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5 Steps to a Happy Life with Positive Attitude

Step 1: Believe Happiness is a Choice

For me, this was a hard one at first. I thought that people were either unhappy or happy (and I was one of the unhappy ones). I used to blame this on all kinds of outside forces –- fate, experiences, parents, relationships –- but never really stopped to think that I could choose to be happy.

Sure, this isn’t always easy, but it is always, always an option. Teaching myself to see that happiness is a choice has been one of the greatest things I’ve ever done for myself.

Now when I find myself in a bad situation, I know that it’s up to me to find the good, to be happy regardless of what’s happening around me. I am no longer pointing fingers, placing blame. I realize that everything happens how it happens and it’s up to me to choose how I want to feel about it. I am in control of my happiness level and no one can take that away from me.

Step 2: Rid Your Life of Negativity

If you want to live a positive, joyful and happy life, you cannot –- absolutely CANNOT -– be surrounded by negative people who are not encouraging your happiness. When I was a pretty negative person, I tended to attract other negative people.

When I decided to make the change to live a more positive life, I had to rid my life of all of the negative people in it. This, as you can imagine, wasn’t easy. Getting rid of people hurts -– even when you know they aren’t good for you or your current lifestyle.

Not only did I have to get rid of the negative people, but I also had to get rid of the negative things too. I had to stop doing certain things that were causing negativity in my life. I had to take a step back and examine which behaviors were good for me and which were not.

I learned to focus on the positive things I was doing and let go of the negative ones. This process was not easy and to be honest, is still ongoing, but I know this: having negativity in your life prevents you from living a truly positive existence.

Step 3: Look For the Positive in Life

There is the positive aspect in everything. In every person, in every situation, there is something good. Most of the time it’s not all that obvious. We have to look. And sometimes we have to look hard.

The old me just sat back and allowed things to happen by default. If I saw negative, I went with that feeling. I didn’t want to look harder or think too much about the good. I found it much, much easier to sit back and just accept what I saw (which was usually the bad).

Now, when I’m faced with a difficult or challenging situation, I think to myself, “What is good about this?” No matter how terrible the situation might seem, I always can find something good if I take the time to think about it.

Everything –- good and bad -– is a learning experience. So, at the very least, you can learn from bad experiences. However, there’s usually even more to it than that. If you really take the time to look, you will usually find something good, something really positive, about every person or situation.

Step 4: Reinforce Positivity in Yourself

Once I started thinking more positively and adapted to a more positive attitude, I realized I had to reinforce these thoughts and behaviors in myself so they would stick. As with any sort of training, practice makes perfect, and, yes, you can practice being positive.

The best and easiest way to do this is to be positive when it comes to who you are. Tell yourself you’re awesome. Tell yourself you look good. Tell yourself that you love and accept yourself completely. Tell yourself you did an awesome job at work or raising your kids or whatever it is you do.

Be honest with yourself, but do your best to look for the good. And, whatever you do, don’t focus on the negative. Nothing good can come of telling yourself that your butt’s too big or your latest career goal wasn’t met.

It’s okay to not like everything about yourself (yet), but don’t spend energy dwelling on the negative. Remind yourself of the good in you. We all have positive attributes and it’s up to you to remind yourself of them every day.

Step 5: Share Happiness with Others

Not only do you need to be positive with yourself for this new positive attitude to really take effect, you also need to be positive with others. You have to share your wealth of positivity with the world.

The best way I’ve found to do this is quite simple and basic: be nice. Be nice to other people, no matter what. Tell someone he or she looks nice today. Tell someone they did a great job on that presentation. Tell your parents or children (or both!) how much you love them and how great they are.

When someone is feeling down, do what you can to cheer him or her up. Send flowers. Write notes. Don’t gossip. Be kind to all living things. All of these things sound basic enough, but, for someone like me, they didn’t used to come easily.

In the past, I didn’t wanted to see the good in myself and, therefore, didn’t want to see it in others either. I used to be critical and condescending. Now I strive to be encouraging and supportive. I try not only to treat others, as I would like to be treated, but also to consider how they would like to be treated.

People appreciate positivity and the more you are sharing it with others, the more you are practicing it and reinforcing it in your own life.

Parting Words on the Positive Attitude Habit

When you start feeling like the idea of being a positive person is daunting, tell yourself this: “If someone who really used to struggle with a negative attitude, turned her life around with these five steps, then I can too!”

If anyone had told me a few years ago that I would be writing an article about developing a positive attitude and living a happy life, I would have laughed right in their face. I would have said, “Why in the world would someone want me to write about positivity?”

But here I am, writing this post, believing in these words, and knowing that every single day I am getting closer and closer to living the happy life I’ve secretly dreamed of living. If I can do it, you can do it. Believe in yourself and remember the most important lesson of all… a positive outlook is a choice. Choose to be positive. Choose to be happy. Life is short.

The Best Dishes From Every Indian State And Recipes

The whole world sees India as a colourful country and one famous for food. Most of the international recipe shows are turning to India for a unique tadka to their content and are making us realise that our daily food is more than exotic to them. Their intricate use of masalas makes us feel guilty about our lack of appreciation for what's in our own kitchens. So today, we present our own list of dishes from each state (along with recipes)

Andhra Pradesh - Gutthi Vankaya Curry

Image credit: Sunitha's Kitchen

Eggplant, one of the non-favourites, is turned into a beauty with this recipe! Small eggplants are sliced and filled with a spice mix stuffing consisting of sautéed onions, garlic, coconut, roasted lentils, powdered spices and more, cooked in a curry. A must-have dish!

Ingredients (240 ml cup used)

4 to 6 small young brinjals / vankayalu

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

¾ cup of thinly sliced onions

2 green chili slit

2 to 3 tbsp lemon juice or tamarind paste

fistful of chopped coriander

a sprig curry leaves

¼ tsp mustard

¼ tsp cumin

oil 3 tbsp peanut oil or any oil

to roast and powder

3 ½ tbsp peanuts

¾ tbsp coconut desiccated or fresh coconut

1 tbsp coriander seeds

½ tsp cumin

1 small cinnamon stick (optional)

2 cloves (optional)

2 green cardamom (optional)

4 red chilies or 1 tsp red chili powder (use byadgi chilies if possible else any red chili pow)

Instructions

Roast and powder all the ingredients under to roast and powder. Each ingredient to be roasted separately/ add salt and lemon juice and mix well.

Wash and cut brinjals with one end of the brinjal and the stalk leaving intact

keep them immersed in salted water till you use

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, cumin and curry leaves,

Once they begin to splutter, add onions and green chilies, fry till they turn golden

Add ginger garlic paste and fry just for a min

Stuff the brinjals and add them to the pan and fry just for 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure the brinjals are coated with enough oil. do not burn

Pour water just enough to cook brinjals. Adjust salt.

Once they are fully cooked and tender, add the finely chopped coriander leaves. cover and off the heat.

Recipe Source: http://indianhealthyrecipes.com/

Arunachal Pradesh – Ngatok with Rice/Tapioca Beer

Image credit: The Travelling Pot

North-eastern states are a delight for health-conscious people. Their cuisine uses minimum oil and is inspired by nature. They make use of whatever ingredients are available around them, unlike their spoilt brat cousins – the other states. After much thinking, we decided to name ngatok as the one must-have dish from this state. A unique way of cooking minced fish mixed with local spices, wrapped in leaves and cooked on a hot stone. The sad part is, we couldn’t get the recipe.

But here is an almost-way to prepare this. If you have some friends from Arunachal, ring them up and ask for this recipe. Share with us, too!

Assam – Masor Tenga

Image credit: Jayati's Food Journey

Assamese cuisine is about alkaline and acidic flavours. Khar is one of the most important dishes in their meals. But we decided to choose masor tenga – a dish that's acidic in nature, traditionally made tangy with thekera (similar to kokum). With the evolution of recipes for people residing outside the state, currently tomatoes are used to make this tangy, delicious curry. Khar and mosor tenga are considered to be an essential part of an Assamese meal.

