Paneer Paratha for the Novice Cook

Very easy recipe for a stuffed paneer paratha..I have always wondered whether I could make these kind of recipes..But after trying out..its really very easy..

Ingredients:

For Stuffing :
Grated Paneer - 1cup
Green Chillies - 2 - chop it finely
Coriander leaves - few leaves
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp - Optional
Salt

For Paratha :
Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Salt
Warm Water - 1 cup
Oil - 2tsp

How to Prepare:
--In a mixing bowl add 2 cups wheat flour,2 tsp oil,salt..knead well into a round ball and keep it aside for 30mins
--After 30 mins..again knead the dough well and divide the dough into small round smooth balls.
--Take a wooden board and lightly flour it(to avoid sticking) and roll out the balls and spread it flat and add 2tsp of grated paneer mix to the roti.
--Now lift the edges and form like a pouch and close it(With the paneer stuffed inside).
--Now press it with the hands and slowly roll out the stuffed dough ball with the rolling pin.Dont worry about the stuffing coming out of the dough and also about the shape of the dough.It is not a problem at all.
--Take a griddle and heat it.Add 1/2 tsp of butter and fry the paratha in a medium flame.Flip it to other side and spread it with butter and cook well till its golden brown

Tips :
--For kneading the dough,Dont add too much of water
--Before u start kneading the dough..rub ur hands with a tsp of oil - This will avoid the dough sticking to ur hands and fingers,nails..

Upma Recipe

An easy breakfast item..Absolutely nutritious recipe

Ingredients:
Cream of wheat/Sooji - 1cup
Mustard Seeds
Channa Dal
Onion - 1 large
Carrot - 1 - grate it
Beans - 8 to 10 - chop it into half
Peas - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Curry Leaves
Salt

How to Cook:
--Heat oil in a pan.Fry mustard seeds,channa dal,curry leaves,asafoetida.saute them well
--Now add all the cut vegetables and cook them till it become soft
--Add 1/2 cup of water and bring it to boil for 5 mins orelse to save the cooking time..(add boiling water)
--Now add salt and then add the cream of wheat little by little and stir well - if u think it needs more water..just add it little by little..
--Stir well till the mixture becomes dry
--Serve hot with chutney,sugar,tomato ketchup

Tips:
Donot add too much of water..then it will be like kichiddi..
If u feel lazy to cut all the vegetables..Use Frozen mixed vegetables..

Spicy Veggie Pancake

Sweet pancakes..we can get it anywhere.same old regular pancakes will be really boring if we had tried even once a week.I wanted to try some alternate methods..So lets spice up our life with a spicy Veggie Pancake in Indian style...spice it up with all the ingredients from the cubbie and the refrigerator..It really came out well.

Ingredients:

Bisquick Pancake Mix - 2cups

Milk - 1 1/2 cups - (Skimmed Milk)

Salt - 2tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/4tsp

Lettuce - Finely sliced

Carrot - grated

Green Chillies - slit it lenthy wise

Mint Chutney - 1/2 tsp(Store brought)

Tomatoes - 1 - finely chopped

How to prepare:
--Take a mixing bowl,Add milk to the pancake mix and stir it well until its smooth with no lumps..Add salt and all the other ingredients as mentioned in the list.The Pancake batter has to be in thick consistency just like dosa batter..If the batter is very thick then add some more milk..
--Cook on a hot greased pan, fill the ladle about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Add some butter on the top of the pancake batter when its getting cooked..Cook until a little dry around the edges and flip it over..u can see the other side has turned lightly brown..
--Serve it hot with Tomato sauce..

Home Made Sweet Pancake

Recently I bought the Bisquick heart smart pancake and baking mix..Its really very easy to make yummy pancakes...Most of us would be making their own homemade pancake mix..using ingredients like All-purpose flour,Instant non-fat dry milk,baking powder,salt,sugar..But I prefer using this brand and I still call it as Home Made Pancakes...excuse, I m not making any ad for bisquick here..just letting u all know abt it..


Ingredients:
Bisquick Pancake Mix - 2cups
Milk - 1 1/2 cups - (Skimmed Milk)
Sugar - 2tsp
Vanilla Essence - 2 drops

How to prepare:
--Take a mixing bowl,Add milk to the pancake mix and stir it well until its smooth with no lumps..Add sugar,vanilla essence..The Pancake batter has to be in thick consistency just like dosa batter..If the batter is very thick then add some more milk..
--Cook on a hot greased pan, fill the ladle about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Add some butter on the top of the pancake batter when its getting cooked..Cook until bubble breaks on surface and  a little dry around the edges and flip it over..u can see the other side has turned lightly brown..
--Serve it hot with maple syrup or honey..

Puri - Puffy Puris

Puri is mainly served at breakfast or as an evening tiffin..though its completely fried in oil..everyone will love it..it can be done ocassionally..

