Tag: Lunch Box Ideas

Coming up with healthy, tasty, and interesting lunch box ideas can be hard. OneWholesomeMeal makes this task a breeze with recipes specific to the lunch box.

Mutton Keema
Mutton Keema Cutlets
Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal

Veggie Fritters With Chickpeas and Feta

Veggie Fritters With Chickpeas
A Great Lunch Box Idea

These veggie fritters with chickpeas are a great lunch box idea – tasty, healthy and nutritious.

I am always looking for ways to include chickpeas in our diet. Not only are they full of nutritional goodness but also quite versatile to work with and extremely delicious and filling, don’t you agree? Fortunately, Indian cuisine has a plethora of lip-smacking recipes to choose from. Some of them are listed below:

  1. Punjabi Chole 
  2. Chickpeas in coconut milk
  3. Ragda
  4. Chana Madra
  5. Ganthia

The list is endless really. But the palate is insatiable. Having had my fill of most of the Indian recipes, I was craving for something which didn’t compromise on taste and yet could be somewhat of a complete meal, when I came across this chickpea and feta fritters recipe in a Donna Hay cookbook, I had to try it. Not only did we love it but I have made it multiple times hence and is a regular lunchbox feature too. To make it a complete meal, I serve it with a wholemeal wrap or chapati smeared with a greek yogurt mint dip or red bell pepper hummus from Marks & Spencer.

It really is that goooood! So, without further ado, here is the veggie fritters with chickpeas recipe for you to try.

Lunchbox recipe. Eat as is or in a wholemeal wrap. Tastes best with a mint-yogurt dip

Print
Chickpeas,Veggies and Feta Fritters

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4-6

Ingredients

  • Boiled Chickpeas or Canned Chickpeas- 2 cups and a little extra
  • Grated carrots, medium sized- 3
  • Grated pumpkin - 2 tbsp
  • Baby spinach, chopped fine- 1 tbsp
  • Eggs- 4
  • Chopped mint leaves- 1 tbsp
  • Chopped coriander- 2 tbsp
  • Feta cheese, crumbled - 1.5 cups
  • Rice flour- 1/2 cup
  • Chopped green chilies -1 (optional)
  • Carom seeds- 1/4 tsp
  • Baking powder- 2 tsps
  • Salt and black pepper- To taste
  • Oil for shallow frying

Instructions

  1. Coarsely blend the boiled chickpeas in a blender . Be careful not to over blend , just a few seconds at a time or mash with a fork. Keep aside 2 tbsp and transfer the rest to a mixing bowl
  2. Squeeze away excess water from grated veggies and add it to the same bowl followed by spinach, mint, coriander and feta. Mix well with a fork
  3. Lightly beat eggs in a bowl and add it to the above mixture followed by rice flour, baking powder, salt and pepper
  4. You can swap eggs with flax seeds as shown here
  5. At this stage if you find the batter too runny, add the reserved chickpeas batter and adjust salt
  6. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan and reduce the heat to medium
  7. Using a tablespoon, add large spoonfuls of the mixture to the pan avoiding overcrowding
  8. Continue to cook on a low flame , flipping sides till its golden brown and crispy
  9. Drain on a kitchen tissue so it absorbs excess oil
  10. Serve hot with a side of mint yogurt dip or enjoy in a whole-wheat wrap with a hummus of your choice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/veggie-fritters-with-chickpeas-and-feta/

Categories
Tips and Tricks

Weekly Meal Plan | The Why, When and How

Weekly Meal Plan
Personalised Weekly Meal Plan

Have you wondered about having your own personalized meal plan? Well, here is your quick guide to a weekly meal plan. I tell you all about the why, when and how.

There are just 24 hours in a day. But the to-do list of most families these days has more than 24 items, doesn’t it? One needs to work, exercise, eat healthy, socialise, find time for hobbies, travel, be there for friends and family, care for the environment, visit the shrink/s once in a while and these are just the basics for a family with two adults. Add to the mix young kids and the list increases tenfold. Planning one’s day becomes an indispensable tool if anything needs to get done.