Ingredients:

4-5 pieces of fresh fish
2- 3 table spoon Mustard oil
1/2 tsp fenugreek/methi seeds
1 cup chopped ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup green peas(optional)
salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 green chili
2-3 tbs chopped coriander leaves for garnish.

Method:
Marinate fish in salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric for 15 minutes.
Heat oil and and half fry fish.Keep aside
In the same pan, splutter seeds .Then add chopped tomatoes.
Cook till water evaporates and tomatoes are cooked and pulpy.
Add peas,1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt
and two cup hot water .Bring to a boil .
Add fried fish pieces and cover and cook on medium heat until done.
Turn off heat .Add lemon juice(according to taste)and coriander leaves just before serving.

Recipe Source: assamfoodie.wordpress.com

Bihar – Litti Chokha

Image credit: Because Anyone Can Cook

The supreme recipe from Bihar which involves a thick type of bread, litti, to be consumed with a traditional curry called chokha. Littis are similar to dinner rolls, a dough made from wheat flour flavoured with carom seeds (ajwain) and spices, stuffed with a spice mix, traditionally baked in a tandoor. These are to be relished with a curry of eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes cooked with chillies, onions, spices and a very important ingredient – mustard oil. Apparently, mustard oil completes this combination!

Chokha
Ingredients:

6 Baby Potatoes or 1 cup boiled and mashed Potatoes

1 large Tomato

3 big Cloves Garlic

1/3 – ½ up chopped Onion or ½ large Onion chopped

1 – 2 Green Chilies (I used 2) ½ tbsp.

grated Ginger 1 tsp.

Mustard Oil 1 – 2 tbsp.

chopped Coriander Leaves

Cilantro Preparation: Boil potatoes and mash them coarsely and keep it aside.

Roast garlic and tomatoes on gas flame or in the oven.

If roasting in the oven, place it in 400 F oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until roasted.

I tried roasting it in cast iron pan.

Garlic roasted fine and even the tomatoes also roasted fine.

But since the oven was on, after roasting for 5 – 7 minutes in a pan, I put them in the oven along with the litti for 12 minutes.

Cool and remove the skin of the tomato.

The skin will easily come off if the tomatoes are roasted properly.

Mash garlic and tomatoes with a back of a spoon.

Mix all the ingredients listed on chokha and it is ready to serve.

Note: Mustard oil is a must to get the true flavors of chokha. But a very good substitute for mustard oil would be extra virgin olive oil in this recipe, as oil is not heated in this recipe.

Even olive oil would work.

Litti Ingredients:

2 cups Wheat Flour

½ tsp Ajwain

Carom Seeds 2 tbsp.

Butter ¼ tsp.

Baking Soda 1/3 tsp.

Salt 2/3 – ¾ cups

Water or the amount required to knead the dough

Stuffing ½ cup Dhaliya and when powdered it was 2/3 cups

1 – 2 Green Chilies (I used 2)

¼ cup chopped Coriander Leaves

Cilantro ½ – ¾” long

Ginger chopped ½ tsp.

Ajwain ~ Carom Seeds ½ tsp.

Salt 1 tbsp.

Lime, Lemon Juice 1 tbsp.

Mustard Oil Preparation: Sieve the flour and make soft dough using all the ingredients listed under litti.

Cover and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Filling: Lightly toast daliya in a dry pan.

Cool it and then grid it to powder. This step can be skipped.

Mix all the ingredients listed under stuffing and mix well.

The texture will be crumbly.

If required add some water but it should not be runny.

Make the Litti: Make 10 – 12 balls with the dough.

Take each ball in palms and make a 3-4” diameter discs, like small poori or chapati.

Do not use any flour. Place 1 ½ – 2 tsp. of filling in middle of each disc, cover the filling by wrapping the dough around the filling on all sides to form a pouch to make round ball.

Press the ball between palms to flatten the litti.

While covering the dough disc around the filling, there will be some excess dough.

Pinch it off the litti or can press it into litti.

I did both, for few I pinched off the excess dough and for some I just pressed back into litti.

I liked the ones for which I pinched off the dough.

Traditionally litti is cooked on fire or tandoor.

In modern kitchens, over or stove top cooking works.

Bake in preheated 400F over for 20 – 30 minutes.

Serving: Break litti into two and pour melted butter or ghee on it.

Or dip broken litti in ghee or butter. Or just pour butter on the litti.

I liked pouring litti on broken litti.

I dipped one broken litti in ghee for the photos and that was so good.

Serve litti with coriander chutney and / or chokha.

Recipe Source: www.myspicykitchen.net

Chattisgarh – Bamboo Chicken

Image credit: Wikimedia

A roasted, smoky flavoured chicken dish that is a must have! A masala paste of ginger, garlic, coriander seeds, red chillies and cumin is sautéed with yogurt and tomato puree. Chicken is added to this and here is the best part – it's all cooked in a bamboo shoot over fire. Can you imagine the beauty of the flavours?

Ingredients: 

Banana leaves or any dried leaves - 2

Masala powder - 2 teaspoons

lemon - 1

coriander leaves

Red chilli powder 

salt

Bamboo stick - 1

Boneless chicken - 500 gms

grean chilli - 1

Directions: 

First clean the chicken and then clean the bamboo stick. Apply salt,red chilli powder and masala to the chicken. Add some coriander leaves and lemon juice to chicken. After that fill the prepared mixture into bamboo and close the bamboo another side with banana leaves or with any other size leaves which are fit into bamboo. Put the bamboo in stove. Better to put it in sticks stove. This dish is very tasty on sticks stove than gas stove. Gas stove is the second preference for this dish. The dish is finished after burning of bamboo

Recipe Source: http://vahrehvah.com/bamboo-chicken-1

Goa – Chicken Xacuti

Image credit: The Bazaar Travels Of Sarah B

No, we're not going to mention the holy spirited drinks! Ruled by the Portuguese, Goan food has influences from Portugal too. We picked Chicken Xacuti from here. The sheer selection of spices is astonishing. That's one thing about India – knowing about spices and where they should go is an amazing art! Apparently, Goan Chicken Xacuti is more red in colour than the Portuguese one. A spicy, delicious dish that is a must-try at home!

Main Xacuti Ingredients:
 

1 Kg Chicken

Small round Potatoes Small

Onions Dash of Nutmeg

Powder Small Bits of Coconut

Xacuti Masala Ingredients:

6 Red Chillies (Kashmiri Chillies)

1/2 Scraped Coconut

2 Teaspoon of Cloves

1 Teaspoon Haldi Powder

8 Pepper Corns

1 Teaspoon Jeera

1/4 Teaspoon Methi Seeds

1 Teaspoon Badee Saunf (Moti Saunf)

4 – 5 Flakes Garlic

1/2 Inch Ginger

2 Inch Piece of Cinnamon

1 Tablespoon Khus Khus

1 Table Spoon Corriander Seeds

1/2 Teaspoon Til

1/2 Onion

Method: 

Knock off the stocks and fry 6 red chillies in two tablespoons of oil. Add the 1/2 scraped coconut along with the other masala ingredient mentioned above and stir it so everything gets mixed well as shown in the picture below. Then blend the ingredients with some water until you get the Chicken Shakuti Masala, a nice bright red color! Add masala to the chicken pieces and cook it on a slow fire for nearly one hour. Just before it gets done, you should be able to make out by the colour, add the nutmeg powder, bits of coconut, small onions and small round potatos. The colour should be the same as the picture of the nearly ready chicken xacuti below. Once you add the Onions, Potatoes and Coconut Pieces let them cook for a while, make sure you time it properly so that the chicken does not over cook! You now have the authentic goan chicken xacuti recipe, have a lovely meal!

