Odia spices & condiments box:
Spices & condiments plays a significant role in cooking... Though every region has their own choice of spices, Odia cuisines are seasoned with a simple & distinct blend of spices that gives a unique regional identity.. Some of these are explained below:
Pancha phutana is the mix of five basic spices that are used in cooking which are cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds & fennel seeds. The Odia curries and stir fries( bhaja) are basically incomplete or have a bland taste without tempering of pancha phutan, that gives the distinct authentic flavour and aroma to the final dish..
Besara is basically a term for blend of mustard- garlic- green chilli n cumin paste.The sharp and pungent taste of mustard and garlic, the spicy and heated smell, taste of green chillies are blended into a fine paste and is used as a condiment to cook vegetable or fish , that's makes the dish delicious n wholesome...it's mostly contrasted with ambula. Be it fish, mushroom or okra..the besara with ambula makes the taste balanced...
It is also used in making a dish named after it, Besara, an item of mahaprasad, the temple food, by skipping garlic..
Ambula: is a salty sun-dried mango pieces, originating from Odisha.. where raw mangoes are sliced , then mixed with salt n dried in sun for days until they are fully dried ..
These are tangy tasting types...which are used in varieties of Odia cuisines that imparts a tangy taste to the final dish...It is added to curries mostly with besara that balance the sharp and pungent flavour of mustard and gives a heavenly tickling flavour to the taste bud.
It is also used to make kanji and concoction with crushed garlic n green chillies, with a dazzle of mustard oil that makes an Odia pallet complete.. mostly eaten as a side dish to lunch…
Badi is a sun dried urad dal dumplings..made by soaking urad dal in water overnight and then blending it with or without few spices, then preparing it by making tiny ball shaped in batches over a large cardboard or plates and sun drying it till they are fully dried without any moisture left. The varieties are pumpkin seeds, ash gourd seeds badi. Odias make their own badi...On the onset of summer, most Odia households would be seen sun drying these lentil dumplings on their terrace or lawns, followed by the jar of pickles...
Gota masala or Garam Masala is the whole spices used in cooking like bay leaves, dry red chilli, whole black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon,cloves etc. Odias love to use these spices as whole or as grounded... they make their own blend of spices, roasted or sun dried and then hand pounded. These are used to season various veg n non veg curries..
Bhaja masala is the blend of roasted spices...that are made by dry roasting cumin seeds and dried red chillies, on slow flame till it gives a nice aroma & looks bit charred on chillies..then it is cooled completely n pounded either by mixer or mortar and pestle...It gives a distinct rich and strong aroma, when seasoned to dishes.. often used to season dalma , stir fries( bhaja)and chutneys. Mostly used to season no - onion garlic dishes to impart it with flavours.. that are preferred to be cooked on festive days..
Mustard oil is the basic medium of cooking curries and stir fries in odia household..though they also prefer refined oil & ghee. This pungent smelling and strong flavoured mustard oil is the main element behind any odia dish that gives it a distinct authentic flavour, be it veg or nonveg...It is also used to season certain dishes that requires it to be used raw like baingan bharta, badi chura etc.
Gua ghia or Cow ghee is mainly used in cooking and seasoning the food on festival days when we prefer to eat no onion garlic food & also a dollop of ghee on rice, is the scene of most odia vegetarian meals... Odias prefer to make ghee by their own, churning, the cultured malai n making ghee and dahi chhena out of it... Dahi chhena, seasoned with grated coconut, jaggery and few spices, are often used as stuffing to make pithas..
Click on the links below for the Ghee & Dahi chhena recipe
Other than these, the blend of onion, ginger & garlic paste is used as the basic masala for any curry / gravy based dishes..with coriander ,cumin,red chilli & turmeric powder...
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