Avocado Chappathi / Avocado Roti / Avocado Paratha

Avocado is one of the veggies which always occupy a permanent space in our refrigerator. Avocado is incredibly nutritious, high in Potassium, loaded with fiber, good for heart, etc., Today I made Avocado Chappathis using a perfectly ripen Avocado, instead of making my regular guacamole. The rotis are extremely softer and it melts in your mouth. No need to add water while kneading the roti dough, the fatty texture from the avocado itself is enough to knead the roti dough. With a side of cucumber salad and spinach chole, the dinner was perfect with hot Avocado rotis.

Avocado roti dough should be made a little thicker as it would be easier to make the rounds. 

Ingredients 

Ripen Avocado - 1

Salt - As required

Ajwain Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Crushed green chili - 1 medium

Olive Oil - 1 tsp

Whole Wheat Flour - 1 Cup

Bajri Flour - 1/4 cup

NO WATER REQUIRED

Preparation

First, peel the Avocado and add it in the mixing bowl. Smash the Avocado completely and make a smooth paste. Add all the other ingredients into the mixing bowl and knead the dough without adding any water. Keep it aside. After 20 minutes, make a small round and fry the roti on the heated tawa

both sides. Apply little ghee on top of the avocado roti before serving. Enjoy the rotis with good accompaniments. 

Palak Paneer / Spinach Gravy with Indian Cottage Cheese

While making a north indian dinner or lunch, including Palak always make the menu more colourful and healthy. My family loves Palak Paneer a lot, whether its Palak Paneer, Methi Paneer, Saag Paneer for that matter. Paneer coated with this yummy green gravy steals the show. And that too, if its homemade paneer then the taste will be amazing. Well, this is the most frequently made dish at my home for my rotis and I have been forgetting to blog this recipe for long.  This version is pretty simple, easy and retains the colour, flavour and taste of the Palak / Spinach.

Ingredients

Spinach Leaves - 6 cups

Tomato - 1 

Red Onion - 1 Medium

Green Chillies - 2 Small

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Cumin Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp ( I used Kitchen King Garam Masala ).

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Ghee or butter - 1/2 tbsp

Paneer cubes - 15 Squares or less ( As you like )

Ginger Garlic Paste - 3 tsp

Water - As required for getting the gravy consistency. 

Ginger Julians - 6 or 7 julians to garnish.

My Homemade Paneer

Method

• Wash the Spinach Leaves thoroughly without any sand. Wash the other veggies and keep them ready.
• Fine cut one green chilli, red onion into tiny pieces and keep them ready.
• In a kadai / cooking pan, on a medium heat, steam cook the spinach leaves and tomato with the lid open. After its cooled, drain the water and keep it aside. You can add the water into the gravy. 
• Grind the cooked spinach, tomato along with cumin seeds, green chili into a smooth paste.
• Cut the paneer into small squares and keep them ready. You can shallow fry them on a flat pan if you wish with little oil. 
• In the cooking pan / kadai, add half the amount of ghee and oil first. When its heated, add the ginger garlic paste, shredded red onion, green chili and fry them till the raw smell vanishes.
• To that add the grinded paste along with all other powders and sugar and fry them till the spices blend well with the gravy. Add the cooked water that you kept on the side.
• Add required amount of salt and cook for another minute. Add the Paneer cubes into the gravy and let the Palak Paneer cook on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes with the lid closed.
• Add the remaining ghee/butter on its top and some finely shredded ginger julians on its top.
• Serve the tasty Palak Paneer along with rotis or hot basmati rice.

Tips / Suggestions 

• Don't over cook the Spinach / Palak as it might lose its colour. 
• Try to have the right consistency for the gravy, neither thick nor watery.
• Make this dish with fresh ginger garlic paste and notice the difference in the taste.
• Homemade Paneer definitely uplifts the taste of Palak Paneer.
• Generously add some butter on its top just before serving. 
• Dont forget to serve them in a fancy, restaurant style container finally.!!!!

Gujarathi Kadhi / Gujju Kadi / Gujarati Kadi

Gujarathi Kadhi with some pakoras in it!!

Kadhi is one the gravy food item made out of sour buttermilk and flavoured with spices. Though the basic preparation of Kadhi remains the same, each and every regions of India have a different version of Kadhi and they are unique in their own way. Punjabi Kadhis are bit thicker with pakodis in it and gujarathi kadhis are bit thinner and little sweet. We love all kinds of Kadhi and enjoy the authentic taste of the kadhis. Ever since we tasted the gujarathi kadhi in restaurants and at my friend's home, I wanted to try it out at home and save the recipe for future use.  After tasting this Kadi at various places including resturants, friend's home, BAPS temple, I found out that there are many versions of  Gujarathi Kadi.  Now I am blogging the version which I learnt from my gujarathi neighbour as I loved the flavour and punch of the Kadi at their home. But we would never forget the taste and warmth of the Kadhi served at my friend's home earlier and her mother in law ultimately sets a standard making us compare every gujju food with hers. But till today, we could not find any gujju platter better than hers. Her taste is unique and uncomparable though...

