Wheat Parota or Atta Parota

Tasty food and Healthy body are two inseparable words due to their dependency on each other. Thats why these days we analyse health factor more than the taste element of food that we have it. So here I have come up with Wheat Parota thats traditional, tasty but also an healthy alternative to the very much criticized parotas for their health aspect. You will love it once you try it..!

Ingredients:

• Wheat Flour - 1 cup
• Yeast - 1/2 teaspoon or Soured Curd - 2 Tablespoon
• Salt - To Taste
• Water - Required for kneading

Method:

• In a large bowl mix wheat flour, salt and yeast or curd by pouring water.Knead it to a dough like that of normal chapathi or Flat bread.

• Leave the dough to rest for an hour so that fermentation process could take place.
• Now take out large sized balls in such a way that one ball would equalize the size of two normal chapathi.

• Roll out the large ball of dough somewhat thicker resembling a naan(not very thin like that of a chapathi) using the rolling pin.

• Next gently brush some oil over the rolled out dough.
• Now using a knife, partition the rolled out dough maintaining a width of almost one inch for each cut portion.

• Place one partition (one row of rolled out & cut dough) over the other and roll them gently to form the base of a medium sized parota.

• If you prefer a smaller version like coin parota, just roll one partition instead of two.
• Now squeeze it down slowly with your hand and slightly expand it a little bit to get the required size of parota.

• Finally throw them onto a preheated tawa or skillet and cook till they turn golden brown on both sides.

Note:

• Use oil generously for an enhanced taste while rolling out the dough and while cooking it.
• Wheat parotas go well with any kind of gravy both veg and non veg like chicken curry, egg roast or chana masala, veg kurmas etc.,

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Chippi Appam or Kalmakka Nirachathu or Stuffed Mussels

Here Iam sharing a very traditional mussel recipe called Chippi appam in Southern Tamil Nadu or Kallumakka Nirachathu in Northern regions of kerala. It basically involves very few ingredients that are stuffed and steamed to a soft and mushy kind of sea food meal. The beauty is you can have this as a main dish or even as an evening snack. The part which i love the most is scooping out the stuffings with its outer shell while eating it. Hope you would also enjoy it..!!!

Ingredients:

Mussels - 25 to 30
Rice flour - 1/2 kg
Chilli Powder - 2 Teaspoon
Turmeric powder -a pinch
Ginger Garlic Paste -2 Tablespoon
Fennel - 2- 3 teaspoon
Cinnamon - a small piece
Cardamom - around 4
Cloves - 2
Grated Coconut - 1
salt - To taste

Method:

• Open, Wash and Clean the Mussels thoroughly and keep it aside.

• Powder the following in a mixer - Fennel,Cinnamon,Cardamom and Cloves.

• In a large bowl add chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, ground powder, salt, shredded coconut and mix it together.

• Now put in rice flour and knead it into a soft dough.

• Take out small balls of dough and stuff it inside the opened mussels.

• Now Place them inside  a Steamer and allow it to cook for around 20 minutes or until they cook well inside.

• Once they are cooked and ready, serve them on a plate as it is.

• Later on you can even demould the shells and fry the stuffed mussels by applying a little of masala like chicken on oil for a different crispy taste.

• It could be served as a main dish or for an evening bite with the family.

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Easy Vegetable Kurma

Kurma or Khorma is a well known South Asian food for its mild blend of spices. Kurma's are of number of varieties consisting of meat and vegetables. Even though its preparation style differs, here Iam presenting a very simple and quick way of preparing vegetable kurma with no compromise in its authentic taste. 

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 (large one)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 Teaspoon
Green Chilly - 3-4
Capsicum - 1
Tomato - 1
Carrot - 1
Potato - 1
Garam Masala -  1 Tablespoon
Thick Coconut Milk - 1 cup
Water -1 cup
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 2 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves - For Garnish

Method:

• Heat Oil in a hot wok and saute ginger garlic paste and green chilly till you get to smell their flavour.

• Now add in Onion and Capsicum to it and saute for few minutes followed by tomato.