Being a child of routine, planning my day came easily to me. However, I really struggled with planning meals. I would make a meal plan and fail miserably when it came to adhering to it. Mainly because it did not satisfy our greedy palate. And the result? I wouldn’t meal plan. As a result, I ended up cooking the same old regulars due to no planning.

A complete Indian Vegetarian Thaali

Why I Meal Plan.

“I” being the operative word here. Some reasons why I do it might be different from yours. But we all would have to agree it makes life easier, especially the weekdays. I live in one of the most efficient cities in the world, work from home most days and I have a fairly flexible schedule with full-time help. I also love cooking and trying new flavours and cuisines. And so does my family. 

So, my reasons to plan a weekly menu are:

  1. It helps me delegate the mundane and routine tasks to the help and frees up my time to focus on the more important stuff.
  2. Grocery shopping becomes easier and efficient. 
  3. Ensures I rummage through the pantry stock and see what’s expiring and what needs to be finished first.
  4. Keeps me in control of what we are eating as a family even on the days I am not the one cooking. I try my best whilst planning that all food groups are represented in each meal and if not each meal, then at least each day and that we eat seasonally as much as possible. 
  5. Caters to everyone’s different tastes and even picky eaters will have something they like in every meal. Side note. Do not expect overnight results though. It takes time to build good eating habits and with time and patience magic does happen.
  6. Different flavours and cuisines are represented and we eat and try much more than just delicious Indian food 

A complete Indian Vegetarian Thaali with a Non-Veg Option (chicken)

When I Meal Plan

Sunday evenings, after the kids are in bed, is my time to sit with my planner and a hot cuppa. I set aside a minimum of 90 minutes to put it down on paper. A rushed and quickly put together meal plan is a futile meal plan which ends up in the trash bin as quickly. So, please do not rush it. Pick the time and day that works for you to devote your hundred percent to this activity.

How I Meal Plan

Some old, some new, and borrowed few is my mantra.

We have some family favourites that feature regularly on the menu whilst I try a few new recipes each week. It is a hobby that today is also my work. Some recipes I find online, some I ask friends for their tried and tested recipes to include in the weekly meal plan.

Tips For Your First Weekly Meal Plan

  1. Pick your grocery shopping day and plan the menu around it. For me, it is usually Monday. This means Monday meals are fairly simple and with easily available ingredients in the pantry.
  2. List down all your family favourites for all three meals, on paper, not just in your head. Remember when you write things down, your brain takes it more seriously and makes it happen. Sounds like too much gyaan? It isn’t! It is tried and tested and it works.
  3. Pull out your favourite cookbooks or food blogs or recipes that you have been “meaning to try”. Pick up to three recipes and write them down.
  4. If eating seasonal is your goal, then make sure if not all, most recipes listed have ingredients that fit the bill.
  5. Keep your social calendar handy especially if it involves eating out during the week.
  6. If you have young kids and lunchbox needs to be sent, make sure to take that into account. For example, we as a family are trying to cut down on bread and eat more whole grains. Therefore I pack more Indian breakfast in the lunch box. This also means prepping well the night before depending on how much time and help you have in the morning.
  7. Take into account diet restrictions, if any, and look for making one meal which even the family members with no diet restrictions can enjoy. Say for example, because my husband has a sedentary job and hence needs lesser carbs in the night, I will plan dinners around that.
  8. List down the especially busy days – mornings or evenings and highlight them so you put something simple to put together on those days or use leftovers.
  9. Celebrate leftovers! In humid Hong Kong food sitting in the fridge for more than a few days isn’t really the best to eat. So, we either control how much we cook or finish leftovers the very next day (or two). It is one of the things I do before I go to bed – check what is left over so we can find ways to use it the next day. So, make sure you leave room in meal plans for those “hiding in a little box” yummies
  10. Communicate! I cannot stress this enough. Having your family on board would make it so much easier for your meal plans to be successful.  Ask them what they would like in their lunchbox as their Friday treat or if the husband has been craving something specific. And remind them that you are trying to make them all happy. One day at a time! This means someone who doesn’t like to eat chicken, on a particular day will have to eat just rice and daal and maybe a small nibble of the chicken dish because his brother loves chicken and because he gets to eat his favourite fish the next day. This also motivates kids to try different things rather than saying an outright no without trying.
  11. Remind yourself- I am only human!  It is okay if your meal plan doesn’t look straight out of BBC Goodfood Magazine or any of those “50 best meal plans for You” websites. A plan which you can stick to and food that makes you and your family happy and satiated is the best one FOR YOU!
  12. Flexibility is the key. Allow yourself to be not married to the meal plans especially when you are starting off. It is okay to not adhere to a few meals due to a last-minute social engagement or because you didn’t feel like it. The idea is to make your life easy and not end up feeling stifled. This brings me to the last one
  13. Leave room for take-out or eating out if that is something that you enjoy as a family. For example, weekends for us are mostly doing things with friends and eating out, so some meals are not planned at home accordingly.

