms

Rice Flour- 2tbsp

Lemon Juice- 1tbsp

Plain Yoghurt- 1cup

Salt- to taste

Ajinomoto- 10gms

Sesame Seeds

Vermicelli

Mix dry red chilli, black pepper corn, coriander seeds, garlic, ginger and grind them to make a paste for marination.

Take a bowl add paste, rice flour, salt, ajinomoto, lemon juice and yoghurt

Coat the pieces of cottage cheese

Soak the cottage cheese in roasted vermicelli for 15 mins

Heat oil in a wok deep fry the soaked cottage cheese

Serve hot with mint chutney

Instant vada

Instant Vada

Kids came running and asked for Vadas. When they crave for something they need immediately. Normally for preparing Vadas some preparation needed and some time also needed. Vadas take 3 to 4 hours or more to be ready. But I prepare vadas with the help of this recipe which will be ready in 15mins. This recipe includes rava instead of urad dal. So no soaking and no fermentation. The taste of the vadas won't change. This recipe is a quick fix when sudden guest arrive at home.

Rava or sooji is a very common ingredient in every day kitchen. But we hardly know the goodness of the rava. Rava is rich in potassium, iron and protein. It helps to improve heart health. It also helps in weight loss. It also very good for diabetic patients. It cooks very fast too, so it is easy to handle the ingredient.

Here is the recipe for all

Rava- 1 cup

Curd- 1/2 cup

Water- 3 to 4 tbsp

Onion- 1 medium

Green chilli- 1

Zeera- 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves- 1/4 of a bunch

Curry leaves- 1 string

Hing- a pinch

Soda- 1/2 tsp

Ginger- 1/2 inch

Salt to taste

In a mixing bowl add rava, curd and water and mix properly. Keep aside for 15mins. 

In the mean time let's prepare other things. 

Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying.

Clean and chop onion and keep aside. Clean and chop ginger and green chilli. Do same with coriander leaves and curry leaves.

After 15 mins add the chopped onion, green chilli, ginger, coriander leaves and curry leaves to it and mix well. Now add other ingredients to it too and mix properly.  Add water if needed and balance the seasoning.

Don't forget to add soda to the mixture. Without soda the vadas will be hard. To make it light and fluffy soda is must.

Wet your hand in water and bring out a small amount of batter and shape like Vada. Now slowly slide the vadas into the hot oil. Be careful while doing so. Fry the vadas in medium heat. High flame will make the vadas hard.

When one side is golden flip the vadas carefully. When golden both the sides bring out to the kitchen towel. Serve hot with sauce or chutney of your choice.

I made a simple jugaadu sauce which goes very well with the vadas. For the sauce 

Tomato sauce- 2tbsp

Chili sauce- 1tbsp

Kasundi- 1tbsp

(Bengali mustard sauce)

Water- 1tbsp

Take a bowl and add every thing in that . Mix properly and serve.

Nimona

Nimona

Here I come with another winter recipe. The name of the dish is Nimona. It is a green colour curry made from green peas (matar). It is an Uttar Pradesh dish and it is very popular. Due to availability of fresh green peas in winter it becomes a winter dish. Frozen peas can also be used for this dish. But the authentic flavour comes from the fresh green peas.

In original recipe couliflower is not added. But I made it with couliflower and potatoes. There is another no onion and garlic version of the this dish is available. That recipe is a temple recipe. Here I am giving a couliflower (gobi) matar ki nimona with onion and garlic. The recipe of other version will share soon.

 Green peas- 2cup

Couliflower florets- 1cup

Potato cubes- 1cup

Coriander leaves- 1/4cup 

Onion- 2 medium

Garlic- 5 to 6

Green chili- 2

Ginger- 1inch piece

Salt- 1/2tsp

Haldi- 1/4tsp

Red chili powder- 1/2tsp

Kitchen king masala- 1/4tsp

Tomatoes- 1medium

Mustard oil- 4tbsp

Ghee- 2tbsp

Bay leaves- 1

Cumin- 1/2tsp

Peel and clean green peas. Then take 1cup of green peas in a blender jar and make a smooth paste and keep aside.

