Red spinach potato Stuffed paratha

Parathas are very popular these days in southern part of India too. It's not rocket science you just need to know how to roll out a stuffed paratha. You can use any stuffing ensure it's dry. This paratha is made from spinach and potato. For people who dislike eating spinach you can make paratha.

Preparing the stuffing:

Wash and clean the spinach, chop finely. Boil potatoes, peel and smash well. Dry roast the spinach in a pan lightly and add in the potato, coriander leaves, chopped green chili. Mix well turn off the heat. Wait the mixture cools and then add salt, mix with hand set aside.

You may use any spinach you have. You may also use seasoning / masala powder as per your taste.

For the paratha:
Add some ajwain (carom seeds / omam / imothagam) to the flour, little salt, oil mix well. Knead the dough by mixing water. Prepare the dough and keep aside for 15 - 30 minutes.

Roll out the parathas with stuffing. Spread oil on  a hot tawa place the paratha, cook on each side with little oil till golden brown. Serve with butter spread on it, or curd. Refer to this recipe for the pictures on how to do the stuffing. Below is the steps for another method.

How to make soft spongy Kerala Appam with yeast (without appa podi)

I have posted a recipe of making appam with appam podi and kappi. Click here for Recipe. This is from freshly ground batter. We use raw rice, called pacha arisi / ari for appam. This is how I have seen my grandmother making the batter only difference is my mother use mixer / grinder to make the batter. Lets see the ingredients.

Ingredients:

For Batter

1. Pacha Arisi (Raw Rice) - 2 cup - soak it for about 3 - 5 hours
2. Grated coconut - 1 cup
3. Small banana - 2 (yellow kind called palayamkodan) optional
4. Cooked rice - less than a handful
5. Water as required

Activating Yeast 

1. Dry Yeast - 1/4 t spn, (looks like small granules slightly larger than mustard seed, color is beige)
2. Sugar 1 tsp
3. Water 2 tb sp

Preparation:

Step - 1 Prepare the batter

Step 2 - Activate yeast and mix with batter

Step 3 - Prepare appam from the nicely fermented batter

1. In a grinder or mixer add the batter ingredients except cooked rice and blend well
2. Add water little by little and get a smooth paste.  Add the cooked rice and blend again.
3. The consistency of the batter to be watery, how ever it would be slightly thick. Not like dosa/idli batter
4. Transfer the batter to a vessel, its now ready have the yeast mixed.

To Activate Yeast - follow the below steps:

1. Heat the water, luke warm. you should be able to insert your finger comfortably so it should not be too hot.
2. Pour the water in a bowl , add sugar and dry yeast.
3. Stir vigorously, and set it aside for 10 - 15 min
4. If the yeast is activated you would see froth on top, mix this and add to the batter. Mix well.

Let the batter sit for 8 - 12 hours. Overnight would be best. 

After this set time, the batter would have raised and looks like double the quantity. When you stir it would all go down. Mix salt and make appam as desired. Serve with sweetened coconut milk or stew or chutney or meat curry. Anything you like :)

There are lot of tips you might have to keep in mind.

Note:

• Test your yeast before hand, so that your batter is not wasted to avoid hard stoney appams. If the yeast is not activated either its expired / bad quality or the water temperature is not correct
• Try to keep the batter in a bigger utensil as the batter raises and might over flow, if the vessel / container is small.
• With yeast you will have 110% soft lacey like spongy appam
• I don't use baking soda while using yeast.

Mixed vegetable paratha - quick and easy

Now who does not love paratha, even though you are in dieting. My mouth always water when I have the craving to eat paratha though I want to lose weight.

You can make parathas with any any of the vegetables you like such as Carrot, beetroot, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Onion, Radish, Spinach, Potato, Cottage cheese (Paneer), Peas, raw banana capsicum etc.  In this recipe I am using Chinese cabbage, carrot and radish.

Grate these vegetables and dry roast them slightly to loose the moisture. Do this in lowest heat for 2 - 3 minutes. Do not cook, as these vegetables can be consumed raw we just need to reduce the moisture so rolling out parathas would be easy.

Ingredients:

1. Radish (Red or white), Carrot, Cabbage - grated
2. Green chili - finely chopped - as per taste
3. Ginger - little finely chopped (optional)
4. Coriander leaves a bunch - finely chopped
5. Crushed Cumin - Optional 1/4 to 1/2 tb spn
6. Asafoetida - less than 1/4 t spn
7. You may add red chili pwder / garam masala / chaat masala - little if required
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil for paratha
10. Wheat atta for making the dough
11. Ajwain - carom seeds / ommam / imothagam (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl add ajwain to atta, little sal and few drops of oil if required mix well
2. Add water little by little and knead the flour and keep aside, covered for 15 - 30 min
3. In the meantime prepare the stuffing. 
4. Dry roast the vegetables for 3 - 5 min in lowest heat, add chili at last. Let is cool down
5. Add coriander leaves, and spice powders.
6. Mix all the ingredients for stuffing in a bowl and add salt at last just before making parathas.
7. Roll out paratha with stuffing, cook on medium heat on both sides till golden brown with little oil.
8. Enjoy the parathas with butter spread and cold yogurt(curd)

Radish stuffed Paratha - Mooli ka paratha

Paratha is widely eaten as breakfast in Northern part of India, which has become very popular in down south as well. It;s available and served as Breakfast or Lunch or dinner in most of the restaurants. Parathas are usually stuffed and there are a variety of kinds. One such type is made with Radish, referred as Mooli in Hindi.

There are different ways stuffing can be set in the dough before rolling out as paratha.  You can Google and will get lot of images. I usually follow a much easier method most of the time, Like the picture I have given below.

Ingredients:

1. Radish Grated - 1 (Red or white)
2. Green chili - finely chopped - as per taste
3. Ginger - little finely chopped
4. Coriander leaves a bunch - finely chopped
5. Crushed Cumin - Optional 1/4 to 1/2 tb spn
6. Asafoetida - less than 1/4 t spn
7. You may add red chili pwder / garam masala / chaat masala - little if required
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil for paratha
10. Wheat atta for making the dough
11. Ajwain - carom seeds (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl add ajwain to atta, little sal and few drops of oil if required mix well
2. Add water little by little and knead the flour and keep aside, covered for 15 - 30 min
3. In the meantime prepare the stuffing. 
4. Take a handful of grated radish and squeeze out the water, alternatively you may also dry roast this for 2 min in low heat (If dry roasted wait for it to cool down)
5. Mix all the ingredients for stuffing in a bowl and add salt at last just before making parathas.
6. Roll out paratha with stuffing, cook on medium heat on both sides till golden brown with little oil.
7. Enjoy the parathas with butter spread and cold yogurt(curd)

Sweet Poha Balls (Aval urundai)

Dear Friends,

This is a south Indian delicacy during my grand parents time. I am not sure if this is prepared in cities but definitely in country side. I remember my grand mother making this sweet aval urundai for breakfast or as evening tiffin after school.

It;s prepared from pressed rice, jaggery, banana, grated coconut. It hardly take any time to prepare this sweet balls. I am sure kids would like this dish for a change.

Ingredients:

1. Pressed rice 1 cup - do not use paper thin poha for this
2. Banana small 2 - small yellow bananas available in south India would best suit
3. Sugar - as per taste
4. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
5. Grated Jaggery - 1/4 cup

Preparation:

1. Wash the poha couple of times to remove the dust. Strain and put in a large bowl
2. Add all ingredients, including the banana and mix well. Use your hands to smash banana and mix well.
3. Add more sugar / jaggery if needed. Make small balls and serve immediately.

Note:

• Do not let this dry, as it loses the moisture. 
• Wash the poha well so it;s soft to make the balls.

Carrot Cucumber Dosa for Summer

I would call this is as cool Dosa :) I learnt this from my friend when I visited her once. It tasted

amazing, and I made slight changes to it. If you have dosa batter and bored to have plain dosa just spice it up. You or your kids won't be disappointed. Lets see how to prepare it.

Ingredients:

1. Left over dosa batter
2. Grated carrot, cucumber (you may also use beetroot for a beet color)
3. Finely chopped green chili
4. oil for dosa
5. Salt

Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients to the dosa batter, add little water if the batter is too thick. Do not add too much of water as cucumber oozes out water.
2. Add little more salt as now you vegetables in it.
3. Heat a tawa, pour batter and spread it out to form thin dosa evenly, reduce the flame
4. Sprinkle oil on top, 
5. Turn over and cook the other side for less than a minute. 
6. Serve hot as it is or with chutney

Remember to cook in low flame as we want the dosa thin and crispy, this also prevents it from browning overly.

You may also want to check out Egg Dosa Recipe here.

Multigrain dosa (Dal, Rice, Chick Pea, Wheat)

We have dosa lovers all over India. This is a very nutritious dish as this dosa is made with different grains unlike traditional dosa.

Ingredients:

1. Idli/Dosa Rice (1/2 cup) 
2. Urad Dal (1/2 cup)
3. Chick Pea (1/4 Cup)
4. Toor Dal (1/4 Cup)
5. Any other dal of your choice
6. Wheat Atta (1/4 cup)

Preparation:

1. Soak all ingredients except atta for 5 - 6 hrs. 
2. Grind urad dal separately, with less water to a nice smooth thick batter
3. Grid other soaked grains, as whole or in batches as per the mixer / grinder size to a fine batter with water. 
4. Add wheat atta, add water as required mix well (Consistency should be light not thick or watery)
5. Let it ferment for 8 hours or overnight
6. Add salt and mix well
7. Prepare thin dosas by cooking both sides. The dosas should be thin and crispy. 
8. Serve with chutney or any side dish of your choice.

Easy Quick Egg Dosa

Who does not love Egg Dosa. It's quick and easy for a change if you have left over dosa batter or no side dish. Egg is mostly available in our kitchen and this is a easy recipe.

All you need is couple of eggs if the servings are more than 2, and some vegetables of your choice.

You may use any of these:
Finely chopped onion
Finely chopped tomatoes
Grated carrot
Grated beetroot
Finely chopped Capsicum
Coriander leaves chopped
Seasoning - Chilli powder / Pepper powder, salt
Oil or ghee

Remember to sprinkle the veg mixture little, as we want our dosa to be light.

1. Break eggs and beat them well
2. Heat tawa, pour ladle full of dosa batter and spread to a thin layer evenly, reduce the flame.
3. sprinkle the chopped vegetables all over or as desired, pour little oil all over
4. Pour one egg or as desired on top and spread all over with a spoon
5. sprinkle salt, and other seasoning with coriander leaves
6. Wait till egg gets half cooked
7. Turn over and cook for 30 secs to a min and sever hot. 

Do not let the dosa burn, try to cook in slow - medium flame as we need the veggies to be cooked too.

Khatta Meeta Poha / Sweet & Sour Poha

Poha is known as pressed rice. There are different kinds of poha in Indian Stores White and Brown, paper thin to thick poha. Poha is used in many cuisines such as ladoo, dosa, kheer etc. This recipe which I have mentioned here is little different from the regular snack which is prepared. I just added couple of extra ingredients to alter the taste. For this recipe use the thick poha as we have to wash, the paper thin poha will become mushy.

Ingredients:

1. Poha – 1 bowl
2. Onion small 1 – finely chopped
3. Tomato small 1 – finely chopped
4. Curry leaves
5. Mustard seeds – 1.2 tb sp
6. Oil – 2 tb.sp
7. Green chili – 2 finely chopped
8. Sugar – 2 to 3 tb.sp
9. Juice from half lemon
10. Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Wash poha twice to remove any dust / dirt from them with the help of a sieve, this helps the water to drain off. Sprinkle salt on it and toss lightly with a spoon so the poha gets coated with salt.
2. Heat oil in a pan or kadai, add the mustard seeds followed by curry leaves, green chili and onion once the seeds begin to splutter.
3. Sauté for 2 minutes then add in the tomato or any other vegetable of your choice that’s been prepared.  Saute for a minute and then add little salt and turmeric powder, give a nice mix.
4. Once the tomato or the other added vegetable is almost done add sugar and poha, sauté gently to have the masala coated on poha.
5. If the mixture is too dry sprinkle few drops of water, do not add all in once as it will turn mushy.
6. Taste for seasoning; add salt if needed, finally add the lime juice and mix well.
7. You may garnish with chopped parsley or coriander leaves, else can serve hot as it is for breakfast or as evening snack.

Spicy Wheat Pancake

Wheat flour is widely used in India in a variety of cuisines.  Wheat dosa is prepared in south India and consumed with chutney.  I dislike the heavy dosa’s made at our home, but altered with some spices and veggies. This pan cake would come out thin and crispy. This can be eaten as it is.

Ingredients:

1. Wheat Flour – 1 cup
2. Jeera – slightly crushed 2 tb.spn
3. Ajwain – slightly crushed 1 tb.spn (optional)
4. Turmeric powder – ½ tb spn
5. Chili powder – as per taste
6. Coriander powder – 1 tb.spn
7. Salt to taste
8. Onion medium size 1 – finely chopped
9. Tomato small – 1 – finely chopped
10. Green chilies – 2 to 3 Chop finely removing the veins
11. Curry leaves few – finely chopped (optional)
12. Few bunches coriander leaves – finely chopped
13. Oil for pancakes

Preparation:

1. Place the wheat (atta) flour in a large mixing bowl and add all the dry ingredients, mix well with hand or a spoon.
2. Add water as needed and stir continuously to avoid lumps, to a liquid / watery consistency
3. Mix in all the vegetables and green leaves. Check for seasoning and add salt or masala if needed.
4. Keep the batter aside for 10 – 15 minutes before making the pancakes.
5. Heat a non-stick tawa and spread a thin layer of oil, and pour a laddle full of batter in circles as this wont flow freely unlike dosa batter.
6. Cook in low medium heat, as we need this crispy. Change side once the edges turn brown and remove when both the sides are cooked well.
7. Serve hot with ketch up or pickle or desired chutney. I prefer to eat as it is, as it has required spices in it.

Note:

• You can add other grated vegetables of your choice such as Carrot / Cucumber / potato etc. Try with finely chopped spinach or capsicum.
• Taste and color varies based on the vegetables used.

Quick Food – Vermicelli and Sooji upma with vegetables

I was lazy to prepare a meal for myself on a Sunday afternoon, and tried this easy dish. Just pick the available vegetables from your kitchen and prepare this. Both preparation and cooking time is less, suitable for all ages., can be eaten as breakfast or lunch or light tiffin.

Ingredients:

1. Sooji (Rava) – 100 gm or 1 small cup
2. Roasted vermicelli – equal quantity
3. Water – twice the quantity of rava and vermicelli
4. Chopped vegetables of your choice (1 cup) (carrot, bean, potato, peas, capsicum, tomato, etc)
5. Small onion  - 1 finely chopped (optional)
6. Green chillies 2-3 finely chopped
7. Ginger – small piece, finely chopped
8. Mustard seed – ½ tbl spn
9. Oil or ghee – 1 tbl spn
10. Curry leaves – optional
11. Salt as needed

Preparation:

1. Sooji and vermicelli need to be roasted, if it’s already roasted then can use it as it is, else dry roast on low heat for about 3 minutes and set aside.
2. In the same pan add the oil/ghee and do the tempering. Once the oil is hot enough add in the mustard seeds, ginger, curry leaves, followed by onion, chillies and vegetables.
3. Saute the vegetable mixture for about 3 – 5 minutes until they are half cooked. Now add in the water and mix salt. Bring it to a boil. Vegetables will get cooked in boiling water.
4. Finally add the mixture of Sooji and vermicelli, stir continuously to avoid forming lumps. Remember to cook in low flame while adding sooji.
5. Taste seasoning and add little salt if needed, sprinkle little water if you feel the mixture is dry.
6. Cover and let it set for about 5 minutes, before serving.

Note:

If you prefer yellow color add a pinch of turmeric while frying the vegetables.  If you need to garnish you may do it with chopped coriander leaves or parsley or with ginger / chilli julienne as shown in the picture.