Our Holi Festival in our society.

ଆମ ଭୋଜନ- ସଂସ୍କୃତି

ଏ କଥା ସତ ଯେ ଆମର ଭୋଜନ-ସଂସ୍କୃତିରେ ମହା ଭାରତୀୟ ଭୋଜନ-ସଂସ୍କୃତି ଓ ଆନ୍ତର୍ଜାତିକ ଭୋଜନ-ସଂସ୍କୃତି ମିଶି ଗଲାଣି| ଏହା କିଛି ଖରାପ କଥା ନୁହେଁ| ବରଂ ଭଲ| କିନ୍ତୁ ଦୁଃଖ ର କଥା ହେଲା ଆଧୁନିକ ଶିକ୍ଷିତ ଓଡିଆ ଓଡିଆଣିମାନେ ସେମାନଂକ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଖାଦ୍ୟ ସଂସ୍କୃତିକୁ କ୍ରମଶଃ ଭୁଲି ଗଲେଣି| ସେମାନଂକ ରନ୍ଧନଶାଳାରେ ଆଉ କାକରା, ଚିତଉ, ମଣ୍ଡା, ପୋଡପିଠା ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତ ହେଉ ନାହିଁ କି ଶାକର, ଆମ୍ବିଳ, ବେଶର, ମହୁର ରାଇତା ରନ୍ଧା ହେଉ ନାହିଁ| କାଂଜି ଆଉ କେହି ଖାଉ ନାହାନ୍ତି| ଅମାଲୁ, ମାଲପୁଆ କି ପଦାର୍ଥ ତାହା ଓଡିଆ ଓଡିଆଣି  ମାନେ କହି ପାରିବେ ନାହିଁ| ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନ ଆଧୁନିକ ଓଡିଆ ଓଡିଆଣିମାନେ  ଆଧୁନିକ ରେସ୍ତୋରାଂ ରେ ଖାଇବାକୁ ଅଧିକ ପସନ୍ଦ କରୁଛନ୍ତି| ସେମାନେ ଦକ୍ଷିଣୀ ରେସ୍ତୋରାଂ ରେ ବରଂ ଇଡଲୀ ଦୋଷା ଖାଇବେ କିନ୍ତୁ ଆମର ଏଂଡୁରୀ, ସରୁ ଚକୁଳି ତାଂକୁ ଗନ୍ଧାଇବ| ଆମ ଓଡିଆ ହୋଟେଲ୍ ରେସ୍ତୋରାଂରେ ବି ଆମର ପିଠା ପଣା ବା ତୁଣ ତରକାରୀ ଖାଇବାକୁ ମିଳିବ ନାହିଁ| ଫଳରେ ଆମ ଓଡିଆଂକ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଭୋଜନ ସଂସ୍କୃତି ଲୋପ ପାଇଆସୁଛି|

ଏହା କିନ୍ତୁ ଆଦୌ ଭଲ ଲକ୍ଷଣ ନୁହେଁ| ଭାରତବର୍ଷର ବା ପୃଥିବୀର କେଉଁ ଜାତି ନିଜର ସାଂସ୍କୃତିକ ସ୍ବତନ୍ତ୍ରତା ହରାଇ ନାହାନ୍ତି| ସଂସ୍କୃତି ର ବିଭିନ୍ନ ବିଭାବ ଭଳି ଖାଦ୍ୟ ରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଖୁବ୍ ଉଦାର ଓ ଗ୍ରହଣଶୀଳ ହେବା ଉଚିତ୍| କିନ୍ତୁ ଏହା ବୋଲି ଆମେ ଆମର ସ୍ବତନ୍ତ୍ରତା ହରାଇ ବସିବୁ କାହିଁକି? ଏହା ଘୋର ହୀନମନ୍ୟତା ଓ ଦୀନମନ୍ୟତା ମଧ୍ୟ| ଯେଉଁ ଜାତିର ସାଂସ୍କୃତିକ ସ୍ବତନ୍ତ୍ରତା ନାହିଁ ସେହି ଜାତିର ଆତ୍ମ ପରିଚୟ ମଧ୍ୟ ନାହିଁ| ଆତ୍ମ ମର୍ଯାଦା କାହୁଁ ଆସିବ?

