ALOO PARANTHA

ALOO PARANTHA

Paranthas/parathas are Indian flat bread made of whole wheat flour (atta) with a stuffing of vegetables etc. We make paranthas fairly often. In North India, paranthas are often made for breakfast while as in the South we tend to have them for lunch or dinner. Paranthas are traditionally served with curds and pickles. We like to have them with chutney as well.

There are so many types of paranthas in which we use different kinds of stuffing. Here in this blog itself  you will find recipes for Oats Masala Parantha, Gobhi (Cauliflower) Parantha, and Spring Onion Parantha to mention a few.

Today's recipe is for Aloo Paranthas in which the stuffing is of boiled potatoes ("aloo" in Hindi) .

Tips to boil the potatoes: ( You can use either method )

# Place the potatoes in a vessel without water and keep this in a pressure cooker with water. This method of steam cooking helps to cook the potatoes with less absorption of water. When you directly boil the potatoes in water, they tend to absorb water which makes the stuffing too moist.

# Boil the potatoes the previous night in the usual way for use the next morning to make the stuffing less moist.

In this recipe, 1 and 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour dough yielded 9 balls which make 9 paranthas.
Also the 2 large potatoes with chopped onions etc yielded 9 balls of the stuffing. (See picture)
Needless to say, you can choose the size of the balls to make the stuffing and the dough.

Ingredients: 

• Large-sized Potatoes, 2,
• Atta (Whole Wheat Flour), 1 and 1/2 cups + 1/4 cup for dusting
• Medium-sized Onions, 2
• Fresh Coriander Leaves, chopped, 1 tbsp
• Green Chillies, chopped,2
• Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Chaat Masala, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Powder, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, for shallow frying

Method:

Wash and boil the potatoes. Once they are cooled, peel and mash them and keep aside.
Peel and finely chop the onions
Wash and finely chop the fresh coriander leaves and green chillies

For the stuffing that goes into the parantha:
In a bowl combine mashed potatoes, chopped onions, chopped coriander, chopped green chillies, red chilli powder, coriander powder, chaat masala, cumin powder and salt. Mix well.
Divide the stuffing into equal sized balls. Keep aside.

Mix the atta with salt and 3/4 cup of water to make a soft and pliable dough.
Rest the dough for 10-15 minutes
Divide the dough into equal portions shaped into balls

                                       Balls of the atta dough and the stuffng

Dust each of the balls of atta and roll them out into thick disks of about 3 " diameter
Place a ball of the stuffing at the centre of each disk
Seal the filling by pulling the edges of the rolled dough together to make a ball. Do the same for all the remaining balls.
Dip the balls in dry atta to make it easier to roll out the paranthas
Lightly press the ball on the sealed side and roll it into 6 " circles with this side on top
Heat the tawa and once it gets hot place the parantha over the tawa. You will soon see the parantha will change colour and a few bubbles will appear on top
Flip the parantha and drizzle oil on top and sides and cook for a couple of minutes till the parantha is evenly cooked and golden brown on both sides
Serve hot with curds, pickle and chutney of your choice

RAW MANGO PALU

RAW MANGO PALU

All good things, as the old saying goes, have to end. One such is the season for mangoes. We wait for them with renewed interest next year! Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for Raw Mango Thokku, Instant Mango Pickle, and Green Mango Chutney.

The recipe for Raw Mango Pulu was shared by my friend Vinanti Gouri and many of us who tried it out swore that it was wonderful. Please do try this out before the mango season ends.  I am told that this dish is originally from North Karnataka.

I am sharing the recipe that I used to make this delicious hot and sweet pickle. I have used Everest Tikhalal Hot Chilli Powder as it gives a nice colour and is hot too but you can use any chilli powder of your choice.

It goes well with rotis as also with rice. Ideally raw mangoes should be used but it doesn't matter if the mangoes are slightly ripe.