And You’re Ready To Meal Plan

That’s it! With all this infonnution (yes, I invented that one ! It is a portmanteau of the words, information, and ammunition) up your sleeves, you are all set to create your very own personalised Weekly Meal Plan! It really is that simple! Remember to have fun with it!

Some of my go-to blogs while making my weekly menu:

Culinary Nirvana Life

The Culinary Peace

Bon Appetit

And  last but definitely not the least here is what our’s looks like this week:

MONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAYSUNDAY
BREAKFASTBoiled Eggs + ToastCheese DosaSabudana KhichdiIdliTomato UttapamPoha with scrambled eggs
Frittatas
SMOOTHIECelery, Cucumber, Baby Spinach, Blueberries , Flax SeedsCelery, Cucumber, Baby Spinach, Apple, Flax SeedsCelery, Cucumber, Baby Spinach, Banana , Flax SeedsCelery, Cucumber, Baby Spinach, Dates , Flax SeedsCelery, Cucumber, Baby Spinach, Strawberries , Flax SeedsCelery, Cucumber, Baby Spinach, Oranges , Flax SeedsCelery, Cucumber, Baby Spinach, Cherries , Flax Seeds
KID LUNCHBOX Spinach-Toor-Masoor Daal +Rice Eggs & Veggie Fried RicePasta in Spinach SauceDiced Chicken Meatballs Fried Rice cooked in coconut creamAvocado Parathas + Red Bell Pepper HummusNANA
KID SNACK BOXDried Mango + NutsCherry TomatoesDried Jackfruit + NutsCelery Sticks + HummusTreat Friday- Oreos + NutsNANA
ADULT LUNCHBOXRice + White Matar Sabzi+ SaladBaked Chicken +Stir fried string beans Rice+ Rajma +SaladRoti+Hummus + Stir fried Tofu +Salad Greens (DIY wrap)Pan fried Sesame Salmon + Choi Sum stir friedNANA
LUNCHRice + White Mater Sabzi+ SaladEggs & Veggie Fried RiceRice+ Rajma +SaladPan fried Sesame Salmon + Mint-Lime-Cucumber Salad +Sticky Rice Avocado Parathas + Red Bell Pepper HummusChicken Kebab Wraps
Leftovers or Eat out
SNACKS
Banana MuffinBanana-Dates SmoothieCherry TomatoesBanana MuffinCherry TomatoesCrackersBanana-Dates Smoothie
DINNERRice + Split Green Moong Daal + Bhindi Pasta in Spinach Sauce + 3 Bean SaladChicken Meatballs + Rice + Yellow Moong DaalThai Style(in red sauce) Baked Fish + Bok Choi stir fried + Yellow Moong Daal+ Sticky Rice Kadhai Paneer+ Bhindi Fry+ Mixed Daal+Rice LeftoversAloo Parathas or Leftovers or Eat Out
Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Besan Ki Sabzi | Authentic Bihari Recipe

Besan Ki Sabzi
Besan Ki Sabzi

The familiarity of the besan ki sabzi is a great way for me to connect with cherished childhood memories.

