Methi Paranthas!

Methi leaves are commonly used in many North Indian dishes, called as vendaya keerai in Tamil.

This receipe is a different variation, wherein the leaves are mixed in the dough and rolled out to make yummy parathas :-)

Ingrediants - ( 2 people)

1. All purpose flour ( wheat ) - 2 cups


2. salt - to taste


3. Methi leaves - 1 cup ( leaves plucked seperately ,washed several times and finely chopped )


4. chilli pdr - 1/2 tsp


5. Turmeric pdr - 1/2 tsp


6. Garlic - 2 or 3 cloves finely chopped (optional)


7. warm water to kneed the dough


8. oil

Method -

1. In a big kneading pan, add all the ingrediants and slowly add water to make a soft dough.


2. After making the dough , roll it again with a spoon of oil and allow it to sit for 1o to 15 mins.


3. Heat tava, roll out a portion of the dough and make them into puffed yummy parathas!

As you can see , i ve served it with dal and curd, pickle will also do.

Nutritional content:

Methi leaves are rich is protein, phosporous,calcium and iron in their natural forms, its mineral and vitamin contents are also very high and this is easily assimilated by our body.

Wheat Rawa Upma

Usually we all must have tried sooji rawa upma but i jus tried to make upma with wheat rawa(kodumai ravai).Making this dish is much simpler than sooji as it requires very less or no ghee.Also there is no need to fry the rawa before making the dish.

Ingredients:

• Wheat rawa- 1 cup
• onion - 1 sliced
• Tomato - 1 sliced
• green chillies - 2
• curry leaves - few
• musturd seeds - 1 tsp
• oil - 2 to 3 tsp
• water - 3 cups
• salt to taste.

Method of preparation:

• Heat a Kadai and add oil and when hot add musturd seeds, curry leaves and green chillies and saute well.
• Slowly add the onions and fry them, when they change colour add the tomatoes and salt and cook on slow flame
• After a few minutes add 3 cups of water in the kadai and allow it to boil( a spoon of ghee can be added at this stage if required)
• slowly add 1 cup of wheat rawa and stir the mixture simultaneously.
• allow the rawa to cook in low flame and serve hot!

Serving suggestions:

Can be served with pickle and curd.

Maharashtrian Poha

Delicacies-in-law !!


I learnt this dish from my ma-in-law and it has become almost a staple breakfast almost twice or thrice a week!

Ingredients:

• Poha/aval/beaten rice -2 to 3 cups.
• onions - 2 finely chopped
• peanuts - fried ,a handful
• turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• salt - to taste
• sugar - 1/2 tsp
• curry leaves - a bunch
• celantra leaves - few to garnish
• musturd seeds - 1 tsp
• oil - 2 to 3 tsp
• green chillies - 2 to 3 finely chopped

Method of preparation:

• Clean the poha several times and soak them in about 1 cup of waterand keep aside.
• Heat a kadai and add oil, when hot add musturd seeds,fried peanuts, curry leaves,green chillies and saute well
• Add the chopped onions and fry them along with salt,sugar and turmeric powder.
• when the onions become traslucent and golden brown in colour, add the poha and mix well.
• Turn of the heat, squeeze half a lemon ( optional) and garnish with corriander leaves.

When served can also be garnished with bhujia or mixture

Alu ki sabzi / potato curry / urulai kuruma

My neighbour Mrs.Mamta Jain gave me one of these variation of alu sabzi which i tried and like to share with you all.

The method of preparing this receipe is quiet uncommon in south indian kitchen !

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 4 peeled and cut into cubes
• yoghurt - 1 cup
• chilli powder - 1 tsp
• coriander powder -1 tsp
• salt - to taste
• turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• cumin powder - 1 tsp
• gram flour ( besan ) - 1 large tsp
• oil - 2 to 3 tsp
• musturd seeds - 1 tsp
• fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• nigella seeds - 1 tsp
• cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• bay leaf - 1
• cinnamon stick - 2

Method of prepation:

• Take youghurt in a mixing bowl and add chilli powder,turmeric powder,corriander powder,salt,cumin powder and mix well so that there are no lumps formed and keep aside.
• Heat a kadai and add oil, when hot add the musturd seeds,cumin seeds,fennel seeds,nigella seeds,bay leaf and cinnamon stick and saute well till they splutter.
• Now lower the heat and add the yoghurt mixture kept aside and stir till it comes to boil
• Add the potatoes peeled and cut into cubes into the boiling yogurt mixture and stir weel
• pour a cup of water and close the kadai with a lid and cook for 8 to 10 mins which allows the potatoes to absorb the spicy yogurt mixture.
• Garnish with celantra leaves and serve.

serving suggestion:

Can be served with chappatis, rotis,naans.

Best with puris ( my preference)

Moong dal dosa / pasi parrupu dosai

Usually our traditional southindian dosas are made with lots of preparation, like soaking for hours in water and allowing them to ferment ( for yeast formation ) for another one day. so by the time you eat your dosa you have to wait for 2 days.

Moong dal/pasi parrupu is a great substitute for this traditional dosa made with rice and urud dal. These dosas are faster and easier to prepare.

Ingredients for 2 people / around 6 large dosas :

moong dal - 1 cup washed ( 250 gms )

cummin seeds - 1 tbsp

salt - to taste

oil - for making the dosas ( around 6 tbsps)

Method:

Wash the dal in water several times until the water becomes clear

Soak the dal in water for about 3 to 4 hours

Drain and blend them along with the required amount of salt.( the batter blends smoother with little water)

Add cumin seeds in the batter ( for digestion ).add water if needed to form into a dosa consistency.

Heat non-stick/dosa pan , spread oil and make dosas with the batter.

serving suggestions:

tastes best with aloo(potato) peas curry ( my preference)

also can be served with any chutney or gunpowder(milagai podi)