Moong Dal Halwa

Moong Dal Halwa

Moong dal halwa is a very famous north indian sweet dish. This is made on celebrations or festivals like holi, diwali etc . Any marriage Function is incomplete without this beautiful dish. If u go through the recipe it is nothing but moong dal or split green gram paste is sauteed in ghee on low heat till it goes frangnant and golden brown. It is a lengthy and bit hard dish  but the out come is really tasty and worth trying.

Moong dal is packed with protein and low carb. It is a good and filling option for those who wants to go for diet. It is also a good source of protein for vegetarian. It is a high source of manganese, potassium, magnesium, copper etc etc.

Here is the recipe of this dish

Moong Dal- 1cup

Ghee- 1cup

Besan- 1tbsp

Suji- 1tbsp

Water- 1cup

Sugar- 1cup

Salt- 1/4tsp

Saffron- a pinch

Green Cardamom Powder- 1/2tsp

Chopped Pistachio- 1/4cup

Chopped Cashew- 1/4cup

Raisins- 1/4cup

Ghee- 1tbsp

Clean and wash moong dal properly. Now add water to it. Soak the dal for 4 to 5 hours. The dal will swell and will be almost 1 1/4cup of moong dal.

Drain the soaked dal and grind it to a smooth paste and keep aside.

I suggest to use nonstick kadai for this halwa as moong dal is prone to stick to the pan.

Heat ghee in a non stick kadai. Add suji (rava) and besan to it.  Saute it properly without any lumps. Then add moong dal paste to it.

It may look a lots of ghee in the pan initially. But while Cooking dal will soak all the ghee. Now your hand will do the job. It has to be stired properly and constantly.

After some time of Cooking moong dal will be grainy. And again after some Cooking it will forthy. This is a crucial stage. One can't leave dal for a min in this stage. By this time it will get a beautiful brown colour and raw smell of dal goes.

In the mean time add water, salt and sugar to another pan. Let it boil and sugar melt in. Now add saffron and green cardamom powder and boil for a min or two. Switch off the gas and keep aside for further use.

Heat ghee another kadai and fry the dry fruits and keep aside.

Now add the sugar syrup to the forthy moong dal. Cook the mixture up to dry. Add fried dry fruits to it and mix properly. This will be a beautiful, flavourful and light brown halwa.

Enjoy the heavenly halwa hot.

Sesame and Peanut Modak

Sesame And Peanut Modak

During Ganapati festival in Odisha Rasi Ladoo or til Ladoo is very famous as Prasad. Every year from my childhood we purchase Ladoo as bhog. Being a home chef I feel like I should prepare them at home. So I made them and also added crushed peanuts to it as an extra flavour. As Ganesha loves modak I gave them modak shape. Here is the recipe of my Sesame and Peanut Modak.

White sesame- 1 Cup

Peanut- 1/2 Cup

Jaggery- 2/3 Cup

Water- 1 tbsp

Ghee- 2 tbsp

Heat a pan and add peanuts to it. Dry roast the peanuts up to crunchy. Then take off from gas and allow it to cool down. Now remove the skin of the peanuts and allow it to cool down completely. Then make a coarse Powder. If you grind  peanuts in warm condition, it will be a lump not powder. 

In the same pan add sesame and dry it. Let the sesame cool down. Then reserve 3tbsp of roasted sesame aside and make a coarse Powder out of the rest.

In a non stick Kadai heat ghee, add jaggery and water to it. Let the jaggery melt and don't boil. Over cooked jaggery will give a hard Modak. Then add powdered peanut, sesame and whole sesame and give a quick mix. Switch off the gas immediately.

Bring out the mixture to a plate and allow it to cool down. When the mixture come down to a touchable temperature stuff it in a greased Modak mould to shape Modak. Stuff properly without gap. Carefully demould it and keep on a plate. Similarly prepare all the modaks.

Prasad is ready for the puja..

Paneer And Carrot Modak

Paneer And Carrot🥕 Modak

Prathamapujya  Ganapati's festival is round the corner. Everyone is gearing up for the puja. All are preparing different types of Modak for prasad. I do prepare Modak for prasad. In my last article I have given Boondi Modak recipe. This time I am sharing another version of Modak. This Modak I call as Paneer and Carrot Modak.

Here is the recipe...

