Mula Saga Aloo Bhaja | Radish leaves fry with potatoes

a healthy side dish using radish leaves (mula saga), radish and potato from Odia cuisine

Radish and its leaves :

Radish (mooli / mula) may not be a favorite vegetable to everybody, but it is one of the healthiest. And winter is the season of this vegetable. These undervalued root vegetables are packed with nutrients. And yes, don't throw out the leaves of this vegetable after taking radish to make any dish. Believe it or not, it is actually the leaves that contain more nutrients than the radish itself. The green leaves of this root vegetables are loaded with many health benefits like 

• High In Dietary Fibers
• Increases Immunity And Reduces Fatigue
• Anti-scorbutic properties
• Helps to treat Piles
• Helps Prevent Diabetes
• Detoxifying Agent etc.

What can be prepared using these leaves ?

One can use this radish leaves in muthia (a gujurati snacks), paratha, simple stir fry, chilla etc. Today I have come up with a dish using these greens as Mula Saga Aloo Bhaja / Radish leaves fry with potatoes. This is basically an odia dish. The process is quite simple and easy to make too. Completely Vegan and gluten free dish it is too.

Ingredients in details of this dish :

The leaves of the radish is the main ingredient here. Few potato small cubes are also added along with few radish cubes. I always like the skins of the potatoes here, but that is optional. One can peel those. Mustard oil is a must here. It adds a lovely aroma to the dish overall. Pancha phutana / panch phoron which is a mixture of cumin, mustard, fenugreek, nigella & fennel seeds is used for the tempering part along with dry whole red chili. Few finely chopped onion and freshly crushed garlic are also added. The leaves of radish taste slight bitter (not much like bitter gourd), so one can add few green chilies also along with red chili to balance that bitter in terms of spicy.

How to make this saga bhaja ?

First both radish and potato are washed well and chopped into small cubes. Then in a kadhai / pan mustard oil heated. pancha phutana along with red chili are put to crackle. Next chopped onion along with crushed garlic are added. After frying for 1 minute the potato and radish cubes are added with salt. These are saute well till cooked a little. Meanwhile the leaves are washed well, drained and finely chopped. Those are then added to the pan and everything is well mixed. The pan is covered with a lid till everything is cooked.

Serving suggestion :

This is a lovely aromatic side dish. It goes very well with simple steamed rice-dal combination. As an Odia, I love to have this with pakhala (rice water). The dish is super simple one and no masala is used here. So do try in this winter !

Recipe Card for 'Mula Saga Aloo Bhaja' :

Mula saga, Garlic, onion, potatoes, radish, Healthy dish, Side dish, Easy recipe

Vegan, Gluten free, Side dish, Healthy, Radish leaves

Odia

Author: sasmita

Mula Saga Aloo Bhaja / Radish leaves fry with potatoes

a healthy side dish using radish leaves (mula saga), radish and potato from Odia cuisine

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 10 Mtotal time: 20 M

ingredients:

• Radish leaves (mula saga) 2 bunch
• Potato (small cubes) 1/2 cup
• Radish (small cubes) 1/2 cup
• Garlic (peel and crushed) 1 tbsp
• Onion (finely chopped) 1 tbsp
• Dry red chili 1 no.
• Pancha phutan 1 tbsp
• Mustard oil 2 tbsp
• Salt as needed

instructions:

How to cook Mula Saga Aloo Bhaja

1. Wash and clean all the mula saga or radish leaves.
2. The middle hard part of the leaves one can discard or use for the dish. I have used that part here.
3. Then finely chopped the leaves and keep aside.
4. Heat mustard oil in a kadhai.
5. Add pancha phutana (mixture of cumin, mustard, fenugreek, nigella & fennel seeds) and whole red chili.
6. When these start spluttering add chopped onion and crushed garlic.
7. Saute for 1 minute.
8. Then add potato and radish cubes along with salt.
9. Saute for 3-4 minutes or till the potatoes and radish cooked a bit.
10. Next add chopped radish leaves and mix well.
11. Cover with a lid till everything is well cooked.
12. Serve hot as a side dish with rice-dal combo !

NOTES:

Don't skip the use of mustard oil in this dish. It gives a lovely aroma to the mula saga bhaja. The amount of garlic one can add more or less as per choice. Few green chilies can be added here to get a bit spiciness in the bhaja as the radish leaves taste slight bitter.