ଆମ ଭୋଜନ- ସଂସ୍କୃତି

AARISA PITHA

 

Ingredients:

2 cups rice (chaula)

1 cup sugar (chini)

½ litre refined cooking oil (rifaain tela)

Method:

Soak the rice in water for about 2 to 3 hours. Wash it with water and then drain all the water. Keep the rice in room temperature to dry for about 2 to 3 minutes. Grind  it to make a semi-rough powder of it by using a grinder. Heat ½ cup of water and add 1 cup of sugar. As you go on stirring on medium flame, the boiling water forms a syrup. The syrup should be consistent. Slowly add 2 cups of rice powder to the syrup and stir continuously to form a batter. Take the batter in small portions and flatten the same with the help of your palms in the shape of small thick puris/ kachoris . Fry the thick puris (pithas) in oil till they become golden brown. Take them out and serve hot. The pitha also tastes great when served after cooling. A hard pitha may also be preserved in room temperature for about two weeks. (Feedbck from a visitor says that she couldn't prepare this pitha in proper manner after following the steps. The solution lies in getting the right consistency ("paga") of the dough that you get after adding sugar syrup to the rice powder. As you try again and again, experience will tell you how to reach the right consistency.)     

MANDA PITHA

Ingredients:

2 cups of crushed rice (chaula chuna)

3 cups of milk (khira)

1 cup of finely grated coconut (nadia kora)

¾ cup sugar (chini)

5-6 small cardamom (aleicha)

1 teaspoon black pepper powder (gol maricha)

salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Stuffing -

Mix finely grated coconut and sugar in a heated frying pan. Add cardamom and black pepper powder and mix thoroughly.

Pitha -

Heat milk. Add salt to the milk. Prepare dough by adding crushed rice to the boiling milk.  Stir it continuosly and boil further until you get a thick dough. Keep the dough in room temperature and knead it by adding one spoon oil to make it more soft. Form 8 to 10 balls by rolling them with the help of your palms. Flatten each ball and place the stuffing in it. Close the flattened balls after putting the stuffing and carefully give them a rounded shape again. Steam the stuffed balls for 3-4 minutes in a steamer. Put them on a sizzler plate and serve hot. It may also be seved in room temperature.

Variation:

You may also prepare another variety of Manda Pitha where semolina (suji) is used instead of crushed rice. This is known as Suji Manda. Follow the steps mentioned above. But replace 2 cups crushed rice with 2 cups of semolina. However in this case use a little more milk (say 4 cups). For another kind of Manda in which wheat-flour is used, please refer to the 'Variation' section of Kakara Pitha published elsewhere on this page.

MANDA PITHA

PODA PITHA

Ingredients:

300gm Rice (chaula)

150gm black gram - without outer skin (chopa-chhada biri)

1 cup finely scrubbed coconut (nadia kora)

10-15 small pieces of thin coconut slices (nadia khandi)

200gm sugar (chini)

50gm chopped ginger (kata ada)

½ bowl of cashew nut – broken into pieces ( khandi kaju)

1 table spoon ghee or refined oil (ghia / refain tela)

½ teaspoon salt (luna)

1 teaspoon baking powder (baking powder)

Method:

Soak the rice and black gram in water in separate bowls for about 4 hours. Wash them thoroughly. Put the black gram with water in the grinder and form a fine batter. Do the same with rice too but keep in mind that the batter should be coarse and not as fine as the batter of black gram. Mix both the batters and add coconut slices, grated coconut, chopped ginger, salt, sugar, cashew nuts and baking powder. Mix all the ingredients well and keep it covered for about 2 hours for self-fermentation. Pre-heat the pressure cooker. Form a thin layer of oil on all the inner surface of the cooker. Now pour the mixed batter into the cooker and close the lid (without mounting the whistle-weight). Place the pressure cooker in simmer flame for about one hour. Now your hot poda pitha is ready.  When the cooker comes to normal temperature take out the pitha carefully, and cut it into desired shapes and serve. (Note: Instead of pressure cooker, oven may also be used)

PODA PITHA

KAKARA PITHA

Ingredients:

For  dough (khali):

4-cups wheat flour (ata)

2-cups sugar (chini)

½  litre refined oil (rifaain tela)

For  stuffing:

Grated coconut-1 cup (nadia kora)

½ - cup sugar (chini)

1 teaspoon aniseed (pana-madhuri)

1 teaspoon black pepper (gol maricha)

4 cloves small cardamom (chhota aleicha)

Method:

For  Dough

Add ½ cup water to ½ table-spoon wheat flour to make a paste. Heat 5 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar in a frying pan. Add the paste to the pan when the sugar solution becomes saturated and stir well. Make sure that no lump is formed while stirring. Leave the pan on the flame for 2 minutes for the mixture to boil. Now add rest of the flour to the mixture and lower the flame. Stir it properly. Now transfer the mixture from pan to a flat plate. Knead to make a smooth dough by adding 1 tablespoon of refined oil. The refined oil prevents formation of lumps.

