His heart beats for Odiya cuisine

Tapas Ranjan Jena, Chef de Partie, The Courtyard by Marriot, knows how to make his guests happy

CHENNAI: I started cooking when I was 12, after watching my mother cook for us. Being from Odisha, my speciality naturally became Odiya cuisine. But I prefer to call myself an Indian chef because I can cook specialities across the country. I acquired my culinary education from IHM, Chennai and started my career at The Residency, Karur. Later, I worked at Accord, Puducherry and now I am at the Paprika cafe in The Courtyard by Marriot, Teynampet.

I have been an Oriya speciality chef in all of these establishments. Although I make specialities from across the country, like dal makhni, rogan josh and Awadhi biriyani, I personally prefer Oriya dalma as comfort food. It is made from yellow moong dal and a melange of vegetables. I also like kakhara poi ghanto which is made from plenty of vegetables like pumpkin, spinach, raw papaya, drumstick and potatoes. Maccha besara which is made from fish and other vegetables is also my favourite.

Odiya cuisine also features some unique desserts such as chenna pudo, which is a cottage cheese-based dessert sweetened with sugar syrup. Then we have goja which is maida and sugar syrup based dessert. Khassa laddu, which is black sesame seed with jaggery is served after special ceremonies in Odisha. I am against food wastage. Therefore, we cook according to the reservation. It’s better to make more if necessary than to end up with excess food.

Since we are a business class hotel, the guests tend to stay longer. This gives me the opportunity to build a cordial relationship with them and I try my best to go out of my way to fulfil their requests. If anybody is tired of North Indian cuisine, I make South Indian food for them. I also take custom requests on how they want their food prepared. Recently, a US navy team stayed with us and before they left, they specially asked to meet me. I was hugged and appreciated by all of them for the food and experience we provided them. This is why I love my profession. More than just pleasing  peoples’ taste buds, it’s about winning their hearts.

Machha Besara

Ingredients

•  Fish: Rohu or cat fish
•  Onion: 1 big, sliced
•  Tomatoes: 2, diced
•  Potatoes: 1 sliced (optional)
•  Mustard seeds: 50 gm soaked in water for 2-3 hrs
•  Garlic: 3 cloves
•  Ginger: 1 inch
•  Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
•  Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
•  Salt to taste
•  Water: 1.5 cups
•  Oil: around 10 tbsp
•  Dried mango (Ambula),
•  Curd (1/4 cup)
•  Coriander leaves
•   Onions: 2, chopped
•  1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder
•  1 tsp turmeric powder
•  1 tsp garam masala
•  2-3 bay leaves
•  3-4 tbsp mustard oil
•  1 tsp panch phutana (mix of cumin+mustard+nigella+saunf+fenugreek seeds)

Method

•  Grind mustard seeds, ginger and garlic together to a fine paste.
•  Wash the fish and marinate for 10 mins with 1/2 tsp chilli, pinch of turmeric and pinch of salt.
•  In a frying pan on medium heat, put 3 tbsp of oil and fry the fish until brown on each side. Keep aside.
•  In a separate deep bottom wide pan, put oil to heat on medium flame.  Fry onion till it is golden.  Add potatoes and tomatoes and fry for 3-4 minutes.
•  Add the blended mustard paste and fry until the paste sticks to the pan and oil separates.
•  Add turmeric, salt and chilli powder.
•  Add water and cover the pan for the water to simmer.
•  Add curd, aambula and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
•  Add fish to the pan without overcrowding; lay the fish flat in the pan and not on each other.
•  Cover the pan and let it boil for 5 mins and then turn the fish to cook on the other side.
•  Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy!

Kakharu poi ghanto

Ingredients

•  Poi (spinach Malabar): 200 gm (washed, cut the poi stems & poi leaves)
•  2 potatoes: cut in cubes
•  Pumpkin cubes: 200 gm
•  2 medium size brinjals: cut in cubes & quick soak in cold water
•  Ginger garlic paste: 2 tbsp
•  1 large tomato: cut into cubes
•  Sugar: ½ tsp
•  Onions: 2, chopped
•  1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder
•  1 tsp turmeric powder
•  1 tsp garam masala powder
•  2-3 bay leaves
•  3-4 tbsp mustard oil
•  Salt to taste
•  1 tsp panch phutana

Method

•  Heat a pan. Add some mustard oil. Add panch phutana. When it starts spluttering, add bay leaf.
•  Then add chopped onion. Sauté till translucent. Then add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder & stir till raw smell goes away & oil starts appearing in the masala.
•  Add tomatoes, cumin-coriander powder & salt. Sauté till tomatoes are done.
•  Add the veggies (potato, pumpkin, brinjal, poi stems) into it and stir for 1-2 min.
•  Now cover it & let it cook for 5-7 min. When the veggies are 70% done, add the chopped poi leaves. Mix well & cover with a lid & cook for another 5-7 mins till the veggies are done.
•  Sprinkle garam masala & then switch off the flame.
•  Serve hot with steamed rice & daal.