Whats Cooking!!!!

Diwali is couple of days away, and this year I am determined to try my hands on as many snacks as I can, I am already done with nan khatai, sabu dana papad and namak para. Its not only a delicious diwali snack, it can be made any time of the year and enjoyed. Here goes the recipe for namak para. Ingredients:  Maida (All Purpose flour) : 1 cup ( more you use more namak paras it would make) Oil / butter: 2 tbsp Salt to taste Red Chilli Powder: to taste Freshly ground black pepper as per taste Oil For deep frying Water for kneading the dough. Black Salt:  1 tsp Procedure: Add salt, oil/ butter to the flour and mix together. Knead the flour without water till the oil is nicely absorbed into it.  To know that the flour is ready take  a handful of the flour and close your fist tightly.  When you open your fist the flour should hold the shape but break when touched. Now knead the flour with adding little water at a time into a soft dough. knead the dough

Chuin or Drumsticks are available plenty in the state of Orissa. We have 4 trees in our backyard itself and fruit from 1 tree is too much to be consumed by a family of 4 ;) We distributed more than we ever used in our household. There are different versions of chuin bhaja and here is the most common and the easiest way to prepare it. Ingredients: Chuin (Drumstick) - about 4-5 longsticks Aloo (Potatoes) - about 2-3 small ones Oil - 1 tea spoon Panch Phutan Haldi (Turmeric) Salt Whole Red Chillies - 2  Procedure: Wash and Cut the Drumsticks to about 2 inches size. Wash and cut the potatoes in round shape. Do not take the skin off. Put the drumsticks and potatoes in a bowl with water and salt and turmeric and let it boil for 10-15 min until the drumsticks are a little soft. Drain water and keep aside. Take a deep pan, put the oil. Once it hot, add the red chillies and panch phutan. Let the phutan splutter for a bit, before adding the potatoes and dru

Durga puja is followed by the auspicious month of Kartik. In Orissa a lot of people turn vegetarian for a month and follow the fast of "Bada Ausa" on every monday of this month. Even a lot of people like my   parents even give up onion and garlic for the whole month. During the bada ausa the ladies who follow the fast eat only one meal a day, so most of the ladies prepare this special dalma called "habisha alma" with rice and may be some kind of saag and eat it after doing the puja late in the day but before suset so that they would not feel hungry during the night and would have some energy to carry out for the rest of the evening. This dalma is the only one curry in Odiya culture that is prepared without  turmeric, as only during inauspicious occasions people not use turmeric   is cooking. Also we do not use potato in this dish, its prohibited. Ingredients: Muga Dali : 1cup Saru (Arby) :2 cut into small square pieces Kancha Kadali (Raw Plantain) :2 cu

Its again that time of the year, the festival of lights Diwali is just around the corner. Homes would soon start smelling like sweets and snacks. The front yards would be decorated with beautiful rangolies and twinkling lights and diyas would bright the dark moonless night of Diwali. Here is an attempt on my part to help all my readers prepare something special this Diwali. Nan khatai is a Indian cookie. Ingredients: Maida ( all purpose flour): 1 cup Suji (semolina): 1/2 cup Baking soda: 1/4 tsp  Butter: 1/4 cup Sugar: 1/4 cup  Curd: 2 tbsp Milk: 4-5 tbsp (  use as required) Pistachio: chopped for garnish Cinnamon Powder: for garnish Procedure: Beat the butter, sugar, and curd together. Sieve the flour, semolina and baking soda together in a bowl. Add the butter, sugar and curd mix to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add milk little at a time and make a soft dough. Divide the dough into 20-25 small balls. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the balls

As a kid mine and my brother's favorite food used to be chicken. My mom is an excellent cook and my dad rarely cooks but his chicken is one of the best I have ever had. Over the years I have tried and tested different measurements to achieve the same taste, even though I have never been completely successfully, still I got quite close and here is my version of chicken kasha.  Chicken Kasha has a very spicy and thick gravy and is really enjoy with roti, poori, naan and also with rice. Ingredients: Chicken: 2 lbs cut into small pieces Onion: 1 large thinly sliced Ginger garlic paste: 2 tbsp Garlic: 2 cloves crushed Tomato: 1 large chopped Salt: to taste Turmeric Powder: 2 tbsp Red Chilli Powder: 1 tbsp Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp Cumin Powder: 1/2 tbsp Whole garam masala: 4 cardamon, 2 cloves, 2 inch cinnamon  Bay Leaf: 2 Green chilli: 2 whole Oil: 2-3 tbsp Procedure: Marinate the chicken with 1tbsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp oil and about 1tsp salt (keep in

Avocados are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins. These are used in salads, sandwiches, smoothies and guacamole. Here is another way it can be used in daily diet that pleases even the Indian palette. Its easy, delicious and healthy. Ingredients: Avocado: 2 medium Whole Wheat Flour: 1 cup Green Chilli: 2 finely Chopped Salt: To taste Coriander Leaves: 2 tbsp chopped Lime Juice: 1 tsp Coriander Powder: 1 tsp Oil: 2 tbsp Extra Dry Flour : For rolling the paratha Procedure: Cut the avocado in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the lemon juice, green chilli, salt and coriander leaves and mix well, till its made into a smooth paste. Add the wheat flour to the avocado paste and knead into a smooth pliable dough. You would not any extra water but, if required add a few sprinkles at a time. Let the dough sit wra

Mushroom Pulao is a delicious North Indian rice recipe. Its easy and quick  to prepare. It tastes great with a spicy chicken curry or even dum aloo and raita. Ingredients: Basmati Rice: 1 cup Water: 2 cup Mushroom: 20 cut into quarters Onions: 1 large thinly sliced Green chilly: 2-4 depending on how spicy you like, slit into 2  Mint Leaves: chopped 1/2 cup Green Peas: 1/2 cup Coriander Leaves: chopped 1/2 cup Cumin seeds: 1 tsp Ghee: 2 tbs Bay leaves: 2  Cinnamon Stick : 1/2 inch Cardamon: 2  Cashew nuts: a hand full Fried Onion: 1/2 cup Procedure: Heat ghee in a pan add bay leaves, whole garam masala, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, sauté it and add cashew nuts cook it till cashew nuts are brown in color. Add slice onions, mushrooms, salt, green chilly, green peas, coriander leaves and mint and fry for a minute or so. From here you can go 2 ways: 1st procedure: Add 1 cup of washed rice into the pan and fry for 2 mins. Transfer the mix into rice cooke

Chakuli Pitha is an Oriya flat, rice-based fried cake traditionally made in the state of Orissa. Chakuli pitha is mainly prepared during the as an offering to Goddess Durga. There are mainly 2 versions of this dish Saru Chakuli : This is thin pancake-like Dosa. Budha Chakuli : This is a thick pitha/cake made of black gram dal and rice batter mix with jaggery, cottage cheese/paneer (chhena) and grated coconut. It is a very well known recipe of Orissa. Ingredients: Black gram Dal: 1 cup  Rice: 1 cup  Oil Salt Procedure: Soak the skinless black gram dal and rice in water for two hours. Make a fine paste of the black gram dal and rice. Add salt and required water to make a semi liquid batter.  Whip well. Keep it covered for 20 mins. Heat tawa (non stick will be better) on a medium flame. Spread a little oil on the tawa. Take the batter in a tablespoon and spread it on the tawa like a dosa. Turn the pitha upside down after 1 min. When looks cooked re