Purba: Feasts from the East 0595744893, 9780595744893

Citation preview

Purba: Feasts from the East

Purba: Feasts from the East Oriya Cuisine from Eastern India

Laxmi Parida

Writer’s Showcase New York Lincoln Shanghai

Purba: Feasts from the East Oriya Cuisine from Eastern India All Rights Reserved © 2003 by Laxmi Parida No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher. Writer’s Showcase an imprint of iUniverse, Inc. For information address: iUniverse 2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100 Lincoln, NE 68512 www.iuniverse.com Front cover: Matsya Kumbha: a traditional design on earthenware pots containing sweets as a gift from a bride’s family. Courtesy Smt. P. Mahapatra. Back cover: Suryamukhi Padma: a traditional design on the base of food offerings to Sun God. Courtesy Smt. P. Mahapatra. ISBN: 0-595-74489-3

Printed in the United States of America

Dedicated to Tatama, who has forever inspired me with her self-lessness and her incredible talent in the kitchen and out.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My deepest gratitude to Bapa, a true admirer of my talents in the kitchen—even at my worst— also to Tatama, Ma and Siropani. Thanks to Raman Chandrasekar, for planting the germ of an idea of this book and encouraging me to put it together, and again to Bapa, for carefully reading through the manuscript and providing valuable feedback. I owe seeing this book through to print to Alina Deutsch, for her kind encouragement and various pointers in the right direction.

vii

CONTENTS CHAPTER 1—THE ORIYA PANTRY ..........................................1 CHAPTER 2—JALAKHIA ............................................................5 1—FIERY FRYING ....................................................................................5 Singada ........................................................................................6 Gaja—fried bits ..........................................................................10 Sabudana Chop—sago patties ......................................................11 Pakudi—Indian tempura ............................................................12 Baigeni—eggplant fritters ............................................................13 Piyaji—onion fritters ....................................................................14 Aloo Chop—potato balls in chick-pea flour ..................................15 Bara ............................................................................................15 Goolgula ....................................................................................16 Dahi Bara ..................................................................................17 Nadia Bara—coconut patties ........................................................18 Kakharoo Phula Bara—pumpkin blossom patties ..........................18 Kadali Kofta—green plantain balls ..............................................19 Sajana Phoola Bara—drumstick blossom patties ............................20 Chingudi Chop—prawn croquettes ..............................................21 Samsai—savory fried turnovers ....................................................22 Vegetable Patties ..........................................................................23 Mattar Chop—chick-pea croquettes ..............................................24 2—UPAMA ............................................................................................25 Chuda Upama / Chuda Santula—flattened rice ..........................25 Sooji Upama—savory porridge, but still delicious ..........................26 Sabudana Upama—sago savory porridge, yet also delicious ............28 ix

x

Purba: Feasts from the East

Kadali Upama—green plantain stir-fry ........................................29 Bhanda Upama—plantain flower upama ....................................29 3—CHA ................................................................................................30 Cha—hot tea ..............................................................................30 Ada Cha—ginger tea ..................................................................31 Tuhina’s Cha ..............................................................................32

CHAPTER 3—PITHA—GRAIN & LENTIL DELIGHTS ..........33 1—CHAKULI—CREPES ............................................................................33 Sada Chakuli—plain crepe ..........................................................37 Saru Chakuli—slim crepe ............................................................38 Budha Chakuli—“fat” crepe ........................................................38 Budha Chakuli—layered “fat” crepe ..............................................39 Kadali Budha Chakuli—banana “fat” crepe ..................................40 Chaula Chakuli—rice crepe ........................................................41 Muga Chakuli—mung crepe ........................................................42 Maka Chakuli—corn crepe ..........................................................42 Aloo Chakuli—potato crepe ........................................................43 Dali Chakuli—legume crepe ........................................................44 Mota Chakuli—thick crepe ..........................................................44 Sooji Chakuli—semolina crepe ....................................................45 Maida Chakuli—flour crepe ........................................................45 Atta Chakuli—wheat flour crepe ..................................................46 Besan Chakuli—chick-pea flour crepe ..........................................46 Mitha Chakuli—sweet crepe ........................................................47 Bajara Injera—millet crepe ..........................................................47 2—MANDA—DUMPLINGS ......................................................................48 A—The Gentle Art of Steaming ......................................................49 Steamers ......................................................................................50 Steaming moulds ........................................................................50 B—Janta (the art of steaming batter) ................................................51 Dudha Chitau—milk dumplings ..................................................52

Laxmi Parida

Sooji Chitau—semolina dumplings ..............................................52 Sweet Filling I ............................................................................53 Sweet Filling II ............................................................................53 Sijha Manda—steamed dumplings ................................................54 Sooji Manda—semolina dumplings ..............................................54 Dudha Manda—milk dumplings ................................................55 Rice Rolls ....................................................................................55 3—CHITAU—PANCAKES ........................................................................56 Nadiya Chitau—coconut pancakes ..............................................57 Sooji Chitau—semolina pancakes ................................................58 4—ARISA AND KAKERA—FRIED SURPRISES ..............................................58 Nadia Arisa—coconut crispies ......................................................58 Kandamula Arisa—sweet potato crispies ........................................59 Muga Arisa—lentil crispies ..........................................................59 Chaula Kakera—rice dumpling ....................................................60 Kakharu Kakera—pumpkin dumpling ..........................................60 5—OTHERS ..........................................................................................61 Chunchi Patra—needle-thin crepes ..............................................61 Poda Pitha ..................................................................................62

CHAPTER 4—FLAT BREADS: ROOTI, PARATHA, POORI, LOOCHI ............................64 A—Rooti ........................................................................................64 Bajera Rooti ................................................................................68 B—Paratha ......................................................................................68 C—Stuffed Parathas ........................................................................71 Palanga Paratha—spinach parathas ..............................................72 Lau Paratha—ash gourd parathas ................................................72 Moola Paratha—radish parathas ..................................................73 Aloo Paratha—potato stuffed parathas ..........................................73 Keema Paratha—meat stuffed parathas ........................................74 Kobi Paratha—cauliflower stuffed parathas ..................................74

xi

xii

Purba: Feasts from the East

CHPATER 5—BHATA—REGAL RICE ........................................76 1—ON GRAIN VARIETIES ......................................................................76 2—SADA BHATA—SIMPLE RICE ..............................................................78 3—USING LEFTOVER BHATA ..................................................................80 Pakhala—fermented rice ..............................................................80 Bhata Pitha—rice pancakes ..........................................................81 Bhata Muthia—rice dumplings ....................................................81 4—FLAVOURED BHATA ..........................................................................82 Jeera Bhata—cumin rice ..............................................................82 Lembu Bhata—lemon rice ..........................................................82 Dahi Bhata—curd rice ................................................................83 Mitha Khichidi—lentil-rice with a hint of sweetness ......................83 Khichidi—lentil-rice ....................................................................84 Mangsa Biriyani—mutton pilaf ..................................................85 Pariba Biriyani—vegetable biriyani ..............................................86

CHAPTER 6—ENTREES ............................................................87 1—ABC’S OF ORIYA RANDHA ..............................................................87 A—Cooking Under Pressure ............................................................87 B—Stock / Cooking Medium ..........................................................89 C—Classes of Spices ........................................................................90 Sorisa Masala ..............................................................................90 Jeera Masala ................................................................................91 Mysore Masala ............................................................................91 Garam Masala ............................................................................92 Besara ........................................................................................92 D—Seasoning Finale ........................................................................93 All About Baghara ......................................................................93 Gunda ........................................................................................94 Garnish ......................................................................................94 E—Food Tasting? ............................................................................94

Laxmi Parida

xiii

2—NIRAMISA, AINSA ............................................................................95 A—Dealing with Fauna—seafood, meat, poultry ..............................95 Seafood ......................................................................................96 Ground Meat ..............................................................................97 3—DALI ................................................................................................98 Dali—lentils ................................................................................98 Dalma ........................................................................................98 Dali Palanga—spinach lentils ....................................................100 Kolatha Dali ............................................................................100 Sambhar ....................................................................................101 Panasa Dalma—jackfruit with lentils ........................................102 Masala Dali—spicy lentils ..........................................................103 4—TARKARI / JHOLA ............................................................................104 Sajana Chuin Tarkari—drumstick curry ....................................104 Anda Masala—spicy eggs ............................................................105 Golia-Goli Tarkari—mish-mash ................................................106 Dahi Olua Tarkari ....................................................................106 Machcha Tarkari—fish tarkari ..................................................107 Sijha Ilisi—steamed shad ............................................................108 Machcha Mahura—fish mish-mash ............................................108 Mangsa Tarkari—meat tarkari ..................................................109 Sijha Mangsa Tarkari—steamed meat tarkari ..............................110 Green Mangsa Tarkari ..............................................................111 Mangsa Gugni—minced meat “chilli” ........................................112 Potala Rasa ................................................................................113 Kakharu Sajana Saga—pumpkin with sajana greens ....................113 Manja Dahi—plantain stalk with yogurt ....................................114 Santula / Ghanta ......................................................................115 5—BHAJA ............................................................................................116 Aloo Bhaja—potato bhaja ..........................................................116 Kalara Bhaja—bittergourd / bittermelon bhaja ............................117 Tentuli Kalara Bhaja—tamarind bittermelon bhaja ....................118

xiv

Purba: Feasts from the East

Kobi Bhaja—cauliflower bhaja ..................................................118 Bandha Kobi Bhaja—cabbage bhaja ..........................................119 Bean Dali Bhaja—string beans with lentil bhaja ........................120 Moola Bhaja—radish bhaja ......................................................121 Baigana Bhaja—eggplant bhaja ..................................................121 Sajana Saga Bhaja—drumstick leaves ..........................................122 Postaka Aloo—potatoes with poppy seeds ....................................123 Moola Bhaja—radish fry ............................................................123 Masala Baigana Bhaja—spicy eggplant fry ..................................124 Postaka Bara—poppy seed patties ................................................124 Amruta Bhanda Bhaja—papaya bhaja ......................................125 6—CHAKATA, BHARTA ........................................................................126 Aloo Chakata—mashed potaotes ................................................126 Aloo Bharta—fried mashed potaotes ..........................................127 Kalara Chakata—mashed bittermelons ........................................127 Kalara Bharta—fried mashed bittermelons ..................................128 Baigana Chakata—mashed eggplants ..........................................128 Baigana Bharta—fried mashed eggplants ....................................130 7—RAI ................................................................................................130 Poi Saga Rai ..............................................................................130 Chingudi Poi—prawns with greens ............................................131 Sukua Rai—dried fish medley ....................................................132 Chingudi Sukua Rai—dried prawn medley ................................133 Manja Rai—plantain stalk ........................................................133 Lau Rai—squash rai ..................................................................134 8—KHATTA / AMBILA ..........................................................................135 Ambda—green mangoes in gravy ................................................135 Machcha Khatta—sweet and sour fish ........................................135 Tomato Khatta—sweet and sour tomato ....................................136 Sapuri Khatta / Ambila—pineapple khatta ................................137

Laxmi Parida

xv

9—CHATANI ........................................................................................138 Rasuna Chatani—garlic chutney ................................................138 Chinabadam Chatani—peanut chutney ......................................138 Piaja Chatani—onion chutney ....................................................139

CHAPTER 7—THE DELICATE ART OF SUN-DRYING ........140 1—BADI—SUN-DRIED LENTIL MORSELS ................................................141 Phoolbadi—sun-dried lentil morsels ............................................141 Pani Kakharu Badi—sun-dried lentil-ash gourd morsels ..............142 Manji Badi—sun-dried lentil-seed morsels ..................................142 Badi Chura—crushed badi ........................................................142 2—ACHARA—PICKLES ........................................................................143 A—Basics of Making Achara ..........................................................143 B—Acharas from an Oriya Kitchen ................................................145 Baby Mango Pickle ..................................................................145 Masala Amba Achara—No. 1—spicy mango pickle ....................145 Masala Amba Achara—No. 2—spicy mango pickle ....................147 Baigana Achara—eggplant pickle ................................................147 Saru Achara—alocasia / taro pickle ............................................148 3—ASSORTED SUN-DRYING PRODUCTS ..............................................149 Rice Balls ..................................................................................149 Ambula—dried mango ..............................................................150 Amba Sadha—mango candy? ....................................................151

CHAPTER 8—MITHA—SEDUCTIVE SWEETS ....................153 1—MAKING KHOYA, CHENA ..............................................................154 Chena ......................................................................................154 Khoya ......................................................................................156 2—ALL ABOUT ROSOGULLAS ................................................................157 A—Rosogullas in Disguise ............................................................159 Tofu Rosogulla ..........................................................................160 Chamcham ..............................................................................160

xvi

Purba: Feasts from the East

Rajbhog ....................................................................................160 Kamalabhog ..............................................................................160 Kheeri Mohan, Malai Sandwich ................................................161 Kheeri Kadamba ......................................................................161 Rasamali ..................................................................................161 Kheerisagar ..............................................................................162 3—JILIPI ..............................................................................................162 4—THE ARDUOUS ART OF MAKING BARFIS, LADOOS ..........................164 A—Sugar Syrup Consistencies ......................................................165 B—Moulding Sweets/ Setting Barfis ..............................................165 Rasi Laddoo—sesame balls ........................................................166 Besan Laddoo—chick-pea balls ..................................................167 Choorma Laddoo—wheat balls ................................................167 Magaj Laddoo—royal chick-pea flour balls ................................168 Boondi Laddoo—superballs of tiny chick-pea balls ......................168 Darbesh—rich boondi ladoo ......................................................170 Muga Barfi—mung squares ........................................................170 Nadia Barfi—coconut squares ....................................................171 Kaju Barfi—cashew nut squares ..................................................171 5—PEDA, SANDESH ............................................................................172 Peda—milk-based khoya sweet ..................................................172 Kesara Peda—saffron peda ........................................................173 Sandesh—No. 1—milk-based chena sweet ................................173 Sandesh—No. 2—milk-based chena sweet ................................174 Sijha Sandesh—steamed sandesh ................................................174 6—KHEERI, RABDI ..............................................................................175 Kheeri—rice pudding ................................................................175 Chena Kheeri ............................................................................176 Sooji Kheeri, Mohan Bhoga—semolina kheeri ..........................176 Sabudana Kheeri—sago kheeri ..................................................177 Kamala Kheeri—orange kheeri ..................................................177 Amba Kheeri—mango kheeri ....................................................178

Laxmi Parida

xvii

7—MALPUA ........................................................................................178 Malpua ....................................................................................179 Sooji Malpua—semolina malpua ..............................................179 Dudha Malpua—milk malpua ..................................................180 8—HALWA ..........................................................................................181 Sooji Halwa—semolina, or cream of wheat halwa ......................181 9—OTHERS ........................................................................................182 Pantua ......................................................................................182 Pantua in-a-hurry ......................................................................182 Alootua—sweet potato balls ........................................................183 Kala Jamun ..............................................................................184 Chena Jilipi ..............................................................................184 Chena Poda ..............................................................................185 Mitha Gaja ..............................................................................185 Mitha Singada ..........................................................................186 Labanga Lata ............................................................................186 Pheni, Khaja ............................................................................187 Rasa Bara—lentil balls in syrup ..................................................189 Mitha Gaintha—rice balls in milk ............................................189

CHAPTER 9—EAST MEETS FAR EAST ..................................191 Siropani’s Trinity ......................................................................191 Chicken Soup ..........................................................................192 Siropani’s Tomato Soup ............................................................193 Garlic Chicken ..........................................................................194 Ginger Chicken, Chilli Chicken ..............................................194 Fish Do Piaza—fish with onions? ..............................................195 Chicken Do Piaza ....................................................................195 Siropani’s Chow Mein ..............................................................196 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................197 INDEX ..................................................................................................203

PREFACE My Apologies The fundamental equation of cooking is:

Techniques+Ingredients=Recipes Assuming that there are about 30 distinct techniques and 500 distinct ingredients out there and a conservative estimate that an average recipe requires about 2 techniques and 4 ingredients, there are about a whopping 62,500,000,000,000 recipes in all. When one comes across foie gras with pineapple, chocolate in hot chilli pepper sauce, coffee grain in barbecue sauce, sweet garlic pudding, fish sandesh 1 and so on, one realizes that this number is not really exaggerated. This looks harder than the Human Genome Project, but should keep food book authors smiling for generations. So my encroachment on the territory of professional chefs and food experts should be easily overlooked and pardoned.

Indian Cuisine = Curry? Curry is as representative of Indian cuisine as fricasse of French Cuisine [SB95]. This might surprise you, but there is no traditional Indian dish 1 Trust the Bengalees to come up with a fish dessert! xix

xx

Purba: Feasts from the East

that goes by the name such-and-such curry. In the non-Indian subcontinent world, curry and Indian cuisine is synonymous: this is an unfortunate error. Is Indian cooking easy? The answer depends on what is being cooked: paneer mattar1 is fairly simple but pharcha murgi2 [Meh92] may require days of practice. Among desserts, kheer 3 is easier to make than a jilipi4[Par94], which more often than not requires the expertise of a Halwai5, the Indian equivalent of a pastry chef. So, Indian cooking can be simple and also as complex as it gets. As with other cuisines of the world, Indian cuisine is very regional: the techniques as well as ingredients vary significantly enough to merit a mention, and is also discernible to the trained (as well as un-trained) palate. Sometimes it is merely the name (chakuli or dosa? singeda or samosa?) but often it is much more. Anyway, in my limited experience I have found that people find moussaka [Cha75] more delicious than baked aubergines with meat and cheese, or osso buco [Bat98] more enticing than veal shanks in tomatoes, or koulis [Pet91] more attractive than a sauce! Indeed, everything’s in a name.

1 This is cottage cheese cubes in gravy with green peas. 2 A parsee dish of fried chicken with a coating of layers of netted egg! 3 A rice pudding. 4 A spiral (the Italian funnel cake sold at almost all street fairs in New York city is a distant and unsophisticated cousin) of very lightly fermented flour batter, deep fried and steeped in fragrant syrup; light, crunchy and delicious. 5 The Oriya equivalent is a gudiya.

Laxmi Parida

xxi

Why Purba? Have you noticed that certain favoured spots on the world map, have cookbooks for every state, every province, every village, every hamlet and every little roadside kiosk? If that’s the way to go, why not cover hitherto unpublicized and unexploited spots in another continent? This got my mind ticking and I decided to put in a collection from the state of Orissa which is located on the eastern coast of India. Orissa, a state inhabited by content folks, has not done terribly much by way of showcasing its unique cuisine. Purba is Oriya, the language spoken in Orissa, for the word “east”. Oriya cuisine is marked by subtle and wholesome flavours, utilizing simple but fresh ingredients and a sparing use of spices. Its most important contribution to Indian cuisine, among others, is its mind boggling varieties of pitha and chena-based sweets. Putting together recipes from India is quite tricky, since there are as many authentic recipes as there are thinking Indian heads 1! With experience, I have learnt that “authentic” normally means “the-way-my-mother-made” or “I-don’t-know-any-other” or “just-my-personal-bias-but-I-won’tadmit-it”. I have made best efforts to de-authenticize the recipes so that you are not left with the Parida clan favorites. A lot of the recipes are adapted from my grandmother’s kitchen equipped with only a wood fuelled chooli (a stove) in a little obscure village in Orissa. I watched her cook when I was little, and made meticulous notes to her great amusement. I also suffered much humiliation when, as a child, I was the laughing 1 The number of such heads is as fast approaching a billion.

xxii

Purba: Feasts from the East

stock of her village after I sucked in instead of blowing out through a pipe that feeds air to the burning wood chips. In the various sections that follow, I have separated out the techniques, so that the interested reader may use the ingredients for the time-tested recipes or easily create his or her own! A recipe is an algorithm, usually believed to be idiot-proof. Since I am trained in the science/art of computing, and make my living around algorithms, I know how poorly understood and appreciated the field is. Let me relate a story regarding a fairly successful and accomplished chemist, I had the good fortune of knowing, who realized he needed computers to help him analyze and understand the laboratory data. He promptly bought a few books on algorithms and wasted two years before realizing he actually needed algorithmisists. The parallel story is not that one needs a recipist to stir up a fondue or bake a brownie, but indeed there are some recipes that need more care, attention and practice. My little blurbs on the recipes in the following pages may caution or excite you about the extent of challenge the recipe poses. Here is another good example, this time from the kitchen. I once made an incredible apple tart tatin for a thanksgiving party in midtown Manhattan, thanks to a perfect Martha Stewart recipe. When I inverted the tart from its cast-iron pan onto a serving plate, the audience gasped and I dutifully glowed. Since this was something I had hurriedly put together between my swimming routine and my dance lessons, I confidently passed the recipe on to my then roommate for her office potluck party as a sure recipe for success. She stopped short of maiming me, as her tart tatin turned out to be “apples floating in syrup” as she put it to me. Apparently she misjudged the caramelizing temperature of sugar. Moral of the story: there is more to a recipe than meets the eye!

Chapter 1—The Oriya Pantry We list some ingredients, that will be used in the book, in alphabetic order. You will find that lot of ingredients are common to most pantries, however there are some Oriya signature ingredients such as pancha phutana or ambula. This chapter is to be used more as a reference list rather than a shopping list. ada: Fresh ginger root. In most Oriya cooking it is used crushed or ground with the peel on. It is found in most supermarkets. Never substitute dry ginger powder. ambula: Sun-dried green (unripe) mangoes. This is used as a souring agent in most recipes. Sometimes it is used as an accompaniment with the main course—beware this is only for the hardcore sour appreciators. Amchoor or powdered dried unripe mango is a good substitute and can be found in most Indian grocery stores. amruta bhanda: Papaya. atta: Whole wheat flour. badi: Little dried lentil morsels. This can be found in some Indian grocery stores (also known as vadi in other parts of the country). besan: Chick-pea flour found in most Indian grocery stores. bhanda: Plantain flower. bhrusanga patra: Also known as curry leaves or kadi patta. These are fresh or green leaves of a plant with an incredible aroma. These are found in most Indian grocery stores (in the refrigerators). I have dried these and used them over a long period of time, quite effectively. But if you have a choice, use the fresh ones. 1

2

Purba: Feasts from the East

biri dali: Also called urad dal, this is a skinned lentil, white in colour and found in most grocery stores. cha: Tea, almost always hot and made with milk and sugar. chena: Home made cheese. chuda: Flattened rice, also called poha in other parts of the country. This is available in most Indian grocery stores. dali: This is a generic term for legumes-lentils and beans. Beans such as red kidney beans (called rajma in other parts of India), fava, anasazi, cannellini and others are not traditional to Oriya cuisine. The different kinds of lentils that we will be using are: biri dali, harada dali, channa dali, muga dali, masora dali and kolatha dali: this list is by no means exhaustive. dhania patra: Coriander or cilantro leaves. “Fines herbes” of Indian cuisine. ghia: Clarified butter, also known as ghee in the Indian grocery stores. gua ghia: Ghia made from cow’s milk. Also called aslee ghee in Indian grocery stores. guda: The closest ingredient know to the western pantry is perhaps molasses, although consistency of guda can be lot thicker, sometimes almost semi-solid. This is also known as gur in other parts of India. gujarati: No, not a native of Gujarat. This is a pod of cardamom. haladi: Turmeric. Mostly used in the powder form these days. harad dali: Lentils, also known as tur dal in most Indian grocery stores. jeera gunda: This translates to cumin powder. To make your own gunda, spread whole cumin seeds on a baking tray and roast for three to four minutes at 250 Fahrenheit or until fragrant. Make sure you don’t burn it, so watch it closely. Pulse to a fine powder while still warm in a spice grinder, or a coffee grinder. Since this is best when made fresh, try not to make in large quantities. I usually use the toaster oven to toast about two tablespoons of cumin seeds for a single recipe, whenever I need it. Jeera gunda can be substituted with dry cumin powder (do not roast the powder).

Laxmi Parida

3

kala jeera: Black cumin seeds. Also known as kalonji. kala luna: Black salt. Also known as kala namak. This is a kind of rock salt and is available in Indian grocery stores. kesara: Saffron threads. lanka gunda: This translates to chilli powder. This is done exactly the same way as jeera gunda, except this time with dried red chillies instead of whole cumin seeds. Dry-roasting red chillies must be done carefully, since if overdone will leave very angry and coughing family members around. Lanka gunda can be substituted by dry chilli powder (do not roast this). methi: Fenugreek. Both seeds and greens are used. misri: Large crystal sugar. Available in Indian or Bangladeshi stores. moodi: This is puffed rice as in the puffed rice cereal sold in most American supermarkets. This is mainly used as a snack and in some parts of Orissa as a main course. muga dali: Mung beans. The lentils are skinned and are thus light yellow in colour. nadia: Coconut. Normally a coconut is bought in its tough brown shell. It is cracked and freshly grated for most recipes. A coconut should be cracked so that it splits into two almost equal halves. The equal halves help in grating. You cannot use your ginger or cheese grater for this; you must get a grater either hand held or that can be fixed to your countertop from an Indian store. Yes, dealing with coconut in our modern fragile kitchen is cumbersome. Short of getting a friendly gorilla to step on it, it is difficult to crack it open. Sometimes, the store keeper will assist you by cracking it a wee bit so that you can do the rest at home. In this case the coconut cannot be stored and must be used within the next two days. Crushing the shell with a hammer is not unusual. Do not substitute desicated coconut for freshly grated for garnish. However this replacement is okay when the coconut is being roasted and ground. pana mahuri: Fennel seeds. Also called saunf.

4

Purba: Feasts from the East

peja: This is the starch from rice. One of the ways of cooking rice is to cook it in plenty of water, and, when the rice is done to drain away the liquid. This liquid, potent with starch, is peja. This can be used to thicken sauces and is the base for at least one recipe in this collection. Peja has a bad reputation and does not adorn a prospering kitchen. In rural areas, the domestic livestock are fed peja. phutana: Also called pancha phutana or five-spice (not to be confused with the Chinese five-spice which primarily comes in a powder form), this is a mixture of basic five whole spices: Jeera or cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and seeds of dried red chillies. The approximate ratio by volume is 4:4:2:2:1, respectively. This is mainly used to flavour savoury dishes by a technique called phuta. This is done by heating about three tablespoon of oil till it is almost, but not quite smoking and then adding about half a tablespoon of phutana and letting the whole spices sputter. Be careful not to burn the spices: It is advisable to reduce the heat once there is a continuous stream of popping of the whole spices. There are at least two ways by which phuta technique is used to flavour the food: One is at the very beginning where it is followed by other vegetables or other ingredients, the other is at the end where the oil is heated in a very thick ladle directly over fire (a small French saucepan is sufficient as well) and added to the food. sabudana: Tapioca balls. sooji: Cream of wheat. sorisa: Mustard. Both seeds and greens are used. tentuli: Tamarind, found in a paste form in most Indian grocery stores. If found in the dried fruit form, they should be soaked in warm water for half hour before use. torani: This is a slightly fermented liquid. This can be made by mixing 1 cup of leftover steamed rice with 2 cups of plain water and left overnight. The next morning, drain the water into a pot. This liquid is torani. You may add a little sour yogurt to the fermenting rice if you like a little sourness.

Chapter 2—Jalakhia Jalakhia literally means light snacks usually had between meals. It is what antipasto is to Italian cuisine, or tapas to Spanish. Due to reasons that escape me, jalakhia is termed appetizers by most restaurants in America that serve cuisine from the Indian sub-continent. Jalakhia deserves better. The following are a few jalakhia recipes, mostly deep fried in oil. Other variations are indicated in each recipe.

1—Fiery Frying The taste imparted by frying in fat is hard to beat. Contrary to popular belief that fried food is unhealthy, if fried correctly, the result is as harmless as a Granny Smith apple. Indian cooking uses mainly two kinds of frying medium: vegetable oil and ghia. The ghia used here is the commercial ghia and not the asli or pure cow’s milk ghia. The latter has a very low smoking point and burns easily. There are a few basics every fryer must know. To obtain crispness in the final product, it should be fried at a low temperature for a long time, say for example fried lentils, or gaja. To obtain soft final product it should be fried rather quickly at a high temperature, say pooris. If you need to 5

6

Purba: Feasts from the East

fry something that also requires to cook in the process, like Southern fried chicken, do not compromise on the time and cook longer at a medium temperature. A common mistake that often occurs in the frying kitchen: Soggy, oildrenched products. In this case, the oil was not hot enough. If it was hot enough, then too large an amount of the stuff was introduced,which brought the temperature down. In the following pages, we give some popular and easy recipes for your experimentation.

Singada These are otherwise called samosas, which are deep fried savoury pastries. They are famous for their intriguing three-dimensional shape, which is actually quite easy to make. The outer casing is made of allpurpose flour dough. The stuffing is usually potatoes and peas but can be left to the imagination of the adventurous cook. This needs to be very lightly moist so that the consumer does not choke on it! Stuffing: 4 large potatoes 1 small onion 2 tablespoons oil or ghia a few curry leaves ½ teaspoon whole black mustard seeds juice of half a lemon 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves salt to taste chilli powder to heat

Laxmi Parida

7

Use a low starch variety of potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or even red skinned potatoes. Boil in plenty of water till done, drain immediately. Alternatively, steam the potatoes in a steamer [Vez92]. Allow to cool, then peel and chop them into one-inch cubes. Brunoise the onions. We will use the first method of phuta here. Heat the oil, add the whole mustard seeds and the curry leaves. When the seeds pop incessantly, then add the potatoes. Mix in the salt and chilli powder. Stir lightly, without bruising the potatoes, till well mixed. If it is too dry, sprinkle one to two tablespoons of plain water and moisten. The mixture should be very lightly moist. Take off the heat, then add the lemon juice and the finely chopped cilantro leaves. Keep aside to cool. Outer casing: 2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons oil or ghia enough luke warm water to knead enough oil for deep frying Sieve the flour and salt, then add the oil and mix with your fingertips till a bread crumb consistency is attained; this is no different from making a pie dough, except that the amount of fat here is much less. This is very important since this oil lends crispness to the shell. If you want to cut down on fat and don’t mind the shell being a little soft, you could reduce the oil to 1 tablespoon or even none at all. Slowly pour in the luke warm water and make a soft dough. If the water is too hot, like in the Chinese [CL92, Yan90] dough, the dough will get prematurely cooked. It is hard to knead with cold water, so luke-warm is just the right temperature. The dough must sit covered for two hours before being rolled out. The dough need not be refrigerated but if bacteria threaten your kitchen, take the appropriate precautions.