I hear and read about kitchens of the future. Kitchens where robots will whip up your favourites with the click of a button. Maximum output with minimal effort. Convenient indeed! Convenience is all one is after these days. Yet we have never lived in a more “inconvenient” time – the inconvenience of the soul. One has access to the best possible spas, medicine and gadgets. Yet one craves for the not so convenient times. Those times when we didn’t have just a button to access world news but knew how are neighbours were doing. The human and humane elements seem to be diminishing in our lives. And convenience is fast replacing compassion.

Traditional Bihari Recipe from Dadi Ma’s Kitchen

One can dine at the best restaurants and enjoy the most delectable of cuisines but nothing nourishes the soul as good old comfort food which transports you back into your grandma’s kitchen. With the pots, and pans clanking, an orderly frenzy with our favourite dishes being prepared. No robot can replicate that! After all, what made grandma’s food special was not just about the ingredients and their quantities, it was the love and affection she cooked with.

This besan ki sabzi is one such dish that will always remind me of my grandmother’s cooking. I recall us kids fighting over hot chickpea fries before they went into the gravy and in a matter of minutes, most of them would vanish. Daadi Ma (grandma) would shoo us out in her usual sweet angry way before she would whip up another batch for the curry. These fritters would make great lunch box snacks too!

Key Steps to Make the Perfect Besan Ki Sabzi

  1. The chickpea batter is made runny but not too watery as shown in the clip below.
  2. While cooking the batter one needs to work fast, keeping the flame low and constantly stirring so it cooks evenly. You may need to add a few tablespoons of oil in this step if the mixture starts to stick to the pan.
  3. The cooked mixture needs to be transferred to a greased plate right away and then kneaded to form an almost smooth dough. Then flatten it out as shown below before cutting out small squares to be fried.

Print
Besan ki Sabzi

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 47 minutes

Serving Size: 3-4

Ingredients

  • Chickpea flour or Besan- 1 cup
  • Water - 1 cup and some extra
  • Ajwain- 1/2 tsp
  • Red chili powder-1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Cumin powder- 1/4 tsp
  • Coriander powder- 1/2tsp
  • Salt- 1.5 tsp or as per taste
  • Fried Onion paste- 3/4 cup ( fry onions in 1tsp oil till translucent, cool and then blend to make a paste)
  • Tomato paste- 1/2 cup
  • Ginger garlic paste- 1 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds-1 tsp
  • Bay leaf- 1
  • Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder- 1 tsp
  • Garam Masala powder- 1/2 tbsp
  • Salt- 1.5 tsp or as per taste
  • Oil- For deep drying and some extra
  • Chopped coriander leaves for garnish -1.5 tbsp

