Cabbage Paratha

Parathas, stuffed or otherwise have always been my favorite. They are the easiest way of sneaking in vegetables into our kids meals. I often find myself preparing these kinds of veggie infused parathas for my daughter’s lunch box. She does not require any side dish for this and usually has it with some ketchup. So while I was browsing through Sangee’s space, Spicy Treats, known for her innovative recipes, for this week’s blog hop, I found the recipe for these yummy Cabbage Parathas. I usually grind the cabbage, while making these, but this time I followed Sangee’s method and all of us enjoyed the slight crunch of the shredded cabbage and onions in between the bites. You can find the original recipe here.

Makes 8 to 10 parathas

What you’ll need

1. Wheat Flour – 2 cups + more for dusting
2. Finely Shredded Cabbage – ½ cup
3. Onion – 1 small, finely chopped
4. Coriander Leaves – a small bunch
5. Green Chilly – 1
6. Ginger – a small piece
7. Carom seeds/Ajwain – ½ tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil – 1 tbsp
10. Water for kneading

Method

1. Grind together coriander leaves, green chilly and ginger into a fine paste without adding any water.
2. In a wide bowl, Add wheat flour, carom seeds, salt and oil. Mix it well with your hands, so that the oil gets merged well in the flour.
3. Now add the Coriander chilly paste, shredded cabbage and onion. Mix well.
4. Now add water little by little and knead into stiff dough. Rest the dough for about 10 minutes.
5. Pinch out a lemon sized ball of dough, roll it on some dry flour, flatten and roll out into chapattis, dusting on dry flour as and when required.
6. Heat a tava, place the prepared chapatti on the hot tava and cook on medium flame. Apply a tsp of oil, flip it over and add another tsp of oil and spread it. Cook till brown spots appear.
Enjoy these hot parathas with a raita or curry of your choice.

Note:

Do not add too much water while kneading, since the cabbage and onions will give out water and loosen the dough upon resting.

Linking this to Blog Hop Wednesday and to Healthy Lunch Ideas hosted by Kavi

Cheesy Corn Pasta

My daughter loves noodles and pasta. She would love to have it every other day. But I am really not in favor of the instant noodles that are available in the markets. But even then, I have to give in to my daughter’s demands (read - tantrums) many a times.

Though pastas have been available in the Indian markets since a very long time, I was introduced to this only very recently. But I never ventured into making it at home. Then one day, my daughter had this Maggi’s instant pasta and was addicted to it. That’s when I thought it’s high time for me to start experimenting with this ingredient. But the first few times I made, it was a failure, either the pasta would get overcooked or it would be only half cooked or sometimes the sauce would’nt be right. My daughter continued to like the Maggi instant pasta. That’s when I saw this recipe in Priya’s space, with whom I have been paired for this week’s blog hop. I decided to try it out and believe me; my daughter loved it and has asked me to make it again very soon. The pictures are terrible though, but you have to take my word on how delicious it was. I will soon update these pictures with better ones, since I will definitely have to make it again many more times for my daughter. Please find the original recipe here.

What you’ll need

1.       Pasta (any variety) – 2 cups

2.       Sweet corn nibbles – ½ cup or more (boiled)

For the sauce

1.       Garlic – I clove

2.       Butter – 2 tsp

3.       All purpose flour/ Maida – 1 tbsp

4.       Milk - 1 ½ cups

5.       Cheese – 2 small cubes (I used Amul cheese)

6.       Chilli Flakes – ½ tsp

7.       Oregano – a big pinch

8.       Pepper powder – ½ tsp

9.       Salt to taste

Method

1.       Cook the pasta as per the instruction on the packet. Drain and refresh with cold water, drain again and keep aside. Add the boiled sweet corn nibbles to it.

For the sauce

1.       Heat a non stick pan with butter, add crushed garlic and sauté.

2.       Next add maida and sauté for a few minutes or till the raw smell disappears.

3.       Now slowly add the milk while whisking continuously, so that no lumps are formed. Let this cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or till the sauce starts boiling.

4.       Next add in one cube of grated cheese and mix well. Now add the chilli flakes, oregano and pepper powder and salt to taste. Mix well.

5.       Now add the cooked pasta and corn. Mix well without breaking the pasta.

6.       Finally, before serving add another cube of grated cheese.

That’s yummy and delicious pasta is ready to dig in.

See my daughter enjoying her yummy pasta!

Note: Adjust seasoning according to taste.

Linking this to Radhika’s Blog Hop.

