Dahi pakhala with aloo bharta and baigana bhaja

Name: Dahi pakhala with aloo bharta and baigana bhaja
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 300 g rice; ≈ 700 ml water, for cooking the rice; ≈ 1 l water, cold, for soaking; 250 g curd, whisked; salt, to taste; 1 tbsp mustard oil, for tempering; 3 ml mustard seeds; 3 ml cumin, seeds; 2 dried red chillies; 1 sprig curry leaves; 10 g ginger, grated; 2 green chillies, chopped, for the pakhala; 1 lemon (nimbu), in wedges; 4 potatoes; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 green chillies, finely chopped, for the bharta; 1 tbsp mustard oil, raw, for the bharta; 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped; 1 brinjal, large and round, in 1 cm slices; 3 ml turmeric; 3 ml red chilli powder; 4 tbsp mustard oil, for frying; salt, to taste

Odisha's summer meal: cooked rice cooled and soaked in cold water with curd, tempered with mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves and dried chilli, and eaten with sharp aloo bharta (potato mashed with raw mustard oil, onion and green chilli) and baigana bhaja, fried brinjal slices. Plain pakhala is soaked in water only, and basi pakhala is left overnight to ferment. Fried fish or saga bhaja (stir-fried greens) often join it; Odisha celebrates it on Pakhala Dibasa, 20 March.

50 minTime
37 minHands-on
4Portions
11 gprotein per portion
600kcal per portion

VegetarianContains: Milk protein, Lactose, Mustard

Ingredients for 4 portions

300 gRice
≈ 700 mlWater, for cooking the rice
≈ 1 lWater, cold, for soaking
250 gCurd, whisked
to tasteSalt
1 tbspMustard oil, for tempering
3 mlMustard seeds
3 mlCumin, seeds
2Dried red chillies
1 sprigCurry leaves
10 gGinger, grated
2Green chillies, chopped, for the pakhala
1Lemon (nimbu), in wedges

On the side

4Potatoes
1Onion, finely chopped
2Green chillies, finely chopped, for the bharta
1 tbspMustard oil, raw, for the bharta
2 tbspCoriander leaves, chopped
1Brinjal, large and round, in 1 cm slices
3 mlTurmeric
3 mlRed chilli powder
4 tbspMustard oil, for frying
to tasteSalt

Method

Wash the rice two or three times, put it in a pan with the water for cooking and bring to the boil.
Cover, turn the flame to low and cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft.
Meanwhile, put the potatoes in the pressure cooker with water to cover and cook for 3 whistles. Let the pressure drop by itself.
Finely chop the onion and the green chillies for the bharta and chop the coriander leaves. Grate the ginger and chop the green chillies for the pakhala.
Spread the hot rice out in a wide bowl or thali and leave it to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Cut the brinjal into 1 cm thick rounds and rub them with the turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.
Heat the mustard oil for frying on a tawa or in a frying pan and fry the brinjal slices on a medium flame for 4–5 minutes a side, until soft right through and well browned.
Peel the potatoes and mash them roughly with the onion, green chillies, raw mustard oil, coriander leaves and salt.
Put the rice in a large bowl, pour over the cold water and curd, add salt and stir, breaking up any lumps.
Heat the mustard oil for tempering in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cumin seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves, pour it all over the pakhala and stir in the ginger and green chillies.
Serve the pakhala in bowls with lemon wedges, and the aloo bharta and baigana bhaja on the side.

Dahi pakhala with aloo bharta and baigana bhaja

Ingredients for 4 portions

On the side

Method

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