MATAR BHARKE!!!!!!! POORI & PARATA.....(Pea Stuffed Indian Bread)

Hello Everyone!!!!! Kindly forgive my long absence from this space...... Yup! I know I am being mean on my maiden space.... but I promise to make up for it..... I will sincerely try to post at regular intervals & to visit all those amazing people who have supported me so far & who post such amazing stuffs & info..... I am sorry again........

Going on with my regular punching..... I have nothing more to share other than my CARDS! CARDS! & CARDS!!!!!!

And Yes! One important thing I observed & changed is the COMMENT VERIFICATION on this blog.....

Many a times, may be due to the bad internet or the bad comp...days..... Due to the increased traffic & usage..... it gets me pissed... to the core.... When I visit some space to check out their lovely postings & desperately wanna leave a comment letting them know that I had been there & relished their yummy posts..... Phew!!!!! It just freezes on me .... All I want is to punch in those feelings & leave...but these verifications get on my nerves..many a times..... And when I thought I realized many others may have also been facing this at my space too..... So I thought & decided to get rid of it...... I discarded that pathetic comment verification thing.....

Now, just punch in your feelings & it gets published or saved, to be published later...That looks fine & easy..than having to punch in all those extra letters which makes less sense to me...... I am not sure of what I did was right YA wrong...but my instincts asked me to get rid of it for good.... & I did.....

Peeps!!!! I would love to hear, what u have to say regarding this..... Since that would help me analyze better..than just follow my instincts....... ;-) So please feel free to share your takes on this...... THANK YOU!!!!!

And now getting on with the main मुद्दा (Mudda, matter).... of today..... MY PREP 4 TODAY!!!!!!

As I had mentioned in my earlier posts, the North Indians have a variety to binge on..... Most of their cuisine is all stuffed...... which is very very pleasing on palates........ which many love & adopt too.... though not a part of their staple diet.....

Hmmm.... I am here to post one such stuffed (भरके) delicacy of The North.....
My Delicacy in-law!!!!!

And that is मटर भरके पूरी और पराता..... Pea stuffed Indian Bread....... This is how it goes........ :-)

Ingredients:

For Stuffing

Fresh Peas - 200 gm
Green Chilli - 3
Onions - 1 medium (finely chopped)
Coriander Leaves - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Oil - 3tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Masala Powders

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1tsp
Kitchen King Powder - 1 tsp
Chaat Masala - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to Taste


For the DOUGH:

Wheat Flour - 1/2 kg
Salt to Taste
Ajwain + Mangrela (Carom Seeds or Oma + Black Sesame Seeds) - 1 tsp ( I keep a mix of both)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Water as required

OIL FOR DEEP FRYING

Method :

Knead all the above ingredients together & keep aside.....

Ps: For paratas the dough is kneaded a bit more harder than your regular rotis (chapatis)...... And for the pooris, the dough is kneaded hard...... Leave it aside covered for a minimum of 30 minutes to let it settle into a soft & fluffy dough......

Now boil the fresh peas, mash & keep aside.....

Heat oil in a wok & add the cumin seeds.... Allow it to splutter.... Then add green chilli & onion together & fry till translucent..... Add all the above mentioned masala powders & stir fry, on a low flame..... for a minimum of 4-5 minutes..... Now add the pea mash & mix to combine well...... Keep stirring at regular intervals for a further 5 minutes..... Now sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves & mix well.... Remove from fire & keep aside to cool........


FOR PARATAS:

{Make lemon sized balls & shape these balls into nice small katoris or bowls..... Fill in a small amount of the pea mixture in & seal it very carefully..... TIGHT! Believe me the texture of the dough plays a very important role in this.... If it is not kneaded well, the stuffing would make its way through the dough.... every now & then..... Now roll these stuffed balls with a rolling pin, flat & round...... }

This picture of getting the stuffed balls, posted above goes for both the stuffing ... that of poori & parata.....

Heat a pan or a skillet (tawa) & place this flattened bread on it.... When one side is done, flip it over to let the other side cook..... Meanwhile smear a teaspoon of oil over it & flip it over again & repeat the oiling process..... When both the sides are well cooked, transfer the parata onto a plate.... Repeat the process with the rest of the dough & stuffing.....

When done serve it hot with sauce, bowl of curd or yogurt or an accompaniment of your choice like a gravy...veg or not veg...... Just RELISH!!!!!!!