Recipe Source: www.goanfoodrecipes.com

Gujarat – Gujarati Dal

Image credit: My Cooking Adventures

One of the most difficult tasks was to choose one dish from this particular state. There is no Gujarati dish that one can refuse; but when asked about a highly recommended dish from here, my aunt said Gujarati dal with rice. Isn't it appropriate? The one dish that we sometimes crave for is a simple homemade dal with rice. A simple delicacy of cooked lentils flavoured with kokum and jaggery or sugar, there are other spices that make this dal a hit. Most of the chefs say that balancing the art of sweet and sour in this preparation is a skill. We couldn't agree more!

Ingredients:

1 cup toovar (arhar) dal
1/2 cup chopped yam (suran)
2 tbsp peanuts
2 dry dates (kharek) (optional)
1 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
6 to 7 curry leaves (kadi patta)
2 cloves (laung / lavang)
25 mm (1") piece cinnamon (dalchini)
1 bayleaf (tejpatta)
2 small round red chillies (boriya mirch)
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
4 to 5 kokum , soaked in water
1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp grated jaggery (gur)
1 tsp lemon juice
25 mm (1”) piece grated ginger (adrak)
2 slit green chillies
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
salt to taste

For The Garnish:
2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)

Method:

Wash the dal, add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles.

Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.

Cool slightly and blend in a mixer to a smooth mixture. Keep aside.

Combine the yam, peanuts and dates, add enough water and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid and keep aside.

Heat the ghee and oil in a deep pan and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

When the seeds crackle, add the fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, cloves, cinnamon, bayleaf, chillies and asafoetida, mix well and sauté on a medium flame for few seconds.

Add 1½ cups of water, kokum, tomatoes, jaggery, lemon juice, ginger, green chillies, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix well.

Bring to boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, while stirring continuously.

Add the dal, yam, peanuts, dates and salt, mix well and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, while stirring continuously.

Serve hot garnished with coriander.

Recipe Source: http://www.tarladalal.com/

Haryana – Amrood Adrak Chutney

Image credit: Tasty Indian Recipes

Chutneys acquire an important place in an Indian thali. The chutneys of different states vary according to the specific ingredients, and we chose guava-ginger chutney from Haryana. We are already drooling just at the thought of the flavours: sweet-spicy-tangy!

Ingredients:

Guavas - 1-2 ripened, medium sized

Green Chillies - 1-2

Garlic - 1 flake

Salt - a pinch

Sugar - 1 tea spoon

Lassi/ Chaach (Butter Milk) - 50ml

Method:

Wash Green Chillies and Guava. Grind Garlic Flakes, Guava, Green Chillies and Sugar Add Salt and Chaach; Mix well.

Recipe Source: http://www.mdurohtak.ac.in/

Himachal Pradesh – Chha Gosht

Image credit: Vital Stories

The pahari region, as this area is adorably recognised, is known for its warm people and sumptuous food. This mutton recipe is all about the use of yogurt and our loveable Indian spices. The key to chha gosht is slow-cooking, which helps soak the flavours into the meat.

Ingredients:

350 gm boneless meat

For marination:

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 black cardamoms-crushed

1 bayleaf

2-3 cinnamon-crushed

3 cloves-crushed

1/2 cup yogurt

For the main course:

2 Tbsp mustard oil

Pinch of asafoetida

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

3 green chillies-slit

1/2 tsp ginger-chopped

1 1/2 tsp onions-sliced

1 roasted gram flour

Marinated meat

Pinch of turmeric powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

5 ladles yogurt

3/4 tsp salt

Coriander leaves

Method:

For the marination:

Mix the lamb meat with salt, ginger-garlic paste, crushed cardamom, bay leaf, crushed cloves and yogurt and keep aside in a cool place for 3 hours.

For the main preparation:

Heat oil in the pan. Add asafoetida, coriander powder, red chilli flakes, green chilies and the cut ginger and mix well.

Add the onions and saute till they turn translucent.

Then add the gram flour, marinated meat, turmeric powder, coriander powder, yogurt and salt and keep stirring.

Cover and cook on a slow flame for an hour.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

Recipe Source: food.ndtv.com

Jammu and Kashmir – Mutton Rogan Josh

Image credit: Vital Stories

The beautiful hills, snowcapped mountains, landscape – Kashmir is a complete vocabulary of beauty. The mouth-watering food is a cherry on top! Famous for a royal variety of cuisine, we choose mutton rogan josh from this state. A fairly simple recipe that brings out one of the best dishes!

Ingredients: 

250 gm lamb chops or stewing lamb

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 pieces cassia bark or cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

2 green cardamoms

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tbsp butter

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp tomato puree

1/4 tsp salt

A pinch of garam masala

1 tsp lemon juice

Method:

Heat the oil in a heavy based pan.
Tip in the cassia bark, bay leaves and cardamoms. When they sizzle (make sure they don't burn, if they do, discard whole spices and repeat the process) add the garlic and the onions followed by the butter and fry till the onions are nicely caramelized. 
This will take about 10 minutes. It may be longer if you're frying more onions.
Add the turmeric, chilli powder, cumin and coriander and mix for about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato puree and mix.
Add the lamb and fry for 5 to 7 minutes till it changes colour or turns opaque.
Pour 400ml of just boiled water, cover and simmer for 40 minutes till the meat is tender. 
Remove the lid and add the salt and sprinkle the garam masala. Stir in the lemon juice.
Just before serving you could garnish with washed and chopped coriander leaves (if you're freezing or serving the next day, don't add the leaves). 
If you want to make the sauce thicker, cook the curry further. 
If you want more sauce, add an extra 200ml of water. 
The oil should rise to the top of the saucepan, which means the curry is ready.

Recipe Source: http://food.ndtv.com/

Jharkhand - Thekua

Image credit: Sify Bawarchi

Recipes from Bihar and Jharkhand are almost similar for obvious reasons. One of the simple, snack-time kind of recipes we liked is thekua. Made in different ways in other states, this one is fairly simple and a delight too. Flour mixed with cardamom powder, freshly grated coconut, ghee and kneaded with melted jaggery.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2 cup (300 grams)

 Jaggery - 3/4 cup (150 grams)

Coconut - 1/2 cup (50 grams) (grated)

Oil - for frying

Ghee - 2 tbsp (for kneading dough)

Green cardamom - 5

Method:

Make small pieces of jaggary. Add jaggery pieces and less than 1/2 cup water in a utensil. When the mixture starts boiling, stir it with spoon to check whether jaggery is dissolve completely or not. Strain the mixture using sieve once jaggery is melted completely. This way impurities can be strained. Add ghee in this mixture and allow it to cool. Peel cardamom and make coarse powder. 

Take flour is a bowl, add powdered cardamom and grated coconut. Now with help of jaggery mixture knead hard and little dry dough. Dough is ready and now we will use this recipe for making Thekua. 

Preheat oil in a wok. Take little amount of dough and with help of your palm give it long shape. Follow the step shown in video and place the dough ball in mold and press gently with your hands to give it desired design. Roll the dough into round shape for making simple round thekua. If you don't have molds than make use of sieve, plastic basket or grater for making thekua.  

After making thekua from dough, fry them on medium flame. Always fry thekua on medium or low flame. Place as many thekua as possible in oil and fry until they turn brown from all sides. When they turn brown, take them out in a plate with absorbent paper. Likewise prepare all thekua. 

Tempting and appetizing thekua is ready. Store in air tight container when cooled completely and enjoy eating. Thekua can be stored for a month.

