Breakfast & Snacks

Crispy Rice Vadas ( Chaula Bara )

6:50 PM

It’s been raining heavily here and though many parts of the world are still enjoying their summer, we are ready to welcome the Monsoon here. The sounds of the rain drops in the window pane drove me back to my childhood memories when rainy days are welcomed with adrakwali chai and an array of foods like aloo chop, Bara, Singada(Samosa), Mudhi Mixture etc. As my father would never allow us to have those amazing street foods for which Odisha is famous for as he was very strict with hygiene, so my mother used to make all those delicious items at home. If you happen to ever land up in Bhubaneswar, you cannot escape the aroma of street food of the city. Among a plethora of foods to try out , Bara-ghuguni is a typical Odia comfort snack that you must not forget to try. Hot baras dipped in warm ghuguni in the monsoons is a snack to die for.

You must be wondering why am I going on about monsoon foods, you got me right, this is the theme for our 47th Foodie Monday Blog Hop #Monsoon Madness. Monsoon….a cup of tea…..and some hot crispy things on the plate and a good book is what I need to keep myself busy and of course happy.

Through my blog I have always taken you through various lesser known recipes belonging to Odisha , which are not only drool worthy , they are also amazing in taste. One such delicacy had caught my fancy and this seems the perfect backdrop for this crispy regional delicacy to have it’s introduction……CHAULA BARA ( Crispy Rice Vada) . This is very different from the Bara and Ghuguni we eat in the Coastal regions. The major difference is the use of rice in the Rice Vadas whereas we use Urad daal Vadas in our Bara Ghuguni.

Kosli cuisine or Sambalpuri cuisine is integral to the Kosli cultural identity and it is quite different in every sense from that of the coastal Odisha. Rice is the main component of the diet. Some of the important Kosli foods are Kardi (bamboo shoot), Hendua Chutchuta, Paatalghantaa Dhuldhulaa, Lethaa, Aambil, Thukthukaa, Chaul Bara and Bhuja. Basi Pakhal (fermented rice), Sukha jhuri (sun dried fish), Chitka, Rasbaraa (Prepared from green gram and sugar). Among others , Chaula Bara has caught the attention of many and now it has traveled to many places .These crispy rice vadas  are very famous street food in Sambalpur and these are  savored with fried chillis and green chilli chutney known as Mircha chutney.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rice
• 4 tbsp urad daal
• 1/2 tsp carom seeds
• 1/2tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 to 2 green chilli chopped
• salt as per taste
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Few curry leaves
• Oil for deep frying

 Let's Learn how to make this crispy Chaula Bara:

• Wash and soak the rice, urad dal overnight.
• Grind the soaked rice, urad dal to make a thick batter using less amount of water .
• Add chopped onion, green chillies, carom seeds, cumin seeds, baking soda, and salt. Mix well to form a smooth batter.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan , once the oil is hot, then take a spoonful of rice batter in your hand and carefully drop this in the hot oil . Fry till the colour of the baras changing  to golden brown. Flip and cook the  other side. Repeat the same with the remaining batter.
• Serve it with Tomato chutney and mircha chutney which is nothing but a tangy green chutney made with crushed green chillies, garlic, tamarind paste, coriander/ mint and salt.

Breakfast & Snacks

Granola Yogurt Parfait

12:22 PM

Granola is the most healthiest and easy breakfast food that I am hitched onto. Pair it with a silky smooth Greek Yogurt , throw some fruits of your choice like banana, strawberries, blueberries to get the best flavor out of it. Before some months When I used to see someone posting a Granola Recipe , I used to wonder what are these. After a bit of searching, I came to know that Granola consists of rolled oats, different nuts , honey or other sweeteners which are then baked until it is crisp and golden brown. Any dry fruits can be added in the granola like pecans,pine nuts, walnuts, raisins, dates etc. Granola can be used as a breakfast or as an evening snacks or it could be eaten throughout the day, because of it’s nutritious nature . Many people make it in the bar form so that it can be easily packed and carried for outdoor activities. You can also add flax seeds, sunflower seeds , melon seeds in the mix which improves our digestion.

