CHUDA KADALI CHAKATA

Chuda Kadali Chakata is an unmatched and most loved Satwick dish to the hot & humid climate of Odisha. A blend of beaten rice (soaked), yogurt, ripe bananas, grated coconut and jaggery, it has been the staple breakfast choice for many generations...that is till now. For the unenlightened, Chuda in odia means poha or flattened rice and kadali is banana and we call it Chuda Kadali Chakata which means a mash of poha and bananas.

This dish is enjoyed by rich & poor alike. It is packed with carbohydrates, fibre, essential vitamins & minerals. Jaggery imparts a cooling effect, releases energy slowly while curd is loaded with minerals & vitamins and coconut enhances the flavour of the dish. Beaten rice or poha or chuda has the astounding capacity to soak up water/liquid three times of its volume thus raising it to the status of a bulking agent, consequently valuable for all those weight-watchers. It doesn't require cooking, easy to make, free from preservative and economical. It keeps feeling full for a long time afterwards.This recipe will definitely not make into any cookbooks but this is a part of every odia child’s genetic constitution.

So here is goes, the basic version, you can change or modify it the manner in which you need… just by including and deducting ingredients, thus making this dish palatable to a wide range of taste buds.  It takes all of hardly any time to get it ready when you have the ingredients at hand. So feel free to get cooking…

INGREDIENTS:

• Beaten rice - 1 cup
• Yogurt - 1 cup
• Ripe bananas - 1-2 
• Fresh grated coconut - 1-2 tablespoons 
• Powdered jaggery - 1 tablespoon 
• Salt - A pinch

PROCEDURE: 

1. Wash and soak the beaten rice. The soaking time will again depend on the thickness of the flakes.
2. Drain all water and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add in the bananas and jaggery powder. Mash the bananas and mix everything thoroughly.
3. Add the yogurt, salt and grated coconut and mix again.
4. Now transfer the mash into a serving bowl, garnish with sliced banana, grated coconut, fruits of your choice and toasted nuts.
5. Serve the chuda kadali chakata as it is or along with some lemon ginger pickle and coriander leaves chutney.

NOTE:

• You can replace jaggery with sugar or cut it out completely for diabetics / weight-watchers.
• You can skip coconut, if your cholesterol levels are on the higher side.
• You can replace yougurt with milk or add some soy milk or badam milk or coconut milk instead for those with lactose intolerance/ vegan folks.
• You can add milk powder, roasted dry nuts or any fruits of your choice to enhance the taste and texture.
• If necessary, for getting good taste, a pinch of Cardamom powder, a teaspoon of crushed ginger, green chilli, lemon also can be added with this mash.
• Serve the mash immediately otherwise the bananas may lead to blackening/ discoloration if left to sit for sometime however it still remains fit for consumption.

Have you tried this "Chuda Kadali Chakata" recipe? Please feed us with your comments below.