8

Purba: Feasts from the East

Divide your dough into small balls (two cups of flour should give you about twelve balls). Roll the dough out into a disk about six inches in diameter and follow the instructions in Figure 2.A. You could use a tortilla press for rolling the balls. However, the tortilla press is most efficient in rolling out smaller disks than required for getting two singadas out of one disc. If the disc is small, of only about three to four inches in diameter, you could adopt the Jewish hamantaschen [Nat98, Nat01] shape to produce some very elegant singadas. As each singara is made, keep them covered under a moist kitchen towel on a baking sheet. Heat the oil for deep frying to 425 Fahrenheit. Deep fry the singara (no more than three at a time) until golden brown. See page 5 for more details on this technique. Drain on a paper towel and serve hot. Variation: Instead of deep-frying, the singaras can be steamed. I had once had this at a Tibetean restaurant and was very pleased with the result. If you intend to steam, make the dough using boiling water (as in the Chinese shumai). Rest the dough for an hour or two. Proceed as before, and steam them in a steamer (see Chapter 32A) for seven minutes or until done to your likeness.

Laxmi Parida

9

Figure 2.A: The steps in making singara. Step 1: Roll out a five-inch disc from the dough. Step 2: Cut into two semi-circles, and work on each separately. Step 3: Fold the semi-circle and seal along the edge marked p in the figure by wetting the edge with water and pressing tight. Note the corner marked A at the end of the sealing edge. Step 4: Move the corner marked A to the center and fill the cone with about two tablespoons of filling. Now seal the singara along the edge marked q. The two sealed edges, p of Step 3 and q of Step 4 must be at two mutually perpendicular planes to get the right singara shape.

10

Purba: Feasts from the East

Gaja—fried bits 2 cups flour 4 tablespoons ghia salt to taste 1 tablespoon kala jeera oil to deep fry Rub the ghia in the flour. Make a dough with the flour, salt and kala jeera, adding enough luke warm water. Knead well and rest the dough covered for an hour. There are at least two variations in the form that you could try. The simpler one is as follows: Divide the dough into lemon-sized balls. Flatten and roll these into discs about one-eighth of an inch thick. With a knife, run horizontal lines two inches apart. Now cut each of these two-inch thick strips into 2 inch by ¼ inch strips (see Figure 2.B). Gently collect them and store covered in waxed paper till all the dough is in strips. The more time consuming but attractive one looks like the tiny sea-shell Italian pasta. For this, you will need a grooved block or a large, unused comb for a mould. Remember to keep the dough covered as you work. Pinch off a little cherry-sized ball and gently press it diagonally over the groove till the dough curls up, the result looking like a tiny sea-shell. Keep this aside. Make sure that this is not too thick, since we will deep fry them later. Handle them gently, so as not to rub away the groove marks you have so painstakingly obtained, and the neighbouring gajas don’t stick to each other. As this is a time consuming process, you could invite the rest of your family to help you in this manufacturing process. Whether strip or shell shaped, deep fry them in oil till crisp and light golden coloured. The gaja can be stored in jars for at least two weeks.

Laxmi Parida

11

Figure 2.B: Thin strips of gaja are obtained from circular disc of enough dough by cutting along the dashed lines with a sharp knife.

Sabudana Chop—sago patties This is a deep-fried snack also popular in Maharashtra, in the western part of the country. 1 cup sago ½ cup roasted and coarsley pounded peanuts 1 small potato, boiled and mashed 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds ¼ bunch coriander leaves, chiffonaded 6 curry leaves 4 tablespoons yogurt salt to taste chillies to heat oil for deep frying

12

Purba: Feasts from the East

Wash the sago in plenty of water. Drain in a colander for three to four hours. The idea is to get all the excess water out without agitating the sago crystals. Mix all the ingredients using the yogurt for wetness (do not use more water). Adjust the amount of yogurt required so as to get a thick batter that can be moulded into disks. Make lemon-sized balls and flatten them. Deep fry these on slow heat till golden brown.

Pakudi—Indian tempura Also called as pakora in other parts of the country, these are little vegetable pieces in a chick-pea flour, called besan. I have a little variation here which gives more intensity to the pakoras, in the sense that they are less like Southern hush puppies [AFO96] and more like tempura [SL88]. 1 cup chopped vegetables (such as potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, peas) of your choice Seasoning: 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely minced (optional) 1 cm ginger root, finely minced (optional) salt to taste chilli powder to heat Coating: 1 cup besan salt to taste chill powder to heat oil for deep frying

Laxmi Parida

13

When using a mixture of vegetables, chop them so that they cook at the same time. For instance, if using a celeriac root, chop it a little larger than the potato. Ideally, the size of the chopped vegetable should be a centimeter cube. Wash and drain the vegetables. Mix in all the seasoning ingredients. A traditional way of making the pakudi is as follows: Make a thin batter of besan and water adding the seasoning ingredients—salt and chilli powder. Dip spoonfuls of vegetables in the batter and deep fry the morsels. An “intense” variation of this is to add the besan (dry flour) to the vegetables and use the wetness of the washed vegetables to hold them together. The idea here is to use the besan only for holding the vegetables together instead of forming a thick medium. Deep fry (see page 5) spoonfuls at a time till golden. My personal preference is this variation of choc-full-of-vegetables in the pakudi.

Baigeni—eggplant fritters This is a variation of the pakudi where the only vegetable used is eggplant. Unlike the West, the Indians are never bothered about the bitterness of eggplant. The bitterness of eggplants was a concept I learnt when I moved to New York. I have always avoided removing bitterness of eggplants in New York without any disasters. So, I would suggest, don’t preprocess your eggplants and remove any “bitter” juices. Go ahead and check it out. 1 large eggplant salt to taste chilli powder to heat

14

Purba: Feasts from the East

Coating: 1 cup besan salt to taste chill powder to heat oil for deep frying Chop the eggplants into one centimeter thick disks (the actual size depending on the size of the eggplant you are using). Leave them in plenty of water to avoid discolouration. When ready, drain water and sprinkle salt and chilli powder to taste. Make a thick batter out of besan and salt to taste. Dip the eggplant discs in the batter and deep-fry (see page 5).

Piyaji—onion fritters A pakudi with only onions. 1 large onion salt to taste chilli powder to heat Coating: 1 cup besan salt to taste chill powder to heat oil for deep frying Slice the onions. Make a thick batter with besan and salt, chilli powder to taste. Mix in the sliced onions, then deep-fry spoonfuls (see page 5).

Laxmi Parida

15

Aloo Chop—potato balls in chick-pea flour This is also known as batata vada in the western part of India. 1 recipe singada potato stuffing (see page 6) Coating: 1 cup besan salt to taste chill powder to heat oil for deep frying Make the potato stuffing as for singada. Here, the potatoes could be mashed fine, instead of chopping. Make lemon-sized balls of the cooked potatoes and keep aside. Make a thick batter of besan, adding salt and chill powder to taste. Dip the balls in the batter and deep-fry (see page 5).

Bara White lentil spicy hush puppies. 1 cup biri dali 1 medium onion, brunoised 2 green chillies, finely chopped salt to taste oil for deep frying Soak the lentils overnight in plenty of water. Drain and grind to a fine paste in a heavy duty blender. Be careful as not to add too much water

16

Purba: Feasts from the East

while blending since the batter needs to be the French choux-pastethick [Pep76]. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Make two-inch discs about ¼ inch thick and deep-fry (see page 5). This batter is not one of the easiest to handle: it is not as thick as a dough that can be rolled out, nor is it as thin as a batter that can be poured out. Sometimes, if the batter is too thin, mix in a little atta (whole wheat flour) to thicken the batter. This is considered very unkosher, but if used sparingly may go unnoticed. An Indian kitchengadget entrepreneur Anjali has come up with contraptions that help you make these discs conveniently to drop into hot oil. These contraptions, I am told, are equally hard to master! It is best to make it the way my mother makes. Use a stainless steel surface: the bottom of a stainless steel cup or a very wide stainless steel blade. Wet the surface, place a ball of the batter on the wet surface and gently spread it out. You could also make a hole in the center as in doughnuts. Slide the blob of batter by tilting the surface directly into hot oil. Initially, it is hard to retain the holes in the center. So, first make a few unorthodox bara without holes and as your confidence grows, introduce the depression in the center. Fry them until golden brown and serve hot.

Goolgula This can be made the same way as bara, except the size of the sphere is about one inch in diameter. This is easier to make than the bara, since spoonfuls can be dropped into the hot oil without struggling to mould it into a doughnut shape.

Laxmi Parida

17

Dahi Bara These are baras steeped in yogurt sauce. The traditional Oriya bara uses a sour yogurt. In the western part of India, the yogurt sauce is slightly sweet. My personal preference is the latter. Yogurt sauce: 1 cup yogurt salt to taste chill powder to heat Mitha sauce: 2 tablespoons tentuli 1 cup water 4 tablespoons guda, or guda to taste a pinch of salt a pinch of chilli powder 1 tablespoon jeera gunda (see page 2) Cook the tentuli in water for fifteen minutes, add the guda and mix well. Reduce the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. This is a recipe that will need fine adjusting by the cook to suit his or her taste. The taste should be sweet and sour with neither overpowering the other. Mix all the ingredients of the yogurt sauce. Soak the fried bara in salted warm water and squeeze out the water between the palms of your hand without breaking the bara. Drop them in the yogurt sauce. The baras should be completely immersed in the yogurt sauce. Pour the mitha sauce over the bara and sprinkle the jeera gunda on top.

18

Purba: Feasts from the East

Nadia Bara—coconut patties This is used as an accompaniment to meals. Although I used to snack on it as a child; I now shudder at the thought since my digestive powers have considerably weakened. However, consumed frugally, it could be a good appetizer item. 1 medium sized coconut, freshly grated ¼ cup rice, soaked in water for two hours 1 small onion 1 cm ginger root 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or ½ teaspoon cumin powder salt to taste green chilles to heat oil to shallow fry First, do not substitute with desciated coconut. Freshly grated coconut has sufficient moisture that is essential for this recipe. Desicated coconut is not amenable to rehydrating, so is unsuitable for this recipe. Grind the rice to a fine paste in a blender and mix with the grated coconut. The amount of the rice should be approximately one-fourth that of the coconut by volume—a proportion taught to me by my mother. Finely chop the rest of the ingredients and mix with the paste. Form little patties, of about two inches in diameter and about threefourth of a centimeter thick and shallow-fry on a skillet till light brown on both sides.

Kakharoo Phula Bara—pumpkin blossom patties One of my favourite recipes, which I also succeeded in introducing to the Bombay circuit via a local newspaper when I was growing up there.

Laxmi Parida

19

This traditionally accompanies the main course, however could be a good appetizer as well. You could substitute zuchini or squash blossoms. This is a very traditional recipe, going back to my grandmother’s little isolated village. To my great surprise, I found a remarkably similar recipe in south-western (American) cooking: the combination of rice flour with the blossoms was striking. 1 dozen pumpkin blossoms ¼ cup rice, soaked for two hours salt to taste chill powder to heat oil to shallow-fry Grind the soaked rice to a paste in a blender and add the seasonings. Clean the blossoms, removing stems and stamens. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Delecately dip each blossom in the seasoned rice paste and shallow fry till light brown. The coating is thin like a tempura, rather than like a fritter.

Kadali Kofta—green plantain balls This is very delicious and is also known for vanishing between its journey from the kitchen to the serving table. Remeber that the plantains from a Latin grocery store are likely to be a little sweeter than desired for this recipe. 3 large green plantains 2 small potatoes 1 tablespoon roasted whole jeera one-eighth inch peeled and grated fresh ginger root 1 chopped green chilli

20

Purba: Feasts from the East

2 tablespoons chopped dhania patra salt to taste oil for deep frying Chop the plantains with the peels on into 2 inch-long pieces. Boil potatoes and the chopped plantians in plenty of water till done, then peel and mash. Add all the ingredients except the oil for frying, and mix well. Mould them into lemon-sized balls, then deep fry till golden brown. The potatoes are not essential since the plantains do bind well (in case they don’t, you need the potatoes for binding), however I included this in the recipe as my mother always makes them this way.

Sajana Phoola Bara—drumstick blossom patties A very exotic ingredient: drumstick blossoms (do not mistake drumsticks for chicken legs; this is a long green stick-like vegetable that you see in Indian or Bangladeshi groceries). I have never seen drumstick blossoms in the stores here in the USA. We always got them fresh from my grandmother’s backyard. By the time this tome reaches you, your local ethnic stores might start stocking the blossoms. 1½ cups drumstick blossoms two-thirds cup channa dali, soaked in plenty of water for one hour ¼ onion, brunoised one-eighth inch ginger root, peeled and grated salt to taste 1 teaspoon jeera gunda (see page 2) chilli powder to heat oil for shallow frying

Laxmi Parida

21

Wash and drain the blossoms. Grind the channa dali to a coarse paste. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well bruising the blossoms in the process. Make into a small ball and flatten into a pattie. Shallow fry on a skillet till lightly brown on both sides. If you are allergic to lentils, then you may use a harmless binding agent such as bread soaked in water or mashed potatoes. Remeber that the channa dali in this recipe really accentutes the flavour, so experiment with your alternate binders before unleashing on loved ones.

Chingudi Chop—prawn croquettes “Chop” is really not an Indian word, but this is the name that has been used at home since I was a child and has always been called so. Prawns are shrimps on the other side of the Atlantic. 1 cup prawns, shelled and de-veined 1 recipe jeera masala (see page 91) salt to taste a few toothpicks to be used as little skewers breading and oil for deep frying Breading: 1 egg breadcrumbs (preferably Panco, from Japanese grocery stores) flour, seasoned with salt and pepper Prepare the prawns by mixing in the jeera masala and salt to taste. Knit about three to four prawns into a toothpick.

22

Purba: Feasts from the East

Prepare egg wash by beating the egg with a little water. Place the seasoned flour, eggwash and the breadcrumbs, each on a flat platter, left to right respectively. Use the knitted prawns by submerging in flour and dusting off excess, dip in egg wash and then roll in breadcrumbs while alternating left and right hands. This alternating helps in keeping the dry ingredients (flour and breadcrumbs) to one hand and the wet (egg wash) to the other. My experience is that you would need to wash and wipe your hands dry anyways after a few rounds even after this severe disciplining. Finally, roll them in breadcrumbs to coat and then deep fry till golden brown on all sides.

Samsai—savory fried turnovers Indian empanadas! Or, samosas that look like empanadas. Just goes to show how every culture has its own fried dumplings. I must confess this is one of my favorites; try it and you will know why. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, the speciality is the stuffing which is lentil based. This might also remind you of kachoris from the northwestern part of the country. Shell: 1 recipe outer casing (see singada recipe on page 6) oil for deep frying Stuffing: 1 cup channa dali soaked in water for about two hours 1 recipe jeera masala (see page 91) ½ onion, brunoised 1 teaspoon garam masala (see page 92) salt to taste 2 tablespoons oil

Laxmi Parida

23

Grind the lentils to a coarse paste, adding little water if required. Don’t add too much water as this will mush it up and destroy the recipe. Heat the oil. Fry the onions till transluscent, then add the jeera masala and fry till fragrant. Mix in the lentils and blend well. Make the shells as in singada (see page 6) if you please. Else make a flat disc of about three inches in diameter; place about a tablespoon of filling and fold over, sealing the curved edge by either pinching it, or using an Asian-dumpling mould, or Italian-ravioli impliments. Deep fry as you would singadas.

Vegetable Patties This is an incredible recipe from very humble vegetables! 1 beetroot 2 small potatoes 1 turnip 1 parsnip one-third cup chopped string beans one-third cup sweet peas salt to taste 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves 1 tablespoon amchoor powder 2 slices of bread juice from one lemon oil for shallow frying Peel and chop all the vegetables into large chunks. Steam the vegetables, including the beans and peas, till cooked. Drain all water and pat the vegetables dry. Mash them with a fork (or a masher), add salt to taste,

24

Purba: Feasts from the East

then coriander leaves and amchoor powder. Soak the bread slices in salted water and squeeze out the water. Add them to the vegetables and mix well, with the lemon juice. Form into lemon-sized balls, flatten into patties and refrigerate for an hour or so. Shallow fry the patties till lightly browned on both sides. There are at least two variations that you could use to enhance this recipe: Roast the vegetables instead of steaming with onions, garlic and fresh rosemary. Also, instead of shallow frying, you may use the breading (as in the prawn chop recipe) and deep fry.

Mattar Chop—chick-pea croquettes The shape of this is a cylinder with rounded off tops. Incredibly extravagent! My mother always had this made on special occassions and with reason—try it out yourself. 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans 1 recipe jeera masala (see page 91) ½ onion, brunoised 1 tomato 1 tablespoon chopped dhania patra 3 tablespoons oil 2 slices of white bread 1 recipe breading (see page 21) oil for deep frying Mash the garbanzo beans. You may add boiled and mashed potato to the paste if you want (about one small potato). Heat the oil and fry the onions till light brown. Add the jeera masala and fry till fragrant, then add the finely chopped tomatoes and fry for about three minutes. Add

Laxmi Parida

25

the mashed garabanzo and mix till well blended. Soak the white bread in salted water and tightly squeeze out the water. Mix the softened bread with the garbanzo paste. Roll into cylinders about 2½ inches long and 1 inch in diameter, and place them on a flat sheet. Refrigerate for one hour. Bread the cylinders (page 21) and deep fry.

2—Upama Upama is a class of savory porridge that is usually had at breakfast or as a light evening snack. It takes some cultivating to appreciate this healthy snack.

Chuda Upama / Chuda Santula—flattened rice Chuda (sometimes called chiwda in various parts of the country) is flattened rice, available in all Indain Grocery stores. A quick and delicious snack or a light meal! 1 cup chuda (the coarse variety) ½ teaspoon mustard seeds about 3 curry leaves salt to taste 2 tablespoons oil a pinch turmeric ¼ cup sweet peas 2 tablespoons grated fresh coconut, for garnishing (optional) Place the chuda in a large colander, then place under running water for two mintues till all the chuda is drenched. Place the colander on a bowl

26

Purba: Feasts from the East

to drain the excess water. Remember that the chuda almost doubles in size after steeping in water, so use an adequately large colander. It will take about ten to fifteen minutes, by which time the chuda would be all swollen up with moisture. If using the fine variety of chuda, it will not swell up as much. Heat the oil, add the curry leaves and sputter the mustard seeds. Immediately add the sweet peas, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Srinkle in about two tablespoons of water and cover to cook the peas. Add more water if the peas don’t cook in the amount of water you sprinkled. When done, add the chuda and immediately turn off the fire. Mix the chuda properly till uniformly blended. Sprinkle grated coconut on top. Variation: Instead of peas, you may use finely chopped boiled potatoes—this is traditional in the western part of India in Maharastra.

Sooji Upama—savory porridge, but still delicious Use cream of wheat, or even couscous for a lighter touch. This is a popular breakfast in India. It can be conjured up in a moment’s notice, so it can be a good meal-in-a-hurry. This can be made more nutritious or one-mealesque by adding your best vegetables, such as string beans, finely chopped cabbage, chopped exotic mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower or anything unable to escape your grasp. In this recipe, we use the basics by using only onions and peas. Some interesting variations: Add a southwestern touch by using chopped smoked poblano: blister poblano peppers on an open flame till the skin is charred and scrape off the skin. Add a mediterranean touch by using cooked chick-peas or lima beans. Avoid mushy vegetables such as squash;

Laxmi Parida

27

use something that can hold itself after it is done. To make an exception, squash could be used with couscous, since couscous does not mush up as much as cream of wheat. However, the magical touch comes by blending in a few dollops of gua ghia (see Chapter 1). Trust me, this is indeed the secret to the inexplicable taste in the best upama that you have had in an Udipi restaurant. 1 cup sooji ¼ teaspoon whole mustard seeds ½ teaspoon whole biri dali about 3 or 4 curry leaves ¼ onion, chopped lengthwise ¼ cup sweet peas salt to taste 1 tablespoon oil 1 tablespoon asli ghia Set about four cups of water to a boil in the back burner. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a widemouthed pan. When hot, add the mustard seeds and biri dali, and let sputter. Add the curry leaves and onions, stir for a few minutes, then add the peas. Stir for a few minutes, then add about quarter cup of water and salt to taste. Cover and cook till the water dries up. It is very essential to add this water if you have sputtered any lentils (such as biri dali or harad dali), as this water softens the whole lentils. Else, be prepared to break a tooth or two with the hard, pebble like lentils. If using other vegetables, this water will cook them properly. Once the water is all dried up, add the sooji and mix well. Traditionally, the sooji is dry roasted to a blonde colour and then kept aside. You could skip this step for simplicity without compromising too much, but

28

Purba: Feasts from the East

if you are trying to impress your Indian mother-in-law, please suffer the roasting process. Once the sooji is all mixed up, add about 2 to 2½ cups of boiling water (from your back burner), cover and turn off the heat. It takes two to three minutes for the sooji to absorb the moisture. Mix in the asli ghia before serving. If using couscous, use only 1 cup boiling water in the last step. Also, the couscous may need to be forked, i.e., lightly separate the grains using a fork once all the water is absorbed.

Sabudana Upama—sago savory porridge, yet also delicious Sago, or tapioca balls, can be tricky to use since the balls stick to each other and form one whole gooey mass when heated. The trick is in avoiding heat, as you will see in the following recipe. Peanuts are essential to bring in the interesting texture and the nutty flavour. 1 cup sago 1 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts ¼ teaspoon whole sorisa 4 bhrusanga patra 2 green chillies, finely chopped 2 tablespoons oil salt to taste Soak the sago in water and leave in a colander to drain for about an hour. The grains become plump and soft. Make sure all the water drains without any wetness. Keep aside. Roast the peanuts and crush them, without reducing them to a fine powder. Keep aside. Heat the oil, add

Laxmi Parida

29

the whole mustard, the curry leaves and the green chilles. Take off the heat and mix the sago, peanuts and salt to taste. Blend well and the upama is ready to serve.

Kadali Upama—green plantain stir-fry 3 green plantains 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds 2 green chillies one-eighth inch ginger root, peeled and grated fine salt to taste 2 tablespoons oil 2 tablespoons chopped dhania patra Chop the plantains into two-inch cylinders. Place in a saucepan, add enough water to cover and heat till the water just comes to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat. Peel the plantains and grate them. The plantains are parboiled this way so that when the final upama is made, it is cooked yet retains its shape without mushing up. Heat oil in an open pan. Sputter mustard seeds, then add the chillies and the ginger. Add the grated plantains and salt to taste and mix till thoroughly blended. Take off the heat and garnish with dhania patra.

Bhanda Upama—plantain flower upama Another exotic ingredient: bhanda, or the plantain flower, which isn’t as delicate as it sounds. It is bright red (or sometimes dull red) with petal layers that might remind you of artichokes. Bhanda is available in Bangladeshi grocery stores.

30

Purba: Feasts from the East

1 bhanda one-third cup channa dali, soaked in water for an hour 1 teaspoon mustard seeds salt to taste 2 tablespoons oil Take off the tough layers of the bhanda and pick out the florets. You may remove the thick stamen of the floret (the one with the anthers). Chop the florets. Cook in plenty of water till par-boiled. Drain the water. Coarsly grind the channa dali without adding much more water. Heat the oil and sputter the mustard seeds. Add the chana dali and stir fry till golden brown. Add the par-boiled florets, salt to taste and mix to blend the ingredients.

3—Cha Cha or hot tea accompanies every snack and is also the first drink of the day. The Indian tea is always made with milk, sugar and sometimes some flavouring agents such as cardamom and even lemon grass. Every household makes a different kind of cha: the amount of milk and the extent to which the tea is brewed, the colour of the final brew and so on. But it is always hot and sweet. The sugar is skipped only for strong medical reasons!

Cha—hot tea A very generic tea recipe that can be varied to your taste.

Laxmi Parida

31

Half teaspoon loose leaf black tea (preferably Indian) 2 teaspoons sugar 1 cup water 3 tablespoons whole milk Flavouring agents: (optional) 1 pod crushed cardamom Place the all the ingredients except the leaf tea in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, turn of the heat, add the leaf tea cover and let sit for two minutes. Strian into a cup and serve.

Ada Cha—ginger tea Spicy and hot, this will steal your heart! 1 teaspoon loose leaf black tea (preferably Indian) 3 teaspoons sugar 2 cups water 6 tablespoons whole milk Flavouring agents: a quarter inch thick ginger, crushed Place the all the ingredients except the leaf tea in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, turn of the heat, add the leaf tea cover and let sit for two minutes. Remove crushed ginger, strian into a cup and serve.

32

Purba: Feasts from the East

Tuhina’s Cha Tuhina came up with this recipe when she believed that a microwave is the ultimate instant cooker. I have been following this for a while and serving this to friends and foes. If you think the prportion of milk is too high, you could reduce it. 1 black teabag (say Lipton’s) 2 teaspoons sugar two-thirds cup water one-third cup whole milk Place the all the ingredients in a teacup and nuke for two minutes. Let sit for thirty seconds, discard teabag.

Chapter 3—Pitha—Grain & Lentil Delights Pitha is usually associated with religious observations or very special occassions. However, as the families do economically well, everyday is Christmas day!

1—Chakuli—crepes Since I intend to capture the essence of chakuli making and leave it to the innovative reader to come up with novel concoctions, I will first describe the chakuli making process, the recipes that follow are different instances of this process. An Oriya chef is likely to refer to the French crepe as a chakuli. This should give an idea to the non-Oriya reader about what chakuli is all about. Chakuli making involves two major steps: preparation of the batter of proper pouring consistency, and cooking a ladleful of batter on a tawa or skillet. Let’s first discuss the cooking process and we’ll deal with batter shortly. Note: It is convenient to use a seasoned iron skillet; the seasoning avoids unduly oiling of the surface which might make the final product a tad 33

34

Purba: Feasts from the East

greasy. Also avoid the skillets that have a rim, as this interferes with the turning process. Modern cooks are tempted to use non-stick skillets. It does make the process a little easier, but in the long run this does havoc to the life of the surface on the skillet. 1. Heat the skillet on medium heat. A simple test is to sprinkle a few drops of water on it; if it sizzles away immediately, it’s ready. If it gets a little too hot and begins to smoke, it might be a good idea to disable your smoke detector system! 2. Grease the skillet with vegetable oil or any greasing agent of your choice, with a brush or the flat surface of a halved potato. Try not to pour oil onto the skillet to grease it—this makes the end product too greasy. Also, the surface is oiled only for the first one or two chakulis. For the subsequent ones, run a teaspoon of oil all around the chakuli. For the adventurous cooks, don’t try this technique with French crepes! 3. Pour a ladleful of batter on to the skillet. Again, it is a good idea to use a ladle that is just right for about one chakuli. There are at least two ways of spreading the batter: one is swirling the skillet around, the other is to move the flat bottom of the ladle swiftly over the batter, spreading it out into a thin layer in the process. As you might guess, the former works well for thin batter as in the French crepes, the latter is often used in the lentil-based batters. 4. Now, wait while the chakuli cooks. When the chakuli is done, the edge will come away from the surface of the skillet. Very gently (and very patiently) slip a spatula between the two, separating them in the process. If there is a stubborn portion that refuses to separate, allow it to cook a little longer. When the entire chakuli comes off with very little coaxing, it is time to turn it over and

Laxmi Parida

35

cook the other side. If you notice that the chakuli is burnt yet not cooked through, it might be a good idea to reduce the heat for the next chakuli in line. The other side requires much less time and does not require such deft manoeuverings. If the chakuli is fairly thick (about a quarter inch or more), it is a good idea to cover it while cooking. Quite often, the first one or two chakulis will be slain at the fire: either they will refuse to un-adhere from the skillet or will get too burnt! Not to despair, since the rest of them should come out textbook perfect. 5. For crisp chakuli, do not cover, and, consume while chakuli is still warm. Others can be covered or re-heated mildly later. Further: The French crepes use eggs in the batter which makes the cooking process simpler, as eggs act as a very powerful binder—more often than not you can retrieve a crepe in one whole piece. The challenge there is to make it as thin as one can, which is not difficult with a little thought and practice. Lentil chakuli on the other hand, can be thick without offending the palate. Let me discuss the popular kinds of batter, and other potential batters. There are two basic kinds of batter: Lentil based: Most Indian grocery stores will have a whole variety of lentils: white biri, orange masoor, yellow moong etc. Lentils (or even rice) is soaked in water for a couple of hours and then ground to a paste in a heavy-duty blender. Traditionally, a stone grinder was used for this purpose. There are motorized grinders available in India that mimic this hand grinding process. These not only pulverizes the grains (without using rotating blades) but also incorporates air in the process. Airing the batter is not required for chakuli.

36

Purba: Feasts from the East

Powder based: This uses powders like flour, rice flour, semolina (cream of wheat) etc. The advantage is that chakuli can be whipped up in an instant. The liquid agent is normally water; French crepes use milk. The batter can be pepped up with onions, cilantro, chillies etc for savoury ones and honey, cinnamon etc. for sweet ones. The batter is made of pouring consistency in most chakulis. The chakulis that are designed to be thick, like budha chakuli, has a slightly thick batter. The South Indian uttapam and addai fall into this category. What is a good raw material for chakuli? It can be anything that tastes good, can stand up to some heat, cook quickly and has some natural/induced adhering quality. How about using legumes? Good question. Legumes are a little too grainy and sticky when made into a paste. It is a much better idea to shallow or deep fry little patties called bara (see page 15). Would you like your falafel in a chakuli form? Can I make a chakuli out of fruit pulp, for instance, apple? Sure I can, if I introduce some binding agent like flour and eggs. Kick it up a notch (as Emeril would say) with cinnamon. Try it out and you won’t be disappointed. And I am quite sure this had been tried by many other unnamed souls, yet has gone undocumented and unchristened. How about leavening the batter? Then we have a class called chitau which I will discuss in the following section. A chakuli party is a great idea for informal entertainment. Keep a few varieties of batter ready with three to four skillets going. Invite your guests to make their own chakulis. Your kitchen top might be a mess, but the fun value easily overshadows this.

Laxmi Parida

37

The consistency of the crepe batter is fairly crucial to a successful product as you might have already guessed. Yet it is hard to provide a foolproof solid-to-liquid ratio that would work just right. The best way I can convey the consistency is giving a scale, where is the thick batter like, say a choux paste (just before piping them out) that does not pour out even when coaxed, and, 10 is water-thin. Savoury Seasonings: ¼ cup onions, finely chopped a few thinly sliced hot green chillies ¼ cup chopped cilantro Use this in the pitha batter when called for.

Sada Chakuli—plain crepe The most common chakulis of all, this also goes by the name dosa particularly in Southern India. 1 cup biri dali (white lentils) 2 cups long grained rice salt to taste oil for shallow frying Batter consistency: 7 Soak the lentils and rice separately in water for about four hours. Grind both to a fine paste in a blender. If the blender is small, grind a little at a time. Also, since rice is more brittle than the lentil, it might help to grind the two separately and mix the two pastes. If you have a really good blender, go ahead and blend them together. Let the batter sit for

38

Purba: Feasts from the East

about six hours in a warm place. This will lighten the batter slightly fermenting it. Mix in salt and water to get a comfortable pouring consistency. Make the crepes as instructed in the last section. Serve hot with dalma or vegetable bhaja. Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the beginning of this section.

