Upma – South Indian Soul Food

1/2 cup roasted semolina(sooji/rava).

1 medium chopped onion.

1 chopped green chilli.

1 tsp chana dal.

1 tsp urad dal.

2 cups water.

½ tsp cumin seeds.

1 tsp mustard seeds.

7 to 9 of kadi patta leaves.

10 to 12 cashew nuts(kaju).

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves.

1 tbsp refined oil or desi ghee.

Required salt as per your taste.

Suji upma.

1. First heat oil in a nonstick based pan on medium flame.

2. Now add the mustard seeds. After crackled add cumin seeds, chana dal and urad dal.

3. After crackled add chopped onion and fry in low flame to get little brown

4. Now add chopped green chilli, cashew and curry leaves. saute for a minute.

5. Now add water. Heat the water on high flame.

6. When water starts boil then add the roasted rava and salt as per your taste .

7. Mix well continuously for 4-5 minutes.

8. When it cooked and it smelled very delicious then off the flame. Cover it and Keep aside for 2 minutes.

9. Now add chopped coriander leaves. Mix it well.

10. Now serve South Indian Upma with coconut chutney or odia recepie dalma.

Famous Biri Bara and Ghuguni in Dhenkanal

Ingredients for Bara:

• 2 cups Biri Dali(urad dal) 
• 2 medium sized onion chopped 
• 2 tsp. chopped coriander leaves 
• 6 green chilies, chopped finely 
• A pinch of baking soda 
• Oil for deep frying 

Ingredients for Ghuguni:

• Dried Peas 1 cup 
• 2 medium sized Potato(Optional) 
• 1 medium sizd tomato 
• Salt, turmeric as required 
• 1 spoon of zeera powder, i spoon dhaniya powder 
• 3 Spoon oil, coriander leaves copped

Grind to a paste 

• 1 Medium sized onion, 
• 3 cloves garlic, 
• 1 inch ginger 
• 1 green cardamom, 
• 1 small piece cinnamon, 
• 3 cloves 

Method 
Bara: 

• Soak the Biri Dali in water for 4-5 hours. 
• Drain it and grind it in a grinder using very little water to get a smooth dough. Mix the chopped coriander leaves, chopped onion, green chillis, salt and baking soda. 
• Heat oil in a kadhai. 
• Take some oil in palm, take small balls of dough in hand, flatten it little bit and with a small hole in the center. 
• Fry it in oil till golden brown. 

Ghuguni:

• Soak the dry yellow peas in water for 6-7 hours. 
• Boil and cube the potatoes into 2 cm cubes. 
• Heat 3 spoon of oil in a frying pan, add 1 some cumin seeds, when they splutter add some chopped green chillis and then the ground paste. 
• Fry till the oil separates from the frying pan. 
• Add turmeric, chopped tomato, zeera pawder dhaniya powder. 
• Cook for few more minutes till tomatoes are done. 
• Then add the boiled peas and potatoes and little water. 
• Cover and simmer for 3-4 mins more. 
• Finally sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves. 

Soru Chakli Pithe with Sada Aloor Chorchori / Rice flour Pancakes with a simple Potato curry

Rice flour Pancakes
Ingredients: 

• 1 cup white lentil
• 1 cup rice
•  2 tablespoon oil
• Sufficient amount of water (or 2 cups)
•  Salt as per taste

Directions: 

• Soak white lentil and rice in water overnight. Then filter out the extra water and grind it to make a fine paste.
• For grinding add one cup of water. This will give the batter a fine texture.
• Keep aside the mixture for 4 to 5 hours for fermentation.
• Add salt and water to the paste for making the batter a little thin. Make sure the batter doesn't get too watery.
• Mix the batter well and place a pan on the stove.
• When the pan gets heated, add 1/2 tea spoon oil and spread it all over the pan.
• Take a small bowl of batter and spread it all over the pan in circular shape.
• Cover with a lid. The stove should be adjusted in a medium flame.
• After awhile uncover the lid, check the lower side of the cake.
• Once the lower side turns brownish, flip it to other side.
• When the pancake (pitha) is cooked well from both the sides, switch off the stove.
• Same way prepare all the pithas (pancakes).

Sada Aloor Chorchori 

Ingredients: 

• Potatoes - cut into long slices
• Kalo jeere / Kalonji / Nigella seeds
• Whole red chillies - broken
• Black pepper powder 
• Oil - I use mustard oil
• Salt
• Water 

Directions: 

• Heat oil in a kadahi.
• Add the Kalo jeere / kalonji and the red chillies.
• Let in the potato slices and stir well on high heat for around a minute. 
• Add enough water to submerge the potatoes.
• Add salt and cover and cook till the potatoes are tender.
• Check to see there is enough water in between. 
• When the potatoes are well cooked, add the black pepper powder and give a good stir.
• Remove from heat.