MUDHI MANSA - Puffed Rice with Goat Meat Curry

Mudhi  Mansa or puffed Rice with Mutton Curry and Baripada in Mayurbhanj district in Odisha are synonymous with each other. This famous delicacy is served as a main course where goat meat curry or Mansa tarkari is mixed with puffed Rice or Mudhi along with some other side items.  It is a belief with the people of Mayurbhanj that if you consume Mudhi after a meal, it will help in digesting the food you eat. No marriage seems complete in Mayurbhanj if you do not offer the Barajatris or Baratis, Mudhi Mansa. The popularity of Mudhi Mansa among  most of the Odia people speaks the volume about the delectable taste of the dish. It is rightly said , if you have visited Baripada and not tasted the Mudhi Mansa, you have not tasted anything.

In coastal parts of Odisha where I am born and brought up, Mudhi or  Puffed rice is generally considered as an ingredient for the evening snacks where it is mainly eaten with mixture . Whereas in Mayurbhanj, it is eaten during lunch and dinner also. It is such an integral part of their life that, Mudhi can be enjoyed with anything and everything.  You name it and they eat it. Mudhi mansa, mudhi aloodum, mudhi tarkari, mudhi machha,singada aloochop mudhi, dahi mudhi, mixture mudhi and even Baigan Poda with Mudhi and list is endless. Try it once and you will fall in love with its taste.

Recipe: Odia

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 20 to 25 minutes

Serves:4

Ingredients for the Mansa tarkari: 

• 500 gms Goat Meat with extra fat
• 2 large onions
• 2 medium potatoes cut into halves
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1 bay leaf
•  2-3 cloves
• 2 to 3 green cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 tbsp mustar oil (for the typical taste)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp garam masala( grind 4 to 5 green cardamom and 1 inch cinnamon stick)
• Salt to taste

Let's learn How to make the Odia Mansa Tarkari:

• Marinate the mutton with 1 tsp mustard oil, turmeric powder and red chilli powder for 1 hour minimum.

• Chop the onions and tomatoes and keep aside. Peel the potatoes and cut into halves and keep aside.

• Heat Mustard oil in a Pressure cooker to a piping hot mode so that it would remove any strong odours from the oil .Shallow fry the potatoes and set them aside. 

• In the same oil, add the sugar and let it caramelize. Then add the whole spices (cloves, cinnamon, cardamon and bay leaf).

• Add the chopped onions and fry till it turns golden brown in clour. Then add your ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell of the paste goes away.

• Now add chopped tomatoes and cook till the oil separates from the spice mixture and then add coriander powder, chilli powder and a little water. Tomatoes are not usually added in the recipes in Odia Mutton curry but it is a personal preference , so I add, you can skip if you do not like.

• Now add the marinated mutton and coat it evenly with the spices. Keep frying the mutton for a few more minutes on a medium heat. You will notice the fat melting and adding to the richness to the masala. keep sauting on low flame till you see the masalas leaving the sides of the pot.Add potatoes now.

• Pour 2 cups of boiling water and cover the lid and allow it to cook on medium flame till you have the first whistle of the pressure cooker. Now lower the flame and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. This would help the mutton fat to gradually melt and add to the richness and flavour of the dish.

• Let the pressure cooker release all the steams naturally and then open the lid and sprinkle the garam masala over it. 

• Your delicious Odia mutton curry is ready. There will be a thin layer of oil over the mutton curry, which indicates a good mutton curry.

Ingredients to make Mudhi Mansa:

• 1 cup Mudhi
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 green chilli finely chopped
• 2 to 3 tbsp chopped cucumber
• 1 tbsp chopped tomatoes
• Fresh sprig of coriander leaves, finely chopped
• A pinch of Odia jira lanka gunda (roasted cumin seeds and red chillies grind together )

Let's assemble the dish:

• Mix all the ingredients together and finally add a some mutton curry with a few chunks of meat. Your Mudhi Mansa is ready to be savoured.

This Mudhi Mansa, an exclusive odia delicacy Which remains a niche in its own state made from the  leftover gravy from the mutton curry mixed with onions, green chillies and fresh coriander along with the puffed rice , needs to be brought to the  limelight for the world to know. Hence,this delicacy is going to be part of the #44th Foodie Monday Blog Hop theme of #Indianspices.