FOR POORIS:

You begin the process the same way as mentioned above in {flower brackets}

Since it is a poori the size of the flattened dough would be considerably small as compared to the above parata....... Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel or a wok.... When done, drop the flattened bread carefully into the wok or kadai...... & allow it to puff on a side....when done flip it over to let the other side cook as well.... When it turns golden, remove it from the oil & transfer onto an absorbent paper or a tissue..... Repeat the process to consume the entire stuffing & the dough or as required to please your tummy... ;-)

Now serve them hot & puffed with any favorite accompaniments..... May be a gravy (veg or non veg) or simply sauce or chutney...... Well my picture shows the Avarekaalu & potato gravy...... YUMMY YUMMY CRIES MY TUMMY!!!!!!! Savor it ALL!!!

These delicacies make for an awesome break fast, lunch box or a good dinner.......

I would like to send this as my entry to the two events that I have longed to participate in..... which are.....

Jihva Breakfast announced by Indira of Mahanandi, hosted this month by Suma of Veggie Platter..... Kudos!!!!! to You both......

AND

Srilekha of Me & My Kitchen for her EFM Series - Paratas & Gravies recipes...... Kudos!!!!! to you too.....

The gravies as an accompaniment would be Meat Rassa in non veg or Mushroom Gassi in Veg....

That is it for now..... Before I wind up I wanted you to remind me of my new CARD SPACE.... DO take a peek into those creations to either bless or curse me..... ;-) Do not forget......

And Yes do not forget to share your thoughts & observations on comment verification, as mentioned at the very beginning,which now is history in my space....... :-)

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT..... TO THE FULLEST!!!!

UNTIL NEXT, KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!

KARELA BHOONJIYA (Bittergourd Fry, Aagalkai Dry)

As soon as I heard of bitter gourd(ಆಗಲಕಾಯಿ, करेला) being prepared in the kitchen, during childhood, I sulked. The very name got me feeling bitter throughout. Always thought, "how would I be able to complete the formality of lunch, that day.... I had no means to escape"... I wished somebody invited me to their place for a birthday lunch or even a casual lunch...I wished I was held up for some extra curricular activity after school.... but that also meant my share would be kept aside for my dinner...with love.... Either ways I would end up 'bitter'.

My mom used jaggery in the preparation, just for us....to make the bitter, better for us....Still all that I felt was only bitter....As I grew up I stopped running away from it, but just emptied my share as a formality to good health...but I did not like it with jaggery....Even now I do not like jaggery being used in preparing the aagalkai. Now as an adult, I still do not relish it, but don mind having it once in a while...

Now I like what my mom prepares, the same way as earlier but only minus the jaggery...So it's good....I would post that later...

After marriage, when I was with Maa in-law, I tasted her karela dry fry. And I liked it....(not relish!!!) It tasted less bitter. And since then I prepare this with ease...as it's simple & just takes some minutes of your time.....

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd - 2, a li'l tender
Onion - 1, big sliced
Dry Red Chilli - 2
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to Taste
Mustard Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Cut the washed karela into thin & round slices. Soak them in water & keep aside... Heat oil in a wok or thick bottomed vessel. Once the oil is smoking hot, add the broken dry chilli & then add the onions.

Drain the water from the soaked karela. Once the onions are translucent, add the karela slices & stir. Now add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder & salt. Stir fry on high flame, till the bitter gourd gets fried.

As the size & texture,reduces & softens respectively, reduce the flame & cook it covered, stirring at regular intervals. Remove from flame once done....

Serve it hot with rice & simple plain dal & relish!!!!!!!!

And yes, last but not the least.... I would like to thank savvystudios4u.com, for the new look on my header & sidebar..... THANKS!!!!!!

ALOO BHINDI BHOONJIYA ( Bende Kaayi Batate Enne Huri, Stir Fried Potato & Okra)

Many give me surprised looks when I say Aloo Bhindi Bhoonjiya. Aloo & Bhindi together!!!!!! It's Slimy!!! How come with potato????

But believe me it is simply yum! Goes well for a simple & light dinner, with chapatis or rotis.

Ingredients:

Potato - 1 medium, cut into small pieces
Okra - 1/2 kg
Onion - 1 medium, finely sliced
Dry Red Chilly - 2, broken
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp, depends
Salt to Taste
Mustard Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai (wok) on high flame. Once the oil is smoking hot, add broken red chilly & then add sliced onions. Fry till onions are translucent. Now add potatoes & okra & stir fry. Continue to stir fry till the sliminess of the okra disappears.

Only then add salt, turmeric powder & red chilli powder & stir fry agin. Now reduce the flame to low, cover the wok with a lid, and allow the veggies to cook, stirring at regular intervals. Once the veggies look fried & cooked, remove from fire.

Serve hot with rotis or with dal & plain rice.

