Heavy Paratha

Heavy Paratha is made of whole wheat flour. It is a richer version of chapatti. Freshly cooked crisp paratha, eaten taking it off the griddle, is delicious! I wanted to make something different for breakfast.  Instead of having bread butter, I made this, which was even more filling and yet healthy.

This goes to BM week 3, day,  under the theme Indian Bread Baskets.

Ingredients

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Enough water to make soft dough

Butter as needed for folding and basting

Method

Making dough:

Place flour and salt in flat big thal or bowl, add water a little at a time as you knead it and make a soft dough. Leave to stand  covered with a moist cloth for 15 minutes or so. Knead briefly again.

How to shape the  square paratha. See step by step pic.

Break dough into 10-12 portions (size is your own choice) and roll them into balls. Keep covered with a moist cloth. 

Dust one ball with dry flour and roll it out to a round thick circle.

Brush the circle with butter

 and sprinkle little flour

Fold  one side.

Then the other side

 Apply butter lightly on both sides .

Sprinkle little flour , then  fold the Top side

The fold the bottom side  and now this become a square.  

In the meantime place a griddle or tava on low flame to heat. 

Roll out  this into a thick big square. It should be rolled from center outwards so that the edges are thinner than the center. You will need to dip it in dusting flour on both sides a couple of time during this process. Parathas should be thick (see pic).

Put the paratha on the hot griddle/tava .

Flip it over, after a minute and cook this side till brown dots appear and then again flip and cook this side the  same way.

Press paratha gently all over with a flat spatula or a cotton cloth, if you see any steam escaping, seal it by pressing it gently, making it balloon up. Brush a little butter on both surfaces. 

Next paratha can be rolled as this one is cooking.

 Serve hot with any curry or sabji of your choice.

We had this with a hot Cup of Tea.

 ah ah see the folds of the paratha.

My Notes :• 

Parathas can be made in advance. Do not brush the butter on it, stack them  on top of each other and wrap in Aluminium foil. They can be re-heated before serving by brushing little butter , either individually on a griddle.

They freeze quite well too, but should be defrosted properly before re-heating.


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49.

Labels : Breakfast, Blogging Marathon, Paratha, Indian 

Sabudanyache Thalipeeth - .A traditional Maharashtrian fasting dish.

Today being Maha Shivratri I prepared this fasting recipe. In this month BM week 3, day 1  I choose Indian Bread Baskets, and this is perfect for this theme .

Sabudana Thalipeeth is an Indian dish made from soaked Sabudana (pearl tapioca). It is typically prepared in parts of Western India such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, & Maharashtra. In major towns like Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Bhopal and Nagpur, it is available as street food and is widely eaten throughout the year. It is the dish of choice when an individual observes a "fast" during Shivratri, Navratri, or a similar Hindu religious occasion.

Pearl tapioca (Sabudana) is soaked for a while, and is added with cumin seeds, salt, red chili powder, green chillies and other optional ingredients such as roasted peanuts. It is usually garnished with coriander leaves.

Sago is nearly pure carbohydrate and has very little protein, vitamins, or minerals. The addition of Peanuts to Sabudana adds to the protein content, making it a more balanced meal. It has a high calorific content, due to the quantity of starch and fat present.  So let's go to the recipe.

Makes: 7 - 8 Thalipeeths

Ingredients

1 Cup sabudana (sago)
2 Large Potatoes
3 Tablespoon Roasted Peanut - coarsely powdered

2 Tablespoon Lemon juice

1  Tablespoon Cumin seeds

1 Tablespoon Roasted Cumin powder

2 Tablespoon  Coriander leaves -  finely chopped 

2 Green Chilies - finely chopped
1/2 Tablespoon Sugar powder
1 Teaspoon Salt  or as per taste
Ghee or Oil for frying

Method

Wash sabudana 3-4 times and soaked overnight in the water or for  4 -5 hours .  Keep water level same as level of sabudana.

Boil and mash the potatoes.  Add sabudana and rest of the ingredients. Combine everything with your hand. Make equal size  balls from the mixture.

Grease frying pan with little ghee or oil. Put one ball and press with your palm to make a thin and round thalipeeth.  Make a hole in the center and also around (see pic).