Recipe Source: http://nishamadhulika.com/

Karnataka – Bisibele Bhaat

Image credit: Wikipedia

When it comes to Karnataka and food, there are only two words you need to know – bisibele bhaat. A visit to Karnataka is absolutely incomplete without bisibele bhaat. A surprisingly simple list of ingredients and a fairly easy recipe make this another hit. A delightful amalgamation of rice, lentils, vegetables and spices.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon channa dal

1 tablespoon urad dal

1 inch piece of cinnamon stick

3 cloves

3 cardamom pods

3 to 4 dry red chillies

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1/4 cup of freshly grated coconut

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida powder

Ingredients needed to make the spicy vegetable tamarind sambar/curry:

7 to 8 small pearl onions, peeled

1 green capsicum, diced

2 carrots, diced

1/4 cup peas

1/2 cup of beans, diced

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1 drumstick, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 cups of tamarind water

2 teaspoons of jaggery

salt to taste

Other Main Ingredients:

1 cup rice

1 cup toor dal

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder

salt to taste

Ingredients For Seasoning

1 tablespoon ghee

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds

1 or 2 dry red chilli

8 to 10 Curry leaves

Ingredients for Garnishing

A small bunch of coriander leaves for garnishing

fried boondi while you are ready to serve

Method for Bisi Bele Bhat Spice Powder:

To make the spice powder, heat a small pan on medium heat; add in the channa dal, urad dal. Stir continuously until they lightly brown and you get a roasted aroma.

Once the lentils are roasted, we will add in the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, dry red chillies, fenugreek seeds and the coriander seeds. Turn the heat to low and roast well until the chillies begin to brown and you get a roasted aroma from the spices.

Next will add in the poppy seeds and coconut. Continue to roast along with other ingredients for about a 30 to 40 seconds until the coconut loses its moisture. Once it is roasted we will add in the turmeric powder and the asafoetida powder. Stir until it combines well into the other ingredients. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.

Once cooled add the ingredients to a spice blender and make a fine powder of the mixture. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and keep aside.

Method to make the spicy vegetable sambar / curry:

In a large pressure cooker, we will add the tamarind water, jaggery, the drumsticks, pearl onions, beans, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, salt and finally the bisi bele bhaat spice powder.

Stir all the ingredients well. Cover the pressure cooker, place the weight and allow the vegetables to cook until you hear at least 2 whistles and turn off the heat. Since the vegetables cook very quickly, we will release the pressure by running cold water over the pressure cooker. This process helps to bring the pressure down immediately.

Open the pressure cooker and smell the aroma from the vegetable curry. You can transfer this to another bowl to reuse the pressure cooker for the next process. But since I have another pressure cooker, I will leave it aside as it is.

Now lets get the main ingredients to make the bisi bele bhaat and learn how to bring them all together

To the pressure cooked at in the washed rice, the washed lentils, the turmeric powder, salt and 5 cups of water. Cover the cooker and place the weight on the pressure cooker. Turn the heat to high and allow the rice to cook until you hear two whistles.

After you hear the whistles, turn the heat to low and simmer for five minutes. After 5 minutes have passed, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally. Rice cooks in this resting period, hence wait for the pressure to release completely.

While we are waiting for the pressure to release, Lets proceed to make the seasoning.

Method for seasoning the Bisi Bele Bath Recipe:

Heat a small pan on medium heat. Add in a tablespoon of ghee and allow it to melt. Add in the mustard seeds, the cumin seeds. Allow it to crackle. Then add in the red chilli, curry leaves and roast them until the red chillies are browned lightly. Stir to roast the ingredients well. Once roasted keep this aside.

Now we will get back to the rice and dal pressure cooker. Once the pressure is released , open the pressure cooker. Add in the spicy vegetable tamarind curry. Stir all the ingredients together until well combined and the mixture looks like a mish mash. At this stage add in the prepared seasoning and two more tablespoons of ghee. Once again give the mixture a good stir.

Transfer the Bisi Bele Bath to a serving bowl. Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and the fried boondi on top.

Serve delicious Spicy Bisi Bele Bhat or the Spicy Sambar Rice from southern india along with a tomato onion raita for lunch or dinner.

Recipe Source: www.archanaskitchen.com

Kerala - Avial

Has to be avial, right? Vegetables, yogurt, coconut and other ingredients available at home are your main requirements. A dish that is present in all Kerala festivities and in a full meal.

Ingredients:

Cucumber (Vellarikka) - 250 gm

Snakegourd (Padavalanga) - 250 gm

Long runner beans(Achinga/Payar) – 50 gm

Drumsticks (Muringakkai) - 3 nos

Elephant yam(Chena) – 250 gm

Carrots – 2 nos

Raw banana(Paccha Ethakkai) – 100 gm (cut into 1” pieces and put them in water to remove the serum)

Turmericpowder - ½ tsp

Chillypowder - 1 tsp Salt - As reqd

Curryleaves - A few Sour curd – ¼ cup Or Raw mango – 100 gm

Coconut - 1 no

Greenchillies - 50 gm

Cuminseeds - 10 gm

Small onions(Kunjulli) – 6 nos

Coconutoil - 4 tbsp

Method: 

Cut all the vegetables in the same length, about 1 v 1 1/2 pieces.

Place them along with turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt and sufficient water in a vessel and keep it on fire.

Do not add too much water as it might overcook the vegs and also might take too much time to become dry.

Cover and allow it to cook.

Grind together grated coconut, cumin seeds, small onions, green chillies and curry leaves into a coarse form.

When the vegs are cooked, add the raw mango pieces and cook with the vessel open.

When the mango pieces too are cooked and the water starts to evaporate, add the coconut mixture and mix well. 

If you are using curd, add it along with the coconut mixture.

Allow all the water to get evaporated.

When done, add the coconut oil and curry leaves and mix well.

Remove from flame and cover the vessel with a lid.

Recipe Source: http://pachakam.com/

Madhya Pradesh – Mawa Jalebi

It’s difficult to shift your focus from Indore, really. But when asked, mawa jalebi popped up as the answer. Mawa is reduced, evaporated milk and is really soft in consistency, which in turn makes the jalebis a delight to bite into.

Ingredients for Mawa Jalebi Mawa: 

1 cup (crumbled) (200 grams)

Maida- ¼ cup (30-50 grams)

Sugar - 1.5 cup (300 grams)

Saffron - 20-25 threads

Ghee - for frying jalebi

Method:

Add little water at a time and stir until all lumps get dissolved. Add some more water and make a batter with thin consistency. Whisk the batter for 4-5 minutes, cover it and keep it aside for 1 hour on a warm place. Add 2-3 tbsp milk in crumbled mawa and mash it until it becomes soft. cover it and keep it aside for 1 hour as well. After 1 hour mix mawa and maida mixture; whisk until all ingredients blend nicely. Mixture fro making jalebi is ready. How to make sugar syrup: Dissolve saffron in 1 tbsp water. Take sugar in any utensil and add 1 cup 2 tbsp water into it. Cook for 2-3 minutes more once sugar dissolves completely. Check the syrup. For this take 1-2 drop in a bowl and with help of fore finger and thumb check whether it sticks like honey or not. Sugar is ready; now add saffron water into it and turn off the gas. For making jalebi heat ghee in a pan with heavy bottom or base. Take jalebi mixture in a polythene cone and make a small hole at the bottom. Place the cone on a glass and with help of spoon fill the mixture into it. Hold the cone from top and push it downwards. Place the jalebi’s in the medium hot ghee giving round shape. Add 3-4 jalebi’s or as many as possible in the pan. Fry until they turn golden brown in color and take them out in a plate. Soak these jalebi’s in sugar syrup for 2 minutes and then take them out in some other plate. Like wise prepare all jalebi’s. Mawa jalebi or khoya jalebi is ready. Serve hot mawa jalebi and enjoy eating. It can be stored for 2 days in refrigerator.

Suggestion: Instead of using batti mawa, use soft mawa. It gets soft easily while mashing. For making jalebi you can also use sauce bottle with nozzle or polythene bag instead of corn. If jalebi splatters on frying, then add some more amount of maida and whisk nicely.

