Pudina paratha recipe, Mint lachha paratha,restaurant style pudina paratha recipe

Mint or pudina is supposed to make a cooling effect.so with summer approaching presenting my first summer recipe pudina paratha.

this is hotel style paratha recipe where the mint paratha is layered like the lachcha paratha.

Pudina means mint leaves in marathi and hindi and paratha is an unleavened flat bread made from whole wheat flour.
 pudina parathas are crispy, flaky, layered, mint flavored whole wheat flat breads.

they are crisp as well as flaky and need to be served hot. if you plan to serve in the tiffin box, then just make simple paratha without the layers.
i have used fresh mint leaves. though you can also use dried mint leaves. you can also add more or less mint leaves as per your taste. you can serve pudina paratha with a mango pickle, curd or paneer gravy.I had made them for dinner

Ingredients:

For dough:
Whole Wheat Flour / Atta - 1 cup
mint leaves 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Water - 1/2 cup or as needed

For mint masala stuffing:
1 cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves or 3-4 tbsp dry mint leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
½ tsp fennel seeds/saunf
1 dry red chili, broken and seeds removed or 5-6 pepper corns
1 tbsp chaat masala

Soft Unsalted Butter / Ghee / Oil as needed
Wheat flour as needed for dusting




Method:
1.Take flour ,ghee /butter/oil ,mint leaves and salt in a bowl. mix well. Add water slowly and make it into a soft dough. Cover it and let it rest for 30 mins.

2.in a pan, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds and roast for half  a minute on a low flame.
next add 1 dry red chili, broken and seeds removed or pepper corns.roast till the cumin seeds become fragrant. remove aside and add them in a dry grinder

3.Now chop mint leaves very finely. Add salt and above masala in it and mix well with your fingers. divide the dough into equal balls.


4 Take a ball and roll it into circle. Spread some butter /ghee/oil all over it and sprinkle flour. Sprinkle mint masala and start pleating. begin to fold from the edges like a fan with pleats.fold towards the end and then roll tightly to a circle. press the loose end at the center downwards.

5.prepare the pleated roll balls like these and keep aside covered to rest for 5 minutes.take one pleated ball and dust some flour on both sides.Now roll it into paratha of 5-6 inches.














6.Heat a tawa. Put paratha in hot tawa.when you see the paratha puffing up at some places and is ¼th cooked then flip.

spread some oil or ghee on this side.flip again and spread some oil or ghee on this side too.press the edges with a spatula so that they are cooked well.flip a couple of times to get even roasting and cooking of the parathas.

7. put them in a casserole or a roti basket in case you are not serving them right away.

8. serve pudina paratha plain with some mango pickle or curd or with a dal fry

Pineapple halwa ,Annanas sheera, pineapple kesari

Todays recipe is a sweet dish which was in my to do list since many days...Pineapple halwa, annanas sheera or pineapple kesari

Halwa is a very popular dessert of India .
Here is a tongue-tickling dessert thatsends your taste buds into a tizzy with its tangy flavour and rich consistency, while still being very easy to prepare and ready to be served within minutes!
In  most Indian states halwa or kesari is made and enjoyed on festivals and on daily basis.


Pineapple halwa can be made either with fresh pineapple or tinned pineapple .You can add chopped pineapple or can add coarsely crushed pineapple puree , but I prefer to add  both pineapple pieces and coarse puree in pineapple halwa.
I had tasted this first in cousins marriage

Ingredients
1 cup Pineapple / Annanas pureed
1/4 Cup Pine apple pieces
1 cup Semolina / Sooji
1/2 cup Clarified Butter / Desi Ghee
2.5 cup Water / Paani
1+1/4 cup Sugar / Chini (adjust as per sourness of pineapple)
1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder / Elaichi Powder
pinch of Saffron / Kesar
1 tbsp Pistachio or almonds chopped
1 tbsp Cashew Nuts / Kaju toasted

Method:

1. chop 2 slices into small pieces and  grind 4 pineapple slices coarsely in the mixer jar, no need to make a smooth puree.

2. Heat water and sugar in a pan and cook till sugar melts completely.  Now  switch off gas and add saffron and pineapple crush(1 cup )  and pinepple pieces into it and mix. keep aside till pineapple soaks sugar

3. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom kadhai /pan and roast the cashew nuts to a nice golden colours and then take out from the pan and keep aside.  Now add semolina/rava in the pan and roast on low heat till it is golden in colour and start giving a nice aroma. 

