Hi! This is Kriti. I live in Raipur, Chhattisgarh and have been promoting the regional and local food of my state from 4 years now. If you are interested in Chhattisgarhi Cuisine and the delicacies of Chhattisgarh, Faraa is a good dish to start with. Undoubtedly, Faraa is the most popular snack of Chhattisgarh which is made with leftover Rice and Rice Flour. Rice Flour and Rice are combined into a dough which is further steamed and pan fried. If you are unaware when it comes to Chhattisgarhi Cuisine, then the first thing to note down here is Rice is a staple food here. So, most of the recipes are from Rice and Rice Flour. Let’s start with one of the most basic rice recipe Faraa, but before that for more such recipes follow me on instagram, the link is mentioned below:

https://www.instagram.com/cookingwithkritivity/

1 cup of pre cooked rice (room temperature)

Take pre cooked rice and rice flour in a paraat or any broad vessel. add salt to taste, a cup of water, kasoori methi and knead into a soft dough. One tip here is that before adding water, mix the rice and rice flour really nicely and start adding water in batches according to the requirement so that it doesn’t get sticky.

Now, rub a drop of oil across your palms and take a small portion of the dough. Shape that into sticks or kind of fries. There is a traditional way and shape to do that which is basically the ends will be thinner and the medium part will be thicker. Refer to images below.

Meanwhile, start boiling water in a steamer or a pan and when all of the dough is done, steam the Farra for 10-15 minutes in a greased pan. Be gentle while transferring it to the steaming bowl. Also, take sufficient amount of farra in a bowl, do not worry about it sticking together because it gets separated once it cools down.

Steam for 10-15 minutes and let it cool for 10 minutes. Separate each piece.

In an Iron Kadhai or a non stick pan, take oil and let it heat. Add mustard seeds, sesame seeds, dried red chili, curry leaves and then add faraa. Fry it on a medium heat until it gets crispy and golden brown.

And it’s done. Serve it hot with either Tomato or Chili Garlic Chutney.

Faraa : A Chhattisgarhi Snack

Kareel or Bamboo Shoots are the edible part of the bamboo species. It is one of the main delicacies in Chhattisgarh and also in various parts of India and Southeast Asia. Fresh Kareel is mostly available from June to September here in Chhattisgarh. There are various kinds of recipes to make Kareel but in this blog I’ll share the traditional way of making it with Tomatoes here in Chhattisgarh.

If you are buying or cooking Kareel for the very first time, there are few things to keep in mind:

While buying it, touch and see that it should be soft and tender. Most of the vendors here sell the shredded Kareel which you can directly cook.

If you find or wish to buy the non shredded ones then all you have to do is peel and then grate it like you grate carrots for halwa.

Bamboo shoots or Kareel do not have a pleasant smell. They have a really strong odor, that’s the way they are so do not get overwhelmed and throw it in the bin.

Start with small quantities if you are making it for the first time about 250 or 500 grams.

After grating or buying the shredded ones, wash it really nicely twice. Boil it with salt, we usually pressure cook it for one whistle. Then once it gets cooled, squeeze and drain the water and then use it. Now, let’s start with the recipe.

Wash the Kareel twice in running water and pressure cook it 4 cups of water. Take as much water so that the Kareel gets completely immersed in water.

Add a tbsp of salt and pressure cook for one whistle. Squeeze and drain the water.

In a Kadhai or deep bottom pan, add a tbsp of oil. Once it gets heated, add mustard seeds, slit green chilies, curry leaves. Add kareel and saute it for 7-8 minutes on medium flame.

Add chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder. Cover and cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes become soft and mushy.

Add around 2-2.5 cups of water depending upon the consistency you prefer. Cook for another 8-10 minutes on a high flame.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve it hot with steamed rice.