Though Granola is easily accessible through any Departmental Stores, I prefer to make my Granola at home which is not only cheaper than the store brought ones, it is way healthier and tastier also. The most important component of the Granola is the Oats or Oatmeal or Oat bran which is a significant source of dietary fibre which contains a mixture of soluble and non soluble fibres. Beta –glucans is a soluble fibre found in oats which has proven to lower the blood cholesterol. Try to incorporate rolled oats rather than quick cooking oats which will fail to hold up the entire binding process. You can add other dry ingredients like pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds,  coconut flakes, flax seeds. 

To get a nice balance of flavor and texture, I follow the 6:1 ratio of 6 parts dry ingredients to 1 part wet ingredient. Out of my 6 parts of dry ingredients, I mix 3 parts of Oats, 1 Parts of nuts, 1 parts of seeds and I parts of fruits or dryfruits. Coming back to wet ingredients, I prefer my Maple syrup and Sunflower oil which is needed to coat the grains, nuts and seeds in sugar and fat and most importantly helps them to bind together. But in this recipe I have for the first time used extra virgin coconut oil and Maple Syrup.Coming back to Maple Syrup, which is one of the more popular sweeteners today as it claims to be more nutritious and healthier than sugar. The main thing that sets maple syrup apart from refined sugar, is that though both are made of 2/3^rd sucrose, the glycemic index score of maple syrup is about 54 compared to 65 for regular cane sugar.( Source: https://draxe.com/maple-syrup-nutrition). Compared to refined cane sugar which has absolutely no nutrients, maple syrup in that case contains some important antioxidants and minerals like Zinc and Manganese. 

 Recently I have been associated with Plattershare under their “Belly Nirvana” Associate programme where I have received the Coombs Grade A Dark Amber Maple Syrup from GoIndiaOrganic - India’s only platform that provides premium, exclusive & extra-ordinary naturally organic food products.  Maple syrup is made from the sugary circulating fluid (sap) of maple trees and over 80% of the world’s supply of Maple syrup is produced in Canada. You can find different grades of Maple syrup available in the market, which is Grade-A and Grade-B. Grade-A is further classified into Light Amber, Medium Amber and Dark Amber and Grade B is the darkest of them all.  Darker maple syrups are made from sap which is extracted later in the harvesting seasons and it has a stronger maple flavor for which it is mainly used in baking and other cooked recipes , while the lighter maple syrup can be used directly on pancakes, crepes etc.

Spices plays a major role in making Granola and I always use Cinnamon, ground ginger, Nutmeg, a bit of cloves in my Granola to perk up it’s taste. Besides the spices, I also use Dried Cherries, Raisins and sometimes apricot in my Granola but I add them after baking to avoid the drying of the fruits. The best thing about Granola is that you can customize it from making it more/less sweet, more/less spicy, more/less fruity and do not limit your imagination , go ahead and make your own Granola and for a reference you can always refer my recipe below.

Recipe Type: Breakfast/ Snack

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 to 30 minutes

Yields: 1 medium Jar

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup pistachios
• ½ cup shredded coconuts
• ½ cup raisin and cherries
• ¼ cup melon seeds
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup virgin coconut oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/4tsp ginger powder
• ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
• a pinch of clove powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 400 grams vanilla flavored Greek yogurt

Let's Learn How to Make this :

• Pre heat oven to 200 degree C.

• Combine the oats, walnuts, pistachios, melon seeds, carrots, grated coconut, maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt in a large mixing bowl. Toss well till they are perfectly combined.

• Transfer these mixture to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and spread evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes and when it is halfway through, do not forget to stir it before the final round of baking.

• Remove from the oven and let it cool and comes to room temperature. Then add raisins and dried cherries and toss to combine.

• Divide the toasted granola among serving bowls, glasses or even jar like the way I did.Pour the Greek yogurt over it and place some more granola on top along with some fresh cherries. Serve immediately.

• Enjoy this homemade granola immediately, or store in a sealed container and store in a cool place for up to 2 weeks.

This granola parfait is going to be a part of our 46th #Bloghop theme of #dryfruits.

Baking

Irish Soda Bread Buns with Cranberries and Fennel Seeds

7:15 AM

This is one of the most old fashioned Soda Bread recipe with just the basic ingredients which can be ready in less than an hour. The addition of buttermilk gives this bread the much required crust and this is the perfect recipe when you are in a hurry. Like any other Soda bread, these buns tastes as good as when it is eaten with a slice of cheese or with butter and jam. The exotic scent of the fennel seeds and the burst of tartness from the cranberries make these buns to have it in a perfect cosy environment with your family.

