PICTURES of INGREDIENTS ( Vegetables )

1.  Brinjal / Eggplant / Aubergine/ Baingan ( in Hindi)/ Baigana ( in Odia )

2.  Cabbage / Bandhgobi, Pattagobi ( in Hindi)/ Bandha Kobi ( in Odia)

3. Capsicum,  Bell Pepper/  Shimla Mirch , Capsicum (both in Hindi, Odia)

MUTTON( GOAT MEAT) RECIPE 5: Mansha Kasa ( Spicy Mutton - Dry)

Mansha Kasa ( Spicy Mutton – dry)

Heat 4-5 tbsp oil( mustard/refined) in a pressure cooker. Crackle whole spices – 1 bay leaf, 2-3 pieces of cinnamon, 4-5 green cardamoms( lightly crushed), 1 black cardamom( slightly crushed) and 5-6  black peppers.  Add chopped onions( 2-3) and fry till golden brown.  Add chopped ginger( 1 inch long) and garlic( 7-8 cloves). Saute for a minute and add meat( ½ kg goat meat). Saute well till oil separates. Add haldi, salt, 1 tbsp dhania powder and a paste of red chilli( 2-3 soaked red chillies ground to a fine paste). Stir and saute the mix for a minute or two. Add curd( 2 tbsp) and cook covered on low fire for 2-3 mins. Add 3-4 tbsp of tomato puree. Saute for 2-3 mins. Add a few spoons of water and close the lid. Pressure cook on high flame for one whistle and then cook on sim for another 10 mins till meat is well done. Switch off and allow to cool normally for opening the lid. Flavour with ½ tsp garam masala powder. Consistency will be dry, with gravy just coating the mutton pieces.

May add ½ tsp jeera powder, and ½ tsp kasuri methi, if you like.

MUTTON(GOAT MEAT) RECIPE 4: Dahi Mansha ( Mutton in curd)

Dahi Mansha ( my simple style)

Marinate goat meat( ½ kg) with OGG paste (2 onions+6-7 cloves of garlic+1/2 inch healthy ginger), haldi, salt,1/3 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 4-5 tbsp curd and 1 tsp sugar.

Heat 3-4 tbsp mustard / refined oil.  Put 2 pieces of dalchini stick, 3-4 green cardamoms, 2-3 cloves and 1 tejpatta. Pour the meat along with the marination. Stir-cook on medium flame for some time. Cover and cook on medium to low fire – stirring intermittently, till oil separates.  Either cook covered on sim for long enough till mutton is fully cooked; or add a bit of water ( say 1 cup) and pressure cook on high flame for 1 whistle and then on sim for 10 mins. Cool, open and put back on the gas to adjust consistency by reducing gravy fully till oil shows up. Finish with dalchini powder  & green cardamom powder. Serve hot.

MUTTON( GOAT MEAT) RECIPE 3: MANSHA STEW ( MUTTON STEW WITHOUT OIL)

PAPA’S  MUTTON STEW ( WITHOUT OIL)

2-3 serves

( ½ kg good quality goat meat with fat of its own)

I fondly recall, we actually used to call it “Papa’s ” Mutton stew. Anytime, my mother or anyone else( including me ) dared try this, we used to reject saying – no, it does not give that “ papa, papa” flavour !!  I have made it quite a few times – comes out nicely – but not as good as when bapa used to do it. Perhaps, his trick was being subtle with each of the ingredients – I tend to be a little louder.

A confession !  Although no oil is used for this recipe, we do require good quality goat meat with fat of its own.  Yeah, it would be like soup only – so may not look too great to many – BUT I and my family just love the aroma and the great taste of the stew. Again, this is certainly a healthy way to take red meat.

In the body of a pressure cooker, mix together :  ½ kg  goat meat, 1-2  onion(sliced), ½ inch ginger(crushed), 7 to 8s garlic cloves (crushed),one small  tomato ( chopped ),whole dhania(1 tsp), whole jeera ( ½ tsp), whole black pepper (about ½ tsp), cinnamon pieces (2), small elaichi ( 3 to 4, pounded lightly), laung (3-4),  whole dry red chilli pieces(1 or 2, de-seeded and halved), 1 bay leaf, sprinkles of dhania powder, jeera  powder & red chilli powder, ½ tsp dalchini powder, a dash of haldi , salt, sugar(1/2 tsp) and enough water for soupy gravy( 2 cups or a bit more).