Kareel Tamatar: Bamboo Shoots Curry with Tomato

Bohar Bhaji / बोहार भाजी ( botanical name : Cordia Dichotoma) is one of the most loved in Chhattisgarh. Mostly available during March to May is one of the most expensive Bhajis found here. As it is available for a limited period of time, we Chhattisgarhiyas go crazy about it and I bet if you taste it once, you will too! It’s often cooked with Curd and Chana Dal and then tempered with Dry Red Chillies and Garlic.But, the interesting fact is that, it’s not necessarily native to Chhattisgarh. It has a great significance in Thai Cuisine and is the symbol of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province in Thailand. Also the fruits are pickled when it comes to Taiwanese Cuisine. The other popular names of Bohar Bhaji are fragrant manjack, snotty gobbles, cummingcordia, glue berry, anonang, pink pearl, bird lime tree, Indian cherry, Booch (Hindi), लसोड़ा, Dela डेला or Gunda (Hindi),ਨਸੂੜੇ (pronunciation Lasoore in Punjabi) Lasura (Nepali) and Bhokarभोकर (Marathi). The fruit is known as phoà-pò·-chí (破布子), 樹子仔, or 樹子 in Taiwan. गुंदा (Gunda) Gujarati .

Bohar Bhaji has three main elements : The stems, The leaves and the flowers. The leaves and the flowers are generally used while making Bhaji. The thick stems are discarded and the thinner and softer stems with flowers are used.

2 tbsps of Tamarind / Imli pulp. (Traditionally used in the Recipes but I don’t)

Wash the Bhaji thoroughly but carefully. You don’t have to chop the leaves. Just pluck it from the stems and use as it is.

In a Kadhai, add half a cup of water and add Chana Dal. When it starts boiling after a minute or two, Add the Bhaji, Salt, Half a cup of Water and Haldi Powder.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes on a medium to high flame. After 5 minutes when it partially gets cooked, whisk the curd and add it to the bhaji. If you are adding Imli/ Tamarind Pulp too, add it now.

Mix it well, Cover and cook for 6-7 minutes more on a high flame until the water gets absorbed.

Bhaji has been cooked now and the last step is to give a Baghaar or Tadka. For that, Take out the Bhaji from the Kadhai and on that same Kadhai, Add oil.

When it gets heated, Add chopped Garlic and let it fry until it gets dark brown. Add two dried Red Chilies and add the cooked Bhaji. Cover immediately and after two minutes it will be done.

Remember that you have to cook until the water gets absorbed but it shouldn’t be completely dry. There should be moisture in the bhaji.

Serve it with Bhaat or Bore Baasi or even Roti.

Bohar Bhaji Recipe: Chhattisgarh’s Most Loved and Expensive Bhaji.

In Chhattisgarh, Dhuska has generally two variants. One with the Rice and Rice Flour also known as Mota Roti and another is Jashpur’s Dhuska which is a deep batter of Rice, Chana Dal and Urad Dal. Jashpur’s Dhuska is influenced by Jharkhand as Jashpur is at the Jharkhand border. Few months ago, I was invited by the Jashpur Tourism Board, Collector of Jashpur Mr. Nilesh Kumar Kshirsagar in association with Kosal Katha and Jashpur Wildlife Welfare Foundation. The main aim of this trip was to promote culture, tourism, food and developments of Jashpur District. Of course, my attention was to explore the local cuisine and delicacies of the district. And on top of the list was DHUSKA! Definitely, One of the simplest recipes in Chhattisgarhi Cuisine.

Bus Depot of Jashpur Nagar is where you can find the best one. There might be another places too. Go to Lokesh Bhaiya’s Thela for the unique and amazing Aloo Dhuska. I’ll insert the picture below. You can also find traditional dhuska in that area. Two aloo dhuska with Chane ki Sabzi only for Rs. 10 only.

Soak Rice, Chana Dal and Urad Dal in water overnight. Next day, grind all of it together to form a smooth paste.

Add a cup of water to the paste. The consistency of the batter will be similar to the dosa batter.

Add salt to taste and baking soda. Mix it well.

Heat oil for deep frying and pour the batter from a ladle directly into the oil.

You can make 3 – 4 dhuskas at once. Remember that the flame will be on high when you pour the batter and then on sim.

Deep fry it until it gets light brown color which will take usually 8 minutes.

Serve hot with Red Chili and Garlic Chutney or with Chane ki Sabzi.

I hope you will like the recipe. Also, do let me know what other recipes to share. Follow me on all my social media handles.