Chow Chow Pala Pindi Miriyam

In my house, almost on 3 to 4 days of the week, I have to cook something without onions and garlic, since MIL does not eat them. Most of the days, dinner would be rotis and to make a side dish without onions is always a challenge for me. So I am always on the lookout for such recipes. That’s when I found this very interesting recipe: Chow Chow Pala Pindi Miriyam at Harini’sspace, with whom I have been paired for this week’s Blog Hop. I made this for dinner yesterday as an accompaniment for rotis and the result was finger licking. My FIL who rarely comments on anybody’s cooking, liked it very much and I happily told him that it is from one of my fellow blogger’s space. So this recipe is going to be a regular in my kitchen.

Serves 3 to 4

What you’ll need

1.       Chow Chow/Chayote – 3 Medium Sized

2.       Turmeric Powder – a pinch

3.       Milk – ½ cup

4.       Sugar – ½ to 1 tsp

5.       Salt to taste

Dry Roast and Grind

1.       Urad Dal – 2 tbsp

2.       Peppercorns – 7 to 8

3.       Uncooked Rice – 1 tsp

4.       Dried Red Chillies – 1 to 2

5.       Scraped Fresh Coconut – ½ cup

For Seasoning

1.       Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

2.       Jeera – 1 tsp

3.       Red Chillies – 1

4.       Curry Leaves a few

5.       Oil – 2 tspz

Method

Peel, core and chop chow chow into small cubes. Pressure cook this with about ½ cup of water and a pinch of turmeric powder.

In the meanwhile, dry roast the ingredients mentioned under dry roast and grind and grind it into a smooth paste adding little water.

Now heat a Kadai with oil, add the mustard seeds and let it crackle, next add in the jeera and red chillies and finally the curry leaves. Now add the cooked Chow Chow and mix well. Add salt to taste. Let it boil for a few minutes.

Now add the ground paste and mix well. Finally add the milk and sugar. Give a good stir and let it simmer for a few minutes.

Remove from heat and garnish with coriander leaves. Yummy gravy is ready to be served with rotis or rice.

Linking this to Blog Hop Wednesday, Healing Foods – Coconut hosted by Sukanya started by Siri.

Godhi Kuttida Payasa | Blog Hop Wednesday

Yesterday was my brother’s birthday. After a really long time, I am not with him on his birthday. He is in Sweden on a short term assignment. We all missed you dear brother. Even though he is there, I decided to make something sweet to celebrate his birthday here. So here is a very simple payasam from Bhayashri’s space – Taste Buds with whom I have been paired for this week’s blog hop.

This payasam was something very similar to the Goduma Rava Dalia which my mom makes on Ekadashi. She also adds some Split moong dal to it and adds more milk. But today I decided to stick to Bhagyashri’s recipe. The outcome was quite delicious. I really liked the pudding like thick and creamy consistency of the payasam.

So here is Godhi Kuttida Payasa, especially made for my dearest brother.

Makes:  5 to 6 small servings

What you’ll need

1.       Broken Wheat/Lapsi – 1 cup

2.       Milk – 2 cups

3.       Jaggery Powdered – 1 cup

4.       Cardamom Powder – a little

5.       Cashews – a few

6.       Raisins – a few

7.       Ghee/Clarified Butter – 2 tsps

Method

Pressure cook the broken wheat in a cup of water for about 2 whistles.

Transfer the cooked wheat into a deep vessel, add the powdered jaggery. Mix well and keep stirring till the jaggery is completely dissolved and the whole thing starts boiling.

Now add the milk and stir continuously on med heat for a few minutes or till the milk is reduced a little.

Fry the cashew nuts and raisins in a little ghee and add it on top. Also add the cardamom powder. Mix well.

Yummy Payasam is ready to be served.

Linking this to Blog Hop Wednesday started by Radhika and to Dish it out – Wheat and Jaggery hosted by South Indian Recipes and originally started by Vardhini.

Srilankan Coconut Dal | Blog Hop Wednesday

Dal in any form is hubby dear’s favorite. He can have dal with rice or roti for days together. Even when we go out for lunch or dinner he never fails to order some variety of dal. His favorite being the simple Dal fry.  I too am ok with it, since making a simple dal is always a breeze. And paired with some spicy potato curry and rice it does make a scrumptious and filling meal on a lazy day when you are not in mood to cook something elaborate.  

So when I saw this recipe at Swetha’s space I wanted to try it out. The result was a creamy and tasty dal with a blend of aromatic flavors. We had it with rotis and the dal tasted very different from the usual ones.  And I see myself making this regularly in future. You can find the original recipe here.

Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients

1.       Red Lentils - 1/2 cup

2.       Onions/shallots/Sambar Onions - chopped - 1 big

3.       Garlic - 1-2 small cloves

4.       Curry Leaves a few sprigs

5.       Green Chillies - slit 2

6.       Turmeric Powder- a pinch

7.       Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp

8.       Cumin seeds + Black Pepper crushed - 1 tsp

9.       Coconut Milk - ½ cup

10.   Lemon juice

Tempering 

1.       Vegetable Oil/Ghee

2.       Dried Red Chillies - 1-2 chopped

3.       Curry Leaves

4.       Onion finely chopped - 1-2 tbsp

Seasoning Spices

1.       Equal amounts of mustard, cumin and fennel seeds.

Method

Wash dal, and add chopped onions, garlic, slit green chilli, curry leaves, turmeric powder, freshly ground, cumin and black pepper powder, fenugreek seeds and required amount of water. Pressure cook this for 3 whistles. Once cooled, remove the dal and transfer it into a Kadai.

Place Kadai on heat, add coconut milk. (I used store bought and added ½ cup of thick coconut milk diluted with ½ cup water.) Add salt and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Heat a small frying pan, add a teaspoon of oil/ghee.  Add the dried red chillies and curry leaves. Once they turn crisp add the chopped onions and fry till they turn brown.  Finally add the mustard, cumin and fennel and when they splutter pour it over the dal. Mix well. Squeeze a dash of lemon juice and mix well. ( I used ½ of a lemon)

Yummy and tasty dal is ready to be served with rotis or rice.

Let's check out the other blog hoppers spaces.

Sending this to Blog Hop Wednesdays and event started by Radhika and to MLAA hosted by Cathy and started by Susan.

Channa Tondak | Blog Hop Wednesday

How time flies by? It feels as if it was only yesterday that Radhika had sent us a mail regarding Blog Hop and we had some interesting email exchanges and then everything got finalized and is in full swing now. I can’t believe we are already into the 3rd week of Blog Hopping. Through this I have been introduced to many new blogger friends.

This time around, I landed in Raksha’s space. I came by her space through the blog hop and am glad to have found it. She has a good collection of recipes with a few traditional Goan recipes. I wanted to try out something different and Goan recipes are something very new to me. I decided to try out this simple but authentic recipe of Channa Tondak. I have followed her recipe to the T adjusting only the spice levels. You can find the original recipe here.

The result was something very similar to the Kerala Kadala Curry with flavors of Whole coriander seeds and peppercorns. I also loved the addition of tamarind in it rather than always using tomatoes for the tanginess. Now to the recipe:

Serves: 3 – 4

What you’ll need:

1. Brown Channa - 1 cup
2. Potato – 1 medium
3. Onion - 3 medium sized
4. Scraped Fresh Coconut – ½ cup
5. Whole Coriander Seeds – 2 tsps
6. Black Peppercorns – 7 to 8
7. Dried Red Chillies – 2
8. Cloves – 2
9. Garlic – 4 pods
10. Tamarind - marble sized ball
11. Turmeric Powder – a big pinch
12. Salt to taste
13. Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Soak Channa overnight. Drain the water, wash well and pressure cook it with the potato. Keep aside.
Heat Kadai, dry roast the coriander seeds, peppercorns, red chillies and cloves till nice aroma comes. Transfer to a plate and keep aside.

Now add ½ tbsp of oil in the same Kadai, add the sliced onions and sauté for few minutes next add the chopped garlic and fry for another 2 minutes. Now add the scraped coconut and fry in medium flame till the coconut changes color slightly, finally add the tamarind and switch off the flame. This is to ensure that the tamarind becomes soft.

Once the above ingredients have cooled, grind everything, i.e, the coriander seeds, peppercorns, red chillies, cloves and the fried onion, coconut and tamarind to a fine paste using little water.

Now heat a Kadai, with the remaining oil, add the ground paste, a pinch of turmeric powder, cooked Channa , diced potatoes and salt to taste. Add about ½ to 1 cup of water depending upon the consistency and let everything boil together for about 5 to 8 minutes in medium flame. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Hot and tasty Channa Tondak is ready. Serve with rotis or phulkas.

Note:

You can use any variety of legumes for preparing this like dried green peas, Kabuli Channa etc.

Now let's check out what our other blogger friends are upto.

Linking this to Blog Hop Wednesday and MLAA - 38

hosted by Preeti started by Susan