Ingredients:
Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Oil - 1tsp
Salt
Warm Water

How to Prepare:
--Take a bowl,Add 2 cups of wheat flour and add 1tsp of oil,salt..mix well.Now add warm water little by little and knead it well to a firm dough..Cover it with a lid and Keep it aside for 15mins..
--Now again knead the dough well and divide the dough into round balls..
--Take a wooden board and rollout the ball,spread into flat shape with a rolling pin..
--Take a small round shaped lid and shape the rolled out dough
--Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan - heat it in a medium flame
--Fry the puri one by one..push it into the oil and the puri will puff out very nicely..
--Take it out with a ladle(Jalli Karandi) and blot the excess oil in a tissue paper..
--Serve it hot with choley or Potato subji or Moong Dal subji(Payatham Paruppu Kootu)

Stuffed Chapathi/Roti

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2cups
Water - warm water - as u need to knead the dough
salt -
Oil-2tsp

For stuffing:
capsicum - 1 large - chop it finely
Carrot - 2 - Grate it
Peas - 1/2 cup
Potato - 1large - chop it finely
Red Chilli Powder - 1tsp
Salt
Asafoetida
Garam masala powder - optional

How to cook:
--Add 2 cups of wheat flour and add water little by little and knead them well to a firm and moist soft dough.Cover it and keep it aside for 15mins..
--Now Heat a pan with 1tsp of oil and add all the chopped vegetables,red chilli powder,salt,asafoetida a pinch,garam masala powder and cook it well
--Now again knead the dough and make 2 small round balls.roll out the balls with a rolling pin and make it flat.Now u will have 2 chapathis..
--Now spread 2 tsp of the cooked vegetables on one chapathi and cover it with another chapati. flatten it softly.Now slowly close/seal the edges of the chapati..dip some water in the finger and seal it well
--Heat up the pan and fry the chapathi evenly on both the sides.Add 1tsp of oil or ghee on one side..
--Serve it hot with tomato chutney/tomato/thakkali thokku

Plain Dosa/Indian Pancake

Dosa - Just like Idli this is another famous south indian recipe.Kids will love it..U can attract them by making the dosas in different shapes..

Ingredients:
Ponni Par Boiled Rice - 4 cups
Urad Dal - 1 cup
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp
Raw Rice - 4 tsp
Poha(Aval) - 1tsp - for crispiness(Optional)

Soak all the ingredients for 2hrs..In winter season soak it for the same 2 hrs but in warm water

Grind it well for 45 mins in a mini ultra grinder..Add salt to the batter..

The batter has to be well fermented so leave it inside a oven(which will be a warm place - Just turn on the light alone)..CAUTION : DONOT HEAT OR TURN ON THE OVEN..

How to Cook:

--Heat up the pan..Add 1tsp of oil and spread it.
--Pour 1 ladle of batter,spread the batter with the back of the ladle into a round shape and pour 1tsp of oil around the batter..
--When one side is cooked,flip to the other side
--now fold it and serve it hot with chutney,sambar or milgai podi..

Tips :
--For some people first few dosas might not come out well..Dont panic..once the pan gets into a right temp..the dosas will come out very well..
--If u want a very crispier paper dosa..just cook on oneside for 2mins..the dosas will turn out to be cripsy like a paper..just fold it and serve it hot...

Soft Idlis - Steamed Rice Cake

Idli -  A very famous South Indian Recipe..Batter fermentation is very important for making good soft idlis..I have a professional secret about making soft idlis.."Soak the urad dal just for 15mins" that will do the trick..

Good thing is..Idli goes well with any type of side dishes..Idli Sambar,Idli Chutney..
now lets see how to make good soft idlis..

Ingredients :

Ponni Par Boiled Rice                  - 4 cups
Urad Dal                                     - 1 cup
Fenugreek Seeds/Methi Seeds     - 1/2 tsp

Soak the urad dal separately just for 15mins - first grind it separately in mini ultra grinder for 45mins..Add very little cold water in between to smoothen the batter..


Soak the par boiled rice for one and half hr - Grind it separately in mini ultra grinder for 15mins add some methi seeds to it and grind it along with it..
 
Then mix the grinded par boiled rice mixture to the urad dal..Add some salt as per the taste and Keep it in a warm place..
 
Warm place would be the oven..keep it inside the oven..it will be warm inside - just turn on the light alone-Let it ferment well for 8hrs..Make sure the batter has raised its level..Double the level(DONOT HEAT OR  TURN ON THE OVEN - that will be very funny)
 
Like if u keep it tonight 8.00pm..the idli batter will be ready to cook for next day morning 7.00am..

How to Cook:
Once the batter is ready..
--Take the idli plates and grease it with 1tsp of oil
--Fill the idli plate with 1 ladle of batter
--Steam cook the idlis for 8 to 10mins
--Turn it off
--Ready to serve with hot sambar,Any type of chutneys,Milagai Podi(Chutney Powder)

Soft Chappathi

Chappathi  is cooked on a skillet.Its a low calorie diet suitable for all..

Ingredients :

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup water
1 tsp oil
1 1/2tsp salt
Utensils Needed to make chapathi :
Rolling pin
wooden chapathi board(Chakla)
frying pan or tava griddle
How to Cook:
First rub some oil on ur hands so that the dough will not stick..
--In a mixing bowl,put wheat flour,add salt,add oil and some water little by little..knead well for few minutes until its all mixed well.Make sure the dough is not really very sticky..then cover the mixing bowl with a lid and keep it aside for 1hr..
-- Divide the dough and roll into round shaped balls which should come to 10 to 12 small balls
-- now take the wooden board and sprinkle some flour on the board and also powder the rolling pin just to avoid sticking..
-- keep some little amt of flour in a small bowl ready so that u can sprinkle on the board whenever u want..
-- rollout the dough ball evenly in a nice round shape or any shape u desire..esp kids will different shapes like star or mini chappathis..dont make the chappathi very thin
--Heat the tava griddle to a medium flame and when the pan is heated,place the roti.
--when the dough becomes lightly cooked or dry on side..flip over to other side and the chappathi will puff up very nicely.
--if it takes time to puff up..just flip it over every few sec..once its all done...
--if u want u can smear up some ghee or oil to the roti..
Tips :
Dont cook the chappathi in a very high flame..it will become very hard..