Saru Chakuli—slim crepe 2 cups long grained rice salt to taste oil for shallow frying Batter consistency: 7 Soak long grained rice (basamti, for instance) for two to three hours. Grind to fine paste and make very thin crepes. Do not overcook as this will harden the crepes. These will be thin and reminiscent of the rice paper rolls of the Far East (Vietnamese or Indonesian) [Rou95, SW84]. This can be served with any savoury or sweet side dish. Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the beginning of this section.

Budha Chakuli—“fat” crepe 1 cup biri dali (white lentils) 2 cups long grained rice 1 cup guda (molasses) or sugar ½ cup grated fresh coconut (desicated coconut is a workable though poor substitute)

Laxmi Parida

39

½ cup slivered or chopped pieces of coconut salt to taste oil for shallow frying Batter consistency: 6 Soak the rice and lentils for about four hours. Blend the two with the grated coconut and guda to a fine paste. Mix in the salt and the slivered coconut pieces. Add to make a thickish batter. These crepes are much thicker and you may want to cover them while they cook on each side. These are deliciously sweet and can be served with some whipped cream or a dollop of ice cream (this is not a traditional accompaniment!). Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the beginning of this section.

Budha Chakuli—layered “fat” crepe 1 cup biri dali (white lentils) 2 cups long grained rice salt to taste In-betweening: 1 cup guda (molasses) or sugar ½ cup grated fresh coconut (desicated coconut is a workable though quite a poor substitute) ½ cup chena or home made cheese (Ricotta cheese is a good substitute) oil for shallow frying Batter consistency: 5

40

Purba: Feasts from the East

If you prefer a more intense flavour of the coconut, you may spread the coconut gratings into a thin layer on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven at 350 Fahrenheit for five to six minutes, but watch it carefully so that it does not burn! Mix all the in-betweening ingredients together. Soak the rice and lentils for about four hours. Blend the two to obtain a fine paste. This crepe is cooked in three to four layers with the stuffing in between pairs of layers. Spread a layer of batter on a lightly oiled tawa, place the in-between and spread the next layer on top. Cover and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until the top layer is set. Turn it over and place a thin layer of the in-betweening, then spread a layer of the batter and cover. When the top is set, turn it over. Continue this way, forming layeres until you cannot manage the height of the crepe any more! Two or three layers is fairly common. Remember to oil the sides of the crepe when you turn them over. Covering is important in this layered pitha, as it helps the top layer set so that you can turn it comfortably. Also, this keeps the different layers from drying out. Impress your family, friends and foes with this! Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the beginning of this section.

Kadali Budha Chakuli—banana “fat” crepe This is a fruit stuffed (oversized) pancake. This is quite non-traditional, yet too tempting to let go. Using eggs is not kosher, you may omit them if you wish. 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder

Laxmi Parida

41

3 tablespoons sugar 1 cup yogurt ½ cup milk 2 eggs (optional) 1 cup chopped bananas or any other fruits 4 tablespoons oil or butter salt to taste Batter consistency: 4 Sift the flour with salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix in all the rest of the wet ingredients. If using baking soda, do not omit the yogurt since the soda needs an acidic medium to be effective. Make into oversized pancakes, cooking on both sides on an oiled skillet. Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the beginning of this section.

Chaula Chakuli—rice crepe 1 cup boiled rice salt to taste Batter consistency: 7 Soak boiled rice for two to three hours. Note that boiled rice is not cooked rice but a grain variety (see page 76). Grind to a fine paste and proceed as before. This is a convenient crepe, since it can also be made from rice powder (1 cup rice powder mixed with enough water to form a batter of the right consistency).

42

Purba: Feasts from the East

Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the beginning of this section.

Muga Chakuli—mung crepe This is made from green lentils or mung lentils. A similar crepe from the southern part of India goes by the name pesarattu. 2 cups mung lentils 1 medium-sized chopped onion 2 chopped green chillies 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds salt to taste Batter consistency: 6 Soak the green mung lentils for about two hours. If you have the patience, skin them, else leave them alone. Grind them to a fine paste in a blender. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and make thin crepes. This is surprisingly delicious and will keep your consumers guessing about its raw material! Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the begining of this section.

Maka Chakuli—corn crepe Surprise, surprise. A native American ingredient.

Laxmi Parida

43

2 medium sized corn on the cob 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 medium sized green pepper 1/3 cup chopped cilantro salt and pepper to taste Batter consistency: 5 Take the corn off the cob. Grind it to a fine paste. Mix in the salt, pepper, lemon juice, finely chopped green peppers and chopped cilantro. Let it sit for thirty minutes or so for the flavours to mix. Make into medium thickness crepes. Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the begining of this section.

Aloo Chakuli—potato crepe 1 cup rice flour ¾ cup cooked and mashed potatoes ½ cup sour yogurt 1 portion Savoury Seasonings (see page 37) salt to taste Batter consistency: 6 Mix all the ingredients. Add water to get it to the right consistency and make the chakulis. Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the begining of this section.

44

Purba: Feasts from the East

Dali Chakuli—legume crepe In principle, any of the legumes can be used for this. Soak the legumes (about 1 cup to make half a dozen) in plenty of water for about six hours. Grind them to a fine paste. Add the Savory Seasonings and the batter is ready to make chakulis. Batter consistency: 6 Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the begining of this section.

Mota Chakuli—thick crepe This is also known as uttapam in the southern part of India. 1 recipe sada chakuli batter (see page 37) 1 recipe Savoury Seasonings (see page 37) Batter consistency: 5 Use the same batter as for sada chakuli and mix in 1 portion of the Savory Seasoning. You may add finely chopped tomatoes and even pepper if you wish, this is not traditional though. Get the batter to the right consistency and make the chakulis. Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the begining of this section.

Laxmi Parida

45

Sooji Chakuli—semolina crepe This is called rawa dosa in the southern part of India. 1 cup semolina ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup rice flour (optional) 1 cup sour yogurt 1 recipe Savoury Seasonings (see page 37) few curry leaves Batter consistency: 7 Mix all the ingredients and let it sit for at least an hour. This is important, as the semolina grains get softer through hydration. Add water to get the right consistency and make the chakulis. Do not be alarmed if the chakuli had little holes, in fact it is the signature of sooji chakuli. Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the begining of this section.

Maida Chakuli—flour crepe 2 cups flour 1 recipe Savuory Seasonings (see page 37) Batter consistency: 7 Mix the flour with the Savory Seasoning. Add water to get the right consistency and make the chakulis.

46

Purba: Feasts from the East

Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the begining of this section.

Atta Chakuli—wheat flour crepe 2 cups wheat flour 1 cup rice flour (optional) ½ cup yogurt 2 recipes Savoury Seasonings (see page 37) Batter consistency: 7 Mix all the ingredients. Add water to get the right consistency and make the chakulis. Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the begining of this section.

Besan Chakuli—chick-pea flour crepe This is also an instant breakfast in the northern part of India, called puda. 1 cup besan 1 recipe Savoury Seasonings (see page 37) Batter consistency: 7 Mix the besan (chick-pea flour) with the Savory Seasoning. Add water to get the right consistency and make the chakulis.

Laxmi Parida

47

Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the begining of this section.

Mitha Chakuli—sweet crepe 2 cups wheat flour 1 cup rice flour (optional) 1 cup guda Batter consistency: 7 Heat the guda with a half cup of water til well blended. If you are using molasses, this heating is not required. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Add water to get the right consistency and make the chakulis. Gentle reminder: For the first time chakuli maker, it is advisable to go over the instructions for chakuli making at the begining of this section.

Bajara Injera—millet crepe Injera is an Ethiopian ‘crepe’ made from an extremely fine grain called teff. Although dark brown in colour, the skinned grain is milk white and the crepes are a very pristine white colour, as they are made on clay skillets. This particular recipe is my take on the injera. Injera is spongy, the aeration coming from the fermentation of the batter. However, millet flour batter is not conducive to effusive fermenting, so I use yeast in the recipe. 1 cup millet flour 2 tablespoons yogurt 1 packet dried yeast

48

Purba: Feasts from the East

2 teaspoons sugar salt to taste oil to shallow fry Batter consistency: 7 Mix the yogurt and one teaspoon of sugar. Mix in the millet four and water till a batter consistency of about 5 is attained. Cover and place in a warm area (such as inside the turned-off oven or microwave) overnight. Bloom the yeast in 1 teaspoon of sugar and a quarter cup water for about five minutes. Mix with the batter and rest for about thirty minutes. Now the batter attains a consistency of about 7. Make the crepes on a hot skillet.

2—Manda—Dumplings Manda is a class of pitha that steams little (or large) globules of batter. It is also known as idli in the southern part of India. Since the cooking process is steaming, it is important to lighten the batter using raising agents or fermentation. Most purists shudder at the thought of raising agents like baking powder or soda; the kosher way is to beat in air or ferment the batter. If you have the same reservations about sodium bi-carbonates or yeast, feel free to use alternatives. Remember that un-lightened batter produces bricks you could build a house with! I am tempted to tell a little story here. Once as a child in New Delhi, while I was experimenting in my mother’s kitchen, I made little besan (chick-pea flour) dumplings without any alien leavening agent—a guest who stayed over for dinner almost lost a tooth!

Laxmi Parida

49

Just to ease your mind, let me remind you that quick breads like muffins and coffee cakes use baking powder and soda; all cakes and pastries use baking powder [Ber88, Mal95]; dumplings (of the stew and dumpling fame) use baking powder [AFO96]; pancakes and waffles use a generous amount of baking powder and soda [Fos83]; some varieties of dhokla use baking soda; bhatura uses yeast; most naans use yeast [Jaf92]; some varieties of dimsum use yeast [Hom90]; bread, pizza, foccacia, calzones, croissants use yeast [Sil96]…Phew! The list is almost endless. So, is there any one of you who has not sinned?

A—The Gentle Art of Steaming A healthier cooking technique, I cannot imagine! Various cuisines use this technique, particularly Chinese, which can produce interesting, distinct, steamed four course meals, twice a day, for an entire week! I am besotted by the Chinese and it’s no surprise that I will recommend the use of Chinese bamboo steamers. For the sake of completeness, let me tell you how the traditional Oriya cooks did their steaming: there are almost as many ways as there are surviving families. Let me give into temptation and tell you what my grandmother did: almost always, the “material” is packaged in banana or other non-poisonous leaves, or in little muslin wrappers, tamalestyle [BGB92]. Liquid, almost always water, is heated to a steaming point in a large container, with a muslin cloth tied around its opening. The wrapped bundles are placed on this muslin skin and covered with a lid to trap in the steam. This is extremely effective.

50

Purba: Feasts from the East

Steamers We briefly discuss the steamers available and why should any be a favourite. Metal steamers are like double-boilers, except that the top pan has a perforated bottom. These will last a lifetime or maybe two. A couscousier, that the Moroccons use for steaming their couscous in an interesting stew, tajine [Wol87, MW94], is similar to this. To make a point that these devices are interchangeble, I have, not surprisingly, made tajine & couscous using my grandmother’s technique with reasonable effectivenss. Bamboo steamers, on the other hand, will last only a finite number of sessions and also may trap some flavours from various sessions. But, they have this wonderful quality of not letting the material sweat: the condensing vapours are absorbed by the bamboo. Also, a medium-sized two-tiered steamer costs less than ten dollars!

Steaming moulds A common mould in which to steam the dumplings is the ubiquitous idli mould, available in all self-respecting Indian grocery stores that venture to stock kitchenware. These moulds have disc-antenna shaped depressions, that help in portioning the batter into convenient-sized batterlings. They come in tiers, that help steam about a dozen dumplings at one go. Should the mould be greased? It is advisable to very lightly oil the moulds. The use of moulds, as the astute reader may have already inferred, is purely ornamental. The batter can be steamed in any bowl and cut into bite-size or larger portions for serving. Make sure that the bowl is not too deep, or that the batter is not too deep. Otherwise, you might end up with wet centers. If in

Laxmi Parida

51

doubt, do a cake-doneness test: insert a thin knitting needle, if it comes out dry then you are done, else steam a little longer.

B—Janta (the art of steaming batter) This is a unique technique of steaming batter/dough that I have seldom seen in other cuisines. The closest that comes to my mind is that of making the choux pastry for profiteroles, eclairs etc. in French cooking [Pep76]. However, this technique is used in Indian cooking from other parts of the sub-continent as well, for instance khandvi from Gujarat [SD82] and arushi karudaam from Kerala [Akh95]. Readers familiar with this technique know that this process lightens the batter/dough considerably imparting a unique texture to the product. The output is served directly, as in khandvi or processed further, fried in arushi karudaam or steamed as in sijha manda. The basic technique is very simple: it requires a large pot of liquid (water, milk or whatever the recipe demands) with or without flavouring agents like sugar, salt, cardamoms etc. Bring this liquid to a rolling boil. Acting very quickly, add the flour or batter (preferably thin) a ladle at a time, stirring vigorously till all the flour/batter is consumed. Keep stirring, till the batter leaves the side of the pan. Since, we persist on cooking till the batter leaves the side of the pan, we can afford to over-estimate the amount of liquid that is required. Under-estimating is dangerous, since it may not be enough to “wet” the flour or not get a chance to cook the flour long enough. Just as it is hard to give an exact estimate of the amount of water required for a bread dough, so is the case here, since this depends on the relative humidity, the quality of the flour being used, etc.

52

Purba: Feasts from the East

Dudha Chitau—milk dumplings 2 cups long grain rice half a coconut, grated 1 litre milk 1 cup sugar a few cardamoms 1 teaspoon baking powder salt to taste Batter consistency: 2-3 Soak the rice in water for about two hours. Grind to a fine paste along with the grated coconut. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, except the milk, and steam for about 10 minutes. You may use an idli mould to steam the batter in. Scald the milk, unmould the chitaus into the milk and bring the milk to a boil. Serve either hot or cold. Gentle reminder: For the first time steamer, it is advisable to go over the section on steaming.

Sooji Chitau—semolina dumplings 2 cups semolina or cream of wheat 1 coconut, grated (or 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk) 1 litre milk 1 cup sugar a few cardamoms 1 teaspoon baking powder salt to taste Batter consistency: 3

Laxmi Parida

53

Extract the coconut milk by pouring 3 cups of boiling water over the grated coconut and straining the liquid. This murky white liquid is coconut milk. You could directly use canned coconut milk, diluting 2 cups of coconut milk with one cup of water. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, except the milk, and let soak for two hours. Steam for about 10 minutes. You may use an idli mould to steam the batter in. Scald the milk, unmould the chitaus into the milk and bring the milk to a boil. Serve cold. Gentle reminder: For the first time steamer, it is advisable to go over the section on steaming.

Sweet Filling I 1 coconut, grated (or 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk) 2 cups chenna 1 cup sugar a few cardamoms salt to taste Mix all the ingredients in the filling and brown very lightly on a skillet for about five minutes. Allow to cool.

Sweet Filling II 1 cup chick-peas (chana dali) ¾ cup guda ½ teaspoon pinch black pepper, coarsely ground ½ teaspoon crushed ginger (fiberless) 6 cardamom pods, crushed salt to taste

54

Purba: Feasts from the East

Cook chana dali till very soft. Cool and drain well. It is essential that it is drained well so that it does not turn mushy. Mix in all the remaining filling ingredients till a breadcrumb consistency is attained. It it turns mushy on you, add some unseasoned breadcrumbs to get it to the right consistency.

Sijha Manda—steamed dumplings 2 cups long grained rice salt to taste 1 recipe Sweet Filling I or II Soak the rice in water for about two hours and grind to very fine paste. Using five cups of water with salt to taste, janta (see page 51) the rice paste. Let this cool a little and break into lemon-sized balls. Make a depression in the middle, fill with the filling and cover it, making a perfect ball with the little surprise in the center. Steam for 10 minutes. Gentle reminder: For the first time jant-er and the steamer, it is advisable to go over both the relevant sections.

Sooji Manda—semolina dumplings This is similar to the seejha manda, except that semolina or cream of wheat can be used instead of the rice. Of course, semolina does not need soaking or grinding; it can be directly subject to the janta (see page 51) process.

Laxmi Parida

55

Dudha Manda—milk dumplings 2 cups long grained rice 2 liters milk salt to taste 1 recipe Sweet Filling I or II Soak the rice in water for about two hours and grind to very fine paste. Using the milk, with salt to taste, janta (see page 51) the rice paste (till a dry consistency is reached). Let this cool a little and break into lemonsized balls. Make a depression in the middle, stuff with the filling and cover it, making a perfect ball with the filling in the center. Gentle reminder: For the first time jant-er and the steamer, it is advisable to go over both the relevant sections.

Rice Rolls This is one of my creations, marrying the technique (a form of janta technique, actually) of making khandavi, a Gujarati snack, to the ingredients of sijha manda. The rolls have a shiny, smooth texture thanks to the technique, and a rather non-traditional form. 2 cups long grained rice 5 cups water salt to taste Filling: 1 cup desicated coconut ¾ cup guda 6 cardamom pods crushed salt to taste

56

Purba: Feasts from the East

For the filling, simply mix all the ingredients together. Soak the rice in water for about two hours and grind to very fine paste. Using the milk, with salt to taste, janta (see page 51) the rice paste till a layer spread on a cool metal surface rolls up without sticking to the surface. It is not unusual to find steel bowls or plates in an Indian kitchen, and this surface can be used to check the doneness of the batter. Keep a few baking sheets ready. Once this consistency is reached, using a wooden spatula quickly spread the batter in a thin layer on the sheets. If the amount of batter you are dealing with is large, keep the container of batter suspended in a bowl of hot water to keep the batter warm and pliable. You can use both sides if the baking tray since the batter does not fall off the tray; use first the right side of the tray and then the underside. Let this cool. Work on one side of the tray at a time. Sprinkle the filling on top of the layer, and run a knife on the batter making long ribbons about one inch wide. Start by very gently rolling each ribbon from one edge, trapping the filling in its folds, till the whole ribbon is rolled up. Lift it off the tray and place it on a serving bowl. Repeat this till all the ribbons are rolled up.

3—Chitau—Pancakes Chitau is a weighted average of chakuli and manda1. It’s not quite a crepe nor is it quite a dumpling! 1 There are versions of chaitau, like the milk chitau, which are more like steamed dumplings than pancakes. However, to avoid confusion, we will pretend that pancakes are the closest description of chitau.

Laxmi Parida

57

I have taken the liberty of associating it with pancakes, which are by my definition thick fluffy crepes! Pardon my abuse of terms. The art of making chitau can be easily mastered. Use a thick skillet, greased lightly. Drop a ladleful of the batter which is reasonably thick, like that of a pancake batter from a box (or from scratch) onto the hot skillet. The batter spreads by itself. A fair indication that a pancake is done is when the surface has escaping bubbles. These are from the leavening agent, baking soda. If you have used this agent in your chitau batter, look for this symptom. Otherwise, trust your instinct and check if the spatula can get under the chitau and hold it in one piece. Flip it very quickly, without spilling the still uncooked and runny batter on top. Some chitau may be covered to aid in its cooking.

Nadiya Chitau—coconut pancakes 2 cups long grained rice 1 coconut, grated 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup milk ½ cup sugar 6 cardamoms salt to taste Soak the rice in water for about two hours and grind to very fine paste. Mix all the ingredients and make the chitaus. Gentle reminder: For the first time chitau maker, it is advisable to go over the relevant section.

58

Purba: Feasts from the East

Sooji Chitau—semolina pancakes 2 cups sooji 1 cup coconut milk 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup milk ½ cup sugar 6 cardamoms salt to taste Soak the sooji in the coconut milk for about four hours. Mix all the ingredients and make the chitaus.

4—Arisa and Kakera—Fried Surprises Arisa and kakera are mainly a class of fried treats. Arisa is normally fortified dough cut out into interesting shapes or just little discs, and deep fried in cooking oil. Kakera, on the other hand, is rolled with some stuffing in the dough, as in Salvadorian pupusa, small empanada or turnovers with interesting fillings.

Nadia Arisa—coconut crispies 2 cups flour 1 cup freshly grated coconut 1 cup sugar salt to taste 1 teaspoon baking powder oil for frying

Laxmi Parida

59

Make a soft dough out of all the ingredients except the oil. Roll into discs or use cut-out shapes, and deep fry till golden brown.

Kandamula Arisa—sweet potato crispies 2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes (or canned yam) 1 cup freshly grated coconut 1 cup sugar salt to taste 1 teaspoon baking powder oil for frying Make a soft dough out of all the ingredients except the oil. Roll into discs or use cut-out shapes, and deep fry till golden brown.

Muga Arisa—lentil crispies 2 cups muga dali 1 cup freshly grated coconut 1 cup sugar salt to taste 1 teaspoon baking powder oil for frying Cook muga dali in plenty of water until very soft. Drain the water completely and mash. Make a soft dough adding all the remaining ingredients except the oil. Roll into discs or use cut-out shapes, and deep fry till golden brown.

60

Purba: Feasts from the East

Chaula Kakera—rice dumpling 1 cup rice flour 1 cup atta 2 cups guda salt to taste oil for frying Filling: 1 cup freshly grated coconut 1 tablespoon crushed white pepper For the filling, roast the coconut and ground pepper for about five minutes (or until fragrant) on a skillet. Following the janta procedure (see page 51), steam the batter of rice flour and atta in the water and guda. When done, divide this into twenty balls. Roll each ball, place filling inside and roll out into discs about three inches in diameter. Deep fry these in oil and drain.

Kakharu Kakera—pumpkin dumpling 1 cup rice flour 2 cups peeled and cubed yellow pumpkin 2 cups guda salt to taste oil for frying Filling: 1 cup freshly grated coconut 1 tablespoon crushed white pepper

Laxmi Parida

61

Steam the pumpkin till soft. Allow to cool and mash well. For the filling, roast the coconut and ground pepper for about five minutes (or until fragrant) on a skillet. Following the janta procedure (see page 51) steam the batter of rice flour and mashed pumpkin in the water and guda. When done, divide into twenty balls. Roll each ball, place filling inside and roll out into discs about three inches in diameter. Deep fry these in oil and drain.

5—Others Chunchi Patra—needle-thin crepes A very delicate and delicious recipe. This should remind you of the use of very thin rice wrappers of the Far East. However, in Oriya cuisine, the filling is mainly sweet. I once scandalized my relatives by placing meat filling in the crepes—this gives you endless possibilities for fillings. 2 cups long grained rice salt to taste oil for shallow frying Filling: 1 cup freshly grated coconut ½ cups guda 1 tablespoon crushed cardamoms Make a filling by mixing together the grated coconut, guda and cardamoms. Use a fragrant variety of rice for this recipe. Soak the rice for about two hours and grind to a very fine paste. Mix in more water if requred, to make a thin batter of pouring consistency. Heat a thick

62

Purba: Feasts from the East

bottomed skillet, brush some batter on the skillet using a heat resistent pastry brush or a teacloth. This enables you to get very thin crepes. My grandmother, very deft in the process of making this, would splash the batter on the skillet. This is very effective but requires lot of diligent practice. Slide some oil all around to loosen the crepe and then flip it. Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle and wrap the crepe around it.

Poda Pitha Traditionally this is cooked in a charcoal fire. It is left overnight in a charcoal chooli with the intensity of the coals just tapering off. This allows it to cook slowly with a nice caramelized crust. The batter is wrapped in banana leaves that chars in the cooking process, and this layer is peeled off before serving. This pitha has a sort of glutinous heavy taste, laced with coconut. Notice the use of ginger, pepper and bay leaves as seasoning in a sweet product, much like the pumpkin pies or the rice/beans based sweets of the Far East. 2 cups coarsely ground rice 1 cup freshly grated coconut ½ cup slivered coconut pieces ½ cups guda 1 tablespoon crushed cardamoms 1 tablespoon crushed white pepper ½ teaspoon finely grated ginger 1 or 2 bay leaves salt to taste

Laxmi Parida

63

Following the janta procedure (see page 51), steam the rice in a liquid containing the rest of the seasoning ingredients except cocnut slivers. When done, mix in the slivers. You could either steam the batter as for a pudding in a large steamer till done, or bake at 375 Fahrenheit for about thirty minutes. Check doneness by inserting a needle and seeing if it comes out completely dry.

Chapter 4—Flat Breads: Rooti, Paratha, Poori, Loochi Most flat breads in India are made from whole wheat flour called atta. However, loochi is an exception. It is made from all purpose flour. I have sometimes used stone-ground whole wheat flour from regluar supermarkets but this is a little too coarse. However, you can add some allpurpose flour to make the dough pliable. You will need a rolling pin to make any of these flat breads. Use a thick iron skillet for the roasting breads (rooti, paratha) and a deep fryer for the fried breads (poori, loochi).

A—Rooti This is the humblest of all flat breads; yet about the hardest to master. This is seldom served in a restaurant as it is a humble home food, but I think the real reason is that it requires a dedicated rooti-chef to be producing the fresh rootis at your table. The rooti dough is made from whole wheat flour and water. Notice that you do not even have to add salt. Two cups of flour will need somewhere between a third to half a cup of water, depending on the humidity of the environment. Knead the dough well and keep aside for an hour or so. Roll into a cylinder and pinch off lemon-sized balls. Flatten 64

Laxmi Parida

65

each ball and roll out to the thickness of a tortilla (or even thinner, if you can) after dusting your working surface with the flour. Heat the iron skillet. Roast the rooti for about thirty seconds on each side. Using a pair of tongs, transfer this semi-done rooti onto an open flame (here a gas burner is better than an electric one). Most iron skillets have iron handles—not a good thing because the handle heats up and you need to be taking the skillet off the heat for the open flame. Use an insulating cover for the handles or train yourself to grab the skillet with a dishcloth for each puffing process. Quickly flip the rooti so as not to char any side. If all the parameters are correct and you have mastered the art of rooti-making, the rooti will puff up like a balloon. In fact, this is the test of a good rooti. Immediately remove the rooti from the open flame using tongs, place in a tortilla container and cover with a teacloth. You may want to smear ghia or butter on one side or both sides of the rooti, depending on how extravagant you feel (although I prefer the bare rooti without any fat). The rooti should be eaten hot with the meal. It takes a while to master the art of making good rootis. First of all, it is a lot of effort amidst a lot of direct heat from standing right next to a hot skillet, alternating with an open flame. If you think the effort is worth it, you should give it a try, else be satisfied with with frozen rootis (which are eons away from the freshly made ones) or even tortillas. Anyways, you don’t miss what you don’t know! If you are still with me, I guess you are either a fighter or an experimentor. In either case, you may want to check the following FAQ about rooti making. The rooti feels like a tortilla: there is nothing wrong with a tortilla but you intended to make an Indian rooti! In this case it was proabably rolled too thick. The rooti does not puff and you don’t get the two “layers” that you usually get in a good rooti. You can use a liberal dusting of

66

Purba: Feasts from the East

atta on your rolling surface to facilitate rolling and avoid sticking, but make sure that you dust off the excess flour before roasting it. Alternatively, you could use a tortilla press or a rooti press available in Indian grocery stores. I have found the rooti press to be more “heavy duty” than a tortilla maker and prefer the former, although they look uglier and have names like “Seema” or “Anjali”. The rooti feels hard like a pappad: it was rolled too thin and left on the skillet too long. There is always the risk of a harderned rooti when rolling it thin. There is this subtle transition point from the sublime to the ridiculous which you must watch out for. Let me put it this way: if I could take the rolled rooti directly to the open flame, I would. But the rooti is too flexible at this point to hold its shape on the open flame. So, the roasting on the hot skillet is just so that it can hold its shape. Keep this roasting time as short as possible. I have suggested thirty seconds but if you can do less, then do less. Another reason for the rooti hardening could be that the open flame is too low. The open flame should be at its highest, so that the rooti puffs up immediately. If you recall your high school Physical Sciences, a flame has the highest temperature towards the tip. You may want to leave your rooti at that point. How do you do that? There is a contraption available in Indian grocery stores which has a metal disk shaped web on one end and a wooden handle on the other end. This web is quite sparse (unlike a Chinese strainer, say) and can hold the rooti. Using the wooden handle, station the rooti just below the top of the flame till it puffs up, flip it around briefly and heat the other end. The rooti does not puff evenly: perhaps it wasn’t rolled evenly. Or, your skillet does not heat evenly. Use a thick bottomed or an iron skillet that heats evenly.

Laxmi Parida

67

Is there a secret to rolling?: Normally, (1) you roll, (2) you rotate the rolled piece by thirty degrees or so, and repeat steps (1) and (2) until satisfied. This is how all cooking schools teach you to roll a circular shape, however they don’t have the challenge of finishing in fifteen seconds or so. Again, there is a trick to rolling here. I learnt this from Bhavana, a very good friend of mine, who usually used to be X in the pipeline process at her mother’s kitchen (her mother played the role of Y—see next paragraph for description of X and Y). What I am going to say is almost like teaching the hydrophobic to dive using a book. Use a liberal dusting of flour on the rolling surface and dust your rolling pin as well. This dusting is very important since you don’t want the dough to stick to the rolling surface. As you roll, increase the pressure on the left end of the nascent rooti so that it rotates while you roll. This way, the rotating and the rolling happen simulataneously without you having to switch hands. Continue this simultaneous rolling and rotating till the rooti reaches its right thickness and size. If you master this art you will feel superior to other rollers and justifiably so, since not only will you be quicker your rootis will be evenly thin. In lot of Indian homes, rooti making is a pipelined process: X rolls while Y roasts and puffs. This is also a good time for X and Y to bond. If you don’t have the luxury of having two independent processors X and Y, then you can use a batch process: First roll out all the rootis and keep them on a large baking sheet, dusting with flour to avoid the rootis from sticking to each other. Keep this covered until you are ready to roast and puff. However, if you are a superwoman like me, you may want to pipeline with a single processor. This is the fastest way, but you have to be very quick with rolling. At the end of it, you feel like you have just completed the New York marathon under three hours and also have to clean up the splashes of dry flour all over the counter, floor, cooktop and yourself.

68

Purba: Feasts from the East

How do I make a batch of rootis efficiently? This is not the thing you want to have in your menu when you are having a party for twenty or so. Even if you do, you may want to make them early on and smear ghia or butter on both sides and wrap tightly in a teacloth, unless you want to sweat in your beautiful evening dress.

Bajera Rooti This is a flat bread or rooti made from bajera or millet flour. This flour has no gluten content, so the dough does not stick and will fall apart. The same goes for tortilla made from masa harina or fresh corn flour treated with lime [BGB92]. The procedure for making flat bread or rooti out of such flour is the same. Make the dough with water and knead lightly till homogenously smooth. Make lemon-sized balls and press, do not roll them flat. Place the dough on a board and gradually press the edges flat until the dought is uniformly about one-eighth inch thick. Any thinner will be very hard to handle. Roast them on a hot skillet, as for rootis. Note that for such non-sticking dough it is most appropriate to use the tortilla press.

