Stuffed Bitter Gourd or Karela

Hi Readers,

Despite the bitter taste of Bitter Gourd or Karela, it is usually a favorite vegetable for most Indian's. I like the Karela crispy fries made along with potatoes. Though, stuffed Karela is not my favorite, it is one of the favorite dish of my husband. So, yes Karela or bitter gourd finds a  place in my kitchen quiet often.

I am not providing you the ingredients for this recipe below, because I am going to provide few different types of stuffing. The common & major ingredient is whole Karela or bitter gourd. For the stuffing, depending upon the number and size of Bitter gourd, please adjust the quantity of ingredients. So, here goes the recipe for you.

Halve whole karelas lengthwise in the middle. Wash and boil in water, adding salt and haldi. Discard the excess water.
When a little cool, scoop out the middle seedy portion from the boiled karela pieces to make space for the stuffing.
Fill the stuffings* into each half of boiled karela. Heat a little oil on a flat non-stick frying pan and fry the stuffed karelas on low fire  - first on karela side and then on stuffing side. Press lightly on each stuffed karela while frying the stuffing side to flatten it as much as possible. Fry till nicely brown. Serve as side dish with rice.

*Variations of Stuffing :
1 : Heat mustard oil – add finely chopped onion. Fry a bit and add mashed boiled potato, salt, red chilli powder. Fry well on sim stirring the mash till it leaves a nice fried aroma and turns brownish.
2 : Heat oil. Add mashed potato, salt, red chilli powder. Fry a little. Add a bit of mustard-garlic-haldi paste and fry well.
3.   Mix together besan, chopped onion, chopped green chilli, salt to taste and a few drops of mustard oil and use this as stuffing.
Variation :  Boil Karelas whole, adding salt and haldi. Take out, cool and make half slit on the body of each boiled karela – in the middle portion on one side. Scoop out the seedy interior and stuff with any of the above three stuffings.
4:Heat oil. Saute onion, green chilli, garlic – all finely chopped. Fry a little. Add crushed badi . Mix well and fry. Use this as stuffing inside the whole karela.
5: Heat mustard oil, add mustard and garlic paste,add hali, salt and red chili powder. Cook till water is removed, take care not to over cook, mustard paste turns bitter if over cooked. Fill in the stuffing and fry the Bitter gourd again over medium flame.
Dust the stuffed whole karelas with a sprinkle of rice flour/cornflour and fry on pan nicely, rolling all over. Or deep fry.
Stuffed Karelas are great accompaniments with plain rice.

Gota Potala Bhaja (Stuffed Potala)

Hi Readers,

I am again back with another very well known recipe of Potala. My mom used to make this when some guest would visit us for lunch or dinner. Though this is not very difficult recipe, it has quiet a number of steps, and you need to use two pans, may be that's why my Mom used to prepare only when she wanted to entertain guests. Like other stuffed vegetable recipes, in this also we need to prepare a stuffing. In my In-laws place, they make a stuffing of Besara(mustard based). I will some other time, prepare that stuffing and post it. Today, I am going to describe the one my Mom used to make.

Ingredients:

6 pointed gourds (parval / potal) 

2 spoon refined oil

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 

1 medium sized boiled potato 

           

For stuffing:

2 teaspoon poppy seed (soaked in water for 15 mins and then make a paste)

1 medium size onion finely sliced 

5 cloves  of garlic chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds  

1 dry red chilli 

Method:

First peel all the parvals and wash thoroughly. Then cut one side of the parvals and remove all seeds from inside.  Mash the  boiled potato after removing the skin. Now place a pan/kadai on the gas-stove and after heating put oil and cumin seeds followed by onion. When onion turns pink add chopped garlic,seeds extracted from Potala and posta or poppy seed paste. Add turmeric, salt, red chili powderand mashed  potato. Fry upto 3 minutes. The stuffing is ready. Keep it aside.