Noroxingho Maasor Anja-Assamese styled Fish Curry with Curry Leaves( Guest Post By Pushpita Ahibam)

Pushpita Aheibam, an Economist by qualification, a freelance writer by profession, a homemaker, a mother and last but not the least a food enthusiast and a dear friend of mine has an amazing Blog Ei Gi Chakhum where she shares  her  passion for cooking , sharing, reviving & spreading some inherited authentic Manipuri cuisine along with fusion cuisine . I always like the detailed infromation she shares about the recipes and some of my favourites from her Blog is Thandai Souffle, Yongchak Singju,Crispy Chicken Drumsticks/Legs, Kelichana Shots, Butter Garlic Prawns to name a few.

It is absolute pleasure to have her at my place with her recipe Noroxingho Maasor Anja-Assamese styled Fish Curry with Curry Leaves which she has prepared with so much love and care for CulinaryXpress.I would like to  thank Pushpita for accepting my request to do a guest post for me this month and I knew it would be a traditional dish with her signature style of writing and narration. Over to Pushpita and read her views and impression on CulinaryXpress.

It was a sweet and pleasant surprise for me when I received a request from my talented Blogger friend Alka Jena of www.culinaryxpress.comto contribute a guest post for her blog. An inspiration for me who is carrying forth her passion of sharing traditional recipes as well as out of the box recipe ideas through her beautiful blog.Full of detailed information’s, her blog has the magic to attract potential readers. The sole Recipe Developer, Author, Food Stylist and Photographer of her Food Blog, Alka dreams of continuing her passion of cooking, food styling and photography through her lovely blog.Curious to know more about her traditional recipes like I do?

Then, do check out her recipes to name a few of them- Badi Chura,  Odia Kanji, Enduri Pitha, Wood Apple Tamarind Aquafresca , Kulfi, Egg Biryani, Spiced Chickoo and Raisin Cake,Oats and Dry Fruits Cigar, Chai Ice-cream among the varied recipe collection Alka has shared.

Knowing about my interest in traditional recipes, she asked me to do a  Guest post for traditional and lesser known recipes from North-East India as I hail from the region.

Hence, I am here to share a not so known Assamese Fish Curry recipe with freshly ground Curry leaves paste.

• Curry leaves has numerous health benefits. Curry leaves or Kadi patta helps prevent dandruff and premature greying of hair, the anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties help prevent fungal infections and acne.
• It helps prevent morning sickness during pregnancy, anaemia, helps control your blood sugar level and help fight against indigestion.

It was during my last trimester of pregnancy, I have had relished this flavourful Assamese Styled Noroxingho Maasor Anja cooked by my Uncle-in-law more than a decade ago prepared with xinghi or shing maach (fossil cat or Asian stinging catfish).

Your taste-buds can never do away with tasty delicacies which you have ever tasted. I happen to experience the same, as such without any delay simply learnt the method of cooking this tasty fish curry from my Mother-in-law, who is an Assamese by birth.

So without further delay peek into the ingredients included and method of cooking this tasty and healthy Assamese styled fish curry with curry leaves.

Cuisine: Assamese

Noroxingho Maasor Anja

Yields 3 serving

Ingredients

• 300 g small Grey Mullet/Parshe fish, scaled, cleaned and washed properly
• 150g fresh Curry leaves/Kadi patta, ground to a smooth paste
• 4-5 small Garlic cloves, smashed or finely chopped
• 2-3 whole dry Red Chillies/Pepper
• 1 tsp of Turmeric powder
• 1/3^rd cup (80ml) + 2 Tbsp of Mustard oil, for deep frying+cooking the fish
• Salt for seasoning
• ½ cup (120ml) of warm Water

Method

• Put the fishes in a bowl, rub ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp salt on them and set aside.
• Mean while heat the mustard oil in a wok or large pan until it reaches its smoking point.
• Reduce the heat and fry the fishes in two or three small batches until crisp and golden brown or lightly brown. Remove them on a plate with blotting paper or kitchen towel to let soak the excess oil.
• In the same wok or pan add 2 tbsp of remaining oil, let it heat and smoke.
• Reduce the heat to low to prevent further smoking of oil. Now add garlic, whole red chillies/pepper, sauté in for few seconds until the garlic gives out its fried aroma without browning.
• Add the curry paste, give it a good stir, add the remaining ½ tsp turmeric powder, salt. Saute and let the oil separate from the fried mixture.
• Add half the water, increase the heat to medium. Bring it to a boil uncovered.
• Add in the fried fishes one by one gently stir the curry, add the remaining water and let it simmer for few minutes or until done.
• Once done turn off the stove, remove and serve the Noroxingho Maasor Anjawith piping hot plan White rice and some sliced onions by the side.

