Chenna Payas

Cooking Time Required: 40-50 min
Cost of preparation: 40-45 rupees


Ingredients: Milk (1.5 ltr), milkmaid (condensed milk, 1/2 cup), ghee (1 tsp), cashew (kaju, 7-8 nos) , lemon juice ( 1 tsp ), small cardamon ( 1 no.), sugar to taste.

Preparation: Boil 1/2 litre of milk in a pan. When it comes to full boil, add the lemon juice. Boil for another 4-5 minutes so that the chenna ( solid portion of the milk) clearly separates from the remaining liquid. Drain the liquid. Allow the chenna to cool. Squeeze out the remaining liquid from the chenna.

Heat a little ghee on a pan. Fry the cashews to a golden shade. Remove from pan and keep aside. Add some more ghee and the chenna. Stir fry the chenna till it turns to a light golden brown. Keep aside.

Cooking: Heat a wok. Add the remaining milk and bring to a boil. Then add sugar and wait for 2-3 minutes till it dissolves. Add the fried chenna. Keep stirring at regular intervals till the mixture becomes thick ( rabdi like texture). Add the powdered cardamon, condensed milk and fried cashews. Mix well and remove from the fire after a minutes.

Serve chilled.

Tip: Instead of throwing away the liquid after making the chenna, one can also use it to knead dough for parathas along with a little bit of ghee. The parathas will turn out to be more tasty.

Pithau dia Bhendi Bhajja

Cooking Time Required : 15 mins
Cost of preparation: 20-25 rupees

Ingredients: Bhendi ( 250 gms), pithau ( 2 tsp), mustard seeds ( 1/3 tsp), red chilli ( 2-3 nos), turmeric (1/5 tsp), cumin powder ( 1/3 tsp), oil ( 2-3 tsp), salt.

Preparation: Wash the bhendi and cut into thin slices. Add the salt, turmeric, cumin powder and pithau. Mix thouroughly.

To prepare the pithau, soak the rice for 2-3 hours. Grind into a fine paste. (Instead of adding cumin powder, one can also grind cumin seeds along with the rice ).

Cooking: Heat a pan. Add the oil. When it starts smoking, add the mustard seeds and red chillis. When the seeds start spluttering, add the bhindi. Spread into a thin layer. Keep stirring at an interval of few minutes. Allow to cook till crispy.

Serve hot with rice and dal/dalma.

Chicken Biryani

Cooking Time Required: 30 mins
Cost of preparation: 100-150 rupees

Ingredients: Basmati Rice ( 2 cups), skinless chicken ( 600 gm), curd ( 1 cup ), cumin seeds ( 1 tsp), ginger garlic paste ( 2 tsp), coriander seeds ( 1 tsp), tomato puree ( 4 tbs), cinnamon ( 1 stick, medium), cloves ( 4 nos ), star anise ( 2 nos ), cardamon ( 2 nos ), javitri ( 1 no), onion ( 1 large ), oil ( 4 tsp), milk ( 1/2 cup), saffron ( 1 strand ), chilli powder ( 1/2 tsp), turmeric ( 1 tsp), salt to taste.

Preparation: Heat a pan. Dry roast the coriander and cumin seeds and ground into a fine powder.

Beat the curd, cumin-coriander powder, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric, tomato puree, salt, powdered cinnamon and cloves, star anise and javitri togather. Add the chicken pieces to it and allow to marinate for 2 hours.

Cut the onion into thin rings and keep aside. Soak the saffron in the milk.

Cooking: Heat a pan. Add the oil. When it becomes hot, add the onion rings and stir fry till they turn opaque. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for 15-20 mins or till the chicken is 80% done.

Wash the rice and add to a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water, cardamon and the saffron-milk along with the chicken pieces . Mix well. One can also add 1 tsp ghee at this stage to prevent the rice grains from sticking to each other. Close the lid and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from fire and allow the steam to escape. Serve with raita.

Tip: The most important part of getting the biryani recipe is cooking the rice just right. Make a trial of cooking the rice in a cooker before making the biryani, just to get the cooking time and water proportion right.

Kanjee

Cooking Time Required: 20 mins
Cost of preparation: 20-25 rupees

Ingredients: Green Papaya (100 gms), brinjal (100 gm), tomato ( 100 gm), saru ( 50 gm), rice ( 2 tsp), ambula ( 3-4 pieces), pancha phutana ( 1 tsp), garlic pods ( 6-7 pieces ), curry leaves ( 6-7 nos), red chilli ( 1 no.), green chilli ( 1 no), oil, turmeric ( 1 tsp), salt to taste.

Preparation: Soak the rice for 1-2 hours. Grind into a fine paste and keep aside. Soak the ambula pieces for 2-3 hours. Crush the garlic pods.

