Kanika Bhaat / Sweet Rice - Odisha Festive Cuisine

 

          Kanika Bhaat is a traditional Odisha sweet rice, which is a part of the prasad served in Puri Jagannath Temple. This popular festive dish is also prepared during special occasions and festivals. It is prepared in ghee and garnished with fried nuts to enhance the flavor of this divine dish. It is purely a satvik dish with no onion or garlic. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this fragrant rice dish. 

          Kanika Bhaat is generally prepared with basmati rice or Govindobhog rice (a small grain rice). This dish is a part of the Chappan bhog / 56 divine offerings that is offered to Lord Jagannath. 

          A pinch of turmeric powder is added for a slight golden color and the rice is tempered in few whole spices. Sugar or jaggery can be added to sweeten the rice. A pinch pf nutmeg and some extra ghee is added to the final dish for a lingering aroma. 

• 1/2 cup rice, soaked for 1/2 hour
• 2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. ghee
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 big cardamom
• 4 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp. whole peppercorns
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 mace
• 1/3 cup cashew nuts
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup coconut, sliced
• pinch of turmeric powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of nutmeg powder

          Rinse the rice well and soak in enough water for 30 minutes. Then drain and keep aside. 

          Heat 2 tbsp. ghee in a pan and stir fry the cashew nuts, raisins and sliced coconut till they turn light brown in color. Drain and keep aside.

          Temper the same ghee with the bay leaves, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, mace, peppercorns, big cardamom and star anise. Sauté for a few seconds.

         Then add the soaked rice, pinch of salt and turmeric powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.

         Add 1 & 1/4 cup water and cook, covered, on a low flame for 4-5 minutes. 

         Add the sugar and the fried nuts. Continue to cook till all the water has been absorbed and the rice is done.

         Now add the nutmeg powder and the remaining 1 tsp. ghee. Give it a stir and keep it covered for 4-5 minutes.

         Fluff it up with a fork and serve with dalma and / or any veg. curry for a divine experience. 

      

Heat 2 tbsp. ghee in a pan and stir fry the cashew nuts, raisins & sliced coconut till they turn light brown in color. Drain & keep aside.

Temper the same ghee with the bay leaves, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, mace, peppercorns, big cardamom & star anise. Sauté for a few seconds.

Then add the soaked rice, pinch of salt & turmeric powder. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.

 Add 1 & 1/4 cup water  cook, covered, on a low flame for 4-5 minutes. 

Add the sugar & the fried nuts. Continue to cook till all the water has been absorbed and the rice is done.

Add the nutmeg powder & the remaining 1 tsp. ghee. Give it a stir & keep it covered for 4-5 minutes.

Fluff it up with a fork & serve with dalma and / or any veg. curry for a divine experience. 

Cluster Beans Curry (Goruchikkudu Kura) Andhra Cuisine

 

           This is an amazing Cluster Beans Curry in an Andhra style. It turned out very delectable and tasted awesome with chapattis. A little bit of sambar powder gave a nice punch to this simple vegetable dish. Some idli podi will also do wonders to this simple recipe. You can relish it as a side dish with rice or chapattis. So check out a step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this no-fuss curry. 

• 250 gms. cluster beans. chopped into 1" pieces
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. sambar powder
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

         Steam the cluster beans for 5 minutes or till they are fork tender. Keep aside. 

         Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and dry red chilies.

         After it stops spluttering, add the onion, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Sauté till they turn light brown. 

          Then add the steamed cluster beans and salt to taste. Stir fry on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. 

         When done, add sambar powder and chopped coriander leaves. Give it a mix and enjoy as a side dish with rice or chapattis. 

Steam the cluster beans for 5 minutes or till they are fork tender. Keep aside. 

           Heat oil in a pan & temper with mustard seeds & dry red chilies.

After it stops spluttering, add the onion, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves, turmeric powder & red chili powder. Sauté till they turn light brown. 

Add the steamed cluster beans & salt to taste. Stir fry on a low flame for 2-3 minutes. 

  When done, add sambar powder & chopped coriander leaves. Give it a mix.

                     Enjoy as a side dish with rice or chapattis. 

Mishti Kumro Bhorta (Red Pumpkin Bharta / Pumpkin Mash - Bong style)

 

            Mishti Kumro Bhorta (Red Pumpkin Bharta) is a simple comforting Bong style dish as it needs very few basic ingredients. It takes very little time to prepare and tastes just divine with hot steamed rice. This traditional dish is almost a lost recipe now and has its origin in the rural parts of West Bengal and Bangladesh. This recipe has a nice garlic flavor and the addition of raw mustard oil and lime juice to the finished product gives a great punch to the dish.