Recipe Source: http://nishamadhulika.com/

Maharashtra – Zhunka Bhakar

Image credit: You Tube

We would’ve said puranpolis, but Gujarat and Maharashtra have quite a few similar dishes in their pocket, including puranpoli. And that’s why we chose zhunka bhakar. Zhunka is made from gram flour cooked with vegetables. While it can be consumed with wheat flour rotis, bhakar or bhakri is the classic combination, made from jowar or sorghum flour.

Ingredients:

Gram flour (besan) 1/2 cup

Onions chopped2 medium

Oil 2 tablespoons

Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida a pinch

Spring onions chopped4

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon

Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon

Spring onion greens chopped2-3 stalks

Fresh coriander leaves chopped2 tablespoons

Method:

Heat a pan and roast gram flour till fragrant. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter, add asafoetida and onions and sauté till onions soften.

Add spring onions and continue to sauté for a minute. Add the gram flour, salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder and mix well. Add one cup water, little by little, and mix well.

Cover and cook on medium heat for four to five minutes. Add spring onion greens, mix well and continue to cook for a minute. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with bhakar.

Note: To prepare bhakar mix two cups of jawari flour with salt. Add sufficient warm water and knead into a soft dough. Divide into eight equal parts and roll it into small thin chapatis.

Cook on hot tawa till evenly done on both the sides. Serve hot with zunka.

Recipe Source: www.sanjeevkapoor.com

Manipur – Eromba

Image credit: Wikipedia

Fiery is one word which runs through all north-eastern states in terms of food! The extensive use of indigenous chillies, which are known for their heat quotient, are a trademark of all recipes. After all, the spiciest chilli in the world comes from our very own country and from this region – bhut jolokia. And this is what is used in the dish that we have picked from Manipur – eromba. A combination of boiled vegetables, king chillies and fermented fish (an age-old method of preserving fish) brings out one of the best delicacies.

Ingredients:

Potato (2 medium)

King chili (1big/2small)

Fermented bamboo shoot (200gm)

Fermented fish (4 big)

Smoked fish (2 medium)

Onions (1 big)

Salt to taste

Coriander for garnishing

Method:

De-bone the smoked fish and cook with potato and king chili, drain and keep both the vegetables and gravy. Boil fermented bamboo shoot and drain. Roast the fermented fish over low flame till it’s roasted properly, make sure it’s not burned, then mash it along with chili, then add the vegetables and mash again mixing it all together with salt, now add the finely cut onions, mix it with the gravy (do not use the one you boiled your bamboo shoot) and keep stirring till it turns into a thick gravy, garnish it with coriander. Hot and tasty Eromba is ready.

Recipe Source: www.friedeye.com

Meghalaya – Jadoh

Image credit: Culinary Storm

A dish that involves the use of pork, which is cooked with rice and simple spices. Traditionally, what makes jadoh unique is the use of pig’s blood to infuse the flavours and to attain the distinctive red colour. But you need not worry, it has been modified, though we’re sure the traditional way is missed.

Ingredients:

2 cups of hill rice/joha rice or any short grained rice, washed and drained

300 gms of pork (with fat)-cut into small 1/2inch cubes

1 medium size onion,chopped

1tbsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp of turmeric

1 tsp of ground black pepper

salt-to taste

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp of vegetable oil

fresh cilantro for garnishing.

Method:

(Use medium heat throughout) Heat oil in a flat bottomed vessel. Add the onions,ginger paste,turmeric and black pepper and fry till the oil separates. Burn the tip of the bay leaves and immediately drop in the pan. Add the pork pieces and fry for sometime till light brown. Add the washed rice and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add salt. Add 4 cups of water and simmer till cooked. Garnish with cilantro and serve. Jadoh is best served with fermented soya paste (Tungrymbai) and Dohneiiong(pork with sesame seeds).

Recipe Source: northeastindiafood.wordpress.com

Mizoram – Bai

Image credit: Sound Of Music

Bai is a stew which consists of rice, vegetables, and simple local ingredients that brings out a healthy and equally delicious product. An important tip for Mizoram dishes is that they are cooked in slow fire. Let us know how your vegetable bai turned out.

Recipe: Boil about half a litre water. Add salt and half a tsp of cooking soda. Once the bubbles subside, add stalks, leaves and a few florets of a small cauliflower. Add chopped beans, 2-3 green chillies, one tablespoon rice and one diced potato. Cook in a low heat, adding more water as required, until the rice is done and potatoes and beans are cooked.

Recipe Source: mykitchentrials.wordpress.com

Nagaland – Akhuni

Image credit: Root Leisure

A friend once said, "When it comes to Nagaland, anything with akhuni is highly recommended." Akhuni is fermented soya beans since they grow at large in this region. The smell of fermented soya beans can be overwhelming, we have been warned, but the taste is absolutely worth it.

Apparently akhuni with dried pork is an irresistible combination, but we could find akhuni chutney recipe (along with a tip on how to ferment soya beans).

Ingredients:

You'll need a couple of chillis (hotter the better), ginger, salt, garlic(optional), and Akhuni. Now you are thinking what Akhuni is.. Variously known as akhuni, Dzacie aakhone or axone, it is perhaps the most commonly used fermented product of Nagaland. Soyabeans grow up to an elevation of 1,500 m and in rainy conditions, making it extremely suited to the Naga hills. It is also a protein-rich legume in an otherwise traditionally protein-sparse diet. Akhuni is prepared by picking and cleaning the soyabeans well in fresh water, and then boiling them until they are soft, but still whole. The excess water is drained and the soybeans are placed into a pot or degchi and put either out in the sun or next to the fire to warm and ferment. This takes three to four days to ferment in summer and around one week in winter.

Method:

Roast the chillis in hot ash/kadai for about 3minutes, take them out put in a little salt, according to preference, and pound them with a pestle till its almost a paste, add the ginger or garlic or both and pound them together with the chillis. Roast the akhuni over hot charcoal or kadai and mix it in the chilli with the pestle. And Viola!

Recipe Source: nalapaakam.blogspot.in

Orissa – Podo Pitha

Image credit: Odia Handisaala

Although, fish is a sort of staple in this state, we will choose something else. If you have ever been to Orissa or have Oriya friends, you must have heard about podo pitha. There are varieties of podo pitha which is a type of dessert – some made from cottage cheese, some from rice and so on. But podo pitha is made from rice and black gram. This one is a bite of heaven really.

Ingredients:

Rice- 500 grams

Biri (Black gram) 500 grams

Jaggery/ Sugar – 500 grams

Green Cardamom (powder)- 1 teaspoon

Salt – 1 teaspoon

Coconut – 1

Method:

Soak rice and biri for 5 hours and then grind to a fine paste. Add salt to the dough and let it stand overnight. Break coconut into 2 halves. Grate one half and cut the other half into small pieces. Add all the coconuts, jaggery, cardamom powder to the dough. Mix well. Pour the dough to a baking dish smeared with little oil. Heat the oven at 300 degrees farenheit. Put the baking dish in the oven and bake for 45 mins. To check for pitha readiness, insert toothpick or fork. If the dough does not stick, its ready. Allow the pitha to cool before cutting into pieces. 

Recipe Source: www.odiakitchen.com

Punjab – Sarson Ka Saag with Makke Ki Roti

Image credit: Scrumptious Indian Recipes

Has to be makke di roti and sarson ka saag – corn flour rotis and a preparation of mustard leaves. A combination of other leaves with mustard leaves makes this an essential delicacy during winters. Available in winters, mustard leaves are believed to keep you warm through the biting cold winters of Punjab.

Method For the saag:

Add the three saags, salt and water into pressure cooker & cook over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Squeeze out saag and keep saag water aside. Mash saag in the cooker until coarsely ground, and add makki atta and stir. Put back saag water and a little fresh water & boil over slow fire. Add green chillies & ginger & cook till saag gets thick. For tadka, add chopped onions, ginger, garlic, red pepper powder; garam masala, dhania & saute until onions are light brown. Mix into saag & garnish with julienne of ginger fried in ghee.

