Paani Kakharu Khatta

This is a traditional authentic Odiya delicacy...which specially cook in the holy auspicious month of "Kartik"in my state ODISHA.... During this month all the pious Hindus refrain themselves from eating egg, fish, meat. The last five days of the month considered as "Panchuka". The ladies made rangoli in front of Tulsi and celebrate by cooking satwik food (without onion garlic)..On these days specific dish made i.e, Arua anna, Habisha Dalma, Saga bhaja, Pani kakharu khata, baigan bhaja etc etc etc...
        Let's start with the recipe of Paani kakharu khatta....

Ingredients :-
Pani kakharu (Ash gourd) - 1 cup (peel and cut into thin-small pieces)
Kandamula (Sweet Poatao) - 1 /2 cup
Kala chana (Dry black chickpea) - 1/2 cup (boiled)

For Tempering :-
Oil / Ghee - 1 tsp
Panch phutan - 1 tsp
Red Chilly - 1-2
Curry leaves few
Crushed ginger - 1/2 tsp
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
Salt to taste
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Tentuli (tamarind pulp) - 2 tsp (or as your choice)
Guda (Jaggery) - 3-4 tsp (or as your choice)
Roasted Cumin-Fennel-Red chilly powder - 2 tsp (Jeera,methi,lanka gunda) 

Method :-
Boil pani kakharu n kandamula with little salt and haldi. When it cooked, remove it from flame and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a kadhai. Add panch phutan, red chilly, crushed ginger, a pinch of hing, curry leaves, red chilly powder and fry for few minutes. Then add the boiled chickpeas, Paani kakharu and little water if you want it to little watery. Now add tamarind pulp and gud/sugar. Let it cook for 5-8 minutes. Then switch off the flame. You can add grated coconut also. Finally add roasted cumin-fennel-red chilly powder and mix it. Now its ready..You can enjoy it with Habisha Dalma, Arua rice or any rice..

Dahi Baingan (Brinjal in Tempered Curd)

Ingredients :-

Baingan (Eggplant) - 3-4 nos. (Small ones)

Fresh Curd - 1 cup

Green chilly - 2-3 nos. (chopped finely)

Black salt - a pinch

Salt to taste

Sugar a pinch

Haldi (Turmeric powder) -  1/2 tsp

Oil for frying

For Tempering :-

Mustard oil - 1 tsp

Panch Phutan - 1 tsp

Dry Red chilly - 2 nos.

HIng (Asafoetida) - a pinch

Curry leaves few

For Garnishing :-

Roasted Cumin n Red chilly powder - 1 tsp 

Coriander leaves chopped

Method :-

• Take small size of baingan. Cut into four halves from the bottom side to upper end, don't cut its stem. Marinate it with little haldi n salt for a minutes. 
• Heat oil and deep fry the baingan till it golden brown in colour and softens, keep aside.
• Now take curd in a wide bowl and beat it well. Add salt, sugar, green chilly, black salt and mix it well.
• Then put the fried baingan into the curd.
• For tempering, heat oil in a tadka pan. Add panch phutan, red chilly, hing, curry leaves and let it crackle. Then pour it to the curd and mix. 
• Garnish with roasted cumin, red chilly powder and coriander leaves.   

NOTE : You can also add grated coconut to the curd after tempering.  

AMBEDA (HOG PLUM) CHUTNEY

Ingredients :-

Ambeda (Hog Plum) - 10 nos.

Green Chilli - 3-4 nos. (as your taste)

Garlic Cloves - 5-7 nos.

Ginger - 1/2 " inch

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup

Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Yogurt - 2 tsp

A Pinch of Sugar

Salt to taste

Method :-

Wash and cut the ambeda (Hog Plum) into small pieces. Blend the above ingredients together in a blender to make a paste (don't make very smooth). Transfer into a bowl. Any one can keep it in refrigerator for a couple of week. Now your yummy Hog Plum chutney is ready to Serve with any snacks or rice or chapati... 