For Stuffing

Roast aniseed, black pepper and cardamom and then powder them. Fry grated coconut and sugar in a frying pan. Do not add oil. Add the powdered ingredients to it and stir. The stuffing is ready.

Make small balls of the dough. Flatten each ball and put the stuffing on it and again form a ball so that the stuffing remains at the center. Now flatten the balls to give it the shape of a kachori. Heat the oil in the pan and fry the flattened balls till it becomes golden brown. Your kakara pitha is ready to serve.

Variation:

A small variation in the above recipe may be made to prepare modak (also known as manda pitha in certain areas of Orissa). The difference lies only in the final shape of the pitha. At the end of the procedure, instead of flattening the balls to give them the shape of kachori, leave them in the shape of round shaped balls and fry as stated. Your modak / manda is ready.  

KAKARA PITHA

CHHENA PODAIngredients:3 cups(850 gms) ricotta cheese(chenna)
(or home made cheese)
3 tbsp semolina (sooji)
1 cup sugar(chini)
½ cup brown sugar/Jaggery (guda)
1 teaspoon cardamom powder(gujarati)
8 pieces roasted cashew nuts (kaju)
15 raisins (kismis)
100 gms butter-unsalted (optional)

Method: Mix the ricotta cheese, semolina, sugar and brown sugar in a big bowl. Use a hand mixer to make a smooth batter. Then add a butter stick (optional). Mix it again; add cardamom powder, roasted cashew nuts, and raisins to the smooth batter. Pre heat the oven at 350 ºC, grease the container with butter and pour the smooth batter to the container and bake the cheese for 40-45 mins until the top turns light brown in color at 350 ºC . Then use broil for 2-3 mins to get a baked (podo) look on the top. Take out the container and allow it to cool down. Cut into pieces and serve.
(Tips: 1. Adding brown sugar or jaggery gives a typical authentic look and taste to the chenna podo.2. While cooling down the chenna podo, make sure to cover the container with a foil, so that the chenna podo will remain moist).

(Contributed by Deepak Ranjan Behera,Chandabali,Bhadrak)

CHHENA PODA

CHANDRA KANTI

Ingredients:

200gm split green gram (mung dal / muga dali)

200gm sugar (chini)

50gm rice (chaula)

1 cup milk (khira)

1 teaspoon cardamom - powdered (aleicha)

½ litre refined oil (rifain tela) 

Method:

Soak mung dal and rice in water for about 3 hours. Wash them thoroughly and then grind finely and make a batter. At first pre-heat the pan. Put the milk in the pan and add sugar to it. Stir the milk so that the sugar coagulates with the milk. Add the batter to the pan. When the batter gains its consistency, add elaichi powder and stir well. Now apply a coat of oil on a plate and pour the mixture into it. Keep the plate unaltered for 15 minutes so that the mixture hardens and attains the shape of the plate. Cut the settled mixture into desired shapes. Pre-heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the cut tikkis on low flame till they become golden brown. Now the chandrakanti pieces are ready to serve .

CHITAU PITHA 

Ingredients:

500 gm rice (chaula)

1 coconut (nadia)

½ tea-spoon baking powder (baking powder)

1 cup milk (khira)

1 cup sugar (chini)

8 teaspoon ghee (ghia)

6 cardamom (aleicha)

Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Soak the rice in water for about 2 to 3 hours. Grate the coconut. Grind the cardamom. Wash the rice properly and then add milk and coconut to it. Grind the mixture of rice , milk and grated coconut to form a batter. Add sugar, baking powder, cardamom powder and salt to it and thoroughly whip the same. Then keep the batter aside for 2 hours.  Pre-heat the frying pan with ½ tea-spoon ghee. After the pan is heated put 2 table-spoon of batter and spread to give it the shape of a pancake. Cover the lead. Put the pan on low flame for about 2 minutes. Thereafter open the lid and take out delicious Chitau Pitha. This way you may prepare the pithas one after another, and serve hot soon after preparing the same This pitha is offered to Lord Jagannath in Puja on Chitalagi Amabasya (also known as Chitau Amabasya).