4. next add the sugar syup and keep stirring and mix well till it start to thicken.cover with lid and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on low to medium heat. Now add cardamom powder and mix well


5. Garnish with sliced pistachio ,cashew and tuti fruity slices.

tips
1.can add raisins and charoli to above sheera
2.can add chopped pineapple or can add coarsely crushed pineapple puree , but I prefer to add  both pineapple pieces and coarse puree in pineapple halwa.

Paneer Kulcha Recipe |Amritsari paneer kulche

I am addicted to punjabi cuisine .I love chola bhatura , punjabi kadhi, aloo matar ,palak paneer ,parathas and ofcourse kulchas...list goes on and on.

I have blogged about aloo kulcha earlier .todays recipe is Paneer Kulcha

 

 

I wanted to make this paneer kulcha since long time but somehow kept on postponing & ended  in other paneer dishes.Last weekend both milk packets got spoilt &  I made paneer from them.

Obviously taste of home made paneer is definitely different  & nowadays I refrain from buying paneer from market as I make it at home only.Pls chk out here for recipe of how to make paneer at home ?

Coming back to recipe Paneer Kulcha recipe  is simply Indian flat bread stuffed with cottage cheese - paneer along with few spices.Sounds yummy, right?

We can enjoy this Paneer kulcha  just with pickle or Raitha  or pain curd (dahi) .it is a easy lunch box menu & kids favorite too

Paneer is known as  indian cottage cheese, very much common in Indian Cusine. I love to eat paneer in any form



After tasting this kulcha all i can say is "Step out of the stereotype, set aside the aloo and pyaaz and make paneer kulchas instead! use fresh, homemade paneer to transport yourself to seventh heaven. "

Kulcha (Urdu: کلچه, Hindi: कुलचा; Punjabi: ਕੁਲਚਾ)  is a type of leavened north Indian flatbread made from maida (wheat flour). It is particularly popular in India and Pakistan, and is usually eaten with chole.
Kulcha is a typical Punjabi recipe, originating in Punjab. Amritsar is known for its Amritsari kulchas or Amritsari naan. Flour dough is rolled into a flat, round shape and baked in an earthen clay oven until golden brown. When baked, it is usually rubbed with butter, and then eaten with spicy chole (chickpea curry).



. The leavened maida or refined flour flat breads called kulchas are stuffed with potatoes (aloo),onion and lots of spices and anardana(pomegranate seeds) , are rolled into a flat round bread and baked in an earthen clay oven until golden brown and served with channa(yoghurt),dahi or pickleThe ingredients are similar to aloo paratha except the outer covering is all purpose flour.It is rubbed with butter and then eaten with spicy chole...

Serves 7 kulchas

Ingredients :

Kulcha
Maida (white flour/all purpose flour) - 400 gms. (3 cup)
Curd - 3 table spoon.
Baking soda - 1/3 tea spoon.
Baking powder - 1/2 tea spoon.
Sugar - 1 tea spoon.
Oil - 1 table spoon.
Salt - 3/4 tea spoon (or according to the taste)
Carom seeds (Owa/ajwain)  or cumin seeds (jeera/jira) - 1 tea spoon.
 
Filling /stuffing

1 cup grated paneer
1 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
1/2 tsp roasted and ground cumin seeds (jeera)
2-3 finely chopped green chillies
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
1 tsp ajwain owa
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp dried mango powder (amchur) /chat masala
1 tsp anardana (optional)
1 tsp pepper powder (optional)
1 tsp finely grated ginger (ala)
1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
pinch sugar
1 onion chopped finely (optional)
 salt to taste


Method :

1.Sieve the maida in a bowl and mix curd, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, oil in it. Mix the ingredients well with hands.

  2.Knead the flour with luke warm water to make a smooth dough. Apply oil to the dough and keep it in a covered  bowl  at a warm place. Within 3-4 hours the dough will rise.

 3. Punch the dough once again to fix it. The dough to make kulcha is ready.

4. In the meantime mix all the ingredients for stuffing in a bowl .taste seasoning & adjust accordingly The filling to stuff the kulcha is ready.

5.Make 8-10 round balls of the dough. Make equal amount of small balls of the paneer mixture also.



6.Take one ball of the dough and roll it into a flat disc of 3 inch. Put the paneer mixture ball on the disc and press it with hands so it settles down on the dough. Fold and close the disc from all the sides  as shown below.



7.Dust the kulcha with dry maida and press it with light hands to increase its size upto 3 inch. Now roll the kulcha into a flat disc of 6-7 inch with the roller. Fix some carom seeds or cumin seeds over the at the top of the kulcha.


8.You can bake the kulcha in oven, pan (tawa) or tandoor.

9.Heat a tava /pan . Put the kulcha in the pan and roast it until it turns brown from the bottom surface. Pour some oil or ghee on the upper surface once the lower surface turns brown. Roast it till both the surface turns brown in colour. Prepare all the kulchas in the same manner.


10.Serve the Paneer stuffed kulchas with curd, chutney,mango pickle or chole recipe.



Tip /variation:

1. For baking  kulcha in an oven grease a tray with oil. Put 2 kulchas in the pan and pre-heat the oven at 300 centigrade. Place the tray in an oven and bake the kulcha for 2 minutes. Flip the side of the kulchas after 2 minutes and bake again till both the surfaces turn brown in colour. Now take out the tray from the oven and serve the hot baked kulchas with curd, aloo matar, pickle or chole recipe.

2. can use black sesame seeds /kalonji/owa /jeera to top up the kulcha

Kasuri Methi Paratha Recipe ,Dried fenugreek leaves parathe

sometimes simple small things give us happiness ,Like these Kasuri Methi Parathas, which are extremely simple and make for the most wonderful breakfast or dinner.

kasuri methi means dried fenugreek (methi) leaves.

you can make kasuri methi easily at home too,though it is easily avialable in market .i had made this paratha with skp chicken curry.

you can enjoy it with chole,paneer butter masala or even with plain curd and pickle.



i equally enjoy methi paratha and methi thepla ,but when you are running short of fresh methi ,the kasuri methi comes to your rescue ..try it and it will be a regular item in your lunch box....

i have kept spices minimum as i wanted a dominant flavour of methi ,but you can add any spices of your liking like garam masala,coriander cumin powder ,pinch of turmeric or red chilli powder ..

Ingredients:

Wheat flour (Atta) - 2 cups
Kasoori methi - 3/4 cup
green chilli chopped - 2-3 or Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp (optional - i didnt add as i wanted my parathas to be whitish in colour)
Ginger grated - half inch
pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
amchoor powder /chat masala - 1 tsp
oil /ghee  - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - to knead into a dough

other ingredients
oil /ghee to roast - as needed
flour for dusting


Method:

1.Mix all  ingredients together in a bowl.Add just enough warm water to make into a dough which is smooth (but not sticky).
2.Keep aside for 10 minutes.Divide the dough into 8-10 balls.


3.Roll out each dough ball into a circle of about 6-7 inches diameter,use some flour for dusting while rolling paratha .Heat a griddle and place paratha on the hot griddle.

4.Cook until light brown spots appear on the first side.Flip the paratha over and cook until the second side is cooked, and light brown spots. now again flip paratha and Drizzle a bit of ghee/butter/oil if needed on both sides and serve in plate

5.if not serving immediately, put in a caserrole .serve with pickle,curd and any spicy chicken curry or paneer curry

tips
1. can replace kasuri methi with ,fresh methi leaves in that case use 1.5 cups methi leaves.

2. i have kept spices minimum as i wanted a dominant flavour of methi ,but you can add any spices of your liking like garam masala,coriander cumin powder ,pinch of turmeric or red chilli powder ..

Pyaaz pakoda,Onion pakora south style,how to make andhra style onion pakora

Pyaz pakoda ,yet another any time favourite recipe of mine.

But this is slightly different in taste than our marathi kanda bhaji or khekda bhaji even though it uses onions..

  

Onion Pakoda is a deep fried batter snack made of gram flour (besan), other spices and onions. Unlike the potato bajji or the banana chilli bajji, the batter for the onion pakoda is different.



It is more of a south ,specially andhra style pyaaz pakoda.

The addition of green chilies ( no red chilli powder) , ginger julienes , Jeera, curry leaves and cashew nuts make it different than  our khekda bhaji.
also read the process carefully as some oil is added to dry besan flour along with some soda which gives it a crumbly texture.

Also green chilli should be cut length wise ,dont cut it round.

i had tasted this bhajiya in a restaurant in bangalore while watching cricket matches.

I am so glad that i found this recipe on  vah re vah chef sanjay thumas video.
definitely a must try recipe ,so if you are a bhajiya lover like me than go for it


Ingredients
curry leaves  2 sprigs ( about 10-15 leaves)
oil  To Fry
salt   To Taste
Ginger finely sliced  1 inch Piece
big Onion  1 Cup
Green chillies  3-4 Numbers
baking pdr  1/2 Teaspoons
oil or butter  2 Tablespoons
Rice Flour  1/4 Cup
Gram Flour Besan  1 Cup
jeera   - 1 tsp
cashewnuts  - 10 pieces ( soak in water for ten minutes before adding to batter)




Method:

1.Take a bowl add very thin sliced onions, green chillies, ginger sliced, curry leaves, if you want to add cashewnuts soke in water for 10min and then add it to the onions, add salt and mix well.





