This new cookbook shows how recipes from ancient Odisha can be recreated in the modern kitchen

Ambila (sweet and sour vegetable stew)

During Nuakhai, the most important agrarian festival of Western Odisha, food becomes both an offering and a celebration – an expression of gratitude to the Earth for her bounty. Among the many dishes prepared during this festival, ambila made with bamboo shoots stands out for its unique flavour and deep-rooted cultural significance.

This version of ambila combines a medley of fresh, seasonal vegetables with tender bamboo shoots, whose earthy tang beautifully complements the dish's signature yoghurt-based broth. A final tempering of mustard seeds, dry red chillies, and garlic crackles into the pot, infusing it with warmth and aroma.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes

2 okra, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 small brinjal (with stem), cut lengthwise into four pieces

1 small radish, sliced lengthwise

2 large tomatoes (sour variety preferable), cut into fours

1 cup sour yoghurt, whisked

3 cups water

1 tbsp bamboo shoot

1 tsp turmeric powder

3 tsp salt

1 tbsp chickpea flour

(For seasoning)

1 dry red chilli

1 sprig curry leaves

3–4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp mustard oil

1⁄4 tsp pancha phutana

Let’s cook

Begin the dish by sautéing the okra in oil for a minute to remove their sliminess. In a deep pan, heat mustard oil and temper with pancha phutana, dry red chilli, crushed garlic, and curry leaves. Once aromatic, add pumpkin, radish, and tomato chunks along with salt and...

Read more