           You need to savor it to believe how this easy to prepare dish can be so yummy and amazing. It is just divine. So when you are looking for something simple, go ahead and try this comforting and soulful dish of Mishti Kumro Bhorta. Do check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this must try regional chutney.

• 400 gms. pumpkin, cubed
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 3-4 dry red chilies or as required
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 2 onion, sliced
• 1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
• handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. lime juice

          Heat 1 tbsp. mustard oil in a pan and sauté the dry red chilies, garlic and one sliced onion separately till light brown. Keep aside to cool and then mash them coarsely along with 1/4 tsp. of salt. 

          In the same oil sauté the pumpkin till well browned. Keep mashing it in the process with your ladle. Set aside to cool slightly. Then add it to the mashed onion-garlic mix. Combine everything well. 

          To this mix, add the remaining sliced onion, coriander leaves, lime juice and remaining mustard oil. Mix everything well and serve with hot steamed rice. 

Heat 1 tbsp. mustard oil in a pan and sauté the dry red chilies,

                       garlic and

               one sliced onion separately till light brown. 

                     Keep aside to cool.

             Then mash them coarsely along with 1/4 tsp. of salt. 

                 In the same oil add the pumpkin and ....

                sauté the pumpkin till well browned. 

Keep mashing it in the process with your ladle. Set aside to cool slightly. 

Then add it to the mashed onion-garlic mix. Combine everything well. 

To this mix, add the remaining sliced onion, coriander leaves, lime juice & remaining mustard oil.

                    Mix everything well.

                  Enjoy with hot steamed rice. 

Egg Butter Roast (Mangalorean Fusion Recipe)

 

            Egg Butter Roast is a take on the very popular Mangalorean special Chicken Ghee Roast. However, in this recipe, I replaced ghee with butter. This style of dish is very spicy with the addition of dry red chilies. You can tone it down by adding Kashmiri red chilies, like I did.  However, it is toned down to some extent with the addition of tamarind and jaggery. You may adjust the spiciness according to your preference. 

           This dish is a great party recipe where it can be served as an appetizer. It can also be relished as a side dish with dosa, appam, idiyappam or chapatti for a sumptuous meal. So do give it a try by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this delicacy. 

         The origin of the original recipe goes back to the town of Kundapur. So at times, it is also called Kundapur style Ghee Roast. It is very spicy and full of flavors coming from the ghee and a medley of various spices. You can use Kashmiri red chilies instead, for less of heat. 

          There are many versions to this amazing dish and any which way it is prepared, it simply tastes awesome. The whole spices are freshly dry roasted and ground to make the dish more flavorful. 

Ingredients - 

• 3-4 eggs, boiled & scored 
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• pinch of turmeric powder
• pinch of red chili powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

Dry roast & grind - 

• 8-10 Kashmiri red chilies
• 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1" ginger
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. jaggery
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste

          Dry roast the Kashmiri red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds for 1-2 minutes or till you get a nice aroma. Keep aside to cool. 

          Then grind along with the garlic, ginger, turmeric powder, jaggery and tamarind  into a smooth paste. Keep aside. 

         Heat 1 tbsp. butter in a pan & add a pinch of salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Give it a stir.

         Then add the boiled eggs and sauté till they are lightly browned. Keep aside. 

         Heat the remaining butter and fry one sprig curry leaves till they turn crisp. Keep aside for garnishing. 

          In the same butter, sauté the onion and remaining curry leaves till light brown. 

          Now add the ground paste and salt to taste. Mix everything well and sauté till the oil separates. 

          Add the fried eggs and stir fry for 1-2 minutes till the eggs are well coated with the masala. 

          When done, garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

          Serve with steamed rice, dosa, appam, neer dosa, idiyappam, plain biryani or chapatti for a sumptuous meal. 

                      Eggs are boiled & scored.

Dry roast the Kashmiri red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds & fenugreek seeds for 1-2 minutes or till you get a nice aroma. Keep aside to cool. Then grind along with the garlic, ginger, turmeric powder, jaggery & tamarind into a smooth paste. Keep aside. 

Heat 1 tbsp. butter in a pan & add a pinch of salt, turmeric powder & red chili powder. Give it a stir.

Then add the boiled eggs & sauté till they are lightly browned. Keep aside. 

Heat remaining butter & fry one sprig curry leaves till they turn crisp. Keep aside for garnishing. 

In the same butter, sauté the onion & remaining curry leaves till light brown. 

Now add the ground paste & salt to taste. Mix well & sauté till the oil separates. 

                   Add the fried eggs. 

 Stir fry for 1-2 minutes till the eggs are well coated with the masala. 

             When done, garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

Serve with steamed rice, dosa, appam, neer dosa, idiyappam, plain biryani or chapatti for a sumptuous meal.