2.In another bowl add besan, rice flour, salt, jeera, baking powder, 2 tbsp oil and mix it nicely with your fingers.



 3.Now add the onion mixture. Mix well if need sprinkle water and mix well again so that besan sticks to onion mixture .




4.Heat oil ,reduce flame to medium and throw spoonful of bhajiya with a spoon in hot oil , deep fry till it is golden brown.

Green Peas Masala Recipe,Hotel style Matar Masala,how to make matar masala

I had never tried this hotel style green peas masala recipe before .Now i wonder why didnt I try it before ?

 

 

usually i combine peas with other veggies to make dishes like mint green pea ,matar hariyali, aloo matar, matar paneer, matar bhaji, gobi matar or aloo gajar matar etc




Green Peas Masala is a great side dish for chapati,phulka or even jeera rice. this matar masala recipe does not use  milk,or cream like most of the restaurant style recipes .




cashews and milk powder and curd are added to make this gravy creamy, smooth and slightly sweet. i made the gravy a bit spicy, but you can always add the amount of spices as per your requirements.


Ingredients
Fresh or Frozen Peas - 1 cup
Onion - 1 small chopped finely
Chana/ chole masala - 1.5 tsp
corinader cumin powder - 1.5 tsp
garam masala- 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Kasoori methi - a generous pinch
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1/4 inch piece
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

To saute and grind:
Tomatoes - 4 medium sized
Onion - 2
Ginger - 1/4 inch piece
Garlic - 5 pearls
Green Chillies - 2

To grind (for the cashewpaste) :
Whole Cashews - 6-7 / 1 tbsp magaj (melon seeds)
Curd - 2 tbsp
milk powder - 1 tbsp.

Garnish
Capsicum julienes

Method
1.Add a tsp of oil and add the ingredients under 'to saute and grind' and saute till tomatoes turn mushy. Cool down and grind it a fine paste.boil peas till they are almost done in microwave or stove top or pressure cook for 1 whistle and immediately release pressure manually to release the pressure
2. grind cashews ,milk powder with curd to a smooth creamy paste, set aside.
3.Heat butter,add the Cloves, cinamom, jeera ,add onion and saute till slightly browned. Then add the tomato paste and saute.
5.Saute for 3-5mins then add channa masala,red chilli powder ,coriander cumin powder and required salt. Add water as required to bring it a running consistency. Allow it to boil for 2 mins. Then add the cashew paste and give a quick stir.
6.Add cooked peas, sugar and cook in low flame for 5mins.Then add kasoori methi,garam masala and coriander leaves and switch it off. garnish with capsicum julienes and serve with roti or jeera rice

Tips:
Use kashmiri red chilli powder for a dark red color as in restaurants.
Channa masala powder gives a great flavour to the gravy.
Adjust chilli powder according to your taste.







 

Aloo Chole recipe,Aloo chana masala| how to make punjabi aloo chole

Punjabi food is wholesome and full of rustic flavour. The custom of cooking in community ovens or tandoors prevails in rural pockets even today.





aloo chole curry or aloo chana masala is a punjabi dish made with potatoes and white chickpeas. this aloo chole recipe is usually had for breakfast and is served with hot pooris fried  in ghee







there are many variations of making aloo chole recipe from dry to semi gravy to a curry version. chole are made in so many ways in north india

this is a curry version of aloo chole .Aloo are soft and melt in the mouth and are not mashed. you can have this dish for lunch or dinner also. Enjoy aloo chole with roti, poori, bhature or naan.




Dont skip anardana in the below recipe . as per me this gives a different flavour to the aloo chole.
for more info about anardana (dried pomegranate seeds) click here.i hunted this specially for making this recipe



Ingredients

Chickpeas (kabuli chana) 1  cups
Potatoes 2 medium
½ inch ginger/adrak, julienned
Tea leaves 1 tablespoon
Oil/ghee 4 tablespoon { or use both oil and ghee in half half ratio}
Cumin seeds 2 tablespoons
Green chillies slit 4-5
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Ginger paste 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tablespoons
Cumin powder 1 tablespoons
Red chilli powder 1 1/2 teaspoon
Dry mango powder (amchur) 1/2 teaspoon
Tomatoes 2 medium
Salt  to taste

chana masala powder:
1 bay leaf/tej patta
3-4 cloves/lavang
5-6 black pepper
1 inch cinnamon/dal chini
2 black cardamoms/badi elaichi

 pomegranate seeds paste
2 tsp dry pomegranate seeds or sookha anardana
6 to 7 tsp water for grinding the pomegranate seeds