CHILLI PANEER

No other Firang (Foreign) Cuisine has influenced our Indian food, as the Chinese Cuisine. We all love, all kinds of Chilli Preparations. For eg., the Gobi Manchurian, Chilli Chicken, Chilli that, Chilli this..... etc., etc., etc., (phew......)

Be it vegetarians or non-vegetarians, all get something of their choice, in Chinese. From the Chinese noodles to their spices & sauces, everything is being used & adapted in our cooking to satiate our palates. The very Cuisine is called as the Indian Chinese Cuisine. One can turn any boring vegetable into a Chinese Chilli. We even find & relish their food, in the nooks & corners of our country, in the galis & nukkads of our city, towns & villages. So popular, indeed. The South Indian restaurants have also come up with spring roll & Szechwan dosas.

"JUST IMAGINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ;-)

No one seems to be getting enough of it. We all love it & in fact it is very tempting too. The very thought of it grabs our attention. We wanna binge more on it. As I mentioned earlier in my prior post, as children & adolescents, 'Chinese' is the most preferred & relished cuisine, during eat outs, with friends.

I still love them. And now I try to prepare some Chinese stuff at home. And this time I prepared 'The Chilli Paneer'.

I still remember the first time I tasted this yum preparation.

That was 15 years down the lane, when I just got acquainted with Kuku, my First & Last Love of my life. He had a very talented cook from Bihar, named DHARA. Doing justice to his name were his culinary skills. I think that was my 10th DATE, & I visited Kuku in his BasaveswarNagar Flat. And I got this opportunity of tasting THE CHILLI PANEER, prepared by Dhara.

Very YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From then onwards I went to Kuku's flat, mostly to taste the yum delicacies Dhara prepared. I would look forward to the breakfast & lunch to be served. After I came home, always lied to my mom, that I had my food in a friends place or a food joint, as she was unaware of my Kuku. Aaaaaaaaaah! I simply love those "CHUP CHUPKE MILNE WAALE (चुप चुपके मिलने वाले) DAYS".

I miss his talented cooking. Hence, this particular Post is dedicated to DHARA.... My hubby's Cook. God bless his talented & humble soul, wherever he is.

Ingredients:

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) - 200 gms (1 pack)

To Marinade:

Salt to Taste
Egg - 1 (optional)
Corn Flour - 1/2 tbsp
Water as Required

Oil - 3 tbsp (fry & cook)

For The Masala:

Corn Flour - 1/2 tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Onion - 1 medium, quartered
Capsicum - quartered
Green Chilli - 4-5, cut diagonally
Chilli Sauce - 2 tsp
Soya Sauce - 1 tsp
Worcestershire Sauce
Food Color - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Honey - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Garlic Cloves - 15 to 20, finely chopped
Ajinomoto - a pinch (optional)

For Garnishing:

Coriander Leaves - 2 to 3 twigs, finely chopped
Spring Onions - 3 to 4 twigs, finely chopped

Method:

Cut the paneer into cubes. Now make a not so thick paste of the marinade & add in the paneer cubes. Leave for 10 minutes & then deep fry in oil. Remove the fried paneer, when they turn golden in color, onto tissues so as to let the paper absorb the excess oil & keep them aside.

Now heat 1/2 or 1 tbsp oil in a pan or wok. Once the oil is hot add in the chopped garlic, & saute till color turns golden. Now add in the green chilli & saute for a minute. Then add ginger garlic paste & the chopped onions & fry. Do not over do any of the frying process, as it requires to be a little crisp & raw. Then add the capsicums & fry for a minute.

Meanwhile make a paste of all the masala ingre's in a small bowl. Once the capsicums are done add the fried paneer & toss. And add in the masala paste & toss to blend all the ingre's well.
Allow it to cook for sometime & turn of the flame. Now add in the garnishing & toss again.

The Chilli Paneer is ready. Savor it hot with any noodles or rice of your choice. (CHINESE OF COURSE...... Ha...Ha...Ha.....) ;-)

MUSHROOM GRAVY (ANABE GASI)

I just love mushrooms. In fact everyone does. It looks vulnerable before getting cooked. But once cooked, its look & taste, turns out to be delectable. There are several kinds, but the one's we get easily are the one's available in the market. These are the button mushrooms.

The other day, my maid found some mushrooms on her way back home & she cooked them for dinner that night. The next day she came, she just went bragging about it. During the rainy season it grows on trees & on land. And her bragging, got, me tempting.

And a day after that I found button mushrooms in the market & without a second thought I bought them. I did not know much about preparing this, but still tried. And it was good. It tasted good with plain paratas.

So here I am, with a thought of sharing this recipe with everyone, who is interested.

