Oriyarasoi is on twitter !

Showing posts with label raee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label raee. Show all posts

Friday, May 22, 2015

Chachindra Raee ( Snake gourd cooked in mustard paste )

Chachindra or snake gourd is not a very regular vegetable in my house. My mom used to cook it at times but I did not like it much as a kid. Later as I started making a lot of healthy changes in the menu, it started appealing to me as an easy to cook and tasty vegetable. As my husband is not fond of it, I usually make a quick 'Raee' or cook it along with channa dal/toor dal for lunch. Getting my kid habituated to all kinds of vegetables is my top priority and hence I an trying to introduce him to new vegetables (especially seasonal ones) on a weekly basis.

This is a simple recipe and the preparation is not different from the usual 'raee' that is prepared in most Odia homes. Read on for the recipe -



















Preparation Time - 10 -15 mins

Ingredients -

  • 4 cups chopped and peeled snake gourd
  • 1 medium onion chopped (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp pancha-phutana/mustard seeds preferred)
  • 1 green chilli
  • 2-3 garlic flakes (crushed)
  • 1/3 tsp turmeric
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 2/3 cup grated coconut
  • cilantro for garnishing


For the mustard paste -

  • 2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 5-6 garlic cloves
  • 1 red chilli

Preparation -Grind the mustard, cumin and red chilli into coarse powder in dry state .Then add a little water along with garlic flakes and grind again into a fine paste.

Chop onion into small pieces. 


Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the broken green chilli and mustard seeds. Follow with the crushed garlic. Allow to garlic to brown lightly.

Add the chopped onion and stir fry for 2-3 minutes till translucent

Add the mustard paste along with 2 cups water. Add salt and turmeric, and bring to a boil.

Add the snake gourd pieces and cover with  a lid. Cook till it softens. (Do not throw away excess water as this curry tends to be watery.)

Garnish with grated coconut and cilantro.

Serve with rice and dal.


Monday, October 20, 2014

Budha Kakudi Raee

After making the khatta last week, I was still left with a big chunk. Since I was in a rather lazy mood (which is becoming a permanent fixture btw) for the next two days, I decided to make a simple raee that my mom used to make. While the raee can be made in a dozen ways, I stick to the method which is simplest and most frugal. It is something like one of those '5 ingredients fix' that one sees on lifestyle or cooking channels but I have used seven instead of five.

Read on for the recipe -





















Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

  • 2 cups budha kakudi/ripened cucumber (chopped into small pieces)
  • 2 tsp mustard seeds + a pinch for tempering
  • 7-8 garlic flakes (crushed)
  • 1-2 green chilis
  • 2-3 pinch turmeric
  • 2 tsp mustard oil
  • salt to taste


Preparation - Grind the mustard seeds, 1 green chili and half of the garlic flakes into a smooth paste.

Take the mustard paste, chopped green chili, budha kakudi and turmeric in a mixing bowl. Mix together.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds and 2 crushed garlic flakes. Allow the seeds to splutter.

Add the budha kakudi and mustard seeds paste to the wok. Add salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover with a lid and allow to cook till the pieces soften.

Once the budha kakudi or cucumber pieces are cooked, drizzle the remaining oil over it and add the remaining garlic flakes. Remove from the flame.

Serve with white rice and dal.


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Poee Raee

This is my 300th post and such a special occasion is the right time to get the spotlight back on Orissa. When i first started writing this blog my sole objective was to showcase the cuisine and food habits of Orissa. My initial posts do bear a testimony to that. But since we all inhabit a cosmopolitan world, my latter posts were influenced by the varied cuisine that i came in contact with.

'Raee' or vegetables cooked in a light mustard gravy is a signature dish of Orissa. While some people add cumin along with the mustard, garlic may or may not be added depending on the day(vrat/osa bara). Usually vegetables  like raw banana, colocasia and brinjal are added to this preparation but i have skipped those due to a food allergy in the family.

















Preparation Time-20-30 mins

Ingredients - 4 cups chopped poee, 1 cup pumpkin cubes, 1/2 cup ridge gourd cubes, 1/2 cup potato cubes, 1 medium sized tomato chopped, 2-3 garlic flakes, 1 small onion chopped, 1/2 tsp pancha-phutana or mustard seeds, 1 dry red chilli, 1/3 tsp turmeric, salt to taste, 4 tsp oil.

For the mustard paste: 1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 5-6 garlic cloves, 1 red chilli.

Preparation: Grind the mustard, cumin and red chilli into coarse powder in dry state .Then add a little water along with garlic flakes and grind again into a fine paste.

Cooking: Heat 1-2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the chopped poee and stir fry on high flame till excess water evaporates. Remove and keep aside.

Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the broken red chilli and pancha-phutana/mustard. When it starts spluttering, add the crushed garlic flakes and onion. Stir fry for 1 minute.

Add the mustard paste along with a little water and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add 2-3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add all the vegetables and cook with lid covered till they soften.

Add the fried poee to the wok and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Serve hot with white rice.




Featured Post

Green Papaya Laddoos (SugarFree recipe)

Mom is undoubtedly the dessert specialist at home. God forbid, if she takes to blogging, she could give a lot of folks a run for their mone...