Carrot- 3 medium

Milk- 1 Cup

Sugar- 4tbsp

Cardamom Powder- 1tbsp

Ghee- 1/2tbsp

Milk- 1lit+ 2tbsp

Vinegar- 3tbsp

Powdered Sugar- 4tbsp

Cardamom Powder- 1tsp

Ghee- 1/2tbsp

Heat 1 lit milk in a pan and let it boil. When milk is boiled switch off the gas and put vinegar. The milk will curdle and Paneer will be formed. Now spread a muslin cloth on a strainer and strain the Paneer. Gather all the corner of the cloth and make a knot. Now keep a heavy object on the Paneer. Keep it like this for 1 hour.

Clean and peel the Carrots. Grate the Carrots with the help of a grater and you will be getting 1 cup of grated carrot.

Heat a non stick Kadai and add grated carrot. Now fry the Carrots up to dry. Remove from pan and keep aside

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In the same pan add milk and sugar and keep on the flame. Let the sugar melt and after that reduce the flame and cook for 3 to 4 mins. Then add the dried carrot to it and cook up to dry. When almost done add cardamom Powder and ghee. Again fry the carrot mixture up to dry. Now keep aside to come down to room temperature.

After one hour bring out the dried Paneer and crumble and mash it properly. It will take 5 mins to form a dough like.

Heat a non stick pan again and add mashed Paneer, powdered sugar and 2tbsp of milk. Cook it up to dry. When almost done add ghee and cardamom Powder. Now cook it up to dry and keep aside

Grease the Modak mould, do that the mixture won't stick to the mould.

Mash The cooked Paneer mixture about, so it become like a dough.

In the Modak mould first stuff carrot mixture and stuff without gaps. Then add Paneer mixture and again carrot mixture and at last stuff Paneer mixture. Press all the mixture properly in the mould. Now carefully demould the Modak and keep on a plate.

Repeat the process to obtain more Modak. In this process you will get 10 Modak. Keep the modaks in fridge to set for 2 hours.

Paneer and carrot Modak is ready to serve as prasad

Boondi Modak

Boondi Modaks

Modakpriya Ganeshji's puja is impossible without modaks. Preparing modaks and offering to God is the part And parcel of the Ganeshji's puja. These modaks are of different types. From traditional to modern. Ukdiche modaks and fried modaks are traditional varieties. But there is a lot new varieties. Here is my recipe of one of the new gen modified modak. That is boondi modak. Here is the recipe

INGREDIENTS FOR BOONDI

Besan – 1 cup

Salt- 1/4tsp

Mitha soda- 1/2tsp

Water- 2/3Cup + 1/4 Cup

Oil for frying

Ghee- 2tbsp

Orange colour- 1/4tsp

INGREDIENTS FOR MODAK

Sugar- 2/3 Cup

Water- 1/2 Cup

Green Cardamom- 5

Cashew Nuts- 2tbsp

Raisin- 2tbsp

Watermelon seeds- 2tbsp

Ghee- 2/3tbsp

PREPARATION OF BOONDI 

In a bowl add all dry ingredients and mix properly. Now add water to it. Add little water at a time and mix. It should be of medium thick consistency batter like idly batter. Too runny batter will make boondi flat and too thick batter will create a tail for the boondi. 

Heat oil in a kadai and add 2tbsp of ghee to it. Ghee will add a beautiful smell to the boondi. Keep a holed ladle or perforated ladle or jhara on it. With a spoon add some batter on the ladle and slowly spread with a spoon. Fry the boondis till crispy. The best time to remove the boondi is when oil stop sizziling. Repeat the process to make the boondis. 

PREPARATION OF MODAK

Brake the cashews in small pieces and keep aside.

In the same oil fry the waterfront seeds, broken cashew seeds and raisins and add to the fried boondis.

Peel and deseed green cardamom and make a smooth powder and keep aside.

Add sugar and water to a kadai and keep it on gas. Allow the sugar to melt first. Then cook the sugar syrup up to 1 thread consistency. Switch off the gas and keep aside. 

In a big mixing bowl add fried boondi and other ingredients. Then pour the sugar syrup to it. Also add cardamom powder and ghee to it and mix. Let the boondis  soak all the sugar syrup. Let it stand for 10 mins. 