B—Paratha This is the richer cousin of rooti and much simpler to master. This is not puffed on an open flame but roasted to doneness on the skillet which obviates the art of juggling that you need to master for rootis. The shape of a paratha varies from region to region. It is circular in

Laxmi Parida

69

most part of the country, triangular in the eastern part and sometimes a square in the northern part of the country. The dough is usually made from atta. Add salt to taste and about one tablespoon oil per cup of flour. Make the dough as for rooti and keep aside for an hour. Another important criterion for a paratha is to have layers in it induced by smearing oil or ghia (say as in puff pastry) in various internal layers. Figure 4.A shows the technique of making layers in a triangular paratha. To make layered circular parathas: flatten two discs to about three inches in diameter. Sandwich the two discs with a smear of oil or ghia in between them. Seal along the outer circumference by running a pastry brush dipped in water. Treat this as one disc and roll to the desired size. To cook the paratha: Heat a skillet and roast the paratha on both sided till very lightly done. Then,while the paratha is on the skillet, run a teaspoon of oil around the edges of the paratha. Move it around on the skillet so that the oil spreads evenly on the surface. When done, flip the paratha and repeat the process. Store in a tortilla box, wrapped in a teacloth.

70

Purba: Feasts from the East

Figure 4.A: Steps for making a paratha. Step 1: Roll out a five-inch disk from the dough and brush the top surface with oil. Step 2: Fold the circle into a semi-circle, and again brush the top surface with oil. Step 3: Fold the semi-circle into a quarter circle, and brush the top surface with oil. Step 4: Roll out this quarter till it is about six inches along the radial line.

Laxmi Parida

71

C—Stuffed Parathas Most parathas are accompanied by some entree consisting of vegetables or meat. However, there’s a genre of parathas that have these other interesting ingredients thrown into them. There are basically two ways of doing this: (1) fortifying the dough with the fillers, (2) making a little cup of the dough, stuffing with the fillers, flattening and rolling the dough out into a circular paratha. The technique to be used really depends on the material at hand. Fillers such as grated radish or squash can be mixed right into the flour while making the dough as in the first method. What is the proportion of the fillers to the flour? It really depends on your liking but also depends on how managable the dough is with all the foreign material in it. For stuffing of this kind, I prefer to follow a 40-60 rule, (i.e. 40 percent of the filler and 60 percent of the flour by volume). Also mix in the stuffing with the dry flour, then add salt to taste and any water required to bind the dough. Sometimes the filler is reasonably moist, such as chopped spinach, grated squash or zuchini, and this will dictate the water required to make the dough. However, this dough is a little difficult to handle. If you increase the porportion of flour you will make the dough easier to handle, but by sacrificing the quality of the end product. Further seasoning ingredients are usually added to the dough, such as finely chopped onions, chopped green chillies and chopped dhania patra (coriander leaves). There are also some classic combinations such as amchoor or dried mango powder with spinach (about two teaspoon of mango powder with a bunch of spinach). For most of the stuffing that requires some pre-cooking, such as ground meat or boiled potatoes, use the second method.

72

Purba: Feasts from the East

Palanga Paratha—spinach parathas 2 cups atta (see page 1) 2 tablespoons oil salt to taste oil for shallow frying Filling: 1 bunch of spinach greens Chop the greens fine. Add the atta and oil, salt to taste to the greens. Add enough water to make a soft pliable dough. Divide into twelve portions. Roll gently out to a five inch diameter bread and shallow fry on a skillet till golden brown on both sides.

Lau Paratha—ash gourd parathas 2 cups atta (see page 1) 2 tablespoons oil salt to taste oil for shallow frying Filling: 1 ash gourd Peel and grate the ash gourd. Squeeze out excess water. Add the atta and oil, salt to taste and mix. Add enough water to make a soft pliable dough. Divide into twelve portions. Roll gently out to a five inch diameter bread and shallow fry on a skillet till golden brown on both sides.

Laxmi Parida

73

Moola Paratha—radish parathas 2 cups atta (see page 1) 2 tablespoons oil salt to taste oil for shallow frying Filling: 4 medium sized radishes Peel and grate the radishes. Add the atta and oil, salt to taste and mix. Add enough water to make a soft pliable dough. Divide into twelve portions. Roll gently out to a five inch diameter bread and shallow fry on a skillet till golden brown on both sides.

Aloo Paratha—potato stuffed parathas 2 cups atta (see page 1) 2 tablespoons oil salt to taste oil for shallow frying Filling: 1 recipe singada potato stuffing (see page 6) Make the filling as in singada. Mash the potatoes and divide into twelve portions. Rub the oil into the atta and make a dough as described earlier this section. Divide into twelve portions. Flatten each portion into a four inch disc, place one potato portion in the center, cover the filling. Roll gently out to a five inch diameter bread and shallow fry on a skillet till golden brown on both sides.

74

Purba: Feasts from the East

Keema Paratha—meat stuffed parathas 2 cups atta (see page 1) 2 tablespoons oil salt to taste oil for shallow frying Filling: 1 recipe mangsa gugni (see page 112) Make the gugni as per the recipe; heat till it is dried up losing most of its moisture. Divide the meat into twelve portions. Rub the oil into the atta and make a dough as described earlier this section. Divide into twelve portions. Flatten each portion into a four inch disc, place one gugni portion in the center, cover the filling. Roll gently out to a five inch diameter bread and shallow fry on a skillet till golden brown on both sides.

Kobi Paratha—cauliflower stuffed parathas 2 cups atta (see page 1) 2 tablespoons oil salt to taste oil for shallow frying Filling: 1 recipe kobi bhaja (see page 118) Make the kobi bhaja as per the recipe, except grate the cauliflower florets instead of using them whole. Divide the bhaja into twelve portions. Rub the oil into the atta and make a dough as described earlier this section.

Laxmi Parida

75

Divide into twelve portions. Flatten each portion into a four inch disc, place one cauliflower portion in the center, cover the filling. Roll gently out to a five inch diameter bread and shallow fry on a skillet till golden brown on both sides.

Chpater 5—Bhata—Regal Rice Rice is the center point of an Oriya meal, as the climate in Orissa favors the cultivation of rice. However, flatbreads are also used, if not as generously as rice. The rice grains fall into two categories: arua (raw) and usuna (boiled). These two varieties can be gotten not just in Indian grocery stores but also in regular supermarkets. Boiled rice is processed (raw) rice, where the rice grains are lightly steamed in water and then dried. This processing makes the rice grains a tad darker than milk white and the grains stay whole when cooked. Some recipes, likely the traditional steamed cakes idli, call for boiled rice. A sophisticated Oriya cook will probably not serve boiled rice in the main course to his or her honored guests, but I do not see any basis for this. The two kinds of grains have different looks and flavours and you as a cook and a consumer may prefer either one over the other.

1—On Grain Varieties There are different varieties of grains, and recipes do sometimes call for a specific kind of grain, although different conditions (depending on the harvest season) will yield a whole spectrum of differing grain types. We will focus on the three major varieties below.

76

Laxmi Parida

77

Traditionlly, the grains are stored with the husks and husked as and when required in amounts sufficient for a week or so. This labor-intensive process is losing its popularity for obvious reasons. These days, you can simply buy the grains from the grocers. “Coarse” grains, a little darker in colour, grow in the water-logged fields of Orissa. These varieties of rice are also called “boiled rice”, referring only to the grains and not the cooking process of the rice. A lot of the pitha recipes would use “boiled rice”. The following are two kinds of “coarse” grains: Ua Pakhia: These grains are boiled in water and then sun-dried. These are husked before use. Usuna: These grains are boiled in water like the ua pakhia and sundried. But they go through the boiling process yet another time before they are dried and husked for use. This is the coarsest kind of rice grain. “Arua” are the fine grained rice, almost white as milk, which grow in diminished water conditions. They do not go through any boiling process and are also called “raw rice” in India for that matter. The wellknow basmati rice is in this class of grains that grows in the hilly regions of the country. Most of the pulao and biriyani would use “raw rice”. You would be relieved to know that you could walk into a grocery store, simply pick “boiled” or “raw” rice from the counter and not worry about the cumbersome boiling and sun-drying processes. A little note about the “class-system” in the rice grains. You serve your finest grained “raw rice” to your most respected guests, and if the family is trying to save to buy that Schwinn bicycle for the teenage son, you endure the coarse “boiled rice”.

78

Purba: Feasts from the East

Each kind of grain has its own taste, look and feel. You could love or dislike the grains independent of the class strata the grains belong to!

2—Sada Bhata—Simple Rice This technique holds for any kind of rice. Wash the rice in plenty of water till the water runs clear. Drain and keep aside. Heat a large pot with plenty of water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the rice to the water (the water stands at least about two inches above the level of rice). Cover the pot partially to avoid boiling over. Reduce heat and after about seven minutes, check the rice for doneness. This is done be taking a grain of rice and breaking it in the middle using your thumbnail (yes!) and the forefinger. If the cross-section of this tiny grain is uniformly done without any “undone” spot in the center, you are ready for the next stage. Using a lid that fits and a dishcloth large enough to go around, drain all the extra liquid from the rice. This liquid is called peja. This draining has to be done very carefully as the hot steam may scald the unsuspecting cook. To avoid this inherent danger, a cook will carefully empty the rice, along with the excess peja, into a colander and will carry on life while the colander quietly carries out the draining. But once the draining is complete, the cook must transfer the rice back from the colander to the pot and cover to keep the rice from drying up. The absence of salt in the recipe is quite deliberate. Sada bhata needs no flavouring agent, not even salt. But rest assured that in spite of this stark simplicty you still will be seduced by the product. Serve sada bhata with ghia (1 tablespoon per cup of cooked rice) and a lemon wedge.

Laxmi Parida

79

Bhata Sans Peja Can the rice be steamed without the excess peja? A lot of starch is lost in the peja and since an Oriya consumes a reasonable amount of rice per meal, this reduced starch is perhaps his or her secret to that perfect height-to-weight ratio. Use 1:2 ratio of rice to water by volume. Bring the water to a boil, add the rice and reduce the heat till the level of water and rice is the same, and the rice is done. Check for doneness, if required, as before. Turn off the heat and leave the pan covered till ready to serve. For very fine long-grained rice such as basmati, the amount of water needs to be reduced by twenty percent or so. Coarse grained boiled rice requires about twenty percent more water.

Pressure Cooking Bhata Yet another alternative is to pressure cook the rice. Use the same ratio of water to rice as in the last section (sans peja) and turn off the heat, the moment your pressure cooker begins to hiss. Do not force-release the pressure. Instead, let the pressure die down naturally which will take five to ten minutes. The rice is actually cooking in these extra minutes, and the rice will be ready whenever you are.

Using a Rice Cooker The Japanese have spoiled today’s cooks by introducing the perfect rice cooker. Follow the instructions in your cooker and you will make the perfect rice. I don’t use a rice cooker since I consider myself too talented to use such a modern foolproof device. Not really. The truth is that my

80

Purba: Feasts from the East

kitchen countertop is such a valued real estate that there is no room for yet another crockpot!

3—Using Leftover Bhata Leftover rice is used in such creative ways that you may find yourself making rice just for these recipes.

Pakhala—fermented rice Left-over rice can be fermented for the next day. You must have observed that cooked rice does not store well, even when refrigerated. This is one way of dealing with extra cooked rice. Add plenty of water (the water stands at least one inch above the level of rice), mix the rice with your hands (breaking any lumps) and keep in a draft-free place of your kitchen, for example, inside the turned-off oven or even the microwave for about twelve hours or overnight. The heat of summer encourages the fementing bacteria to get busy to produce the ideal basi pakhala the next day. Do not add salt at this stage, as it will get in the way of the bacteria. If the word “bacteria” makes you squirm, remind yourself that the best yogurt, the best cheese, the best breads, the best wine would not have been successful without the aid of our microorganism friends. Chain Phakala is a variation of the fermented rice without the fermentation! This is for impatient pakhala afficianadoes who cannot wait long enough for nature to take its course. Chain pakhala is prepared by cooling the freshly cooked rice down to near room temprature and then adding the water. Mix well and it is ready to serve.

Laxmi Parida

81

To serve pakhala, use a deep bowl like a soup bowl or the Japanese noodle-soup bowl. Ladle the rice along with the “murky” liquid. Mix in some salt to bring out its flavour. Serve it with any bhaja or badi chura (recipes in the following chapter). This is a very good summer meal. However, it is a common belief, mainly among affectionate grandmothers, that pakahala in winter will give you a sore throat.

Bhata Pitha—rice pancakes These pancakes can be served for a heavy breakfast or brunch. Serve them with Indian pickles or simply gua ghia. Mash the cooked rice and add enough buttermilk to make a pancake like batter. Add salt to taste and little sugar. Mix well. Use the batter to make pancakes (see page 56 on making chitau). As a variation you may add some cooked wild rice to the rice mixture. This gives a variation in texture, looks and flavour.

Bhata Muthia—rice dumplings I must confess, this recipe has been inspired by the Gujarati muthias. Steep one cup of cooked rice in ¾ cup of buttermilk overnight. The next morning, mix in a dash of salt, one tablespoon of sugar and about one teaspoon of whole cumin seeds. Make into small lemon-sized balls with the palm of your hand. If the batter is too thin and does not hold,

82

Purba: Feasts from the East

then drain any excess liquid in a colander for about thirty minutes. Steam the balls for about twenty minutes (see page 49 on steaming). As a variation, you may mix in some wild rice with the cooked rice.

4—Flavoured Bhata The rice can be flavoured in different ways either to make it more interesting or make it a one-pot meal. In the following recipes, we cook the rice first as in sada bahata and then add the various flavouring agents. You may do the seasoning first in a pressure cooker: add the rice grains and just about enough water to cook the rice (see bhata sans peja in the last section).

Jeera Bhata—cumin rice Cook 1 cup of rice in your favourite method (see last section). Heat one tablespoon of ghia, sputter half a teaspoon of whole jeera and add to the rice. Mix in salt to taste and blend without breaking the grains.

Lembu Bhata—lemon rice Cook 1 cup of rice in your favourite method (see last section). Heat two tablespoons of ghia, sputter half a teaspoon of whole mustard seeds, 4 bhrusanga patra (curry leaves), 1 crushed whole red chilli and oneeighth teaspoon of haldi (turmeric) powder. Mix with the rice and the juice of half a lemon and salt to taste. This rice is yellow in colour due to

Laxmi Parida

83

the turmeric used. If you fancy, you may use saffron instead of turmeric to colour the rice. You may also add about half a teaspoon of harad dali along with the mustard seeds. If you do so, add about one-eighth cup of water to this seasoning mixture and cook covered till all the water evaporates. This is essential to cook the lentil, else it will be hard having not gotten a chance to cook in water. Mix in salt to taste and blend without breaking the grains.

Dahi Bhata—curd rice Proceed as for lemon rice, skipping the turmeric, until the seasoning is done. This rice is white in colour, so do not add any spices that will colour the rice. Instead of adding the seasonings to the rice, add this to half cup of whole milk curd (yogurt) and blend well. Mix this flavoured curd with the rice.

Mitha Khichidi—lentil-rice with a hint of sweetness This is a delicious one-pot meal. 2 tablespoons oil 2 bay leaves ¼ teaspoon kala jeera (kalonji) ¼ teaspoon grated or crushed fresh ginger root ¼ teaspoon haladi gunda (turmeric) ½ cup long grained rice 1 cup masora dali (red lentils) ¾ teaspoon salt

84

Purba: Feasts from the East

1 teaspoon sugar 1 green chilli, chopped 1 tablespoon of jeera and dhania gunda (cumin, coriander powder) 1 cup chopped vegetables (carrots, peas, cauliflower, sweet potatoes) Heat the oil. Fry the bay leaves and kala jeera. Add the ginger and green chillies. Add the haladi, jeera and dhania gunda. Add the lentils, rice, vegetables, salt, sugar and four cups of hot water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about thirty minutes till done. You may garnish with some ghia and lemon juice. This will have a smooth texture with all individual ingredients having lost their identity.

Khichidi—lentil-rice A variation of khichadi, but a little drier and spicier than the mitha khichadi. 2 tablespoons oil 1 onion, finely sliced 2 bay leaves ¼ teaspoon grated or crushed fresh ginger root ¼ teaspoon haladi gunda (turmeric) 1 cup long grained rice ½ cup muga dali (skinned mung lentils) 1 teaspoon salt ¾ teaspoon sugar 1 green chilli, chopped 1 tablespoon jeera and dhania gunda (cumin, coriander powder) 1 recipe garam masala (see page 92) 1 cup chopped vegetables (carrots, peas, cauliflower, sweet potatoes)

Laxmi Parida

85

Dry roast the lentils on a frying pan or skillet till aromatic. Cook the lentils in about 1 cup of water till soft and the water is all dried up. If required, you may add more water to soften the lentils. Heat the oil. Fry the oinions and the bay leaves. Add the ginger and green chillies. Add the haladi, jeera and dhania gunda, and the garam masala. Add the rice and cook till the grains are translucent. Add the cooked lentils and the vegetables, salt, sugar and two cups of hot water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about thirty minutes till done. You may garnish with some ghia and lemon juice.

Mangsa Biriyani—mutton pilaf Not a very traditional Oriya recipe, but I don’t see any self-respecting meat eating Oriya saying “no” to this. 1 lb mutton 1 large onion, finely sliced 1 recipe jeera masala (see page 91) 1 cup long grained rice (such as basmati) 2 cups water salt to taste 1 bay leaf 1 inch stick cinnamon 2 tablespoons oil ½ onion finely sliced, for garnish oil for deep frying

86

Purba: Feasts from the East

Heat the oil, fry the bay leaf and the cinnamon stick. After a minute, add the onions and fry till translucent. Add the jeera masala and fry till the oil separates (that is when the masala is fully fried). Add the mutton pieces and stir fry for a few minutes. Add about 1 cup of hot water, salt to taste and cover to cook till the mutton is nearly done and all the water has dried up. You may wish to pressure cook the mutton, but remember that pressure cooking does not consume much water, so reduce the hot water to ¼ cup or so. Take off the cover and stir fry till all the moisture is lost. Add the rice and stir till well blended. Add two cups of water and cook till the rice is done. You could pressure cook at this stage again, but use 1½ cups of water instead of 2. Deep fry the onions in oil till crisp and brown. For the onions to crisp, it is essential to make sure that the onions are well drained of all moisture. Sprinkle the rice with the crisp fried onions.

Pariba Biriyani—vegetable biriyani Follow the recipe for the mangsa biriyani, using vegetables like carrots, peas, cauliflower instead of mutton. Chop the vegetables to the right sizes so that their cooking time is roughly the same.

Chapter 6—Entrees Often at least three to four entrees are served accompanied by rice, and sometimes bread, at an average Oriya meal. One of the entrees must be lentil based, say dali or its derivative, a moist entree like ghanta, a dry entree such as bhaja and a sweet and sour entree such as khatta. Any less than this is considered a modern meal-in-a-hurry, any more encroaches on extravagance.

1—ABC’s of Oriya Randha First, we cover some basics about Oriya randha or cooking and touch upon the following topics to introduce you to the intrinsics of the techniques.

A—Cooking Under Pressure The pressure cooker was introduced in India in the mid sixties and was a major hit: now every household in India has an average of 1.5 pressure cookers. Introduced a few years earlier in the United States, it was a failure not just because most of the food ended up in the ceiling but also, that was about when the domestic cooks (mainly women) were busier burning bras and taking the family to McDonald’s. Not a bad thing at all, I wish my mother had done that: I mean, I wish she had taken us to McDonald’s. 87

88

Purba: Feasts from the East

A good pressure cooker in the kitchen is a boon. However, as the name suggests, it cooks under pressure, hence could be potentially dangerous. All approved pressure cookers come with a saftey valve that melts under extreme pressure, releasing the trapped steam instead off blasting through the ceiling and setting off into orbit. In the following recipes, I will suggest alternate ways of cooking using a pressure cooker. Do not be deceived by the suggested time. For example, lentils take at least thirty minutes to cook in a pot and about seven minutes in a pressure cooker. The seven minutes does not include the time it takes to build up the pressure (which could be a good five minutes, depending on your pressure cooker) and the time it takes to lose the pressure (which could be another ten minutes or so). In fact, during the latter period the food continues to cook and it is not a good idea to force out the pressure in a hurry. Although, the following recipes suggest a time, it is best to follow the manual of your pressure cooker to get the correct duration. For the braver, I will challenge you to alternate pressure—and pressureless cooking in the same pressure cooking pan. The idea is very simple: you may stir-fry or saute, and then use the pressure of the pressure cooker to cook some recalcitrant vegetables, grains or lentils. However, remember that moisture in terms of water or stock (never oil) is extremely important to build pressure and then cook. If some further processing is required after cooking, do the following: 1. Turn off the heat. Wait for about five minutes for the pressure to dissipate (extremely important!). 2. Using a fork, or a long-handled prong, very gently ease the ”weight” of the pressure cooker by letting the steam escape slowly through the vent under the weight.

Laxmi Parida

89

3. Once all the steam has been let out (that is, there are no signs of danger in terms of steam hissing from the vent), take off the lid and set the pot on heat again and proceed as per the recipe. If I were you, I would engrave these instructions in stone.

Steam-pressure Cooking Steaming is about the healthiest way of cooking: old kitchen saying. But what if the object to be steamed is recalcitrant (won’t easily soften or cook)? A pressure cooker is the perfect solution. It will steam it under pressure and even the hardest ingredient have known to soften. Fill the pressure cooker with about half an inch of water. Place the perforated base that comes with the pressure cooker. If not, place a little heatproof container or base in the water that is taller than the level of water. Heat till the water begins to boil. Now place the container with the food on the base using tongs (remember the water is steaming and it could scald your forelimbs). Cover with the pressure cooker lid and the weight. Pressure cook as desired. Again, remember to use the tongs when you take the container off the cooker. You could use your pressure cooker as a regular steamer by not using the weight on the lid (thus disabling the process of building up steam-pressure).

B—Stock / Cooking Medium Stock, whether meat or vegetable, is never used in Oriya cooking nor is it used in the rest of the country. This is also similar to Moroccon

90

Purba: Feasts from the East

cuisine [MW94]. The cooking medium is always plain water. The reason for this is that most of the recipes call for plenty of water in which the vegetables are cooked, thus making a “vegetable stock” in the process. The trick of using a tempering technique (baghara), imparts a subtle flavour to the dish. I have experimented with using stock instead of water and found that baghara does not quite go with the stock. Also, the use of bold spices such as cumin, coriander or mustard obviates the need for stock. Herbs such as bay leaves, and spices such as cinnamon or cloves, are used routinely in the recipes. You may recall that the classic stock recipes also use these kinds of flavours, however, you are welcome to substitute water with stock.

C—Classes of Spices Most of Indian cooking uses a variety of spices. However, some spices are always used in certain combinations. In the following, we introduce the different groups by names which we will use in the recipes that follow.

Sorisa Masala 2 pods of garlic, peeled 1 cm ginger root, unpeeled 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 teaspoons whole black mustard seeds 1 green chilli or red chilli powder, to heat a pinch of turmeric Grind all the ingredients to a fine paste, adding a little water. Alternatively, pulse the seeds to a fine powder with a spice grinder, crush the garlic and ginger, and mix it with the powder using a tablespoon of water. Instead of

Laxmi Parida

91

pulsing the seeds, you could also use the spice powders available in the supermarkets.

Jeera Masala 2 pods of garlic, peeled 1 cm ginger root, unpeeled 3 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds 1 green chilli or red chilli powder, to heat a pinch of turmeric Grind all the ingredients to a fine paste adding a little water. Alternatively, pulse the seeds seeds to a fine powder with a spice grinder, crush the garlic and ginger, and mix it with the powder using a tablespoon of water. Instead of pulsing the seeds, you could also use the spice powders available in the supermarkets.

Mysore Masala Mysore is a city in the southern part of the country, and, strangely, any spice with a southern hint is qualified with mysore in Orissa. 1 tablespoon biri dali 1 tablespoon harad dali 1 tablespoon chana dali 2 tablespoons oil ½ tablespoon whole coriander seed

92

Purba: Feasts from the East

Dry roast all the ingredients, except the oil, in a thick-bottomed pan or an iron skillet. When aromatic and very lightly browned, add the oil and heat it through. Pulse all the ingredients in a spice grinder, while still warm, to a fine powder.

Garam Masala This is a spice powder mainly used to flavour a dish, and is added at the very end just before serving. Most Indian grocery stores sell ready-mixed garam masala but beware that the composition of the garam masala varies from region to region. These recipes here call for the garam masala of the eastern region of the country. If you wish to make your own, here is a basic recipe: Blend equal amounts by volume of the following powdered spices—cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and cardamoms.

Besara In most of Indian cooking, oil is very seldom consumed “uncooked”, say, like olive oil in salad dressings. Ghia or clarified butter could be used without going through the process of heating. In Oriya cooking, an exception is made with mustard oil. This is often stirred in after the dish has been cooked, to impart the flavour of the mustard oil. Besara is a class of dishes that uses this technique. Sometimes, the use of mustard seeds in the sauce is enough to classify it as a besara. Almost any vegetable can be made in this style—fish goes very well with this sauce. A lot of Oriyas have reservations about cooking meat in this style though. My suggestion is that if you love the vegetables/meat and love the sauce, put the two together and enjoy!

Laxmi Parida

93

D—Seasoning Finale Once the dish is all done, the flavour is usually kicked up a few notches using one or more of the following techniques.

All About Baghara A lot of the following recipes use a style of tempering or seasoning a dish when done, called the baghar. I learnt from my grandmother that it is inauspicious to omit or forget the baghar in an Oriya recipe. Perhaps, a way of ensuring well-seasoned food from the ever-busy cook is by adding in the fear of the unknown! The following is a rasuna baghar or a garlic baghar. Using a pestle and mortar, crush (not chop) about one or two pods of garlic (depending on your taste). Or, use the flat end of a Chinese cleaver to crush it, Martin Yan-style. Heat about two tablespoons of fat (oil or ghia) in a thick ladle or a small, thick-bottomed saucepan. Add the crushed garlic, followed by one teaspoon of whole black mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds begin to pop conitnuously, take it off the fire and pour the seasoned hot fat into your main dish. This harmless step could become potentially dangerous if you dunk the entire seasoned oil too quickly. Step back and pour the hot oil slowly into the main dish. Do not cool the oil before adding, otherwise you will find the oil floating on top without blending well. A plain baghar omits the garlic in the recipe. A phutana baghar uses pancha phutana instead of the mustard seeds described above. A slight variation of the baghar, which for lack of a better term I will call an initial baghar. This is done when starting a recipe, so the fat is

94

Purba: Feasts from the East

heated in the regular cooking pot or pan. At the end, instead of pouring the hot oil out, the other ingredients such as vegetables, lentils or whatever the recipe calls for are added to this oil.

Gunda Another seasoning technique is the gunda sprinkle. (See Chapter 1 to make jeera and lanka gunda.) When the dish is done and is off the fire, sprinkle this on top and cover. Stir when serving.

Garnish The garnish could be chopped dhania patra, mint leaves or freshly-grated coconut. Never, ever substitute freshly-grated with desciacated cocnut. If you do, the garnishing Gods will never forgive you. All though there is an abundant supply of fragrant basil leaves in the country, their primary use is not in the kitchen.

E—Food Tasting? Culinary instructors, chefs and all the respected people of the cooking profession teach that you must taste your food for the right seasoning before inflicting it on others. However, an Oriya cook will differ on this. An Oriya cook must never taste/eat his/her preparations before offering it to the guests or the others in the family. I just mention this impracticality for the sake of completeness: in my kitchen, I taste the food so profusely that the others sometimes never get to even see it.

Laxmi Parida

95

Now, using the techniques we have fully understood in the last paragraphs, we can experiment with the recipes that follow.

2—Niramisa, Ainsa Niramisa is vegetarian food and ainsa is non-vegetarian, including eggs. The Oriyas have learnt to treat their flora with lot of respect and finesse: they have cultivated the art of “less is more” with very subtle techniques, but not so with fauna (fish being the exception). With fish, they have discovered this classic combination with mustard oil and mustard spices that is very unique to this geographical region.

A—Dealing with Fauna—seafood, meat, poultry Habits and observances have been cultivated by the Oriya cooks that merit a mention. Pots and ladles for nonvegetarian food are marked: they shall never freely mingle with the rest. In my grandmother’s kitchen, fauna (if ever cooked) had to be prepared in a stove that did not even deserve to be in the kitchen proper! My mother enforced a very strict policy of never letting the pot or ladle, or even your hands, touch anything else in the kitchen. Handling of fauna with bare hands was stictly followed by a thorough washing of hands. These are of course very cleverly enforced by society by putting the fear of God in people’s minds. However, later in life, when I learnt from various advanced cultures about salmonella and other contaminations, I silently bowed to my foremothers. This basic mistrust in fauna has lead to a keen sense of hygiene in the kitchen as we saw in the last paragraph. No wonder that the fauna is cooked, very cooked, in all the preparations. Any form of rawness in the

96

Purba: Feasts from the East

final product such as sushi, tartar, sashimi, karpacheo, or even rare—to medium-doneness is very strongly disliked and discouraged. I was tempted to believe that this was so because perhaps meat, mainly only goat or lamb meat, was an alien food introduced by invaders from the west (Middle East). But I learnt that the current middle-easterns are as picky as Indians with their red meats. The Oriyas are very creative with fish, using techniques like steaming, broiling in banana leaf packets and so on. Fish is used either whole or as steak-cuts; fillet cuts are alien to the Oriyas as they always cook fish on the bone 1. And yes, fish head is a delicacy—the queasiness of an octopus-munching Westerner over the fish head continues to be a mystery to me. With meat and chicken, an “only more is more” rule prevails: most of these preparations are heavily spiced (the more the better) in a very unOriya fashion and the meat cooked to the point of breaking down. The red meat cut used in the Oriya kitchen is the “stew cut” in the western supermarket.

Seafood Seafood includes prawns (shrimps) of various sizes and fish, primarily freshwater varieties. Although crabmeat is consumed by a large population, it is considered uncommon and some families do not indulge in crab.

1 Only helpless children are served deboned fish!

Laxmi Parida

97

Shrimp is always shelled. Fish is always scaled, however its skin stays on There is a standard preprocessing for all seafood: it is washed, drained, smeared with haladi (turmeric) and salt. Except for recipes that call for steaming or broiling, the fish is shallow-fried in oil as follows. If the pieces are large, then they are fried few at a time. Since no binding agent coats the fish, delicate fish steaks may fall apart—this is viewed as a lack of talent on the cook’s part. Of course, it does not take much to avoid such harmless accidents anyway. Use a flat skillet or frying pan. Heat the oil, add the fish pieces without overcrowding, and leave them undistrubed till the fish surface cooks and holds its shape. The using a flat spatula, flip the pieces and do the same for the other side. When cooking in large quantities, it is easier to deep fry the fish. Note that cooking the fish this way alerts your neighbours and theirs about your dinner menu! But the aroma of frying fish has never discouraged an Oriya.

