Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Palanga Saga besara (Palak & vegetables in a mustard gravy)

Another famous recipe of Odisha is saga besara means leafy vegetables with mustard paste. Wow i just love this..This is a very helathy dish goes well with chapatti/ steamed rice. I love palak and often cook with it . This preparation is very simple & healthy. So donot waste them away in the refrigerator... I had some fresh palak and other vegetables so decided to make this curry & it turned out well....so friend without much ado lets start the recipe....

Palak- 1 bunch chopped

Potato- 1 medium size cut in cubes

French beans 5-6 nos- cut in 2” long pieces

Cauliflower florets – 1 cup (optional)

radish- 1/2 cup sliced

1-2 small size brinjals/ eggplants - cut in cubes

Badi- 8-10 fried

Tomato- 1 meduim size sliced

Red Onion- 1 medium size sliced

mustard oil/ refined Oil- 2tblsp

Panch phutan- 1 tsp (Mix of mustard, cumin, fenugreek, nigella& fennel seeds )

Dry red chillies- 2 nos

Turmeric powder/ Haldi- ½ tsp

Salt as per the taste

For gravy:

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Cumin seeds- ½ tsp

Poppy seeds- 1tsp (Optional)

Garlic cloves- 3 nos

Green chilly- 2 nos

(Grind the above ingredients & make a fine paste)

Method:

Take a pan. Heat 1tblsp oil. Add all the vegetables except brinjal, tomatoes & spinach. Shallow fry for 2-3 min.

Then add the previously done mustard paste.

Mix well sauté of 5-8 sec & immediately add 1 cup of water to the vegetables. (Don’t sauté the masala too much to avoid the bitterness)

Add salt as per the taste & turmeric powder. Cover the pan with a lid.

When the curry will start boiling add the brinjals/ eggplants. Again cover the lid. let the curry boil till all the veggies are cooked.

Now remove the lid add the chopped spinach, tomatoes. Mix well. Let the curry cook for another 5 mins till the spinach/palak gets cooked. Add the badi pieces.

Okaayy...now the gravy part is done will do the seasoning.....

Heat oil in a another pan. Add 1 tblsp of oil. Add dry red chillies & panch phutan. Let it crackle. Then add the red onions. Sauté till it it beomes soft.

Now add the gravy in to the seasoning & mix well. turn off the gas & cover with a lid for 5-10 mins.