Note:You can use any fresh water fish or small fish for this tasty fish curry.
  

Egg Croquettes- Celebrating the spirit of Ramadan

The love for food and understanding the importance of both the consumption and abstinence of it is the core of the holy month of Ramadan which ends in the breaking of the fast in Eid-al-Fitr. Ramadan or Ramzan  is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar when  Muslims around the world engage themselves in prayer, fasting, charity, and religious devotion. During this holy month, Muslims around the world abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours. There's more to Ramadan than fasting and  avoiding food and drink from dawn to dusk. it’s a month of spiritual detox The holy month of Ramdan helps to cultivate self-discipline which will keep one practicing the rest of the year . 

All over the world ,Muslims are encouraged to take their  meal before dawn, and break the fast immediately after sunset. The fast is traditionally broken by eating dates and drinking water. The Ramadan fast is one of the five pillars or basic institutions of Islam which help strengthen a person’s faith, obedience to God and every part  of their life, be it morals, manners, food or dress.

• Shahadah: Professing your faith by affirming that  there is no deity but God and Mohammed is his messenger.
• Salat: offering Prayer five times daily.
• Zakat: Giving to charity to benefit the poor and needy
• Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan.
• Hajj: Making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.

A typical Islam’s household would start their day with a plate of Shir Khurma for breakfast which is a vermicelli and milk pudding spiced with cardamom . Vermicelli is an integral ingredient which finds it’s place in multitude of dishes and sweets eaten during Ramadan and Eid across the world. I take this wonderful opportunity to include this wonder ingredient in my contribution to our 43rd Foodie Monday Bloghop theme of #Ramadan Special.......Egg Croquette.

Recipe Type: Snacks
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
serves:12 nos of croquette

Ingredients 

• 12 nos  eggs
• 1 kg boiled Potatoes
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1 /2 tsp garam masala
• 250 gms bread crumbs
• 4 nos of Egg whites
• 250 gms fine vermicelli
• Salt
• Oil for deep frying

Let’s learn how to make this:

• Boil the eggs as per your liking. Peel it and keep aside.

• Mash the potatoes well making sure that there are no lumps. Add salt, chilly flakes, grated ginger, cumin powder, garam masala and finely chopped coriander leaves and mix it well.

•  Make 12 balls out of this  potato mix. Flaten each of them, place a boiled egg in the center and make a ball.

• Take bread crumbs and vermicelli in two different plates. Dip the potato balls in egg white and roll them well in the bread crumbs. keep in the refrigerate for 30 minutes. Take out of refrigerator and dip them again in egg white and roll them in the vermicelli. 

•  Heat the oil for frying.Deep fry the croquettes on low flame till they turn light golden in color. Drain it and set aside. Repeat this with all the croquettes.

•  Serve it hot with Sauce of your choice.

Spiced Garbanzo Beans Pie Recipe- Guest Post for Shaheen Ali

It was a pleasant surprise when I receive a request from Shaheen Ali of https://www.spoonforkandfood.com to do a guest post for her. She is a huge inspiration for me because of the way she manages her Blog. Despite being in neck deep in  work, I managed to finish this post because I really wanted to be at her Blog. You have to visit her blog to believe what I say here. Shaheen is   not only a gifted food blogger who masters the art of articulating food, but also a very talented food stylist and photographer.

I am truly fascinated by her Baking skills and her creativity at that. Do check out the BLACK FOREST CAKE, VANILLA SPONGE CAKE WITH DDL FILLING AND FRESH CREAMFROSTING, BRITISH BATTENBURG CAKE, FLORAL FONDANT CAKE, WATERMELONCOSMOPOLITAN, PINK LEMONADE, BLUE LAGOON (NON - ALCOHOLIC), POMEGRANATELEMONADE to name a few.