Ground Meat Somehow, the natural aroma and feel of chicken or meat is not welcome, and they have to be camouflaged under heaps of strong, albeit fragrant spices. Ground meat is particularly a sore point, as it has the reputation of giving out a stronger aroma than bigger chunks of meat. I give here a technique for grinding meat that even the most fussy will love to love. I have found a solution to over-aromatic ground meat by making homemade ground meat as follows: Cook 1 pound of meat (poultry or red meat) in plenty of water with one large onion, two cloves garlic, 4 peppercorns, 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, salt and chilli to taste. When done, let cool till the meat can be handled. De-bone and freeze the meat for two hours. While the meat is still quite cold, run it in a blender. Make sure there is no moisture, as this will mush up the meat.

98

Purba: Feasts from the East

Alternatively, run it through a meat-grinder. You could add very small amounts of moodhi (puffed rice) or fresh breadcrumbs to lend the right dryness to the ground meat.

3—Dali Dali—lentils This is the most common and an integral part of an Oriya meal. It is served with rice or breads such as rooti or paratha. The lentil that is most commonly used is tur or harada, available in most Indian grocery stores. Mung, brown or green lentils are equally good substitutes. 1 cup lentils a pinch of turmeric salt to taste chilli powder to heat 1 recipe rasuna phutana baghara (see page 93) Cook the lentils in plenty of water with turmeric till totally cooked (the lentils disintegrate completely). Add the salt and chilli powder. Alternately, cook all the ingredients in plenty of water (water level at least two inches above the lentils) in a pressure cooker for about seven minutes. Season with rasuna phutana baghara.

Dalma An incredible melange of lentils and vegetables, this is close to the dhansak of the Parsees, except that meat is seldom (read: never) used, and the

Laxmi Parida

99

dalma has no souring agent like tamarind or vinegar. Also it uses very little spices and the trick is in the technique of using the spices. 1 cup channa dali (yellow split peas) ¼ cup kala channa, soaked in water for 1 hour 1 medium sized potato, diced 3 arvi, peeled and diced 1 green plantain, peeled and diced 1 eggplant, diced 1 recipe rasuna phutana baghara (see page 93) 1 recipe gunda sprinkle (see page 94) a pinch of turmeric powder salt to taste Boil the channa dali, kala channa in plenty of water with the turmeric and salt, till well cooked and each grain is totally disintegrated. Cook the vegetables separately in water with turmeric and salt, till done. The potatoes and arvi are cooked first, then you add the plantains and add the eggplants in the end, so that they are done at the same time. Next, add the vegetables to the cooked lentils. If too thick, also add the liquid medium of the vegetables and heat till well blended. Another option is to cook the lentils and the vegetables together in a pressure cooker for about ten minutes. The vegetables can disintegrate, which is fine since the final product really does not call for a separate identity for each ingredient. Season with the rasun baghara and sprinkle the gunda. Variations: Almost any lentil can be used for this recipe. Even a mixture of different varieties of lentils can be used. If using mung beens, dry roast them in a hot skillet for about five minutes (or until lentil-aromatic) and then add them immediately to plenty of boiling water to cook. Again, any vegetable that you like such as summer squash, parsnips and so on can be used in the recipe. As an added garnish, you

100

Purba: Feasts from the East

could sprinkle three tablespoons freshly grated coconut (do not use dessicated coconut).

Dali Palanga—spinach lentils Again, spinach can be substituted with any other greens. A very good green for this is sajana saga. 1 recipe dali (recipe on page 98) using muga lentils 2 bunches greens salt to taste Follow the dali recipe until the seasoning. Immediately add the finely chopped greens and salt to taste. The heat of the lentils will cook the greens, so there is no need to cook the two further. Season with the dali recipe’s baghara.

Kolatha Dali Kolatha is a grain that is available only in Indian or Bangladeshi grocery stores. This is not a very respectable ingredient and it is not served to the most revered guests, however I enjoyed its taste as a twelve year old and had taken the recipe from my grandmother then. This recipe can be served as a warm soup before a meal, although that is not the traditional way it is served. This is a poor man’s source of starch and protiens. 2 cups torani 2 cups peja ½ cup kolatha dali powder 1 recipe sorisa-rasuna baghara (see page 93) 1 ambula

Laxmi Parida

101

Heat the torani, when it comes to a boil add the kolatha dali mixed in water. Add the ambula and cook for about ten minutes. Mix the peja, bring to a boil and take off heat. Peja is mainly starch and will begin to thicken the soup. Season with sorisa-rasuna baghara.

Sambhar This is a lentil preparation from the southern part of the country. However, it has become extremely popular in Orissa, as in other parts of the country. Here is my version of the ubiquitous lentils that has a little unorthodox cooking technique but is quite effective as borne out by my Tamil friends. 1 cup harada dali 1 recipe mysore masala (page 91) or ready-mix sambhar powder 1 medium onion, quartered 1 eggplant chopped into cubes 1 recipe sorisa baghara (see page 93) 2 tablespoons tentuli paste salt to taste Cook the lentils in plenty of water till well done and totally disintegrated. This could be thick or thin, depending on your personal preference. Mix the mysore masala in a quarter cup of cooked lentils then add to the remaining lentils along with salt to taste. For tamarind sauce, mix the tamarind paste in one cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables and cook till the they are tender. Place the lentils on heat and add the tamarind sauce with the vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer for three to four minutes to marry the

102

Purba: Feasts from the East

flavours of the spices and the tamarind sauce. Take off the heat and season with sorisa baghara.

Panasa Dalma—jackfruit with lentils Jackfruit is an exotic tropical vegetable. The following is a recipe for the green (not ripe) jackfruit. It is a very difficult vergetable to handle and can leave stubborn stains on anything it encounters such as your clothes. After use, knives can be a horrible mess if proper precautions are not taken. For the timid, use the canned jackfruit (again, not the ripe yellow ones!). For braver souls, which I am sure you are, get prepared for the following challenge: Generously oil your knives with any cooking oil. Now, make sure the knife doesn’t slip from your hands. Peel the hard, knotty layer off the jackfruit very carefully. Now you see why all this oil was necessary—it’s all this uncalled-for fruit juice. You may even oil you hands at this point but be careful with the knife. Chop the jackfruit into one-inch cubes and submerge them in plenty of water to avoid oxidation. If the seeds are mature (hence, tough), remove them and keep them aside for later use. If you are using a pressure cooker for this recipe, refer to the general section on using a pressure cooker. 1 cup cubed jackfruit ½ cup muga dali 2 small potatoes, peeled and halved 1 recipe sorisa baghara (see page 93) 1 tablespoon roasted and powdered jeera salt to taste

Laxmi Parida

103

Dry roast the muga dali on a skillet till fragrant—about three minutes. This prevents the cooked lentils from becoming sticky. Pressure cook the muga dali and vegetables with turmeric and salt to taste in three cups water till done. The lentils should be all cooked up and disintegrated but the vegetables should hold their shape (about seven minutes in a pressure cooker). Make a sorisa-rasuna baghara and sprinkle with roasted jeera powder. For a variation, you could use harad dali instead of muga dali.

Masala Dali—spicy lentils ¼ cup masoor dali ¼ cup muga dali ¼ cup harada dali a pinch of turmeric 1 recipe jeera masala (see page 91) 1 large onion, finely sliced 2 small tomatoes salt to taste 2 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon garam masala (see page 92) salt to taste Cook the lentils in plenty of water with turemeric and salt till the lentils are well disintegrated. If you are using a pressure cooker, it should take about ten minutes. If cooking in a regular pot, add the salt only after the lentils are done. In a large pan heat oil. Fry the onions till lightly browned. Add the jeera masala and fry till fragrant, then add the finely chopped tomatoes.

104

Purba: Feasts from the East

When well blended, add the cooked lentils and mix. When well blended, take it off the heat and sprinkle garam masala on top.

4—Tarkari / Jhola Tarkari is a generic term for vegetables or meat in gravy. The gravy may be thick or thin, in abundance or in paucity, spicy or bland. In the following section, we cover recipes that broadly fall under this category. The closest English term for jhola that I know is gravy. This is a class of entrees with a generous amount of jhola. This jhola is often thin, unlike the thick gravy/sauces associated with Mughlai cooking. The thin-ness of the jhola makes it light on the palate and demands expertise on the part of the cook to raise it to a level distinct from water!

Sajana Chuin Tarkari—drumstick curry Drumsticks (not to be mistaken with chickens!) are the beans of a very typical Indian tree, most of whose parts are delectable delights. Available in Indian grocery stores as “drumsticks”. 4 drumsticks, destringed and chopped into 3-inch pieces 2 small potatoes cut into one-eighths (quartered and then each quarter is further halved) 1 recipe sorisa masala (see page 90) salt to taste 1 tablespoon oil

Laxmi Parida

105

Prepare the drumstick by chopping of the edges and de-stringing them as you would string beans. Peel off any stubborn strings. The tender drumsticks are almost stringless. Chop them and keep them submerged in plenty of water. Heat the oil, then add the potatoes and drumsticks. Stir-fry this till very lightly browned. Add the sorisa masala, with salt to taste and about a cup water, and cover. Cook till the vegetables are tender. You may have to adjust the amount of water, depending on the drumsticks and the potatoes. The tarkari has some moisture which you can adjust, depending on your taste.

Anda Masala—spicy eggs 2 large hard-boiled eggs, halved 1 recipe jeera masala (see page 91) 1 large potato, cubed salt to taste oil for frying dhania patra to garnish Heat three tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Add the eggs and blister the albumen (white) surface to a light crunchy golden brown. Drain and keep aside. In the same pan add the jeera masala and fry till aromatic. Then add the potatoes, salt to taste and enough water to cover the potatoes. Simmer till the potatoes are done. Add the blistered eggs and bring it all to a boil. Take off the heat and garnish.

106

Purba: Feasts from the East

Golia-Goli Tarkari—mish-mash Throw in as many vegetables as you can into the melting pot: the more the vegetables, the more golia-goli it is! 1 cup peeled and chopped potaotes ¼ cup peeled and chopped arvi ½ cup peeled and diced pumpkin ½ cup chopped lady’s finger ½ cup chopped eggplant ¼ cup roasted badi salt to taste 1 recipe sorisa masala (see page 90) 1 recipe rasuna phutana baghara (see page 93) 1 recipe gunda sprinkle (see page 94) Heat enough water that will completely submerge all the vegetables. Add the potatoes and arvi with salt to taste. When semi-done, add the sorisa masala and the rest of the vegetables. When this is done, then add the roasted badi. The vegetables should be just a little moist. If there is more liquid still, quickly cook off the extra mositure on high heat without burning the bottom. Season with rasuna phutana baghara and garnish with gunda sprinkle.

Dahi Olua Tarkari Olua is a strange root vegetable and can be found in Indian and Bangladeshi green grocers. This vegetable can be very successfully substituted by parsnips or celeriac root. Dahi is yogurt.

Laxmi Parida

107

1 cup peeled and diced (2 cm cube) vegetables a pinch of turmeric salt to taste 1 recipe mysore masala (see page 91) ½ cup plain yogurt 2 tablespoons oil Boil the vegetables in plenty of water, with salt to taste and a pinch of turmeric till done. Drain the excess water. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add the cooked vegetables and mix till heated through. Mix the mysore masala in yogurt and dilute with about a quarter cup of plain water. Add to the vegetables and bring to a boil.

Machcha Tarkari—fish tarkari The traditional simple tarkari is made with besara and a souring agent like tentuli (tamarind). Tentuli can be substituted with tomatoes. 4 steaks of firm white-fleshed fish, fried (see page 97) 2 potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 recipe sorisa masala (see page 90) 2 tablespoons mustard oil 1 teaspoon tentuli paste, blended in ¼ cup warm water salt to taste Heat the oil, then add the sorisa masala. Fry for a minute or so and immediately add the potatoes. Mix well, add about two cups of water and cover. When the potatoes are done, add the tentuli mix and cook for about five minutes. Make sure that you add the tentuli after the potatoes are cooked, else the tentuli will prevent the root from cooking properly. Add salt to taste and the fried fish pieces. When it comes to a

108

Purba: Feasts from the East

boil, take it off the heat. Make sure that you do not break the fish steaks. Serve hot with rice.

Sijha Ilisi—steamed shad This simple recipe will blow your mind away! In this recipe, the fish is not fried first. You could replace the shad with a fish of your choice but do not substitute the mustard oil. 4 shad steaks or fillets 1 recipe sorisa masala (see page 90) 2 tablespoons mustard oil 2 bay leaves salt to taste Mix all the ingredients gently, without breaking the fish pieces. Steam for fifteen minutes (see page 49) in a steamer. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Machcha Mahura—fish mish-mash In this recipe, leftover fish steaks or fish heads are used. It is assumed the fish heads and the steaks are already shallow fried in oil till done (see page 97). 2 cups shallow-fried and crumbled fish steaks and fish heads ½ cup channa dali 1 cup diced and boiled vegetables (potatoes, eggplants) 1 large tomato or 1 teaspoon tamarind 1 recipe sorisa masala (see page 90)

Laxmi Parida

109

1 tablespoon garam masala (see page 92) 2 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds Boil the lentils in plenty of water till just done but not disintegrating. Drain the excess water and keep aside. Heat the oil in a pan and sputter the mustard seeds. Add the crumbled fish and stir until completely heated through. Add the diced tomatoes and mix well. Next, add the sorisa masala and about a quarter cup of water and bring to a light boil. Add the cooked lentils and vegetables and mix thoroughly. When heated through, take off the heat and add the garam masala.

Mangsa Tarkari—meat tarkari This is a fancy-free tarkari: a recipe handed down from my grandmother from her urban Jamshedpur kitchen. The jhola or the gravy is thin, unlike the the thick gravy/sauces associated with Mughlai cooking. The thin-ness of the jhola makes it light on the palate and demands expertise on the part of the cook to raise it to a level distinct from water (recall from page 89 that Oriya cooking does not use a flavour-rich stock)! Garam masala adds some heat and flavour to the jhola. The meat does not have to be stew-cuts, but that is the cut usually used. Oriyas or Indians for that matter do not particularly like the idea of working on large pieces of meat at the eating table. I particularly like this recipe for its subtle flavours and simplicity—no heaps of oil and generous nut-rich spices.

110

Purba: Feasts from the East

1 lb meat in stew cuts 2 medium sized onions, quartered 2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 recipe jeera masala (see page 91) 1 tablespoon garam masala (see page 92) 2 bay leaves 4 tablespoons oil salt to taste Wash the meat and drain. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a thick-bottomed pot (or pressure cooker). Fry the quartered onions till evenly browned—let the onions hold their shape and do not attempt to break them. Drain and set aside. Fry the potatoes in the same oil until uniformly browned. Drain and set aside. Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil to the pan and fry the jeera masala till fragrant (about four minutes). Add the meat cubes and mix well. Let saute for a while, till it begins to brown. Add two cups of hot water, bay leaves, salt to taste, onions and potatoes. Cook covered (or pressure cook) till done. Mix in the garam masala.

Sijha Mangsa Tarkari—steamed meat tarkari Yet another recipe handed down from my grandmother from her urban Jamshedpur kitchen. Again, uncomplicated flavours and equally simple to pull it off! 1 lb meat (in stew cuts) 2 medium sized onions, quartered 2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 recipe jeera masala (see page 91) 1 tablespoon garam masala (see page 92)

Laxmi Parida

111

one-eighth cup chopped amruta bhanda (green papaya), ground to a paste (or 1 teaspoon meat tenderizer) 2 bay leaves 4 tablespoons oil salt to taste Wash the meat and drain. Mix in all the ingredients and blend, preferably using your hands. It is not clear why you should be using your bare hands, but I am told that’s a good thing, provided you wash your hands well after the endeavor. Place in a container and steam (see page 49). You may also steam-pressure cook (see page 89) as the meat might take longer to cook.

Green Mangsa Tarkari The following recipe is an untraditional one-pot recipe and I could not resist the temptation of adding it to this collection. It is a simple and an incredibly nice-tasting meat curry. An “unbelievable” flavour is imparted by the use of kala namak—simply translated, “black salt”. This salt is easily available in Indian grocery stores. It has a strong sulphur-like aroma which is considered a good digestive. However, when mixed with other ingredients, the aroma is mellowed and it gives off a magical flavour. This salt is a key ingredient in chaat masala and jaljeera paani [Jaf92]. The “green-ness” of the recipe comes from the coriander leaves. 1 pound cubed red meat (lamb or beef) 1 cup plain yogurt ¼ cup ghia 2 green chillies ¼ inch ginger root 4 cloves garlic

112

Purba: Feasts from the East

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 1 teaspoon garam masala (see page 92) 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds 4 cardamoms, peeled and crushed ½ teaspoon kala luna powder 1 small tomato, finely brunoised 1 teaspoon chilli powder 1 bunch coriander leaves salt to taste Grind all the ingredients, except meat, in a heavy duty blender. Mix in the meat cubes and marinate for two hours. Cook in a thick-bottomed pot till meat is fork-tender. You could also add vegetables such as cubed potatoes and quartered onions to this one-pot dish.

Mangsa Gugni—minced meat “chilli” 1 cup ground meat (see page 97) 1 large potato, chopped into 1 cm cubes ½ cup green peas 1 recipe jeera masala (see page 91) salt to taste chilli powder to heat oil to fry Fry the potatoes in oil till done. Sprinkle salt while still hot. Heat three tablespoons of oil. Add the ground meat and fry for seven minutes. Add the jeera masala and fry for another five minutes until the raw flavour of the spices is gone. Add the peas and the potatoes, with salt and chilli to taste, and mix well. You may add a quarter cup of water to give some wetness to the end product.

Laxmi Parida

113

Potala Rasa Potala is a zucchini-like vegetable I have seen only in the eastern region of India. It is about three to four inches long with large but soft seeds. A very mature potala will have hard seeds and a very unpleasant texture. This vegetable can be substituted by zuchini or summer squash. 6 potala, quartered lengthwise 1 recipe jeera masala (see page 91) 1 large potato, cubed salt to taste oil for frying dhania patra to garnish In a frying pan, shallow fry the potala and keep aside. Drain excess oil from the pan, leaving about three tablespoons of oil. Add the cubed potatoes and lightly brown them. When browned add the jeera masala and mix well for about a minute or so until aromatic. Add about a cup of water and cover to cook. When the potatoes are half done, add the potala (since it cooks faster than potatoes) and salt to taste. When done, garnish with the dhania patra.

Kakharu Sajana Saga—pumpkin with sajana greens Sajana greens are available in certain Bangladeshi grocery stores. If you ever get a chance to use these exotic greens, consider yourself lucky and relish every moment. The pumpkin needs to be the unsweet variety. The pumpkin in the following recipe can also be replaced by your favourite squash or even mirleton.

114

Purba: Feasts from the East

2 cups peeled and cubed pumpkin 2 cups sajana saga 1 teaspoon pancha phutana (see page 4) 2 whole red chilles, broken into small pieces 2 tablespoons oil salt to taste Remove the sajana leaves from the stems—the stems are inedible, it’s only the leaves that are infinitely delicious. You may sprinkle water on the leaves to avoid drying, and keep aside. Heat the oil and suptter the pancha phutana and red chillies. Add the vegetables and stir-fry till tender. You could add just a little water to aid in the cooking. When done, add the sajana saga, mix well and take off the heat immediately.

Manja Dahi—plantain stalk with yogurt one 15-inch long plantain stalk 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds a pinch of turmeric salt to taste 2 tablespoons oil ½ cup yogurt Prepare manja as for the Manja Rai recipe (page 133). Place this in a suacepan, cover with water, add salt and turmeric, and cook till manja is tender. Drain the excess water. Heat the oil, sputter the mustard seeds and add the cooked manja. Beat the yogurt until light (about two or three minutes) and blend with the manja. You may dilute with a little water (the water drained earlier) if you desire.

Laxmi Parida

115

Santula / Ghanta An amalgamation of almost unrecognizable vegetables: the ingredients lose their individual identity and adopt that one of the ghanta. This will keep you guessing as to what you are eating but will not stop you from reaching out for more. The entree of the middle-class, if done the right way would put a lot of carefully done dishes to shame. This uses a medley of vegetables, so although I give one recipe below; you may change the combination of vegetables to any that you think will go well. 2 cups of peeled and chopped potatoes, radish, carrots 1 cup of chopped pumpkin and green plantains a pinch of turmeric salt to taste 1 recipe rasuna baghara (see page 93) 1 tablespoon gunda sprinkle (see page 94) The vegetables have been separated into two categories, depending on the amount of time it takes to cook them. Heat enough water, with salt to taste, to just submerge all the chopped vegetables in a cooking pot. Add the first set of vegetables (potatoes, radish, carrots) and cook till semi-done (about ten to twelve minutes). Then add the second set of vegetables and cook till all the vegetables are done. If the vegetables dry up before being cooked, simply add more water. When done, use the rasuna baghara and the gunda sprinkle.

116

Purba: Feasts from the East

5—Bhaja This is the Oriya version of the Chinese stir-fry, with the exception that the Oriyas like all their vegetables well cooked to the point of being mushy! Hence, often water is added to cook the vegetables, but the end product is devoid of liquid and is lightly caramelized. Almost all conceivable vegetables can be made into a bhaja. Meat and fish bhaja are particularly delicious. The technique usually involves adding diced vegetables to oil and cooking the vegetables in plain water till done. In the end, some spices are added along with some more oil to lend a kick and a sheen to the final product. Adding turmeric powder (the yellow powder that imparts that indelible stain to everything that comes its way) to a bhaja is like religion. Most Indians blindly follow this religion and are relieved to learn later from systematic studies that turmeric has unique medicinal properties, and consuming it with every meal is not such a bad idea after all.

Aloo Bhaja—potato bhaja 4 large potatoes 1 teaspoon pancha phutana (see page 4) 1 green chilli, chopped finely 2 tablespoons oil a pinch of turmeric salt to taste Julienne the potatoes with the skin. Leave them sumberged in a large bowl of cold water to avoid unnecessary oxidation from exposure to air. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Sputter the pancha phutana then

Laxmi Parida

117

immediately add the chillies, stir for fifteen seconds and add the potatoes. Add salt and turmeric to taste, and mix well. Add about a quarter cup of water, and cover till the potatoes are cooked and the moisture has dried up. If the potatoes are uncooked, sprinkle some more water in and continue this process till done. Stir delicately without mushing the potatoes.

Kalara Bhaja—bittergourd / bittermelon bhaja Bittermelons can be found in Indian and even Chinese grocery stores that sell produce. The bittermelons in the Chinese stores are less bitter than the Indian ones but taste equally good. As the name suggests, the vegetable is indeed bitter. A test for adulthood is when at the dinner table you voluntarily reach out for your second helping of kalara! 4 large bittermelons 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 green chilli, chopped finely 2 tablespoons oil a pinch of turmeric salt to taste Chop the bittermelons into half-cm thick diskettes. Place these in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain the bitter juices out for about an hour or so. Squeeze out the juices, wash the bittermelons and keep aside. This process removes some bitterness of the vegetable but not entirely. The idea is to have just enough bitterness in the final product to appeal to your grown-up taste. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and sputter the mustard seeds. Immediately add the chillies, stir for fifteen seconds and then add the

118

Purba: Feasts from the East

vegetables. Add turmeric and mix well. Add about a quarter cup of water and cover till the vegetables are tender. Leave on the heat till all the moisture is dried out and the vegetables get lightly caramelized. To get the caramelization, you may do the vegetables in batches: once they are tender remove them from heat and, working on about half a cup of vegetables at a time, caramelize them in the non-stick pan for about five minutes per batch. You may add some additional oil along the sides of the pan to avoid unecessary charring.

Tentuli Kalara Bhaja—tamarind bittermelon bhaja There exist four classes of flavours that completely describe all the food on the planet: sweet, sour, bitter and salty 1. This is a unique recipe that combines all these flavours in one single recipe! The recipe is the same as the kalara bhaja, except that when the bittermelons are being cooked in water, you also add 1 tablespoon of tamarind extract and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the cooking vegetables.

Kobi Bhaja—cauliflower bhaja 1 large head of cauliflower 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 green chilli, finely chopped

1 However, according to Japanese chefs and food afficianado David Rosengarten, there is yet another elusive fifth flavour that is indescribable by the other four called umami which is brought about by the use of MSG (ajinomoto) or dashi (a japanese fish stock) or anchovies. I would even venture to add the Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce to this list.

Laxmi Parida

119

2 tablespoons oil a pinch of turmeric salt to taste Separate each floret of the cauliflower. Use fresh instead of frozen florets, as the frozen ones mush up too readily. Mix salt and turmeric with the florets and steam them in a steamer for about eight minutes, or until just about tender. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the onions until translucent, add the chillies, stir for fifteen seconds and then add the steamed florets. Stir this until very lightly caramelized. You may trickle in some extra oil along the sides if necessary.

Bandha Kobi Bhaja—cabbage bhaja 1 large head of cabbage 1 small potato, chopped into 1 cm cubes ¼ cup sweet peas 1 small onion, chopped finely 2 small tomatoes, chopped fineley (with seeds and peel) 1 green chilli, chopped finely 3 tablespoon oil 1 tablespoon cumin powder 1 tablespoon coriander powder a pinch of turmeric salt to taste Chop the cabbage finely, as for coleslaw or even finer. Wash under running water and leave to drain for ten minutes or so. Do not dry in a salad spinner, since the moisture of the washing will be used in the cooking process without requiring any further cooking medium. Heat the oil in a frying pan then fry the onions until translucent, add the

120

Purba: Feasts from the East

chillies and stir for fifteen seconds. Add the dry powder (cumin and corriander) and stir till fragrant (five to ten seconds). Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are completely soft. Next, add the potatoes, the peas and then the chopped cabbage with salt to taste. Cover this and let cook for ten minutes. If it dries up, sprinkle with some water and keep it covered till cooked. You could trickle in some extra oil along the sides if necessary.

Bean Dali Bhaja—string beans with lentil bhaja 1 cup chopped (into 1 cm long pieces) string beans ¼ cup harad dali, soaked for thirty minutes and coarsley ground ½ teaspoon mustard seeds 1 green chilli, chopped finely 2 tablespoons oil salt to taste 2 tablespoons freshly grated coconut 2 tablespoons dhania patra Heat the oil in a frying pan. Sputter the mustard seeds, add the chillies then stir for three seconds and add the beans. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of water and cover till the beans are cooked and the moisture has dried up. Add the lentils and stir till the lentils lose their raw flavour. Make sure that there is no moisture in the pan when the lentils are added, otherwise the product will get all mushed up. You could trickle in some extra oil along the sides, if necessary. Sprinkle in the grated coconut and dhania patra.

Laxmi Parida

121

Moola Bhaja—radish bhaja 3 radishes, chopped into 0.5 cm thick disks ¼ teaspoon chilli powder 1 tablespoon cumin powder 1 tablespoon coriander powder a pinch of turmeric 2 tablespoons oil salt to taste

Steam the radishes in a steamer, with turmeric and salt to taste, for seven minutes or until just tender. Heat the oil in a frying pan then add the vegetables and mix well. Add the dry powders (cumin, corriander, chilli) and mix till thoroughly blended. You could trickle in some extra oil along the sides, if necessary.

Baigana Bhaja—eggplant bhaja 3 large eggplants, chopped into 1 cm-thick discs ¼ teaspoon chilli powder a pinch of turmeric 8 tablespoons oil salt to taste Most eggplants (or aubergines) are cylindrical—the Japanese ones are thin, with cross-sections the size of a quarter or so. For this recipe, use the ones that are about two inches or more in diameter and are reasonably cylindrical rather than spherical. Leave the chopped eggplants in plenty of cold water to avoid discolouration with exposure to air. Although many European chefs advise you to peel the eggplants, most

122

Purba: Feasts from the East

Indian chefs never do so, and the skins do not pose a problem either to the palate or to the presentation. Mix all the ingredients except the oil, and leave aside for fifteen minutes or so. If the eggplants had been left submerged in cold water, they should be drained thoroughly before mixing with the other ingredients. Heat the oil in a frying pan then add the discs, pattie style, without piling one on top of another. So, add only as many of the discs the pan will accomodate, making them in batches. Sprinkle in about two tablespoons of water and cover to cook. The idea is not to dunk the eggplants in water but introduce some moisture so that they don’t burn before they are cooked. Turn them over one at a time, and lightly brown both sides.

Sajana Saga Bhaja—drumstick leaves This is a unique green with a nice, crunchy bite: the leaves of the drumstick-bearing tree. These can be found at Indian or Bangladeshi green grocers. The recipe is simple, so I shall describe it in the narrative. Take about two bunches of the greens and separate the leaves from the stem, say, as you would separate rosemary leaves from the stem. The stems are quite hard and inedible, so discard them. Heat two tablespoons of oil in an open-mouthed pan and sputter one teaspoon of mustard. Using two hands, holding greens with one and sprinkling water with the other; throw in all the greens to the pan. The entire bunch would need no more than a quarter cup water. Hence, don’t pour the water but sprinkle as you go. This sprinkling is neccessary, else the greens might burn. Stir, adding salt to taste and chilli powder to heat. This is normally done in three to four minutes.

Laxmi Parida

123

Postaka Aloo—potatoes with poppy seeds 3 medium sized waxy potatoes 4 tablespoons mustard oil 1 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds a pinch turmeric salt to taste ¼ cup water Masala: 4 tablespoons white poppy seeds (postaka) chilli powder to taste Pulse the masala ingredients in a spice grinder. Peel and dice the potatoes into 1 cm cubes. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan and sputter the mustard seeds. Add the potatoes, turmeric, salt to taste and water. Cover until the potatoes are cooked but not disintegrated. This is one recipe where the potatoes need to retain their shape. Dilute the masala in 1 tablespoon of water and add to the potatoes. Stir until well blended and all moisture is lost. Gradually pour in the remaining two tablespoons of oil along the sides, and mix.

Moola Bhaja—radish fry 4 radishes, peeled and chopped into disks 1 recipe sorisa masala (see page 90) 4 tablespoons oil salt to taste Parboil the radish disks in plenty of water and drain. Heat two tablespoons of oil. Add the radish discs and when these are heated through,

124

Purba: Feasts from the East

add the sorisa masala and stir well. When well blended and heated through, gradually pour the remaining two tablespoons of oil along the sides and mix.