CHITAU PITHA

RASABALI

Ingredients:

500 gm paneer (chhena)

3 to 4 teaspoon wheat flour (ata)

250 gm sugar (chini)

2 gm cardamom (aleicha)

500 ml milk (khira)

300 ml refined oil (rifain tela)

Method:

Mash the paneer after adding wheat flour to it. Then add 2 teaspoon sugar and cardamom powder. Mix them well to make a smooth batter. Make small balls of the batter. Take one ball on your left palm and spread it with the help of your  right palm to give it a round shape. Heat oil in a pan and deep-fry the round shaped rasabalis in it. Add the remaining sugar to the boiled milk and stir well. Then add the fried rasabalis to the milk and keep the same on low flame for a minute. This sweet delicacy of Kendrapara area is now ready to be served.

(Contributed by: Deepak Ranjan Behera,Chandabali,Bhadrak)

POTOLI PITHA

Ingredients:

½ cup wheat flour (ata)

1 cup paneer (chhena)

½ cup molasses (paania guda)

4 cup refined flour (maida)

2 cup grated coconut (nadia kora)

2 cup sugar (chini)

1 teaspoon cardamon powder (aleicha gunda)

300gms ghee (ghia)

salt to taste (luna) 

Method:

Take three-and-a-half cup of refined wheat flour in a bowl and add water and salt to it. Make a thick batter of it. While preparing the batter ensure that no lump is formed in it. Take grated coconut in another bowl. Add paneer and sugar to it. Mix them thoroughly. Heat a pan and fry the coconut and paneer mixture on it. Then add cardamon powder to it. ( This mixture is later to serve as the stuffing).  Now take another pan and heat it. Take a tablespoon of the refined flour batter which was prepared earlier and spread the same on the pan with the back of the spoon, spiraling from the middle to the circular edge of the pan. Ensure that the spread is thick. Then put the coconut and paneer mixture in the middle of that batter spread . Fold the spread from four sides to give it the shape of a four-folded rectangle. Make as many such four-folded pithas as possible. Now take ½ cup refined flour, wheat flour, molasses and water in a bowl and make a thin paste of the same. Then dip the rectangular pithas into it . Subsequently deep-fry the same in ghee until both sides of the pitha become red-brown. Now your patoli pitha is ready. This pitha is regularly offered as prasad to the Lord of the famous Baladev Jew temple of Kendrapara.      

(Contributed by: Deepak Ranjan Behera,Chandabali,Bhadrak)

CHUDA GHASA

Ingredients:

½ kg beaten rice (chuda)

75 gms clarified butter/ ghee (ghia)

150 gms jaggery (guda)

1 teaspoon black pepper powder (golmaricha gunda)

½ shell coconut – scraped (nadia kora)

2 cardamom (aleicha)

Fruits / nuts for garnishing (khismis / seo/ kadali) 

Method:

Grind the chuda coarsely in dry jar mixer. Take the ground chuda in a big bowl.  Add ghee to it. Do not melt the ghee. Put the same in chuda and mix it by hand. You need to do it thoroughly so that the ghee melts in the body temperature of your hands and smoothens out the chuda. Add the jaggery powder (do not use jaggery in liquid form) to it and then mix. The body heat again will soften the chuda and jaggery too will get blended thoroughly. Best way is to take a small amount at a time and mix it by keeping the same in between both your palms. It takes a minimum of 20 minutes to get a perfect consistency. At this stage add the scraped coconut, black pepper powder and cardamom powder. Mix again for 10 minutes. At this point the moisture from the coconut would further soften the chuda, but it won’t soak it. Now add dry fruits like raisins and /or fruits like apples and banana (cut into small pieces). Your Chuda Ghasa is now ready. A great deal of physical exercise - wasn’t it ! But you are surely going to be compensated for the hard labour with the appreciative words of the people who get to taste it. This delicacy is offered as prasad (bhoga) during Ganesh Puja and Saraswati Puja in Orissa. This is also a special delicacy that is offered to lord Shiva during Shiva Ratri celebrations at the Sri Lokanath temple in Puri.        