Ingredients

Into the Curd / Yogurt :
Sour Thick Buttermilk - 5 Cups
Grated Ginger - 1 tbsp
Grated Garlic - 1 tbsp
Salt - As Required
Sugar - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Besan / Chick Pea Flour - 3 tbsp ( if sour ) or 2 tbsp ( if not that sour )
Cumin Powder - 3/4 th of a tsp
Yellow Split Mustard Seeds Powder - 3/4th of a tsp

Tadka ( Tempering )

Ghee - 2 tsp
Dry Red Chillies - 3
Cardamom Seeds - 2
Cinnamon Sticks - 2 or 3 small
Lavang or Cloves - 3 or 4
Green Chillies slit into halves - 3
Curry Leaves - 1 Stem
Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp
Methi Seeds /Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Split Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

To Garnish :
Crushed Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp

Procedure

• In a big cooking vessel, add the thick buttermilk first. Add all the other ingredients under the column "Into the Curd / Yogurt". Using a spatula or hand mixer, mix them thoroughly. Add little water to get the right consistency if the curd mixture is too thick. After getting the right consistency for Kadhi, allow the Kadhi to cook on medium flame.
• Meantime, finish the tempering process in the other gas stove. Add all the ingredients under the column "Tadka/ Tempering" into the ghee and after they are tempered properly, pour them over the cooking Kadhi.
• Keep stirring the Kadhi continuously on medium flame so that it does not get burned at the bottom. When you notice few bubbles at the top layer, switch off the gas stove.
• Garnish the Kadhi with crushed coriander leaves and enjoy with jeera rice or plain basmati rice. 

Tips / Suggestions

• Add some thin dal water into the Kadhi as well instead of adding regular water, it enhances the taste of the Kadhi.  My neighbour just washed the cooker in which we cooked the regular dal with some water and poured that water into the Kadhi vessel. 
• As you can sip the Gujarathi Kadhi during the meal at any time, I prefer to make it in a consistency where its not too thick nor too watery.
• You can avoid adding sugar to the Kadhi if your family does not vote for the sweet taste in it. Still it tastes heavenly.
• Add more grated ginger to the curd mixture if the curd / buttermilk is too thick and sour.

Colourful Bell Pepper Besan Fry / Capsicum Besan Fry / Capsicum Subzi with Besan

 Bell Peppers generally sit in my refrigerator all the time and I wish to include them in most of my side dishes. Nowadays I am so obsessed with the colourful yellow, orange, red and green bell peppers. Especially these colourful glories are found abundant in farm markets during summer season. Out of special interests, whenever I pick bell peppers, I cannot compromise on few picks. So, to exhaust all the remaining colourful ones before I hunt for the next vegetable purchase, I made a easy side dish just with these colourful peppers for the rotis. Bell peppers coated with besan flour, flavoured with other spices slightly fried is an excellent accompaniment to rotis / chappathis. Its an easy to make side dish and it can never go wrong. As its colourful and flavourful, you will never have to worry about leftover!!!

Ingredients
Bell Peppers of any kind ( Yellow , Orange, Green, Red ) - 6 or 7
Onion chopped into 1 inch squares - 3/4 cup
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Dry Red chili Powder - 3 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp ( I used Kitchen King Garam masala )
Coriander Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
Besan Flour / Bengal Gram Flour - 2 tbsp
Salt - To Taste
Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

Method

• In a cooking pan, add oil first. When its heated, add cumin seeds first.
• Next fry the onions till they get translucent. Then, add all the bell peppers and fry them on high flame till they get cooked and crunchy. I love to fry them on high flame in order to have them crunchy. 
• After they get cooked and fried to a satisfactory level, reduce the flame and add all the spices, besan flour and salt and fry them again till the raw smell of the besan flour completely goes off.
• Make sure that the fry does not turn black at the bottom. You would get a nice aroma from the bell pepper fry after the raw smell goes off. That's the point to switch off.
• Enjoy your rotis with the bell pepper fry and some fresh raita.

Dal Tadka - Restaurant Style Dal Tadka

"Dal" is the staple Indian food which is widely eaten across all regions of India. Dal varieties differ from state to state and as a result there are so many varieties of Dals across India. Out of that, Dal Fry and Dal Tadka are the popular food items that are seen in almost every food menu of the Indian  Restaurants. Initially I was quite confused with the two items and I was pretty sure that they were made out of the same main ingredient Dal. Later I understood why they were called differently and its only the preparation process that actually differentiates them. 

In this post, I am blogging the recipe of Dal Tadka. Dal Tadka is a very popular dhaba food item tempered with aromatic spices and it tastes very good with hot hot rotis. Tadka means tempering in hindi which the tempering acts like a garnish to the protein rich lentil stew. Sometimes even the simplest menu choices make the meal more delicious and gives us warmth. And the combo of a simple Dal Tadka with roti is the one which reminds us of our mother all the time.

Ingredients

Masoor Dal - 1 cup

Moong Dal - 3/4 cup

Tomato diced into small cubes - 1/2 cup

Red Onion shredded - 1/2 cup

Garlic Pods - 3 or 4

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - As Required

Water - As Required for the Dal consistency

Grated Ginger - 1 tsp

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

Tempering / Tadka :

Oil - 2 tsp ( To be tempered with ghee instead of oil for rich taste, add 2 to 3 tsps of ghee and do the tempering)

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 1.5 tsp

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 5 or 6

Dry Red Chillies - 2 Medium

Method

• Pressure cook the dal mixture of Masoor dal and Moong dal, tomato, onion, garlic  for 4-5 whistles till they cook perfectly and get pasty. Add a tsp of turmeric powder to the contents in the pressure cooker before actually started cooking them.
• After the pressure settles down completely, open the cooker and mash the cooked dal mixture. Add some water if its too thick and bring them to the right consistency.
• On low flame, allow the dal to get cooked with lid open. Then, add required amount of salt, grated ginger to the dal. Simultaneously, do the tempering on the other stove.
• In a small tempering pan, add all the ingredients for tempering to the oil and pour the tempering over the dal mixture.
• Garnish the dal that's tempered with these aromatic spices and serve with hot rotis.

Tips / Suggestions 

Addition of a tsp of ghee to the dal tadka gives more flavour and enhances the taste of the dal. But its totally optional.

I would suggest you to dry roast the dal mixture for a minute before actually cooking them. 

Cabbage Subzi for Roti / Chappathi

Green Cabbage will always be sitting  in my refrigerator like carrots. I love to include cabbage in fried rice, curries often as its a good source of fiber, helps in weight loss, well known for its anti cancer compounds and various other health benefits. Read in some health magazine that red cabbage has the highest amount of power nutrients. 

For rotis / chappathis, I made a healthy side dish with cabbage, some tomato, red onion and lilva ( thuvar seeds / Pigeon Peas ). Its wise to store some chopped cabbage in a sealed storage box in the refrigerator. In less than 5-6 minutes, the dish can be made as the process is much simpler. This is a very good accompaniment for roti, chappathi or any parathas.

Ingredients

Green Cabbage - 1/2 Medium 

Chopped Red Onion - 1/2 cup

Tomato - 1 Medium

Tuvar Lilva - 1 Handful ( Substitute Peas if you want )

Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp

Chopped Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

Salt - To Taste

For Tempering / tadka :

Oil - 3 tsp

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp

Sombu / Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp

Green Chillies - 1 Medium

Chopped Garlic - 1 tsp

Powders to Add :

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp

Method

• Chop the green cabbage, tomato and red onion and keep all the other ingredients ready.
• In the cooking pan, add oil first and finish the tempering process by adding the ingredients one by one.
• Add the red onion next to the pan and fry them for a minute. Add tomato, lilva and fry them till the tomatoes get mushy.
• Add the chopped cabbage and grated ginger into the pan now. Cover the lid and allow them to cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Occasionally stir them in the middle. No need to add water at any stage while cooking.
• Only with the inside developed steam, the cabbage could easily get cooked. After the contents are cooked perfectly, add all the powders and required amount of salt to the pan.
• Mix them thoroughly and fry them for another 3-4 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Dal Paratha / Dal Chappathi / Dal Roti / Protein Rich Paratha - Using Leftover Dal

Just had some leftover Sorakai Dal / Lauki Dal in my fridge and needed to make a yummy after school tiffin with less time...I decided to transform this Dal into a Dal Paratha by adding few cups of whole wheat flour. No need to add any water while kneading this paratha dough. May be few drops of oil might help you to knead the dough.Trust me, the texture of the dough was extremely soft and easy to spread though. Its definitely not a cumbersome process and makes our life easier with less efforts. And the process yields a healthy protein rich parathas. With some good accompaniments,these parathas will vanish from the plates quickly and makes you satisfied. 

After I decided to blog this recipe, I tried the same with leftover dals like methi dal, spinach dal and plain Dal and it all came out more than I expected. 

Ingredients

Leftover Dals - 3 cups

Whole Wheat Flour - 3 to 4 cups

Oil - 2 tsp to knead the dough. 

NO NEED TO ADD WATER.

Method

• In a mixing bowl, add the leftover Dal and whole wheat flour and knead perfectly. Add oil little in the middle to ease the process. 
• Take a small ball out of the kneaded dough, spread them into a thin round using a Chappathi / Roti roller.
• Fry the Dal paratha on both sides with or without oil on a frying pan. Complete the process with the rest of the Dal paratha dough and make yummy golden parathas.
• Enjoy these protein rich ones with a side of a pickle, fresh curd and few cucumber slices.

Methi Aloo Subzi / Methi Aloo Curry / Fenugreek Leaves Potato Curry

Methi aloo is an amazing accompaniment to rotis and you can never see any leftovers for sure. If you are a methi ( fenugreek ) lover, you would definitely enjoy the taste of this subzi. Slight bitterness of methi blends with the aromatic spices gives a fabulous taste with potatoes. Taking out the fenugreek leaves from the stem looks like a cumbersome process but you can make it fun while doing that  job along with kids or watching your favourite show in the television. Other than this, it takes just couple of minutes to prepare this yummy side dish.

Ingredients

Fresh Fenugreek leaves - 4 cups
Potato - 4 Medium
Red Onion  - 1/2
Green Chillies - 3 Medium
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Coriander Powder - 3 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - As required
Sugar - One pinch
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Ajwain Seeds ( Omam ) - 2 tsp
Garlic Pods - 3

Method

• While taking out the fenugreek leaves from its stem, cook the potatoes simultaneously and keep them ready after peeling off its skin. Wash  and clean the fenugreek leaves to get rid off any sand or dust in them.
• Cut the onion, green chillies and garlic pods finely and keep them ready.
• In the cooking pan, add oil first. When its heated, add ajwain ( omam ) into the oil. Add the shredded garlic first into the pan. Fry them for a minute and add red onion pieces and shredded green chili into it.
• Fry them till the onion gets translucent. Add the cleaned fenugreek leaves into the pan now. 
• Mix them well and add little bit of water for the methi leaves to cook nicely. Close the lid and allow the methi leaves to cook for 2-3 minutes.
• When they are cooked, fry them for a minute on high flame to get rid off excess water content if any. 
• Finally add the cooked and peeled potatoes along with salt and a pinch of sugar into the pan. 
• Fry the methi aloo till they blend together well and get fried enough.
• Enjoy with hot rotis with a side of curd raita and a spicy pickle.

Tips / Suggestions 
Cook the subzi on a medium flame only.
Care should be taken while adding water to cook methi leaves. In fact, I sprinkled enough water on its top
and cooked carefully as the methi gets mushy while getting cooked.

Malai Kofta / Restaurant Style Malai Kofta / Malai Kofta Curry

Malai Kofta is a rich creamy north indian side dish which is generally made on special occasions. Whenever we go to restaurants, I never fail to order Malai Kofta for my rotis / Naans but our family always like to enjoy the Malai Kofta with little punch in it. Somehow, we could not enjoy the sweetish version of the Malai Kofta. So, my version would not be too sweetish, its medium and could be made with extra punch too. To enjoy this dish without guilt, I made it without any cream and butter. Trust me, the taste of this Malai Kofta is outstanding and you would earn more appreciations from your family and friends. Don't get overwhelmed during the process of  preparation. Make your process simpler by making things in parallel. The result would be amazing and would leave you with no leftovers for sure.

Ingredients 

For Making the Kofta :

Paneer Cubes / Paneer shredded - 1 Cup
Boiled Mashed Potatoes - 5 Medium
Shredded Onion - 1/2 cup
Shredded Coriander Leaves - 2 tbsp
Green Chillies - 1 Medium or 1/2 tbsp green chili paste.
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 Tbsp.
Broken Cashew Nut Pieces - 2 tbsp ( Optional )
Cooked Carrot - 1 Medium ( Optional )
Cooked Peas - 1/2 cup ( Optional )
Bread Slices - 4
All Purpose Flour - 1 tbsp

For Making the Gravy :

Tomato - 3 Medium or Tomato Puree - 1 Cup
Shredded Onion - 2 Cups
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
Kasoor Methi - 1 tsp
Cashew Nuts - 1/2 cup ( Grind them in mixer grinder and make a fine powder )
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 3 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 3 tsp
Green Chili Paste - 1 tsp
Milk - 1 cup
Salt - To Taste
Coriander Leaves - To Garnish
Adjust the red chili powder and green chili according to your taste buds.This level is meant for medium spicyness. No need to add any cream or butter.

Method of Preparation

• In the big mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for making the Kofta except the bread slices. Knead them well without any water first. 

• Soak the break slices in water and squeeze them thoroughly and add the moist bread slices into the kofta mix. Once again knead them well and make balls out of the Kofta mix as shown in the picture. 

• Fry them in heated oil till golden brown and keep all the fried Kofta balls ready. You can either fry them in heated oil or bake them in the oven under 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes on both sides.

• Meantime, we need to make the gravy for the Malai Kofta. In the cooking pan, add oil first. When its heated, add cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, green chili paste and shredded onion. 
• Saute them well so that the raw smell goes off. Add the spice powders into the pan and saute them for another 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato puree, cashew powder into the cooking pan. Mix them well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Finally add the milk and required amount of water into the cooking pan and cook them on medium heat for another 2-3 minutes. Add required amount of salt at the end.
• Switch off the flame when the gravy consistency is achieved. Now the gravy is ready to be served. 
• Just before serving, add the kofta balls into the gravy. Enjoy this yummy malai kofta with hot rotis, Naan or any mild pulao. 

 Sunday Lunch - Roti, Peas Pulao, Malai Kofta &
 Jalapeno Pickle

Tips / Variations 

• As Malai Koftas are bit rich and creamy, its ideal to have this side dish with milder pulaos like Jeera Pulao, Peas Pulao. 
• If you are making Malai Kofta for a big crowd or party, its better to use little bit of cream while making the gravy. Decorate the top of the Koftas in the serving plate with thin layers of fresh cream to make it more attractive. 
• If you want to make it sweetish, you can add little bit of sugar into the gravy and add the koftas. But the sweetness from the milk, cream, cashews would be more than sufficient I guess.
• Presenting the Malai Kofta on the table is much more important than making it. So, serve this side dish on a fancy restaurant style serving vessel. Add the gravy first and arrange the koftas in a fashion into the gravy. Garnish with coriander leaves and pour a thin layer of fresh cream on top of the kofta balls. 

Palak Tofu / Palak Tofu Masala / Fried Tofu in Green Spinach Gravy -- Healthy and Lowfat

Tofu, also called as Bean curd is one the best non-animal protein best suited for vegetarians. Tofu has larger amount of Protein, less fat and low calorie count. I use both Paneer and Tofu in my kitchen equally and try to include Tofu as much as possible. Palak Tofu is one the healthiest side dish i made for my Parathas like Palak Paneer. It has the goodness of both Spinach and Tofu in it. The main reason for making this as a separate post was due to the different preparation I adopted for making the gravy. 

Ingredients

Spinach / Palak - 1 Big Bunch
Extra Firm Tofu - 1 Medium Size Box ( 12 Oz )
Onion - 1/2 Cup ( finely shredded )
Green Chillies - 1 Medium
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
Tomato cubes- 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1 Pinch
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 1.5 tbsp

I did not add any cream, milk or butter in this version and its purely a low calorie side dish. If you are specifically making it for kids or for special occasions, generously add 1 tbsp of Butter, little cream on the top of the side dish just before serving. Or if you wish to have a creamy gravy, you can even add 1/2 cup of  full fat milk while making the gravy.

Method

• Wash the spinach leaves and chop them nicely. Keep the other ingredients that are required ready.
• Open the Tofu box and drain the liquid completely. Cut the Tofu into small cubes as shown in the picture and  fry them on a frying pan. Spray the oil on both sides and fry till golden brown on medium heat. Keep it ready.

• In the cooking pan, add oil first. When heated, add cumin seeds, onion, ginger garlic paste next and saute them till the raw smell completely goes off. 
• Next add the tomato and spinach leaves and saute them. You would notice the spinach leaves getting reduced in quantity after they are cooked.
• Add all the powders and mix them well. Saute them again for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Then add 2 cups of water into the cooking vessel. Add required amount of salt at this stage.
• Using a hand masher or hand blender, directly blend the green gravy in the cooking vessel. While doing this, you could switch off the flame temporarily. Once the blending process is done, you would notice the thick green gravy nicely setting up. 
• Add the fried tofu pieces into the gravy and allow them to cook with the lid on for 2-3 minutes.
• Switch off the flame. Enjoy this healthy side dish with your hot rotis, Parathas. 

Tips / Variations 

• As mentioned above, you can add richness to the gravy by injecting butter,cream or milk. 
• If you don't have the hand blender, use the transfer the contents from the cooking vessel into the regular blender and make the gravy too. 
• In this version, I make the gravy after adding all the spices, spinach, tomato and onion. Also i adopted the direct blending method using the Hand blender which in turn fastens the preparation.

Gobi Paratha / Cauliflower Paratha

Cauliflower / Gobi  parathas stole my heart couple of years back and my love towards these yummy parathas grew so much and made me to even munch them anytime of the day. Well, I wonder how a crispy delicious flavourful paratha could be made out of a stinky white cauliflower.  I often used to debate mentally what to make out of a single cauliflower which I buy from the market, either a Gobi Manchurian or Gobi pakodas, Aloo Gobi, or Gobi Paratha, etc., but ended up making either Gobi Paratha or Gobi fry most of the times. These Cauliflower / Gobi parathas are the famous breakfast items in North India and especially if you enter a Punjabi household, a nice aroma from the kitchen would drag you there directly. Its a tradition in their household to have stuffed parathas for breakfast, as they are very much filling and best suited during the start of the day.They mostly enjoy with a side of fresh dahi / curd / Yogurt and a tangy pickle.With few drops of melted ghee on its top, the taste is amazing. ( In my next janma, may be I should born thin and enjoy these fantasies to the core.!!!). 

Ingredients

For the Gobi Paratha Stuffing 
Cauliflower / Gobi -  1 Big
Potato - 1 Small ( Optional )
Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 2 Small or 1 Medium ( finely shredded )
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp ( just for flavour )
Masala Powder - 1 tbsp


Make a powder of coriander seeds ( 2 tsp ) , fennel seeds ( 1 tsp ), crush them coarsely and add them while making the paratha stuffing, this tip was given by my friend deepa..whenever i make stuffed parathas, i never fail to include this..thanks deepa for sharing this tip.

For the Roti / Paratha 
Whole Wheat Flour - 4-5 cups depending on the number of Parathas you are going to make.
Salt - To Taste
Oil - Enough
Water - As Required.


Method 

• Make the roti /chapati dough first like how you make it for regular roti /chapati and keep it ready.
• Clean the Cauliflower florets and wash them in boiled water. Peel the potato skin and cut them into tiny squares. 
• In a frying pan, add the cauliflower florets,potato squares along with some water  to cook the cauliflower florets and potato. Close the lid and let the veggies get cooked with the water inside thoroughly.
• When the water is completely dried out, mash the cauliflower using the dal masher or any suitable masher. Add all the powders, salt, green chillies,coriander leaves and oil into the pan and mix them well. Fry the gobi stuffing for 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame.Allow the cauliflower stuffing to cool down. 
• Mean time, take a small round of the chapati / roti dough and spread the dough ball uniformly in all directions and make a big round. Keep a lemon size cauliflower stuffing at the centre of the roti. Size of the paratha stuffing purely depends on the size of the Roti you have made. 
• Close the paratha on all sides carefully and press the paratha gently on all sides. Dip the paratha with the wheat flour and spread the paratha carefully using the roti roller on all sides.
• While spreading, care to see that the Gobi stuffing does not come out of the paratha.
• In the frying pan, on medium heat, fry the Gobi / Cauliflower paratha to Golden brown on both sides. Apply oil at the edges of the paratha and make sure that its fried uniformly in all directions.
• Similarly continue the process for the rest of the dough and Gobi Stuffing. Serve the hot Gobi Parathas with a side of fresh curd, pickle and a suitable side dish.

Tips / Variations 

• Cauliflower / Gobi stuffing texture should be correct otherwise rolling the parathas would be difficult. Texture should be thick and firm enough to roll.
• You can also cook the cauliflower in the microwave fully while making the stuffing instead of cooking it in the kadai directly.
• Apply a drop of ghee on the top layer while serving for kids. Number of parathas would disappear faster for sure.
• Inclusion of a small potato in this preparation is mainly to make the stuffing texture perfect due to its starch contents. But its purely optional and you could use only the Gobi too.

Methi Matar Paneer Masala / Methi Mutter Paneer Gravy

Fresh Methi Bunch has got a permanent place in my refrigerator and I love to explore many dishes using these methi / fenugreek leaves. For dinner, I decided to use the fresh bunch of methi along with Paneer to make a very tasty side dish for the Pulkas/ Plain rotis.  Of course, with a side of spicy Jalapeno Peppers, bit of sliced cucumbers and carrots and a small cup of fresh Dahi ( Curd ), the meal is complete.  Who would resist such a tempting plate full of goodies? These days, as I have been observing a strict low fat diet, my mind is so cautious while deciding on the menu, preparing the food. For making this "Methi Matar Paneer Masala / Gravy", I have not used any Malai or fresh cream. But still it tastes much better and goes very well with the plain phulkas.  Freshness of the fenugreek leaves / methi leaves definitely upgrades the taste.  Try this out in your kitchen and enjoy your meal with lots of smiles.

Ingredients
Fresh Fenugreek Leaves / Methi Leaves - 1 Bunch
Roma Tomato - 1
Red Onion - 1/2 cup shredded
Green Chili - 1 Medium finely shredded
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Kasoori Methi - 1 Pinch
Peas - 1 Cup
Small Paneer Cubes - Between 15 to 20.
Oil - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp
Salt - To Taste
2% Milk - 1 Glass

Method

• Take out the fenugreek leaves carefully from its stem and clean them thoroughly. Keep the vegetables ready before starting the process. Shallow fry the Paneer cubes and keep them ready.
• In the cooking pan, add oil first. When its heated, add the cumin seeds followed by Ginger Garlic Paste. Fry them for 2 minutes till the rawness goes off. Add the shredded onion and green chili and fry them with a pinch of salt.
• Then, add tomato pieces, peas and the fresh fenugreek leaves into the pan. Saute them for 2-3 minutes and allow them to cook inside with the lid on. The contents would cook for couple of minutes with the steam inside.
• When you notice the soggy fenugreek leaves, add all the powders into the pan and stir them well.
• After frying them for 2-3 minutes, pour a glass of milk into the cooking pan. Mix them well and allow them to cook again with all the spices for another 3-4 minutes.
• Add the required amount of salt and fry the contents for another 1-2 minute. Finally add the Paneer cubes into the pan and close the lid.
• Allow the dish to remain on a medium flame with the lid on for another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Once you are satisfied with the consistency, switch off the flame. Serve this healthy side dish with your hot Phulkas/rotis.

Tips / Variations

You can add water or milk little more if you don't want your gravy too thick.
Shallow frying the Paneer cubes is purely optional. You can add fresh Paneer cubes directly instead.

Baingan Bharta / Baingan Barta / Low fat , Healthy Style Baingan Bharta

I have tasted different versions of Baingan Bharta so far but this one is unique and special. My Mother-in-law has been making this type of Baingan Bharta since ages and she learnt this version during her calcutta days. My husband is a core fan of this version and he loves to eat this dish with hot rotis. Recently, I made this Baingan dish using our home grown Eggplant and it turned out very well. To my surprise, my daughter loved this spicy baingan dish and requested me to make this often. Though I am not a big fan of this version, due to its simplicity and less oil  I love to enjoy this dish occasionally.

Ingredients

Eggplant - 1 Big or 2 Medium

Red Onion - 1 Medium ( I strongly prefer red onion )

Lime - 1/2

Green Chillies - 2 Big or 3

Salt - To Taste

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

For the Tadka / Tempering :

Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Hing  Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu - 1 tsp

Channa Dal / Kadalai Paruppu - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 2 Medium

Curry Leaves - 2 or 3

Method

1. Shred the onion and green chillies into small pieces and keep them ready. Squeeze the lime juice and keep it ready. Wash and crush the coriander leaves into pieces and keep them ready.
2. Wash the eggplant ( Brinjal ) and wipe it off with the tissue. Poke 2 or 3 holes into the eggplant and roast the eggplant directly onto the flame using a suitable spatula. Rotate the eggplant in all directions till it turns black. The eggplant should shrink in all directions, get cooked inside completely and the skin of the eggplant should turn dark and lightly dry. This denotes the completion point and we could peel off the skin.
3. If its roasted fully, then it would be very easier to peel off the skin. After peeling the skin, mash the cooked Eggplant thoroughly either using hands or masher in a big mixing bowl.
4. Add the shredded onion, green chillies, lime juice, coriander leaves, required amount of salt into the mashed eggplant.
5. In a frying pan, add oil. When its heated, add all the ingredients for the tempering process one by one and pour them over the mixing bowl.
6. Mix everything well and finally garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy this oil free side dish with your hot rotis.

Tips / Variations

• Instead of directly roasting the eggplant, you can microwave the eggplant or broil the eggplant in the oven too. But I adopt this method as the directly roasting process enhances the taste of the Baingan Bharta.
• If the size of the Bharta is medium, its easier to roast than the big ones.

Black Eye Beans Masala / Black Eye Beans in Tomato Gravy

To go with the colourful green spinach parathas, I made this spicy, tangy Black Eye Beans Masala in tomato gravy. Its a very good combo with green and dark orange food items. I should have made this combo on our Independence day with a side of white raita too. Try this out in your kitchen and enjoy...

 

Ingredients

Black Eye Beans - 2 Cups

White Potato - 1 ( Optional )

Ripe Tomato - 4 or 5 Medium

Red Onion - 1 Medium

Green Chili - 1 Medium

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Kasoor Methi - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp

Dhana Jeera Powder - 1 tsp ( Coriander Cumin Powder )

Sugar - 1 pinch

Salt - To Taste

Water - As required for the gravy

Oil - 1 tbsp

Butter or melted ghee - 1 tsp ( OPTIONAL )

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

Method

• Soak the Black Eye Beans in water for an hour and pressure cook them for 4-5 whistles. Peel the potato skin and cut them into medium size squares. Cook them in a microwave and keep the potato cubes ready too. Make the tomato puree by grinding five tomatoes and the green chili using a mixer grinder. Cut the onion into small pieces and keep them ready.
• In the frying pan / kadai, add oil first. When its heated, add the cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, onion into the pan. Fry them on a medium flame till the raw smell goes off.
• Add all the powders into the pan and fry them for a minute. Pour the tomato puree into the pan and mix everything well and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes with the lid closed.
• Add some water if you notice thickness in the tomato gravy. Adjust the gravy consistency as you wish.
• Then, add the Black Eye Beans, cooked potato squares and the Kasoor methi into the pan along with salt and a pinch of sugar. Mix the contents thoroughly in the pan and allow them to set properly in the gravy by cooking them on a medium flame for another 3-4 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with your nutritious green parathas. Add a tsp of melted butter or ghee on its top just before serving.

Tips / Variations

Don't overcook the Black Eye Beans in the pressure cooker. It should be well cooked and visible separately.

Spinach Chappathi / Spinach Paratha / Palak Paratha / Green Chappathi

 

School is getting started and my mind is thinking of various school lunch options, healthy dinners for the kids. Whole bag of spinach was sitting in the refrigerator and I decided to make some different variety out of it. Though Palak Paneer is our all time favourite, spinach paratha won my mind. With a tangy, spicy side dish, its a very good combination for dinner. I made Black eye beans masala in a tangy,spicy tomato gravy which makes the dinner more colourful.