Instructions

  1. In a deep bowl add chickpea flour, ajwain, red chili powder, Cumin powder- 1/4tsp, Coriander powder- 1/2tsp, Salt- 1.5tsp
  2. Gradually add water, mixing well with your clean hand till a smooth, pancake consistency batter , without any lumps is achieved ( see video for reference )
  3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non stick pan and add the prepared batter to it with constant stirring
  4. Cook on medium low flame with constant stirring till the batter starts to come together
  5. Turn off heat and transfer to a greased plate and knead with your hands to get an almost smooth dough
  6. Then flatten out the dough with your fingers gently till it reaches almost one centimetre thickness
  7. Cut out small two inch squares and deep fry on a medium flame, flipping sides till golden and drain them on a kitchen towel
  8. In the same pan heat almost approximately 1 tbsp oil and add bay leaf and cumin seeds
  9. Once the seeds start to splatter add the fried onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 tsp cumin powder,1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tbsp garam masala powder and cook on a medium flame till oil starts to separate , then add tomato paste
  10. Cook for 3-5 minutes on a medium flame then add water and give it a nice mix , add salt as per taste
  11. Then add the fried chickpea squares to the gravy and let it simmer on a low flame uncovered for about 5 minutes
  12. The chickpea fries will absorb considerable amount of water so feel free to add some more hot water to the mix to thin out the gravy as per the desired consistency
  13. Turn off heat, garnish with chopped coriander and let it sit covered for 5 minutes
  14. Serve hot with rice or chapatis
https://onewholesomemeal.com/besan-ki-sabzi-authentic-bihari-recipe/

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Til Mawa Ke Ladoo | Sesame Energy Balls

Til Mawa Ke Ladoo by OneWholesomeMeal
A dessert with health benefits

This sweet is best enjoyed in winter. I know I am a little late, but this til mawa ke ladoo recipe had to be shared. It’s spring now and still a good time to try these little bites of heaven. I kid you not. Once you taste these, you would know what I am talking about.

If you are daunted by getting mawa for these ladoos, don’t be as most Indian provision stores will have it. For some reason, if you are unable to buy it from the store, I promise it is extremely easy to make at home using this method. However, for best results, although it would require some elbow grease, please do make it from scratch using this method. Trust me, it will be worth all the effort. Plus you can always make a little extra and freeze it to save you effort in the future.

Here is an easy to follow video, or scroll down for the recipe.

Quick Tips Before You Get Cooking

The most important ingredient is til or sesame itself. I cannot begin to stress the benefits of sesame, especially for women. These days most of the store-bought sesame is relatively clean but its always better to wash them once and air dry overnight on a flat surface before using them in this recipe. Another little hack to elevate the taste of these ladoos is blending the fennel seeds with the sugar. Powdered sugar mixes quick and easy with the ladoo mixture while the fennel gets homogeneously incorporated bringing out a beautiful flavour in the finished product.

Finally, it is the turn of my beloved coconut. I have to say, I look for excuses to include coconut in my desserts. This isn’t due to the current fads. I genuinely love how it adds a lovely dimension to a recipe without actually overpowering the taste completely. And who can resist its subtle crunch? Roasting the coconut for a minute or two on a low flame brings out the nutty flavour of the coconut but you could also use it as is.

So, without further ado, here is the Til Mawa Ke Ladoo recipe for you to try. You can also try my coconut ladoo recipe here and let me know which one you liked more.

Til Mawa Ke Ladoo by OneWholesomeMeal

 

Print
Til-Mawa Laddoos

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 12-14 medium sized balls

Calories per serving: 134

Ingredients

  • White sesame-3/4 cup
  • Khoya/Mawa (reduced and thickened milk)-3/4 cup
  • Freshly desiccated coconut- 1/4 cup
  • Sugar-1/2 cup
  • Fennel seeds-1/2 teaspoon
  • Green Cardamom-3-4 pods
  • Chopped nuts-1.5 tbsp (optional)
  • Ghee-1 tsp