(Contributed by: Deepak Ranjan Behera,Chandabali,Bhadrak)

CHUDA GHASA

SARU CHAKULI

Ingredients:

2 cups rice (arua chaula)

1 cup black gram (biri dali)

1 table spoon refined edible oil (rifaain tela)

salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Soak rice and black gram together in water for about 4 hours. For this purpose you should use only the skinless black gram. Grind the softned rice and black gram to a fine paste. Add salt. Then add water to get a semiliquid batter and whip well. Heat tawa  (non-stick tawa is most suitable) on medium flame. Spread a litle oil on the tawa. Lower the flame. Take the batter in a big spoon and spread the same on the tawa as is done while preparing dosa or omelette. Turn the pitha upside down. Then take the same out carefully. This way go on making pithas one after another. Remember to grease the surface of tawa with eible oil once every two or three pithas. The thinner variety (similar to plain dosa) is called saru chakuli . You have to use a little more batter and make thicker pithas in the shape of pancakes to prepare what is called just chakuli. Tastes great if served with dalama or coconut chutney.

SARU CHAKULI

BUDHA CHAKULI

Ingredients:2 cups rice (arua chaula)
1 cup black gram (biri dali)
1 table spoon refined edible oil (rifaain tela)
salt to taste (luna)
1 cup molasses (pania guda)
1 cup grated coconut (nadia kora)
10-15 small pieces of thin coconut slices (nadia khandi)
2 ripe banana (pachila kadali)

Method:

Soak rice and black gram seperately in water for about 4 hours. For this purpose you should use only the skinless black gram. Grind the softned rice and black gram to a fine paste. Then mix the batter. Add salt. Then add grated coconut and small pieces of thin coconut slices. Then smash the ripe banana and add to the batter. Now add mollasses to it. (In case mollasses is not available, you may manage with sugar.) Then add water to get a semiliquid batter and whip well. Heat tawa  (non-stick tawa is most suitable) on medium flame. Spread a little oil on the tawa. Lower the flame. Take the batter in a big spoon and do not spread the same on the tawa or karai . Cover the lid. Turn the pitha upside down. Then take the same out carefully. This way go on making pithas one after another. Remember to grease the surface of tawa with eible oil everytime. This pitha may also be tried without the use of banana. Serve hot. It is an age old typical Odia dish.

(Contributed by: Deepak Ranjan Behera,Chandabali,Bhadrak)

BUDHA CHAKULI

ENDURI PITHA

Ingredients:

1 & a half  cup rice (chaula)

1 cup black gram (biri)

1 cup scrubbed coconut (nadia kora)

100 gm cottage cheese (chhena)

150  gm jaggery (guda)

3 small cardamoms (gujurati / aleicha)

6 peppercorns (golmaricha)

Green turmeric leaves (haladi patra)

Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Soak rice and blackgram for about 4 hours. Use only the skinless blackgram for the purpose. Wash the same thoroughly and then grind into a thick batter. It need not be a very fine paste. Grind leaving a little coarseness in the rice. Whip well. Leave the batter for fermenting for about eight hours. Add salt and mix well. Now to prepare the stuffing, place a frying pan on medium flame. Put the scrubbed coconut, cottage chheese and jaggery. Stir and fry the same till it becomes a little dry. Then add powdered cardamom and blackpepper. Mix well and keep aside. Now to prepare the pitha take one whole green turmeric leaf (If the leaf is of bigger size you may trim it). Put a little batter on the leaf and flatten the same.  Then put the required quantity of stuffing on the batter and fold the turmeric leaf lengthwise in such a way that the stuffing gets sandwitched in between two layers of batter. Tie a thread around the folded leaf to keep it secured. Now we are going to steam it in the traditional way. It is similar to the way we steam idli. But the round shaped moulds found inthe idli stands won't do. Because our pitha is long shaped. So if you are using an idli stand instead of using the round shaped moulds make suitable modifications. Other wise to follow an age-old Oriya method take a wide mouthed pot. Fill it upto half with water. Then tie a muslin cloth tightly around its mouth. Carefully place the tied leaf containing stuffed batter on the cloth. Cover it with a concave shaped lid. Steam it till done and fork comes  out clean. This way go on steaming pithas one after another. The delicate aroma of turmric leaf is a special feature of the pitha. In case of non-availability of green turmetic leaf, you could also alternatively use plantain leaf. But in that case the aroma of turmeric leaf would be missing.

Enduri pitha is a special delicacy of the Prathamastami festival. This has been a part of the traditional Oriya festivities. There is a striking similaity of the pitha with patholi, a popular dish of Kerala. It is surprising how this recipe found common acceptance in two different remote culinary cultures centuries back.      

