TAPIOCA(Big sabudana pearls steamed and deep oil fried pitha)

Sagoo sijha(STEAMED) and chhana(FRIED) manda====
sagoo is considered as a healthy staple diet
in odisha even it is given during pregnancy to generate milk
in fasting time we take as a staple diet as it keeps stomach cool
it doesnt form any gastronomical tendency 
so considering all these beautiful aspects and best qualities of sagoo made sagoo pithas in different way....

We had navratri just few days back
keeping fast and having no onion garlic stuff for 9 days 
sabudana compelled me to think about the  innovative recipes of sagoo.....
Being a foodie and great odia food lover  i always look for some 
odia new recipes and try to bring some changes and turn and twists
in odia recipes which can be loved by every one...
there is a proverb"idle mind is devil's workshop"
so my witty mind always works never stops for a minute =D 
everyday thinks to bring some changes in food which can be taste the best......
first the fried manda pitha recipe will be rolled on===

  


the ingredients are required for this oil fried manda===
2 big cups Tapioca / big pearls of sagoo
1 cup grated coconut
jaggery to taste
1/4th teaspoon green cardamom powder
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

method to make it more yummy====

first soak Tapioca pearls for 5 to 6 hrs

strain it in strainer and leave it in strainer for 15 to 20 mns

as not a single drop of water will be remained inside

grind and make a smooth dough of it 

here is the pic of perfect dough and neither you have to add water nor to cook to make this dough perfect just add pinch of salt and mash it properly....

now in a wok add grated and jaggery and green cardamom powder together
fry it in low medium flame till it changes  its natural colour and becomes little brown....
take small portion of dough and make ball 
and do it accordingly 
and take each ball and make a cover like
put little stuffing inside and cover it again from each side and 
give a ball shape again to it...
 heat your wok with refined oil
and deep fry them..
but remember it will not turn into brown as other manda pithas turn into..
almost its color will remain intact as white

now let me move to the steaming part of this same sagoo with
almost the same procedure but the only difference is above one is deep fried in oil but the bottom one will be steamed in idli mould or in any mould ......
but the making process is same...

KADALI BHANDA BARA

plantain flower tikkis

plantain stem and plantain flower play a vital role in odia kitchen...
in every one's garden there must be a plantain tree in odisha..
we odia people make different recipes of plantain stem and plantain flower
like we make tikkis, patua,besara batibasa out of flowers
and even make rai,batibasa,bara,and pithaubhaja out of plantain stem too...

my husband is fond of banana stem and banana flower dishes
so i have to cook differently these two
here i have prepared banana tikkis
though it plays a difficult role while cleaning it but equally plays a yummy roll in taste
because taste buds ask for to have more and more

ingredients required------
one banana flower
salt to taste
pinch of turmeric powder
spices used as per your choices
1 chopped onion(here i have avoided onion as navratri fasting is on)
1 teaspoon ginger grated
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon garlic paste(here i have avoided)
1 teaspoon ruchi curry powder which one is local product masala in odish
1 tbl spoon chopped cilantro
1/4 th teaspoon red chilly powder
2 tbl spoon besan
1/4th cup rice
2/3 tbl spoon of oil for shallow fry ...

method to go forward ---

first separate the discarded thing from flower as it is shown in 3rd pic
soak the edible parts in water with 1/2 tbl spoon of salt for 10 mns
after 10 mns just mash them with your hand
and drain out the water
again soak them in water  and salt for 10 mns more
again the same procedure to be followed..
finally just boil it with water salt and turmeric
when it is to be boiled properly you soak rice in water
and after 10 mns make a smooth paste
when the flower part is properly cooked just strain it in strainer and keep in running water
so that its little bitterness which might have remained definitely goes away...
then now the interesting part which is will be tempting to eat..
in boiled flower add all the spices mentioned above along with little salt
rice paste and besan..
make small small tikkis or bara shape
shallow fry them in oil on tawa because it doesn't need to deep fry
as possible as to avoid oil...
and serve those yummy tikkis with any type of sauces....

MUGA KANTI

Odisha is a state with  full of heritage,culture ,beautiful sculpture etc etc....
each state has beautiful art monument etc ...
like cuttack is very famous for its silver filigree  work
Dhenkanal is very famous for Docra work
pipili famous for its applique many more...
Exactly in food each  place of odisha has different taste of different food....
I can say Odisha is a foodie state
people love food and love to feed others too... (ATITHI DEBO VABAH)

This is the recipe which is very traditional recipe of odisha called muga kanti
it is  a pitha.... it is delicious and it will give a good relief as sweet dish after having a perfect meal..

ingredients required for this yummy dish====

2 cups moong dal / split green gram
1/2 cup jaggery/gur
1/4th teaspoon green cardamon powder
oil for frying
ghee for greasing the plate

method=======

first soak moong dal for half an hour

wash and make a smooth liquid paste of it

add jaggery,green cardamon powder in the batter ...

then put this batter in low flame

and keep stirring continuously with a laddle as no lumps will be formed...

when you will notice it turns into little semi solid just pour them on a greased plate

leave it for 15 mns or till it comes to room temperature..

cut them into pieces...

and again heat refined oil in a wok

and fry these cut pieces in oil

serve them hot or wait till it comes to normal temperature then only serve..

but it is yummy in taste.....