Soda bread is a variety of quick bread traditionally made in a variety of cuisines in which sodium bicarbonate (otherwise known as baking soda) is used as a leavening agent instead of the more common yeast. The ingredients of traditional soda bread are flour, bread soda, salt, and buttermilk. The buttermilk in the dough contains lactic acid, which reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide. Other ingredients can be added such as butter, egg, raisins, or nuts to make it as per your recipe. ( Source: Wiki)

If you’ve never made bread before just like me and terrified  at the very thought of making homemade bread, simply relax. It is quite easier to make a soda bread than making a pancake or muffin. This is going to be part of my contribution to the 45^th Foodie Monday Bloghop theme of #Bread.

Recipe Source: Simply Nigella

Recipe Type: Bread

Prep Time:10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Yields :8

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of whole wheat Flour
• ½ cup All Purpose flour
• ½ cup butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
• ¾ tsp soda 
• ¾ tsp all spice powder
• 150 l runny buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 2 tsp fennel seeds

Let's Learn how to make this bread:

• Melt the butter and then leave it to cool a little.

• Preheat the oven to 220 degree C and line a baking sheet with baking Parchment.

• in a large bowl, combine both flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, all spice powder and mix well.

• Whisk the egg with buttermilk and then fold in the melted butter.

• Pour the wet ingredients over the bowl of dry ingredients, and then add the dried cranberries and fennel seeds and mix everything with a wooden spoon. The final bit of mixing should be done by hands.

• Turn the sticky dough into the floury surface and then cut into 4 equal parts and out of those 4 parts make 4 more balls. Now you have 8 balls made from the dough.

• Shape each piece of dough into a rough dough ball and place on your lined baking sheet with some space between them.

• With the help of a knife, mark a pattern of ‘X’ in each of the dough.

• Sprinkle  little flour on all the breads and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or untill the buns are brown and sound hollow when tapped on the kitchen slab.

• Let them cool for about 10 minutes before you eat them.

• these Buns are best eaten the day it is made.

• I like to have it with butter and some plum and tomato chutney and a glass of milk.

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Breakfast & Snacks

MUDHI MANSA - Puffed Rice with Goat Meat Curry

10:30 AM

Mudhi  Mansa or puffed Rice with Mutton Curry and Baripada in Mayurbhanj district in Odisha are synonymous with each other. This famous delicacy is served as a main course where goat meat curry or Mansa tarkari is mixed with puffed Rice or Mudhi along with some other side items.  It is a belief with the people of Mayurbhanj that if you consume Mudhi after a meal, it will help in digesting the food you eat. No marriage seems complete in Mayurbhanj if you do not offer the Barajatris or Baratis, Mudhi Mansa. The popularity of Mudhi Mansa among  most of the Odia people speaks the volume about the delectable taste of the dish. It is rightly said , if you have visited Baripada and not tasted the Mudhi Mansa, you have not tasted anything.

In coastal parts of Odisha where I am born and brought up, Mudhi or  Puffed rice is generally considered as an ingredient for the evening snacks where it is mainly eaten with mixture . Whereas in Mayurbhanj, it is eaten during lunch and dinner also. It is such an integral part of their life that, Mudhi can be enjoyed with anything and everything.  You name it and they eat it. Mudhi mansa, mudhi aloodum, mudhi tarkari, mudhi machha,singada aloochop mudhi, dahi mudhi, mixture mudhi and even Baigan Poda with Mudhi and list is endless. Try it once and you will fall in love with its taste.

Recipe: Odia

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 20 to 25 minutes

Serves:4

Ingredients for the Mansa tarkari: 

• 500 gms Goat Meat with extra fat
• 2 large onions
• 2 medium potatoes cut into halves
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1 bay leaf
•  2-3 cloves
• 2 to 3 green cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 tbsp mustar oil (for the typical taste)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp garam masala( grind 4 to 5 green cardamom and 1 inch cinnamon stick)
• Salt to taste

Let's learn How to make the Odia Mansa Tarkari:

• Marinate the mutton with 1 tsp mustard oil, turmeric powder and red chilli powder for 1 hour minimum.

• Chop the onions and tomatoes and keep aside. Peel the potatoes and cut into halves and keep aside.

