Dahi Bara Aloo Dum - The Quintessential Street Food of Odisha

The millennium city of Cuttack is famous for various reasons -  silver filigree work, Historical Barabati fort, Famous Barabati stadium among others. Besides this, Cuttack is famous for one more thing and that is the ‘Dahibara-aloodum’. The name itself conjures up thousands of memories and for anyone who’s everbeen to Cuttack or hails from the same, needs no intro to this legendary street food – Dahi Bara Aloo Dum and Guguni, mostly known as “Dahi Bara Aloo Dum”.

“Aloo dum Dahi bara”, A wholesome meal in itself is said to be the staple food of Cutkis, a name synonymous with the people of Cuttack. People love to have it for breakfast, lunch and it is considered an all- day snacks item. It provides timely carb in the form of potatoes, which replenish energy and the butter-milk given at the end of the snacks is a relishing drink to beat the scorching summer. While the tangy flavor of the dahi bara revives the taste buds! Typically, it is served with ghuguni (A spicy Curry made of chick peas) and garnished with sev, onion and coriander leaves. 

The savory tartness of the dahibara perfectly complements the spicy aloodum and ghuguni and all of it wonderfully comes together with the crunchiness of the onions and the bhujia sev.

This local delicacy is so popular that hardly anyone, whether a local person or a visitor from outside, misses the chance to taste it. From early morning till late in the night one can find the vendors selling the dahibara across the city.Dahibara of Cuttack is so famous that people from faraway places, come to the city just to have a taste of it. People residing in far off places like Sambulpur, Paradip, Rourkela, Balasore, Berhampur and many other such area carry this item to their places.

But despite its iconic status within the state, it’s a irony that it hasn’t received the limelight it truly deserves. Many people outside Odisha hardly knows about it. It is a privilege when my fellow bloggers decided on the theme for our weekly event FOODIE MONDAY BLOG HOP as street Food , my happiness knew no bound as I am very confident that not only this famous street food of Odisha  can stand tall , it may exceed many iconic street foods in their lovability quotient. For a beautiful compilation of 25 Indian street foods every desi foodie simply must try, do click on the link www.folomojo.com/25-indian-street-foods-every-desi-foodie-simply-must-try/. So here is my dish for the Third " FOODIE MONDAY BLOG HOP" event dish on the Theme" STREET FOOD".....Dahi Bara Aloo Dum - The Quintessential Street Food of Odisha

My own childhood memories associated with this famous street food is the excitement at seeing the vendor selling Dahi Bara Aloodum in his drummed container and serving it in a thola ( container made out of sal leaves).After reading all this, you must be thinking … Is it possible to prepare this dish at home? The answer to this question is, yes of course! So here goes my interpretation of the famous street food of Odisha…… Aloo dum dahi bara. 

Dahi Bara

  

Ingredients

Serves:4

• 1 cup - Whole Urad Dal
• 1 tsp - Baking soda
• Oil for frying

For the dahi

• 1 cup - Yogurt
• 1 cup - Water
•  Salt to taste
• Cumin and red chili powder

For the tempering

• 1 Tablespoon - Oil
• ½ tsp - Mustard seeds
• 2   nos - Dry red chillies
• 1 sprig curry leaves

Let’s learn how to prepare Dahi Bara:

 

• Soak the urad daal in water overnight. After the dal is perfectly soaked (it will feel light and puffed up), grind to a smooth batter. Keep it aside for 2 to 3  hrs for fermentation in a dark, warm place. If you are short of time, you can add baking powder and salt to it and mix well. Leave it for 1hr.

• From the batter make small balls or baras. Slightly flatten them. In a frying pan heat oil. Fry the Baras till golden brown. Soak the fried vadas in salted water till soft and fully soaked. After this take them out of salted water and keep aside.

• In a small vessel, mix the yogurt and water together. Add salt and roasted cumin and dry red chilli powder to it. Put the soaked Baras in it.

• Now heat 1 teaspoon of oil in the frying pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chilies and let them splutter. Pour this mixture on the Dahi Bara. 

Ghuguni

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of dried peas soaked overnight in water
• 1 large tomato finely chopped
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 1tsp of cumin powder
• 1 tbsp of coriander powder
• Fresh coriander leaves
• 1tspRed chilli powder to taste
• 2 Green Chilies
• ½ tspTurmeric powder
• 1tsp garam masala
• 2-4 tsp cooking oil
• Salt to taste

Let’s learn how to prepare Ghuguni:

• Soak the dried white peas in water for 3 to 4 hours. Boil the soaked peas with some salt till soft.
• Put 2 tbs of oil in a frying pan and put the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add green chillies, finely chopped onions and sauté till onions becomes brown in colour.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smells of the garlic goes away. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till it becomes mushy and oiul comes out of it. Add a tsp of water to prevent burning.
• Now add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder to it and continue to sauté for one more minute.
• Add the boiled peas, little water and salt and cook for 10-15mts on slow flame or till you achieve the desired consistency of the gravy. Here the gravy should not be too watery nor too dry.
• Add the garam masala and the chopped coriander leaves and keep it aside.