SPICY-TANGY DAHI WALI BHARWA MIRCH (STUFFED PEPPERS)

Ingredients :-

Long Green Chillies - 6 nos.

Dahi (Yogurt) - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 tsp

For Stuffing :-

Boiled Moong Dal - 1/2 cup (soaked and boiled with haldi, salt and water)

Boiled Mashed Rajma - 1/4 cup (Optional)

Onion - 1 (finely chopped)

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Dhania Powder - 1/2 tsp

Amchur (Dry Mango) Powder - 1 tsp

Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Kalonji (Nigella) -  1/2 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp 

For Tempering :-

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Few Curry Patta 

Dry Red Chilly - 1 no.

A pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)

Salt to taste

Method :-

For Stuffing Preparation :-

Put oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and kalonji, when it splutter add chopped onion and fry for a minute. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute. Next add the boiled moong dal and few mashed rajma (this is optinal, I've left some boiled rajma in my refrigerator. So put rajma mashed for a good taste). Add dhania powder, amchur powder, pepper powder and mix it well. Fry till the mixture is completely dry. Sprinkle some drops of lemon juice and salt as per your choice. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and Keep it aside.

Wash and slit the chillies vertically, de-seed them clearly. Stuff the mixture in the chillies. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, when it splutter put the chillies in the pan and shallow fry them in a low flame. Sprinkle a little bit salt over the stuffed chillies and cover with a lid. Turn the other side of the chillies and cook properly. It takes around 5-7 minutes.Don't over cook the chillies. Remove it from fire and keep aside.

For Tempering, Beat the yogurt, add salt, sugar and mix well. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, hing, curry patta, dry red chilly and let it splutter. Switch off the flame. Put the stuffed chillies to the curd and now pour the oil with spices evenly all over the stuffed chilly-yogurt dish. Now your spicy, tangy stuffed chilly is ready to eat.. Enjoy it with steamed rice or biryani or pulao...

AAMBA SADHA RECIPE (AAM PAPAD)

Ingredients:-

Ripe Mango Pulp (Aamba Rasa) - 2 nos.

Jaggery (Guda) - 1/2 cup

Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp

Roasted Cumin powder - 2 tsp

Roasted Red Chilli Flakes- 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Method :-

Wash the mangoes, peel them and squeeze the pulp by hand or you can blend it in a blender to make a smooth and fine puree. Put the puree in low flame and stir it continuously till the moisture evaporate from the puree. Add Jaggery and red chilli powder to it and bring it to a boil. Switch off the flame and let it cool. Grease plate by oil and spread evenly the mixture layer by layer and keep it under sunlight to completely dry. Sprinkle roasted cumin n dry red chilly flakes over it for chatpatta taste. After the first layer is dried, another layer is spread over it and allowed to dry. After the mixture is completely dried cut it into desired shape. Preserve it in a jar for longer time. Enjoy the chatpatta Amba Sadha in the off season of mangoes!!! 

   

AAMBILA OR KANJI {A typical Odiya Dish}

Ambila/Kanji is an authentic and traditional dish of my state "Odisha", which is very famous in Western and Southern part of Odisha. Basically it's a soupy dish with vegetables with an unique spicy-sour taste.

Ingredients :-

1 cup Curd (Dahi)

3-4 tsp Gram flour (Besan)

1 tsp Turmeric (Haldi) powder

Salt as per taste

2 cups Water

Vegetables Needed :-

100 gms Pumpkin (Cut in small pieces)

1 Brinjal (cut in lengthwise)

1 Radish (Cut in lengthwise)

2-3 Ladies finger (cut in long size)

