Aloo Paratha

Parathas are the tastiest Punjabi food that I always like to eat. Especially aloo paratha is my favorite. I usually make this for dinner or a heavy brunch during the weekends.

Ingredients:

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For Potato Filling:

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3 medium size Red Skin Potatoes

1 Green Chili chopped

1/4 inch Ginger grated

1/4 cup Cilantro chopped

1/4 tsp Chili powder

1/4 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango powder (if you don't have amchur powder you can use 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice)

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder

Salt to taste

Dough:

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2 1/2 cups Chapati Flour/Atta

1 tsp Oil

Water as needed (probably you will need 2 cups)

Salt to taste

1/2 stick Butter as needed

Method:

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1. Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker with water for 3 whistles. Allow it to cool. Remove the pressure and peel the skin off the potatoes and mash the potatoes and make sure you don't have lumps. If you are not sure how to mash it, you can use a grater to grate it.

2. In a bowl add all the filling ingredients including the potatoes and mix well and keep aside.

3. In a bowl add Atta, oil and salt and mix well. Now add around 1 3/4 cup of water and knead the dough. Add more water if needed to make a soft dough. (it should be little sticky). Apply oil and let it rest for about 10 mins.

4. Meanwhile heat the tava on the stove.

5. Make a big lemon size ball of the dough and flaten it with hand on the corners.

6. Stuff about 2 tbsp of the potato filling and completely cover/seal with the dough and make a ball again.

7. Gently press down to a flat round shape with hands and dip in flour as needed and with a roller pin roll it gently to a chapati shape without applying any pressure.

8. When the tava is hot place the paratha on the stove and cook if for a min or until the dough turns pale on the upper side.

9. Flip it to other side and cook until brown spots appear, flip again and apply butter over the top and flip again quickly and apply butter to the second side and serve hot with masala yogurt and pickle.

Tomato Chopps / Tomato Curry | Indian Curry Recipes

Tomato chops is a easy and delicious curry with a tangy-sweetness from tomatoes and a mild heat from the masala. It is perfect for rice and roti alike and also a creamy spread for breads. It was the one traditional curry made in my home and when we were kids we used to call this as chapeese (kiddie language transformation). This is a simple preparation which gets ready in under 30 mins.

Beetroot Aur Mewa Pulao ~ Arusuvai Friendship Chain Season II Recipe

Arusuvai friendship chain season II is back. Thanks to Sayantani for reviving it. This friendship chain was kick started by Lathamma and Srivalli and Bharthi took it forward. In the first season, I received the mystery ingredient from Gaurav and I had sent to Harini/Sunshinemom. And I am glad I could be a part of this during the second season too. 

I received a lovely parcel from Veena . She sent me a lovely recipe book along with a hand written letter. Thank you so much, Veena. The book that came with the ingredient is right for the season with summer recipes from Chef. Sanjeev Kapoor. Veena mailed me saying she forgot to scratch the ingredient name in the hurry to mail the parcel. So asked me to take a guess at the ingredient with out looking at the label. On the first look, I thought it to be dried dates. But on closer look, I knew it was apricot. I made two dishes using the apricot. I made a pulao and had packed it for my husband's lunch box.  My  husband who doesn't give a feedback unless asked for, remembered to tell me the lunch was good, when he was back  from office. 

I followed the recipe from here and had scaled down the ingredients quantity to suit the amount of rice I had
taken.

You need

• Basmati rice/ any long grain rice - 1 cup (I used Surti Kolam)
• Water - 2 cups
• Beetroot - 2 small ones
• Ghee - 2 tblspn
• Pepper - 15 nos
• Bay leaves - 2 nos, torn
• Onions - 2 medium, julienned
• Raisins - 2 tblspn
• Almonds,cashews - 10 each
• Apricot - 5 nos, quartered
• Fig - 5 nos
• Garam masala - 1/2 tspn
• Mint leaves - 10 nos
• Salt to taste

Method

Wash and soak rice in 2 cups of water for half an hour. Heat ghee in a kadai or thick bottomed vessel. I used pressure cooker vessel. Add pepper,bay leaf and onions. When onions turn pink, add raisins, cashew, almonds, fig and apricot. Saute for few seconds. Drain the rice and reserve the water.Add rice, saute for three  minutes and then add the drained 2 cups of water.  Bring it to a boil. Add salt, garam masala and torn mint leaves. Cover and cook on a medium heat. When the rice is half cooked, add the grated beetroot and gently mix. Cover and continue to cook till it is done.

After adding the grated beets, don't mix it thoroughly. Give a gentle mix so that the rice doesn't turn red fully. And you will have shades of light red and dark red in rice as shown in the original recipe. I gave a thorough mix only to realise later what the 'mix lightly' in the recipe intended. This is only for the visual appeal and doesn't affect the taste at all.

If you find the water is less, you can add little amount of water so that it cooks well and also doesn't get stuck at the bottom.

This dried fruits and nuts beet pulao  along with a bowl of raita and roasted potatoes made a tasty lunch. The pulao did not taste on the sweet side even with the beet and the dried fruits added to it. The pepper sufficiently balances the taste.

P.S. Sayantani could not assign any blogger so that I can send the ingredient and keep the chain going. She says she either doesn't have the confirmation or the address of the blogger to give me. So, if any of you would  like to receive from me, please send your mailing address to Sayantani at -  ahomemakersdiary@yahoo.in. You can leave a comment here and I shall co-ordinate with Sayantani and get in touch with you.