Then take 1/2 tea spoon of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder with little water and spread it thoroughly inside the parvals/potala through the opening made by cutting one side of each parval. After that fill these parvals with the stuffings. Then put a  the pan /kadai on the gas-stove, heat oil and then put the parvals and cover the pan. Cook it on medium flame. After 5 minutes just stir gently and cover it again. 10 minutes later switch off the gas. Parvals might take a little longer to cook, so check if it has turned soft and brown in colour,before removing from gas. Stuffed parval is ready. 

Potala Korma

Hi Readers,

Presenting another tasty dish made from Potala or Pointed Gourds. The interesting part is when I visit near by Vegetable vendor, he says," Madam we have Potala, Green papaya and large brinjals for Odia customers and we import it from Odisha." Today, when Odisha is sort of vegetables due to cyclone Phailin and flood, Koraput district has still been sending its vegetables to Andhra Pradesh.  Its amazing, but thanks to the growing population of Odia's in Hyderabad, we get our favorite veggi's readily available.

Now, coming to the recipe, this is another preparation from Potala, that is usually made during festivals and large ceremonies. Fried Potala is cooked in milk and cashew based gravy. It has a nice aroma and flavor. Let's now look at the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

Potala/Parval - 6 nos washed and peeled

2 tbsp mustard oil

2 tbsp ginger garlic and cumin paste

1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tbsp cumin powder

1/4 tbsp turmeric powder

1/4 tbsp red chili powder

salt to taste

3 to 4 tbsp milk

1 bay leaf

whole garam masala - 1 stick cinnamon, 3 t 4 black pepper, 2 to 3 cloves, 1 to 2 cardamom

1/2 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp char magaj or pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp cashewnuts

Soak char magaj and cashewnuts for 2 hours and make a smooth paste.

Method :- 

Slit Potala till the mid from both sides. This will form four parts joined together at mid. Add salt and turmeric to it. Then deep fry or shallow fry till Potala turns brown. Remove and keep aside.

Heat mustard oil in a pan, when hot add the bay leaf and whole garam masala. Add ginger garlic paste. Cook in medium flame till oil separates. Add the cashew and magaj paste, milk, turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder to form a gravy. Add the fried Potala,cover and cook for another 5 to 10 mins in low flame. Add garam masala and serve hot.

Manda Pitha

Hi Readers,

As posted earlier, this diwali I had made Manda Pitha... You most be thinking why Manda Pitha on Diwali right? Manda Pitha is my favorite Pitha among all the Pitha's made in Odisha. My Mom used to make Manda on my birthday always. This time, I had time and since, I like this the most, i had prepared it on Diwali.

Another interesting part is Manda Pitha is very similar to Modak prepared in Maharastra. Modak is a most on Ganesh Chaturthi as Ganapati Bappa loves it. Why not..? Its so yummy... In Odisha we do not have a custom of worshiping Lakshmi Ganesha on Diwali, instead we worship Maa Kali, the ferocious form of Shakti. Similar to durga puja, pandals have Maa Kali idols and she is worshiped. We burst crackers and enjoy sweet dishes, but this is not the biggest festival and we do not get new clothes also... Diverse culture of our great country India... But, mark the similarity, we make same dish that has two different name in two different part of country Manda Pitha and Modak. The form that manda is given is similar to Karanji or Ghujia, Generally, we make different shape and size of it. Some in round shape, some elongated just like Ghujia.. Modak is also round, but the joining portion is generally elongated to make it look like coconut.

In my family, whenever Manda Pitha was made it used to have several stuffing, the normal ones being coconut and jaggery with cardamom flavour, Urad dal savory flavour and spicy potato flavour. My Granny used to make a stuffing with flax seed and jaggery, I loved it because it used to look like melting chocolate that just flows once you bite it. I also like the flax seed aroma and unique flavour.

Enough of talking is not it. I am going to describe a variety of stuffing that I prepared this Diwali.

Ingredients :- 

Outer cover :- 

1 cup rice flour 

1 cup water

pinch of salt

1 tbsp oil to grease

Flax seed filling :- 

1 cup flax seed

3 tbsp jaggery

1/2 cup water

Method :-  

To make the outer cover. Heat water by adding salt. Add rice flour bath by batch when water starts to boil and mix well not to form any lump. When the batter is formed, remove and let it cool a bit, so that you an form the outer cover by hand. When it is still warm, grease hand and knead the batter a little to make a dough. Divide into small portions, using your hand form round circles.