Aloo dum

Ingredients:  

• 250 gms small Potatoes
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 large tomatoes finely chopped
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 tsps Red Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Ginger,Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1tsp Garam Masala
• salt

 

Let’s learn how to do the Aloo Dum:

• Boil the Potatoes in enough water. Cool the boiled Potatoes in cold water, and peel the skins of the potatoes.
• In a pan, add oil, and the cumin seeds and the dry red chilies. Once it splutters, add the finely chopped onions and fry till it turn brown.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smells of the paste goes away.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till oil comes out of the gravy.
• Add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and sauté for one more minute. 

• Add the boiled and peeled potatoes and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Then add some water to it. Cook on slow flame till the gravy thickens and the  Spiced Gravy soaks into the very core of the Potatoes, and these turn brown. Then add Garam Masala to it and  remove it from stove.

Now comes the final show time of assembling the Dahi Bara Aloo Dum and Ghuguni.

Ingredients:

• Dahi Bara
• Aloo Dum
• Ghuguni
• Chopped Onions
• Chopped Coriander leaves
• Chopped green chillies
• Cumin red chilli powder

In a bowl, place 2-3 dahi vad as and a little bit of dahi. Then scoop in some aloo dum followed by  ghuguni. 

• Garnish the dish with chopped onions, chopped green chillies, sev, chopped coriander leaves and top it with some black salt and cumin red chilli powder.
• Now dig into it and savor every bite of this street delicacy of Odisha .

Sabudana Vada Slider- A Maharastrian Delight

Indian streets are well famous for its  tasty food items, Every Indian city has its own specialty of all time favorite snacks. Delhi is famous for its tasty street foods either Indian or Chinese with Indian flavor, North East Indian cuisines are also considered to one of the best food such as Naga cuisines, Assam Laksa, bamboo shot, momos, they are cheap and taste really good. 

During my travel outside, I always makes it a point to taste these street food delicacies and whenever I have the opportunity to try these at home, I try to replicate the dish , giving a little healthy twist to these delicacies. Some of my favorite street food are the Chole Bhature of Delhi, Poha-Jalebi of Indore, Litti Choka of Patna, Aloo Tikki of Lucknow, Vada Pao of Mumbai, Kachori of  Bikaner, Egg Rolls of  Kolkatta, Idli Sambhar of Chennai & Jodhpuri Mirch Bade. I will try to present before you all these favorite street food of mine in their new healthier version.

                                      

                                                          

India finds expression in it's streets-be it culture or be it cuisine. This is truer than ever when said in the context of Mumbai,where street food is relished even by millionaires. The snacks are prepared right in front of everybody and the enticement of the aromas is never missed. 

Sabudana vada is a favourite amongst Maharashtrian. It lends itself to such lovely recipes, such as these vadas. The crunchy peanuts that punctuate every bite are something I look forward to in the vada. You can serve these vadas on fasting days like Janmastami , Maha Sivaratri or as Starters / Snacks for entertaining.

Tapioca is popularly known as  sabu or sabudana in India. Tapioca is a starch extracted from cassava . It is used worldwide as a thickening agent. It is gluten-free and low protein. sabudana are widely used on Ekadasi and other days of fasting . It’s a special snack made during fast / vrat / upvaas especially during navratri vrats. It’s a great snack to be made in monsoon which is crunchy on the exterior and soft, fluffy from within. 

INGREDIENTS:

200gms Sabudana  soaked for 2 to 3 hours 

Potato, cooked and mashed- 2nos

Raw Plantain, cooked and mashed-2 nos

Peanuts/ Ground nut (with or without shell)- 4tbsp

Green chillies, chopped- 2-3 nos

Coriander leaves, chopped- 2 tbsp

Chat Masala- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil

To assemble the Sabudana Slider, you will need:

Burger/ Pav Bun

Cucumber-1no

Tomato-1no

Green Chutney

Tomato sauce

Mayonnaise

lettuce leaf(Optional)

PROCEDURE:

• Wash and soak the sago seeds in water for 2 to 3 hours . Drain the water using a sieve or with hand and set aside.

• Pressure cook  the potato and plantain for three whistles on medium flame till soft. When the steam releases allow the potato and the plantain to cool. Peel  and mash well using hand or masher.

• Roast the peanuts till crunchy; allow to slightly cool. Pulse the peanuts twice or thrice in a blender as a coarse pieces; set aside.

• In a bowl add the mashed potato, plantain,drained sago seeds, crushed peanuts, green chillies,  coriander leaves, salt and chat masala.

• Mix well and apply oil in your palms to make small balls out of it. If you feel its soggy add a teaspoon of corn flour or rice flour to get the correct consistency.

• Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan and shallow fry the vadas till crispy texture with golden colour on both sides. Take out and keep on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil. 

    

• Take a Burger /Pav Bun and cut into half. On one part of the bun, apply green chutney and on the other apply tomato ketchup.                                                           

                                    

• Put a spoon of mayonnaise over the green chutney,  place slices of cucumber and tomato on it.Place the Sabudana Vada on it. 

• Secure the Sabudana Vada by placing the top of the Burger/ Pav bun with a toothpick inserted with a cherry to have a look and feel of desi burger or Sabudana Vada slider.

• Enjoy this with your family, or simply pack in the tiffin of your child...

This recipe is an entry to Monsoon Snack Challenge for The Hub @ Archana’s Kitchen challenges