• Heat Mustard oil in a Pressure cooker to a piping hot mode so that it would remove any strong odours from the oil .Shallow fry the potatoes and set them aside. 

• In the same oil, add the sugar and let it caramelize. Then add the whole spices (cloves, cinnamon, cardamon and bay leaf).

• Add the chopped onions and fry till it turns golden brown in clour. Then add your ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell of the paste goes away.

• Now add chopped tomatoes and cook till the oil separates from the spice mixture and then add coriander powder, chilli powder and a little water. Tomatoes are not usually added in the recipes in Odia Mutton curry but it is a personal preference , so I add, you can skip if you do not like.

• Now add the marinated mutton and coat it evenly with the spices. Keep frying the mutton for a few more minutes on a medium heat. You will notice the fat melting and adding to the richness to the masala. keep sauting on low flame till you see the masalas leaving the sides of the pot.Add potatoes now.

• Pour 2 cups of boiling water and cover the lid and allow it to cook on medium flame till you have the first whistle of the pressure cooker. Now lower the flame and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. This would help the mutton fat to gradually melt and add to the richness and flavour of the dish.

• Let the pressure cooker release all the steams naturally and then open the lid and sprinkle the garam masala over it. 

• Your delicious Odia mutton curry is ready. There will be a thin layer of oil over the mutton curry, which indicates a good mutton curry.

Ingredients to make Mudhi Mansa:

• 1 cup Mudhi
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 green chilli finely chopped
• 2 to 3 tbsp chopped cucumber
• 1 tbsp chopped tomatoes
• Fresh sprig of coriander leaves, finely chopped
• A pinch of Odia jira lanka gunda (roasted cumin seeds and red chillies grind together )

Let's assemble the dish:

• Mix all the ingredients together and finally add a some mutton curry with a few chunks of meat. Your Mudhi Mansa is ready to be savoured.

This Mudhi Mansa, an exclusive odia delicacy Which remains a niche in its own state made from the  leftover gravy from the mutton curry mixed with onions, green chillies and fresh coriander along with the puffed rice , needs to be brought to the  limelight for the world to know. Hence,this delicacy is going to be part of the #44th Foodie Monday Blog Hop theme of #Indianspices.

Breakfast & Snacks

Egg Croquettes- Celebrating the spirit of Ramadan

9:49 AM

The love for food and understanding the importance of both the consumption and abstinence of it is the core of the holy month of Ramadan which ends in the breaking of the fast in Eid-al-Fitr. Ramadan  or Ramzan  is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar when  Muslims around the world engage themselves in prayer, fasting, charity, and religious devotion. During this holy month, Muslims around the world abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours. There's more to Ramadan than fasting and  avoiding food and drink from dawn to dusk. it’s a month of spiritual detox The holy month of Ramdan helps to cultivate self-discipline which will keep one practicing the rest of the year . 

All over the world ,Muslims are encouraged to take their  meal before dawn, and break the fast immediately after sunset. The fast is traditionally broken by eating dates and drinking water. The Ramadan fast is one of the five pillars or basic institutions of Islam which help strengthen a person’s faith, obedience to God and every part  of their life, be it morals, manners, food or dress.

• Shahadah: Professing your faith by affirming that  there is no deity but God and Mohammed is his messenger.
• Salat: offering Prayer five times daily.
• Zakat: Giving to charity to benefit the poor and needy
• Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan.
• Hajj: Making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.

A typical Islam’s household would start their day with a plate of Shir Khurma for breakfast which is a vermicelli and milk pudding spiced with cardamom . Vermicelli is an integral ingredient which finds it’s place in multitude of dishes and sweets eaten during Ramadan and Eid across the world. I take this wonderful opportunity to include this wonder ingredient in my contribution to our 43rd Foodie Monday Bloghop theme of #Ramadan Special.......Egg Croquette.

Recipe Type: Snacks
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
serves:12 nos of croquette

Ingredients 

• 12 nos  eggs
• 1 kg boiled Potatoes
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1 /2 tsp garam masala
• 250 gms bread crumbs
• 4 nos of Egg whites
• 250 gms fine vermicelli
• Salt
• Oil for deep frying

Let’s learn how to make this:

• Boil the eggs as per your liking. Peel it and keep aside.