Roast flax seeds till the aroma comes, remove from flame and grind it to fine powder. 

Heat water, add jaggery and form a syrup. Add powdered flax seed and form the stuffing. 

Now this stuffing added onto the outer cover and is sealed. Put the formed pitha's in a idly steamer and steam it till its cooked. 

Ingredients for Spicy Potato Filling :- 

2 Potato chopped into thin pieces

1/2 tbsp turmeric

1/2 tbsp red chili powder

salt as per taste

1/2 tbsp cumin powder

Ingredients for Urad dal filling :- 

1 cup urad dal soaked 4 to 5 hours grind and form batter and keep it as such for 3 to 4 hours

1 chopped onion

1 tbsp ginger chopped

2 green chilli chopped

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

salt to taste

Note :- While filling this batter as a filling leave a little gap and do not seal from all sides as Urad dal will expand on cooking and will break the pitha's if it has no gap.

Last Picture.

Spicy Cabbage curry Odia style

Hi Readers,

This is a traditional curry of  Odisha, it uses lots of spices and is a delicious recipe. It generally uses potato with cabbage.

Ingredinets :- 

1 Cabbage shredded

2 medium size potato cut into cubes

1/2 cup green peas shelled

1 Onion chopped

2 green chili chopped

1 tomato chopped

1 1/2 tbsp garlic ginger paste

1/2 tbsp red chili powder

1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp garam masala

1/2 tbsp turmeric powder

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp cumin and mustard seeds

2 tbsp oil

Method :- 

Heat oil in a frying pan, when oil is hot add cumin and mustard seeds. When it starts to splutter, add bay leaf, green chili, ginger-garlic paste. Add onion and fry till onion becomes pink. Add chopped tomato, turmeric powder,garam masala,red chili, coriander powder and fry till tomato is cooked. Add potatoes and green peas. Cover and cook till potato is half done. Now add shredded cabbage, mix well, add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook till cabbage and potato is done. Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Baigan Bhaja

Hi Readers,

This is a very traditional dish that is prepared all over Odisha and Bengal. The specialty  of this is, it uses large or medium Brinjals cut into round and thick pieces. These are fried taking care not to break them. Since, brinjals become soft after cooking, it is turned from one side to other keeping its shape intact. It normally employs less oil and spices and is a common side dish that is served along with main course.

Ingredients :- 

2 large or medium size brinjal cut into thick round pieces.

2 potatoes large or medium sized cut into same thickness as brinjals.

1 tbsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp red chili powder

1 green chili chopped

1 tbsp Paanch Phutan

2 tbsp mustard oil

salt to taste

Method :- 

Wash and coat the vegetables with turmeric powder and salt. Heat oil in a pan. When Oil is hot, add Paanch Phutan and let it splutter. Add green chili, chopped vegetables and mix remaining spices. Mix well and cover and cook over medium flame. In between turn the pieces and let each side cook properly. When each sides turn brown and brinjal and potato is cooked remove and serve with main course.   

Chitau Pitha

Hi,

This is another Odia authentic recipe. However, this is almost similar to the Tamil or Kerala Appam. The only difference is the way it is cooked. When I last visited Chennai, I had Appam at Nalla's and really liked the egg Appam. They cook Appam in a deep Kadhai. I had never seen that vessel before. Small in size but quiet deep. They pore the batter from the edges and it covers almost whole of kadhai. In Odisha we cook Chitau Pitha in Tawa and by covering it with a lid and it is sealed with a damp cloth. The similarity is in both case it is cooked only in one side and the batter consist of rice and coconut.

Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

1 cup rice (arua chawal not the parboiled rice)

1 cup grated coconut

salt to taste

oil to greese the tawa

Method :- 

Soak rice overnight. Grind the rice with freshly grated coconut. Add salt to the batter and the consistency should be little thinner than the normal dosha. Now, heat a tawa. Add little oil and greese the tawa. When its hot add little batter, cover it with lid and cook for 1 min, when its cooked remove and serve hot. In Odisha this is generally served with Dalma.