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Yellow Peas Soup | Matar Pani from Jagannath Dham, Puri

a no oil soup using the lentil, yellow peas aka matar in Odia

Happiness is 'hot soup on a cold day'. As winter is already started so in almost all households, soup is a common affair. There is nothing better than a hot bowl of soup. Actually soup is an ideal way to help the whole family boost up. These can be made quickly, hassle free and best for hurried days. So soup is indeed full of ultimate flavor and comfort that adds some excitement to those cozy winter days.

The easy homemade soups are always best which are filling and tasty. From classics like minestrone or noodle soup to more exotic Thai, Indian categories there are a no of varieties. You may have interest on these too :

• Lemon Pepper Rasam (No Lentil, No Rasam Powder, No Tamarind) 
• Coriander Lemon Soup 
• Turmeric Vermicelli Soup - Vegan & Gluten free 
• Torani Kanji | Soup of Fermented Rice Water with Vegetables 
• Quinoa Mizo Bai 
• Thukpa (Vegan Version) and some more.

Today I have come up with a lentil soup as Yellow Peas Soup aka Matar Pani from Jagannath Dham, Puri. Dont be confused for this as a prasad in that temple, rather it is the most famous street food in that areas. The 'matar pani' is a odia word. 'Matar' means 'yellow peas' and 'pani' here means 'the broth of the cooked peas'. This is completely a no-Oil soup and falls under vegan, gluten free category.

The main ingredient here is the yellow peas / matar. The peas are soaked overnight or at least 5-6 hours. Then those are pressure cooked with few mint leaves, coriander leaves, turmeric powder, salt and enough water. These well cooked peas along with the water is the base to make matar pani. Some seasonings are added then to this and served immediately hot.

Here the tamarind water is also added to the serving bowl to give a tangy taste in the soup. Green chilies are used here by directly smashing using fingers in the serving bowl. And this adds the perfect spiciness to the soup. In a winter evening this simple yellow peas soup is super comforting and mouthwatering. The process is quite easy and simple to make. If serving for kids, then simply ignore the green chilies part. To get more sourness, along with tamarind water few lemon slices can be given while serving. So do try as the hot soup season is going on !

The event related to this post :

Well this time our fortnight foodie group named as Healthy Wellthy Cuisines is decided to select 77th theme : 'Winter Soups' and is suggested by Swaty.  So this Matar Pani from Jagannath Dham, Puri is for the theme contribution. Meanwhile do check her space for some interesting recipes with step by step instructions. Here are some similar recipes shared by our Healthy Wealthy Group members as Caldo Verde by Archana di, Spinach Soup by Poonam, Mutton Soup by Narmadha, Vegetarian Nacho Soup by Swaty, Tomato Soup by Ruchi.

Recipe Card for 'Yellow Peas Soup' :

Matar Soup, No oil soup, Yellow pea soup, Hot soup, Savory soup

Soup, Winter Hot Soup, Vegan, Gluten free, Yellow Peas

Odia

Author: sasmita

a no oil soup using the lentil, yellow peas aka matar in Odia

prep time: 15 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time: 30 M

ingredients:

• Yellow peas (matar) (soaked) 2/3 cup
• Turmeric powder 1 tsp
• Green chili 3-4 no.
• Coriander leaf 6-8 sprig
• Mint leaf 5-6 sprig
• Tamarind water ¼ cup
• Black salt As needed
• Carrot (grated) for sprinkling
• Onion (finely chopped) for sprinkling
• Cucumber (grated) for sprinkling
• Lemon slice 1-2 no.
• Salt As needed
• Water 2-3 cup

instructions:

How to cook

1. Wash and drain the yellow peas and then put into a pressure cooker.
2. Add 2-3 cup water along with roughly chopped mint leaves, few coriander leaves, turmeric powder, salt.
3. Pressure cook till peas are well done (Don't overcook the peas, else peas'll get mashed).
4. Now take the serving soup bowl.
5. Put 1 tbsp of tamarind water in the serving bowl.
6. Add 1 green chili and mash it in the tamarind water using fingers.
7. Put 1 ladle full of cooked peas along with the water from the pressure cooker.
8. Mix well and then add finely chopped onion, grated cucumber, grated carrot, few chopped coriander leaves, black salt.
9. Serve immediately hot with some lemon slices (if more sourness is required in the soup) !