Ingredients

 

For Grinding :

Spinach Leaves - 3 Cups

Green Chili - 1 Medium

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

For the Dough :

Wheat Flour - 4 Cups

Sugar - 1 Pinch

Salt - To Taste

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Ajwain Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Thick Curd - 1 tbsp

Grounded Paste - Add fully.

Water - Little as required for making the paratha dough.

Oil - As required.

 

 

 

Method 

• Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly and steam cook them along with green chili and cumin seeds in the kadai / pan with the lid on. No need to add water. When it gets cooked and reduced in size, grind them in a mixer grinder smoothly with no water added. Keep the green paste ready.
• In a big mixing bowl, add all the other ingredients for making the dough and the green paste too and make a smooth paste. Knead the dough well with little oil to make it more softer. Keep it aside for few minutes.
• Heat the frying pan on medium flame. Take a small ball of the paratha dough and spread the ball into a thin round paratta.
• Fry them uniformly on the heated frying pan on both sides. Apply little ghee on its top while serving for kids.
• An excellent healthy paratha for breakfast, colourful lunch for kids and delicious dinner along with a good side dish. Can be eaten at all times and loved by all ages.

 

Tips / Variations

• While kneading the dough, care should be taken while adding water. Green paste and curd should be added first while making the dough and then water should be added slowly till you get a desired consistency.
• I prefer not to add so many powders while making the dough as I wish to retain its original flavour and make it more simpler.

 

Aloo Palak / Palak Aloo / Spinach Potato Gravy

Aloo Palak is one of the quickest side dish for rotis and pulao and its easier to make it. I prepare aloo palak in two different ways. In the simpler version, to the cooked spinach and potato cubes the tadka would be added along with some spice powders. In this version, the preparation is little elaborate and tried in restaurant style. This version is best suited for special occasions whereas the first simpler version is for regular day cooking.

Ingredients
Spinach Leaves - 10 to 12 Cups packed.
Potato - 2 Medium ( cut into medium cubes )
Green Chilli - 1 Medium ( shredded )
Oil - 1 tbsp
Melted Ghee - 2 tsp
Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon Sticks - 1
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/4 tsp
Red Onion shredded - 1/2 cup
Ripe tomato - 1 big
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Dhana Jeera Powder / Coriander Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - 1 pinch
Water - As desired.

Method

• Wash the spinach and chop them nicely and keep ready. Cut the onion, tomato, potato, green chilli into desired size and keep them ready. Microwave the potato cubes and keep the cooked potato cubes ready.
• In the cooking pan / kadai, add oil and melted ghee. When its heated, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks followed by ginger garlic paste. Fry them till the raw smell goes off.
• Then add the onion, shredded green chilli, tomato and fry them till they get cooked and look mashy.
• Add the finely chopped spinach leaves into the pan and cook them till the quantity gets reduced considerably and cooked to your satisfaction. No need to water to the pan at this stage. Close the lid in the middle and allow the spinach to get cooked with the steam itself.
• Add all the powders into the pan now and mix them well.  Add the cooked potato cubes into the pan and mix them all.
• Add required amount of salt and a pinch of sugar into the pan and fry them for 2-3 minutes. If they get very thick, add little water and make the gravy consistency perfect.
• Switch off the flame and add a tsp of ghee or little butter on its top just before serving. Its totally optional and I generally do this topping if its made for a special occasion.

Variations / Tips

Potato cubes can be substituted with fried Tofu cubes to make it more healthier.

Alu Gobi / Aloo Gobi / Aloo Gobi Masala

 Aloo Gobi / Potato Cauliflower Curry is one of the quickest and easiest curry for rotis / chapathis and its mostly liked by all ages. I regularly make this curry for my rotis when I have very less preparation time. If its made with fresh Gobi ( cauliflower ), the aroma is very good. Aloo Gobi flavored with all the aromatic spices is definitely a very good accompaniment to rotis or pulav.

Ingredients

Gobi / Cauliflower - 1 Medium

Aloo / Potato - 4 or 5 Medium

Tomato - 1 Medium

Onion shredded - 1/2 cup

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Pattai / Cinnamon Stick - 1 Medium

Bay Leaves - 2 Medium

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tbsp

Green Chili - 1 finely chopped

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp

Coriander Cumin Powder / Dhana Jeera Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - To Taste

Method

• Peel the skin off from the potatoes and cut them into cubes of any size as desired. I cut them into medium chunks. Take out the cauliflower florets and wash them with warm water.
• Cut the onions, tomato, green chili and keep all the other ingredients ready.
• In a frying pan / kadai, add oil first. When its heated, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, ginger garlic paste and fry them well.
• Then, add the shredded onion, green chili into the kadai and fry them for a minute. When the raw smell goes off, add the tomato pieces and fry for a minute.
• Add the cauliflower florets and the cooked potato cubes ( in case if you cook the potatoes separately in a microwave ) to the kadai. If you don't intend to cook the potatoes separately, then add the potatoes into the kadai with enough water for them to get cooked.
• When the potatoes are cooked three fourth, then add all the washed cauliflower florets into the kadai
• and cook them again on medium flame.
• When the vegetables are cooked to your satisfaction, add all the powders into the kadai and required amount of salt.
• Make sure that the aloo and gobi pieces are coated uniformly with all the powders. Fry them on medium flame for 4-5 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with your hot rotis or rice pulav.

