Poda Pitha / Spiced Rice and Coconut Cake from Odisha...:)

At first thank you soo much too all my dear foodie lover friend's....:)....Because with your's love & wishes this one is Sampaparis Passion's  50th Blog post.Really I am soo happy.Hope now & in future also Sampaparis Passion full filled your's all foodie wishes...:)....So we celebrate the day with this Odisha spacial Poda Pitha / Spiced Rice and Coconut Cake from Odisha...:)

Poda pitha is almost exclusive to the the Raja festival, which marks the onset of the rainy season, and is celebrated over three days in Orissa. It augurs the start of the rains which brings joy to the farmers.This is also the favourite dish of Lord Jagannath “The God of the Universe”.

Actually eastern part of the West Bengal ( mainly Odisha & West Bengal borderline area) also this one is a very popular dish. I know that because my Maternal uncle house is Odisha & West Bengal border area. So I am very habituated to lots of Oriya dish. My Grandmother prepare this one too good.So here I share her unqiue  recipe & my one of  favourite  dish. Hope you also enjoyyy with this dish......:)

Ingredients: 

• 250 gm(one cup) - black gram (urad dal)
• 500 gm(2 cup) - rice
• one small  - coconut (Break coconut into 2 halves...Grate half and cut the other half into small pieces)
• Approximately 400 gm - gur (jaggery) / sugar (As per your taste)
• 1/2 inches  - grated /finely chopped ginger
• green cardamom -      2-3 crashed 
• 2-3 tsp dry fruit
• 3-4 tsp - ghee
• 1/4 tsp - baking powder
• Approximately one tsp - salt (as per your taste)
  

Method: 

1. At first Soak rice and  black gram (urad dal) in separate bowls for about 5 -6 hours .
2. Then wash them thoroughly. Put the  gram with a little amount of water in the grinder and make a fine thick paste. Make a same paste of rice also but rice paste is little coarse and dry.
3. Mix both rice and gram and make a thick batter and Add salt to the better and let it stand overnight for self-fermentation. 4 to 5 hours also fine . 
4. Now add slice coconut , grated coconut,ginger, salt, sugar/jaggery, dry fruit and baking powder. Mix all well .
   
5. Pour the better  to a baking tray/dish grease it with little ghee. Pre-Heat the oven at 280 degrees  fahrenheit. After then put the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 mins same temp. After then do the oven temp. 200 & bake again  30 to 40 mins. 
6. After then to check for pitha readiness, put insert toothpick or fork. If the better does not stick, its ready. Allow the pitha to cool before cutting into pieces.
   
    
7. Now your Poda Pitha is ready to serve & serve it with any chutney preferably with coconut chutney or plain Nolen gur/Palm Jaggery. I love with out anything only Poda pitha also.
   
   

Enjoy Your's Poda Pitha / Spiced Rice and Coconut Cake from Odisha...:)

"Nimki/Namakpare"......:)

Salty, Crunchy, "Nimki/Namakpare" is a very popular Indian snacks with tea or with out tea....!!!......For my home all time Favorite... These diamond/square  shaped savory crackers, Nimki have a lot of childhood memories attached to it. My Maa (mom) makes the best Nimki in our home. I remember her making  them in big batches during mainly festive season ( Holi, Durga puja, Diwali etc) and we, means me & my two younger brother  waiting around the kitchen for little bit tasting to this salty, crunchy.

In my house me & my Husband both are too much love this one. So regularly I prepare this snacks. Also when we arranged any snacks/tea party with friend's this one is very popular item.Here I share my Nimki recipe to all of you.Hope you also enjoy with this one....:)

Ingredients:

All purpose Flour/ Maida: 2 cups

white oil/ Ghee:  2-3 tsp

Nigella seeds (kalo jeere/Kalounji): 1/4 tsp

Ajwain/jowan: 1/4 tsp

salt: as per taste 

water to knead the dough

oil for deep frying 

Method:-

1. At first take a big bowl and pour in the flour. Rub the Nigella , Ajwain seeds in your palm and add to the flour, along with the salt and oil/ghee. Mix everything together. Rub the oil/ghee into the flour mixture so that the flour looks all crumbled. This is very important for a flaky crunchy nimki. 
2. Now add water very little at a time and knead to get a tight dough, knead it for further 3-4 minutes. Cover with a bowl or under plastic wrap and keep aside for 30 mins.
3. Divided the dough into four to five equal parts and shape them into smooth balls.
   
4.  Roll one dough ball at a time into thin chapati like discs. Using a knife or a pizza cutter cut thin strips of the dough and cut the strips diagonally to get diamond shaped pieces or square .
   
5.  Fry them in medium hot oil till they are golden brown in color. Do the same with rest of the dough balls. Keep the rest covered when you are rolling one.
6.  Cool them completely before storing.This keeps it fresh and crunchy for longer period of time.
   
   

EnjoyYour's Nimki/Namakpare....!!!