Method for makki ki roti:

Nead the makki atta until it becomes a ball, add atta to dry it & knead. Heat the tava and add a little ghee so that it does not stick. Make round shapes of makki roti on chakla & carefully transfer to the tava. Cook with ghee till golden brown. Serve with hot sarson da saag and gur and white butter.

Recipe Source: food.ndtv.com

Rajasthan – Dal Baati Choorma

Image credit: Gayathri's Cook Spot

Yes, dal baati choorma it is! No guesses there. Baked round bread made from wheat flour are to be consumed with panchmel dal – five lentils cooked together and served with a side of choorma – made from the same dumplings, but an unsalted version, crushed with jaggery or sugar.

Ingredients:

For the panchmel:

dal 1/3 cup

chana dal (split Bengal gram) 1/3 cup

toovar (arhar) dal 1/3 cup

moong dal (split green gram) 1 tbsp

urad dal (split black lentils) 1 tbsp

whole moong (whole green gram) 3 tsp

chilli powder 1/4 tsp

turmeric powder (haldi) 1 tsp

coriander (dhania) powder 1/2 tsp

garam masala 3 cloves (laung / lavang) 2

bayleaves (tejpatta) 1 tsp

cumin seeds (jeera) 2

green chillies

slit a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

2 tsp dried mango powder (amchur)

2 tsp tamarind (imli) pulp

3 tbsp ghee salt to taste

For the baatis (for 10 baatis):

1 cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)

1/2 cup semolina (rava)

2 tbsp besan (Bengal gram flour) 

8 tbsp milk

4 tbsp melted ghee

salt to taste 

For serving:

melted ghee

churma

Method:

For the panchmel dal:

Clean and wash the dals and add 4 cups of water. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles or till the dals are cooked. In a bowl, combine the chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala with 3 tablespoons of water and mix well. Keep aside. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cloves, bay leaves, cumin seeds, green chillies and asafoetida. When the cumin seeds crackle, add the prepared masala paste and saut for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cooked dals, amchur, tamarind pulp and salt and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust the consistency of the dal before serving and if required, add some water.

For the baatis:

Mix all the ingredients and knead into a firm dough. Knead well for 5 to 7 minutes. Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and shape each portion into an even sized round. Flatten the rounds lightly using your thumb to make an indentation in the centre of the baati. Boil water in a broad vessel and drop the baatis in the boiling water. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes over a high flame. When the baatis are done, drain and keep aside. Heat a gas tandoor and put the baatis on the grill of the tandoor. Cook them on a medium flame for 20 to 25 minutes. Cooking the baatis over a medium flame will ensure that the baatis are cooked on the insides also. Arrange the baatis on a serving plate, break each baati into two pieces and pour melted ghee on the baatis.

How to proceed:

Pour hot panchmel dal over the baatis. Serve hot with churma.

Recipe Source: rajdhani.co.in

Sikkim – Sishnu Soup

Image credit: For The Love Of Food!

Why not try a soup from the north-east? Locally produced and available nettle leaves or sishnu leaves are used to make a simple, very healthy soup. The leaves have innumerable health benefits, but also sting badly if not handled carefully! What’s cooking without fun? 

Ingredients:

250g sisnu

2 medium potatoes

grated finely

500ml boiling water

5 garlic cloves

crushed half teaspoon

timur power (ground szechuan pepper)

salt to taste

Method:

Boil water and throw in the garlics and potatoes. 

Once the water comes to a boil again, add in the sisnu.

Cover the pot and cook in a medium heat for about 20 minutes.

After 30 minutes, use a beater or whisker and blend the sisnu soup until the sisnu 'dissolves' in the water.

Cover it again and cook for another 10 minutes.

Add in salt and the timur powder.

Serve with timur ko achaar.

Recipe Source: bibisapple.blogspot.in

Tamilnadu – Chicken Chettinad

Image credit: Vah Reh Vah

A slightly spicy dish from this state which is not vegetarian (breaking the myth that all South Indians eat vegetarian!). Although, of course, chicken can be replaced with vegetables here. The key to this recipe is the selection of spices, the combination of only certain spices cooked up with simple ingredients to bring out a classic chettinad curry.

Ingredients:

500 gm chicken

75 ml oil

150 gm onions

100 gm tomatoes

2 gm cinnamon sticks

2 gm cloves

2 gm cardamoms

5 gm cumin

2 gm curry leaves

10 gm turmeric powder 

Salt

25 gm coriander leaves 

Paste:

100 gm onions

50 gm ginger

50 gm garlic

50 gm fennel seeds

20 gm cumin seeds

25 gm peppercorns 

10 gm red chillies

100 gm coconut

Method:

Grind the ingredients for the paste. Clean and cut the chicken into 16 pieces. Marinate the chicken with the paste. Chop the tomatoes, coriander leaves and the onions. Heat oil and add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and cumin, Saute. Add the chopped onions and the curry leaves. Saute until the onions are golden. Add the tomatoes and saute for 5 minutes. Add the marinated chicken and turmeric powder. Saute for 10 minutes, sprinkling water at intervals. Add enough salt, cover with a lid and cook until done. Add more chilli or pepper if required. Serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Recipe Source: food.ndtv.com

Telangana – Sarva Pindi

Image credit: Amma Cheppindi

Another state which is famous for spicy food, but instead of choosing something common, we chose this one-meal type of dish that is fit as any time meal and snack, too! Sarva pindi are pancakes made from Bengal gram and rice flour mixed with vegetables and spices. The method will make you want to try this instantly!

Ingredients:

curry leaves - 1 bunch

sesame seeds -1 tbsp

ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

red chilli powder - 1teaspoon

onion - 1

Channa dal - 1/2 cup

Oil  

Rice flour - 250 Grams

salt as needed

Green chillies - 3

Method:

Soak channa dal in water for 30min. Now take a bowl add soaked channa dal remove water, gingergarlic paste, onion,salt, red chilli powder, sesame seeds, curry leaves, green chillies chopped, rice flour. Mix well then add enough water to make a soft dough. Take a pan add little oil, take a hand full for dough and make a ball spread all over the pan equally.Make a small holes all over add oil on top of it and cover it with a lid and cook in slow flame till it is golden brown colour. Can cook both the side if needed.

Recipe Source: www.vahrehvah.com

Tripura – Muya Bai Wahan

Image credit: Tripura Online

A curry of pork, bamboo shoots, raw papaya, and slight tanginess provided by lemon juice, this one is a must try – muya bai wahan. Bamboo shoot provides a beautiful flavor to this curry which is best relished with rice. Again, a pretty healthy preparation!

Ingredients:

Bamboo shoots: 500 gm

Pork: 250 gm

Jack fruit seeds: 100 gm

Green papaya: 100 gm

Baking soda: 2 tea spoons full

Green chilli: 10 pieces

Ginger: 50gm

Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon full

Fresh Lemon leaves: 12 pieces

Rice flour: 30-40 gm

Method:

You should peel off the bamboo shoots and cut the tender areas into small pieces, so that each one is not more than 1-2 cm. The skin of the green papaya should also be cut into small pieces, although little bigger than the pieces of the bamboo shoots. The jack fruit seeds have to be peeled off their skin and soaked in water for some time, around 15 minutes. Once soaked, the red skin of the seeds should be removed and the seed should be cut longitudinally. Each lemon leaf has to be torn into two parts and the ginger should be finely chopped. You also have to prepare a liquid paste of rice flour in a tiny bowl and keep it. The pork meat should be cut into medium slices. The chillies should be split longitudinally and the seeds should be removed. You need a big pan to prepare this dish. Fill the pan with 1.5 litres of water. Add baking soda and let it boil for 5 minutes. The foam then needs to be removed gently. Salt should be added as per your taste. You should also add the turmeric powder and the boiling process should continue while you keep on adding the chopped ginger and the split green chillies. The whole thing should now be allowed to boil for 3 minutes. Add bamboo shoot and the jackfruit seeds. The burner should be kept between medium and high flame and the whole thing should be boiled for 10 more minutes. Add the papaya and the pork and let it cook for 20 minutes keeping the pan covered with a lid. Then after you simmer the flame, you should add the rice flour paste and keep stirring the curry slowly. Again the lid should be put so that it is kept this way for another 5 minutes. After this, you have to add the fresh lemon leaves and mix them properly in the curry. You have to keep the lid covered and leave it for 2-3 minutes. This dish too needs to be served with hot rice.