Clean couliflower and put in haldi water. Similarly clean and cut potatoes and keep in water.

Clean and chop Tomatoes and coriander leaves.

Take onion, ginger and garlic in a jar and make a paste.

Heat mustard oil in a pan and add couliflower florets to it and fry them up to golden brown.

In the same oil add potatoes and fry them.

In another kadai add 1tbsp of ghee and add cumin and bay leaf and let it crackle. Then add above masala paste and saute. 

Now add pureed peas paste to it and saute again.

Then add chopped tomatoes to it and cook. 

Then add salt, haldi, red chili powder and kitchen king masala and saute up to oil separates.

Now add remaining 1cup of fresh green peas and let it cook for 5 to 6 mins.

Then add fried couliflower and potatoes it and saute for some times. Now add 1/2cup water to it and cook up to soft.

When veggies are soft and oil floats at the top of the curry, sprinkle garam masala and remaining 1tbsp of ghee to the curry. Also add chopped coriander leaves to it..

This dish best served with paratha, Puri or rice..

Matar Paneer Bread Roll

Matar Paneer Bread Roll

Summer vacation is about to come. Kids will be at home for full day. I have noticed a tendency with kids that, if they sit idle they will be more hungry. They want their mouth to be filled all the time. So we all moms keep our cupboard full with different snacks items. But one major snacks time is evening when they demand something tasty to eat. Being a mom of two growing kids I face the same situation every year. I used to prepare these snacks every year. This year I thought of sharing some of my instant and easy snacks items with everyone. In this series first one is Matar Paneer Bread Roll. Though its deep fried it is a healthy and filling snacks.

Paneer is a product made from milk. It is an all rounder ingredient as it can be used in different shapes. It is also tastes good in every way. It is a good source of protein and calcium, vitamin B. it is low in carbohydrates. Peas have protein, fiber and micronutrients. It is also low in fat. It has generous amount of vitamin B1, B2, B3, and B6. Peas and paneer are kids favorite food.  So I add another kids friendly ingredient bread to make a fab snacks.

Here is the recipe for all

Brown bread- 8 pieces

Mater- 1 cup

Paneer- 100gms

(if using homemade chhena then 3/4 cup)

Boiled and mashed potatoes- 2medium

Onion- 1 small

Green chilli- 1

Roasted zeera powder- 1 tsp

Amchur powder- 1/2tsp

Chaat powder- 1 tsp

Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp

Chopped mint leaves- 1 tbsp

Bread crumbs- 1 cup + 1 ½ tbsp

Rava- 2 tbsp

Oil for deep frying

In a bowl add green peas or matar, add water and salt and keep it on fire and let it cook. When cooked, strain it in a strainer and keep aside. Chop onion and green chillies and keep aside. Grate the market brought paneer or scramble the home made paneer.

In a mixing bowl, add mashed potatoes, paneer, cooked matar, chopped onion and green chilli, chopped coriander and mint leaves and all dry spices and mix together. Then add 2 ½ tbsp of breadcrumbs and mix properly. Then make 8 balls out of it.

Spread bread crumbs and rava on a plate and mix properly. Heat oil in pan.

Take 8 pieces of bread and cut the sides of the bread. In a bowl take some water. Soak the bread in the water and squeeze out the water properly. Then put one ball of potato mixture in the bread and cover it properly without the stuffing peeping out of the cover.

 One can fry this in hot oil but sometimes bread soak more oil,  So to avoid this roll the bread roll on the bread crumbs and rava mixture properly. This mixture should coat the rolls properly. Now slowly slide the rolls in the hot oil and fry up to golden brown.

Serve hot this rolls with sauce or chutney of your choice.