Cooking: Cut the vegetables into medium sized pieces. Fill the pressure cooker with
sufficient water. Add the cut vegetables along with green chilli, turmeric and salt. Close the lid and put the cooker on the stove. Allow it to cook for 3-4 whistles.

Put a wok on the stove. Transfer the contents of the pressure cooker into the wok. Bring to a boil. Add the rice paste to thicken the stock , stirring the mixture continously all the while. Then add the ambula pieces. Allow to boil for 10-12 mins.

Heat a pan. Pour 1 tsp of oil on it. Allow to smoke. Add the pancha phutana, red chilli, crushed garlic pods and curry leaves. Stir gently for 1 minute. Remove the contents from the pan and pour it over the boiling stock. Remove from fire and serve with rice and dal.

Tips: One can also add sweet pumpkin and ladiesfinger pieces to this preparation. Stir fry the ladies finger pieces before adding to the rest of the vegetables. This takes care of the slimy content of the ladiesfinger.

Additional info - Kanjee is to the oriya people what rasam is to south indians. Its a tangy preparation with adds spice to the usually plain (some would term it as bland) oriya meals.It is popularly served during the summer months to keep the body cool .

Kannkada bhajja

Cooking Time Required: 15 mins
Cost of preparation: 20-25 rupees

Ingredients: Kaankada (250 gms), chilli-cumin powder (1/4 tsp), oil for frying, turmeric ( 1/5 tsp), salt to taste.

Cooking: Scrape off the outer covering of the kankada and cut it into thin circles.

Heat a pan. Add the kankada pieces, turmeric powder and salt. Sprinkle some water and cover with a lid. Keep checking and sprinkling water at regular intervals till the kankada gets half cooked.

Remove from the fire and transfer to a mixing bowl. Allow it to cool down . Then sprinkle cornflour, chilli-cumin powder and little bit of salt along with some water. Mix well.

Pour oil into a wok and place it on the stove. When it becomes hot, add the kankada pieces in small lots. Deep fry till it becomes crispy.

Enjoy either as a side dish with rice or serve as a snack.

Tip: Cut an onion into thin slices. Fry the onion along with peanuts and add to the deep fried kankada. Makes for a tasty snack.

Can also be served along with onion pakodas.

Kaankada or spine gourd is a traditional oriya vegetable which is fast disappearing from the lunch/dinner menu. It is also known as Meetha Karela, Khekhsa, Padora and Bhaat Karela. It has the ability to control sugar levels which is highly beneficial to diabetics.

Chinguri Jholo

Cooking Time Required: 25-30 mins
Cost of preparation: 70-80 rupees

Ingredients: Small sized prawns ( 1 no.), mustard-fennel seeds (1/3 tsp), mustard seeds ( 1 tsp), garlic pods ( 6-7 nos ), green chilli ( 1 no ), mustard oil ( 1 tsp), turmeric ( 1 pinch), rice ( 1 tsp ), ambula ( 1 piece ), salt.

Preparation: Grind the mustard seeds and the garlic pods into a fine paste. Wash and clean the prawns.

Soak the rice for 2-3 hours. Grind into a fine paste. Soak the ambula and keep aside.

Cooking: Put a wok on the stove and put 3 tsp oil in it . Add the mustard-fennel seeds and green chilli. When the seeds start spluttering, add the prawns along with turmeric. Stir fry till the prawns turns red and all the water evaporates.

Add the mustard paste and salt along with two cups of water. Cook with the lid covered for about 10 minutes or till the prawn is softened. Add the rice paste, continously stirring the gravy all along. Then follow it with the ambula. Cook it for 5 mins. Add half tsp of mustard oil over it. Cook for 30 secs and remove from fire.

Serve with rice and dal.

The rice paste is used for thickening the gravy. The ambula can be substituted with tamarind. But make sure of using minimal quantity of the rice paste and ambula/tamarind.

Tip: This preparation tastes best with small prawns. For the bigger variety, try the masala curry. Refer to my other post Masala Dia maccha tarkari for the preparation process.

Chuda Santula

Cooking Time Required: 15 mins
Cost of preparation: 10-15 rupees

Ingredients: Chuda ( Beaten Rice, Poha, Chiwda ) ( 1 bowl ), onion ( 1 small ), potato ( 1 small ), mustard-fenugreek-fennel-coriander seeds ( 1/3 tsp), green chilli ( 1 no ), oil ( 3 tsp), turmeric, lemon ( half ), chilli powder ( 1/3 tsp , optional ), curry leaves ( 1 stem ), peanuts ( 1/3 cup ), coriander leaves, salt to taste.