Recipe Source: www.tripuraonline.in

Uttarakhand - Chainsoo

Image credit: Dev Bhoomi Uttrakhand

Like the beautiful and warm people of Uttarakhand, we chose a delicacy that is absolutely delightful and warm with beauty. The vast cultures in our country make us realise how we find certain ingredients useful for only particular dishes. But in other states, it turns out to be a staple! Chainsoo from this state is made from split black lentils or urad dal. The use of coriander and garlic brings out the best of this dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole urad lentil

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 ½ tsp coriander powder

2 pinches asafoetida

2 - 2 ½ tsp mustard oil

3 - 4 whole dry red chilli

8 - 10 peppercorns

2 tsp black cumin seeds 

5 - 6 garlic cloves

1 ¼ tsp garam masala powder

Salt to taste

For Garnish:

Desi ghee

Fried whole red chilli

Method:

Dry roast the whole urad lentil in a pan. Now blend the roasted lentil in a mixer. Next, mix turmeric, red chilli and coriander powder along with asafoetida and water in a small bowl to make a paste. Now heat mustard oil in another pan. Fry deseeded red chilli, peppercorns, and black cumin seeds in it. After fried take out the red chilli from the pan. Now fry the prepared paste in the pan. After fried, add the blended lentil along with water in it to cook for 8 mins - 10 mins. After the lentil is cooked add garam masala powder and salt in it. Garnish the prepared lentil with desi ghee and fried whole dry red chilli. Your Chainsoo is ready.

Recipe Source: www.zeekhanakhazana.com

Uttar Pradesh – Kakori Kebabs

Image credit: Tip Top Lifestye

Another state where we had difficulty choosing one dish! But then the answer was right in front of us – kakori kebabs. The best part about royal cuisine is the way they treat meat. It’s either slow cooked over a few hours or marinated for a few hours so that the experience is truly melt-in-the-mouth kinds. Kakori kebab gets the name from the famous historical town of Kakori and is all about the marination apart from the ingredients. 

Ingredients:

Oven temp: 425F-220 C

2 cups minced mutton/lamb

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp powdered black pepper

2 tbsp chopped green coriander

Chopped green chillies to taste

2 Tbsp chopped raw papaya

4 cloves

1 black cardamom seeds

1/8 tsp powdered cinnamon

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 blade mace

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

2 cups onions - sliced thin, and browned crisp in 1/2 cup ghee

1/4 cup bhuna chana - powdered

1 egg Ghee for brushing some chaat masala

Onion rings and lemon wedges for garnish

Method:

Mix all ingredients except ghee and garnishes to marinate for about 4 hours, then grind to form a smooth, thick paste. Knead this mixture well and mix in the roasted gram and the egg. Cover and refrigerate for another hour. About 25 minutes before serving, shape the meat around the skewers and place the kebabs on to a grill over a drip tray, or in a pre-heated oven (also on a drip tray). If cooking them over a charcoal grill, you will have to keep rotating them so that they brown and cook evenly. They should take 15-20 minutes to cook. Brush with ghee and cook another 2 minutes. Serve garnished with chaat masala onions and the lemon and serve with green chutney.

Recipe Source: food.ndtv.com

West Bengal – Ilish Bhapa

Image credit: Masalatize

Mustard and fish. A brilliant combination and a scrumptious part of West Bengal. Ilish bhapa is the simplest dish you’ll come across, but you have to master the art of cooking this. Involves the presence of hilsa fish steamed with a mustard sauce and is a dish you will swear by.

Method:

Step 1: The Paste and the sauce Make Sorshe Bata or Mustard paste. Soak 2 tbsp Mustard seeds(Shorshe) + 2 tsp Poppy seeds(Posto) + 3-4 hot Green Chilli in less than 1/2 cup of water for 10-15 minutes Grind the above with little salt to make a thick mustard paste or shorshe bata Note: Some of my friends do not use Posto or Poppy seeds for the paste. Instead they add a little grated coconut. In a bowl add the above mustard paste + 1 heaped tsp Yogurt + 2 tsp Mustard Oil + 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder + 1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder(optional) + salt to taste. Mix well. This is the mustard sauce you will use for the fish.

Quick Tip: If you have a bottle of Kasundi, add 1-2 tsp of Kasundi to the mustard paste that you have made. This lends an awesome taste.

Step 2: The Fish Wash and clean 5-6 pieces of Hilsa/Ilish cut in steak size pieces.

Step 3: Bringing it together 2 ways Way 1 -- In the oven Smear an oven safe bowl with little mustard oil. Place the fish pieces in the bowl in one single layer. Pour the prepared mustard sauce over it so that it covers all the fish pieces nicely. Add 3- 4 slit green chili on the top and drizzle 1 tsp or more of Mustard Oil on them Cover the bowl with an aluminum foil and at 375F bake for 25-30 minutes After 10-15 minutes from start remove the foil cover and bake for the rest 15 minutes open Serve hot with rice. Does not taste that great if stored and served later. 

Recipe Source: www.bongcookbook.com

Delhi – Chola Bhatura

Image credit: Veg Recipes Of India

Oh, well! Where do we begin? There was no one answer that we could get from Delhi-waale and we had to decide on our own. Street food was a frequent answer and the one dish that was mentioned from everybody was chole bhature. It has to be this. Although it sounds common, the best can be tasted in Delhi. And till you are able to make that trip, we found you a recipe. A fairly simple combination of ingredients, it’s all about the heart of cooking.

Bhature Ingredients:

2 cups or 300 grams

All Purpose Flour ~ Maida 1/8 tsp. or a pinch of Baking Soda

½ tsp. Salt

Oil 9 – 10 tbsp. or 1 cup (approx.)

Method: Mix together the dry ingredients. Add oil and mix it. Lastly add yogurt, knead to make the dough. Do not use any water. Add more yogurt if required. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest in a warm place for 3-4 hours. I put the oven, cold oven for 5 hours. Heat oil in a deep frying pan to deep fry the bhature. Knead the dough once and divide the dough into 8-10 balls. Apply a few drops of oil to the dough or the rolling surface and roll the dough into a bhatura, just like a puri. Bhatura can be round or oblong in shape. Also, once the bhatura is lifted off the surface, it will shrink in size, which is fine. Roll out all the dough balls. Once the oil is hot, deep fry one bhatura at a time. Deep fry the bhature for few seconds on each side. Lightly dip the bhatura in oil using a slotted spoon or thongs, for a fluffy bhatura. Once the bhatura is fried on one side, turn it over and do the same on the other side. Remove from oil drain on paper towels. Serve hot with Chole.

Chole Ingredients:

1 cup dry Chickpeas or 2 cups cooked Chickpeas

2 tbsp. Oil

½ medium – large Onion or 2/3 cups chopped Onion 1 tbsp. 