Chhachindra Besara Bhaja / Stuffed Snake Gourd

Hi Readers,

This is another Traditional Odia dish. In Odia cusine Besara(mustard paste) is commonly used  to stuff vegetables ad fry it. The interesting part is I never had stuffed snake gourd before my marriage. I had it in my in-laws place for the first time. My mom only used to prepare stir fry with snake gourds. I wanted to make the same dish as by my Mom in law. The best part is my husband taught me how to make the recipe.

So, here goes the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

1 large Snake Gourd (Chhachindra in Odia)

1 tbsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp mustard paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

1/2 tbsp cumin powder

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method :-

Wash and cut snake gourd into 3 inch long pieces. Slit one side of it and remove the seeds. Heat a pan and add little oil to greese. Add the snake gourd pieces, sprinkle little turmeric and salt, cover and cook for 2 mins. Keep turning the sides so that it cooks from all sides. Remove the vegetable and in same pan add little more oil , add turmeric powder, mustard paste, garlic paste, cumin powder and salt. Cook in simmer just enough to evaporate the water . Do not over cook otherwise, mustard paste will turn bitter. Remove the paste. Now apply this paste in the inner part of Snake gourd and press gently to stick both sides. Now again fry these snake gourds so that brown spots appear on both the sides. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Chakuli Pitha

Hi Readers,

This is another Odia dish, mainly a breafast dish. This has similarity with the South Indian Dosha. More or less both have equal ingredients, so now is the question how it differs from normal Dosha? Well, with the amount of its ingredients used. So, the taste is also different. It has more Urad dal(black gram lentil) compared to Dosha, and the flavour gives a smell and taste of the dal. It is cooked using mustard oil unlike gingely oil or peanut oil.

Ingredients :- 

1 cup rice.

1 cup urad dal

salt to taste

water

mustard oil 1 tbsp

Method :- 

Soak rice and urad dal overnight. Grind this to a fine paste. Add salt, if you use the batter immediately, it will form thin Pitha, however if you allow it to ferment for couple of hours, the Pitha will be thick. Both the varieties are quite well known. Now, heat a Tawa or griddle. greese little oil , when it is sufficiently hot, add a cup full of batter and spread it similar to Dosha. Add about 1 tbsp of mustard oil in all its side . When bubbles appear, turn it and cook for another 1 min. Remove and serve hot with chutney or sabzi.

Normally, Chakuli Pitha is served with Ghuguni or Ghanta in Odisha. This can be eaten with any kind chutney or dip. This batter usually forms soft Pitha, it cannnot be crispy like the Dosha due to more Urad dal composition.

Lau/Lauki Kofta Curry

Hi Readers,

As promised in my earlier post Bharwa Lauki/Stuffed Bottle gourd, I had prepared Lauki or Bottle gourd Kofta curry in Odia style, in same method as my Mom used to cook. As a child this was one of my favorite dish prepared by mom. This is a common dish in most of the northern states in India. However, the Kofta preparation varies from places to places. My friend Preeti who belongs to Jharkhand prepares same dish in another method. However, both the taste would vary due to the method of cooking. Ingredients remain same. Mostly, kofta is served with tomato based curry. 

In this recipe, the Lauki filling does not have Besan added to it and it is dipped in Besan or gram flour Batter to form the outer cover. In other method, all ingredients of Kofta and mixed together and is directly depp fried.Lets now have a look at the Ingredients and preparation method.