ENDURI PITHA

KHAJA

Ingredients:

2 cups refined flour (maida)

A little more than ½  cup of pure ghee (gua gheea)

One & a half cup sugar (chini)

One & a half cup refined cooking oil for frying (rifaain tela)

(Pure ghee may also be used for frying)

Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

First of all make a paste of ghee and flour by mixing half a cup of ghee with equal quantity of flour. Keep this paste aside. Add a pinch of salt and three teaspoon of ghee to the remaining flour. Mix thoroughly well and then add water slowly as you go on kneading. You should get a stiff dough and not a watery one. Knead it further till the dough gets smoothened. Now roll the dough into a rectangular shape with the thicknes of a chpati (roti). Then spread the ghee+flour paste evenly over the rectangular surface. Now roll the rectangular dough from one side to give it a rope like shape. Then cut it into one inch size pieces. Roll each piece again to make about 5 inch long khaja. Now heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry the pieces of khaja on medium to low flame. After the frying is over, prepare a syrup of sugar with water. For this add sugar to  boiling water and continuously go on stirring till you get a sticky syrup. Now dip the khajas into it (one at a time) and take out. Serve after the same becomes cold. It is prepared in the kitchen of the Jagannath Temple of Puri daily for being served as prasad.          

'KHAJA' OF THE PURI TEMPLE

DAHI BARA

Ingredients:

250 gm. skinless blackgram dal / dhuli urad dal (chopa-chhada biri)

3 to 5 red chili (sukhila lanka)

½ teaspoon mustard (sorisha)

½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1 & a half cup refined cooking oil (rifain tela)

½ teaspoon cumin seeds powder (jeera gunda)

½  tea spoon red chili powder (lanka gunda)

¼ cup semolina (suji)

½ teaspoon baking powder (khaiba soda)

Curry leaves (bhursunga patra)

¼ liter curd (dahi)

Salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Wash the black gram dal and soak it in water for 4 to 5 hours (best to soak overnight). Then grind it properly.  Add  semolina, baking powder and salt and mix well. Leave it for a while. Then heat oil in a frying pan and fry the baras made out of the batter.  You have the option either to make the bara in normal shape or with a hole in the middle. For this first wet your palm with water. Take a little of the batter and make a ball. Slightly flatten the same and using your thumb make a hole at the middle as you carefully slip it into the frying pan. After the frying is over put the baras separately.  Now heat 3 teaspoon oil in a frying pan. Add cumin seeds, mustard, curry leaves and red chilies and let them splutter. Then add all this to a container containing the curd. Now put the fried baras into this curd. Your dahi bara is ready. Sprinkle the cumins seeds powder and red chili powder before serving. Serve cold.

(Contributed by: Deepak Ranjan Behera,Chandabali,Bhadrak)

DAHI BARA

MODAKA

Ingredients:

500 gm. wheat flour (atta)

3cups milk (khira)

2 cups finely grated coconut (nadia kora)

250 gm powdered sugar (chini)

7 finely chopped cardamoms (aleicha)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder (golmaricha)

2 powdered cloves (labanga)

250 gm desi ghee (gua gheea)

Method:

Stuffing -

In a pre-heated frying pan take finely grate coconut. Fry till it turns brown. Then add powdered sugar. Add chopped cardamom, powdered black pepper, and clove to it and fry for one minute.

Preparation of Dough -

Heat milk and add 125 gm. sugar to it. Prepare thick dough by gradually adding the wheat flour to it. It is important to go on stiring as you slowly add the wheat flour. You should get a thick dough. Put the dough on a tray and knead well.

Now make 15 to 20 balls of the dogh by rolling them in the palms. Then flatten each ball one by one and put the previously prepared stuffing into it. Close the flattened balls and give them a round shape. Finally take desi ghee in a pan and fry the rounded balls till they turn brown. Your Modakas are now ready to be served. This is a special delicacy offered to Lord Ganesh on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi in Orissa.