Dhuska Served With Red Chili And Garlic Chutney

Dhuska : A Delicacy of Jashpur

Hey! Few months ago, I was invited by the Jashpur Tourism Board, Collector of Jashpur Mr. Nilesh Kumar Kshirsagar in association with Kosal Katha and Jashpur Wildlife Welfare Foundation. The main aim of this trip was to promote culture, tourism, food and developments of Jashpur District. Of course, my attention was to explore the local cuisine and delicacies of the district. We explored all around the city, different places to eat and explore new recipes. So, here is my top 5 things to eat in Jashpur.

Kachri is a deep fried Chana Dal fritters or pakodas mixed with spices. What makes it unique, is the crispiness and the burst of spices you get instantly. The recipe is quite easy too. Soak Chana dal overnight in water. next day coarsely blend it. Now, this is the key to make it crispier. Add ginger, garlic, red chili paste and salt to taste. Deep fry it on medium heat. Serve with Tomato Chutney.

Panpatwa Roti or Dhutu Roti is another popular delicacy of Jashpur and one of my most favorite. Just Rice and Urad Dal batter wrapped up in Saal leaves and steamed. The intense flavor of the Saal leaves you get is really commendable. That’s why you say, The Simple The Better.

Not sure whether it is available commercially. But, definitely you can easily request someone local to make it for you.

Sogra Ashram is located in Jashpur Nagar have a green tea garden which is exported worldwide. Interesting, Right? Our very own homegrown green tea! There are four variants available of it : Normal, Lava, Manorama and Madheshwar. Another tea plantation is also done at the Sarudih Fields.

This Chai is made by boiling the stems of a Charai Godwa tree which literally translates to a tree which has a shape of a bird’s leg. Apparently, this tea helps to detox and purify the blood and has a similar taste of cinnamon.

Jashpur Tea Bar and Sogra Ashram in Jashpur Nagar.

Jaiswal Dhaba is one of the oldest and most famous dhaba in Jashpur Nagar. It has a variety of dishes from all varients of vegetarian and Non vegetarian. Other than that, It is also immensely popular for Achaar and Murabba. During my visit, I tried Achaar of Kareel, Jimikanda, Red Chili, Lime and Mango. My personal recommendation would be Kareel and red chili pickle. Murabba was delicious too. Apple Murabba and Bel ka Murabba is my personal favoutite. Definitely, A must visit destination!

In Chhattisgarh, Dhuska has generally two variants. One with the Rice and Rice Flour also known as Mota Roti and another is Jashpur’s Dhuska which is a deep batter of Rice, Chana Dal and Urad Dal. Jashpur’s Dhuska is influenced by Jharkhand as Jashpur is at the Jharkhand border.

When we went to the bus depot in Jashpur to have Dhuska every thela had a plain basic dhuska except Lokesh Bhaiya. He had Aloo Dhuska which was amazingly delicious and we went there all the three days. If you go to Jashpur, then please go to Lokesh Bhaiya’s Dhuska Thela. Two Aloo Dhuskas for 10 rs with Chana Sabzi, isn’t that incredible? .

Top 5 things to eat In Jashpur : Kritivity’s Food Trail

Chhattisgarh is known as ‘bowl of rice’ and the cuisine of this state justifies the title completely. Right from starters to the desserts you name it and we have a rice dish. So, today I will be sharing another rice recipe which is one of the most popular dishes of Chhattisgarh, which you can have in lunch, breakfast, dinner you know right it’s like comfort food of ours. So, without creating much more suspense, the name of this dish is *drumroll* CHAUSELA.

Let me give you a quick introduction about this dish. It is basically chawal ki poori or rice poori which is often served with tomato chutney and this combination is like epic. You all must try this as it is super simple and quick to make and that simplicity makes it more flavourful and comforting food, So, let’s start with the recipe.

Combine the rice and wheat flour in a vessel to make a dough. Here, I am using wheat flour to bind the dough as rice flour tends to break.

Add cumin seeds for that nice crunch and flavor and also add salt according to your preference.

Add water little by little to form a little hard dough of it.

And the dough is done. Very easy right nothing fancy.