Ingredients for Kofta :-

1 Bottle gourd/Lauki/Lau/Doodhi - peeled and shredded

4 to 5 flakes garlic chopped

1 green chili chopped

1 tbsp Coriander powder

1/2 tbsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp red chili powder (optional)

1/2 cup besan

salt to taste

1/4 cup water

oil to fry

Ingredients for tomato based gravy :- 

2 ripe tomatoes pureed

2 onions, 4 to 5 flakes garlic and 1 inch ginger , 2 green chili-make a paste

1/4 tbsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp roasted cumin powder

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp cumin seeds

salt to taste

chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method :-

Kofta :- 

Heat a pan, add about 1 tbsp oil. When it is hot, add green chili, garlic and saute for 1 min. Now add the shredded bottle gourd, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt , red chili powder and mix well. Let it cook over medium flame. Mix this mixture in between and let it cook till all water from bottle gourd evaporates. Now, the filling is ready, take it out and let it cool for about 10 mins or till you can pick it by hand. In another bowl, take besan, salt and water. Mix this to form a batter of Pokora consistency. Take the bottle gourd filling in palm and form small balls give it the shape of your desire and deep it in besan batter and then fry it till all the sides are cooked properly. Remove and keep aside. This would look as shown in the second picture.

Gravy :-

After, all the kofta is done, remove excess oil from pan. In same pan add 1 tbsp Cumin seeds. Then add the paste made of onion,gralic,green chili and ginger. Let it cook over medium flame till the mixture starts separating oil. Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt to it. Add water if it is too thick and let it cook for 2 mins. Now, add the kofta cover and cook for another 2 to 3 mins. 

Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves. 

Phula Kobi aloo tarkari ( Cauliflower and potato curry)

Hi Readers,

Now, with the season changing from summer's to winter, fresh Cauliflower is available in market. I like to get the fruits and vegetable that are seasonal so that I can get the fresh and good quality of it. Today, I had prepared Cauliflower and potato curry in Odia style. This is traditional curry and quiet famous as a regular home made curry.

Ingredients :- 
Cauliflower  – 1kg
Potatoes  – 200 grm
Onion – 200grm
Ginger  – 1inch
Garlic – 15 cloves
Green Pea – 100 grm
Tomato  – 100grm
Red Chili Powder – 1tps
Cumin Powder – 1tps
Coriander powder  – 1tps
Turmeric powder  – 1 tsp
Coriander leaves – 40 gm
oil  – 75 grm
Salt to taste

Method :- 
To start with , make a fine paste of onion, garlic and ginger.
Remove the leaves and stem of the cauliflower and cut it into pieces (florets). Peel off the potatoes and cut into cubes .
Remove the niblets and take out the green peas . Finely chop the tomatoes and coriander leaves.
Heat oil (3btps) in a pan, add cauliflower and salt to taste and fry till it turns light brown, take it out and keep it aside.
Again heat oil (1btps) in the same pan. Fry the potatoes till it turns golden brown and take it out of the pan.
Heat the rest of the oil in the pan and add the prepared paste .
Add turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin powder , coriander powder to it. Fry the paste with frequent stirring over medium flame till it turns light brown.
Add the tomatoes and stir well.
Add the fried cauliflower florets, the potatoes cubes, green peas and continue stirring till it gets properly mixed with the paste.
Then add 3-4 cups of water , salt to taste , stir well and cover it with a lid.
Boil it on a lower flame, for another 20 minutes till the vegetables are tender and the gravy thickens to the desired consistency.
Finally remove the pan from flame, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Dahi Bhendi

Hi Readers,

Another Odia traditional dish that I prepared today. It is Dahi Bhendi, it is similar to Dahi Baigan, and is good for people who are allergic to Baigan. It is very simple and easy to make, can be done in little time.

Ingredients:-

4 medium sized Bhendi

250 gm curd

salt to taste

1 tbsp Cumin and red chili powder.

sugar optional

pinch of turmeric

1 tbsp oil

For Tampering :- 

1/2 tbsp paanch Phutan (Cumin, Fennel, Fenugreek, Mustard, Black seeds)

1 tbsp Oil

2 Red chilli

Method:-

Cut the bhendi/ladies finger into long pieces after trimming the edges. Add oil to a pan, add the vegetable, salt and turmeric when oil is hot. Fry over medium flame till Bhendi is cooked.

Now in a pan take 1 tsp of oil. When its hot add the Paanch Phutan. When they start cracking ,add the red chilli to it and remove from flame.

In another container take the whole curd and whisk it. The thickness of curd can be as per your choice. If you want to make it thinner then add little water to it. Add salt to it. When the tampering mixture that we prepared cools to room temperature add it into the curd. Now add the fried Bhendi and keep it for sometime before serving. This can be served chill, garnish with coriander leaf. This is usually served in Odia platter. It is similar to Dahi Baigan.  

