Beet and Moong Salad

What you need:

1 Beet boiled and chopped
1/2 Cup yellow moong dal soaked for 2-3 hrs
1/4 Tsp Cumin seeds
1 Dry Red chilli
Salt to taste
1 Tsp Lemon juice
1 Tsp Dessicated coconut
1 Tsp Olive oil

How to Prepare:
Heat oil add cumin seeds and red chilli to it.Fry till all the seeds crackle and red chillies are browned.
Now add the boiled beet and moong dal to it. Add salt and lemon juice to it and cok for 5 minutes.Add the dessicated coconut to it.
Your Healthy and easy salad is ready to enjoy.

Note: If you like spicy food , you can also add few chopped green chillies.

Shahi Dahi Paneer : without Onion and Garlic

Shahi Dahi Paneer is not a very rich dish rather is a healthier alternative to original shahi paneer. Easily prepared for a weekday dinner, very well paired with Roti or Rice.

What you need:

250 gms paneer cubed 
2 Tomatoes
5-6 Cashews
2 Tbsp  Yoghurt
1 Tsp Tandoori masala powder
1 Tsp Kitchen King Masala powder(optional)
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to Taste
Whole Garam masala(1 Clove, 2-3 Blackpeppercorns, 1 Green Cardamom, 1 inch cinamom stick)
1 Tsp Kasoori methi
1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds
1 Tbsp Oil

How to prepare:

Heat oil in a wok add cumin seeds and all the whole garam masala.Now add the paneer cubes , turmeric and all masala powders and fry for 1-2 minutes.
Blend tomatoes and cashews and add to the paneer. Season with salt.Add little water if required.
At the slow flame add the yoghurt and keep stirring.Now add the kasoori methi and let it cook for few minutes.

kadali palanga saaga bhaja

Saag is prepared almost everyday in an odia house. Although Spinach is not widely cooked but with so many varieties of greens available there it is a everyday dish and cooked with addition of potatoes and aubergine to it or any other vegetable to it or some times even on its own. Here as Spinach always there in my refrigerator , it is added to my dals or mixed vegetable and most of the time in my weekend menu as a Saag.

Today I have Added Kadali(Raw  Green Banana) and Aubergine to it. You can even omit adding garlic to this saag on puja days but is recommended for other days.

 What you need:

1 large bunch of spinach(or 1/2 a pack of frozen Spinach)
1 Green Banana Chopped
1 medium sized Aubergine Chopped
5-6 Cloves of Garlic chopped
1 Green Chilli Chopped
Salt to taste
1/2 Tsp Panchphoron
1 Tbsp oil

Heat oil in a wok add panchphoron to it and let it splutter.Add the green chillies and garlic. Fry for few seconds and then add Green banana and aubergine to it. Season with salt and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Now add all the chopped spinach to it and let it cook till all the water evaporates.

Dahi Ambula Rai / Odisha Cuisine

Ambula is Dried raw mango . Usually when in early summer raw mangoes are in season most of the homes in Odisha prepare their batch of Ambula. Cutting the raw mangoes into half or quarter ,they are mixed with salt and sun dried till they are completely dry and are used in various dishes as souring agent be it in dal or sabji(besara).

What you need:

6-8 Ambula (Dried Mangoes)
1 Cup Yoghurt
1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds
1 Tsp Fennel seeds(Saunf)
1 Green chilli
Few Coriander Leaves chopped
Few Mint Leaves Chopped
Salt to taste
1 Tsp Sugar

For tempering:
1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds
1 Dry Red chilli
Few Curry Leaves(optional)
1 Tsp oil


How to prepare:

Soak Ambula in water for half an hour.
Grind Mustard seeds, fennel seeds and green chilli with little water to a smooth paste.
Take out the soaked Ambula into a bowl add yoghurt, Salt, Sugar, Coriander leaves , Mint leaves and the mustard paste to it.
For Tempering, Heat oil and add mustard seeds, red chilli and curry leaves to it. once the seeds start to splutter add it to the mixture.
It will keep good in refrigerator for about a week. 

Kandamula Amba Khatta/ Sweet and Sour Sweet potato and Raw Mango

Usually the daily Odia thalis have a sweet and sour item in it. Some of the common being tomato khatta, Amba khatta, Amba tomato Khatta, oou khatta(Elephant apple), Amba Chutney, Ambula Rai, Dahi Ambula Rai or Dahi Baingan.
Kandamula Khatta is very delicious and having the goodness of sweet potato is usually cooked at my home.
This time I have tried to combine both Raw Mango and Sweet potato and it came out really good.