Ingredients:

• Medium-sized Raw Mangoes, 2 ( approx 600 gms)
• Methi Seeds, 3 tsp
• Mustard Seeds, 5 tsp + 1 tsp for seasoning
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Hing (Asafoetida)  Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Haldi,(Turmeric Powder)  a pinch
• Everest Tikhalal Chilli Powder, 3 -4 tsp or to taste
• Jaggery, grated, 1/2 cup or to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 to 1 and 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Wash the raw mangoes, de-seed them and cut them into cubes

Dry roast the methi seeds and the mustard seeds separately and allow them to cool 

In a small mixer jar. grind together the roasted methi seeds and the roasted mustard seeds to a fine powder. Keep aside..

Heat oil in a pan and when it gets hot add 1 tsp of mustard seeds

When the mustard splutters add the curry leaves followed by hing powder and haldi. Stir for a few seconds.

Add the raw mango cubes and 1 cup of water. Add salt and mix well.

Cook till the raw mangoes become slightly soft but see that they don't get over cooked

Add red chilli powder and the roasted methi-mustard powder prepared earlier. Mix well

Next add grated jaggery, mix well and cook on low flame for about 10 minutes
Remove from flame and allow it to cool
Transfer to dry bottle or jar. Remember to use a dry spoon whenever you serve this palu.

GREEN PEAS MASALA PULAO

GREEN PEAS MASALA PULAO

In most homes, people relish pulaos and biryanis as a change especially on a week end. This is usually had with an accompanying salad, raita or side dish. We make so many different types of pulaos in Indian. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for Paneer Pulao, Panchranga Pulao, and Corn Methi Pulao.

Here's an option for an alternative to cooking several dishes like rice, dal etc. It saves time and comes as a welcome change.  This recipe is adapted from Green Peas Masala Pulao by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

As you would do for any dish with basmati rice, please make sure you wash and soak the rice for at least half an hour.

Ingredients:

• Green Peas, (fresh or frozen), 1 cup
• Basmati Rice, 1 and 1/2 cups
• Large sized Onion, cut into slices, 1
• Cloves, 2
• Black Peppercorns, 2
• Cinnamon, 1 " stick
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder, 1 tbsp
• Jaggery, grated, 2 tbsp
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Ghee, 2 tsp 

To Be Ground To A Paste :

• Coriander Seeds, (Dhania), 1 tbsp
• Fennel Seeds (Saunf), 1/2 tsp
• Ginger, 1 " piece
• Garlic cloves, 3-4 
• Green Chilli, 1
• Fresh Coriander Leaves, roughly chopped, 1/4 cup
• Large-sized Onion, roughly chopped, 1 
• Coconut Gratings, 1 tbsp
• Cinnamon, 1" stick 
• Cloves, 2 
• Black Peppercorns, 2

Method:

Wash the Basmati rice and soak it in water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Roughly chop 1 onion to be used for grinding. Cut the other onion into slices and keep aside
In a mixer jar, grind together coriander seeds, fennel seeds, ginger, garlic, green chilli, coriander leaves, the roughly chopped onion, coconut gratings, 1" cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 peppercorns to a fine paste using the required amount of water. Keep aside

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadhai and when it gets hot add the remaining cinnamon. cloves and peppercorns and saute for 1/2 a minute

Add the sliced onion and saute till it turns a golden brown

To this add the green peas, ground masala  (prepared earlier) and saute till the oil separates

Next add the soaked Basmati rice, turmeric powder and red chilli powder and saute for 2-3 minutes

Add 3 cups of water, grated jaggery, salt and mix well

Cover with a lid (leaving a little gap) and cook on medium flame till the rice is three-fourths done

Drizzle 2 tsps of ghee, stir gently taking care not to break the rice grains, cover and cook till the rice is completely done

Serve hot with raita or curd salad of your choice. Try this out! I am sure you will love this as much as we did.

DAHI BATATA SEV PURI

DAHI BATATA SEV PURI


Visitors to India are often struck by the fascination we Indians have for street food. In every town or city there are spots where vendors gather to sell their tasty wares of what can broadly be called, "Chaat" which include Pav Bhaji,, Ragda Patties, Corn Sev Puri, etc. These days we often make these at home with a higher standard of hygiene!