Mooga dalma

Hi Readers,

Yesterday, I had prepared Mooga Dalma for lunch. Mooga dalma is  prepared with roasted Moong dal that gives a nice aromatic flavor. There are many versions of Dalma, it tastes different with different ingredients to it. This is one of the well known and popular Dalma recipe for its aromatic flavor and taste. It uses only one dal. Lets now, have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients: 

Moong Dal: 1 cup (roasted moong dal)

Potato: 1 large cut into chunks

Pumpkin: 1 cup cut into chunks

Arvi/Saru: 3 medium cut into chunks

EggPlant: 1 medium cut in chunks

tomato: 1 cut into 4 pieces

Ghee: 2 tsp

Paanch Phutan: 1 tbsp(cumin,fennel,fenugreek,mustard,kalounji/black seeds)

Dry red chili: 2

Water: 2 cups

Ginger: 1 inch grated

Turmeric : 1 tsp

Sugar: 1tbsp

Salt to taste

Roasted Cumin Red Chili Powder: 2 tsp.

Procedure:

In a deep bottom pot dry roast the Mung Dal for 2-3 mins till beautiful aroma comes out. Roasted Moog dal is available in market in Odisha.

Remove from heat and let it cool down. In a pressure cooker, add dal and vegetables, add water, turmeric and salt. Cook in medium flame. After the first whistle, turn off the cooker and let it cool by itself. In another tampering pan add ghee, add Paanch Phutan, red chili, ginger and add the tampering mixture to the cooked dal. Finally add the roasted cumin and red chili powder and serve hot garnishe with coriander leaves.

A typical meal would have rice, dalma, tomato khata, and some kind of dry subji.

Potala/Parwal Aloo Rasa (Authentic Odia dish)

Hi,

Happy Gandhi Jayanti to all my blog readers. Today, the climate here at Hyderabad is cold. So, i was bit lazy in morning, but yes I had in mind to make something special for today. Our breakfast started with Irani chai and Rava Masala Dosha and then I just wanted to make a extravagant menu for Lunch. I had decided to make Odia special lunch. Our lunch platter had steamed rice, Mooga Dalma, Potala Aloo Rasa , Saaga kharada  and Papad. In my earlier post potala/parwal rasa was about the version of this authentic dish, which uses less oil and masala. However, as promised earlier, I had prepared the original recipe so that I can share with you. Lets look at the recipe below.

Ingredients :-

 250 gms Potala/Parwal

1 big Potato cut into cubes.

1/4 tbsp Elaichi powder/Cardamom powder

1 bay leaf

pinch of sugar

1 tbsp red chili powder

1 tbsp roasted cumin powder

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 cup tomato puree

Oil to fry

1 tbsp turmeric powder 

Salt as per taste

Paste 1 :-

1 Onion

4 to 5 flakes garlic

1 inch ginger

1 green chili

Paste 2 - 

1 cup grated coconut/ coconut milk

6 to 7 cashew nuts

Grind this to a very fine paste. You can optionally use coconut milk.

Method :-

Wash, peel and cut Potala into two half's diagonally. Heat enough oil to deep fry Potala and potato. Add Potato to oil when its hot and deep fry till it turns brown. I have sallow fried Potala and potatoes as I do not like deep fry. Similarly, deep fry Potala in oil and remove when its brown and keep aside. In another pan take 1 tbsp oil, when its hot add cumin seeds. When it starts cracking, add sugar and let it turn to brown color. Now add onion,ginger,garlic paste, bay leaf , Elaichi powder and cook till the paste separates oil and raw smell is removed. Now, add tomato puree, turmeric powder and cook again till oil starts separating. Now, add the vegetables, followed by Coconut and cashew nut paste. Add Garam masala, cumin powder, red chili powder and salt. Cover and cook till, gravy thickens and vegetables are done. Serve hot garnished with coriander and cashew.