Sprinkle some ghee around it and cover it with a lid. Take off the lid after 3-4 minutes. Flip the side, cook properly on slow flame till turns reddish.

Serve thalipith with sweet lemon pickle or with yogurt.

Wipe pan with before making the next thalipeeth.


My notes:

Quantity of potatoes should be sufficient to hold sabudana. Also, do not use too much of potatoes in the mixture.

Using coriander leaves is optional as some do not use it when fasting.

Do not soak sabudana in too much of water. If its there, drain out excess water from sabudana before mixing with potatoes.

You can roll out thalipeeth on plastic sheet and then roast it on the pan it will help to save your time. Grease plastic sheet before pressing thalipeeth on it.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doingBM#49.

Click here Sabudana (Sago) Khichdi recipe

Labels : Sabudana, Rotis, Breakfast, Street food, Blogging Marathon, Indian Breads

Vegetarian Ribbon Sandwiches - Creamy and Cheesy

When my daughter was growing up, I always made Ribbon Sandwiches for her birthday parties. These vegetarian sandwiches consist of carrots, beets and green chutney. I recently made these sandwiches for our weekend friends outing. I was thrilled because I have wanted to showcase them for a long time. I love these sandwiches because they make such a beautiful presentation with the ribbons of color running through each sandwich. These were a talk about.... a WOW factor. The best part is they are so simple and inexpensive to make. The spreads for the sandwich can be made ahead and refrigerated. 
This week BM#49, its all about Cheese. Sending this to PJ, who is hosting my Kids Delight, themed on Say Cheese!

Ingredients:

2 large loaf Sandwich bread

For the Spreads

3 Otty Carrots - finely chopped - boiled
1 Teaspoon Mustard sauce
2 Tablespoon heaped Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoon Butter
1/4 Teaspoon White Pepper powder
A pinch of Salt

3 Beetroots - finely chopped - boiled
1 Teaspoon Mustard sauce
2 Tablespoon heaped Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoon Butter
1/4 Teaspoon White Pepper powder
A pinch of Salt

A handful each of coriander and mint leaves
2-3 green chillies (or as required)
1 ½ tsp Lemon juiceSalt to taste

1/2 Cup Packed Fresh Coconut - grated
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoon Cream Cheese

Method:

For the Carrot spread:

In a blender add the carrot and rest of the ingredients, pluse it 2 -3 times till well blended. Remove in a bowl and refrigerate till needed.

For the Beetroot spread:

In a blender add the beetroot and rest of the ingredients, pluse it 2 -3 times till well blended. Remove in a bowl and refrigerate till needed.

For the Chutney Spread:

Grind the coconut, coriander leaves, the mint leaves, green chilies, lemon juice and a little salt, sugar to a fine paste. Then add the cream cheese and butter and grind till well blend Remove in a bowl and refrigerate till needed.

Making the Sandwiches:

Take four slices of bread. On one slice, spread the chutney. Cover with the second slice and spread the carrot spread. Cover with the third slice of bread, spread the beetroot spread. Cover with the fourth slice and press lightly. Place all the sandwiches in zip lock bag and refrigerate them till required. Just before serving, Cut the side crust, then cut the sandwich in the middle. This would give you 2 finger sandwiches.

These are so yummy that kids and well as adults loved it and there was demand for more. 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doingBM#49.

Labels: Breakfast, Kids delight, Sandwiches, Blogging Marathon

Ricotta Vegetable Pan Rolls

The cheesy filling was super-yummy, and the crispy exterior was just perfect When I made these my kids went wild for these waiting when they were out of the pan. Crispy,cheesy, delicious… what’s not to love?.

Sending this to PJ, who is hosting my Kids Delight, themed on Say Cheese!

Ingredients
For the Filling

2 Carrots - chopped finely
1 Small Onion - finely chopped
1 Tablespoons Red Capsicum - finely chopped
1 Tablespoons Green Capsicum - finely chopped
1 Tablespoons Yellow Capsicum - finely chopped
100 Grams Ricotta Cheese
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Dill
1/4 Teaspoon Steakpeper
1/4 Teaspoon Celery
1/4 Teaspoon White pepper
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Oil
For the Crepes

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Water
A pinch of salt
For coating

2 Tablespoons Cornflour
1/4 Cup Water
A pinch of Salt
Bread crumbs for rolling
Oil for frying

Method
Mix all the ingredients for the crepes and make a smooth batter that is lump free and thin. Let this batter rest for 15 minutes.