Ingredients:

Fresh Button Mushrooms - 1 packet, (cut into 1/2 cm thick slices)
Onion - 1 medium, (cut into 4 quarters)
Tomato - 2, (cut into 4 quarters)
Cashew Nuts - 10-12
Dry Red Chilli - 2, broken
Food Color - 1/4 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Kitchen King Masala - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Set Curd or Cream- 1 tbsp, (beaten well)
Salt to Taste
Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp
Water as required
Mustard Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Soak the sliced mushrooms in water & keep aside.

Grind the quartered onion & tomato into a fine paste separately. Also grind the cashews to a coarse paste.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel or a pan. When the oil is smoking hot add the broken red chilli & saute. Then add the onion paste & fry till it turns pink in color. Once done, add tomato paste & stir fry till the oil separates. Now add in the cashew paste & stir fry continously till it releases a flavored aroma. Add all the powder masalas including the salt & stir till all the ingredients blend well & gets fried too.

When done add in the beaten curd & stir. Once the masala separates oil add in the strained mushrooms & stir fry till it gets fried well.

Once done add enough water. Let the gravy be thicker & not too watery. Cover the pan with a lid & allow it to cook, stirring at regular intervals.

Once the gravy thickens up, turn off the flame & garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with plain paratas or fried rice.

NENUA SABZI {Mashed Ridge Gourd, Heere Kaayi Gasi}

Ridge Gourd as it is commonly known, is also called as Jhingi, Turai, Heere kaayi (ಹೀರೆ ಕಾಯಿ), or Nenua (नेनुआ).

And this is an East Indian dish. Popularly prepared in every home at Bihar & Jharkhand. I love it a lot as it is a healthy dish, & so do my folks at home who are Mangaloreans. Once my aunt had visited us at my mom's place & I had taken a bit of this preparation. My aunt liked it instantly & wished, I got more.

I still remember, post wedding, I stayed with my in-law's at Nagpur, Maharashtra, for 9 months & there they got ridge gourds without ridges. They were plain like cucumber. I do not know what exactly they are called but they were a tasty variety too.

And here my mom peels those ridges & prepares chutney out of them (the ridges, I mean), which accompanies your lunch. I somehow do not like it. I know it is good & tasty,
but ................hmmmmmmmmmm................... ;-P

I peel off the ridges completely & prepare, literally the pulp. It is a very easy & quick preparation, which tastes good on your taste buds too.



Ingredients:

Tender Ridge Gourds - 2-3, finely peeled & cut into slightly thin rounds
Onion - 1 medium, sliced lenghtwise
Dry Red Chilli - 2, broken
Fenugreek Seeds (methi) - 8 to 10 seeds
Cumin Seeds (jeera) - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to Taste
Kitchen King Masala - 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Mustard Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Soak the cut ridge gourds in water.



Heat oil in wok or a deep bottomed vessel. Add the methi & cumin seeds & allow it to splutter. Then add broken red chilli & sliced onions.



When the onions turn translucent, add the cut ridge gourd pieces.



Stir the pieces & add all the above mentioned masalas & powders. Keep stirring for 5 minutes on medium flame & allow all the ingredients to blend well.



Now cover the pan with a lid & reduce the flame to low & let the ridge gourd cook in its own juice. Keep stirring now & then. If you suspect lack of moisture, then one may add a bit of water. Once it is cooked just mash the gourd lightly to let the gourd release the juices & to let it blend with the rest. Now remove from fire after 2 minutes of stirring.





Serve hot with rice & dal or rotis.

GOBI PARATA (Cauliflower Stuffed Chapati or Roti)

Gobi is indeed a very yum vegetable & I simply love it, personally. What I love the most about cauliflower is the aroma (सौंदी सौंदी खुशबू) that it releases when fried in oil.



Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm........................... That's very tempting. I love gobi, in any kinda preparation. Be it the typical gobi bhoonjiya, gravy or the gobi stuffed parata.

All the hard work involved is with the cleaning of cauliflower. We avoid eating gobi anywhere outside only because of the "cleaning procedure", that does not satisfy us.

I still remember, as children & adolescents we all ate 'gobi manchurian' a lot, at those road side stalls & even other food joints. That was one thing we all made a point to have, when we binged outside, with friends. But as we left those days behind us & entered "Grihasthashram" (MARRIED LIFE), we became more responsible towards our near 'N' dear one's. We always tend to check & re-check, for the good of our family.

One such department that women excel in, is that of the kitchen. My mom, would only be satisfied with my cleaning of the gobi. {Generally everything, but particularly gobi}. The gobi we got then was full of unwanted stuffs like tiny insects, worms & even their web like homes, unlike now. I would carefully look into it & go through the flowerettes one by one & stamp them "CLEAN".
And moreover my eyes are quite sharp & has no power issues till date ;-). God bless them..............