• Mash the potatoes well making sure that there are no lumps. Add salt, chilly flakes, grated ginger, cumin powder, garam masala and finely chopped coriander leaves and mix it well.

•  Make 12 balls out of this  potato mix. Flaten each of them, place a boiled egg in the center and make a ball.

• Take bread crumbs and vermicelli in two different plates. Dip the potato balls in egg white and roll them well in the bread crumbs. keep in the refrigerate for 30 minutes. Take out of refrigerator and dip them again in egg white and roll them in the vermicelli. 

•  Heat the oil for frying.Deep fry the croquettes on low flame till they turn light golden in color. Drain it and set aside. Repeat this with all the croquettes.

•  Serve it hot with Sauce of your choice.

Foodie Monday Blog hop

Roasted Plum Ice cream on Oreo crumbs and Caramelized Pineapple

9:23 AM

With the onset of summer holidays , comes the responsibilities of making varieties of kids friendly recipes to keep them busy. Every time I visit the departmental store for grocery, I simply head towards the fruit zone to check for exotic fruits and whenever I find these juicy fruits on the rack I pick them up . Plums are those rare fruits which comes with such myriad of colors which are not only juicy but taste awesome also. I try making almost all kinds of recipes with fruits but in summer I just fall for the roasted Plums Icecream. The best way to have them is roast them with little sugar and some salt and you get finger licking plums at your disposal.

When you think of one favourite items with the kids , its undoubtedly Ice cream, which is universally accepted as a summer delight. You can never go wrong with the flavors of Ice cream available in the market, but developing your own flavours with the available ingredients is the greatest joy for me and when a flavor is accepted by the kids I seems to be on cloud nine. I always suffer from this guilt pang like any other working women when the time of summer holidays approaches. How to keep them busy, with the healthiest foods and the varieties so that they do not get bored is the concern which is common to all the mothers in this world. So to bring a relief to your summer delight planning, the theme for the 42nd  Foodie Monday Blog Hop theme will come very handy to you #kidsdelight. 

This summer holiday is a bit different for me this year as my kid has finally completed his Senior High School and about to embark upon a new journey of his life and when I have to think of his favourite foods down the year , one thing tops the list is his love for Oreo Biscuits, Milk and milk related products and his love for fruits especially the juicy kinds as he is very fond of chilled beverages. So I try to put all his favourite things on a platter for this 42^nd Foodie Monday Bloghop theme of #kidsdelight……….Roasted Plum Ice cream on Oreo crumbs and Caramelized Pineapple.

Recipe Type: Dessert

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Setting Time: 1 day

Yields: 400 ml

Ingredients:

For Plum Icecream

• 200 ml Amul Fresh Cream
• 100ml Condensed Milk
• 4 nos of Plums
• 8 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

For Caramalized pineapple

• 1 Pineapple
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp black salt

For Oreo Crumbs

• 8 nos of Oreo biscuits

Let’s Learn How to make this recipe:

For the Ice cream:

• Wash and chop the plums and cook with sugar and salt on low flames till the plum gets cooked and become tender. Take off from heat and let it cool completely. Once cool coarsely puree in a blender and keep aside.

• Place the container and the blades in the freezer till for 20 minutes.

• Beat the cream for 5 to 7 minutes. Add milkmaid to it and blend well.

• Now add half of the plum puree into the mixture along with a tsp of vanilla essence and mix it well. Pour into air tight container and let it chill in the refrigerator for minimum 5 to 6 hrs or till set. 

• Take out from fridge and blend to a fine puree . You will see the volume rising and becoming airy. Repeat this process once more after the ice cream is set  and add the remaining plum puree and mix a little so that you can see tiny chunks of plums in the Ice cream and keep in the fridge to set it overnight. 

For the caramelized Pineapple

• Cut the pineapple and take off its skin and cut into triangular shape. Prick it with a toothpick. Sprinkle some black salt and chilli flakes on it and keep aside.

• In a pan take a sugar and 1 tsp of water and heat on a medium  flame till sugar melts and starts to caramelize . Now dip the pineapple pieces in the caramelized sugar and keep aside.

For Assembling the whole recipe:

• In  a plate, crush the Oreo biscuits and place them in the bottom . Take a big scoop out of the roasted Plum Ice cream and place it over the crumble. Place the caramelized pineapple pieces in the side and serve with some chocolatae syrup on top.