‘Aloo Parathas’ A.K.A. ‘ Potato stuffed Indian Bread’

Few years back when I met my boyfriend and fell in love, the 2 of us would spend hours on the phone or email or text as we shared stories about ourselves, our families, friends etc which in turn helped us to get to know each other better. In one of these sessions he told me that his favorite breakfast item was aloo paratha. Being in love, I decided to attempt to make them for him as a surprise. But boy o boy, I got a surprise myself when the parathas didn’t turn out the way I had imagined. They were more stuffed aloo papads/stuffed aloo pathars than parathas as were tough, chewy and the filling was sparse and had managed to escape from the paratha (as though didn’t want to be associated with it no more) :-(. I cried as I had put in a lot of effort into making the parathas and when they didn’t turn out good it made me feel incompetent. In order to soothe me, my BF decided to take a walk down memory lane n tell me about his cook Gorang from Orissa whom he claimed made the best aloo parathas. When Gorang started working at my BF’s place, he was requested to make aloo parathas every Saturday for breakfast. There was just one problem; Gorang had never made aloo paratha before he moved to Bangalore . Initially the parathas were a disaster, yet as time went by he soon became an expert and his parathas were the best my BF n his friends had had away from their north Indian homes, in Bangalore. The moral of the story he said was that if Gorang, who had never tasted an aloo paratha in his life could learn and master the dish, so could I. But I needed to believe in the 2 P’s (Practice and Patience) in order to succeed. He even offered to be my guinea pig so that I could continue working on my paratha experiments :-). I guess the fact that my BF had complete faith in me , pushed me to start making parathas with a never before seen vigor. I worked on the filling ings and proportions, the dough and of course the rolling technique until one day, lo n behold I made the perfect, round aloo paratha. N the biggest compliment I got was when after having the parathas, my BF said they were the best parathas, even better than Gorang’s :-). My BF’s (who is now my hubby) encouragement gave me so much confidence that today if I have to make parathas for 10-15 (or more) people I am cool as a cucumber as know I can handle the task and excel at it too ;-). So my dear friends I share with you my recipe for ‘Aloo Parathas’ A.K.A. ‘ Potato stuffed Indian Bread’ which is tried, tested, approved n appreciated by my darling hubby and our family n friends and which will be a great addition to your recipe books. ENJOY 🙂

Aloo Parathas

Ingredients

¼ cup finely chopped – Onion
¼ cup steamed and mashed – Peas
2 cups boiled, peeled and mashed – Potatoes
¼ cup finely chopped – Cilantro
3 Tbsp finely chopped – Green chillies
1 Tbsp minced – Ginger
1 tsp – Amchoor powder (dried mango powder)
1 tsp – Bhuna jeera powder (dry roasted and ground cumin seeds)
1 ½ tsp – Red chilli powder
4 Tbsp – Oil
Salt to taste
3 cups – Whole wheat flour
Oil / Ghee for frying

Method

1. Take a bowl and add flour and 2 Tbsp oil and rub together to make crumbly dough.
2. Add water to make soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10-15 mins
3. Mix together the potatoes, onions, peas, cilantro, ginger, green chillies, amchoor powder, bhuna jeera powder, red chilli powder and salt
4. Use a potato masher to ensure there are no lumps or pieces in potato mixture
5. Divide the dough (that has been rested for 15 mins) into equal sized roundels
6. Roll out each roundel into a small circle. Take a Tbsp of the potato mixture and place in the center of the circle
7. Pick all sides towards the center and pinch towards the top. Tear off the excess dough and form the rest into a roundel once again
8. Roll out the roundel into a 5-6 inch diameter parathas
9. Heat a large griddle plate
10. Once it is hot place the parathas on the griddle. Cook for 2 mins on one side on medium flame and then flip to the other side
11. Apply oil / ghee to the side that has been cooked and then flip again
12. Press down a little with a flat spatula in order to cook evenly on both sides and get a golden brown color
13. Once cooked remove from girdle and serve with fresh white butter, yogurt and pickle

TIPS:

1. You can make the dough using milk instead of water if you want extremely soft parathas / want the parathas to last longer
2. You can add ajwain seeds (carom seeds) to the dough , which give it a subtle flavor
3. Make sure not to over boil the potatoes as if they are overcooked / too soggy then the filling will not hold together and thus the parathas will not turn out good
4. If boiling potatoes in cooker, wash them well and then cover with just water till an inch above potatoes. Cook for 2 whistles and then remove n cool. Don’t add salt or anything in the water when boiling potatoes. You can alternately also microwave the potatoes (microwave setting of ‘Baked Potatoes’) and the microwave will automatically do the job for u. Once the microwave process is done make sure to cook for another 1 minute or so if potato isn’t soft enough

 

 

‘Choley Bhature’ A.K.A ‘Spicy Chickpeas with Deep Fried Indian Bread’

Growing up in a TamBong household you would think I ate only Tamil or Bengali food, however that wasn’t the case as my parents loved to try different kinds of cuisines and exposed my baby brother and I to them from a very young age. Even though I would be excited to try new cuisines, there was one dish I loved which if given a choice I would have every weekend for breakfast :-). The neighborhood restaurant which made this dish was Punjab Sweet Shop and often Appa would take me with him to the restaurant to pick up the order. While we waited the owner uncleji would give me a piece of jalebi and as I munched on it I would watch in fascination as the halwai bhaiya would take a piece of dough, flatten it in his palms and then slide it gently into a hot wok of oil where it would puff up golden and round. The love affair with Choley bhature continues till date and on every trip back home to India my baby brother and I make it a point to visit Punjab Sweet Shop to have their signature dish. And like clockwork every time we take a bite we are flooded with memories of our childhood years. N now I am planning to take my darling hubby to try this dish too on our next trip :-). I should also add that I have been meaning to write the recipe for this dish and share with you all and yet kept forgetting, however when my friend who has moved to Russia asked me for the recipe I figured that was the final push I needed in order to put the recipe down on paper n share with you. I have made this dish a few times and I believe there is nothing yummier than ‘Choley Bhature’ A.K.A ‘Spicy Chickpeas with Fried Indian Bread’ for breakfast especially on a cold, foggy wintry dayJ. Enjoy!!

Choley Bhature

Ingredients

150gms – All purpose flour (Maida)
150 gms – Semolina (Sooji)
½ tsp – Salt
2 Tbsp – Yogurt ( sour yogurt preferred)
¼ tsp – Baking soda
150-200 mls – Water
1 Tbsp – Oil
500gms – Chole (Chickpeas)
1 two inch piece finely chopped –Ginger
2 nos – Bay leaves
3 nos – Whole black cardamom
2 nos 2 inch pieces – Cinnamon sticks
200 gms chopped – Onion
100 gms – Yogurt
1 ½ tsp – Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tsp – ground black pepper
2 Tbsp – Amchoor powder (dried mango powder)
2 Tbsp – Anardana powder (dried pomegranate powder)
1 Tbsp – Garam masala powder
1 ½ tsp – Red chilli powder
1 ½ cups boiled, peeled and cubed – Potatoes
Method

1. Wash chickpeas in running water 6-7 times and then soak chickpeas overnight in cold water(ensuring the water covers the chickpeas)
2. In the morning, put the chickpeas in a large pan with salt, turmeric powder, whole black cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon stick
3. Boil the chickpeas until they are tender but not mushy , approx 30 – 35 minutes
4. Heat a heavy bottom pan and add a Tbsp of ghee and oil and when hot add the onions and brown the onions
5. Add the finely minced ginger and mix well and stir for 2-3 mins
6. Add the yogurt, chopped tomatoes and turmeric, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, anardana powder and mix well. Cook on a low heat until the mixture is a deep reddish brown then remove from the heat
7. When the chickpeas are ready add the onion/tomato mixture to it and stir well.  Add salt (after checking for salt) and garam masala and mix well
8. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until the gravy is thick and chickpeas and soft and completely coated with gravy. Once done remove from heat and keep aside
9. Sift together flour , semolina, salt and baking soda
10. Add the yogurt and 150 mls of water.  Knead well until you have a soft, springy dough (if you push the dough with a finger it should spring back immediately)
11. Put the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest and rise for 4-5 hours
12. Remove the damp cloth and add a Tbsp of oil into the dough then knead well and divide it into 12 pieces
13. Roll each ball in the same manner of a poori but a little thicker than a poori (approx 6 inches in diameter)
14. Heat oil in a kadhai.  When a small piece of dough dropped into the oil rises quickly to the surface, the oil is the right temperature to fry the bhature
15. Gently slide in one bhatura, let it cook for a couple of seconds then press it down with a slotted spoon which would help the bhatura puff up
16. Flip the bhatura over and press down again.  When the bhatura is golden brown and puffed up, removed to drain on some kitchen roll
17. Heat oil in a pan and add oil , add chopped onions and cook till brown
18. Add chopped tomatoes and salt, turmeric powder, anardana powder, red chilli powder and cook till oil separates and tomatoes and onions are mushy
19. Add the potato pieces and mix well in order to coat them with the onion and tomato spicy mixture
20. Stir the potato cubes into the Choley gravy and mix well
21. Serve hot Choley with bhatura and salad, pickle and yogurt

TIPS:

1. Make sure to retain the water from the Choley (when you boil it) as you can use it to adjust the consistency of the Choley gravy
2. You can make the masala for the Choley and potatoes at the same time (just don’t add yogurt) and then divide and use for Choley and potatoes
3. You can choose to add finely chopped or minced green chillies to enhance the flavor of the Choley

‘ Mixed Vegetable Parathas’ A.K.A. ‘ Mixed Vegetable stuffed Indian Bread’

Growing up in Delhi I was exposed to Punjabi cuisine from a young age. I loved almost everything that I tasted but one of my faves was Paratha. My darling Amma and Nani made the most delicious parathas and come winter we would have parathas for dinner at least once a week :-). Even though I liked parathas I didn’t make them for the longest time as thought that there was too much work involved in making a paratha. I would instead buy the frozen ones n yet the yearning to have a homemade paratha remained in my heart. Then when I met my dear hubby and came to know his fondness for parathas, I decided to try my hand at making parathas. I started with the simple parathas and then slowly started making variations to my parathas. This particular paratha came about as I was cleaning my freezer and came across a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. As didn’t want to make the usual stuff with a mixed vegetable base , I decided to make a dry subzi and then stuff it and try to make a paratha. Once it was appreciated by hubby dear, I tweaked the recipe a little n now I present to you ‘ Mixed Vegetable Parathas’ A.K.A. ‘ Mixed Vegetable stuffed Indian Bread’ and hope it becomes your family’s fav paratha 🙂

Mixed Vegetable Parathas

Ingredients

¼ cup finely chopped – Onion

1 cup grated – Broccoli

1 cup grated – Carrots

1 cup finely shredded – Cabbage

1 cup steamed and mashed – Peas

1 cup boiled and mashed – Potatoes

1 cup boiled and mashed – Corn

1 cup grated – Cauliflower

1 Tbsp finely chopped – Green chillies

4 Tbsp – Oil

Salt to taste

1 ½ tsp – Red chilli powder

1 ½ – Carom seeds (Ajwain)

1 ½ tsp – Dry roasted cumin seeds powder

3 cups – Whole wheat flour

Oil / Ghee for frying

Method

1. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a pan and add asafoetida. Immediately add the onions. Fry till golden brown and add cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, peas, corn, potatoes, carrots , green chillies and mix well
2. Add the salt, red chilli powder, dry roasted cumin seeds powder and mix well and stir fry for 7 mins
3. Remove from flame and cool
4. Take a bowl and add flour, carom seeds and 2 Tbsp oil and rub together to make crumbly dough.
5. Add water to make soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10-15 mins
6. Divide the dough into equal sized roundels
7. Roll out each roundel into a small circle. Take a Tbsp of the vegetable mixture and place in the center of the circle
8. Pick all sides towards the center and pinch towards the top. Tear off the excess dough and form the rest into a roundel once again
9. Roll out the roundel into a 5-6 inch diameter parathas
10. Heat a large griddle plate
11. Once it is hot place the parathas on the griddle. Cook for 2 mins on one side on medium flame and then flip to the other side
12. Apply oil / ghee to the side that has been cooked and then flip again
13. Press down a little with a flat spatula in order to cook evenly on both sides and get a golden brown color
14. Once cooked remove from girdle and serve with yogurt and pickle

TIPS:

1. You can choose to add grated paneer , bell peppers or any other vegetable to the filling
2. You can omit the carom seeds if you aren’t fond of this flavor or you can substitute it with cumin seeds
3. You can make the dough using milk instead of water if you want extremely soft parathas / want the parathas to last longer

Makhmali Palak Paneer A.K.A. Indian Cottage Cheese in creamy Spinach gravy

My darling Appa, a TamBrahm who has lived in Delhi for almost all of his adult life loves his Tamil cuisine but the cuisine that comes a close second would be North Indian A.K.A Punjabi cuisine. As this is Appa’s favorite Punju dish Amma used to make it so often that as kids my baby brother and I got fed up of having this dish :-).However as I grew up I started enjoying this dish but the thing that prompted me to learn how to make it and then of course tweak it was the fact that my dear hubby loves this dish too. Makhmali Palak Paneer is my take on the regular Palak Paneer and it has now become one of my go-to recipes as it has been tried, tasted and appreciated by family n friends and of course the 2 biggest lovers of this dish (my Appa n hubby :-)) . Sharing the recipe for Makhmali Palak Paneer which is guaranteed to win the hearts of your family and friends

Makhmali Palak Paneer

Ingredients

2 Tbsp – Oil

¾ cup chopped – Onions

½ inch piece finely chopped – Ginger

¾ cup chopped – Tomatoes

Salt to taste

¾ tsp – Red chilli powder

¾ tsp – Coriander powder

¾ tsp – Turmeric powder

1 ½ cup finely chopped and blanched – Spinach leaves

1 Tbsp finely chopped – Dill leaves

2 nos finely chopped – Green chillies

1 ½ Tbsp melted – Ghee

¼ cup – Milk

350 Gms cubed – Paneer

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and once oil is hot add the onions
2. Once onions are light brown in color add the ginger and mix well
3. After 3 mins add tomatoes, salt, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and mix well and then cover and cook on medium low flame for 5 mins
4. Remove cover and once onions and tomatoes are mushy add the spinach, green chillies and dill leaves and mix well
5. Cover and cook on medium low for 7 mins until spinach is mushy and soft
6. Once the spinach is cooked, add the ghee, milk, paneer pieces and mix well and cook on medium low for 5 – 7 mins
7. Check for seasonings and then once paneer is soft remove from flame
8. Serve hot with rotis / naans / rice

TIPS:

1. If using frozen chopped spinach, you can either thaw it in the microwave or add to the dish or you can add it once the onion and tomato mixture is done and add the milk and ghee and cover and cook on medium low flame. The moisture from the frozen spinach and milk will cook the dish and make it soft
2. To make a quick version of the dish – make the masala of onion, tomatoes & ginger and keep frozen. When you want to make the dish heat oil, add the frozen onion & tomato masala, frozen chopped spinach, milk, dill leaves, salt n seasonings and ghee and cover and cook on medium low. Once it is all defrosted and mushy add paneer and cook
3. You can also choose to blanch the spinach and blend into paste and add to the onion and tomato masala instead of the finely chopped spinach leaves

Aatte ke Laddoo

I have never been fond of laddoos and thus never ever tried to learn how to make them from Amma or Nani. The only time I would eat a laddoo was if it was given as prasad at the temple or a pooja at home. However, my hubby loves laddoos and thus I decided to learn how to make them especially for him. Plus they are very auspicious and thus they are made at almost all UP poojas and celebrations. N being a true UP ki bahu, now I make laddoos for most of the poojas :-). For Ganesh Chaturthi I share with you the recipe for ‘Aatte ke laddoo’

Aatte ke laddoo

Ingredients

2 cups – Whole wheat flour

1 cup – Brown sugar

¾ cup – Desi ghee (clarified butter)

12 nos finely chopped – Cashew nuts

5 nos peeled and powdered – Green cardamom

Method

1. Heat heavy bottom pan and add ghee
2. When the ghee melts completely add flour and sauté well till they are completely mixed together and are a little crumbly
3. Add the sugar and mix well till mixture turns light brown
4. Remove from the flame and add the chopped cashew nuts and mix well
5. Cool for 5 minutes and then add the green cardamom powder
6. Now take a small amount of the dough and roll into a round shape (pressing every so lightly in order to get the perfect shape)
7. Set on plate and you can add a piece of cashew nut as decoration and serve

TIPS:

1. You can substitute ghee with Splenda / sugar free / white sugar/ coconut sugar
2. If you want you can use half ghee and half oil for the laddoos. However the smell of ghee makes them more enticing and thus I use ghee J
3. You can choose to add chopped pista (pistachios), chopped badam (almonds) instead of chopped cashew nuts or in addition to cashew nuts

 

 

 

‘Achari Paneer’ A.K.A ‘Indian Cottage Cheese in Indian Pickling Spices’

Being a combo of Bong and Tamil cultures I was exposed to both these cuisines from my childhood days. However being born in Delhi brought another cuisine into my life which was the Dilli/Punjabi culture where the main ingredient of today’s recipe reigned supreme. I remember going to the market with Amma and buying it fresh from Singh uncle ki dukaan. This delicate item would be floating in a pool of water and Singh uncle would carefully take it out and weigh it and then give it to us in a polythene bag. One of the advantages of being a kid was that Singh uncle always gave me a cube or 2 of this delicacy sprinkled with salt and pepper to enjoy while Amma paid the bill. Every time I make any dish that features this ingredient I am transported to my childhood days. The recipe for ‘Achari Paneer’ A.K.A ‘Indian Cottage Cheese in Indian Pickling Spices’ is something that is part of repertoire as it is an easy recipe and is always a crowd pleaser so I hope you try it and enjoy the dish with family and friends.

Achaari Paneer

Ingredients

2 Tbsp – Oil

1 tsp – Paanch phoran

½ inch finely chopped – Ginger

½ cup finely chopped – Tomatoes

Salt to taste

¾ tsp – Red chilli powder

¾ tsp – Coriander powder

¾ tsp – Turmeric powder

¼ tsp – Bhuna jeera powder (roasted cumin seeds powder)

350 gms cubed – Paneer

5 Tbsp – Yogurt

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and when hot then add the paanch phoran
2. As soon as they crackle a bit add the ginger and mix well and then after 1 minute add the tomatoes.
3. Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, bhuna jeera powder and cover the pan and reduce heat to medium
4. Uncover and stir the tomatoes making sure they are soft and mushy
5. Add the paneer and cover and cook on low flame for 5 mins (making sure the paneer don’t stick to the bottom of the pan or burn)
6. Uncover and add a little bit of water and then cover and cook for 5 mins
7. Remove the cover and add beater yogurt , check for salt and spices and cover and cook on low flame for another 5 minutes
8. Check for seasoning and to ensure paneer is soft and there is slight gravy
9. Remove from flame and serve with naans

TIPS:

1. You can fry the paneer cubes before adding them to the gravy.
2. You can soak the paneer in lukewarm salted warm to make them soft if the paneer is very hard
3. Paanch phoran is available in stores or you can make them at home by combining equal quantities of methi (fenugreek seeds), jeera (cumin seeds),sarson(black mustard seeds), saunf (fennel seeds), kalonji (onion seeds)

Lipatwaan Kumbh Mutter

Growing up in Delhi, this dish was a staple at every wedding as was one of the most popular and loved dishes for vegetarians. I have seen many variations of this dish, from some being dry to ones with too much curry. I prefer the middle path and make this dish in a manner where the masala coats the vegetables and yet there isn’t too much curry to make the mushroom mushy or too dry to make it hard to chew. I hope you all try to make ‘Lipatwaan Kumbh Mutter’ A.K.A ‘Mushroom Mutter’ in your homes soon as it is a great addition to ones repertoire of recipes.

Lipatwaan Kumbh Mutter

Ingredients

200 gms sliced – White mushrooms

75 gms – Green peas

1 ½ medium sized finely sliced – Onions

2 medium sized finely sliced – Tomatoes

2 tbsp – Oil

½ tsp – Jeera (cumin seeds)

1 tsp – Turmeric powder

1 tsp – Coriander powder

1 tsp – Dry roasted cumin seeds powder

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan
2. Once oil is hot add cumin seeds and once they splutter add the onions.
3. Fry till onions are light brown and add the tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, dry roasted cumin seeds powder, coriander powder and mix well.
4. Cover with tight fitting lid and reduce flame and let it cook for 3 mins
5. Add the peas and mix well and cover once again and let it cook for 8 mins
6. Finally add the mushrooms, mix well and cook for 10 mins, stirring in between.
7. Remove lid and check for salt and if the mixture is too dry add 2- 3 tbsp of water, cover and cook till the masala (onion and tomato mixture and spices) has coated all the mushroom and peas well and they are cooked and tender.
8. Remove from flame and dish into serving bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro, green chillies and sliced tomatoes and serve with rice or rotis.

TIPS

1. In order to make it more creamier and rich you can add heavy cream to the dish (towards the end), give me 1 boil and remove from flame
2. Make sure to wash the mushrooms well in running water and by scrubbing it gently so that you remove all dirt
3. If you don’t eat onions then you can make this dish just using tomatoes and ginger which makes the gravy thick and delicious.

 

Jhatpat Paneer Bhurjee

Whenever I make ‘Jhatpat Paneer Bhurjee’, I am reminded of my Amma making this dish for my brother and I in the winter months so we could enjoy it with parathas. She would warm up the milk and add lemon juice to it, which would make it curdle immediately and she would strain it to get the paneer and then discard the whey. And as my brother was a fussy eater and never wanted to try anything new, mom would tell him that it was ‘Egg Bhurjee’ (scrambled eggs) and he gobbled it all up J. I am sharing the recipe for ‘Jhatpat Paneer Bhurjee’ A.K.A ‘ Quick & Easy Scramble Homemade Cheese’ and hope you all enjoy it as much as my brother and I.

Jhatpat Paneer Bhurjee

Ingredients

350 gms – Paneer

1 medium sized finely chopped – Onion

2 medium sized finely chopped– Tomatoes

2 nos chopped – Green chillies

4 sprigs of finely chopped – Cilantro

1 tsp – Cumin seeds

2 tbsp – Oil

1 tsp – Turmeric powder

1 tsp – Dry roasted cumin seeds powder

1/2 tsp – Dried pomegranate seed powder

1 tsp – Coriander powder

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add once it is hot add the cumin seeds
2. As soon as the cumin seeds splutter, add the finely chopped onions. Stir and cook till the onions are golden.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes , salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, dry roasted cumin seeds powder, dried pomegranate seeds powder and mix again.
4. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. Reduce the heat and let the mixture cook for 5 -7 mins so that the tomatoes get soft and mushy and all the spices cook well.
5. While the onion and tomato mixture is cooking, grate the paneer using the coarse side of a box grater.
6. Uncover the pan and stir the tomato and onion mixture and then add the grated paneer and chopped green chillies to the pan.
7. Mix well and cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Uncover, check for salt and then if it tastes yummy then remove from flame and dish into serving bowl.
9. Sprinkle chopped cilantro / green chillies and serve with rotis, naans, parathas or toast. Enjoy J.

TIPS

1. This dish can be made using homemade paneer instead of the store bought one.
2. You can use the ‘Jhatpat Paneer Bhurjee’ as a filling in sandwiches and wraps.
3. The ‘Jhatpat Paneer Bhurjee’ makes a nutritional snack for kids as well as well as it is high in protein.