Masala Baigana Bhaja—spicy eggplant fry 5 medium-sized eggplants 1 recipe mysore masala (see page 91) 6 tablespoons oil salt to taste Dice the eggplant and place in plenty of water to avoid discolouration. Remember there is no need to peel the eggplants. Heat four tablespoons of oil then add the vegetables, srinkle in about two tablespoons of water, salt to taste and cover. This should cook the eggplants. Do not add more water as this will spoil the taste of the eggplants. When the eggplants are cooked, remove the cover, add the mysore masala and stir well. When well blended and heated through, gradually pour the remaining two tablespoons of oil along the sides and mix.

Postaka Bara—poppy seed patties The poppy seeds used in most Indian recipes is the blonde variety; do not use the black ones available in supermarkets. The former is easily available in Indian or Bangladeshi grocery stores. The breadcrumbs in the following recipe is my improvisation to dilute the intense flavour of the poppy seeds for the Western palate. Thanks to the poppies, however, do not take a drug test shortly after a meal with postaka bara!

Laxmi Parida

125

¾ cup blonde poppy seeds 1 recipe jeera masala (see page 91) salt to taste ¼ cup breadcrumbs Pulse the poppy seeds in a spice grinder till completely pulverized. You may have to do this in small batches if your spice grinder is small. Mix all the ingredeints and add about three tablespoons of water to obtain a consistency that holds all ingredients together. Form this into lemonsized balls and flatten into a disc. Shallow fry these in an iron skillet (or any thick bottomed skillet) till lightly brown on both sides.

Amruta Bhanda Bhaja—papaya bhaja Papaya, like plantain, comes in two forms: the ripe yellow form which is a sweet fruit, and the green tender form which can be coaxed into this very beautiful bhaja. You have the option of deep-frying instead of shallow in the following recipe. 1 green amruta bhanda (papaya) 1 quarter cup rice, soaked for two hours salt to taste chill powder to heat oil to shallow-fry Grind the soaked rice to a paste in a blender and add the seasonings. Peel the papaya and cut it into thin slices, about one-eighth inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and steam them for about three minutes until semi-done. Delecately dip each piece in the seasoned rice paste and shallow fry till light brown. The coating is thin like a tempura, rather than a fritter.

126

Purba: Feasts from the East

6—Chakata, Bharta Chakata is the category of mashed vegetables. If the mashed entity is “re-fried” as in home-fries, it is called a bharta. Most of the seasoning ingredients in the chakata are uncooked such as the onions, oil and so on. This is reminiscient of a salad or a dip. Bharta on the other hand is very lightly caramelized or just fried chakata, depending on the main ingredient.

Aloo Chakata—mashed potaotes One of the easiest and the most heart warming recipes. An incredible flavour is lent to it by the use of mustard oil. The strong flavour of mustard oil discourages a lot of cooks from including this ingredient in their pantry, but be brave to embrace this eastern nuance fearlessly and you shall not regret it. For the western kitchen, I would also suggest trying walnut oil in place of mustard oil for reasonable (if not complete) success. 4 large waxy potatoes salt to taste ½ cup finely chopped red onions 2 green chillies, finely chopped 4 tablespoons mustard oil Cook the potatoes in plenty of water till well done, then drain and allow to cool. Peel the potatoes and mash them with a fork or a potato masher. Mix all the remaining ingredients and blend well.

Laxmi Parida

127

Aloo Bharta—fried mashed potaotes A slightly richer cousin of aloo chakata. 4 large waxy potatoes salt to taste 1 tablespoon pancha phutana 1 cup finely chopped red onions 2 green chillies, finely chopped 2 tablespoons oil Cook and mash the potatoes with salt, as in aloo chakata (previous recipe). Heat the oil and sputter the pancha phutana, add the onions and the chillies, and fry till the onions are translucent. Add the mashed potatoes and leave unstirred for about three minutes or so, till a light brown crust forms at the bottom. Mix the crust with the body of the mashed potatoes and form the brown crust again. Repeat the process until the whole mass looks lightly browned.

Kalara Chakata—mashed bittermelons I have often wondered whether this is a traditional recipe or one invented in my mother’s kitchen to satiate my father’s desire for bittermelons. Although mashed, I wouldn’t feed this to a child; this is a recipe that requires years of taste cultivating to appreciate. 4 large bittermelons salt to taste ½ cup finely chopped red onions 2 green chillies, finely chopped 4 tablespoons mustard oil

128

Purba: Feasts from the East

Cook the vegetables in plenty of water, till well done. You may pressure cook them if you so desire. Drain and allow to cool, then mash the cooked vegetables with a fork. Remove any seeds if they are too mature but you may leave tender seeds behind to add texture to the product. Mix all the remaining ingredients and blend well.

Kalara Bharta—fried mashed bittermelons 4 large bittermelons salt to taste 2 green chillies, finely chopped 2 tablespoons oil Cook and mash the vegetables with salt, as in kalara chakata (previous recipe). Heat the oil, sputter the pancha phutana and add the chillies. Add the mashed vegetables and fry for at least ten minutes, until the mashed form takes a uniform light browned colour.

Baigana Chakata—mashed eggplants The baba ghanoush [Ben84] of the East with slightly different flavourings. 2 large eggplants salt to taste ½ cup finely chopped red onions 2 green chillies, finely chopped 4 tablespoons mustard oil

Laxmi Parida

129

There are many different ways of cooking the aubergines. The simplest is to steam them for about thirty minutes or until soft but do not boil them in water. Allow to cool and scoop out the interior with a tablespoon. Yet another way is to bake them in an oven. Either oil the exterior and place on a baking sheet, or wrap in thick alumunium foil and bake them for thirty minutes or so at 350 Fahrenheit. Allow to cool and remove the skin to collect the pulpy interior. You could also grill or char the vegetables on an open flame. For this, it is essential to liberally oil the skin of the aubergines which will make the skinning process simpler. This method of cooking the aubergines also gives a very pleasant smokey flavour to the end product. Once the vegetables are cooked through, take them off the heat and allow to cool. Carefully remove the charred skin. Mix the mashed pulp with the rest of the ingredients. Either steam the vegetables or cook them in plenty of water till well done. You may pressure cook them if you so desire. Drain and allow to cool. Mash the cooked vegetables with a fork removing seeds if they are too mature. You may leave tender seeds behind to add texture to the product. Mix all the remaining ingredients and blend well. The chakata is served warm. If the chakata is to be served cold, it is advisable to drain the (bitter) juices of the aubergine after cooking it: this can be done by leaving the cooked and peeled vegetable in a colander for a few hours.

130

Purba: Feasts from the East

Baigana Bharta—fried mashed eggplants 2 large eggplants salt to taste 1 cup sliced chopped red onions 1 small tomato, finely chopped 2 green chillies, finely chopped 4 tablespoons oil 2 tablespoons finely chopped dhania patra Cook and mash the eggplants as in baigana chakata (previous recipe) and keep aside. Heat the oil, fry the onions and chilli till the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook for about three minutes. Mix in the vegetable pulp and blend well with salt. Garnish with the dhania patra. You could substitute the tomatoes with two tablespoons of yogurt in the recipe for a slightly different taste.

7—Rai This is a moderately spicy and slightly moist entree.

Poi Saga Rai Poi saga is a green which is available only in Indian or Bangladeshi green grocer. This can be substituted with any other avaliable green such as kale or spinach.

Laxmi Parida

131

2 bunches greens 1 recipe sorisa masala (see page 90) 2 small potatoes 2 small arvi (optional) salt to taste 1 recipe rasuna baghar (see page 93) 1 tablespoon freshly grated coconut (optional) Separate the leaves from the stems of the greens. The stems may be discarded or finely chopped and added to the dish. Peel and chop the vegetables, adding enough water to cover them. Add the sorisa masala, salt to taste and the green stems. When almost done, add the greens. At this stage, the vegetables should be just moist. If not, cook off the excess moisture on high heat. Do not worry about disintegrating the vegetables, since in the traditional recipe it does not matter. Season with the rasun baghara and garnish with grated coconut.

Chingudi Poi—prawns with greens Poi is a green available fresh in Bangladeshi or Indian grocery stores. However, you could substitute it with any green such as kale or spinach. 2 cups chopped greens 1 cup shallow-fried prawns (see page 97) 1 tablespoon oil (preferably mustard) 1 recipe rasuna phutana baghara (see page 93) salt to taste Separate the stems from the greens, as they take longer to cook. Wilt the greens in ¼ cup of water till tender. Typical Oriyas do not like their greens crisp, they prefer them mushy. However, you can cook them to

132

Purba: Feasts from the East

the extent you like. Also, typical Oriyas do not mind a black-green colour in their greens, however you could shock 1 your greens in icewater to retain the bright green colour. Mix in the fried prawns and salt to taste. Heat the oil in a pan, use the baghara and add the remaining mixture to it. Blend well and serve.

Sukua Rai—dried fish medley The dried fish here is the one that is salted and dried. You may use salted dried fish from the Asian market, and Portugese or Brazilian salt cod are options too. If using the latter, then follow the instructions on the packet for soaking and rehydrating the fish before use. If using the former, the fish does not need to be rehydrated. 1 cup salted dried fish pieces 1 medium potato, cut into 1 cm cubes 1 saru, peeled and cubed 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 cm cubes 1 recipe sorisa masala (see page 90) salt to taste 2 tablespoons oil Heat and fry the fish for about five minutes. Not only your neighbours, but your entire borough will know about your dinner plans by now. Add all the vegetables except the eggplants and mix well. Add the sorisa masala, stirring for a minute or two before adding about 1 cup of water and salt to taste. When it comes to a boil, add the eggplants and cook 1 Take the wilted greens straight from the cookpot and immediately submerge it in ice cold water. This stops the cooking immediately and keeps the colour bright green.

Laxmi Parida

133

till done. The eggplant is added in the end, since it cooks faster than the rest of the vegetables.

Chingudi Sukua Rai—dried prawn medley The recipe is the same as sukua rai except that here, dried prawns (shrimps) are used. I have found that dried tiny fish from Japanese grocery stores is an excellent substitute. Follow the instructions for the sukua rai (previous recipe) except that the chingudi sukua needs to be soaked in water for about thirty minutes and drained just before use.

Manja Rai—plantain stalk This is a very exotic ingredient: manja is the core of the trunk of banana tree. Yes, the trunk of a banana tree is removed annually for the tree to rejuvenate. It is milky-white in colour and has a texture similar to a fennel bulb. Manja is available in Bangladeshi grocery stores. Manja is the Indian “hearts of palm” of the South American continent. one 15-inch long plantain stalk 1 recipe sorisa masala (see page 90) 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds salt to taste 2 tablespoons oil 1 tablespoon mustard oil for flavour To prepare the manja, peel off the transparent layers including any pink sheaths. Chop into half-centimeter cubes, wash and drain.

134

Purba: Feasts from the East

Heat the oil and sputter the mustard seeds. Add the chopped manja and fry till the manja changes colour slightly then add the sorisa masala and about a cup of water with salt to taste. Cover and cool till the manja is soft. Use more water if required to cook the manja. Take off the heat and mix in the mustard oil.

Lau Rai—squash rai Lau is also known as ash gourd. This recipe goes very well with steamed rice. 1 cup lau (any kind of squash will do), brunoised into 1 cm cubes 1 recipe sorisa masala (see page 90) ¼ cup potato, brunoised into 1 cm cubes salt to taste ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds 1 tablespoon oil 1 tablespoon mustard oil for garnishing (optional) Heat the oil and sputter the mustard seeds. Add the lau, potatoes and salt to taste then add about a quarter cup water and cover to cook. When cooked but not yet mushed up, blend the sorisa masala in about a quarter cup water and add to the vegetables. Blend and bring to a light boil; then turn off the heat. Add the mustard oil for flavouring.

Laxmi Parida

135

8—Khatta / Ambila This is a sweet and sour entree, never the main entree but an accompaniment to tantalize the palate. Be warned that this is addictive, and once introduced is hard to give up.

Ambda—green mangoes in gravy 1 recipe sorisa masala (see page 90) 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds 1 dozen small green mangoes, peeled, pitted and halved 2 tablespoons sugar (or guda) salt to taste 2 tablespoons oil Heat the oil in a cooking pot. Sputter the cumin seeds, then add the sorisa masala and fry for a minute. Add the mangoes and mix well. Next, add the sugar, salt and water, then cover and cook till done. The sugar gives a sweetness to balance the sourness of the green mangoes. Depending on the sourness, you may need more or less sugar than this recipe suggests.

Machcha Khatta—sweet and sour fish Fresh water fish is usually used in Oriya cooking. However, we can use any appropriate variety as a reasonable substitute. 4 steaks of any firm-fleshed fish a pinch of turmeric

136

Purba: Feasts from the East

salt to taste 8 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds 1 teaspoon whole aniseeds 2 tablespoons guda 1 tablespoon tentuli (see page 4) Masala: 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds 2 tablespoons whole aniseeds red chillies to heat Pulse the masala ingredients in a spice grinder. Sprinkle turmeric and salt on the fish steaks. Heat six tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Shallow fry the steaks, two at a time, until lightly browned then keep aside. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan then sputter the mustard and aniseeds. Add the ground spices and fry for two minutes. Add about a cup of water and the sweet and souring agents—guda and tentuli (tamarind) respectively. Cook all of them together until well blended and the raw flavour of the the tamarind is gone—this will take about ten minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Finally, add the fried fish steaks and bring to a boil. Take off the heat quickly so that the fish steaks don’t disintegrate.

Tomato Khatta—sweet and sour tomato Tomatoes are a new world produce and are really not traditional. However, in recent decades, they have become extremely popular and go by the name bilayati baigana or “English eggplant”. Here is a simple and delicious khatta recipe.

Laxmi Parida

137

6 tomatoes, brunoised 1 recipe sorisa baghara (see page 93) 1 tablespoon guda (page 2) or sugar 3 tablespoons oil a pinch of turmeric salt to taste In a open-mouthed pan, the heat oil and sputter the mustard seeds. Add the tomatoes and stir fry till the tomatoes soften completely, adding a little water if required. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Adjust the amount of guda for sweetness and salt to taste.

Sapuri Khatta / Ambila—pineapple khatta 1 pineapple 2 or 3 curry leaves 1 teaspoon pancha phutana (page 4) 1 tablespoon tentuli or 1 ambula (page 1) ¼ cup guda (page 2) salt to taste 1 teaspoon chilli powder 1 teaspoon roasted and powdered jeera salt to taste 1 tablespoon oil Peel and chop the pineapple into one-inch cubes. For this recipe, do not use the sweet pineapples but the sour, unripe ones. Heat the oil, then add the curry leaves and sputter the panch phutana. Add the pineapple pieces and stir fry then add about 2 cups of water and cook till the pineapples are done. Add the tentuli, guda and heat for about

138

Purba: Feasts from the East

five minutes till the raw flavour is gone. Add the salt and the seasoning ingredients, adjusting the seasonings to taste.

9—Chatani Chatani is what is known in the west as chutney. However, in the west chutney is a spicy preserve of mixed ingredients, mainly fruits. In Oriya meals, chatani is yet another accompaniment to the main course. It is almost synonymous with “crushed” ingredients.

Rasuna Chatani—garlic chutney A very garlicky but delicious accompaniment to deep fried snacks like aloo chop or to the main course. 6 large cloves of garlic, peeled ¼ cup peanuts, roasted and coarsley crushed juice of half a lemon salt to taste chilli powder to heat Crush the garlic and lightly mix all the ingredients thoroughly.

Chinabadam Chatani—peanut chutney An accompaniment to the main course.

Laxmi Parida

139

¼ cup peanuts, roasted and coarsley crushed 1 pod garlic (optional) salt to taste chilli powder to heat Mix all ingredients throughly.

Piaja Chatani—onion chutney 4 medium onions, brunoised 1 small tomato, finely chopped 1 tablespoon biri dali 3 or 4 curry leaves 2 dried red whole chillies salt to taste 1 teaspoon tentuli (see page 4) 2 tablespoons oil Heat the oil, then add the lentils and the curry leaves. When fragrant, add the red chillies and then the onions and brown them. Next, add the chopped tomatoes and stir till everything is well cooked and blended. Take off the heat and pulse in a grinder adding the tamarind. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Chapter 7—The Delicate Art of Sun-Drying What do Indians do with all that sun? Well, instead of tanning ourselves chocolate brown, we use it to dehydrate or sun-dry food. Dehydrating has been a well known food processing technique for a long time across all cultures. The traditional method has been to use the sun’s powerful rays to dehydrate the objects at hand. This usually involves drying the material on a flat surface outside in the sun from early noon to dusk and then bringing it in to a dry interior spot to avoid any wetness due to fog or dew drops. This process may be repeated for a few days until done. There is a subtle difference between the merciless rays of summer sun and the mild caressing rays of winter sun. The former is used for something stronger like amba sadha or mango “jerky” (a-la beef jerky of the American mid-west) and the latter for delicate badis. Of course, I am talking about the weather in India, particularly Orissa. This may not apply to Minnesota or Montreal. A modern kitchen has the convenience of a dehydrator right on the kitchen counter or in an isolated corner in the basement. The recipes that call for dehydrating in this collection has been tried out using the dehydrator. Alternatively, if you have a temperature-sensitive oven (with a working thermostat, so that it does not raise the tempretature of the oven unduly), you could set it at 175 Fahrenheit to use as a dehydrator. 140

Laxmi Parida

141

1—Badi—sun-dried lentil morsels Badi: little sun-dried lentil morsels. These usually keep in a jar for at least six months. You could also find these ready made at Indian grocery stores. The current generation has become too busy to invest in this time consuming process. However, if the adventurer in you is hard to suppress, you could try the following recipes, all of which I participated in and also watched my grandmother make.

Phoolbadi—sun-dried lentil morsels This takes about four or five mildly sunny days to prepare. Once ready, they can be stored in air-tight containers for about a year. You could use a dehydrator instead of sun-drying. 1 cup biri dali salt to taste Soak the biri dali in plenty of water overnight, then pulse it in a blender with little water till smooth. Next, beat it with a spatula till light—so that a tablespoon of the batter floats instead of sinking. This step is extremely important to avoid making hard little pebbles instead of badi. Use the cover of a Chinese bamboo steamer or kula to place the morsels for drying. I would advise against using metal sheet pans or baking sheets, since the metal heats faster and might slightly cook the badi instead of sun-drying it. Oil the bamboo surface generously then place teaspoonfuls of the batter about one inch apart from each other. Sundry it for a day. At the end of the day, the badi should be all dried up.

142

Purba: Feasts from the East

Peel the badi off the bamboo surface and place them in a porcelein container. For the next three days, sun dry the badi in this container.

Pani Kakharu Badi—sun-dried lentil-ash gourd morsels This is a variation of the phoolbadi (see the earlier recipe). Peel and grate one medium sized ash gourd. Once the lentils (biri dali) are beaten to a light consistency, fold in the grated ash gourd and proceed as before. You may also add about a tablespoon of whole cumin seeds to the batter for a spicy variation.

Manji Badi—sun-dried lentil-seed morsels This is another variation of the phoolbadi, like the pani kakharu badi, but using ash gourd seeds instead of the grated vegetables. Some further seasoning ingredients, 1 tablespoon grated onion, 1 teaspoon chilli powder and 1 tablespoon whole cumin seed, may be added to the batter.

Badi Chura—crushed badi 1 cup badi 3 tablespoons oil ½ oinion brunoised 1 green chilli, finely chopped salt to taste Heat a thick-bottomed skillet then roast the badi till fragrant and lightly browned. Add the oil over the badi till all the oil is absorbed. Take off

Laxmi Parida

143

the heat and crush in a pestle and mortar, or crush lightly in a coffee grinder. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.

2—Achara—Pickles Achara is the Oriya/Indian word for pickles. However, it is quite distinct from pickling cucumbers (also know as just pickles to most Americans). Indian achara, most often, is very strongly spiced with an oil medium that functions as the primary preservative. Achara is not one of Orissa’s strongest culinary contributions. Perhaps its meager presence in a typical Oriya meal is a silent tribute to the flavourful entrees that don’t require being agumented by the spicy, tongue-numbing achara. In fact, for a long time I felt positively insulted if my guests reached for the achara, which I took as an indication of something lacking in my painstakingly prepared meal! However, I have evolved and now give achara the respect it deserves in a meal. Achara accompanies the main course in extremely small amounts— about one tablespoon per serving. It takes a lot of cultivating just to endure it, never mind enjoy it. I must warn that it is not for the western palate and I have seen western food afficianados who relish the chakuli, the manda pitha and the sukua rai, unable to fathom the mysterious achara.

A—Basics of Making Achara To put it in other words, achara can be described as fruits or vegetables preserved over a long period of time in an embalming medium. So, one of the key challenges is to make sure that this preserve is not a victim of

144

Purba: Feasts from the East

bacteria and mold spores from the air. Once you have learned how to deal with that, you are home free since the interesting spices that you use will do the rest of the job for you. Here are a few basic steps that will set you in the path of a good achara maker 1: Raw materials: Choose fresh vegetables or fruits. Spices are no disguise for decaying or otherwise flavourless raw materials. Jars and bottles: Every jar, bottle, cap or even ladles being used must be sterilized. Sterilize them by leaving them for at least ten to fifteen minutes in plenty of boiling water. Remove them using tongs and drain so that all the moisture is gone. This is a very important step to discourage micro-organisms from pillaging your achara. Spices: It is preferable that you get whole spices and powder them fresh. This is a precaution I am willing to overlook, if I trust my spice powder source. Oil: It is mainly oil that is the preserving agent of your achara. Most Oriya achara is made in mustard oil. Again, avoid using rancid oil. Heat your oil and cool completely before using in the achara. Normally, the achara making procedure involves filling the jars with the spiced vegetables and then pouring the oil into the jars. When you do so, leave at least one to two inches of space from the top and then fill the oil almost to the top.

1 My grandmother believes that a good acharamaker is born not made: just as some people have green-fingers others have achara-hands. And the scientist in us wonders: is there an achara-gene somewhere in that three billion base human DNA?

Laxmi Parida

145

Caring for the achara: Achara is delicate, so handle it with love and care. Do not use your fingers, or even a spoon that you have used for something else. In my mother’s kitchen, if a spoon had been accidentally placed on someone’s plate, it is never used to scoop out more achara from the jar. I agree some of these steps are excessive and perhaps behind times. But, I would certainly discourage you from pouring any unused achara back into its original jar. If there is any sign of mold or fungus on the achara, you are probably better off discarding the whole jar than attempting a rescue it by scooping out the spoilt portion.

B—Acharas from an Oriya Kitchen Baby Mango Pickle Use green baby mangoes for this achara. An extremely simple recipe. 10 cups baby mangoes 1 cup kosher salt Mix the two ingredients, after crushing the salt. Place in a jar, cover tightly and rest undisturbed for at least two whole days.

Masala Amba Achara—No. 1—spicy mango pickle Use green unripe mangoes for achara.

146

Purba: Feasts from the East

12 green mangoes, peeled, cored and quartered ¼ cup salt 5 recipes sorisa masala (see page 90) ¼ cup guda (molasses) (see page 4) enough mustard oil Smear the mangoes with the salt. This might seem like a lot of salt, and it is. The job of the salt is to draw out the water from the mangoes. Using a flat surface such as a baking tray, spread the salted mangoes out on the tray and dehdydrate in the sun for a day. Bring the mangoes in at sundown and drain out the excess water. This automatically removes the extra salt as well. Dry them out in the sun for another day. Alternatively, you could use the dehydrator to dry the mangoes until no visible moisture remains—approximately about twelve to eighteen hours, depending on the weather conditions. Mix the guda and the sorisa masala. Blend in well with the processed mangoes. Stack the mangoes loosely in the sterilized jar. Pour in enough oil to be about one inch from the surface. Now, cover the jar by tying a teacloth at its mouth, held in place by a butcher’s cord or a plain old rubber band. This jar has to be placed in the sun for about seven to eight days. Remember to bring the jar in at sundown, and mix with a clean sterilized spoon everyday. After this, remove the teacloth cover and secure tight with the jar lid. This is ready to be consumed and will keep unrefrigerated at least for three months. A dehydrator is not of much use once the goods are in the jar. I would suggest that you use the sun for the second phase. But if that is not possible, you could just seal with the lid and leave the jar in a warm place in the kitchen, such as the oven or the microwave (both turned off). Check

Laxmi Parida

147

for done-ness by testing the mangoes for softness. Softening of the mangoes is a good indication that the achara is ready.

Masala Amba Achara—No. 2—spicy mango pickle This one uses whole spices and can be made totally indoors. However, I would suggest that if you have access to a sun-drenched porch, leave it in the sun for at least a day. 5 cups green mango cubes a pinch turmeric one-eighth cup whole jeera one-eighth cup whole pan mahuri (see page 3) one-eighth cup whole methi seeds (see page 3) one-eighth cup whole kala jeera (see page 3) one-eighth cup whole mustard seeds ¼ cup kala luna powder (see page 3) ¼ cup chilli powder enough mustard oil Peel and core the green mangoes. Then chop them into approximately one inch cubes. This should measure up to five cups. Mix all the spices and the mangoes. Place in a jar. Fill with mustard oil. See page 143 for neccessary details. The achara is ready to consume in a week.

Baigana Achara—eggplant pickle A slightly unusual pickle, but who said an Oriya cook is not adventerous?

148

Purba: Feasts from the East

6 large eggplants 2 tablespoons tentuli paste (see page 4) 1 cup vinegar ¼ cup whole jeera ¼ cup whole kala jeera (see page 3) ¼ cup whole mustard seeds ¼ cup whole methi (see page 3) ¼ cup whole pana mahuri (see page 3) ¼ cup whole red chillies salt to taste enough mustard oil Peel and cut the eggplants into long slices about two inches long and about an inch thick. Parboil and drain. Sun-dry the pieces till moisture is lost—about four hours. Mix vinegar, tentuli and salt and rub the eggplant pieces with this. Sun-dry for another five to six hours. Dry-roast all the whole spices separately in a hot skillet, and crush to a powder. Mix with the eggplant pieces, then place in a jar. Heat the oil, allow to cool, fill the jar with oil (see page 143 for neccessary details) and rest for at least two days before using.

Saru Achara—alocasia / taro pickle Not a pickle one’s grandmother normally makes, but nevertheless seen in a daring kitchen. ½ lb saru 1 tablespoon vinegar salt to taste 2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds

Laxmi Parida

149

1 tablespoon peppercorn, crushed 1 tablespoon jeera, roasted and powdered enough mustard oil Blanch the alocasia in water, with the vinegar added to it. Peel and chop into one-inch cubes. Spread out and dry the pieces till the excess moisture is lost. Mix all the spices with the saru and sun-dry in the jar for a day. Next day, heat the oil, allow to cool and add to the saru pieces to stand about 1 inch above the surface. Sun-dry for about five more days before using. (Also, see page 143 for neccessary details.)

3—Assorted Sun-Drying Products Rice Balls These are dehydrated rice balls that are deep fried just before serving. 1 cup rice ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds salt to taste Cook rice in four cups water and baking soda till the water is absorbed. Mix in salt without crshing the rice grains. The consistency should be such that little balls of rice of one inch diameter can be made out of the cooked rice. Dehydrate in a dehdrator for up to twenty four hours or until completely dry (if dropped on a hard surface it “clunks” rather than “plops”). See page 140 for details on dehydrating. Store in a dry

150

Purba: Feasts from the East

and air-proof container. Deep fry these balls before serving. The balls double in size while frying—the baking soda in the rice assists in this increase in volume.

Ambula—dried mango This is the Oriya substitute for amchoor or mango powder and is used as a souring agent in most recipes. 4 cups small green mangoes ¼ cup kosher salt 4 cups water ½ cup buttermilk ¼ teaspoon methi powder (see page 3) ½ teaspoon chilli powder ½ teaspoon jeera powder (see page 2) Peel and de-seed the mangoes, then quarter them. Dissolve the salt in water and soak the mangoes overnight. Drain and save the salted water. Lay out the mango pieces on a flat sheet and sun dry or use the dehydrator. Again, soak them in salted water and repeat the process for about four days, or four cycles, till the mangoes are all dried up. Mix all the dried spices with the buttermilk. Mix in just about enough buttermilk with the mango pieces, till very little adheres to the pieces. Store in air tight jar and leave the jar in the sun for at least two days. Ambula is now ready for use.

Laxmi Parida

151

Amba Sadha—mango candy? This translates to rotting mangoes! Actually, no “rotting” or bacterial action is called for. It is a predominantly dehydrating process that concentrates the flavour and changes the consistency of the fruit pulp to that of a soft candy. You could use a dehydrator for this purpose, if you ever were beguiled by the infommercials and now a proud owner of one such device. However, in the absence of the device, simply use solar energy. This can be served to indulge yourself as in the case of candies, but the surprising sweet-sour tangy flavour goes well with pakhala too (see page 80). Since this is a dehydrating recipe, the best quality mangoes are generally not used. Normally, pulpier mangoes are used that are not amenable to chopping and serving. However, you can use any type of mangoes you wish. If using the soft puply mango, pierce the stalk end of the fruit and squeeze the juice out through this orifice. If your mango is firmer, peel and grate the pulp. The candy has layers, and this is achieved by adding the pulp one day at a time. If using twelve mangoes, use four a day as follows. For the remainder I shall use the word “surface” to mean a cookie sheet or a stainless steel plate if you are planning to dry in the sun, and the appropriate base if you are using your dehydrator. Notice that in the dehydrator, the heat comes from the bottom which is a slight problem since the new layers each day are added on the top. We will mitigate this to a certain extent by flipping the sadha every day. If you are drying in the sun, no flipping is called for.

152

Purba: Feasts from the East

Day 1: Get the pulp from the first batch (four mangoes). Grease the surface with oil. Pour the pulp and spread evenly on this surface. Dry for 24 hours. Day 2: Get the pulp from the second batch (four mangoes). If using the dehydrator, carefully flip the dried pulp, but skip the flipping if drying in the sun. Pour this pulp on top of the previous day’s pulp. Dry for 24 hours. Day 3: Get the pulp from the third batch (four mangoes). If using the dehydrator, carefully flip the dried pulp but skip the flipping if drying in the sun. Pour this pulp on top of the previous day’s pulp. Dry for a 24 hours. Day 4: Dry for the whole day. If using a dehydrator, flip in the middle of the day. If using a dehydrator, also take extra care to see that it does not over-dry. Chop the sadha into squares, individually wrap in plastic wrap and store.

