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.

.

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.

Matha Kakara

Matha Kakera

Being a food blogger I keep my eyes open for new dishes. I always try to grab the first opportunity to try something new. This time I got a new recipe from my friend Jayashree Nanda. She showed a new type of Pitha (which is new to me). The name of the pitha is "Matha Kakera".  Matha means kneading. Kakera means flat pitha with or without stuffing. This pitha is known as Matha Kakera because the dough of the Kakera has to be kneaded for a long time. This Kakera is offered as a prasad at Chhatia Bata Temple. This temple is a famous temple of Odisha. This is a Jagannath Temple and it is associated with Kalki Avatar of Lord Vishnu.

I decide to try this lovely recipe on the occasion of Janmastami.  Janmastami is the celebration of birth of Lord Krishna. In my in laws family lots of delicacies are prepared on this day. A puja  is performed with yummy prasads. Thank you dear Jayashree for this lovely and authentic recipe.

                                  Here is the recipe.

                                    Atta- 1 1/2 Cup

                                   Rava- 1/2 Cup

Water- 2 Cup

Salt- 1/2 tsp

Jaggery- 1 Cup

Ghee- 1 tbsp

Saunf- 2 tbsp

(Fennel Seeds)

Black Pepper- 1 tbsp

Ginger- 1/2 inch piece

Bay Leaves- 1

Green Cardamom- 2

Scraped Coconut- 1/2 Cup

Ghee for deep frying

Grate the jaggery- properly and keep aside. Grated jaggery is easier for melting in water.

Make a coarse powder of black pepper. Deseed the green cardamon and make a smooth powder and keep aside.

In a wide kadai (non stick kadai is better) heat water. Add ghee and jaggery to it

Let the jaggery melt properly.

Then add saunf, black pepper powder, bay leaf, salt and green cardamom powder to the water and let it boil for some time.

In a plate mix atta and rava.

Add this dry ingredients to the boiled water. Try to avoid lumps in making. Now add scraped coconut to it and cover and Switch of the gas.

After 5 mind bring out to a big plate and allow it to come down to room temperature.

When the dough is in room temperature bring out the bay Leaves. Grease your palm with ghee and knead it. It should be kneaded properly. That's how the name of the dish came. After kneading there should be a smooth dough like chapati dough

It can be shaped in two ways.

In one way bring out a chapati ball size ball from the dough. Roll the ball between your greased palm and shape them like cutlets. But it should not be very thick. It is ready to be fried.

In another way roll a bigger chapati from the dough and cut out the kakeras with the help of a round cookie cutter. Similarly shape kakeras up to the dough finished.

Heat ghee in a pan. When the ghee is hot slide the kakeras in the hot ghee. You can fry 3 to 4 in a batch. It will puff like puris.  Fry both the sides of the kakeras up to golden in colour.

Matha kakeras is ready for Prasad and serving

Eggless Chocolate Mud Cake

Eggless Chocolate Mud Cake

Eggless baking is always a challenge. I always wanted to try cakes, cookies without eggs. Chocolate mud cake is my favorite. But wanted an egg less version of this cake. After some failed attempts I got a perfect recipe of this. It is very easy to cook and few ingredients needed. Initially I was spectical about the taste and texture. But finally I got a perfect one.

So here is the recipe of the cake-

Maida- 1 1/2 Cup

Coco powder- 1/4 Cup

Sugar- 1 Cup

Baking powder- 1 tsp

Baking soda- 3/4 tsp

Salt- 1/4 tsp

Vanilla- 1 tsp

Water- 1 Cup

Oil- 1/4 Cup

Vinegar- 1 tbsp

Grease a square cake tin. Then line a butter paper and again grease the paper with some butter. 

In a mixing bowl add maida, Coco powder, baking powder and baking soda and shift twice.

Then add sugar and mix properly.

In a sauce pan add water and heat the water up to luke warm. Now add oil, vanilla and vinegar to it. Mix it properly.

Then pour the wet ingredients on the dry ingredients and mix properly, avoiding lumps.

Then pour the cake batter on the already lined cake tin.

Preheat the oven on 200 degree Celsius for 10 mins. Then put the cake in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 180 degree Celsius. Bake the cake for 40 mins.

After 40 mins insert a tooth pick to test the cake. If it's clean, then it's ready. Allow it to cool down completely.

Dust the cake with powdered sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Kaju Katli

Kaju Katli

Kaju Katli or Kaju Burfi is a festive sweet dish. It is very famous all over India. It needs very few ingredients to prepare and has a very easy procedure to follow. But a lot of patience is needed to prepare this.

This is my elder son's favorite sweet. He insisted me to prepare this sweet. He complains of me preparing different sweets but not trying and preparing his favorite sweet. It is also my brother's favorite. So it tempted me to prepare this. Here is the recipe 

Kaju- 1Cup

Sugar- 1/2 Cup

Water- 5tbsp

Ghee- 1tsp

Kesar- a pinch

Take a cup of Kaju and make a smooth powder. Shift this powder and remove the broken pieces and keep aside. 

Grease a plate with ghee and keep aside.

