Multigrain Atta And Palak Parotta - Multigrain And Spinach Multilayered Flat Bread

MULTIGRAIN ATTA AND PALAK 
PAROTTA 

 Summer vacation is the only time when children can enjoy their favourite food served hot and fresh, straight from the hearth. Since my son and daughter- in - law had also come down for the vacation, my children and grandchildren celebrated a 'foodies' ball' all through the holidays! 

One day when every one voted for a parotta party we decided to make  power packed palak parottas using multigrain atta. With spicy chana masala as the side dish, the parottas disappeared as soon as they were flipped  out of the tava! 

INGREDIENTS 

Multigrain atta - 2 cups

Palak / Spinach - 1 bunch 

Chopped Green chilly - 1 tsp 

Chopped fresh ginger - 1tsp 

Salt - 1/4 tsp 

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp 

Cooking oil - 1/4 cup 

Rice flour - for dusting 

METHOD 

1. Wash, drain and chop the palak / spinach and keep aside. 

2. Heat one spoon of oil, add cumin seeds and stir in the chopped green chillies and ginger. 

3. Add washed palak / spinach and salt, cover and cook till done. 

4. Cool the cooked palak and blend it into a thick paste without adding water.

 

5. Make a well in the multigrain atta in a bowl and mix in the spinach paste little by little as per requirement and knead into a somooth chapati dough. 

6. Add one spoon of oil and knead again and make lime size balls out of the dough. 

7. Roll out a dough ball into a thin chapati . 

8.Spread a drop of oil all over the surface of the chapati. 

9. Pleat the chapati and then curl it into a circle. 

10. Shape all the dough balls into pleated circles and keep them covered. 

11. Roll out a pleated circle into a moderately thick parotta using rice flour for mild dusting. 

12. Heat a greased tava and cook the parotta  on both sides with a dribble of oil till golden spots appear.

                                                                                                                

Top the crisp Multigrain Palak Parottas with a dollop of butter and relish it with any hot and spicy side dish.

Cooking with Curry Leaves

My dad (pictured first in the second row) grew up with thirteen siblings: Daisy Maria, Esther, Jolly, Stephen, Rachel, Clara, Elias, Joey, James, John, David, Samson, and Starling. Nine of them followed him to the states beginning in the sixties. When I was a child, the family got together at least once a year for a christening. Everyone ate and slept in the same house. A boisterous bunch, my uncles kept the booze flowing. They pulled pranks on anyone they could catch off guard and told outlandish tales that grew taller and taller with each drink. My aunts made sure we were all well-fed. Squeezed in the kitchen, they boiled rice, ground spices, and shared stories of family back home.

These days we get together to celebrate weddings and to baptize the next generation. Thankfully, the laughter and jesting and mayhem have continued alongside my aunts’ marvelously home cooked meals: idli (steamed buns) and sambar (vegetable stew), cuppa (cassava) and red fish curry, spicy chicken and stir-fried cabbage. Everything is flavored with kariveppila or fresh curry leaves. 





Turmeric adds a glow, cardamom perfumes, but curry leaves are Kerala's most common flavor booster. Tossed in almost all Malayalee dishes, they have the flavor of peppercorns crossed with bell peppers and freshly cut grass. The only ingredient that makes it to the table more often is rice. With a tree growing in nearly every yard, curry leaves are sautéed in oil, floated in beef stew, and mixed into lentil fritters before they are fried. 

In Chicago and other major urban centers, fresh curry leaves are often sold in the produce section of Indian grocery stores. Select leaves that smell strong and have smooth edges. Avoid brittle leaves - a sure sign they are sapped of flavor. Curry leaves thrive in warm climates. My Uncle Joey and my Uncle Jimmy who live in Florida faithfully bring huge bunches of them to family reunions. On the last day of every get together, the coveted leaves are divided in a come-one-come-all sort of fashion. I’ve nearly been trampled trying to claim my share. If you fall for them too and bask in a warm climate, why not plant a small tree in the yard.

Curry leaves are best used fresh. To preserve your loot, dry the leaves and fold them in a paper towel.  Place them in an air tight bag (or container) and store them in the refrigerator.

Cucumber Raitha / Vellarikai Thayir Pachadi / Cucumber Yogurt Dip

Raitha is a most commonly served condiment with spicy Indian food. All yogurt lovers love raita. It is a palate cleanser and aids in digestion. There are practically number of types of raita one could prepare, the most common being carrot raita, cucumber raita, onion raita and tomato raita. Raita is the best accompaniment for briyani and kebabs. This is not much of a recipe but there are certain