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Jhal Muri is a very popular snack in Orissa and Bengal. Muri is popularly known as puffed rice, murmura or mudi. Its the Oriya version of bhel. Ingredients: Muri(Puffed Rice): 2 cups Garlic: 2 pods grated Oil: 1 tbsp Peanuts: handful Potato: 1 medium boiled and cut into cubes. Onion: 1 small finely chopped green chilli: 2 finely chopped Tomato: 1 medium finely chopped ( remove the core and seeds) Coriander Leaves:2 tbsp finely chopped  Sev: 1/4 cup Red chilli Powder: 1 tsp Mixer: 1/4 cup Turmeric Powder: 1 pinch Salt: a pinch Procedure: In a kadhai heat the oil. Add the peanuts to the oil and fry for 2-4 mins. Remove the peanuts from the oil and strain on a paper towel. Add the grated garlic to the oil and cook till the garlic turns golden brown. Strain the garlic from the oil. By this we flavored the oil with garlic. Add a pinch of turmeric powder to the oil and wait for min or till the raw smell of the turmeric is gone. Add the muri to the oil and mix well

Aloo chop is a very popular tea time snack in Orissa. It is also known aloo bonda or vatata bada in other states of India. Every household and shop has different  recipe for this. I am going to share the one that my mom makes and we love it. Ingredients: Potato: 2 medium boiled Onion: 1 medium finely chopped ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp Green Chilli: 2 finely chopped Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp Peanuts: handful Coriander leaves: 1tbsp finely chopped Salt as per taste Batter: Besan: 1/2 cup Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp Red chilli Powder: 1/2tsp salt as per taste water: about a cup Oil for deep frying Procedure: Dry roast the peanuts. If using peanuts with skin remove it after roasting. Peal and mash the boiled potatoes. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non stick pan. Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook till it turns translucent then add ginger, garlic and chopped green chilies and fry until the raw smell goes off (3-4 minutes) Add the salt and turmeric powder. Add

This is a very common part of Oriya meal. It is enjoyed with pakhala along with other side dishes like saag and aloo bharta. Ingredients: Pumpkin: 1 cup thinly sliced ( I prefer mine with the skin but you can peel it) Pacha Phutana: 1 tsp Sugar: 1 pinch Salt: as per taste Garlic pod: 2 crushed Whole red chili:1 Oil: 1 tsp Procedure: In a pan heat oil. Add the pacha phutana and red chilli. As the phutan stops spluttering add the pupkin slices, salt, sugar and crushed garlic. Sauté it and cover and cook till the pumpkin is cooked through. Remove the lid and saute till the pumkin pieces turn a little crispy. It would be about 4-5 mins. Remove from heat and serve with rice, dal or pakhala or even roti or paratha and enjoy. Enjoy this dish and do let me know. Till then happy blogging. Rakhee 

As promised here is a pumpkin recipe from Orissa.  Ingredients: Shrimp- 1/2 pound Pumpkin(Kakharu) - 1 pound Phutana- 1 teaspoon  Garlic - 6 cloves Turmeric - 2 teaspoon  Salt: As per taste green chillis- 2  Dry red chillis - 2 Tamarind paste - 1 teaspoon  Oil Procedure: Peel shrimp and wash well. Marinate with salt and 1 teaspoon turmeric. Cut kakharu into thin long (1 inch) pieces. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan. When hot, add kakharu and 1 teaspoon turmeric and salt. Cook covered for 5 mins under medium flame. Then add the shrimp to the kakharu and cook them together till kakharu is soft. Take off the stove. Crush 2 cloves of garlic and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil, add phutana, dry red chillis and crushed garlic. When they start to brown, add kakharu and shrimp to it. Cook on high flame. Add tamarind paste and stir well. Crush rest of the garlic with chopped green chilli and add to the kakharu. Stir well for 2 more minutes and take it off the s

Its October and here comes the season of dressed up children screaming in the haunted houses, pumpkin patches, jack-o-lanterns  and witches flying on doors and windows. The shopping malls flooded with halloween costumes and new fall collections. Holidays knocking on the doors. One thing that you get in abundance during this time is Pumpkins, so why not use it to the fullest. There are many Oriya recipe that use pumpkin like santula, dalma, kahakaru bhaja and more.  But I decided to start with a  sweet recipe the pumpkin bread. Ingredients: all-purpose flour:1 2/3 cups   baking powder:1/2 tsp  baking soda:1 tsp  salt:1/2 tsp  ground cinnamon: 1/2 tsp ground ginger: 1/2 tsp ground cloves: 1/4 tsp unsalted butter:1/2 cup, room temperature granulated white sugar: 1 cup  pure vanilla extract: 1 tsp eggs: 2 large  canned pumpkin puree: 1 cup  orange juice: 1/4 cup  Procedure: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt,