Paneer Peas Rajgira Paratha

Rajgira/Amaranth flour is completely new to me.  I might have come across this flour in any of the food blogs and I'm sure I haven't bothered to find out more since I knew I would not able to find it in my area. Now that I am in a new city, I happened to see the packet of flour in a nearby provision store.  Telling myself that I can google and find out what could be done with it, I bought a packet.

Amaranth flour is made from the seeds and its gluten free. And its mostly considered as upvaas/fasting food when one abstains from eating any cereals. Since it is gluten free and cooked on fasting days, potatoes are invariably added while making tikkis/parathas. I was impressed with the nutritional information found here

Amaranth flour contains more fiber and iron than wheat and it is a good source of calcium. Amaranth flour is high in protein and when it is used in combination with other flours (such as wheat), the protein value is as beneficial as fish or poultry.

You can read about more about it from here, here and here

I did not add potatoes to my parathas and instead used wheat flour for gluten.

You need

• Rajgira/Amaranth flour - 1 cup
• Wheat flour - 2 tblspn
• Salt- 1/4 tspn
• Red chilli powder - 1/4 tspn
• Wheat flour for dusting

For Filling

• Grated paneer - 1/2 cup
• Fresh peas - 1/2 cup
• Green chilly - 2nos
• Lemon juice - 1/2 tspn
• Salt to taste

Method

Microwave peas for 5 minutes or blanch in hot water for 10 minutes. You can use fresh peas as it  is. But I don't like the raw smell of peas. Grind the peas and green chilly together. Don't add water. It need not be very smooth. The peas should be crushed enough that it doesn't stick out while rolling.  Mix the grated paneer, ground peas+chilly paste, lemon juice and salt in a bowl. Divide into 6 portions.

Take the ingredients for the paratha in a bowl. Add enough water to get a smooth dough. Divide the dough into 6 balls.

Take one ball and roll into a small circle. Place the filling.

Gather the ends and close it. Keep the closed end down and roll out into paratha. Dust with wheat flour as you roll. Since the rajgira flour doesn't have any gluten, be gentle while you roll.

Heat a griddle and smear oil on it. Cook the parathas on both sides. Drizzle oil around the paratha while cooking. Enjoy these delicious, soft parathas with a side of a cup  of curd and your favorite pickle.

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A Fish A Day

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Late one morning in Kerala, I heard a female voice call into my aunt's dining room window. My aunt hollered back something about fish and headed to the doorway just outside the kitchen. I followed her, intrigued by the casual, yet intimate exchange. When I arrived, Martha lifted a wide aluminum vessel from her head and set it down in front of us. Nestled inside were several varieties of fish, including the region's much beloved karimeen (or pearl spot). Like the fresh fish I happened upon in markets across Kerala, their eyes were clear and their bodies, plump.

Martha, Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Kerala has a zig-zag of lakes and rivers and a coastline that hugs that Arabian Sea for hundreds of miles. So living off the land includes daily doses of fish for many Malayalees. During my stay, fish with green mangoes, coconut milk, or chili sauce, and shrimp with tamarind all made it to the table. Yet, what I really crave, months later, are mathi (sardines). My aunts marinated them with chili powder, garlic powder, and turmeric and fried the fish to a crisp. Memories of pairing mathi with a canvass of parboiled and ladling of fresh yogurt still haunt me today.

Men Fishing in Trivandrum, Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

On my last day in Kerala, my cousins took me to Kumarakom, a dreamy resort town in the backwaters. At the Kumarakom Club, my eldest cousin Reena ordered two specialty dishes - duck with gravy and karimeen pollichathu (fish roasted in a banana leaf). When the food arrived, she unwrapped three of the fish and placed the fourth one in front of me. As a guest, I didn't have to share. As I pulled back the corners of the banana leaf, the smell of black pepper, ginger, and garlic rose to my nose. Using my fingers, I scooped up a bit of the flesh. The outer edge had a thin crust. Inside, the flesh was tender and moist. I was grateful to have an entire fish, so exquisitely prepared, to myself.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

We ended the afternoon with a houseboat ride along the lake. I'd had many dazzling adventures in India, but this finale on the water, was the most enchanting. For an hour, we meandered through a carpet of frilly green water hyacinths. Lanky coconut trees lazed about, beckoning us to be still. Their wispy leaves lifted and fell with the breeze. Everything in the hidden water world moved more slowly - the paddle boats, the birds, even the children splashing along the shoreline.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

FISH MAPPAS

(COPYRIGHT CARDAMOM KITCHEN 2009)

Serves 6-8

One of the most appealing things about everyday Kerala cooking is how I feel once I've left the table. With a reliance on spices rather saturated fat, the fish dishes in particular, leave me feeling replenished not weighed down. Try this recipe for fish with turmeric for a nourishing meal.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons canola oil or olive oil

3/4 cup onion, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 small jalapeno, cut lengthwise

1 medium tomato, cut into wedges

1 pound Catfish or Tilapia fillets, cut into roughly 3-inch pieces

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk or coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno. Cook until onion becomes translucent.

Add tomato and cook until it begins to soften.

Add fish. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add water, turmeric, cumin, salt, and stir gently.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook until fish flakes (about 10 minutes).

Reduce heat to low. Add milk and cook for 2 more minutes.

Remove from heat. Sprinkle in vinegar. Tilt pot to the left and right to distribute vinegar.

Serve with rice and steamed peas.