• Its time for the other vegetables to be added.(here carrot and potato).

• Add in garam masala at this stage and mix well.

• Pour in water and salt and cook the vegetables well.

• Finally add in the thick coconut milk and allow it to cook for just few more minutes.

• Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve it hot.

Note:

• Vegetable kurma goes well with Indian Flat breads like Chapati and also Appam.
• You can add any kind of vegetables as per your taste but normally prefer hard vegetables for making kurmas. 
• If you find it difficult to strain milk from coconut, you can very well use coconut milk powder mixed in water to simplify the process.  

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Kothu Parota

Kothu parota is a very well known dish thats more popular in the street side stalls of southern India. Its an absolute blend of left over ingredients citing us an example of complete reuse.So dont worry about the left over parotas you have got , just toss them into flavorful kothu parotas in a fatafat way.

Ingredients:

Parota - 5 (Shredded in a blender)
Onion - 2(medium sized- cut into cubes)
Tomato - 4(cut into cubes)
Egg - 2
Ginger - 2 tspn(chopped)
Garlic - 2 tspn(chopped)
Green chilly - 1(chopped)
Mutton - 10-12 pieces(already cooked and shallow fried)
Gravy - 2 tblspn (chicken, Mutton, or Beef)
Garam Masala - 1 tspn
Chilly powder - 1/2 tspn
Fennel powder- 1/2 tspn
Pepper- 2tspn
Coriander Leaves- 1/2 cup
Oil - 3-4 tblspn

Method:

• Heat Oil in pan and Saute green chilly, and chopped ginger garlic.

• When they slightly get sauteed add in the onion and salt. When onion gets transparent and starts changing its color, scramble the eggs gently in it.

• Now throw in the previously cooked and shallow fried mutton pieces and mix them well with ingredients.
• Once they start to turn dry, pour in the gravy, tomatoes and the Masalas( Garam masala,Chilli powder, Fennel powder, Pepper) and cook them under high flame for 2 minutes.

• Finally its time to add those shredded Parotas. Just add 2 teaspoon oil at this stage to make it more tastier.
• Now throw in the coriander leaves and stir fry for few minutes before serving the very flavorful Kothu parota.

Notes:

• Prefer Mutton gravy for more taste and flavour.
• Using the mutton fried oil for kothu parota adds to its taste.
• Shred the parotas in a simple way using the mixer.
• Using Tomato Sauce along with tomatoes gives it an added punch.
• It can be prepared using mutton, chicken or beef gravy.
• Be cautious while adding salt as there is salt in many of the ingredients already.

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Parota

Parota or Porata or Porota is a well known layered flat bread in southern India owing to its taste and aroma when its served hot. Even though its a tedious process, people love making it for their loved ones on special occasions. It does not involve much ingredients and with practice you can easily master this Tempting Parotas.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour (Maida) - 1 kg
Egg - 1
Baking soda - 1/4 tspn
Curd or Milk -1/4 cup
Water - 3/4 litre
Sugar - 1 tspn
Salt - As Per Taste
Oil - As needed

Method:

• Mix the flour, egg, baking soda, sugar and salt together.

• Then add in water and milk/curd to knead a dough thats neither too soft nor too hard.

• Leave the dough undisturbed for 10-15 minutes.

• Now pull out round shaped balls from the prepared dough and coat each of the balls with oil to keep it moist.

• Now Cover these balls with a wet muslin cloth and leave it undisturbed for another 30-40 minutes.

• When you remove the cloth later, you will find the balls to be expanded in size somewhat.
• Now take out a ball,pour a tspn of oil and with the help of your palm spread it out evenly like that of a chapati.

• With the help of both your hands gently hold it and beat it softly on a even flat surface to make it more thinner and elastic.

• Once you feel it elastic enough, hold one end together and circle the other end layer by layer. You will get a structure similar to that of a rose as shown below.

• Leave it aside for 5 minutes. Once you finish this process with all the balls, the first one would by ready to be prepared.
• Now take,pour a tspn oil and spread it out evenly(not bigger than your palm size).
• Finally put them on a hot pan or tawa and cook it in low-medium flame so that the inner part gets cooked enough.

• Pour in oil both sides while cooking to enhance its flavor and taste.
• When both sides of Parota turn golden in color take them out. 
• If needed you can pile three or four hot parotas together and beat with both your hands from the sides to get the layers out of them.Its not very necessary but it does give a fluffy feathery look.

• And there you have the tempting soft layered flat bread to be tasted with any vegetarian or non vegetarian gravy.

Note:

• Adding curd/milk helps soften the Parotas.
• Adding sugar gives it a golden brown tinch after cooking.
• Kneading is a very important step and make sure its done with care. If the dough is either too soft or hard, it would be very difficult to make it elastic and would tear off into pieces.
• Do not panic if you find small hole like tears here and there while making it elastic.

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Chicken Dum Biriyani - The Traditional Exquisite!

Biriyani, Undoubtedly the most loved delicacy of India. Its robust aroma,  the ever-tempting and tender texture with the magical blend of spices overpowers the foodies with absolute bliss...!!!

The kinds and styles of biriyani available count to numerous and here I have got you the most sort after of them- Chicken Biriyani. So Lets get started...

Ingredients:

Rice-1 kg

Chicken-1 kg

Onion( thinly sliced)-1/2 kg

Tomato- 4

Coconut Oil - 4-5 tablespoon

Ginger & Garlic- 1 and 1/2 tablespoon each.

Green Chilly - 10-12

Shallots-1 teaspoon

Garam Masala- 1 teaspoon

Coriander Powder- 1 tablespoon

Turmeric Powder- 1 teaspoon

Chilli Powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Fennel powder - 1 tablespoon

Lemon extract- from 1 lemon

Curd - 1 tablespoon

Water(Chicken stock preferred)- 2 litre

Ghee - 2  tablespoon

Fried Onion - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves(finely chopped) - 1 cup

Salt To Taste
Banana Leaves

Method:

• Crush Ginger,garlic, green chilly and shallots in a blender and fry and keep away a handful of  thinly sliced onion for garnishing. 

• Marinate the chicken pieces with little amount of ginger,garlic,garam masala,turmeric powder,lemon juice,salt and curd.Leave it undisturbed for 15 minutes so that the mixture gets coated well over the chicken.

• After soaking rice in water for 10 minutes, heat a pan with 1 teaspoon ghee and saute the rice for few minutes.

• In another pan,To prepare Chicken Stock, boil water with onion,ginger,garlic,garam masala, salt ,curry leaves and boned chicken pieces.(Its very important to use the chicken pieces with bones).Once boiled well,Strain out the chicken stock with the help of a strainer.

• Add the strained water/chicken stock over to the sauted rice along with pinch of salt and let them cook until three quarter tender and when done, put off the flame.

• In another pan , heat coconut oil and saute onions till golden brown.Then gradually add green chilly ginger and garlic and saute till the raw smell subsides.Then put cut tomato pieces and saute it well too. 
• Now add the marinated Chicken pieces and salt to this mixture and cook with lid closed for almost 10 minutes in low flame.

• After 10 minutes, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder,fennel powder and  garam masala and cook it well with the chicken pieces for another 10 minutes so that the chicken is soft and three quarter tender.
• Next we will have to follow a process called dum(slow heating with lid closed) to make biriyani more flavourful and tempting.
• For this take a large saucepot or any vessel that is quite large so as to fix entire content and  Place it over a hard coated tawa or iron skillet. To avoid sticking or burning of the biriyani place a banana leaf  inside the saucepot with ghee spreaded.  
• Now transfer the Chicken gravy to it and layer it with rice on top. Sprinkle Fried onions and coriander leaves above for garnishing and a finished look.
• Now Close the lid and heat it under slow flame for few minutes and then put off the flame. Open it when you are ready to serve and eat. There is no doubt you will be taken off by the exquisite taste and flavour of chicken dum biriyani.

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