Potala/Parwal Rasa (Diabetic friendly)

Hi Friends,

Today, I am going to post about one of the most well known Odia recipe Potala Rasa. I am very fond of Potala/ Parwal and I like this dish made by my Mom. Well, there is twist that my Mom has come up with, to make it healthy with less oil. The original Potala Rasa recipe uses Potato and cashew nut paste and requires more oil to fry vegetables. In this version, I have not used Potato and cashew nut paste. Taste wise, it does not vary much from original recipe. Look wise it looks more greenish and yellowish as its cooked using Pressure cooker.

When we cook using pressure cooker, the ingredients tend to retain its original color unless we add up spices that change the color. But, yes the smell and aroma of the dish remains the same as in original Potala Rasa. As Odia I really like Potala as a vegetable and thus I try to avoid Potato and cashew to make it healthy.  Next time, I get this vegetable I will prepare the original recipe of Potala Aloo Rasa and post that for your use. One more thing, by cooking with Pressure cooker, you save time and energy. More over it becomes easier to make this. Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

Potala/Parwal  - 250 gms -peeled & each one cut into two half's with a tilt as shown in figure 

1 medium size Onion chopped length wise

2 Tomatoes chopped or pureed

1 tbsp coriander power

1/2 tbsp cumin and red chili dry roast powder

1/2 tbsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

1 1/2 tbsp oil 

Rasa Paste Ingredients :- 

1 cup fresh coconut 

6 to 7 garlic flakes

1/2 inch ginger

2 green chili 

2 tbsp water to grind

Method :- Grind the ingredients for Rasa paste and keep aside.

Heat a Pressure cooker. Add oil (just enough to fry the onions). Add cumin seeds. Add Onion and fry till it turns pink. Add tomato, turmeric powder, salt, coriander powder, cumin and red chili powder and cook for 1 min. Add the Rasa paste and cook for another 30 sec. Add the cut vegetables and mix it well, so that the paste sticks to vegetables. Now, if required sprinkle little water cover and cook in medium flame till 1 whistle. Remove and let it cool down automatically. Open and serve hot with steamed rice and dal or chapati.

Note:- you can add potatoes and cashew nut paste as well, but since this is for diabetic I have not used it.

Santula Odia traditional dish

Most Odiya dishes are famous for their simplicity ,low use of oil and spices and down to earth dishes.
I will give the recipe of santula here. Basically many types of vegetables are boiled and a post tempering of garlic , onion , chili and spice is given.I do not like too much of water in it so I have reduced the water to make it look like any other sukhi Sabji. But, yes you can keep little water but not much.

THE INGREDIENTS 

Any vegetable can be used. in Varied quantity 

here I have used

Potato 1 cut to 3/4th inch

Brinjal 2 cut into 1 inch 

Pumpkin 200 gms cut to 1 inch

french beans 6 cut to 1 1/2 inch

Raw papaya 200 gms cut into cubes

2 carots cut into medium size pieces

6 to 7 urad dal badi

1 tbsp paanch phutan

oil 2 tbsp

salt to taste

cumin seeds and red chili dry roast powder 1 tbsp

1/2 cup water

FOR THE TEMPERING 

Panch phodon 1 heap tsp

red dry chili 2 

green chili chopped 4 

garlic 8 cloves chopped 

small onion 1 inch dia , chopped fine.

1 tomato chopped

Oil 1 tsp ( I use 1 tsp ghee) 

Heat minimum water, add turmeric and salt, When water comes to boil add vegetables in order of their softening point.  Brinjal will go in last. Cover and boil. DON'T OVER BOIL the vegetables. Sufficient Water will be left with the vegetables. 

Dry roast badi, when it is done add little oil and roast for few seconds and remove from flame. Let it cool and then break them into pieces by pressing.

In a Khadai , heat oil / ghee , give tempering of red chili and Panch Phootan. When the aroma comes add garlic, green chili saute for few seconds  and onion.Then add tomatoes and fry for 2 mins.

Immediately add the tempering to the boiled vegetables and cover. Mix the tempering. Add cumin and red chili powder. Add fried badi and chopped coriander at last and serve hot with rice or chapati.