Besaro : Mustard gravy with fish

Besaro is one of our families traditional recipe. My nani (mother's mother) and my massi ( mother's sister) are equally deft in crafting awesome and rocking recipes. This recipe has been passed on to me by massi who is one of the fastest cooks who can come up with yummy recipes in minutes and make everything looks so easy. The very thought of eating beasaro with hot steaming rice brings a big smile on our faces. We love Indira aunty and hope you enjoy her recipe.


Ingredients
1) Any white fish (250 gm) or prawns (shrimp) (1 cup)
2) Ginger 1/2 inch
3) Garlic 3-4 pods
4) Red chilies (As per taste)
5) 1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder
6) 2 tablespoon mustard
7) 1/4 teaspoon jeera.
8) 2 small onion
9) Raw mango slice
10) 1 tomato

Procedure
1) Soak the 2 tablespoon mustard in water for half an hour.
2) Chop the onions and tomato.
3) Grind together ginger, garlic, 1 onion, red chilli, and jeera. (If you want some more flavor add little bit of grated coconut to the mixture).
4) Heat oil add some dry mustard seeds, chopped onions and saute for some time.
5) After the onions turn translucent add chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomato dissolves (also instead of tomato one can add one slice of raw mango).
6) Saute the fish in the mixture after it is cooked add the ground paste with salt to taste
7) Add 2 cups of water and boil for 10 minutes.
8) Boil till the raw smell of mustard is gone.
9) Now serve with rice or eat it whichever way you like.

Let us know if you have any doubts with regards to the recipe

Crab curry

Hi ,

Well my mother's crab curry is notorious famous. It is good enough to temp the staunchest of vegeterain and thrill the ones who try it. It really is mouth watering to say the least. Hope you all enjoy it as much as whoever has tasted it did :).

Ingredients.

1) 1/2 kg sea crab.
2) 2 small onions.
3) 1 pod of garlic.
4) 1/2 inch of ginger.
5) 1 cup grated coconut.
6) 1/2 teaspoon haldi.
7) 1 teaspoon chilli powder.
8) 1 teaspoon garam masala
9) Two medium tomatoes.
10) 1 sprig of curry leaves.
11) 1 small bunch of coriander leaves.

Method

1) Wash the crab nicely, if it is shelled , remove the outer shell and clean it.
2) Chop the onion and tomatoes.
3) Grind the ginger,garlic and coconut together.
4) Then take a kadia, add oil and after it is a bit hot, add the curry leaves, and onion.
5) To the onion add the ginger garlic and coconut paste and saute it nicely.
6) Now after the onion is nicely cooked add the crab into it and stir it till the masala coats the crab.
7) Add haldi, chilli and garam masala and tomatoes to the crab mixture.
8) Cook the crab mixture till it is nicely sauteed.
9) After the masala has blended well with the crab add 2 cups of water.
10) Now cook the water and crab mixture in full flame for 20 minutes.
11) Garnish it with chopped coriander.
12) Wala it is ready to be eaten!!!.


Hope you enjoy this irresistible recipe
Just ask us in case you have any queries.

Kakra Pitta ( Coconut based)

Another Odiya which is yummy, my grandmother used to make it a lot and our childhood is filled with fond summer memories in Berampur, where we used to play and eat with full abandon. I miss those days but the aroma of fried kakra takes back to those days of oneness with cousins and family. Hope you guys enjoy the sweet and form your own fond memories :).

Kakra Pitta

Ingredients
1) 2 cups of rava (suji).
2) 1/2 cup of oil.
3) 1 cup of sugar + 3 tablespoon sugar (keep the two separate).
4) 2 cups of water.
5)1/2 cup grated coconut.
6) 1 teaspoon elachi powder.
7) A pinch of salt.
8) 4 cups of water.

Method
1) Mix the 1/2 cup of grated coconut and 3 tablespoon of sugar.
2) Take a pan put the mixture of coconut and sugar and cook it in low heat till the sugar melt and then
remove it from the gas.
3)Now take a pot and put the four cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. Heat it just so that sugar has dissolved in the water completely.
4)Now slowly add the 2 cups of rava to the water+sugar mixture. Now close the lid and heat the suji mixture in low heat(flame) till it is slightly warm. Then switch of the gas and keep aside the mixture.
5)Now slightly grease your palm and take a small scoop of rava paste.
6) Shape the rava paste in a cup shape and put the coconut in the cup just enough such that you can eventually seal the rava paste with coconut as the filling.
7)Now take a kadai put oil in it . After the that deep fry the rava ball in it.
8) Kakra pitta is ready to be eaten, it is yummiest when it is hot.

If the recipe seems unclear to any of you who is trying it. Please ask us and I will get back with appropriate recommendations. Also some of the ingredients name might vary from place to place so just consider it.
Another ingredient could be some dry fruits the amount should be in proportion to the coconut, just a little not too much.

Fish cury in tamarind sauce odiya style (Ambila)

Hi Folks,

This is the irresistible fish curry which used to be my all time favorite, there was never enough of this curry for me. Now that I am vegetarian, one of my few regrets is not begin able to taste this awesome fish curry, well then there are always pleasant memories of it hmmm.... Try it and let her know how the experience was.