 (Contributed by: Deepak Ranjan Behera,Chandabali,Bhadrak) 

MODAKA

KHIRI

Ingredients:200 gm basmati or raw rice (arua chaula)400 gm sugar (chini)1 litre milk (khira)25 gm cashew nut (kaju)25 gm raisin (khismis)4 bay leaves (teja patra)5 cardamom (gujurati/ aleicha)a pinch of salt (luna)

Method:Take water in a presure cooker and put the rice in it. Add salt and the bay leaves. Boil the same till first whistle. Remove the lid of pressure cooker only after the steam gets fully released in due course. Now take the bay leaves out of the boiled rice. Then boil milk in another container. Pour the boiled milk into the pressure cooker (You have also the option to add a little condensed milk / khoa at this stage). Add sugar and stir well. Now put the pressure cooker (without its lid on) on medium flame. Remember to go on stirring at regular intervals. As the contents start boiling, lower the flame and boil further for about 15 minutes. Continue stirring as before. At this stage add raisin, cashewnuts (broken into small pieces) and crushed/ powdered cardamom. As the contents turn semi-thick, switch off the flame. Your khiri is ready. Serve cold.

Khiri (which is known as 'khir' in the Hindi belt) is a common dessert that's popular throughout the country. But what remains unknown is that this recipe originated from Puri in Orissa. Yamuna devi, a popular cooking writer stumbled upon this 2000 year old recipe while going through the old records in Puri. It was earlier known as bhat payasa in Orissa. 

KHIRI

ATTAKALI

Ingredients:150 gm raw rice (arua chaula)
75 gm sugar (chini)
1 cup scrubbed coconut (nadia kora)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder (gol maricha gunda)
salt to taste (luna)

Method:

Soak the rice in water for about an hour. Separate the water from rice and leave the rice aside to dry a little. Then grind the rice to make a fine powder. Take about one-and-a-half cup water in a container and heat the same on flame. Add salt, black pepper powder and 1/2 cup of scrubbed coconut and stir well. Then slowly go on adding half of the available rice powder to the container while it's still on the flame and as you go on stirring continuously. At the end you should get a thick dough. Take the container out and kep aside to let it cool down to room temperature. Then using your palms, make small balls of this dough (of the size of marbles). Add a little water to the remaining rice-powder to get a semi-liquid form. Now take about 6 cups of water in another container and boil the same. Add sugar, salt and all the remaining scrubbed coconut to it and heat further. Now little by little pour this semi-liquid rice powder into the boiling syrup in the coitainer and continue stirring. Then add the marble sized balls and boil further for a little while. Now take the container out of the flame and your attakali is ready. Let it cool down before being served. This item is specially prepared on the occasion of Bakula Amabashya and Manabasa Gurubar in Orissa.     

ATTAKALI

RASGOLLA

Ingredients:1 litre milk to make chhena (khira)
lemon juice (lembu)
1 tsp all purpose flour (maida)
2 cups sugar (chini)
1 tsp cardamoms powder (gujurati gunda)
½ tsp Rose water (golapa jala)

Method:

Part I: Making Chenna - Heat milk in a pan over a medium heat and bring it to boil for about 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir it well. Paneer (Chenna) will separate out and when you see clear water, turn off the flame. Let it cool for 10-15 mins. Then drain off all the water, put paneer on a muslin cloth over a strainer. Wash paneer with fresh water to get rid off the lemon smell. Then squeeze the muslin cloth with paneer and tie a knot to remove all water from the paneer. Leave it aside for 4-5 hrs or overnight.

Part II: Making Rasgolla and sugar syrup – Put the paneer in a container, add flour and fine cardamoms powder (optional) and knead the paneer to make it soft and smooth.(Tips: the more you knead the more soft the rasgollas will be). Then make small paneer balls and keep it aside. (Tips: to make the rasgolla pink which is typical of Orissa rasgolla, put a small sugar caramel piece in the center of the paneer while making each ball. To make sugar carmel- Take 1 tsp of sugar and fry it on a heated pan for couple of minutes which will first turn brown liquid then turn into hard brown coloured sugar solid, after cooling down, you can break it into tiny pieces with your hand). For sugar syrup, mix 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar, cardamom powder, rose water in a pressure cooker and put the paneer balls in the cold mix. Make sure that you add enough sugar water to dip the balls. Then cook the balls for 30-45 mins over a low to medium heat in the pressure cooker. Usually after 2 whistle over medium heat, your rasgollas are ready. It really tastes like famous Pahala Rasgollas of Orissa. Contrary to what is popularly believed, Rasagolla originated at Puri in Orissa about 600 years back long before travelling to the neighbouring state of Bengal.

               (Contributed by Deepak Ranjan Behera,Chandabali,Bhadrak)

RASGOLLA