Close lid and cook on high flame for 1 whistle. Then bring gas to sim and cook for about 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool normally. Serve piping hot as a soup or with rice /roti /puri.

MUTTON ( GOAT MEAT)RECIPE 2 : Mansha Mahura ( Goat meat with mixed veg in Odia style)

Mansha  Mahura ( Mutton with Mixed Veg in Odia style)

3-4 serves; 300-400gm goat meat

Method 1 

Pressure cook mutton adding water, salt and haldi.  Keep aside.

In a pressure cooker, boil bhaja mooga dali( roasted moong dal) and vegetables         [aloo(potato), saru(colocasia), desi aloo(a kind of yam), papaya, kakharu( pumpkin), mula (raddish), kadali( raw banana), baigan(brinjal), beans/jhudang( long beans), jahni ( ridge gourd), potola( striped gourd), kunduri etc. Or whatever of these are readily available ) adding water or gravy of boiled mutton, salt, haldi, tomato( just a bit), jeera powder, pepper powder and a bit of dalchini powder. 

Cool and open lid and place the cooker back on burner. Cook on high flame for a minute or so to adjust consistency.

Heat mustard oil. Splutter jeera( or paanch phutan), red chilli, tejpatta and 1-2 crushed green cardamom – add chopped onion ( chunky pieces). Add boiled mutton and saute for a while. Add this to boiled veg-dal mix (mahura). Put a bit of sugar, dalchini powder and dhania patta(optional).

Method 2 :

Heat mustard oil. Splutter jeera/paanch phutan n tejpatta – add chopped onion. Fry till onion is brown. Add  tomato, jeera powder, pepper powder, dalchini powder and crushed small elaichi, haldi, salt, a dash of sugar and a dash of red chilli powder. Saute adding boiled mutton ( boiled addingly salt & haldi) or          pre-cooked left over mutton curry.  Add the chopped veggies ( aloo, papaya, saru,kakharu, mula, kadali, baigan, beans/jhudang, jahni, potola, kunduri etc.) and saute for some more time.  Add bhaja moong dal, a bit of masoor dal and water.  Transfer this to a pressure cooker and cook on high flame for one whistle. Switch off and cool. After opening cooker’s lid, adjust consistency ( semi-solid) and flavour with some more of dalchini powder and fresh coriander leaves.

You may add a spoon or two of OGG paste while frying masala powders.(optional)

Note : while personally I prefer using roasted moong dal for these recipes, plain moong dal can also be used without much difference to the taste.s

Method 3 :  Cook the mahura only with meat and vegetables following any of the above two methods, avoiding use of any dal.

In Odia Cuisine, any mixed curry with jeera powder & pepper powder as the main flavours is known as “Mahura” – just as any curry with mustard paste as the main flavour is known as “Besara”.

AMLA RECIPE 1: Amla n Almond Chutney

Amla and Almond Chutney( health quotient too high)

(for 2-3 persons )

Blend together in a chutney pot:  3 amlas(grated), 20 roasted almonds(roughly chopped), 1-2 tbsp chopped dhania patta,  1 healthy clove of garlic and 1 small green chilli-chopped, black salt ½ tsp and salt to taste. May add 2-3 tender curry leaves, and a few mint leaves, if you have.  Great way to build in amla into regular diet.Having 1 to 1&1/2 tbsp of this on a regular basis has high health benefits. Serve with anything – idli, dosa, roti, paratha, rice etc. –as a side accompaniment.

If no health issues, you may use roasted cashew nuts and/ or roasted peanuts in place of or along with roasted almonds.

I had learnt this from a Punjabi aunty ( Thanks, Bakshi aunty !!) Tastes great.

MUTTON ( GOAT MEAT) RECIPE 1: Mutton ( Goat Meat) Curry : Usual Odia Homely Style

Mansha Kasa Tarkari ( Usual Odia Homely Style)

( Goat meat)

(For 2-3 serves) with oil quantity restricted to a very low level

Wash 2 medium sized potatoes with jacket(skin) and chop into 2-3 logs each. Heat  1-2 tbsp of mustard oil in the body of a pressure cooker ( in which the curry will be prepared). Fry the potato chunks well covering with the lid in between. Keep aside the fried potatoes.