Grease a small nonstick pan pour in the ladle of the batter and swirl it around the pan (Do not use a spoon to make the crepes). Cover the pan for a minute open the lid and when the crepe starts leaving the side lift from the pan and keep on a plate and let it cool. This crepe should be thin or else when you fill them and start folding it it will crack. So check before you make the next crepe. Make all the crepes and keep side.

To make the Filling

In a nonstick pan heat oil, saute the onion till translucent, then add the carrot and saute it for a minute, cover and cook for 2 minutes, open the pan add the capsicum and all the seasonings, salt and saute for a 2 minutes then add the ricotta cheese and stir for a minute. Switch off the flame and keep aside to cool.

Take a crepe on place a tablespoon of filling (the quantity of stuffing will depend on the size of the crepe) on the end toward you and fold it (see pic). Then roll them and keep aside.

For the coating

Make a slurry by mixing the cornflour with water add the salt. Dip the pan roll in this slurry and roll in breadcrumbs.

Heat a frying pan with oil and shallow fry the pan rolls till golden brown. Serve when cool with kethcup. The kids had them without any sauce these got over in jiffy.

These pan rolls are soft and delicious this is the verdict ! 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doingBM#49.

Labels: Breakfast, Kids delight, Starters, Blogging Marathon, Rolls, Wraps

Click here for Eggless & Vegan Pancakes

Kuwaiti Saffron Cardamom Cake – Gers Ogely

It’s the 10th of February and its time for to reveal what special sweet, I made for Mena's Cooking Club.

This month in Mena's Cooking Club, I am travelling to Kuwait. Kuwait /kuːˈweɪt/ (Arabic: دولة الكويت‎), officially the State of Kuwait, is an Arab country in Western Asia. Situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, it shares borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As of 2014, Kuwait has a population of 4.1 million people; 1.2 million are Kuwaitis and 2.8 million are expatriates.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Kuwait was a prosperous center of trade and commerce. Starting in the early 20th century, its regional economic importance declined, and by 1934 Kuwait had lost its prominence in long-distance trade.Kuwait's economy was devastated by several trade blockades. During World War I, the British Empire imposed a blockade against Kuwait because its ruler supported the Ottoman Empire. Following the Kuwait–Najd War of 1919–1920, Saudi Arabia maintained a trade blockade against the country from 1923 until 1937. In 1990, Kuwait was invaded by Iraq. The Iraqi occupation came to an end after military intervention by United States-led forces.

Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliamentary system. The country ranks highly in regional comparisons of national performance, including protection of civil liberties, press freedom and judicial independence. Kuwait is frequently ranked as having the freest press in the Arab world
This month, I share a recipe for a Kuwaiti cake. Here in Kuwait, a traditional and very popular cake is called Gers Ogely. If you have never heard of this, after googling , still could not find what this really means. This cake is a moist and light.  Its an old-fashioned Kuwaiti cake, with a blend of cardamom, saffron spices and sesamee. 

Ingredients

2 cups All purpose flour
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Saffron + 1 Tablespoon Sugar
4 Eggs
1 ½ Cup Sugar powdered
½ Cup (113 g) Butter - melted and cooled
1 Cup  milk
1 Teaspoon Cardamom powder
1 Teaspoon Rosewater
2 + 2 Tablespoons of Sesame seeds -  lightly toasted

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C .

Butter and flour the sides and bottom of a cake pan . Set aside.

In the mortar, crush the saffron threads with the sugar until it’s a powder. Add  milk to saffron powder.  Leave to soak for at least 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine the sesames. Set aside.

In the bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until light and thick and frothy. The mixture should triple in the volume. About 10 – 12 minutes on medium to high speed.

In a large measuring cup, combine the butter, milk cardamom.

Using a spatula, gently fold in the dry and wet ingredients into the eggs, beginning and ending with flour. Fold from top to bottom until combined.

Pour into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with the toasted sesames.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle come out clean and the cake has shrink from the sides.

Cool completely on a wire rack before inverting.
Serve with tea or coffee.

Labels: Cakes, Kuwait, Asian Cuisine, Mena Cooking Club 

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