Now coming back to my dish, I just love leading a simple, hassle fee and laid back life  and sometimes the simple pleasures of life can be found in simple recipes which are close to our heart. Chickpeas are one ingredient which I can go on about making a lot of varieties with. I have decided to make a pie out of it which can be best enjoyed with some salad and fresh juice. That’s it as simple as that.

A pie is a baked dish containing a filling of various sweet or savory ingredients which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers it completely. The first thing that comes to our mind is the sweet, fruit-or-custard-filled pastry when you think of pie. But all pies need not necessarily be sweet. Savory pie is one of the all-time hit food with me and my family. Whether eaten in small slices for a snack or as a main course, this vegetarian pie is awesome and satisfying. When it comes to a Quick Brunch, savory pies take the lead.

Course: Brunch
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cooking Time:25 minutes
Yields:6 Pies

Ingredients for the short crust Pie:

·        500 gms, all-purpose flour

·        220gms butter, chilled and cut in ½ inch cubes

·        4-5 tbsp, ice cold water

Let’s learn how to do this recipe:

·      Rub the cold butter with the all purpose flour till it resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice cold water little at a time and using your fingers, mix very gently to bring the flour and butter mixture together to form dough.

·        Divide the dough in 4 parts and wrap each portion of the dough with cling film very well and freeze it for 30 minutes.

·        Preheat the oven to 160 degree and Grease the tart pans.

·   Take out 2 of the dough, place it between two parchment papers and roll it gently to form a circle with a thickness of about 1/4inch depending upon the size of the tart shell you require. Carefully place the rolled pastry onto the tart pan and trim the edges of excess dough. Now fill the tart with kidney beans and bake the tart crust for 20 to 25 minutes.

·    Once done, allow it to cool for few minutes and very carefully remove the pie weight.

·        You would yield 6 pie shells out of this.

Spiced Garbanzo Beans 

prep time:20 mins

cook time:25 mins

Serves:6

 Ingredients:

·        1 cup dried white Garbanzo Beans

·        water for pressure cooking

·        2 black cardamoms

·        1 inch cinnamon stick

·        2 to 3 cloves

·        1 bay leaf

·        1 black tea bag

·        salt as required

for making the gravy:

·        1 large onion, finely chopped

·        3 medium to large tomatoes, finely chopped

·        1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste

·        2 to 3 green chilies, slit

·        1 tsp amchur powder

·        ½ tsp red chili powder

·        1 tsp coriander powder

·        1 tbsp Chole Masala

·        1 tsp garam masala powder

·        ½ cup stock or water

·        salt as required

·        2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish

·        1 medium onion, thinly sliced for garnishing

how to make the recipe:

·        Soak 1 cup dried white Garbanzo Beans overnight in water. Drain and rinse them. Pressure cook the Garbanzo Beans, black cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves along with tea bag and 3 cups water till the beans have softened and completely cooked. 

·        Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. Add ginger garlic paste and slit green chilies. Saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away, then add chopped onions, stir and saute the onions on a low to medium flame till they turn golden. 

·     Then add chopped tomatoes and add the red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and mix very well and saute till the tomatoes become mushy and you see fat releasing from the sides of the masala. Now add the cooked Garbanzo Beans and  stir very well. 

·        Add the dry mango powder and ½ cup stock or water. Check the seasoning and stir very well and simmer the Garbanzo Beans till the gravy thickens. Mash a few beans which helps in thickening the gravy. 

·        Simmer for about 12 to 14 minutes on a low to medium flame and lastly add 1 tsp garam masala powder. stir and mix very well. 

·        Preheat the oven to 180 degree. Take out 2 of the dough, place it between two parchment papers and roll it gently to form a thin circle out of it. Carefully place the rolled pastry onto the tart pan and trim the edges of excess dough. Make some patterns with the help of a cookie cutter and place them on the pie shells. mark some incisions with a sharp knife in few places of the coved pie shells. 

·   Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or till you see the top becoming golden brown.

 ·     Serve it with a salad of your choice and enjoy this treat with a fresh glass of mango juice.