Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Sakkaraivalli Kizhangu Curry / Genasu Palya - Sweet Potato Curry


SAKKARAIVALLI KIZHANGU CURRY / GENASU PALYA 

Sweet potato is known as Sakkaraivalli kizhangu in Tamil and Genasu in Kannada . This is one of the many native vegetables offered to Sun God during the harvest festival. It is usually grilled on  live charcoal, the skin is peeled and then relished as it is. It tastes yummy when cooked in jaggery syrup until it reaches the consistency of jam. Sakkarai valli kizhangu Curry / Genasu palya is another delicious dish which can be cooked in no time. 



INGREDIENTS 

Sweet Potato - 2 
Salt - 1/4 tsp 
Powdered jaggery - 2 pinches 
Oil - 2 tsps  
Mustard seeds - 1 pinch 
Black gram dal - 1/4 tsp 
Bengal gram dal - 1/4 tsp 
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch 
Asafoetida - 1 pinch 
Broken red chillies - 2 
Curry leaves - a few 
Fresh coconut gratings - 4 tbsps 

METHOD 

1. Scrape away the peel of sweet potato and store the peeled vegetable in a bowl of water. 
2. Chop into cubes and immediately immerse the cubes in water to prevent discolouration. 
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. 
4. When the mustard seeds splutter add the dals and roast till they turn golden in colour. 
5. Decrease flame and add red chillies and fry till they turn crisp. 
6. Stir in the asafoetida, turmeric powder and the curry leaves.
7. Drain the cubed sweet potato and add to the seasoning. 
8. Add salt and sprinkle little water, cover and cook on low flame till almost done. 
9. Add powdered jaggery, sprinkle little more water and cook till the curry becomes soft and dry. 


10. Switch off flame and garnish with fresh coconut gratings. 


Relish the sweetish Sakkarivalli kizhangu curry / genasu palya with your favourite meal.

Kitchen remodel update



     The beautiful paint is finished, giving the kitchen and kitchen nook a very classy look.   AS of last night the wood is almost finished in the kitchen area.  The countertops will be installed on Friday! Gets better every day.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Paneer Paratha / Cottage Cheese Stuffed Flat Bread



My recipe for the second day of Blogging Marathon is "Paneer Paratha". Although the methods for making stuffed paratha are similar to each other, some find it a bit difficult to make a perfect paratha.



One of my readers told me that though she followed all the steps mentioned, she still faced difficulty while rolling, as the filling often kept leaking out from the dough. So, I have decided to post another method of making stuffed paratha. This method is easier than the previous one. However, it is up to you to decide your comfort level and choose the method accordingly.



Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 8 parathas










Ingredients:



For Dough:



Wheat flour/ Atta - 2 cups + extra for dusting

Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Water - 1/2 - 3/4 cup or as required to make dough

Oil - 1 teaspoon

Oil - 2 tablespoons or as required for cooking parathas.



For Stuffing:



Paneer - 2 cups

Green chilli - 2 nos, finely chopped

Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons, finely chopped

Amchoor powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - to taste







Method:



For Dough:



1) Take flour, red chilli powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Add water little by litlle and make a soft dough.



2) Coat it with oil. Cover and keep aside.



3) Meanwhile prepare the stuffing.



For Stuffing:



1) In another mixing bowl or wide plate, crumble paneer.



2) Add green chillies, coriander leaves, amchoor powder and salt. Mix well. Remember to add correct amount of salt as we already added it to dough.





3) Taste and adjust the amchur powder and salt. Keep it aside.



For Making Parathas:



1) Divide the dough into 16 small sized lemon balls. Make sure the size of the balls are identical.



2) Take two identical balls and roll them to approximately 15 CM round disc as we roll for chapathi. Please refer the picture below.



3) In one rolled chapthi, spread a generous tablespoon or more of paneer mixture. Leave little space around the edges.



4) place another rolled chapthi over it and seal the corners. If required, seal it with the help of water.



5) Sligtly roll it using rolling pin.  Repeat the steps for making other parathas.



6) Heat the skillet. Cook the paratha with the help of oil.


 



7) Serve with raita or pickle.





Note:



1) With the given measurement, I prepared 8 medium size parathas as shown in picture. However, you may vary this as per your preference. Make it smaller or bigger.

2) Try to use fresh paneer for best results.