Now the next step is to take a small portion from the dough and make a small circle with very light hands with the help of the belan/roller pin.

Then, when the oil is hot enough deep fry the pooris till it gets all fluffy and light brown in color.

And it’s ready to serve. Serve it hot with tomato chutney for the tastiest experience. I will share the recipe of tomato chutney in my next blog. For that stay tuned.

Also don’t forget to follow me on all my social media. Here’s the link

Chausela : A Chhattisgarhi Delicacy: Chawal Ki Poori

Chhattisgarh is a state where rice cultivation is done majorly. Therefore, Chhattisgarh is also known as ‘Bowl of Rice’ or what you say in Hindi is ‘Dhan ka Katora’. That’s why most of the dishes made in Chhattisgarh are mainly of rice. So, today’s recipe which I am sharing with you all is also a rice dish and one of the most popular dishes of Chhattisgarhi cuisine. Pitha is a combination of rice and lentil ( Urad Dal ). It is generally served as a snack with tomato chutney. So. let’s see how Pitha is made.

A Handful of fresh whole coriander seeds.

First, take a bowl of rice flour and some water and salt to make a soft dough. Knead it well and keep it aside and let it rest for 10 mins. This will be the base of our recipe.

Meanwhile, take urad dal in a bowl, now here we have to use urad dal which is soaked overnight and grounded into a paste.

Now take the garlic cloves and fresh whole coriander seeds which you also call ‘Phar Dhaniya’ in Chhattisgarh in a mixer and make a paste .

Add this paste to the urad dal paste with some salt and make a good mixture.

So, the stuffing is ready for our Pitha and now we have to make the base of it.

To make a base, take a small portion of rice flour dough in your hands and make small katories or bowl from it.

To that small bowls of rice flour add the urad dal stuffing. Now make sure that the urad dal stuffing should be thick and not flowy.

Now, steam this small bowls in a microwave or steamer for 10-12 mins. This is how it looks after steaming.

Our Pitha is almost ready, we have to just tadka it .

For preparing the tadka, take a kadhai and add 2 tbsps of oil. After it gets heated, add a tsp of mustard seeds and a tsp of sesame seeds.

Let it crackle, then add your steamed pitha and saute it for 5-8 mins.

And tada your pitha is ready to serve. Serve it with tomato chutney or tomato ketchup.

Do try this at your home as it not so unhealthy. In fact, it is quite healthy as very less oil is used in this recipe and it is also a steamed dish. So, this was another addition to the list of Chhattisgarhi Cuisine. If you want to read and see more such Chhattisgarhi recipes then you can click on the link given below. Also, do not forget to contact me in all my social medias till then take care and keep cooking.

Chhattisgarhi Pitha

Idhar Kadhi is one of the most popular and delicious dishes of Chhattisgarhi cuisine. It is mostly made during festivals or special occasion or during Chhattisgarhi feast. But, let me first explain to you what is Idhar Kadhi ? So, basically Idhar Kadhi is made up of colocasia leaves or arbi ke patte wrapped with urad dal paste and then steamed and fried and then served with a normal kadhi. People find it a bit difficult to make it as the process is little bit complex and time taking. So, I have tried to simplify the process a little bit. Let’s start cooking.

1 kg of urad dal/split black gram soaked overnight.

Firstly, take the soaked urad dal in a blender and make a coarse paste of it. Gently wash the colocasia leaves by water and allow it to dry.

Take the urad dal paste in a bowl and add 5-6 crushed garlic, 2 tbsps of coriander powder, 2 tbsps of red chili powder and salt to taste. Mix it nicely.

Now, take a colocasia leave and evenly spread the urad dal paste all over the surface. Take another colocasia leave and place it on the top of the first colocasia leave to form a layer. Keep one thing in mind that spread the urad dal paste on the back side of the colocasia leave.

Now, the next step is to start folding it to form a roll like structure. Fold it once and again spread the urad dal paste. Repeat the process till it is entirely done. When the leaves are formed into a roll again spread the urad dal paste on the top and bottom of it.

Next step is to steam the idhar rolls. Now, for steaming you can use any method according to your convenience. I have used microwave to steam it.Microwave it for 5-6 mins and it is done.