Preparation: Wash the chuda and keep aside. If its the thicker variety, its needs to be soaked for 5 minutes. For the thinner variety (also called nylon chuda), no soaking is required.

Cut the onion and potatoes into long strips. Finely cut the coriander leaves.

Cooking: Heat a pan. Add 1 tsp oil and throw in the peanuts. Stir for 3-4 minutes till they start crackling.Remove from pan and keep aside.

Add 2 tsp oil to pan. Add the mustard-fenugreek-fennel-coriander seeds, curry leaves, turmeric and green chilli. When the seeds start crackling, add the onion and potato pieces with a little bit of salt. Cover the pan and cook till they are almost done.

Add the washed chuda and stir gently to mix it well with the other ingredients. Put in some more salt. Takes 2-3 mins to be done. Then remove from fire, add the fried peanuts, coriander leaves and squeeze the lemon over it. Mix gently and serve with tomato sauce/ketchupp.

Makes for an easy to prepare and healthy recipe for your lunch box.

Green Banana Tikki

Cooking Time Required: 30 mins
Cost of Preraration: 15-20 Rupees

Ingredients: Green(raw) bananas ( 2 nos ), onion ( 1 small), green chilli ( nos), coriander seeds ( 1/3 tsp ), cumin seeds ( 1/3 tsp), dry red chilli ( 1 no), bread ( 1 slice ), bread crumbs , oil for frying, salt.


Preparation: Cut the banana into and peel the banana skin. Put in a pressure cooker with a little water and cook for 5 mins with the lid closed. Remove from fire keep aside to cool.

Heat a pan. Add the dry red chilli, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Roast for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and grind into a fine powder.


Cooking: Chop the onion and green chillis into small pieces. Add to a mixing bowl along with the boiled bananas, coriander-cumin-chilli powder, soaked bread slice and salt. Shape into small round tikkis. Roll over the bread crumbs.

Heat a non-stick pan. Drizzle with oil. When it starts smoking, add the tikkis and drizzle some more oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side . Flip it over and cook it equally on both sides.

Devour the hot tikkis with a mint-corinder chutney.

Aloo chop(tikki) is usually eaten as a side dish with lunch/dinner in Orissa. For this dish, i have substituted the potato with raw banana which is a more nutricious vegetable.

Peas pulao

Cooking Time Required: 20 mins
Cost of preparation: 20-25 rupees

Ingredients: Rice ( 1 cup), frozen green peas ( 1 cup ), cumin seeds ( 1 tsp), onion ( 1 medium ), ghee ( 4 tsp), salt to taste.

Preparation: Wash the rice and keep aside. Thaw the frozen peas. Cut the onion into rings.

Cooking: Add the rice to a pressure cooker and add one and half cups of water. Close the lid and put it on a stove . Wait for 2 whistles or till the rice is cooked. Keep aside to cool.

Put 2 tsp ghee in a wok. Heat till it starts smoking. Add the onion rings and fry till the rings turn reddish brown. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Heat a pan. Add the cumin and stir for a minute or two. Add the remaining ghee , followed by the green peas. Stir for 30 secs and then pour over the cooked rice . Add salt and mix well.

Garnish with the fried onion rings and serve with dal fry.

Peas pulao along with dal fry is a quick and easy to prepare lunch which can be easily carried to office. My Monday lunch:

Maccha Patua ( Fish cooked in a mustard-garlic paste )

Cooking Time Required: 15-0 mins
Cost of preparation: 70-80 rupees

Ingredients: Medium-sized Pomfret ( 1 no.), mustard seeds ( 1 tsp), garlic pods ( 6-7 nos ), green chilli ( 1 no ), mustard oil ( 1 tsp), turmeric ( 1 pinch), salt.

Preparation: Grind the mustard seeds and 3 of the garlic pods into a fine paste. Wash and clean the pomfret and cut into small pieces.

Cooking: Take a thick bottomed wok and put the pomfret pieces into it. Add the mustard paste, chopped garlic pods and green chilli, mustard oil, turmeric and salt along with half cup water. Mix thoroughly and put the wok on the fire.

Cook with the lid covered for about 10 minutes or till the fish is well cooked. The water should have evaporated and the mustard paste formed a thick layer around the fish pieces.

Serve with rice and yellow dal. Tastes best when eaten hot.


A simple and delicious recipe, this is popularly called 'patua' in Orissa. Traditionally the fish is wrapped in plantain/banana and cooked slowly over a charcoal or wood fire.


Alternately method of cooking: Coat the fish pieces with the mustard-garlic paste, garlic pieces, green chillis, turmeric and salt. Wrap the fish in a plantian/banana leaf and cook in a microwave .