Instructions

  1. Blend the sugar with fennel seeds to get a powder like texture and keep aside
  2. In a thick bottomed skillet roast the sesame seeds on a medium-low flame with continuous stirring till the seeds just about start to turn light brown. Keep aside and let cool to room temperature
  3. Once the seeds have cooled off, blitz in a blender for a few seconds to get a coarse powder. Please be careful to not blend it too long and get smooth texture.
  4. Powder the cardamom seeds and keep aside
  5. In the same skillet add ghee followed by khoya (mawa) and on a low flame mix them well gently breaking the khoya lumps as you go. Make sure the mixture doesn't stick to the skillet. Continue this process for a minute or so. If the khoya you are using is too moist, then cook it on a low flame for approximately two minutes or until it reaches a semisolid consistency and starts to clump together.If the khoya is fairly dry you would need to "cook" it for a shorter duration and might need to add another teaspoon of ghee
  6. Turn off heat and add the reaming ingredients to the khoya and working quickly, mix well
  7. When the mixture cools down slightly, grease your palms with some ghee and form into tennis ball sized laddoos
  8. The laddoos need to be made when the mixture is fairly warm, a completely cold mixture would not come together well
  9. You could also wet your palms with some water and form the laddoos
https://onewholesomemeal.com/til-mawa-ke-ladoo-sesame-energy-balls/

 

Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Avocado Parathas With Mint and Methi

Avocado Parathas by OneWholesomeMeal
Avocado Parathas with Methi and Mint

I doubled up in surprise when a few years back my sweet friend P told me her cook in the US makes Avocado Parathas! Firstly, I had never heard of parathas with avocados. I couldn’t imagine for the life of me what they would taste like. Secondly, I thought about the poor Spaniard who first discovered them. The thought of what we desis are doing to his wonder fruit, must make him turn in his grave.

Now, I do not eat avocados often. I have nothing against them. Just that it is hard to find locally grown options here in Hong Kong. Eating the imported avocados all the way from Spain or the US makes me cringe at the thought of the carbon footprint it creates. So, it is very rare that I buy them and whenever I do, parathas happen. As most of us would know, avocados have what the nutritionists call the “good fat”. While on the topic, here is a little trivia about Avocados I found on Reader’s Digest.

It’s Great for the Lunch Box

Coming back to the parathas. Due to the “good fat” parathas made out of avocados are soft and require very little additional fat like ghee or butter. Unlike most parathas, they remain soft long after being cooked. Therefore, they make for great lunch box options too! I took advantage of the fresh methi (fenugreek leaves) that is abundantly available in winter and decided to throw some in along with fresh mint leaves. Feel free to add just avocados or other greens available in your kitchen. The dough can be prepped the night before. Make sure you keep it out of the fridge for 15 minutes before cooking.

For the detailed recipe, you may have a look at the simple tutorial video.


If this is the first time that you are making parathas, do not stress about the shape. That is a thing of practice. I hardly make rotis and parathas myself. Whenever I do, they never turn out the perfect circle until I have rolled out a few. As long as they are thin, and cook evenly, these avocado parathas will taste great. Make the most of winters and enjoy these yummies with a hot cup of chai during breakfast.

Avocado Parathas by OneWholesomeMeal

 

Print
Avocado-Mint-Methi (fenugreek) Parathas

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: Makes 12-15 medium sized thin parathas

Calories per serving: 180 per paratha

Ingredients

  • Wholewheat Flour(Aatta)-3 cups
  • Fully ripe Avocados,peeled and cubed- 2 cups
  • Methi,finally chopped-1 cup
  • Mint leaves, finely chopped-1/2 cup
  • Turmeric powder-1 tsp
  • Ajwain(caraway seeds)-1tsp
  • Kalonji (onion seeds/black caraway)-1tsp
  • Salt-1.5tsp or as per taste
  • Water-1/2 cup to be used as required
  • Ghee or Oil for shallow frying the parathas