AMBULA RAI

"Ambula Rai"

earlier what people were doing probably house wives they eat their lunch with khata(pickle or any type of sour ingredient)whether it is tamarind or dry mango or kandhia because it happens most of the time guests arrive at home after the lunch hour without any information and their arrival is very sweetly accepted by the ladies of the family  because in our Indian society women's happiness is attached with the persons with whom they have got married..... Normally in our society Guests are like God so if they come they will be treated like family...so its very obvious  if they reach before lunch then the ladies of the families have to sacrifice their portion ....... because they wont let the guests go without  food.....
and later the ladies of that house have to do some thing about their own food .....

Ambula rai is one of the very delicate recipes of odisha which is loved by every odia even loved by the people out of our state odisha...
it is a non cooked dish  of odisha but very delectable in taste....

I have assembled the ingredients for this non cooked recipe===
5/6 dry mangoes
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 th teaspoon whole cumin
1/2 green chilly
1/2 cup yogurt
2 strings of curry leaves
1 tbl spoon grated coconut
salt to taste
1/2 tbl spoon sugar
1/4th tbl spoon whole wheat flour

How to make this ===
first soak dry mango pieces in water for 8 hrs
the next moment just drain out water
make a smooth paste of mustard seeds,whole cumin and green chilly
add this masala paste in soaked dry mango
add salt,sugar,grated coconut in soaked dry mango
and cover it ......
and leave it for 4 to 5 hrs
so that the raw taste of masala paste will be adjusted in ambula...

serve with chilled or normal room temperature with plain rice or anything..
The 9 ingredients can make a recipe heavenly taste....

"MOHAN BHOG/MEETHA SOOJI/SOOJI HALWA

mohan bhog is a very traditional sweet dish of odisha
surprisingly this is a sweet dish which is prepared in almost all states in our country but
spells in different names.......

ingredients are required for this ====
2 cups semolina/sooji
2 cups milk
1/cup pure ghee
1/ cup sugar
1/4th teaspoon green cardamon powder
salt to taste
cashew is optional for decor
2 bay leaves

method====
heat ghee in a wok add bay leaves
add semolina
fry in low flame till it becomes little golden brown
add sugar and again fry in low medium flame
then slowly add milk and in low flame keep stirring
till it becomes completely dry..
finally add cardamon powder and switch off the gas...

BADAM CHITAU

"BADAM CHITAU PITHA"
A very authentic pitha of our state of odisha
it is offered to Goddess laxmi during the manabasa gurubar
the festival which falls during the month of December
and this particular pitha is prepared in every households in odisha at the time of "chitalagi amabasya"
which falls  during "shravana month krushna pakshya amabasya tithi"
The main ingredients of this pitha are
rice,coconut salt
and coconut ,jaggery stuffing is optional
it is best eaten with hot milk and sugar
here i have brought a little twist to our regular chitau by adding peanuts
so i called it badam chitau

ingredients required for badam chitau====
1 cup rice
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/4th tea spoon eno sachet
how to make it =====
first soak rice and peanuts together for around 2 to 3 hrs
again make a smooth paste out of it...
add 1 and half cup of water in it...
add eno sachet
and mix it well...
and leave it for 10 to 15 mns
then heat a iron kadhai..
grease oil...
pour 1 ladle of batter
cover it with a steel or aluminium plate
put hand full of water around the plate
and bring your gas flame to simmer
leave it for 2 mns...
then uncover it and take out the pitha...
accordingly make one by one.....
then dip them in hot milk and serve with any bhaji....

"TAMPA"
as i have said in my old posts odisha is a very beautiful state and with having beautiful districts...
every district has lots of changes in food and each has unique taste of food...
here now let me share with you an awesome instinct sweet dish of south odisha called Tampa

ingredients required for this sweet delicacy of south odisha=====
2 cups millet/mandia
1/2 cup pure ghee
1/2 cup grated coconut
salt to taste
jaggery/gur to taste
2 cups boiled milk
green cardamon powder 1/4th teaspoon

method to proceed=====
first heat a wok with ghee
add millet and
keep stirring in low flame
as the base wont burn
add jaggery
keep stirring till the raw smell of millet disappears and a beautiful aroma comes up
add slowly coconut and milk together
and again keep stirring till it becomes little semi liquid
add green cardamon powder for flavour
grease a stainless steel plate
pour this semi liquid batter on that plate
leave it for 15 mns
then cut and give them into shapes accordingly....