One such dish is Dahi Batata Sev Puri which as the name suggests has curds, (Dahi), potatoes, (Batata) and Sev ( crisp savoury made of gram flour). The taste of this dish is enhanced by the chutneys used. While there can be many chutneys to choose from, I have used from my blog the hot and spicy Green Chutney  (made with Mint and Coriander), complemented with the tangy sweetness of the Kajur Imli (Dates and Tamarind) Chutney.

The puris and nylon sev are store-bought, available as they are, in any departmental store. You can choose to make this as spicy or sweet as per your taste by adding the required amount of chutneys.

Ingredients:

• Puris, 24

• Medium -sized Potatoes, 2
• Small-sized Onion, 1
• Green Chutney, 1/2 cup
• Dates and Tamarind Chutney, 1/2 cup
• Chilled Fresh Curds, beaten, 3/4 cup
• Chilli Powder, 2 tsp
• Roasted Cumin Seeds Powder, 2 tsp
• Black Salt, 2 tsp
• Sugar, 1 tsp or as per taste
• Nylon Sev, 1/2 cup, or as required
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, for garnish,       

Method:

Wash and boil the potatoes. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel and chop them. Keep aside.
Chop the onion and keep aside
Whisk the chilled curds and the sugar. Keep aside.

Keep 6-7 puris in a plate. With the thumb, make a hole in the centre of each puri. 

Stuff each puri with a few pieces of potatoes, chopped onion, 1 tsp of green chutney, 1 tsp of sweet chutney, and 1 tbsp of curds

Sprinkle chilli powder, cumin powder, black salt, and nylon sev on top of each of the puris

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve immediately

Repeat with the rest of the ingredients for the other puris

JEERA RICE

JEERA RICE


Recently I made Dum Aloo Punjabi and paired it with Jeera Rice. It made an excellent combination. The mildly flavoured Jeera Rice also goes well with other dishes which are spicy such as Green Peas Masala, Paneer Kolhapuri, and Paneer Chettinad just to mention a few.

The Jeera Rice is very light and aromatic which makes it a popular choice. It is important that the basmati rice is first washed and soaked for at least half an hour.

Later the secret is to cook it in such a way that each grain stays separate. It is advisable to use water in the ratio of 2: 1 that is two measures of water for one measure of rice.

Ingredients:-

• Basmati Rice, 1 and 1/2 cups
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds ),  1 and 1/2 tsp
• Ghee, 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Tej Patta (Bay Leaf). 1
• Elaichi (Cardamom),1-2
• Dal Chini (Cinnamon), 2 " piece
• Salt, to taste
• Roasted Cashewnuts, a few, for garnish

Method:-

Wash the basmati rice thoroughly and soak in water for half an hour. After that, drain away the water.

Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan. When it gets hot add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom, and cinnamon.

When cumin seeds sizzle, add the rice, and salt to taste and mix well

Stir till every grain of rice is well coated with ghee and looks glossy

Next add 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil 

Reduce the flame to minimum and cover the pan with a lid, leaving a little gap to prevent the water from boiling over, Stir it once in between, gently, taking care not to break the rice grains

Wait till the water is fully absorbed and the rice is done 

Fork the rice out onto a serving dish to separate each grain
Garnish with a few roasted cashewnuts

Serve hot with a curry of your choice

DUM ALOO PUNJABI

DUM ALOO PUNJABI

We loved this curd based curry of baby potatoes with the flavour of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) made in the Punjabi style.  An important tip though: Make sure you use fresh curds for this dish as sour curds will add a sour taste. For a more healthy version we have boiled the potatoes and shallow fried them. I understand that traditionally the potatoes are used without boiling them and are deep fried.

This recipe has been adapted from Dum Aloo Punjabi in the FoodViva website. I have reduced the spice levels to suit my taste.

