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Besara
ବେସର · Odia vegetables simmered in a sharp mustard-garlic paste
Besara means 'with mustard', and in Odisha it is the name of any dish cooked in a freshly ground paste of mustard seeds, garlic and green chilli. Fish besara is the best known; this is the vegetarian version cooked in Odia homes with pumpkin, potato, aubergine, raw banana and a few drumsticks, made sour with a little tamarind or dried mango. The mustard gives it a clean, sinus-clearing heat that is very different from a turmeric-and-chilli curry. Chef's tip: grind the mustard with a pinch of salt and a green chilli; this stops the paste turning bitter.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the mustard paste
For the curry
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 2 tbsp black or yellow mustard seeds and grind with 5 garlic cloves, 1 green chilli, 1 pinch salt and 4 tbsp water to a smooth, pale-yellow paste. Grind in short bursts; overheated mustard tastes bitter.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a kadai over a high heat until it smokes, then lower to medium. Fry 1 medium potato and 1 raw green banana for 4 minutes until lightly golden.
4 minStep 3: Add 1 tsp panch phoron and 2 dried red chillies to the oil; when the seeds crackle, add 2 drumsticks (moringa pods), 7 oz pumpkin, 1 small aubergine, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
3 minStep 4: Pour in 1 ¼ cups water, cover and simmer over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the potato and drumsticks are tender.
10 minStep 5: Stir in the mustard paste and 1 tsp tamarind paste and simmer gently, uncovered, for 3–4 minutes until the raw mustard smell mellows and the sauce coats the vegetables. Common mistake: boiling the mustard hard for long, which makes it bitter. Add 2 tbsp fresh coriander if using and serve with rice.
4 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does besara take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of black or yellow mustard seeds?
- Cumin seeds, same amount (different flavour, same crackle).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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