NOTES:

In this soup, the peas should neither be cooked till mushy nor slightly crunchy. So the cooking part of the yellow peas is the vital part here. The consistency depends upon individual choice. I like this watery kind so I have added cooked peas with water from the pressure cooker. If slight thick version of this soup you want then take the cooked peas with very less water from the pressure cooker. Add more green chilies if you like more spiciness in the soup.

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Jaggery Spiced Tea | Gud ki Masala Chai

the most popular Indian favorite masala chai with jaggery sweetner 

What is Jaggery ?

Jaggery is a type of unrefined sugar made from sugar cane or palm. Jaggery is made using traditional methods of pressing and distilling palm or cane juice in a 3-step process : Extraction, Clarification and Concentration. The color of it can range from light golden to dark brown. And this is important, since the color and texture are used to grade the jaggery. Jaggery is a hugely popular sweet factor in South and Southeast Asia. Much of the world's production takes place in India. In current days jaggery is an awesome alternatives to refined white sugar. Jaggery contains more nutrients than refined sugar because of its molasses content. Molasses is a nutritious by-product of the sugar making process, which is usually removed when making refined sugar. So as compared to refined sugar this is quite healthy choice.

the uses of jaggery :

These days as most are following healthy diet in their lifestyle so it has been found that sugar is being replaced with jaggery. Starting from dessert to beverages, jaggery is making its importance. Today's post is a hot beverage with jaggery twist as Jaggery Spiced Tea aka Gud ki Masala Chai. Well no matter what is the season, a sip from a hot cup of chai is all we need to kick start our day on a positive note or even to get refreshed. Each household has their own version of making tea with addition of the choice-able herbs and spices into it. Most the time the sweet factor in the tea is the refined sugar. But here is the twist using jaggery.

Preparation of Gud ki Masala Chai :

This jaggery spiced tea is quite similar to the regular masala tea, but the sweet factor is jaggery here. Basically sugar is added to the saucepan along with spices and herbs and allowed to cook. But in this case, jaggery is added after preparing the tea just to avoid the curdling in the milk. The amount is varied according to taste. Preferably grated / powdered form of jaggery is used as a result that will take less time to melt in the tea. So do try this unique twist in your regular masala chai and surprise your guest as well. Also as the season of winter is going on, so this interesting version of masala chai one should try to enjoy !

The event related to this post :

Well for current month the event 'A to Z Recipe Challenge' has come up with the alphabet 'J'. That means, there must be a recipe post having the main ingredient name starting with alphabet J. So I opted J for 'Jaggery' and have prepared a hot beverage as 'Jaggery Spiced Tea / Gud ki Masala Chai'.

Recipe Card for 'Jaggery Spiced Tea | Gud ki Masala Chai' :

Masala Chai, Indian Beverage, Gluten free, Spiced tea, Jaggery, No sugar Beverage

Beverage, Hot Beverage, Gluten free, Masala tea, Jaggery Tea

Indian

Author: sasmita

Jaggery Spiced Tea | Gud ki Masala Chai

most Indian's favorite masala chai with jaggery sweetener

prep time: 3 Mcook time: 6 Mtotal time: 9 M

ingredients:

• Milk 1 cup
• Jaggery (grated / powdered) 3 tsp
• Tea (leaves / powdered) 1 tsp
• Ginger (grated / crushed) 1 tsp
• Cardamom 1 no.
• Clove 1 no.
• Black pepper 4-5 no.
• Water 1 cup

instructions:

How to cook Jaggery Spiced Tea | Gud ki Masala Chai

1. In a saucepan, boil both water and milk.
2. Add the freshly grated ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and again boil for 2-3 min.
3. When a nice aroma comes out, add tea leaves / powder.
4. Simmer for 3-4 minutes and soon the thinner consistency will change.
5. Turn off heat and add grated / powdered jaggery.
6. Mix well till jaggery melts.
7. Strain with a fine mesh sieve and serve hot in cup !

NOTES:

Adjust the sweetness as per choice by adding more or less jaggery.

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