Add 2-3 tbsp mustard oil to the Cooker. Add 1 tsp sugar, 1 tejpatta, 1-2 dalchini sticks, 2-3cloves and 3-4 whole black peppers. Add 1 small onion            ( sliced), 2-3 green cardamoms roughly crushed and fry till brown. Add OGG paste (2 onions+ 7-8 big garlic cloves  + 1 inch ginger). Saute a bit and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder( ½ tsp or to taste), ½ tsp dalchini powder and salt. Saute for 4-5 min on medium to low fire. Take care not to burn.Add chopped tomato ( ½ of a small – very less) and fry on low to medium fire till oil separates and it leaves nice  aroma. Keep sprinkling drops of water as masala gets fried to prevent burning because of less oil. After masala is sauted brown for about 10-15 mins, add mutton( ½ kg). Sprinkle a few drops of water, if needed and saute well, intermittently covering the lid – for about  15mins. When mutton gets half-cooked and nicely sauted, the whole mix looking reddish brown and leaving oil, add 2-3 cups of water, fried potatoes and close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook on high flame for one whistle; then on sim- total for 12 mins. After closing the lid. Switch off gas and allow cooker to cool normally.

Open the lid and put back on burner. Let it boil a bit; adjust water & salt, as needed for gravy. Switch off. Flavour with a dash more of dalchini powder and small elaichi powder (or a freshly made ground paste of cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves and a few pepper). Cover. Serve hot with rice/roti.

Variation:

i. Especially in Puri, instead of using only mustard oil, a combination of mustard oil, vegetable ghee and pure ghee is used for sauteing the spices, which gives away a pretty different and nice flavour & gorgeous look to the curry. However, to avoid bad fat, only mustard oil can be used.

ii. dhania powder( 1 tsp), jeera powder( 1 tsp) and ½ tsp garam masala powder may be added to masala as the OGG paste starts leaving oil.

iii. Along with potato, large chunky pieces of raw papaya can also be added.

iv. Instead of fried potato, raw potato halves can be added while adding water for gravy. Tastes as good.

KARELA RECIPE 7 : Stuffed Karela ( bittergourd)

Stuffed Karela ( Bittergourd / Kalara)

Just too yummy, despite its  bitterness !!

Halve whole karelas lengthwise in the middle. Wash and boil in water, adding salt and haldi. Discard the excess water.

When a little cool, scoop out the middle seedy portion from the boiled karela pieces to make space for the stuffing. 

Fill the stuffings* into each half of boiled karela. Heat a little oil on a flat non-stick frying pan and fry the stuffed karelas on low fire  - first on karela side and then on stuffing side. Press lightly on each stuffed karela while frying the stuffing side to flatten it as much as possible. Fry till nicely brown. Serve as side dish with rice.

*Variations of Stuffing :

1 : Heat mustard oil – add finely chopped onion. Fry a bit and add mashed boiled potato, salt, red chilli powder. Fry well on sim stirring the mash till it leaves a nice fried aroma and turns brownish.

2 : Heat oil. Add mashed potato, salt, red chilli powder. Fry a little. Add a bit of mustard-garlic-haldi paste and fry well.

3.   Mix together besan, chopped onion, chopped green chilli, salt to taste and a few drops of mustard oil and use this as stuffing.

Variation :  Boil Karelas whole, adding salt and haldi. Take out, cool and make half slit on the body of each boiled karela – in the middle portion on one side. Scoop out the seedy interior and stuff with any of the above three stuffings.

Otherwise, fill with another simple badi stuffing as under:

Heat oil. Saute onion, green chilli, garlic – all finely chopped. Fry a little. Add crushed badi . Mix well and fry. Use this as stuffing inside the whole karela.

Dust the stuffed whole karelas with a sprinkle of rice flour/cornflour and fry on pan nicely, rolling all over. Or deep fry.

Stuffed karelas are great accompaniments with plain rice.  

KARELA RECIPE 5 : Karela chatpata

Karela Chatpata

Slit karelas in the middle – scoop out if big seeds are there; then slice into half-rings – cut  slightly thick . 

Heat oil ( refined). Put a pinch of hing. Add karela pieces. Put haldi and salt. Fry a little; then add some water, enough for the karela pieces to get cooked. Cook covered on low fire till karela is just tender. Take off the lid. Sprinkle aamchur powder, red chilli powder and dhania powder. Fry uncovered for 2-3 minutes.

KARELA RECIPE 6 : Karela fried with badi

Karela fried with badi

Heat oil ( mustard oil/ refined ) and add the karela slices. Fry a little on high flame. Add chopped onion and chopped green chilli – keep on frying till frying smell comes. Cover and cook, as it gets fried. Add salt, haldi, chopped tomato and dhania powder . Fry well till done.Top with fried & crushed badi  and finely chopped dhania patta.