1 Potato (cut in vertically)                                         

2 Arum (Saru) (cut in cubes)

1 Drumstick (cut in small pieces)

A piece of Dried Mango slice

For Tempering :-

2-3 tsp Mustard oil

1 tsp Panch Phutan

2 Dry Red chillies

 Few Curry Leaves

A pinch of Hing

2 tsp Garlic-Green chilli paste

Method :-

• Take a kadhai or deep pan. Heat 2 tsp oil and Fry all the chopped vegetables (except drumstick and brinjal) for 5-8 minutes. Then add 2 cup water, turmeric powder, salt to it and cover with a lid. Let it boil for 10 minutes in medium flame. 
• Take a bowl and beat the curd. Add salt, gram flour (Besan), a pinch of turmeric powder, water as per your requirement to the curd and mix it properly.
• When the veggies are cooked, add a piece of dried mango slice to it. Now add the curd mixture to the vegetables and cook for 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.
• For tadka, heat mustard oil in a separate pan. Add dry red chilies, panch phutan, hing, curry leaves, garlic and green chilli paste and saute for 2-3 minutes. When garlic turns brown in colour, immediately pour the tadka to the cooked vegetables. 

Serve this yummy and sour Ambila or Kanji with any rice dish. Enjoy your lunch!!!!

AMBA KHATTA {SWEET MANGO CHUTNEY}

"Amba Khatta" [Mango In sweet Gravy], this dish comes out of a typical Oriya Kitchen. It's a delicious tangy spicy chutney, which goes well with any type of main course meal (rice, khichdi, roti, paratha etc) . Try out this yummy chutney which we can have in summers as mangoes have that cooling affect on our body system. You can prepared this chutney also in festivals and fasting as there is no use of onion and garlic.. Hope you will love it !!

Ingredients :-

2 nos Mangoes (washed and chopped)

Jaggery (gud) - 1/2 cup or 50 gms

1 tsp Ginger paste                                                                     

1 tsp Pancha phutana

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric (haldi) podwer 

Few Curry leaves

A pinch of asafoetida (hing)

2 nos. Dry Red Chillies

1 tsp roasted fennel seeds (Saunf)

1 tsp roasted fenugreek seeds (Methi)

4 tsp Ghee or Oil

salt as per taste

Water 2 cup

Method:-

Heat ghee or oil in a deep pan and let it get hot. Add chopped mangoes and fry well it for 5 minutes till light brown. Remove it from fire and keep aside. Now heat 2 tsp ghee in  a pan. Add panch phootan, dry red chillies, curry patta, ginger paste, hing and saute for a while. Now add the fried mangoes to it. Add haldi, red chilli powder, salt and again fry. Add jaggery to it and cook for 5 minutes. Then add 1 cup water to it and mix well. Cover it with a lid and cook on medium flame for 8-10 minutes. Let the mangoes mix well the gravy, add the roasted saunf and methi powder to it. Switch off the flame. Allow it to cool completely and serve. This dish can be stored refrigerated for up to 10 days. 

AMBEDA BESARA KHATTA [INDIAN HOG PLUM WITH MUSTARD PASTE]

Ingredients :-

Ambeda (Indian Hog plum) - 200 gms

Tomato - 2 nos.

Dry Red Chilli - 2 nos.

Sugar - 5 tsp

Pancha Phutana - 1 tsp

Haldi Powder (Turmeric powder)- 1/2 tsp

Few Bhrusanga Patra (Curry leaves)

Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp                                                                                          

Mustard Oil - 2tsp

Salt as per taste                    

For Paste :-

Mustard seeds (Sorisha) - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp

Dry red chilli (Sukhila Lanka) - 2 nos.

Garlic cloves (Rasuna) - 8-10 nos.

Method :-

Wash and clean the ambeda and tomatoes. Cut them into four pieces. Grind all the masala to make a fine paste. Heat oil in a deep pan or a kadhai. Add pancha phutana, dry red chillies, curry leaves and sliced ambeda pieces. Fry it for 5-7 mins. When well fried, add mustard paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and saute a while. Also add tomatoes and stir  it. Now add 2 cups of water and cover it to bring a boil. Cook it on a medium flame for 10 mins. Then add sugar to it and cook for another 2-3 mins. Switch off the flame and serve it with khichdi or plain rice :)