Cut the roll into pieces like you cut the swiss roll or cinnamon roll. Heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry it till it gets the golden brown color.

Now for the kadhi, take 3 tbsps of oil in another kadhai and add 2 tbsp of mustard seeds. After it gets crackled, add a tsp of asafoetida and 5-6 green chilies.

Add chopped tomatoes and let it cook for 4-5 mins. Meanwhile, beat the curd nicely to avoid any lumps.

Add the curd into the kadhai and add 4-5 cups of water. Also add a tbsp of turmeric powder, a tsp of red chili powder, crushed 4-5 garlic cloves and salt to taste.

Keep stirring the kadhi to prevent it from getting lumps. Allow it to boil for good 7-8 mins and keep stirring it in between.

When the kadhi is boiled nicely and gets a beautiful yellow color, add the fried idhar and let it boil for good 10-12 mins so that it can soak the kadhi nicely and gets soften.

Idhar kadhi is ready to serve. Serve it with steamed rice or rotis and it will taste delicious.

So, this is one of the best ways to use colocasia leaves in your meal. Do try this recipe if you want to eat colocasia leaves but you don’t know how to use it. You can make a kadhi or simply just fry it and have it as a snack. The only thing that you have to keep in mind that use good quality of colocasia leaves because sometimes it can give you the itchiness in your throat. Wash it nicely before using it to avoid this itchiness. So, this was my take on Idhar Kadhi, I hope that you like this post and don’t forget to check my other posts on this website and also if you want to see this that how it’s made then head over to my youtube channel. All of my social media links are listed below. Do follow me on all of that and give your suggestions and feedback, I would love to see that. Till then takecare and Keep Cooking

Idhar Kadhi : Arbi ke Patte Ki Kadhi

Khurmi is the most popular rainy sweet dish made widely in Chhattisgarh in each and every household. Basically, it is a dish prepared on the occasion of pola festival. Pola is a festival celebrated in Chhattisgarh in which the bulls are decorated and worshipped by the farmers. Generally, people apart from farmers worship the small, cute and colorful miniature idol of bulls made up of mud. Thetri, Khurmi and Biriya are the main dishes that are prepared during this festival to serve as a prasad.

The beauty and uniqueness of the culture of Chhattisgarh is that we have very different dishes, vegetables, desserts for each and every season and festival. Isn’t that so cool ? Due to this factor we get the variation, style and more happiness and the change of taste. Today, I am sharing the recipe of Khurmi.

Khurmi is a sweet deep fried dish or you can consider it dessert or a snack made up of wheat flour and jaggery. Jaggery is said to be very good for health and it is less sweet than sugar. Coconut is added to enhance the flavor and for some crunch. The shape of the khurmi is generally oval. One more interesting fact about khurmi is that the design is made using the woven basket. The lines of the basket make a beautiful texture and also looks more presentable.

Take jaggery in a bowl and soak it in 2 cups of water for 2-3 hours till the jaggery gets dissolved completely. Here I have used jaggery balls but you can also use jaggery powder as you like. But make sure that the jaggery you are using is sticky. Using the jaggery balls will give much better result than jaggery powder.

In an another bowl take 4 cups of wheat flour and sieve it for good two times so that there is no lumps present in the wheat flour.

Add cardamom powder, coconut and the jaggery solution and form a soft dough. Try to add the jaggery solution slowly so that you can keep a control over the softness of dough.

Knead the dough for good 5 minutes and take small portions of it make it into oval shape like this below.

Now, take a woven basket or you can use a fork but traditionally woven baskets are used. Press the khurmi on the woven baskets and you will get a beautiful texture on the khurmi.

Heat sufficient amount of oil in a pan and fry the khurmi on low flame till golden brown.

If the khurmi gets little cracks, do not worry as it is a good sign that they are soft on the inside and hard and crunchy on the outside.

Make this unique and simple yet so delicious khurmi and enjoy the different taste of it. You can store it for good 10-12 days and that’s why it is very nice to carry while travelling or for hostlers. The only thing you should take care is that store it in an air tight box as they will lose their crunch when gets in contact with air. So, this was my recipe of Khurmi. Do try and let me know below in the comments.