Skip to main content

Spicy Yummy Odiya Palanga (Palak) Besara (Vegetables in Mustard Gravy)


palanga besara odiya recipe

Odiya food is a lip-smacking blend of spices and greens. I must admit!

I have learned about it only recently, post-marriage, of course.

My marriage in an Odiya family means I am getting to know a lot about Odiya traditions, culture, people, and Odiya food.

The food in my sasural (in-laws' place) is completely different from what we have in north India or my home state of Punjab.

I am happy to learn and relish traditional Odiya recipes. On top of it, the satisfaction that I get from serving Odiya food to my dear hubby does not have a match. Yes, my dear has had to wait for a pretty long time for his wife to learn Odiya recipes. Nevertheless, better late than never!

Cutting the long story short, let me talk about this recipe that was introduced to me by my mother in law, the last time she visited us. I was ignorant enough about mustard being used as a paste. I had only heard about mustard as a green vegetable (sarson da saag), which we relish in Punjab with makki di  roti (bread of cornmeal).

BESARA ODIYA RECIPE


mustard gravy besara
For two years, it remained a mystery for me until I inquired from my dear mother in law about the recipe. Voila! Now, I am a master at it, since dear hubby loves the way I make it.

Here, I am sharing the Odiya palanga besara recipe, which is spinach and other vegetables sauteed in mustard gravy. Try this for once and you would love to enjoy it often.




Recipe

1 bunch of spinach
1 potatoes
1/2 cup- Pumpkin cubed
1/2 cup- Cauliflower
Bottle gourd (I added - not used in Odisha)
Raw banana-1 (you may add vegetables of your choice)
1 Tomato (optional)
1 Onion (sliced thinly)
Green papaya
Brinjal (I didn't add, but it is often included in this recipe)
Wadi (optional - I added moong dal wadi and soaked it for 2 hours in water - though it is fried in original recipes)
Sugar - 2 pinches (optional - my sasu ma does not add, but I added)
For paste:
Mustard seeds 3 tsp
Garlic cloves -10
Green chilly 1-2
Red Kashmir chilly 1
Cumin seeds (jeera) -1 tsp
1/4 cup- fresh coconut (optional - not used in Odiya besara recipe, but I wanted to give it a twist)
Poppy seeds powder (khus khuhs)- 1 tsp -optional (not added in authentic recipe)

Process

  1. Soak mustard seeds along with the other ingredients mentioned under "for paste" for an 1 hour. It is important to soak mustard powder and poppy powder in lukewarm water for 1-2 hours to reduce their bitterness. I prefer grinding mustard and poppy seeds to powder and soak them together. I soaked them in the morning for over 2 hours and then ground them together to make paste. Do not add a lot of water to the paste. 
  2. Wash spinach and other vegetables and cut into small cube size pieces.
  3. Slice onion and cut tomato. Keep both aside.
  4. Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil in a pan.
  5. Add mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
  6. Add onion and fry until the onion slices turn golden brown. Add salt. Mix.
  7. Add the mustard paste. Saute well so that there is no raw smell of mustard. 
  8. Add 2 pinches of sugar ( though Odiyas do not use sugar in this recipe, I added as a caution against the bitterness of mustard)
  9. Add turmeric and mix very well.
  10. Add rest of the vegetables and saute for a while. 
  11. Add palak (spinach). Mix
  12. Add 1 cup of water and mix well so that the mustard gravy blends well with the vegetables. You may add less amount of water if you do not want it too watery.
  13. Add Wadis and mix.
  14. Cook & cover for 10-15 minutes. Stir after 10 mins and then keep it covered on a slow flame for another 10 minutes (depending on the amount of gravy you want for the recipe).
  15. Besara recipe with coconut, as I have prepared, tastes even better after being kept for some time. I prepared it for lunch and dinner. I prepare meals for lunch and dinner together. It tasted even better in dinner.

Enjoy this lip-smacking palanga besara with steamed rice or roti (Indian flat bread). I may not have followed the authentic Odiya besara recipe, but this one is equally lip smacking. Do give it a try and share feedback. I would be looking forward to your feedback.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Ritu Singh MendirattaNovember 26, 2016 at 10:40 AM

    Wow something new. Mustard gravy is vry common especially in bengal and maharshtra for fish dishes. But this seems really lip smacking. Worth trying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mercury InfoNovember 26, 2016 at 10:46 AM

      Yes,absolutely. Odisha being a neighbor to Bengal has some similarities in cuisine with the latter. This certainly is a heavenly curry spiced up by mustard seeds - unique and oh so yummy!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Making Dahi Without Starter | बिना जामन के दही | How to Make Curd at Home Without Curd

Ever imagines how to make curd without curd (with almonds) बिना जामन के दही ? Well, I am sure such use of almonds as a curd starter is nowhere in your thoughts, right? Perhaps we are not used to thinking on these lines until it happens incidentally and you want to share your experiment with others. I am happy to say that I have experimented with making curd without starter and it gives me creamy and sweet curd. बिना जामन के दही | How to Make Curd at Home Without Curd A Little About my Curd Love Give me a bowl of rich, creamy curd and I do not need anything else on my dining table. Perhaps as a Punjabi, born and brought up into a Punjabi family, I have that special love and fondness for curd. My parents have inculcated in me good eating habits - home food is the best, they would day, preach and practice. This has become ingrained in my thoughts. I detest outside food, and yes, I dub it as market junk. One reason I love all homemade stuff - mommade food is the best. But w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is Tandoori roti good for health [NO, it Isn't But I eat soft oil-free wheat tandoori chapatis daily]

Tandoori roti is delicious and quite addictive too, but is it good for your health?Is there something called tandoori roti health risk? Yes and no.  Yes, if you order it outside.  What is tandoori roti made up of? The reason these Indian flatbreads have earned a bad reputation is that they are made with maida or refined flour, which is only empty calories. Then they use dalda or hydrogenated fat to make the roti soft. remember, tandoori roti is an addiction and I am addicted to it but one made at home with wholesome ingredients.  How to make tandoori roti at home At home, making quick tandoori roti on tawa is a breeze!   so here's how I do it to avoid all the health risks associated with restaurant tandoori roti. we can easily make soft atta tandoori roti on tawa too. yes, tandoor cooking is good but maida isn't.  start by adding water to a bowl. throw in methi powder and flaxmeal. You can skip both if you want. but I suggest adding the two ingredients in y...
Post a Comment
Read more

Carrot Kanji Recipe [Indian Probiotic Drink for A Healthy Gut, Digestive Recipe]

  Red Carrot Kanji Recipe| Carrot Kombucha (Gajar Ki Kanji Benefits Gut, Digestive Health) This red carrot kanji recipe takes inspiration from Deepti Agarwal's black carrot kanji recipe, which is her nani's recipe. Here's my trial with kanji..I have made it with red carrot alone. Yes, the Punjaban in me loved the spicy & tangy probiotic. Super yum and Healthy Thanks dear for inspiring me to try the gut-friendly drink. homemade red carrot kanji recipe indian probiotic Is Carrot Kanji good for health and how do you make red carrot kanji at home? Here's presenting lal gajar ki kanji recipe inspired by my dear friend Deepti Aggarwal's black carrot kanji recipe, which is her heirloom recipe and has been in her family for generations. Is Kanji alcoholic? No, fruit turns into alcohol if it is left in a bath of water enclosed in a jar. Here we are not closing the lid; rather, tying a cloth for oxygen inflow, which prevents kanji from becoming alcoholic. What is Kanji ma...
Post a Comment
Read more