Instructions

  1. Take all ingredients except ghee and water in a deep and wide bowl convenient for kneading
  2. Using both hands mix all ingredients together with the dough breaking the avocados into the mixture with your fingers while you knead
  3. Halfway through, wet your hands with very little water and continue to knead till you get a smooth homogeneous dough typically softer than the usual roti dough. Be very careful while adding water as you do not want the dough to be too sticky which would make it harder to roll out
  4. The moisture from avocados and the greens is enough to bring the dough together so it would need very little water
  5. Once done, cover the bowl with a lid and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes. This helps it smoothen out and extremely pliable
  6. After 20 minutes , place a tava or flat thick bottomed skillet on the flame while you roll out a tennis ball sized dough into a thin , round paratha. Make sure the pressure on the rolling pin isn't too strong else the paratha wouldn't roll out evenly
  7. When the iron skillet is hot, reduce the flame to medium high and carefully place the paratha on the pan
  8. Once you see air bubble start to form, flip it over till bubbles form again, then smear 1 teaspoon of ghee along the periphery of the paratha and on the surface;cook gently pressing down with a spatula till the paratha starts to puff up. This takes 15-20 secs
  9. Flip and cook the other side similarly making sure you do not over cook or burn the paratha
  10. Drain it on a kitchen towel to soak excess oil and enjoy with a side of freshly set yogurt, mint chutney or even ketchup and a hot cup of masala chai
https://onewholesomemeal.com/avocado-parathas-with-mint-and-methi/

 

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Enduri Pitha | Traditional Odia Recipe

Enduri Pitha | Traditional Odia Recipe by OneWholesomeMeal
Enduri Pitha

This traditional Odia recipe is similar to the idli from south India. I discovered the Eduri Pitha late, but am I glad I did!

I love idlis for their versatility. By adding one or more grated veggies of your choice to the idli, it becomes a complete meal with a side of chutney or sambhar. Also, as it is so easy to whip up, it features regularly on the menu at home.

Soon after I got married into an Odia family I came across the sweet version of this family favourite. Called Enduri (pronounced “en-do-ree”) Pitha, it had all my favourite things and more. Enduri Pitha is primarily prepared during Prathamastami, a festival that celebrates the eldest born in the family. It is served as an offering to the deity. Freshly desiccated coconut enlaces palm jaggery and is steamed between layers of the fermented rice-lentil batter. The bliss of devouring piping hot pithas dunked in sambhar or coconut chutney is something that can not be expressed in words. Needless to say, when the kids first tried it, it was a massive hit! And since it is refined sugar-free, I did not mind if they (and us) indulged in it a tad more. Thus Parthmashtmi or not, this pitha is enjoyed irrespective.

It tastes best if one uses freshly desiccated coconut and palm jaggery. However, I have made it with dried desiccated coconut and regular jaggery and cannot complain about the taste.

Step By Step Enduri Pitha, A Traditional Odia Recipe

1. Prepare a regular idli batter as you would for normal idlis. Once done, crush or finely chop approximately one cup of jaggery, one cup desiccated coconut, and some raisins/sultanas (optional) and keep aside.

 

2. Next prepare the idli moulds by greasing them with ghee or coconut oil. Then scoop 1 tablespoon of batter onto the stand. Layer it with 1 teaspoon jaggery and 1 teaspoon coconut. Then cover it with another scoop of batter.

3. Steam it as you would a regular idli. Serve hot with a side of sambhar and/or chutney.

Print
Coconut-Jaggery Idlis (Enduri Pitha)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

  • Idli batter-2 cups
  • Desiccated Coconut-1 cup
  • Finely chopped or crushed jaggery-3/4 cup
  • Raisins or Sultanas- 2 tbsp (optional)
  • Oil- 1tbsp (for greasing the idli moulds)

Instructions

  1. Prepare all ingredients as shown in the step by step above
  2. Spoon in 1 tbsp of batter on greased moulds, then add 1 tsp each of coconut,jaggery and raisins. Feel free to adjust the amount of jaggery and coconut as per taste but do keep in mind that adding too much jaggery would make the idlis "bleed out" too much
  3. Then spoon in another tbsp batter making a sandwich
  4. Steam as you would regular idlis (for approximately 15-20 minutes) based on the kind of steamer you use
  5. Serve hot with saambhar and/or coconut chutney
https://onewholesomemeal.com/enduri-pitha-traditional-odia-recipe/

[kkstarratings]