Ingredients
1) 1/2 kg Surmai Fish (I am not sure about the various names for this fish but it is a sea fish so try it with any white flesh fish).
2) 1 small onion.
2) 1/2 inch of ginger.
3) 4 pods of garlic. 
4) 1 sprig of curry leaves
5) 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds.
6) 1/2 teaspoon methi seeds.
7) 1/2 teaspoon kala jeera/cumin.
8) 1/2 teaspoon fennel or anise seed.
9) 5-6 whole red chillies.
10) 300 gm of tamarind.
11) 1 teaspoon of haldi.
12) 1 teaspoon of chilli powder.
13) 1 teaspoon of jeera/cumin powder.
14) 1 big tomato.
15) 2 tablespoon oil.
16) 150 gms jaggery/sugar
17) Salt to taste.

Method

1) Soak the tamarind for 15 minutes in just sufficient water(till the tamarind ball is completely immersed in it), and soak till it is nice and soft.
2) Chop the onion, crush the ginger and garlic. Cut tomatoes in long thin pieces
3)  Cut the fish into long 1/2 inch pieces.
4) Now squeeze the tamarind and take a vessel and boil the squeezed tamarind juice.
5) Add salt, turmeric and chilli powder.
6) Boil this mixture for 5 minutes.
7) Take a kadai/frying pan add oil .
8)   Put mustard seed, let them splutter after that add cumin, kalongi, fennel/anise and methi seeds.
9) Fry them for just 2 minutes or less till they leave out an aroma.
10) Now add the chopped onions, curry leaves and whole red chilli.
11) Add the fish and 1 teaspoon salt to the fish and also the crushed ginger and garlic.
12) Let it cook and when the fish is done add the tamarind mixture.
13) Now add the jaggery /sugar cook the whole mixture for 10 minutes or so.
14) Add the jeera/cumin powder and tomatoes.
15) Now boil for few more minutes.
16) Eat it with nice hot rice or which ever way you love it.

Have fun!!!!

Tomato Soup

On popular demand here is mom's tomato soup, it breaks the myth that healthy food are tasteless and boring. Hope this brings good health and joy to who ever indulges in it.

Ingredients

1) 1/2 kg Tomatoes .
2) 1 small carrot.
3) 1/2 inch ginger.
4) 4 pods of garlic.
5) 1 small onion.
6) 2 tablespoon butter.
7) 2 tablespoon sugar.
8) 1 teaspoon pepper powder (or freshly ground pepper in similar proportions).
9)  A little bit of basil (few leaves).
10) Bread croutons for garnish
11) 2 teaspoon cream.
12) Salt to taste.

Serves 3-4 people

Method
1) Chop the onions, carrots and tomatoes and keep it aside.
2) Crush ginger and garlic and put it in the pan.
3) Take a pan or a pressure cooker and melt the butter in it.
4) Put chopped onion and saute till it is slightly brown.
5) After that add chopped ginger and garlic after you can smell the beautiful aroma of fried garlic.
6)Add chopped carrot and cook till it soft.
7) Add the chopped tomatoes next and cook it till it is soft.
8) Add about 2 cups of water and if using the pressure cook for two whistle.
9) If you are using the pan then cover it with a lid till the tomatoes is completely dissolved.
10) Cool the whole mixture and  blend it the grinder.
11) Take the ground mixture and strain it.
12) Now put it in vessel and add sugar and salt.
13) Boil the mixture for 10 minutes or so, till it is nicely cooked.
14) In the end garnish with basil, pepper and bread croutons.
15) Enjoy!!!!

Note: All the measurement are not in one unit so please bear with us,  also the proportions are more in line with Indian sizes.

An offering to Lord Jagannath: Puda Pitha

Puda Pitha is a traditional odiya sweet, my mother wanted to start with something sweet and offer it to Lord Jagannath before venturing on to this wonderful journey. Aarini and I gobbled up the sweet in no time :).
Here is the gist of the recipe

INGREDIENTS

1) 1 Cup Urad dal.
2)  2 Cup Rice.
3)  4 Tablespoon coconut.
4)  3 Tablespoon sugar.
5)  5-6 Cashewnut.
6)  5-6 Raisins. 
7) A pinch of salt.
8) 2-3 Cardamoms. 
9) Half a teaspoon anise seed/fennel seed.
10) 1 Teaspoon baking soda.

Method

1) Soak 1 cup of urad dal and 2 cup of rice for 6 hours.
2) Grind urad dal with just enough water, till it is a fine paste.
3) Coarse grind the rice with just enough water.
4) Mix it together and keep it  aside for 8 hrs to ferment. 
5) After the fermentation is done. On the side grind  cardamom, fennel seed  together. 
6) Take the fermented paste add coconut , sugar , cashew nuts, raisins,ground cardamom and fennel powder,salt and baking soda.
7)  There are two ways to cook this sweet, if you access to an oven then put it in a metal baking dish and bake it at 180 degree Celsius for half an hour. Once it is baked cool it and cut out the pieces and serve it. 
8) The other way is it to use a pressure cooker. Take a metal bowl grease it lightly and just put it the pressure cooker and cook it in slow flame for half an hour.
9) The sweet is supposed to have a white/yellowish hue and the bottom should be burnt, hence the name puda(means burnt in odiya) pitha (sweet). The amount of sugar is slightly less, so if you have a sweet tooth just add more sugar.

Enjoy!!!!