Kainsi Kumda (Courgette)

Ingredients :
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Dry red chilli/ green chilli : 1
Young pumpkin (kainsi kumda/Courgette ) : 5 (peeled and chopped into mid size cubes)
Milk : 1/4 cup
Salt : to taste
Garam masala : 1 tsp
Oil : 2 tsp

Method :
Heat oil in a pan.Add cumin seeds and dry/ green chilli.When the cumin seeds splutters, add the courgette/kainsi kumda with salt.Cover and let it cook.Stir in between after 2-3 mins.When half done add garam masala.Cover and cook.When almost done,add milk and cook for 1-2 mins and serve hot.

Dahi Baigan (Eggplant in Yogurt)

Ingredients :
Yogurt -250 gms
Eggplant -1 small cut lengthwise
Salt -to taste
Cumin -1/2 tsp (roasted and powdered)
Oil -to fry

Method :
Sprinkle salt on the eggplant pieces and leave aside for 10-15 mins.Drain water.Heat oil in a pan and fry the eggplant pieces till golden brown.Keep aside on a kitchen towel to soak all the excess oil.In a bowl whisk yogurt and salt till no lump remains. In a serving dish pour the whisked yogurt.Layer the eggplant pieces on the top.Sprinkle the cumin powder and serve.

Munga Kharda (Drumsticks)

Ingredients :
Munga / Drumsticks - 500gms (cleaned & cut into 4 inch long sticks)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 cut lengthwise
Potato - 1 cut lengthwise
Salt - to taste


Method :
Pressure cook or boil the drumsticksnin water, salt and turmeric till done. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Saute ginger-garlic paste for 2-3 secs. Add onion,potato and cook till half done.Add the drumsticks and cook till done. Serve hot with plain rice and dal of your choice.

TEA (Cha)

Ingredients :
Milk -1/2 cup
Water - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Tea leaves - 1 tsp / 1 satchet tea bag
Bayleaf - 1

Method :
Heat a saucepan.Add milk and the rest of the ingredients. Let it boil for 2-3 mins. Strain it with a tea strainer and serve hot with biscuits or cake of your choice.

PN : Makes 1 cup. Something as simple as a cup of tea can be enhanced by adding different kinds of flavour.Normally in Kalahandi people prefer milk tea.But these days they do love to try coffee and different varieties of tea available everywhere.

Sesame Balls (Til ladu)

Ingredients :
Sesame seeds - 200gms
Peanuts - 50gms
Jaggery - 100gms
Ghee - 1 tsp
Water - 1 tsp = half a bowl to test the jaggery

Method :
Dry roast the sesame seeds till light golden and keep aside to cool. Meanwhile crush the peanuts with a rolling pin and keep aside. Heat a non-stick pan. Add ghee and the jaggery with water and let it melt. Don't forget to stir in between.
Take a small bowl with water half filled. When the jaggery starts simmering scoop a tsp of it and drop it in the bowl of water. If it settles down and solidifies the jaggery is ready otherwise let it simmer till it passes the water test.
In another bowl take the sesame seeds and the peanuts.Mix it well. Pour a little jaggery and mix well so that jaggery gets coated properly. Now make balls of it with your palm. Let it cool and store in an airtight container and relish it whenever you want.

Dry Meat Curry (Mansa Kharda)

Ingredients :

Yogurt : 1 tbsp
Turmeric : 1 tsp
Coriander-cumin paste : 4 tbsp
Mustard oil : 5 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste : 2 tbsp
onion paste : 6 tbsp
Meat : 1 kg
Salt : according to taste
Jaggery grated/ Sugar : 1 tbsp
Bayleaf : 2

Method :
Take a big bowl.Add yogurt,tumeric,jaggery / sugar, coriander-cumin paste, salt and a tbsp of mustard oil. Mix it all properly. Add the meat to it and mix it well till properly coated and let it marinate for atleast 15 mins.
Heat a pressure cooker.Add the rest of the mustard oil to it.Heat it till smoking hot and then let it cool.After it gets cool,heat it once again.In this way the bitterness of the oil goes away and whatever is cooked tastes delicious.
When the oil is hot add the bayleaf.Saute it for a few seconds.Then add the onion paste and saute.When half done add the ginger-garlic paste.Saute till it's done.When the oil starts welling at the edges you can know it's done.At that point add the marinated meat and saute it well so that the onion paste gets well coated to the meat.Cover the lid and wait for 4-5 whistles or till done.Serve it hot with rice and dal.
In my family this kind of meal is served with Arisa pitha (recipe already shared before) on the next day of Nuakhai also known as Nukhai basi.

PN : You can increase or decrease the quantity of the ings according to your liking and taste.Happy cooking !!!