Now grease the modak mould and keep aside. After 10 mins mash the boondis a bit. Now stuff the mould. There shouldn't be any gap while stuffing. Carefully remould the modaks and place on the table. Do same with all the boondis. Keep the modaks in fridge for 45 mins to set. Boondi modaks is ready to serve  

For all other days and festivals grease your hand and make laddos with the same boondis

Tri Ranga Pulao

Tri Ranga Pulao

Happy 71^th Independence Day to all. It is the celebration of freedom for us. Whenever one says about our nation, our national flag come to my mind. The tri colour is the symbol of strength and courage, peace, truth, fertility, growth and auspiciousness. 

To celebrate Independence Day I prepared Tri Colour Pulao. All beautiful colours came from natural ingredients. No artificial colour and flavour are added to it. For orange colour I have used tomatoes and carrot. And for green colour came from spinach and green peas. While arranging the pulao I had a joy with a hint of pride as I am living in an Independent Country and I have liberty to do something as per my wish to celebrate this beautiful day.

Here is the recipe 

INGREDIENTS

Orange Coloured Pulao

Rice- 1/2 Cup

Water- 1 Cup

Tomatoes- 2 small (chopped)

Carrot- 1 small (grated)

Chopped ginger- 1/2 tsp

Chopped garlic- 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Haldi- 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder-1/2 tsp

Sugar- a pinch

Chana Dal- 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal- 1/2 tsp

Ghee- 1 tsp

Curry leaves- 5 to 6

White Coloured Pulao

Rice- 1/2 Cup

Water- 1 Cup

Cashew- 5 to 6

Zeera- 1/2 tsp

Cumin  Seeds

Saha Zeera- 1/2 tsp

Caraway Seeds

Onion- 1 Small (sliced)

Salt to taste

Ghee- 1 tsp

Green Coloured Pulao

Rice- 1/2 Cup

Water-  1 Cup

Zeera- 1/2 tsp

Clove- 2

Green Cardamom- 2

Spinach Leaves- 6 to 7

Ginge and Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp

Onion- 1 Small (chopped)

Green peas-1/2 Cup

Salt to taste

Haldi- 1/2 tsp

Red Chili Powder- 1/2 tsp

Ghee- 1 tsp

Gram Masala- 1/2 tsp

PREPARATION

A.   Orange Pulao

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, add chana dal and urad dal to it and fry. Then add chopped ginger and garlic and sauté it up to brown. Then add chopped onion and Curry leaves to it and cook. When onion is brown add chopped tomatoes and all dry spices and salt and fry up to oil separates.  Then add grated carrot to it and cook. Then add rice to it and fry little further. Add water to it and close the cover of the cooker. Cook it up to 2 whistles. Allow the cooker to release the steam on its own. Run a fork in rice to avoid sticking.

Orange Pulao is ready.

B.    White Pulao

Heat ghee in a pan add zeera and saha zeera and let it crackle. Now add sliced onion to it and sauté up to pinkish. Then add cashews and fry again. Then add rice and fry for 2 min. Add water and salt and cook up to the rice is done.

White Pulao is ready.

C.   Green Pulao

Blanch the spinach leaves and again soak in cold water. Later make a smooth puree and keep aside. Heat ghee in a cooker; add whole garam masala to it and let it infuse its flavor in oil. Then add ginger and garlic paste and fry again. Then add chopped onion to it. When onion is brown add dry spices and salt except garam masala. Then add green peas and cook. Now add spinach puree to it and cook up to oil separates. Add rice to it and fry again. Then add water and garam masala and close the cover of the cooker. Cook this up to 2 whistles.  Allow the cooker release of its own. Run a fork in rice to avoid sticking.

Green Pulao is ready.

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PLATING

Take a ring with some height (I have used a spring form cake pan without base which has 3 inch height). Now add 3 tbsp of green pulao and spread evenly. Then add 3 tbsp of while pulao and spread evenly. On the top add 3 tbsp of orange pulao and spread evenly. Then carefully bring out the ring. 

Tri Colour or Triranga Pulao is ready. Serve with any gravy or raita of your choice.

Chuda Ghasa, Dalma and Suji Khiri

Chuda Ghasa, Dalma and Suji Khiri

Slowly and steadily I reached at my 100^th blog post. It is a vital land mark for me. For this special occasion and also for Navratri I chose this combination of Chuda Ghasa, Dalma and Suji Khiri for my blog. This combination has a very special place in my family (both in laws and maiden family). 