Method:

1.Wash and soak chickpeas in four cups of water overnight. Tie tealeaves in muslin cloth to form a bundle.Drain chickpeas, add six to eight cups water, salt and tealeaves-amla tied in muslin cloth. Pressure cook for twenty minutes or until soft and completely cooked.Drain the cooked chickpeas and reserve the cooking liquor. Discard bundle of tealeaves-amla. Peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into one inch sized cubes.



2.Make a fine powder of the spices mentioned under the chana masala powder list in a dry grinder.make a paste of the dry pomegranate seeds. keep aside. if you want you can strain the pomegranate seeds paste.



3. In a pan heat 2 tbspoon oil, add potatoes and shallow fry till golden. Drain onto an absorbent paper and keep aside.

In same oil,  add one teaspoon of cumin seeds,ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell goes away,next add the drained chickpeas and stir in the pomegranate seeds paste.cook on a low to medium flame stirring occasionally, till the liquids dry up.now add the potatoes, tomatoes, green chilies, the ground chana masala powder, turmeric powder, cumin coriander powder ,red chili powder,a mchoor, salt and 1 cup of the strained chana stock.stir well and let the curry cook for 8-10 minutes on low to medium flame.

4.heat 1.5 tbsp ghee or oil in a small pan.add this hot oil or ghee to the chana mixture. stir and cook for 2-3 mins.then add ¾ to 1 cup water and continue to cook for further 4-5 minutes or till the gravy thickens. adjust seasoning as required by tasting chana masala .

5.heat the remaining ½ tbsp ghee or oil in the same small pan and add the hot oil or ghee to the chana masala. switch off the fire and stir in the ginger juliennes, coriander leaves and green chilies.

6.serve aloo chole hot with bhaturas,onion slices and lemon wedges.



 

Roomali Roti Recipe| How to make easy rumali roti

Roomali roti is extremely a thin flat bread and usually served folded like a handkerchief. The bread is usually made with a combination of whole and white wheat flours (atta and maida respectively) and best cooked on a tandoor.

Roomal is handkerchief and roti is indian flatbread .

Roomali Roti, as the name indicates, gives handkerchief like appearance. Roomali Roti is thin and large in size than the normal chapattis.

There is no leavening agents added to this type of Roti and makes use of the mix of Whole wheat and all purpose flour.

The art of making Roomali needs lots of technique and practice

I followed vah re vah chef sanjay thumma recipe and it was a big hit ...definitely a keeper recipe..


Ingredients

Maida /all purpose flour - 1 cup
Wheat flour/chapati ata - 1 cup
Salt as per taste
ghee or oil or butter - 2 table spoon
water - as needed to knead dough
rice flour - 1/4 cup


Method:

1.Mix wheat flour, maida, salt and mix them together.



2. add water make a smooth and elastic dough and set aside covered with moist muslin cloth for 15- 20 minutes .




3 Now make 2 small balls of the dough,flatten two balls with hand and apply some ghee /butter on both balls




4 take some rice flour in a plate and now roll the flattened balls in rice flour with the side where we have applied ghee downwards so that rice flour gets applied to it as shown in picture.




5 put them together with the fat side facing each other  roll like a thin chapati of about 12 diameter circle using little dry flour (it should be thin as a tissue)




6 Super heat the flat tava .remember tava has to be very very hot.

7 Place the rumali roti carefully over it and cook from both sides till they puff up and small brown spots appear on both sides.



8 Now remove roomali roti from tava and put in plate .take roti and tear it into two ,you will be able to seperate the two layers .now you will get two rotis.hold the roti in the centre and fold it in a traingle like a roomal ie handkerchief.Fold it like a handkerchief.
Serve rumali roti hot with any spicy curry or dhaba style egg curry like me


Tips

Roomali Roti should be soft and thin. To achieve that, heat the pan well. A cold/less heated pan will not give the soft rotis.
Once the roti is placed on the pan, turn it into other side in about 2-3 seconds
Dough should be extremely soft.
Roll the sandwiched roti as thin as possible. The edges should be very thin. 
 Alternatively you can keep a pan upside down and use this for cooking the rotis instead of using a tawa. -