KARELA RECIPE 4 : Karela Manpasand

Karela Manpasand 

( I do this once in a blue moon – as it consumes a bit more oil .)

( For 2 moderate servings – use 4-5 small to medium tender karela)

Slit karelas in the middle (scoop out the middle portion if big seeds are there); then slice into thin half-rings. 

To lessen bitterness, you may put salt and soak karela pieces  for an hour in water. Then squeeze them out.  Otherwise, you may use the freshly cut karela straightaway to retain its nutrition value still better.

Heat oil (Refined veg oil) and deep fry karela chips on medium to high flame till brown. Keep aside. ( IMP TIP : As excess oil in which bitter karela is fried can not be re-used, fry karela chips in very small batches using  as little oil as possible – say, about  2 tbsp oil at one go. It may take more time; but oil consumption will be remarkably low. Check this out !!  )

Remove the excess oil, if any, leaving just a few drops of it in the same pan. Heat it and add onion slices (I-2 small onions), chopped green chilli (1 small) and chopped ginger(a bit). Fry a bit and add the deep fried karela chips, chopped tomato(1 medium), salt, haldi and dhania powder. Mix well and fry for a while. Garnish with  finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

This is an elaborate bittergourd dish, which tastes nice and much less bitter; and can go as accompanying dish with roti or rice for most.A favourite of most in North India.

KARELA RECIPE 3 : Karela Simple Fry

Karela Fry Simple  ( KALARA  BHAJA  in Odia)

Slit karelas in the middle, then slice into thin half-rings. If karelas turn out to have ripe seeds, simply scoop out the middle portion and then slice finely. In case of tender small to medium sized karela, just chop into fine round slices.

Fry – method 1:

Heat oil (mustard oil or refined veg oil). Add karela, haldi and salt to taste. Stir fry on high flame for a minute-then cover with a lid. Cook till fried properly – covering and stir-frying intermittantly on medium to low flame, till brown and cooked. Take off the lid and let the fry turn crispy on sim. Keep stirring at intervals and flip so that each piece of fried karela turns brown and crispy. Serve hot.

Variations to to method 1 : 

-           Add red chilli powder  while putting haldi n salt.

-          Add dhania powder and red chilli powder once karela chips are cooked, but before they are crispy.

-          Add dhania powder, red chilli powder and aamchur .

-          Add only sambhar masala , instead of above powders; or any other curry powder.

-          Add finely quartered slices of potato. Fry the potato chips first for 2-3 minutes and then add the karela slices. Follow the given method at 1.   May spice up with dhania powder, red chilli powder n aamchur in any combination as per your choice.

Fry - method 2

Heat oil, splutter paanch phutan(bits of mustard seeds, jeera, saunf, kalajeera & a very few seeds of methi) and 1-2 broken pieces of whole dry red chilli.  Add the karela slices, salt, haldi and fry, first on high flame with lid and then on low to medium flame without lid, till nicely fried and cooked. (No chilli powder)

Variations to method 2 : 

-          Add onion slices after the paanch phutan n red chilli pieces splutter.  Rest of the process same.

-          Add potato slices to karela, with or without onion.

-          Add sambhar masala/dhania powder/aamchur/any curry powder, in any combination

KARELA RECIPE 2: Mashed Karela

Pl visit my last post http://snigdhasrecipes.blogspot.in/2012/12/an-ode-to-bitter-gourd-karela-kalara-in.html" An Ode to... bittergourd ".

Recipe 2

Karela/Kalara Bharta  ( Mashed Bittergourd)

( 2 servings)

Halve 2 karelas length-wise and scoop out seeds. No need to empty the middle if karela is tender; just cut into 2-3 logs.

In pressure cooker, put the karela pieces together with 2-3 tomatoes( roughly chopped), a bit of onion (1/4^th to ½ maximum), green chilli ( 1 or to taste), garlic cloves( 2-3), salt and 2-3 tbsp of water ( just enough to cook the stuff). Cook on high flame till one whistle. Switch off and allow to cool. Open and transfer to a plate. Mash everything together. Add a few drops of mustard oil for flavour .  

This is perhaps the healthiest, simplest and quite tasty way to have karela with plain rice. Highly beneficial for all-especially for loved ones with diabetes and heart problems.The trick is to have this first with plain rice and then go for the other dishes in the platter. 

( Though I make it quite often, I have not clicked it. Next time, I will click and upload a pic here, I promise! Looks good with the red tinge from tomatoes n green tinge from bittergourd!!)