Hence my inspection & dicision is always considered final for any kind of double checks. And we always make it a point that if it has to be gobi for food , then it would only be, my home or mom's.

OK. Now that's quite an appreciation. So what I started off with was the difficult part of preparing gobi. Rest is fine & easy going. Let's proceed with the Gobi Parata.

The STUFFING

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1, medium
Garlic Cloves - 3-4, finely chopped
Onion - 1, medium, finely chopped
Green Chilli - 2-3, finely chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to Taste
Kitchen King Masala - 1 tsp
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander Leaves - 2-3 twigs, finely chopped

Method:

Clean the cauliflower flowerettes well & soak in water, to which you add 1 tsp salt & 1 tsp turmeric powder. Leave for 10 minutes & then wash thoroughly.

Grate the washed flowerettes completely.



Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel or wok. Now add chopped garlic & fry for a minute.



Now add chopped green chilli & fry for a minute or two. Then add chopped onions & fry further till translucent.



Add the grated cauliflower & add all the masalas & fry for 10-12 minutes or till the cauliflower looks cooked & releases its beautiful aroma.



Then add the chopped coriander leaves & saute for a minute. Remove from fire & let it cool a bit to avoid burning hands while preparing the paratas.



The DOUGH

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour (atta) - 2 cups
Water - As required to make a thick dough
Ajwain (Carom Seeds or Oma) & Mangrela(Black Sesame Seeds) - Optional
Salt as per taste (optional)

Method:

In an open mouthed big bowl mix the atta with required amount of water to make a smooth thick dough.

PS. The dough is kneaded slightly thicker, than that would normally be kneaded for chapati or rotis. Mainly because if the dough is very soft, it would not be able to withstand the stuffing while you roll them. Parathas would tear. Hence the thicker dough.



Keep the dough aside, covered, & allow it to settle for half an hour.

The PARATA

Method:

Make small balls of the dough. Dust some flour onto it so to avoid the flour sticking onto your hands. Prepare small cups out of it to hold the stuffing. Stuff a spoon full of cauliflower stuffing or according to the size & thickness of the cup. Fill the cup & turn it around to cover the cup & finally seal it.

Now roll the ball with a rolling pin to a fine roti.

Heat a tawa or a wide mouthed pan & place the rolled paratha on it. Let a side get cooked. Once it is done turn over to let the other side cook. Meanwhile smear the side facing you with oil & turn over again. Now let the oil on the other side get cooked & smear the dry cooked side with a spoon of oil. Now tossing & turning, cook both the sides well & remove from the tawa.



Serve the hot paratas with any dippings of your choice. Be it curd, pickle or any other gravy.

SPINACH DAL (Palak Dal, Palak Soppina Bele Saaru)

I usually prepare the simple Bihari Dal at home, but sometimes if I have the stock of fresh spinach leaves I love to prepare this dal which is very delectable, divine & is healthy too. All it needs is some cooking & churning.



Not necessarily be spinach leaves, one can use any edible leaves for this kinda preparation.

Ingredients:

Fresh Spinach Leaves - 1 bunch, washed & chopped
Tuar Dal (lentil) - 1/4 cup
Masur Dal - 1/4 cup
(* I keep a mix of both dals)
Garlic Cloves - 3-4, crushed
Green Chilli - 2-3, slit into half
Onion - 1 medium, sliced lengthwise
Fenugreek Seeds (methi seeds)- 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilli - 2, broken
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Salt to Taste
Water as required
Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) - a pinch
Oil or Ghee - 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Empty the thoroughly washed & chopped Palak leaves into the cooker.



Also add the washed lentils (dal). Add cloves, green chilli, onion, methi seeds, salt to taste and enough water for all the veggies to cook & for the gravy.



Let the whistles blow enough to cook the veggies well. Once it's done, keep the cooker aside & wait till the pressure is released. Once it is done remove the lid of the cooker & churn the whole cooked preparation with the help of a whisk, lightly so as to mash the cooked lentil or the dal & the veggies.



Heat oil or ghee in a pan or wok, and add cumin seeds & allow it to splutter. Once done add the broken dry red chilli. Now add the cumin powder, the pepper powder, turmeric powder & Asafoetida (heeng). After this add the cooked & whisked dal preparation. Mix it well & add water if the dal is very thick & salt too accordingly.

PS: If ghee is used for the seasoning, the dal turns out to be divine, that you would love to consume it all by itself.



Serve it hot with rotis or rice.

I would like to thank Chitra from Anyone Can Cook, for trying this prep & sharing her love too...