Chapter 8—Mitha—Seductive Sweets Oriya cuisine has a whole family of sweets called mithas. These are not quite desserts, and they are snacks all by themselves. An Oriya high tea will have a large number of mithas on the menu, along with some from the jalakhia class. An Oriya, like other fellow Indians, likes mithas cloyingly sweet. The good thing about making mithas at home is that you can control the sweetness to meet your taste, health or dietetic needs. An Oriya diluted by external culture and taste is likely to find most of the recipes in this chapter acceptable, whereas the Western palate might prefer to further reduce the sweetness in the recipes 1. Let me also add that the mithas (except perhaps for kheeri and rabdi) are the most difficult of the recipes. So, this chapter is perhaps the most challenging of all. There are basically two kinds of sweets based on the ingredients: (1) Sweets based on milk, or its derivatives khoya and/or chena. (2) Sweets based on wheat and/or lentils. The latter are sweets based on flour, chick-pea flour, muga dali, semolina and so on. Lots of the sweets are based on chena (freshly made cheese) and khoya (reduced milk) which are time consuming processes. Khoya can be

1 Only those recipes where the mixture is being set in a sugar syrup medium, it might be difficult to adjust the sweetness since the sugar amount is critical in getting the setting consistency (as in a fudge). 153

154

Purba: Feasts from the East

made in advance and refrigerated for weeks without destroying your recipes. Most of the chena-based recipes work only when the chena is fresh, and I would recommend not disregarding this note. Sometimes the chena is recalcitrant, like “bad hair days”, and at others it is most obedient. I do not understand this phenomenon very well (humidity? temperature? ozone?) and will not venture to present a theory. All I say is do good deeds, be kind to your neighbours and your chena will be kind to you!

Handling milk To heat milk, use non-reactive, thick-bottomed pans. Make no compromises on this. Also, stir milk with wooden spoons. Keep these spoons just to handle milk, since wood absorbs the flavours and any washing does not rid it of the odours or stains. You don’t want your milk smelling of prosciutto or garlic! Use a flat-bottomed pan, rather than a kerai-bottomed or wok-bottomed. This will help you in keeping track of the volume of milk while it heats. If the recipe calls for reducing the milk by half, stand the stirrer touching the bottom and mark the level of the milk at the very start. Cook until the level of the milk falls to half the marked level.

1—Making Khoya, Chena Chena Chena is home made cheese, closest in the Western pantry is the Italian ricotta cheese. Be careful when you substitute chena with the Italian

Laxmi Parida

155

cheese: look for explicit instructions in the recipe. This is also called paneer in the northern part of India. It can be easily made at home if you are willing to make the effort. To make chena, heat 1.75 litres of milk to a scalding point. Keep a careful watch since milk has this reputation of easily boiling over onto the burners, leaving a burning stink and a mess. By Oriya customs, it is inauspicious to have boiled over milk in the kitchen! Next, we need to add some splitting agent: about 3 to 4 tablespoons white vinegar, or sour yogurt, or lemon juice. Continue heating for a few minutes, till the solids separate and the liquid is almost clear—if this does not happen in three minutes or so and it continues to look milky, you may add a little more of your splitting agent at this point. Cover the mouth of a large pan (whose capacity is well over 1.75 litres) with two layers of cheese cloth. Pour the split milk into this pan slowly and very carefully, so that the cheese cloth traps the solids. Tie up the cheese cloth into a comfortable bundle and suspend it from a height so that gravity does the work for you and extracts the rest of the liquid/whey from the chena. This should take about two hours. If your kitchen is fairly humid, this little bundle can stay unharmed up to eight hours. But most homes are fairly dry and it is not uncommon to find a thick, almost cooked, top layer of chena. In case that happens, peel off the outer layers until you reach the soft interior. Wrap tightly in aluminium foil to avoid further damage. Some of the delicate recipes call for kneading the chena. Chena is a bundle of tiny granules, and the idea behind kneading is to break up these granules. You can work on your countertop or on a large flat surface. Keep the heap of chena in front of you, on the near side of the counter. Take a small portion, and using the heel of your palm, pulverize the granules and leave this softer, mushed chena at the far side of the counter. Do this to the rest of the chena, until the whole lot is on the far side of the counter. Now the chena should be very soft and pliable. If

156

Purba: Feasts from the East

you are unhappy, repeat the process. An easy alternative is to run it in a blender. If you do so, make sure that the water content of the chena is near zero, otherwise you will end up with a chena smoothie unfit for further use!

Khoya Khoya is reduced milk, reduced to the extent that it is almost doughy. This can be substituted, quite successfully, by dehydrated milk or milk powder. If the milk is fat-free, do add some fresh cream to compensate for the loss of the good milk constituents. To make khoya, heat about ten cups of whole milk (or 2% milk) in a thick-bottomed. deep pot, preferably with a non-stick surface. It is important that you use a heavy pot for this, since this allows uniform heating and avoids undue burning. Bring the milk to a boil and then simmer on medium heat for about ninety minutes to two hours, stirring frequently. The milk will rise, so a deep pot prevents boiling over. Also, stir the solids from the bottom and the sides of the pan. It is done when the milk is reduced to a doughy mass. This will yield about two cups of khoya. Khoya (also referred to as mawa) is normally available at dairies in India. Sometimes a good relationship with your local milkperson helps. You could use “milk-mawa powder” available in certain ethnic Indian grocery stores1 instead of khoya in the following recipes.

1 One such source is www.kalustiyan.com.

Laxmi Parida

157

2—All about Rosogullas What is it? A rosogulla is a ball of cheese steeped in sugar syrup, usually consumed as a snack or a dessert. This is simplicity at its peak, yet is one of the most exotic desserts from Eastern India. Quite surprisingly, this little ball of sheer delight was invented only about a hundred years ago, by a master Gudiya (sweet chef) Lallu Prasad [Par94]. I hail from the eastern state of Orissa in India and it’s no coincidence that I think the best rosogullas are found in the little sweet shops lining the highways in Orissa.

Making your own The easiest way to serve rosogullas is to buy a tin of rosogullas from the local Indian grocery store. The canned ones are not so bad. However, making your own rosogullas is quite satisfying, once you have mastered the knack of getting it right. One of the primary reasons, I have learnt, why most people go to great lengths to make dishes from scratch is to impress friends. Rosogulla is a show-stealer, that I promise! 1.75 litres milk 3-4 tablespoons souring agent (white vinegar) 2 cups sugar 5 cups water Make and knead the chena as described in page 154. Divide into 18 portions: mould them into balls using the palm of your hand. Keep aside.

158

Purba: Feasts from the East

Heat sugar and water. Once the sugar is dissolved, gently add the chena balls and poach for about fifteen minutes until the balls are puffed and soft. Make sure that the syrup does not thicken: it needs to be thin for this recipe.

Rosogulla FAQ 1: Why does my rosogulla break in the syrup? The common belief is that excess fat in the cheese breaks the rosogulla, however I have had no evidence of this factor with this problem. I have tried rosogullas with varying degree of fat content without having this problem. The usual reason for the shattering of the rosogulla is that the microgranules of the cheese are too large and it fails to bind the mass together. The solution is to knead the cheese well. Mash it with the heel of your palm—this is what the professionals do. You could also run the cheese in your blender. 2: Why is my rosogulla a disc instead of a sphere? The cheese was too watery! You should have drained your cheese a little longer. But you know what? The discs are equally great! Split them and use some softened cream as a spread. Ever heard of malai sandwiches sold in Bombay sweet shops? This would be close to that. 3: Why does my rosogulla c-r-u-n-c-h? The rosogulla needs to be steeped in syrup, from head to toe! Keep this in mind while storing them, the balls should be fully submerged in the

Laxmi Parida

159

syrup. If you think you don’t have enough syrup, serve the rosogullas from the bottom of your container first; this way the starving ones from the top get to bathe in the syrup, preferrably for at least for fifteen minutes before they are served. 4: Can I use baking powder to soften rosogullas? Texture is one of the most important aspects of a good rosogulla—not too hard, yet not too soft either. A good rosogulla provides slight, so very slight, resistence when bitten into. A not-so-careful use of a rising agent like baking powder may soften it too much but if that’s the way you like it, go for it! There is a recipe for rosogullas with baking powder, that I have tested and tasted. I have adapted the technique of poaching sweet dumplings. The trick is to poach it on a very slow heat, while weighing the rosogullas down with an inverted plate so that they stay fully submerged in the syrup.

A—Rosogullas in Disguise It’s hard to believe that one could get tired of eating rosogullas in its native form, nevertheless here are some ideas. Once you master the skill of dealing with chena, you can turn out as many varieties of sweets as Hollywood turns out movies. Different sources (books, gudiyas or Oriya sweet chefs) give such slight differences in the recipes that I did not think they merited mentioning. If you are making the following sweets at home, follow the basic rosogulla recipe with the little modifications. I guarantee that you will have “sweet” success.

160

Purba: Feasts from the East

Tofu Rosogulla You can substitute chena with tofu for the lactose intolerant. Tofu is fermented bean paste and one of the major contributions to food from East Asia. Tofu is an excellent source of plant protien, and the word literally means “rotting beans”! For rosogullas, use the very firm variety of tofu. The silken, or the less firm ones do not work well. Proceed the same way as for chena rosogulla. However, you might want to flavour the syrup with some rose water to disguise any other unexpected flavours. These rosogullas are really good too.

Chamcham These are flat rosogullas. Instead of making spherical ball, flatten the balls into ellipses or roll into cylinders.

Rajbhog These are larger rosogullas, having a diameter of about 1½ inches. There is also a slight difference in texture as some khoya is mixed with the chena for the rosogulla. For about two cups chena, add half a cup of khoya and follow the basic rosogulla recipe (page 157).

Kamalabhog These are orange coloured rajbhogs (yes!). You could add a little bit of orange colour or saffron to the chena-khoya mixture to make the balls.

Laxmi Parida

161

Kheeri Mohan, Malai Sandwich This is a stuffed rosogulla. The stuffing is made as follows: Mix onequarter cup of khoya with 2 tablespoons of finely powdered sugar and half teaspoon of rose essence. Take a rosogulla (which can also be made into a cube rather than a sphere to aid in the sandwiching process), slice into two pieces, spread one teaspoon of the filling and sandwich with the other piece.

Kheeri Kadamba This is a coated rosogulla. As one friend describes it, this takes you by a little surprise—you start with a kheer-like coating and then you discover a rosogulla within. To make the coating, use about two cups of chena for a dozen rosogullas. Mash the chena, add one quarter cup of sugar and heat on a thickbottomed pan for about five minutes till the sugar is all blended. You may flavour this with some rose essence. Take off the heat and divide into twelve portions, one for each rosogulla. Make a little disc, place the rosogulla in the center and shape the coating into a ball. Roll in khoya and it is ready to serve.

Rasamali There are different ways of making rasamalai; one route is the rosogulla way. Most rasamalais served in restaurants are disc-shaped but some home made ones are spherical too. What’s in a shape, after all?

162

Purba: Feasts from the East

6 rosogullas enough milk to submerge the rosogullas 2 cups of milk 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons each of slivered pistachio and almonds Squeeze out the sugar syrup and soak the rosogullas in the milk, enough to completely submerge the balls, for an hour. Heat the 2 cups of milk till it is reduced to 1¼ cups. Add the sugar. Drop the milk-soaked rosogullas into the reduced milk and cook for two minutes. Serve chilled garnished with slivers of pistachio and almonds.

Kheerisagar An exotic milk pudding with floating balls of cheese. It is made just as the rasmalais are, except use much smaller spheres of rosogullas (about one inch in diameter).

3—Jilipi I took the longest number of iterations to get a ‘distant-close’ to a good jilipi. So don’t be fooled if the roadside vendor or the halwai at a party makes it look as easy as a stroll in the park. The jilipi making process roughly resembles the Italian funnel cake so far as deep frying the batter in swirls is considered. But isn’t the funnel cake sometimes successfully made by a high school teenager while he or she is not flipping burgers for that extra little money. Unlike the funnel cake, where even the gourmet versions are resonably free style, the jilipi

Laxmi Parida

163

takes very distinctive signature shapes of either the austere swirl or the very intricately formed loops of the imarthi [Par94]. Well, what’s in a shape if the taste does indeed remind you of the breakfast you had in boarding school in Rajasthan (a northwestern state in India). But if the batter is not just right, the taste will only remind you of the endless food experiments at a New York University housing in Manhattan (an island in northeastern USA). What makes the jilipi making a little hard to master (or mistress) is to get the “sustained” light crunchiness even days later. The batter is fermented; so over-fermentation makes it too soft and subsequently soggy, and under-fermentation makes it crispy like sopapillas. The trick I learnt is that to add just a little fermenting agent, such as natural yogurt, to the batter and patiently leave it undisturbed in a cool and preferably dark place for at least two whole days. The batter is ever so lightly fermented, lending the illusive sourness to the final product—it is tantalizingly there and yet not there. It is like falling in love, you can only experience it yet not precisely describe it. The other little trick is about how long the jilipi is steeped in the syrup. The correct answer is just about five to ten minutes. The jilipis are rescued from the ocean of syrup and left in their final resting place, a mundane tupperware container or an exquisite glass platter. 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon natural yogurt 1 cup sugar 1½ cups water oil for deep frying

164

Purba: Feasts from the East

Mix the yogurt with the flour and add sufficient water to make a mixture of pancake batter consistency. Leave it covered and undisturbed for about forty eight hours in a cool, dry place, but not a refrigerator. After this process, the batter should look lightly fermented. If it looks overfermented due to some reason such as excessive heat or overzealous yogurt, you may commit the sin of adding about a tablespoon of rice flour to the batter. What the bacteria steal from you in terms of crispness, you can reintroduce with some rice powder. Make a “one-thread consistency” syrup: heat the sugar and water, then test doneness by bravely squeezing a drop between the thumb and forefinger, and quickly separating the two fingers. If a single thread forms between the fingers, then the syrup is ready. If underdone, no thread forms and if overdone then more than one-thread forms. For the former, heat the syrup a little longer, and for the latter dilute it with a little more water then continue to heat it. Keep the syrup ready and warm. Meanwhile, heat the oil to about 400 Fahrenheit. Using a squirt bottle, a funnel or an icing bag, force the batter in swirls to about three inches in diameter. Fry on both sides till uniformly light golden in colour. Dunk into warm syrup for about five to ten minutes, then remove from the syrup and keep aside.

4—The Arduous Art of Making Barfis, Ladoos In this section, we cover those sweets that take some magical shapes like balls or squares when set. These are a tricky family of preparations, since they almost need the preciseness of making candies. If unequipped with a candy thermometer, you may still achieve “sweet

Laxmi Parida

165

chef ” glory by following the simple procedures and checks in the next few paragraphs. Sweets that need to be moulded or set and cut into different shapes need to be cooked in a setting medium. Usually the setting medium is a syrup—sugar syrup or sometimes simply guda. Here, the medium is cooked until certain points called soft ball or hard ball consistency. When the syrup drop, dropped in cold water forms a soft, malleable ball, the syrup has attained soft ball consistency, and when it forms a hard solid ball, it has attained a hard ball consistency. Note that if the syrup has not attained the right consistency, it will just disintegrate in the cold water without holding its shape.

A—Sugar Syrup Consistencies There is yet another class of consistency checks: one-thread, two-thread and three-thread consistency. As the syrup is cooked, it moves from one- to two- to three-thread consistency (and onto forming sheet rocks if not appropriately checked). This test is a more challenging to check since you need to handle the hot syrup while it is hot! Take a bit of the syrup in a spoon, invoke the appropriate Gods with the appropriate mantra, dip your forefinger in the syrup and (using your thumb of the same hand) quickly join and separate the two. If a single thread of syrup stretches between the two fingers as you separate them, you have reached the one-thread consistency and so on. If the syrup has not yet attained the right consistency, no thread forms and the syrup is “loose”.

B—Moulding Sweets/ Setting Barfis Most of the laddoos are made by wetting your plams and using them to make the balls. However, I have a simpler approach to this which is

166

Purba: Feasts from the East

a little more time consuming, but easier on your palms. Cut squares of alumunium foil and lay them out on your working surface. Place the right amount of the sweet in each square and mould the foil into a ball, making sure the contents are tight and will hold. Allow to cool and peel off the outer alumunium foil. For most barfis, which involve cutting when set, the right consistency is attained by cooking everything together and checking for the right consistency by cooling a teaspoonful for final consistency. For these kind of sweets use a heavy-bottomed pan. This is very important since a lot of cooking and stirring is involved, and if you stop to scratch your nose on a slim-bottomed pan, it might just burn the barfi. Another trick is to add ghia (lots of it) to the barfi, which helps set it and makes it extravagantly rich and decadent. But if you are not used to the flavour of ghia, it might take some taste cultivating to relish the barfis. When the barfi has reached the required consistency, pour out onto a baking sheet and spread till about an inch thick. Press tight using another baking sheet. This makes the barfi compact and hold its shape. Refrigerate to help in setting. The laddoos can be stored in jars for at least a week. You may refrigerate them for a longer life but the moisture in the refrigerator may affect the texture of the laddoos. Barfis, particularly the soft ones, need to be refrigerated immediately.

Rasi Laddoo—sesame balls 2 cups white (peeled) sesame seeds 1 cup grated fresh coconut 1 cup guda (see page 2) a pinch of salt

Laxmi Parida

167

Roast the sesame seeds on a hot skillet for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Since the amount of sesame seeds is large, roast them in batches and keep aside. Heat the guda in a thick-bottomed pot. Keep stirring till a soft ball consistency is attained. Add a pinch of salt, mix well, then add the sesame seeds and the fresh coconut. Take off the heat and mix well. Wet your hands and while it’s still warm, make balls about 1½ inches in diameter. Let them set and then store in containers.

Besan Laddoo—chick-pea balls This is not a typical Oriya sweet, but its simplicity and awesome taste appeals to me. 1 cup besan ¼ cup powdered sugar ¾ cup ghia (see page 2) 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds Roast the besan on a skillet till fragrant. Using a thick-bottomed pan, add the sugar to the besan and mix till well blended. Add the cardamom seeds and ghia, and cook till it can hold its shape. Take off the heat. Dip your hands in cold water and make balls about 1½ inches in diameter. Leave them to set.

Choorma Laddoo—wheat balls 1 cup whole wheat flour ghia for deep frying (see page 2) ¾ cup sugar 3 crushed cardamoms

168

Purba: Feasts from the East

Make a dough out of wheat flour and water. Make lemon-sized balls, then flatten them into discs. Deep fry these discs in ghia until golden brown, and drain. Make sure that you get hard discs (and not soft like flat bread poori). See page 5 for details on how to achieve this. Break the discs into pieces, and powder using a spice mill. Add the sugar and the cardamoms, and heat in a thick-bottomed pan until well blended. Make into balls with your palms while it’s still warm.

Magaj Laddoo—royal chick-pea flour balls Not a traditional Oriya sweet, this simple ball of sheer delight has a large Oriya following nevertheless. 2 cups besan (chick-pea flour) 5 tablespoons ghia (see page 2) ¼ cup sugar 3 crushed cardamoms Rub two tablespoons of ghia in the besan, until it resembles bread crumbs, and set aside for an hour or so. These little beads (or crumbs) are called magaj. Heat the remaining ghia, roast the crumbled besan until pleasantly aromatic (five minutes or so), add the sugar and cardamom, and mix till well blended. Form into balls while still warm, wetting your palms as you go.

Boondi Laddoo—superballs of tiny chick-pea balls Boondi is a tiny ball of about a quarter inch in diameter, made of chickpea flour. Boondi laddoo is a bigger ball made of these tiny little balls, held together by hardened sugar syrup.

Laxmi Parida

169

This is a slightly difficult recipe, as the balls may not be very well behaved. A few attempts will make you better at it. Nevertheless, each attmept will give rise to extremely palatable products! 2 cups besan (chick-pea flour) 1 cup sugar 2 cups water oil for frying Make a medium thick batter of besan and water and let sit for about an hour. Make a sugar syrup of the sugar and water till a two-thread consistency is attained (see page 165). Keep the syrup warm on an extremely low flame or an electric based warmer. Make sure the consistency of the syrup does not change. You may also place the syrup in a double boiler. You need a perforated spoon or a boondi jhara to make boondis. The latter is an industrial boondi maker, the former is perfectly fine for a domestic cook. Heat the oil for deep frying. Hold the perforated spoon using your left hand over the hot oil and pour about two tablespoons of batter on this spoon with your right hand. Press down with a flat spoon so that little balls fall of batter fall into the oil 1. These cook quickly, so be careful about overcooking the balls. Drain them for a minute or so and then drop the in the sugar syrup. The perforated spoon will get clogged with the batter soon and will need to be cleaned after five iterations or so. I would recommend using two spoons, one to drop the batter drops and the other to drain the fried drops. This way you don’t have to dunk a damp spoon in hot oil.

1 This is similar to making the German spatzle over boiling water.

170

Purba: Feasts from the East

While the syrup is warm, make the balls with your palm. If the balls don’t hold, that is fine too. What you have is mitha boondi or sweet boondi. The reason the balls may not hold is that the syrup was too thin or too little in quantity. Although the given proportions of the ingredients should work, sometimes depending on the humidity etc, the amount of syrup required may be more or less. It is a good idea to check if enough boondi is dropped into the syrup as you proceed. If the amount is such that every little drop is just about coated in syrup, you should start making the individual balls.

Darbesh—rich boondi ladoo This is a small variation of the the boondi laddoo. To the two cups besan, you add a quarter cup of rice flour and a quarter cup of khoya, and make your batter. Proceed as for boondi laddoo, increasing the sugar in the sugar syrup by one-eighth cup.

Muga Barfi—mung squares 2 cups muga dali 3 cups milk 1 cup sugar 1 cup ghia (see page 2) Soak the muga dali overnight. Grind to a fine paste using milk. Heat one cup of ghia in a thick-bottomed pan, add the ground lentils and make it uniformly golden brown. Add the remaining milk, sugar and cook till the right consistency (sets when a teaspoon of it is cooled). Add the remaining ghia, mixing well. Follow the instructions for pouring onto a baking sheet and allowing to set. Cut into diamonds when set.

Laxmi Parida

171

Nadia Barfi—coconut squares There are many variations to this, my favourite is the one that uses milk. A less richer version is obtained by substituting milk with water. 3 cups freshly grated coconut 2 cups milk 1 cup sugar In a thick bottomed pan, heat the coconut and sugar till the sugar is all melted. Add the ghia and very lightly toast the coconut. Add the milk and cook till a barfi-consistency is attained. Follow the instructions for pouring it onto a baking sheet and allowing to set (see page 165). Cut into squares when set.

Kaju Barfi—cashew nut squares 2 cups unsalted cashewnuts 1 cup sugar 1 cup water Lightly dry roast the cashew nuts, without letting them turn brown. Immediately powder in a spice grinder till finely ground. If you let the nuts sit around, they may absorb moisture and become difficult to grind. Make a one-thread consistency syrup with the sugar and water (see page 165 on syrup making). Stir in the powdered nuts, mixing well. Set on a greased cookie sheet and cut into diamonds (again, see page 165 for setting and cutting).

172

Purba: Feasts from the East

5—Peda, Sandesh These are milk based moulded sweets. The difference between peda and sandesh is merely technical. Peda is based on khoya, hence stores well. Sandesh is made primarily from chena, sometimes with a smattering of khoya. It does not store well because of the chena content, so it must be refrigerated. The recipes here require a peda or sandesh mould. The way the mould works is like a cookie stamp. Grease the mould, preferably with some inoffensive greasing agent, such as ghia. Make a little disc of the peda or sandesh and press against the greased mould, so that the intricate design of the mould is transferred to the sweet. The moulds can be round, oval, fish-like, bird-like or any creative shape you can lay your hands on. As you can see the shape is purely decorative, so do not be disheartened if you can not stumble on any mould. You can make plain discs or squares.

Peda—milk-based khoya sweet My first memories of these wonderful delights are little discs stacked like quarters, sold in batches of ten or twelve at long-distance train stations. This was my most exquisite ”candy” as a child. 2 cups khoya (see page 156) ¼ cup sugar 2 crushed cardamom

Laxmi Parida

173

Heat the khoya and sugar in a thick-bottomed pan until well-blended and thick—for about eight to ten minutes. Add the crushed cardamom and mix well. Divide into twelve portions and press into the peda moulds. You may use some milk powder to help make the mixture more pliable and easier to handle. The difficulty in these sweets is to get it to the right consistency so that it holds. For an experimentor, it is quite okay to take the aid of some foreign dehydrated milk. I am told that the commercial peda is quite “watered down”, with all-purpose flour cleverly thrown in.

Kesara Peda—saffron peda This is a slight variation of the white peda recipe which takes on a yellow-orange colour. This is obtained by the addition of a pinch of saffron, dissolved in about two tablespoons of milk to the khoya of the peda recipe.

Sandesh—No. 1—milk-based chena sweet 2 cups chena (see page 154) ½ cup sugar 2 crushed cardamom Knead the chena well until a smooth texture is obtained (see page 155 on kneading chena). Add the sugar and heat on a thick-bottomed pot until it’s a little dry and it can hold its shape—about twelve to fifteen minutes. Keep stirring continuously to avoid sticking. Take it off the heat and continue to stir while adding the cardamom. Once the mixture has cooled enough to be handled, divide into sixteen portions and press into a sandesh mould.

174

Purba: Feasts from the East

The challenging aspect of this recipe is to stir it continuously. You may intermittently take it off the heat to make sure the bottom does not brown. You can afford to over-dry the mixture but do not under-dry it. If the latter happens you will not be able to press into moulds. If the former (over-dry) occurs, you could still coax the mixture by adding some milk powder without a disastrous outcome.

Sandesh—No. 2—milk-based chena sweet This is a variation of the sandesh that also uses khoya in the recipe. 2 cups chena (see page 154) ¾ cup sugar ½ cup khoya (see page 156) 2 crushed cardamom Knead the chena well until a smooth texture is obtained (see page 155 on kneading chena). Add the sugar and the khoya, and heat on a thickbottomed pot until a little dry and it can hold its shape—about twelve to fifteen minutes. Keep stirring continuously to avoid sticking. Take it off the heat and continue to stir while adding the cardamom. Once the mixture has cooled enough to be handled, divide into sixteen portions and press them into a sandesh mould.

Sijha Sandesh—steamed sandesh The word steaming works like magic. It has recently become synonymous with healthy, perhaps because it normally replaces notorious deep oil frying. Sijha sandesh, quite mistakenly, is touted as a “healthy” sweet. I have no qualms about its claim to good health. Sijha sandesh has a distinctive recipe and taste.

Laxmi Parida

175

1 cup chena (see page 154) 4 cups milk 1 cup sugar 4 crushed cardamom Heat the milk and cook till reduced to two cups. Knead the chena well; while making this chena, you can afford to have it a little more moist or watery than for other recipes. Mix in the sugar, the chena, the reduced milk and the cardamoms, and heat lightly till blended. Steam in individual moulds or a large mould for about thirty minutes or until set (see page 49 on steaming). If steamed in a large mould, cut into squares or diamonds and serve.

6—Kheeri, Rabdi These are milk-based sweets with a thick, soupy consistency. These are served chilled, and only sometimes warm.

Kheeri—rice pudding Kheeri, by default, is rice based. It is easy to make and quite delicious. 4 cups whole (or 2%) milk ¼ cup fine long-grained rice (such as basmati) ¾ cup sugar 1 tablespoon gua ghia (see page 2) 2 bay leaves a pinch saffron

176

Purba: Feasts from the East

Clean the rice and mix the ghia with the grains, and set aside. Heat the milk, bringing it to a boil. Reduce the heat then add the rice and bay leaves. Cook stirring and keeping a watch so that the milk does not boil over before the rice is cooked (not al dente please, really soft). Add the sugar and cook till melted and blended. Finally, add the saffron. You may serve this warm, although it also tastes good when served chill. You may also add a quarter cup of nuts (such as cashews) and raisins (¼ cup) rehydrated in water for about fifteen minutes. You could garnish each serving with powdered pistachio.

Chena Kheeri ½ cup chena (see page 154) 4 cups milk ¾ cup sugar 4 crushed pistachios a pinch saffron Reduce the milk to half its original volume (about 2 cups). Knead the chena (see page 155), then add the sugar and cook till dissolved. You have the option of kneading the chena to little granules or to a fine paste. Add the crushed chena along with the nuts and saffron dissolved in a little warm milk. Cook till blended—about four minutes.

Sooji Kheeri, Mohan Bhoga—semolina kheeri 4 cups whole (or 2%) milk ½ cup sooji (semolina or cream of wheat) ¾ cup sugar a pinch saffron

Laxmi Parida

177

Dry roast the sooji till fragrant on a hot skillet—about five minutes. Reduce the milk to about two cups. Add the sooji and stir for about five minute, or until the semolina is all fluffed. Mix in the sugar and the saffron. The kheeri has a smooth texture and is not very thick. Serve hot or chilled.

Sabudana Kheeri—sago kheeri Sago are tiny tapioca balls found in the supermarkets along with barley and such. 4 cups whole (or 2%) milk ¼ cup sabudana ¾ cup sugar a pinch saffron Wash the sago in plenty of water. Empty them onto a colander and leave to drain for about thirty minutes. The sabudana “grains” plump by soaking in the water. Do not leave them floating in the water, as they will turn into a gooey mass. Reduce the milk to about two cups, add the plumped sago grains and cook for about four minutes. Add the sugar and the saffron, then blend. Serve hot.

Kamala Kheeri—orange kheeri It is not very common to see fruit-based kheeri, but they are a wonderful concoction.

178

Purba: Feasts from the East

4 cups whole (or 2%) milk 2 fresh sweet oranges ¾ cup sugar Use oranges that are not too sour. Peel the oranges, remove the skin, the pips and the seeds till only the orange pulp remains. Handle gently so as not to crush them and keep aside. Reduce the milk to about threefourths of a cup. Blend in the sugar then take off the heat and allow to cool. Mix in the orange pulp and serve chilled. Do not cook the milk with the oranges, as the acid in the orange might split the milk. Note: do not substitute the oranges with orange juice.

Amba Kheeri—mango kheeri 4 cups whole (or 2%) milk 1 cup mango pulp ¾ cup sugar Use fresh and sweet mangoes. Peel and pass them through a grater to obtain the pulp. If the pulp is fibrous, pass it through a strainer. Follow the recipe as for the kamala kheeri, substituting the mango for the orange pulp.

7—Malpua Malpuas are a class of sweets where a poori like disc is steeped in syrup. This can be a decadent breakfast or an equally indulgent snack.

Laxmi Parida

179

Malpua Discs: 1 cup flour ¼ cup plain yogurt one-eighth teaspoon baking soda 4 crushed cardamom ghia for shallow frying Syrup: 1 cup sugar 1 cup water Make a syrup of one-thread consistency (see page 165) with the sugar and water and keep aside. Make a thick batter of all the disc ingredients except the ghia. Make little pancakes (see page 56) about 2½ inches in diameter on a thick skillet. Dip them in the sugar syrup and remove immediately. Serve hot or cold.

