Beet & Peanut Raita

The Idiot Box which otherwise is full of over-the-top reality show crap, has a redeemer finally ! India's Got Talent  is really good and I am amazed at the terrific display of prowess by the participants. The raw passion and unbridled energy of many of the folks taking the stage keeps me hooked. This talent scout show is running the length and breadth of the country to bring to the fore the any latent skills of the population. I wonder out aloud how these contestants given the right training and necessary infrastructure can go a long way and represent India proudly in the global arena. However, there is one small irk ! The need to score TRP brings in a lot of melodramatic moments from the judges. It jars the momentum, the show otherwise promises. Also, the sometimes insensitive remarks by the trio towards the rustic partakers is awful. Despite the drama the saving grace  comes in the form of the affable hosts and Manish is especially winsome. The real heroes of the show, the talent of the country merits a special mention and hope they go on to make the most of their skills !

Life's pretty busy otherwise. The hearth is abuzz too with some heart-warming food being constantly dished out. One of such tasty dish is this Beet & Peanut Raita. Inspired from Nirmala's Kitchen, the dish was an instant hit with kids too and was a perfect accompaniment to the sunday lunch.

Raita, the gently flavoured yogurt dish is a very delicious condiment. It can be served as a side-dish or even as a dip. The  versatile dish is often tweaked to accommodate veggies or fruits and lights up the dining affair.

What's in it :-  (Serves: 4)

• Beet root- 2 - medium sized
• Yogurt/Curd - 1 1/2 cup - beaten
• Green Chillis - 2 - finely chopped - to taste
• Salt to taste
• Peanuts-1/2 cup

To Temper

• Mustard-1 tsp
• Oil -1tsp
• Coriander to garnish

Here's How :-

Roast the peanuts to a golden brown and pulse/crush it roughly. Wash the beets well and tip it into the pressure cooker. Let it cook for 2 whistles. Once it cools down, drain excess water if any and peel it.Grate the beets and set aside.

In a wok, heat the oil and let the mustard crackle and sizzle. Add the chopped chillis and stir it for a few seconds. Add the grated beet and saute for a few minutes. Adjust salt to the dish and take it off flame. Dunk this in to the beaten yogurt along with crushed peanuts. Mix well and garnish it with coriander leaves.

Serve with rice or chapatis/rotis (Indian Flatbread).

E.N.J.O.Y

DAL PARANTHAS/FLATBREAD MADE FROM LEFTOVER LENTILS - A GUEST POST BY SHUMAILA-BLOGGER OF THE MONTH

I am eternally thankful to my space for opening up a world of wonderful food blogs and thereby the people behind them. My journey in to salivating virtually on the all the delicious eats landed me in to Shumaila's lip-smacking blog. She calls herself novice but let me assure you that her cooking is anything but that. Battenberg Cake among many others is a proof of that.Whipping up dishes with much passion, you can feel that buzz behind her fine posts.The recipes a fabulous mix of global cuisine has been brilliantly captured and elegantly worded.  I was thrilled when she accepted my request for a guest post without any fuss.  

Presenting Shumaila Blogger of the Month - July
----------------------------------------------------********************************---------------------------------------------------------
First and foremost – a warm thank you to Priya for inviting me to guest post today and for introducing me to her readers!

Being a north Indian, I love my paranthas. A little (or honestly a lot of) butter on top does not hurt either. So today as part of my Garam Masala Tuesdays series and as part of the Guest post for Priya I thought I would share the recipe for Dal Paranthas.


Dal is the Indian word for pulses/lentils. It also refers to a thick stew prepared from these pulses, and it is in this context that I will be using the term when talking about today's paranthas.Parantha is unleavened Indian flat bread. There are several different varieties of paranthas- stuffed,plain, layered.


Unlike traditional paranthas, where the dough is generally stuffed with vegetables like potatoes (aloo parantha) or cauliflower (gobhi parantha), these dal ka paranthas are actually made by combining whole wheat flour with any leftover cooked lentils (dal) that you have in the refrigerator.

So many times it happens that after a meal is over, I end up with only so much dal (thick lentil soup) to feed one person. Either, V and I toss over who gets the bowl of leftover dal for the next meal or I convert the dal into dal paranthas, something that is easy to make and perfect for a filling breakfast/lunch or even dinner :).