Every puja and festival in Odia family's life can't be completed without Chuda Ghasa. Chuda means poha or flattened rice and Ghasa means mashed with grated coconut, ghee and sugar. Dalma means lentil and mix vegetables Odia curry and Suji Khiri means semolina milk pudding, which is the best combination for Chuda Ghasa. 

It will be a long post as it contains 3 recipes. Kindly read this with patience and cherish the beauty of Odia cuisine.

Here is the recipe

Recipe of Chuda Ghasa

Chuda-1 Cup

Grated Coconut- 1 Cup

Ghee- 1 1/2tbsp

Sugar- 2tbsp

Kaffir Lime - 1/2

Black Pepper- 10

Green Cardamom- 3

Clean the Chuda and put it in a blender jar and make a coarse powder. Also prepare a coarse powder of black pepper and green cardamom separately.

In a big plate add grated coconut, ghee and sugar and mash with hand. It will be a mushy and semi liquid stuff. Then add kaffire lime juice, black pepper and green cardamom powder to it and mix.

Then add powdered poha and mix with hands. Initially it will be bit moist but if you leave it for some time it will be dry. 

Chuda Ghasa is ready.

Recipe of Chana Dal Dalma

Chana Dal- 1 Cup

Pumpkin- 100gms (A medium piece)

Beans- 7 to 8

Potatoes- 2 (small)

Tomato- 1 (big)

Bay Leaf- 1

Ginger- 1 inch piece

Ghee- 1 tsp + 2 tsp

Panch Phutan- 1tbsp

(Authentic Odia 5 spices mix)

Whole Red Chili- 2

Salt to taste

Haldi- 1/2 tsp

Hing- 1/8th tsp

Cumin- 1tsp

Red Chili- 2

Coriander Leaves to Garnish 

Wash and soak chana dal for 45 mins.

Cut the vegetables in cubes except tomatoes. Don't peel the whole skin of the pumpkin. Keep some here and there, so that it won't get mashed. 

Clean and peel the ginger and crush.

Heat 1tsp ghee in a pressure cooker, add bay Leaf to the ghee and let it change colour. Then add crushed ginger and saute up to red. Then add the soaked dal and cut veggies and also salt and haldi and saute in high flame. 

When dal start to stick to the cooker then slow down the flame and add 2 cups of water. Again increase the flame. Now add tomatoes to it. And cover the cooker and cook up to 2 whistles (one in high and one in low). Allow the cooker open naturally. 

Heat Kadai, add jeera and red chilli to it and dry roast and make a coarse Powder.

Heat 2tsp of ghee in a Kadai and add red chilli breaking into pieces. When chili changed its colour add panch phutan and hing to it. Let the phutan crackle and add cooked tomatoes to it. Mashed the tomatoes with the help of the ladel and cook up to oil separates. Then add the cooked dal to it and let it boil.

Add the above spice powder and coriander leaves to it.

Recipe of Suji Khiri

Suji (rava)- 3tbsp

Milk- 750ml

Sugar- 4 to 5 tbsp

Green Cardamom- 2 to 3

Cashew Nuts- 8 to 10

Raisins- 10

A pinch of Salt

Ghee- 1tbsp + 1/2tbsp

In a heavy buttom pan add milk and keep it on gas and allow it to cook. Crush green cardamom to coarse powder.

In another kadai heat 1/2tbsp of ghee and add cashew nuts and saute. Then add raisins in the ghee and saute and keep aside.

In the same pan add 1 more tbsp of ghee and heat it. Add rava (suji) to the ghee and saute. It should be saute up to a beautiful smell but don't change the colour of the suji.

Add this fried suji to the already boiling milk and allow to cook. Let it cook for 6 to 8 mins.

Then add sugar and salt to it and allow the sugar to melt and again cook for 2 to 3 mins. Switch off the gas.

Then add green cardamom powder and fried cashews and raisins 

Rava tends to be thick very quickly, so try to keep the khiri bit liquidy.

Serving

Bring a plate and two bowls. Serve Chuda Ghasa on plate and serve Dalma and Suji Khiri in two bowls.