What you need:

3-4 Sweet Potato Chopped
2  Small Raw mango Chopped
1/2 Tsp Panch phoron
1 Tbsp oil
Pinch of Asafoetida/hing
Salt to taste
1/4 Tsp Turmeric
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar/ Jaggery
1 Tbsp Dessicated coconut
1 Tbsp Rice Flour
1 Tsp Roasted and Powdered Panch phoron Powder
1/2 Tsp Roasted Cumin chilli Powder

How to Prepare:
Heat oil in a pan add panchphoron and hing to it. Add the Sweet potato , salt and turmeric to it. Mix , cover and cook till sweet potatoes are cooked and soft.
Now add the Mango and sugar to it and sprinkle the dessicated coconut.Add Some Water to it.
Cook for 3-4 minutes. For the thickness add the rice flour to it and mix.cook for few more minutes.
Switch off the flame. Season with roasted panchphoron powder and roasted cumin chilli powder.

Kolatha Dali / Horsegram Dal

Horsegram dal is known as Kolatha in odia. Horsegram is high in protein and iron which makes it wholesome food that should be added to our regular diet.
It is known for its diuretic and astringent properties.
It has phenols which helps in reducing weight.
Horsegram also helps in lowering cholesterol levels.
It also helps in reducing flatulence.

Ingredients:

1 cup Kolatha dali (soaked for 1 hour and washed properly)
Salt to taste
1 Tsp Turmeric
Few sprigs of curry leaves
1/2 Tsp Panch phoron
Few cloves of Garlic Crushed
1 Piece Ambula(Dried Mango)
1 Dry red chilli
1 Tsp Oil

Pressure Cook the dal with salt and Turmeric for 2-3 whistles. Once it is slightly cool blend the cooked dal in the blender.
Now again Boil the dal and add Ambula to it.
For Tempering, Heat oil add panchphoron to it . When it starts to splutter add curry leaves, red chilli and crushed garlic to it. Fry lightly and the tempering to cooking dal.
Serve with Steamed rice and Sabji.

Odia Ghanta Tarkari/Mixed Vegetable Medley/ Odisha Special

This is a very common dish in Odia household. Having so many vegetables and lentils in this recipe it is  nutritious and healthy.You can add as many vegetables and add sprouts instead of soaked lentils, it makes it much more tasty and nutritious.

What you need:

1/2 Cup Soaked Green Moong(Soaked for 6-7 Hours)
1/2 Cup Soaked Yellow Peas(Soaked for 6-7 Hours)
1/2 Cup Soaked Kala Chana(Soaked for 6-7 Hours)
1 medium sized onion
1/2 inch Ginger
5-6 Cloves of Garlic
1 Bayleaf
1 tbsp chopped or sliced coconut pieces
2 Tbsp Dessicated coconut/ Grated coconut
1/2 Tsp Panchphoron
1 Tbsp Olive oil or any oil of your choice
1 Tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste
1 Tsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Curry Powder
1 Tsp Roasted Cumin Chilli Powder(Bhaja Zeera Lanka Gunda)
1 cup cubed Yam(desi aloo)
1 cup cubed Arum(Saru)
1 Medium Sized Aubergine cubed
1 Raw Green Banana cubed
1/2 Cup Raw papaya Cubed
1 Cup Pumpkin Cubed
1 potato cubed
4-5 Simba / Broad beans
7-8 Green beans
1 Small Tomato
1 Cup Spinach Chopped
Few Cauliflower leaves with its Stem Chopped
10-12 Fried Lentil Dumplings/ Badi

How to prepare:

Cut all the vegetables and keep aside.

Heat  Oil and Ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Add Panchphoron to it. When it Starts to splutter add Whole Garam masala(black pepper,Cloves, Green Cardamom and cinamom), Bayleaf and Asafoetida.Add the sliced coconut pieces to it.

Add Onion , Ginger and Garlic and saute for few minutes.

Add all the soaked lentils to it and put the salt , turmeric ,curry powder at this stage so that the lentils will get its flavour.Again Saute for couple of more minutes.

Add all the vegetables to it except Spinach and tomatoes. Add the dessicated coconut/ fresh grated coconut.

Cook it covered on a medium to slow flame adding 1 cup water to it.

When almost all the vegetables are cooked add the tomatoes and chopped spinach to it and cook for 3-4 minutes.Also add the fried lentil dumpling/badi at this time.

Switch off the flame and season with roasted cumin chilli powder(zeera lanka gunda).

Enjoy this nutritious dish with steamed rice, roti or paratha.