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. 

Chilli Paneer

 


Hi Readers,
Today, is the day before Karthik Purnima. In Odisha everyone follows a special diet at least during Panchuka that is five days before Karthik Purnima. We eat all satwik food, just like the Jain foods that does not contain Onion and Garlic in it. So, why I am posting this Chilli Paneer recipe here. I had prepared this few days back and just forgot to add this to blog. Now, here is the recipe for you.

Ingredients :- 

•Paneer (cottage cheese) 200 grams

•Cornflour/ corn starch 4 tablespoons

•Oil 2 tablespoon + to deep fry

•Garlic,crushed 3-4 cloves

•Green chillies,sliced 3-4

•Onions,sliced 2 medium

•Green capsicum,seeded and thick strips 1 large

•Vegetable stock 1/2 cup

•Salt to taste

•White pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon

•Soy sauce 2 tablespoons

•Chilli sauce 1 tablespoon

Method :- 

Drain paneer well and cut into diamond shaped medium sized pieces. Heat sufficient oil in a wok, roll the paneer pieces in cornflour and deep fry on medium heat until the edges start to turn brown. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside. Blend remaining cornflour (nearly a tablespoon) in a quarter cup of water and set aside. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a wok, add crushed garlic and stir-fry for a minute. Add sliced green chillies, onions and green capsicum. Sauté for a couple of minutes. Add fried paneer and stir in the vegetable stock. Add salt, white pepper powder, soy sauce, chilli sauce and stir well. Stir in the blended cornflour and cook on high heat, stirring and tossing until the sauce thickens to coat the paneer and the vegetables. Serve immediately. 

Schezwan Fried Rice

Hi Readers,

This is a easy to cook recipe with miracle masala available in stores. I tried Miracle masala and the Schewan fried rice is ready in few minute. Its somewhat similar to my cooking experience with Puliogere masala. Very little to do from our side, the masala does everything and rice is ready in few minutes.

Ingredients :- 

Red Capsicum/Bell Pepper - 1 no

Green Capsicum/Bell Pepper - 1 no

Yellow Capsicum/Bell Pepper - 1 no

bell peppers are cut into long strips

French beans - 1/2 cup chopped

Carrot - 1 medium size - chopped

Miracle Masala - 2 tbsp

Rice - 1 and 1/2 cup

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method :- 

Heat a pan, add oil. When its hot add the chopped vegetables and stir fry for 2 mintutes. Add steamed rice, miracle masala and mix well. The dish is prepared. Serve hot.

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.

Urad dal Adai

Hi Readers,

This is a very simple recipe to prepare. It consumes less time and is healthier as it is protein rich.

In South India, similar to Dosa another recipe is made called Adai, it is usually a combination of Pulses
 mixed with very little rice flour to make the batter. Onions, ginger, curry leaves are generally added
to the batter. I have prepared a similar dish, though I can't say this is the actual adai recipe.

I have made this with only Urad dal combined with Onion, ginger and green chilli for breakfast.

You can name it Urad dal Pan cake or Urad dal Adai.

Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

1 cup Urad dal soaked overnight.

1 onion chopped

2 green chilli chopped

1 tbsp ginger chopped

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1 tbsp cumin and red chilli roasted powder

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

It makes about 4 Urad dal Adai.

Method :-
Grind the soaked urad dal to fine paste. Keep it to ferment for 1 to 2 hrs. Add onion, green chilli, ginger, coriander leaves and salt. Add cumin and red chilli powder.Add water if required and adjust salt to make the batter of sameconsistency as Dosa. Heat a Tawa or griddle. Grease little oil. Pour batter and spread as in Dosa. When bubbles appear on one side, turn to other side. When both sides are cooked , remove and serve hot with chutney.

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.

Palak Paneer

Hi Readers,

This is a traditional north Indian cottage cheese gravy. The main ingredients as per the name are cottage cheese and spinach. Cottage cheese is cooked in a spinach based gravy. Since, Spinach and cottage cheese both are very nutritious, this dish is one of the healthiest gravy. It uses much less spices unlike other Indian gravies. In most of the north Indian states spinach is not cooked with Onion, but garlic is a most. However, in Odisha we do cook spinach and other green leafy vegetables with Onion. In this recipe also I have used Onion. Yes, this is optional and you can skip adding it.

Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

Spinach 2 large bunches

Paneer (cottage cheese) 200 grams

Green chillies 2-3

Garlic 8-10 cloves chopped

Onion 1 medium chopped (optional)

Oil 3 tablespoons

Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Fresh cream 4 tablespoons

Method:-

Remove stems, wash spinach thoroughly in running water. Blanch in boiling water for two minutes. Refresh in chilled water.Squeeze out excess water. Remove stems, wash and roughly chop green chillies. Grind spinach into a fine paste along with green chillies. Dice paneer into one inch cubes.  Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When they begin to change colour, add chopped onion and garlic and saute for half a minute. Add the spinach puree and stir. Check seasoning & add salt. Add water if required. When the gravy comes to a boil, add the paneer and mix well.  Finally add fresh cream. Serve hot.