Ginger Garlic

½ large Tomato or 1/3 cup chopped Tomato

2 tsp. Salt

¾ tsp. Chili Powder

2½ – 3 tbsp. Chole Masala

Garnish:

3 -4 small Green Chilies are as required to taste (this is for garnish)

Sliced Onions Lime~Lemon Slices or Juice Cilantro chopped

Method: Cooking Chickpeas – If using dry chickpeas, wash and soak the chickpeas over night or at least 6-7 hours. After soaking, pressure cook the chickpeas with 2 cups of water for 5 -6 whistles or until the chickpeas are cooked. I usually cook for 6 whistles in my prestige cooker, however for chole or chana masala I cook for 5 whistles as the chickpeas will be cooked again along with the spices. Cooking Chole – Take oil in a sauce pan and fry chopped onions until light brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute or until raw the raw smell is gone. Add tomatoes, salt and cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy. Reduce the flame and fry until oil begins to separate and tomatoes and finely roasted. Keep stirring the onion tomato mixture from burning. Sautéing onions and tomatoes takes about 15 minutes. Add green chilies (the ones listed under garnish), chili powder, chole masala, garam masala if using and mix properly. Continue to fry for a minute or two until green chilies are lightly roasted. Remove the chilies and keep aside for garnishing. Add cooked chickpeas and mix well. Add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Adjust water to required consistency. I used 1 cup reserved water after cooking the chickpeas and 1 cup regular water. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until the chole is done. Serve chole with hot bhature, sliced onions, fried green chilies that we kept aside and some lime/lemon slices.

Recipe Source: www.myspicykitchen.net

Chandigarh – Tandoori Fish

Image credit: Tandoor Food

India is famous for our beloved dhabas and the trend setters in the first place were Punjabis. The dhaba culture came from there and hence, enroute or around Chandigarh, dhabas are always buzzing with crowds! So we picked a dhaba dish. We would go for anything that involves the use of tandoor and so we recommend trying tandoori fish. The taste and aroma is just so exhilarating! We can never stop to thank the invention of tandoor items, can we?

Ingredients:

500g fish (any firm white fish or salmon), cut into 4cm cubes

For the marinade:

8 Garlic cloves

50g Coriander leaves

4cm Ginger

2tbsp Lime juice

1tbsp grated Lime zest

1tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder

½tsp Cumin powder

1/2tbsp Garam masala

1 ½tsp salt 50ml

Refined vegetable oil

1tbsp Gram flour

100g hung yoghurt

For the Chutney:

100g coriander leaves

2 Green chilies

4 garlic cloves

2tbsp lemon juice

½tsp salt

1tbsp yoghurt

To serve: Onion rings

Method: Make a fine paste with half the oil, garlic, coriander, ginger, lime juice and zest, Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala and salt. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the gram flour, stirring to make a paste, and cook for about 1 minute till fragrant and lightly coloured. Add the mixture to the spice paste and combine with the yogurt. Mix well all t6he ingredients for the marinade. Gently rub the marinade over the fish pieces and marinate for 1 hour. Pre-heat the oven to 200˚C. Spread out the marinated fish in a baking dish. Cook for 10-15 minutes on the top rack turning the fish pieces once. Baste once or twice during cooking.

For the Chutney: Make a fine paste of all the ingredients in the blender. Serve hot fish with chutney and onion rings.

Recipe Source: www.pankajbhadouria.com

Daman and Diu – Jetty Roll

Image credit: Yumm Raj

Apart from the dish, the way it is made is more interesting! May be it’s an influence from somewhere, but it’s worth a mention. Eggs are broken on a paratha and both are then cooked together. Apparently, this is found only in one stall in Daman. Try your hand at jetty roll, it’s truly an art to cook this.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli – Paunk Bhel

Image credit: Flickr

Gujarat being a neighbor, this is another state where the food has Gujarati influences. A lot of delicacies available in Gujarat and surrounding areas are made from paunk – green jowar or fresh jowar. Slightly sweet in taste by nature, it is amazing the amount of mouth-watering dishes Gujaratis prepare from this. We would highly recommend paunk bhel.

Ingredients:

Fresh green jowar (paunk) 1-1/2 cups

Maide ki papdi crushed

3-4 Onion chopped

1 large Tomato deseeded & chopped

1 large Potato diced, boiled

1 large Green chutney

2 tablespoons Garlic and red chilli chutney

1/4 teaspoon Lemon juice

1 teaspoon

Fresh coriander leaves chopped a few sprigs

Raw mango chopped (optional)

4 medium Salt to taste

Papad (punjabi) 4 medium

Oil 1 teaspoon

Pepper sev 1/2 cup

Method: 

Dry roast papad with a little oil on a tawa till just done. Quickly fold into cone shapes and keep in airtight jars till required.

To make bhel, combine paunk, maide ki papdi, onion, tomato, potato, green chutney, garlic chutney, lemon juice, fresh coriander leaves, raw mango and salt. Toss well.

Recipe Source: www.sanjeevkapoor.com

Pondicherry – Creole Crevette

Image credit: Epicure Selections

Ah! The French delight! It’s a dreamy, happy place, isn’t it? And so is the food. We would say the French left something good back for us. Again, Pondicherry food is largely influenced by French cuisine and every dish is nothing less than beautiful. We recommend a simple and tasty dish of creole crevette – prawns in coconut milk.

Ingredients:

200 gm prawns

4 Tbsp coconut oil

4 Tbsp onions, chopped

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp green chillies, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

A few curry leaves

2 Tbsp yogurt

1/2 cup coconut milk

Method: Marinate prawns with salt and turmeric powder. Now lightly fry the prawns in a pan and keep them aside. Heat coconut oil in pan. Add chopped onions, garlic, green chillies, tomatoes, and turmeric powder, salt, curry leaves and yoghurt. Mix it well. Add the fried prawns and the coconut milk. Bring the preparation to a boil and garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice.

Recipe Source: food.ndtv.com

Lakshadweep – Mus Kavaab

Image credit: Maria's Menu

A perfect place to relax, indulge in the beauty of sun and sands while gorging on the beautiful food of this island. What better than seafood? We found out that this island’s food is mostly influenced from the state of Kerala. But they do have some special dishes. Mus kavaab is a local fish curry which involves everyday ingredients that come together for a delicious delicacy. Mus means fish and kavaab means curry.

Ingredients:

4 cubes of any boneless fish

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 grated coconut

2 tsp red chili powder

2 tsp coriander powder

10 crushed cardamoms

10 cloves

4 tsp coconut oil

1 sliced onion

4-5 curry leaves

1/2 cup water

1 chopped tomato

Salt to taste

Method:

Grind turmeric powder, grated coconut, red chili powder, coriander powder, crushed cardamoms and cloves to a fine paste and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and saute onions till brown. Add curry leaves and 2 tsp of the prepared paste. Add water, tomatoes and salt. Wait for the 1st boil, then add the fish cubes. Cook for 10 minutes with the lid on. Serve hot with rice.

Recipe Source: food.ndtv.com

Andaman and Nicobar Islands – Steamed Garlic Prawns

Image credit: Cooking Is A Plain

Seafood in plenty and fresh, which is the best part. The freshness of the meat changes the whole flavor of the dish. Although there is no particular dish that we can pick on, anything grilled in seafood is recommended. Apparently, there is no specific cuisine on these islands and it takes inspiration from Indian, Burmese, and Oriental Cuisine. So we picked steamed garlic prawns that is a brilliance in simplicity.

Ingredients:

12 large sized Prawns

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 teapoon Sesame Oil

1 whole head Garlic - minced finely

3 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Method: With a pair of sharp kitchen scissors, remove the whiskers and the legs. Gently butterfly the prawns with scissors and remove the veins. Be careful not to cut too deep to avoid cutting the prawn into half. Place the prawns on a heat proof deep dish plate. Place minced garlic in a small heat proof bowl. Heat up a small pot with vegetable oil until it starts to smoke. Pour heated oil over the garlic, it will make a crackle sound. Be careful when handling the pot with hot oil. While waiting for garlic to cool down, place a steam rack inside a large work or pot, fill with water, and bring it to rapid boil. Spoon garlic and oil into each prawn or just on top of prawns. Place the prawns and steam for about 5-8 minutes. Remember to check at the 5 minute mark for doneness to avoid overcooked prawns. Mix soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl. Spoon sauce over cooked prawns, garnish with green onions if using and serve immediately.

Recipe Source: www.justasdelish.com