Sooji Malpua—semolina malpua Discs: ¼ cup flour 1 cup sooji ¼ cup plain yogurt 5 crushed whole pepper oil for deep frying Syrup: 1 cup sugar 1 cup water

180

Purba: Feasts from the East

Make a syrup of one-thread consistency (see page 165) with the sugar and water and keep aside. Soak the semolina in yogurt and let sit for at least an hour. Make a thick batter by mixing all disc ingredients except for the oil. Deep fry in the oil, a ladle at a time (see page 5) until very light golden brown. Drain, then dip them in the sugar syrup and remove immediately.

Dudha Malpua—milk malpua Discs: 6 cups milk ¼ cup flour 5 crushed whole peppers ghia for deep frying Syrup: 1 cup sugar 1 cup water Make a syrup of one-thread consistency (see page 165) with the sugar and water and keep aside. Heat the milk and reduce to about 1½ cups. Note: if this is too time consuming, use condensed milk instead. Be careful on the sweetness though, since the condensed milk is already very sweet. Make a thick batter by adding all disc ingredients except the ghia. Deep fry in ghia, a ladle at a time (see page 5) until very light golden brown. Drain, then dip them in the sugar syrup and remove immediately. Serve hot or cold.

Laxmi Parida

181

8—Halwa Sooji Halwa—semolina, or cream of wheat halwa This recipe is a tad different from what you might have seen or been told. Normally, the sooji is roasted and then keep aside, and then the halwa process begins. I have combined the two to make it easier on the cook without compromising any flavour. I can say that with some confidence, since I had this friend who swore by the sooji halwa his mother made (I am sure by the traditional, time consuming way) but when I served him my halwa, he was ready to do my groceries for the next six months! 1 cup sooji (see page 4) 2 tablespoons gua ghia (see page 2) ¼ cup sugar one-eighth cup crushed cashew nuts 2½ cups water Bring the water to a boil and keep it simmering. In a thick-bottomed pan, roast the sooji till fragrant, add the sugar and mix well. Mix in the nuts and add the hot water to it. Contuinue to mix, then turn off the heat, cover and let it rest for five minutes. Mix in the ghia while still warm. You can pour this onto a cookie sheet to about one inch thick and cut into cubes when cold. The halwa can also be served in a pudding consistency. To achieve this, increase the water to three and half cups water. Serve this warm.

182

Purba: Feasts from the East

9—Others Pantua Also known as gulab jamuns in the rest of the country. These are balls of “goodness of milk”, deep fried and steeped in a sugar syrup. They could be served warm or cold. 1 cup chena (see page 154) ½ cup khoya (see page 156) 2 tablespoons flour one-eighth teaspoon baking soda 4 crushed cardamoms 1 cup sugar 1 cup water oil for deep frying Make the two-thread consistency sugar syrup (see page 165). Rub the soda in the flour. Knead the chena, khoya and the flour together till very smooth. This is the most laborious part, and I would suggest you expend the most energy at this step. Divide into fifteen smooth, spherical balls and deep fry (see page 5) until golden brown. Drain the balls and steep them in the warm sugar syrup for at least four hours before serving.

Pantua in-a-hurry This is a good recipe and works as well as the original.

Laxmi Parida

183

1 cup milk powder one-eighth cup flour 2 tablespoons ghia (see page 2) or oil one-eighth teaspoon baking soda tablespoons yogurt oil for deep frying 1 cup sugar 1 cup water Make a smooth dough out of the first five ingredients. Knead well and divide into fifteen balls. Make a syrup of the sugar and water, and keep it on a low fire. Deep fry the balls till a golden brown (see page 5) then drain them. Drop the balls into the syrup and poach them, covered, until they are plumped—for about seven minutes.

Alootua—sweet potato balls I had earned Siropani’s (see page 191) respect because I once converted humble sweet potatoes into this very respectable and delicious sweet. Little did he know that I tapped into this age-old recipe to impress my folks. These are pantua made of sweet potatoes instead of chena-khoya. Boil the sweet potatoes in water, skin and mash them until smooth, removing fibers if any. Follow the recipe for pantua, replacing the chena and khoya with the mashed sweet potato (1½ cups by volume). You may also rub in 1 tablespoon of gua ghia into the mashed sweet potatoes.

184

Purba: Feasts from the East

Kala Jamun These are dark versions of the pantua. The commercial ones also are bicoloured in the sense that inside the outer dark spherical shell is a red coloured ball. In your recipe, you can do this by dividing the dough into two and colouring one red. Make the shell from the first part and place a red ball from the second in the center. Follow the recipe for pantua, except that the balls are re-fried: fry the balls as in the recipe and drain. Fry them again until the outer layer is dark. Then proceed as before, steeping them in sugar syrup.

Chena Jilipi 1 cup chena (see page 154) 1 cup khoya (see page 156) a pinch of cooking soda 3 crushed cardamoms ghia (see page 2) for frying 1 cup sugar 1 cup water Make one-thread consistency sugar syrup (page 165) and keep it aside. Mix and knead the chena and khoya mixture, until very smooth and it holds together. If it does not hold together, you may mix in about one tablespoon all-purpose flour. Mix in the soda and the crushed cardamom and blend well. Heat the ghia for deep frying. Divide into twenty portions and roll each portion into a long cylinder about one centimeter in diameter. On a flat surface, twist these long cylinders into swirls. Slide these swirls, one at a time, into the hot ghia and deep fry them until very lightly browned. Dip them in the syrup, steep for about two minutes and remove.

Laxmi Parida

185

As a variation, you could replace the khoya with the same amount of chena.

Chena Poda Although this recipe calls for chena, it is a little more forgiving than the others. So, you can successfully replace the freshly made chena with ricotta cheese. Once you have been introduced to this, you will forget even New York’s best cheesecakes 1. This is a cheesecake for the divine! 4 cups chena ( page 154) or ricotta cheese 1 cup sugar ¼ cup water 4 crushed cardamoms Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Make a sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar in water and heating for abour five minutes. Blend the cheese and the sugar syrup, then add the cardamoms. Pour into a lightly greased cake pan and bake for 30 minutes, then broil it for about five minutes to brown the top. As a variation, you may sprinkle some brown sugar on top of the baked cheese and caramelize the sugar by broiling it a la creme brulee.

Mitha Gaja This is a sweet gaja. (see page 10 for the usual savory gaja) Make the gaja without the kala jeera. In a thick bottomed pan, heat 1 cup sugar and ½ 1 There is indeed an Italian cheese cake which might be a match for chena poda.

186

Purba: Feasts from the East

cup water till the sugar dissolves. Add all the gaja and blend till each is thinly coated with the sugar syrup. Take off the heat and allow to cool. Once cool, the syrup will harden and stick to the gajas. Store in jars. This will stay at least for two weeks but may turn rancid if stored too long.

Mitha Singada This is a sweet singada. (see page 6 for the usual savory singada) The stuffing is replaced by something sweet: a barfi, a dollop of halwa, a quarter of pantua, a rosogulla, or anything that suits your fancy. The sweet singada is rolled in powdered sugar or briefly steeped in a onethread consistent sugar (page 165).

Labanga Lata This is like the mitha sangada, except that each casing is a circlar disc, at the center of which you place the sweet stuffing, wrap the four edges (flaps) around it one at a time until the stuffing is completely wrapped, and secure the flaps with a clove, or labanga. (see Figure 9.A) Fry as in mitha singada and steep in syrup.

Laxmi Parida

187

Figure 9.A: The steps for making Labanga Lata. Step 1: Roll out a disc of one-eighth inch thickness from the dough and place the stuffing in the center. Step 2: Fold the flap along te dashed line shown, covering the stuffing. Step 3: Fold the other two flaps as shown. Step 4: Fold the remaining flap to obtain a tight packet and secure with a clove.

Pheni, Khaja This is my mother’s favourite recipe. This was made only on very special occassions, such as when the juniors in the family behaved and my mother decided we deserved a treat! This is also one of the prime offering at the Jaggannath Temple in Puri.

188

Purba: Feasts from the East

This is the “rough-puff ” pastry of Orissa. The layeres of the pastry are obtained by sandwiching a paste of coarsly ground rice and ghia. This offers an interesting texture as well as lightness to the final product. The similarity in the pheni and khaja recipe is so much, that I simply refer to them as one recipe. Pheni is oblong in shape, while khaja is mostly circular. 2 cups flour 4 tablespoons ghia (see page 2) a dash of salt 4 crushed cardamoms 8 tablespoons coarsly ground rice grains 3 tablespoons gua ghia ghia for frying Syrup: 1 cup sugar 1 cup water Make a three-thread consistency syrup (see page 165) with the sugar and water and keep aside. Make the layering cream by rubbing the gua ghia into the rice flour. Rub four tablespoons of ghia into the flour, making a soft dough while adding salt, cardamom and lukewarm water. Rest the dough for an hour. Divide the dough into six portions; roll each into equal sized discs (rooti) about one-eighth of an inch thick and keep these aside. Layer as follows: Place a rooti on the rolling surface. Smear the rice-ghia paste. Place the second rooti on top. Continue smearing and placing rooti till all the six are used. Now, carefully roll this thick rooti into a cylinder and cut into one-inch wide slices.

Laxmi Parida

189

Take each slice and flatten it out. Roll them into an oblong for pheni, or a disc for khaja. Deep fry (page 5) them in ghia till golden brown then steep briefly in the sugar syrup and remove. Leave to dry, the sugar syrup will dry on the pheni/khaja.

Rasa Bara—lentil balls in syrup Bara: 1 cup biri dali (see page 2) ½ teaspoon baking soda 4 crushed cardamoms ghia for deep frying Rasa: 1 cup sugar 1 cup water Make a one-thread consistency syrup with sugar and water (see page 165). Soak the lentils overnight in plenty of water. Drain and grind to a fine paste in a heavy duty blender. Mix in the baking soda and beat until a spoonful floats in water instead of sinking. Mix in the crushed cardamoms. Heat the ghia then drop a ladleful of batter and deep-fry it (see page 5) until light golden brown. Steep the baras in the syrup.

Mitha Gaintha—rice balls in milk A rustic sweet: reminds you of the sticky rice sweets of the Far East. 1 cup rice powder 2 cups water

190

Purba: Feasts from the East

3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon gua ghia (optional, see page 2) 4 crushed cardamoms Milk syrup: 2 cups milk sugar to taste a pinch of crushed pistachio Heat the milk and sugar till the sugar is well dissolved, and the milk is reduced by about ten percent. Keep this warm. I have not specified the sugar, since it is up to you as to how sweet you want this syrup to be. I would recommend six teaspoon of sugar for a medium sweetness. Flavour the milk with the pistachios. To make the rice balls: do the janta with the rice in water. See page 51 for the janta or batter-steaming technique. Use sugar and the cardamom in the water. Once the steaming is done, you may mix in the gua ghia. This is optional and do it only if you like the flavour. When the batter cools, make a little ball, flatten and drop it in the milk syrup. Allow to cool and serve.

Chapter 9—East Meets Far East Which is the most popular cuisine on this planet? Undoubtedly, Chinese. One of the reasons why every nook and corner of the world you are likely to find a popular Chinese restaurant is its versatility and adaptability to the local cuisine. French cuisine, in spite of its exalted state in the West, is far from popular in a predominantly vegetarian India, with its predisposition to exotic spices. But Chinese cuisine triumphs, hands down. I had this Spanish friend who really loved Chinese food while in Madrid then was appalled, on a trip to Beijing, to find the Chinese having destroyed their own cuisine in their very own motherland! Yes, every country has its own genre of Chinese cuisine that the locals fall in love with and so does India: “Gobi Manchurian” is an Indian-Chinese cauliflower dish attributed to Manchurians. In the following pages, I have collected a few Indian-Chinese recipes through my parents’ very own personal chef—Siropani. I can vouch for the authenticity, since Siropani also worked in various restaurants outside the home kitchen. These are not recipes handed down from mother to daughter, father to son, or taught at any culinary school, but secrets transimitted from one street corner restaurant to another in some mysterious way.

Siropani’s Trinity Siropani is extremely popular with my parents’ friends. He is often borrowed for special feastly occassions, where his fan club grows as he 191

192

Purba: Feasts from the East

invariably shines. After years of studying him with my scientific mind, I concluded that his secret to success is his use of the trinity 1: 1. Soy sauce (2 tablespoons), 2. Chilli sauce (1 tablespoon or less), and, 3. Tomato ketchup (1 tablespoon). You migh think it would be better to be caught using Worcestershire sauce instead of tomato ketchup in any recipe. But trust me, give this a try and you shall be a different person!

Chicken Soup A very simple soup but good enough to steal your heart. 1 lb. chicken pieces, of your choice 1 bay leaf 1 large onion, coarsly chopped 2 whole cardamoms 2 cloves salt to taste 1 recipe rasuna baghara (see page 93) 1 recipe Siropani’s trinity (optional) Place all the ingredients except the garlic and trinity sauce in 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer till the chicken is

1 Unfortunately, other greats have preceded Siropani and the folklore trinity for Southern (US) cuisine is (1) onions, (2) bell pepper, and (3) celery and the French trinity is (1) onions, (2) carrots, and (3) celery.

Laxmi Parida

193

done. Allow to cool. De-bone the chicken and chop it into fine pieces. Strain the liquid and skim any excess fat. If the chicken pieces had no fat, you’ll have much less to skim now. Add the chicken pieces to the liquid for a chunky soup. For the Chinese-Indian touch, use the trinity if you desire and simmer for two to three minutes. Do the rasuna baghara, serve piping hot.

Siropani’s Tomato Soup 6 large tomatoes ¼ inch ada (ginger root) 2 pods garlic salt to taste 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon oil 2 tablespoons butter 4 cups water 1 recipe Siropani’s trinity Very finely chop the tomatoes (you could leave the skin on). Crush the ginger and garlic. Heat the oil and fry the crushed ginger and garlic, then add tomatoes, salt and trinity. Fry till the tomatoes are totally crushed. Add water and cook for about ten minutes then strain. Make a slurry of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water. Add the butter and the cornstarch slurry to the soup, and heat till thickened to the desired consistency. Serve hot.

194

Purba: Feasts from the East

Garlic Chicken 1 lb boneless chicken 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 eggs salt to taste 2 tablespoons soy sauce oil for deep frying 2 pods garlic, crushed 2 green chillies, slit 1 onion, coarsely chopped Mix the chicken pieces with cornstarch, eggs, salt and soy sauce. Soy sauce is also considered a salting agent, so be careful about adding any additional salt. Mix all the ingredients well. Heat the oil to about 400 Fahrenheit, then deep fry the pieces till golden and drain. In a pan, heat the oil then add the crushed garlic. When fragrant, add the chillies and the onions and fry till the onions are translucent. Add about 2 tablespoons of water to de-glaze any caramelized onions and to add some moisture. This water may be replace with red wine by the adventerous, however remember that wine is as alien to Indian cooking as is asoefetida to French cooking. Add the chicken pieces and blend well.

Ginger Chicken, Chilli Chicken These are two variations of the garlic chicken. Simply replace the garlic in the recipe with a quarter inch of finely chopped ginger root for ginger chicken. Or, skip the garlic and add more two more chillies (optional) for the chilli chicken.

Laxmi Parida

195

Fish Do Piaza—fish with onions? Is this Indian-Chinese or Muglai? Not very clear. However, by definition, the technique used suggests the former but the name is reminiscent of the latter. 1 lb white firm fleshed fish or tuna, cut into small pieces 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 eggs salt to taste 2 tablespoons soy sauce oil for deep frying 2 pods garlic, crushed 2 green chillies, slit 1 onion, coarsely chopped 1 medium red tomato Mix the fish pieces with the cornstarch, eggs, salt and soy sauce. Deep fry the pieces till golden and drain. In a pan, heat the oil and add the crushed garlic. When fragrant, add the chillies and the onions and fry till the onions are translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir-fry. Add the fish pieces and mix well.

Chicken Do Piaza This is a variation of the fish do piaza, where you use tender boneless chicken pieces instead of fish.

196

Purba: Feasts from the East

Siropani’s Chow Mein 1 packet noodles (250 gm) 1 recipe Siropani’s trinity 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 carrot, peeled and julienned 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 4 tablespoons oil 1 pod garlic, crushed salt and pepper to taste Boil the noodles in plenty of water, with salt. When done, drain then toss in two tablespoons of oil and keep aside. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a kerai (a wok). Add the crushed garlic and stir till fragrant, then add the onions and vegetables, salt to taste and stir-fry till done. You may want to sprinkle in a little water to produce steam, to soften the vegetables if you like them that way—most Indians do. Add the trinity and crushed black peppercorns, mixing well. Take off the heat and mix in the noodles till well blended. Garlic in this recipe is optional. You may also use a pinch of MSG (MonoSodium Glutamate) or ajinomoto to kick up the flavour.

BIBLIOGRAPHY [AFO96] Jim Auchmutey, Melissa Farlow and Randy Olson The South The Beautiful Cookbook Collins Publishers San Fransisco CA, 1996 ISBN 0-00-225196-5 [Akh95] Parwathy Akhileswaran Southern Delights: Recipes to Remember From Palakkad India Book House Pvt. Ltd. Mahalaxmi Chambers, Bhulabhadi Desai Rd, Bombay, India, 400026, 1995 ISBN 81-85028-84-2 [Bat98] Mario Batali Simple Italian Food Clarkson Potter Publishers New York NY, 1998 ISBN 0-0609-60300-0 [Ben84] Suzy Benghait Middle Eastern Cooking Chartwell Books New Jersey, 1984 ISBN 1-55521-940-3

197

198

Purba: Feasts from the East

[Ber88] Rose Levy Beranbaum The Cake Bible Berenbaum Publishers New York NY, 1988 ISBN 0-688-04402-6 [BGB92] Rick Bayless, Deann Groen and Jean Marie Brownson Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen Simon and Schuster New York NY, 1992 ISBN 0-684-80006-3 [Cha75] Vilma Liacouras Chantiles The Food of Greece Simon and Schuster New York NY, 1975 ISBN 0-671-75096-8 [CL92] Craig Claiborne and Virginia Lee The Chinese Cookbook Harper Collins Publishers New York NY, 1992 ISBN 0-06-092261-3 [Fos83] Pearl Byrd Foster Classic American Cooking Simon and Schuster New York NY, 1983 ISBN 0-0671-53027-5

Laxmi Parida

[Hom90] Ken Hom The Taste of China Bracken Books London England, 1990 ISBN 1-85891-334-9 [Jaf92] Madhur Jaffrey The Madhur Jaffrey Cookbook Jonathan Cape Great Britain, 1992 ISBN 1-88501-268-5 [MW94] Mary Mackillop and Michelle Wortman Recipes form Morocco Oliver Books 6201 Sunset Blvd 110, Hollywood CA 90028, 1994 ISBN 1-870049-87-X [Nat98] Joan Nathan Jewish Cooking in America Random House New York NY, 1998 ISBN 0375402764 [Nat01] Joan Nathan The Foods of Israel Today Alfred A. Knopf Inc. New York NY, 2001 ISBN 0679451072

199

200

Purba: Feasts from the East

[Par94] Pramila Pramar Mithai: A Collection of Traditional Indian Sweets UBS Publishers New Delhi, India, 1994 ISBN 81-85944-88-1 [Pep76] Jaques Pepin La Technique Simon and Schuster New York NY, 1976 ISBN 0-671-79020-X [Pet91] James Peterson Sauces International Thomas Publishing New York NY, 1991 ISBN 0-442-23773-1 [Rou95] Nicole Routher The Foods of Vietnam Stewart, Tabori and Chang Broadway, New York NY, 1995 ISBN 1-55670-095-4 [SB95] Andre Soltner and Seymour Britchkvy The Lutece Cookbook Alfred A. Knopf Inc. New York NY, 1995 ISBN 0-679-42273-0

Laxmi Parida

[SD82] Veena Shroff and Vanmala Desai The Food of Greece Vickas Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Vikas House, 20/4 Industrial Area, Sahibad, India 201010, 1982 ISBN 0-7069-1719-7 [Sil96] Nancy Silverton Breads from the La Brea Bakery Villard Books New York NY, 1996 ISBN 0-679-40907-6 [SL88] Chen Shiu-Lee Japanese Cuisine Ji Hong Printing Taiwan, 1988 ISBN 0-941676-19-6 [SW84] David Scott and Surya Winata Indinesian Cookery: Recipes from Java, Bali and Other Islands Random House Australia 1984 ISBN 0-7126-5440-2 [Vez92] Diane Simone Vezza The Perfect Potato Villard Books New York NY, 1992 ISBN 0-679-74580-7

201

202

Purba: Feasts from the East

[Wol87] Paula Wolfert Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco Harper and Row Publishers Three Park Avenue, New York NY, 1987 ISBN 0-06-091396-7 [Yan90] Martin Yan Culinary Journey Through China KQED Books San Fransisco CA, 1990 ISBN 0-912333-64-2

INDEX Ingredients: ash gourd, 72, 134, 142 aubergine, 129 banana, 40, 49, 62, 96, 133 bittermelons, 117-118, 127-128 breadcrumbs, 21-22, 54, 98, 124-125 cabbage, 12, 26, 119-120 cardamom, 2, 30-31, 53, 55, 167-168, 172-175, 179, 184, 188, 190 cauliflower, 12, 26, 74-75, 84, 86, 118119, 191 cheese, xx, 2-3, 39, 80, 153-155, 157-158, 162, 185 chicken, 6, 20, 96-97, 192-195 chick-pea, 1, 12, 15, 24, 46, 48, 153, 167-169 chick-pea flour, 1, 12, 15, 46, 48, 153, 168-169 chilli powder, 3, 6-7, 12-14, 17, 20, 9091, 98, 112, 121-123, 137-139, 142, 147, 150 clarified butter, 2, 92 coconut, 3, 18, 25-26, 38-40, 52-53, 55, 57-62, 94, 100, 120, 131, 166-167, 171

coriander, 2, 11, 23-24, 71, 84, 90-91, 111-112, 119, 121 coriander leaves, 11, 23-24, 71, 111-112 corn, 42-43, 68 cream of wheat, 4, 26-27, 36, 52, 54, 176, 181 crystal sugar, 3 cumin, 2-4, 11, 18, 42, 81-82, 84, 90-91, 112, 119-121, 135-136, 142, 149 cumin powder, 2, 18, 119, 121 curry leaves, 1, 6-7, 11, 25-27, 29, 45, 82, 137, 139 dried fish, 132 drumstick, 20, 104-105, 122 egg, 21-22 eggplant, 13-14, 99, 101, 106, 121, 124, 132-133, 136, 147-148 fennel seeds, 3-4 fenugreek, 3-4 fish, 92, 95-97, 107-109, 116, 118, 132133, 135-136, 195 flattened rice, 2, 25 flour, 1, 6-8, 10, 12-13, 15-16, 19, 21-22, 36, 40-41, 43, 45-48, 51, 58, 60-61, 6469, 71, 153, 163-164, 167-170, 173, 179-180, 182-184, 188 203

204

Purba: Feasts from the East

garbanzo beans, 24 garlic, 12, 24, 90-91, 93, 97, 111, 138139, 154, 192-196 ginger, 1, 3, 12, 18-20, 29, 31, 53, 62, 8385, 90-91, 111, 193-194 green mangoes, 135, 146-147, 150 green papaya, 111 hearts of palm, 133 jackfruit, 102 lentil, 1-2, 15, 22, 33, 35, 37, 59, 83, 87, 98-99, 101, 120, 141, 189 mango, 1, 71, 140, 145, 147, 150-151, 178 meat, 61, 71, 74, 85, 89, 92, 95-98, 104, 109-112, 116 meat (ground), 87, 118, 135 millet, 47-48, 68 millet flour, 47, 68 mirleton, 113 molasses, 2, 38-39, 47, 146 mung lentils, 42, 84 mustard, 4, 6-7, 25-27, 29-30, 82-83, 90, 92-93, 95, 107-109, 114, 117, 120, 122123, 126-128, 131, 133-134, 136-137, 144, 146-149 noodles, 196 onion, 6, 12, 14-15, 18, 20, 22, 24, 27, 42, 84-85, 97, 101, 103, 118-119, 139, 142, 192, 194-196 1outer casing, 11, 34 papaya, 1, 111, 125 peanut, 138

peas, 6, 12, 23, 25-27, 84, 86, 99, 112, 119-120 pineapple, 137 plantain, 1, 19, 29, 99, 114, 125, 133 plantain stalk, 114, 133 poppy seeds, 123-125 potato, 11, 13, 15, 24, 34, 43, 59, 73, 99, 105, 112-113, 116, 119, 126, 132, 134, 183, 201 prawns, 21-22, 96, 131-133 puffed rice, 3, 98 pumpkin, 18-19, 60-62, 106, 113-115 pumpkin blossoms, 19 radish, 71, 73, 115, 121, 123 rice, 2-4, 18-19, 25, 35-41, 43, 45-47, 52, 54-57, 60-63, 76-87, 98, 108, 125, 134, 149-150, 164, 170, 175-176, 188-190 saffron, 3, 83, 160, 173, 175-177 sago, 11-12, 28-29, 177 semolina, 36, 45, 52, 54, 58, 153, 176177, 179-181 shrimp, 97 spinach, 71-72, 100, 130-131 squash, 19, 26-27, 71, 99, 113, 134 squash blossoms, 19 string beans, 23, 26, 105, 120 sweet potatoes, 59, 84, 183 tamarind, 4, 99, 101-102, 107-108, 118, 136, 139 tapioca, 4, 28, 177 tapioca balls, 4, 28, 177 tea, 2, 30-31, 153

Laxmi Parida

tomato, 24, 108, 112, 130, 136, 139, 192193, 195 vegetable, 5, 12-13, 20, 23, 34, 38, 86, 8990, 92, 99, 102, 106, 113, 117, 129-130 white lentils, 37-39 whole wheat flour, 1, 16, 64, 167 yam, 59 yogurt, 4, 11-12, 17, 41, 43, 45-48, 80, 83, 106-107, 111, 114, 130, 155, 163164, 179-180, 183

Ethnic Ingredients: ada, 1, 31, 193 aloo, 15, 43, 73, 116, 123, 126-127, 138 ambula, 1, 100-101, 137, 150 amruta bhanda, 1, 111, 125 arvi, 99, 106, 131 atta, 1, 16, 46, 60, 64, 66, 69, 72-74 badi, 1, 81, 106, 141-142 baigana, 121, 124, 128, 130, 136, 147 besan, 1, 12-15, 46, 48, 167-170 bhrusanga patra, 1, 28, 82 biri dali, 2, 15, 27, 37-39, 91, 139, 141142, 189 cha, 2, 30-32 chana dali, 30, 53-54, 91 chena, 2, 39, 153-161, 172-176, 182-185 chingudi, 21, 131, 133 chuda, 2, 25-26

205

dali, 2-3, 15, 20-22, 27, 30, 37-39, 44, 5354, 59, 83-84, 87, 91, 98-103, 108, 120, 139, 141-142, 153, 170, 189 dhania, 2, 20, 24, 29, 71, 84-85, 94, 105, 113, 120, 130 dhania patra, 2, 20, 24, 29, 71, 94, 105, 113, 120, 130 garlic, 12, 24, 90-91, 93, 97, 111, 138139, 154, 192-196 ghee, 2 ghia, 2, 5-7, 10, 27-28, 65, 68-69, 78, 8182, 84-85, 92-93, 111, 166-168, 170172, 175-176, 179-181, 183-184, 188-190 gua ghia, 2, 27, 81, 175, 181, 183, 188, 190 guda, 2, 17, 38-39, 47, 53, 55, 60-62, 135137, 146, 165-167 gujarati, 2, 55, 81 haladi, 2, 83-85, 97 harad dali, 2, 27, 83, 91, 103, 120 jeera, 2-4, 10, 17, 19-24, 82-86, 91, 94, 102-103, 105, 110, 112-113, 125, 137, 147-150, 185 jeera gunda, 2-3, 17, 20 kalara, 117-118, 127-128 kesara, 3, 173 kobi, 74, 118-119 kolatha, 2, 100-101 lanka gunda, 3, 94 lau, 72, 134 mangsa, 74, 85-86, 109-112

206

Purba: Feasts from the East

manja, 114, 133-134 methi, 3, 147-148, 150 moodi, 3 muga dali, 2-3, 59, 84, 102-103, 153, 170 nadia, 3, 18, 58, 171 pana mahuri, 3, 148 pancha phutana, 1, 4, 93, 114, 116, 127128, 137 pani kakharu, 142 peja, 4, 78-79, 82, 100-101 phutana, 1, 4, 93, 98-99, 106, 114, 116, 127-128, 131, 137 postaka, 123-124 potala, 113 potato, 11, 13, 15, 24, 34, 43, 59, 73, 99, 105, 112-113, 116, 119, 126, 132, 134, 183, 201 rasuna, 93, 98-99, 106, 115, 131, 138, 192-193 sabudana, 4, 11, 28, 177 sajana saga, 100, 113-114, 122 saru, 38, 132, 148-149 sooji, 4, 26-28, 45, 52, 54, 58, 176-177, 179, 181 sorisa, 4, 28, 90, 101-102, 104-109, 123124, 131-135, 137, 146 tentuli, 4, 17, 101, 107, 118, 136-137, 139, 148 torani, 4, 100-101 achara, 143-145, 147-148 badi, 1, 81, 106, 141-142

baghara, 90, 93, 98-103, 106, 115, 131132, 137, 192-193 besara, 92, 107 bharta, 126-128, 130 breading, 21, 24 chakata, 126-130 chatani, 138-139 cumin powder, 2, 18, 119, 121

Techniques: dehydrating, 140, 149, 151 frying fish, 97 garam masala, 22, 84-85, 92, 103-104, 109-110, 112 garnish, 3, 29, 84-85, 94, 99, 105-106, 113, 130-131, 176 ground meat, 71, 97-98, 112 gunda, 2-3, 17, 20, 83-85, 94, 99, 106, 115 janta, 51, 54-56, 60-61, 63, 190 jeera gunda, 2-3, 17, 20 jeera masala, 21-24, 85-86, 91, 103, 105, 110, 112-113, 125 jilipi making, 162-163 lanka gunda, 3, 94 making tea, 8, 45, 135 mysore masala, 91, 101, 107, 124 pakhala, 80-81, 151 pancha phutana, 1, 4, 93, 114, 116, 127128, 137

Laxmi Parida

pressure cooking, 79, 86, 88 rooti, 64-69, 98, 188 rosogulla, 157-161, 186 seasoning, 12-13, 33, 44-46, 62-63, 71, 82-83, 93-94, 100, 126, 138, 142 sorisa masala, 90, 104-109, 123-124, 131-135, 146 spices, 4, 83, 90, 92, 95, 97, 99, 102, 109, 112, 116, 136, 144, 147-150, 191 steaming batter, 51 stock, 50, 88-90, 109, 118 torani, 4, 100-101 trinity, 191-193, 196

207