HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! - 28th September 2011

Happy Birthday To ME!

Chickpeas Sundal

Finally I did it. Yes, I posted a recipe which is related to festival and at correct time(?!). Earlier, I mostly busy in kitchen or forget to take photos or everything will get over by the time I come for taking photos. But this time, I planned it well and prepared chickpeas sundal for Navarathiri. This navarathiri festival recipe can also be eaten as evening snacks with a cup of tea/coffee.



Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 8 hours
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Chickpeas - 1 cup

Grated fresh coconut/ Frozen coconut/ Dessicated Coconut - 1/4 cup

Dry Red Chilli - 4 nos

Curry leaves - 1 string

Mustard and Urid dal - 1 teaspoon

Oil - 2 teaspoons

Salt - to taste



Method:



1) Soak chickpeas overnight or 8 hours.

2) Pressure cook it for 3 whistles. (increase/decrease depending upon your pressure cooker type). When the steam from pressure cooker about to release, open the lid, add salt and cover it again for another few minutes. Then, drain the excess water and keep aside.

3) In a pan, heat oil. When it is hot, add mustard seeds, urid dal, dry red chilli and curry leaves.

4) When urid dal starts to turn golden brown and aroma of red chilli and curry leaves spread in the kitchen, add chickpeas(as said in step 2).

5) Toss it for a minute and add grated coconut. Toss again to mix well.

6) Continue mixing for another 2 minutes in low flame.

7) Serve hot or warm.

Sending this recipe to Simply Food's Flavors of South India.

Vegetable Kothu Parotta / Minced Flaky Paratha with Vegetables

Growing up in southern part of Tamilnadu, I have tasted parotta quite often in roadside shops. During those days, roadside shops mean to me only for parottas. But getting a vegetarian version of parotta is little difficult as it was mostly prepared and served with egg, chicken and meat. Because of this reason, we usually get only parottas from shops and prepare vegetable kurma at home and enjoy them. Till now, It is one of the dishes which I prefer to eat in Indian restaurants without fail.



When I saw the frozen parottas from Indian grocery shop last week, memories brought me back to my childhood days and made me to buy them immediately. But the frozen parottas are little hard and gave me an idea about preparing vegetable kothu parotta, a famous street food of south India.



Almost everyone from India might have tasted this street food. Especially, the egg version is very famous among other types of kothu parotta. A flaky paratha or layered flat bread which is prepared using butter/oil and maida(Plain flour) is minced and cooked with vegetables and spices. With the same procedure, a beaten egg can be added for extra taste which is called Muttai Parotta (Egg version).

Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2



Ingredients:



Parotta / Flaky Parathas - 4 nos (I used store bought ready to use flaky parathas)

Mixed Vegetables - 2 cups, sliced (I added Carrot, Beans, Green and Yellow Capsicums and Peas)

Onion - 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Tomato - 1 no, finely chopped

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 teaspoon

Green chilli - 2 nos, minced

Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Fennel Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Coriander Leaves - for garnishing (I didn't add)



Method:



1) Slice vegetables into 1 inch length pieces.

2) Cut the flaky paratha into small chunks using hand or knife.

3) Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wide pan. Add cumin seeds and fennel seeds when it is hot. Allow them to turn brown.

4) Add chopped onions. When onions are half done, add ginger garlic
paste and minced green chilli. Saute till onions turn soft and well
cooked.

 

5) Add Tomatoes and continue sauteing till tomato completely mashes.

6) Add vegetables and sprinkle little water. Turn the flame to low and cover the pan using lid to cook the vegetables.

7) Once vegetables are cooked and no water left in the pan, add coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Fry till the raw smell of spices goes off.

8) Now add the minced parathas and toss them well and make spices to coat the minced parathas.

9) Cook for 2 minutes and remove from flame.

10) Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any raita.

Note:

1) You can add any vegetables to prepare this kothu parotta.

2) Curry leaves can also be added for seasoning.

Sending this recipe to Simply Food's Flavors of South India.