I generally use leftover toovar dal, since not only does it get made the most in our household (because of V's undying love for it) but also because it tastes the best in these paranthas, though I have had equally satisfying results with sambhar and dal makhani. These paranthas can actually be made with any leftover lentil soup/dal/lentil curry. You can even add in some leftover veggies and just blend it in
the mixture.


Dal Paranthas were actually introduced to me by my grandmother. When I was young and would visit my grandparents’ house during summer vacations, she made them  often for breakfast. She hated carrying leftovers for the next day meal. So whatever little veggies or dal was left  from the day before, she would puree it in the blender, knead it with some whole-wheat flour and serve them with homemade white butter and curd in the morning as breakfast.


Seriously, wasn't childhood the best time ever!

You will love the crispness of the paranthas that comes with the addition of the dal. Subtly flavored, you will find yourself making extra dal (lentils curry) just so that you can make these dal paranthas the next morning. It’s a great breakfast/brunch option ready in no time, making it perfect for a weekend as well as a weekday.


Feel free to use any leftover vegetables as well. Just puree them in the food processor/blender into a smooth paste and mix in with the whole-wheat flour and dal. You really don't need to add anything to the dough as the dal itself has every ingredient you need. But, a little chopped onion and some green chilies added to the dough will surely take them up a notch. So do add them in!

This is also a great breakfast for school going kids. And it’s a great way to get the kids to eat lentils or any vegetable they are not too fond of. Believe me, I speak from experience. I was tricked many times by my grandmother into eating lentils and veggies this way.


My grandmother has been famous for masquerading veggies to make us kids eat "quality" food. Besides these paranthas, she also made this chocolate ice cream which we loved. Only recently did I get to know the secret ingredient in her chocolate ice creams was actually Ghiya/lauki or what americans know as Bottle gourd! It used to be soft and creamy and you could never have guessed there was ghiya masquerading in it. Maybe some day I will share the recipe with you.


For now, I leave you with these paranthas.

DAL PARANTHA/ FLAT-BREAD MADE FROM LEFTOVER LENTILS

Whenever I make these paranthas, I think of my grandparents’ house in Jalandhar, where my grandparents used to stay before they shifted to Chandigarh. My grandmother would religiously make these for me because this was the only way I would eat (toovar) dal then.When my friend, M and I were trying to set up a business of our own and were staying with my grandparents' place just before I got married, on most days these paranthas were the only highlight of our day!


Generally there is no set recipe for these paranthas, as the quantity of leftovers will always vary. Depending on the consistency of the dal, I adjust the amount of whole-wheat flour I add, using as much that is sufficient to make it into a smooth dough.


If the dal is too watery, heat it to evaporate the liquid.Allow it to cool and keep it in the fridge to thicken, before using it to make the paranthas.

Ingredients (Makes 5 paranthas) :-

• 1 cup + 2tbsp Whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup leftover cooked lentils/dal
• 1 tsp ajjwain/carom seeds
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
• salt, to taste
• 5 green chilies, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter/oil

Directions:-

1. Puree the dal/cooked lentils and any leftover veggies to a smooth paste in the blender.

2. To the pureed dal, add rest of the ingredients, adjusting the quantity of flour sufficient to make smooth dough that is not sticky and can be rolled out easily.

3. Divide the dough into a little larger than golf sized balls.

4. Roll out a ball into a circle and apply some ghee.Bring the edges together and twist into a ball again, flatten it slightly. Dust each portion with some wheat flour

5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the flattened dough ball into a circle 1/4th inch thick with a rolling pin, applying additional flour as necessary to avoid the dough sticking to the pin.

6. Heat an iron skillet/tawa. If you do not have an iron skillet use a non-stick pan. Gently pick up the rolled circle and place it on the hot skillet. Cook for a minute and flip it over with a spatula. Each side should have tiny brown spots.

7. Drizzle one teaspoon of oil on each side and cook the bread while gently pressing down on them. They will get slightly crisp and dark with more brown spots on them.

8. Wrap the cooked rotis in a dish or paper towel and store them in air-tight containers till ready to serve. (I generally take a bite or two while I am waiting to make the other paranthas. It's ok if you do too!)