In a non stick kadai add sugar and water. It is safe to use non stick kadai as kaju paste will stick to button and in nonstick it is easy to remove. 

Let the sugar melt properly. Then cook the sugar syrup for 3 to 4 minutes more (up to one thread consistency). At this stage add kesar or saffron to it.

Now add the kaju powder to it. Keep the flame on low only. Mix the powder properly without lumps. Cook the kaju powder.

Slowly it will start to be forming a dough. When it is getting thick, bring out a small portion and allow it to cool down. Then try to make a ball, if a ball can be prepared then dough is ready.

Remove it from gas and pour over the already greased plate. Allow the dough to cool down.

After 7 to 8 mins when the dough come down to a touchable temperature, then try to knead the dough a bit. But the dough need to be little hot.

Then put the dough between two butter paper. Spread a little and roll with the help of a rolling pin. It shouldn't be too thin or too thick. It should be 5 mm of thickness. Then cut the katli in desired shape. I like it diamond shape as my son call it as diamond sweet. So I kept it in diamond shape.

Allow it to cool down completely and serve to your loved ones.

Fresh Coconut And Almond Burfi

Fresh Coconut and Almond Burfi

Burfi is a milk based sweet which is very famous in Indian sub continent. There are many varieties of burfis like besan burfi, kaju burfi, pista burfi etc. Plain burfi is made of condensed milk and sugar. Coconut or Mango flavoured burfis are also available. They are available in different shapes like square, diamond or round. This can be prepared and served on any occasion.

This Raksha Bandhan I thought of preparing sweets at home. In this process I prepared 3 sweets. First one is Kalakand, Second is Fresh Coconut and Almond Burfi and Third is Kaju Katli. I have already posted recipe of Kalakand. Now it's turn for the burfi. I have given a nutty twist to the fresh coconut burfi by adding crushed dry roasted almonds.

Here is the recipe

Fresh Coconut- 1
Milk- 5tsp or 1/4cup+ 1tsp
Sugar- 1cup
Desi Ghee- 1 tbsp
Green Cardamom- 4 to 5
Almonds- 1/4cup+ some more garnishing

Grease pan and spread a piece of butter paper on that. Also apply some ghee on the butter paper and keep aside.

Brake the coconut and scrap it. While scraping be careful about not to scrap the brown part of the coconut. You will get 2 cups of freshly scraped coconut.

Dry roast the almonds in a kadai. Then make a coarse powder with some bits. Keep aside.

Deseed the green cardamon and make a powder and keep aside.

In another kadai add scraped coconut, milk and sugar and mix.

Keep the kadai on gas and the flame should be medium and start cooking

It will be watery as coconut will leave water and sugar will melt. Slowly water will evaporate and it will be thick. While the mixture is reducing don't stire much.

When it reduced a bit add ghee and cardamon powder and mix properly. When it became thick then reduce the flame to low and stir continually.

If you will leave it for some mins, then it will burn. At this stage add crushed almond to it. It will be further thick and form like a dough.

Now pour the Mixture immediately on the already greased pan. Spread it evenly and smooth the top with the help of spoon. Keep halved almond on the burfi and press a little. Then let it set and cool down to the room temperature.

Then cut the burfi. Serve the burfi either cold or room temperature

 

Kalakand

Kalakand

Kalakand is a very special sweet from Alwar, Rajasthan. This is very famous all over India and Indian sub continent. Though some people say it of Arabic origin. There are two styles for preparing Kalakand. One is traditional way which is time consuming and other is quick way. Here I am sharing the quick way of preparing which will take 15 to 20 mins.

When I was a kid, I used to eat this sweet in Odisha. After I got married and came to Chennai I Crave for this sweet. So I started preparing this at home. This Raksha Bandhan I thought of preparing sweets at home. So I made Kalakand first. Then other sweets.

Here is the recipe

Milk- 1/2 lit
Vinegar- 1 1/2 tbsp
Milkmaid- 1/2 Can (tin)
Green Cardamom- 4
Sugar- 1 tbsp
Cashew- 7 to 8
Pistachio- 7 to 8

In a bowl, add 1/2 lit of milk and let the milk boil properly. When bubbles start forming in the milk add vinegar to it and let the milk split and switch off the gas. Now strain the paneer with the help of a strainer. Let it sit like this for half an hour.

Now crumble the paneer with hands.

Crush the cashews and pistachios with the help of a mortar and pestal.

In a nonstick kadai, add paneer, milk maid and sugar and mix properly.

Now put the kadai on gas. Keep the flame low to medium. Start cooking the mixture.

First it will be watery. But soon it will start to come up as a dough. It will take 15 to 20 mins.

While cooking after 10mins add green cardamom powder to it and cook again.

In the mean time grease a plate and spread a butter paper.

After the mixture firmed as dough, pour it over the butter paper. Smoothen the surface with the help of a spoon.

Now spread crushed cashews and pistachios on the kalakand and press little. Then let the hot kalakand come down to room temperature.

Then keep it in fridge for 3 to 4 hours.

Then cut the kalakand and serve.