 I had made some jeera rice and decided to pair this dish with it. It turned out to be a wonderful combination.  I am sure you will love this dish too.

Ingredients:-

• Baby Potatoes, 15-18 or about 275 grms
• Large-sized Onion, finely chopped, 1
• Fresh Thick Curds, 3/4 cup
• Bay Leaf, (Tej Patta),1
• Asafoetida,(Hing) a pinch
• Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, (Haldi) 1/4 tsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 2 tsp
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Green Cardamom, (Elaichi) 1 pod
• Cinnamon, (Dalchini) a small piece
• Cloves, (Laung) 2
• Cashewnuts, 10
• Kasuri Methi, (Dried Fenugreek Leaves) 1/2 tbsp
• Sugar, 1 tsp
• Oil, 4 tbsp 
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander Leaves, chopped, 2 tbsp, for garnish

Method:

Wash and pressure cook the baby potatoes in salt water for 1 or 2 whistles
Once the cooker cools, remove the potatoes and allow them to cool
Peel the boiled potatoes and prick them lightly with a fork taking care not to break them 

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the peeled baby potatoes and shallow fry them over medium flame until they turn golden

Transfer the baby potatoes to a plate and keep aside 

In a small mixer jar, grind together coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and cashewnuts into a dry powder. Keep aside

Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in the same kadhai over medium flame 

Add a pinch of asafoetida, bay leaf and finely chopped onion

Saute until the onions for a couple of minutes until they turn slightly golden

Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes

Next, add the ground powder of spices and cashews prepared earlier and saute for 1 minute

Whisk the fresh curds and  add it slowly to the kadhai and mix well

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and mix again

Stir continuously until oil starts to separate

Now, add the shallow fried potatoes, kasuri methi, sugar and salt

Cook on low flame for 2 minutes

Add 3/4 cup of water and bring it to a boil over medium flame

When it starts to boil reduce the flame and cook covered until you get the desired consistency of gravy

Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves

Serve hot with jeera rice or with rotis, naan etc

CHETTINAD VAZHAKKAI CURRY

CHETTINAD VAZHAKKAI CURRY

Chettinad is located almost in the centre of the Indian State of Tamilnadu. The cuisine here is famous for the liberal use of spices in making the aromatic masala which features in almost every dish. At home, since we like spicy food we are partial to Chettinad cuisine and I make this from time to time, especially when we have guests who do not have much exposure to South Indian food. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for Paneer Chettinad, Mushroom Chettinad, Tomato Chutney, and Chettinad Vegetable Curry.

I often make dishes from health-filled Raw Bananas and this recipe is adapted from Chettinad Vazhakkai Curry in Chitra's Food Book. "Vazhakkai" is what Raw Banana is called in Tamil.

I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients:

• Raw Banana (Vazhakkai in Tamil), 1
• Large -sized onion, chopped finely, 1
• Tomato, 1
• Green Chillies, slit, 2
• Garlic, chopped, 3 cloves
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1/2 to 1 tsp, or as per taste
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander Leaves, chopped, for garnish

To Make A Paste: 

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup
• Fennel Seeds, ( Sombu) , 1 tsp

For Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash and peel the raw banana and cut it into cubes. To avoid discoloration, keep the raw banana cubes in water till they are used.

In a small mixer jar, make a smooth paste of the coconut gratings and the fennel seeds using just the required amount of water. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat oil in a kadhai and when it gets hot add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds

Add the chopped onion, slit green chillies, and chopped garlic and fry till the onion turns pink
To this add the chopped tomato and saute till it becomes soft and mushy

Next add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, and salt and mix well

Add the raw banana cubes, sprinkle some water and cook covered on medium flame till the raw bananas are done stirring from time to time. Ensure that the raw bananas are still firm and not overcooked

Add the ground coconut -fennel seeds paste and mix well

Cook on medium flame till the raw bananas get well coated with the masala and you get a nice aroma

Serve hot after garnishing with fresh chopped coriander leaves.