Variations / Tips

• You can either cook the potatoes separately and add to the kadai or add the uncooked potatoes directly into the kadai and cook them during the process.
• Don't cut the cauliflower florets smaller as they might get smashed while cooking.
• Instead of adding tomato, sometimes i do substitute with Mango powder to inject some sourness into the dish. 

Shrikand / Kesar Pista Shrikand / Healthy Shrikand - Using Greek Yogurt

Sweets / Desserts always make our soul happy and if its a healthy sweet, then a guilt free enjoyment would take us to heaven.  Shrikand sweet was first introduced to me by my husband and I started enjoying it very much. Instead of  our regular  curd / Yogurt, I substituted Greek Yogurt in my preparation ( as it has more protein value ) and its absolutely delicious. Amount of sugar is also very less..Above all, its a quick dessert which can be made at any time and enjoy with. 

Ingredients

Green Yogurt - 6  ( 20 oz pack - 2 .I used )

Cardamom Powder - 1 tbsp
Saffron soaked in warm water - 2 pinch.
Nutmeg Powder - 1 tsp
Honey - 3 tbsp
Crushed Pista - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup to 1 cup ( Add more if you like )
 Method

• In a big mixing bowl, add all the ingredients one by one and blend them well. 
• Transfer them into small serving bowls and chill them in refrigerator for few hours.
• Enjoy this cool healthy dessert after a meal. 

Tips / Variations

Add more sugar to the Shrikand if you like more sweetness.

 

Vegetable Kichidi / Veg Khichidi / Khichidi / Kichidi - North Indian Style

Its really difficult to arrive at a conclusion especially when we are very tired and exhausted by end of the day. And when it comes to making a quick dinner with less time, its much more difficult to finalise on one item. My wish is to include good amount of veggies in any meal, so there comes the one pot Kichidi for my rescue.  With a side of some cool raita and crunchy potato chips ( not for me!!!) on its side, this veg Kichidi would be delicious and healthy. Though we make Bisibelebath, Vegetable pongal in South Indian flavour and taste, this vegetable Kichidi is made in a north indian style. And I love all the versions and each version is unique in its own taste and preparation. This Kichidi is so tastier with all the goodness of vegetables, lentil and the process is also simpler and quicker.

Ingredients

Sona Masoori Rice - 1 Cup

Toor Dal / Thuvaram Paruppu / Kandhi Pappu - 1/2 Cup

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp

Dhana Jeera Powder / Coriander Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 2 Medium

Crushed Ginger Paste - 1 tsp

Cinnamon Stick - 1

Cloves - 2

Bay Leaves - 1 or 2

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - 1/4 tsp

Ripe Tomato - 2 Medium

Onion - 1/2 cup nicely shredded

Cut Vegetables - 1 Cup or 1.5 cup ( Carrots, Peas, Potato, Brinjal, Beans, Chayote or Chow Chow or any veggies of your choice ).

Oil - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tsp ( Optional )

Procedure

• In a pressure cooker, on a medium flame, first add oil. When its heated, add Hing, Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Cinnamon Stick, Cloves, Dry red chillies, Bay Leaves in succession.
• When the tempering is done, add the onion pieces next and fry them till golden brown.
• Next all the tomato pieces into the cooker and fry them for a minute. Add all the powders into the cooker along with the cut vegetables, ginger paste into the vessel. Mix them well and fry for another 2 minutes.
• Then add the washed toor dal into the vessel and fry them for a minute. Add a cup of water and cover the cooker and allow them to boil for another 4-5 minutes till the toor dal gets half cooked.
• Open the lid and add the sona masoori rice, salt and sugar. Add four cups of water again and cover the cooker.
• Cook the Kichidi for 3 whistles and siwtch off the flame. After you open the cooker, add 2 tsp of ghee on its top and serve this with raita..

Tips

If  the Kichidi is made for a party or special occasion, add few ghee roasted cashew nuts on its top just before serving.

Methi Kadhi / Methi Kadi / Methi in Buttermilk gravy

Kadhi / Kadi is a lightly sour gravy made using thick curd or thick buttermilk and its an excellent choice for jeera rice, methi parathas or any types of pulav or parathas. In South India, the gravy made using curd or buttermilk is called as "Mor Kuzhambu" whereas in north india, they name the gravy as "Kadhi / Kadi". Preparation of both the versions is totally different and each version have their unique taste. Whenever I have leftover curd in large quantities, I always make this kadhi either plain or with methi leaves or pakodis. This version is made using our fresh home grown methi leaves. My Husband loves to have a side of Kadhi every night with his rotis and parathas. As its summer, I often include this item in our meal along with our regular subzis.

Ingredients

Thick Sour / Lightly Sour Curd - 2 Cups

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - 3 or 4

Dry Red Chillies - 2

Fresh Methi leaves - 1 cup washed and chopped.

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

Green Chillies - 1 medium finely chopped.

Besan Flour - 1 tbsp

Oil - 4 tsp

Water - As Required.

Procedure

• Wash and chop the fenugreek / methi leaves and keep it ready. In a bowl, add the besan flour and thick sour curd and beat them well.
• In a vessel, add oil first. When its heated, add mustard seeds, jeera, dry red chillies, curry leaves in succession. When the tempering is done, add the chopped green chillies and methi leaves, turmeric powder, Hing and fry the leaves on a low flame for 2 minutes.
• Add little water to the vessel and cover the lid so that the methi leaves get cooked inside with the steam thoroughly.
• When its done, add the beaten curd into the vessel along with salt and sugar. Add water if the desired consistency is not achieved. I generally make this kadhi not too thick or watery. I prefer the middle consistency, so add water according to the consistency you prefer.
• Allow the Kadhi to boil for 4-5 minutes and switch off the flame.
• Healthy methi kadhi is now ready to be enjoyed in your meal. Serve this in small bowls as a side during the meal time.