E.N.J.O.Y

Methi Paratha (Indian Flat Bread with Fenugreek Leaves)

I am having a jolly good time with my parents and guess what ? Yours truly is spending very little time in kitchen as the hearth is literally stormed by mommy dearest. And we often end up making dishes that get scant attention in my kitchen. Methi Parathas for instance is one such dish. 

The fenugreek leaves are well-liked but often end up getting a step-motherly treatment in my hearth. However, they are one of my mom's favourite greens. She constantly uses the leaves to rustle up stir-fries, or peps up rice varieties or makes rotis around it with other ingredients. She often tells me about the nutritive value of these greens and the dietary fibre it is loaded with. Rich in antioxidants and iron content, including these greens in the diet regularly is a health boon.

The spiced parathas with these greens was a winner.

What's in it :-

• Fenugreek/Methi Leaves - a small bunch
• Whole Wheat Flour (Atta) - 1 big cup
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tsp - to taste
• Garam Masala - 1 tsp - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as required (for kneading)
• Oil/Ghee - as required (for cooking)

How :-

Wash the leaves thoroughly and chop them up  roughly. In a mixing bowl, tip in the chopped greens along with all the other ingredients and give it a good mix. Add water slowly and as required to knead  it to a pliable dough. Divide it in to equal sized balls and roll out each one of them as thinly as possible.

Warm the tawa/griddle and place the rolled thin. Let it cook for a few seconds. As the surface starts showing brown spots, apply oil/ghee and flip it over. Let it cook till golden brown. Smear ghee/oil as required. Once both sides are cooked well remove from flame.


Serve hot with choice accompaniments. I served it with curd, pickle and some spinach dal.


enjoy !

Thandai (Spiced Almond Milk) - An Ode to Spring

HOLI, the zesty colour festival has a huge fan in me. I have fond memories of all those years in Delhi when getting smeared silly was almost revered by me.The vitality & zing the atmosphere becomes a few days before the big day is infectious.Armed with a bucketful of water and a water piston (pitchkari), the kids are ever ready to spring surprises on the passer-bys. It is of course not always a joy to get drenched ; imagine you are scurrying to work and is greeted by a shower ! Nevertheless, those moments of evading the water works or getting drenched is something I still savour. 

However,what scared me was the balloon with coloured water lunged from roof-tops or terraces. Thrown from a distance and with force, the ballons more often than not were painful. I remember my friend falling off from her 2 wheeler after being targeted by the balloon vice ! That part of this otherwise enjoyable fest still puts me on nerves :(

The festival signifies triumph of good over evil and most importantly brings people together - how? by applying colour over each other, people forget the caste, creed n religion and bind with each other, improving the secular fabric of our country.That is the main spirit behind holi. On the eve of holi, a bonfire is lighted , and is known as Holika Dahan; it basically is an act of thankfulness to lord Agni (God of Fire).On the day of holi, other than the colour applying ritual, the whole day is passed in merriment with songs & dance and enjoying the festive fare. Evenings are more sober after colour smearing and is spent exchanging greetings and spending quality time with family.

Smearing colours is the best part of Holi- the colours reflect the advent of spring season and is meant to convey joy and exuberance. Using skin friendly colours and going natural will ensure that the festival is celebrated with all aplomb & glory.However what becomes a dampener is the use of toxic chemical colours that totally takes away the charm & the spirit of the festival.Thankfully, with increasing awareness, the festival promises to remain clean & fun !

Holi also means gorging on the luscious treats and the sweet that symbolises it is   Gujiya - an empanada styled deliciousness. And who can forget the refreshing Thandai ? 

Gulping down thandai, while applying colours is indeed a sight to behold.Often it is laced with Bhang- the intoxicating preparation from the leaves & flowers of the Cannabis plant and after it is partaken, the atmosphere gets electric, wild & dizzying.Of course bhang thandai is a strict no-no to kids; however the almond drink without the intoxicating substance is equally a trip to merriment & revelry. 

Thandai- doesn't the name spell cool & shout spunk and sizzle. Perfect for the scorching heat, the drink also energises the body. I added a pinch of saffron food color to the boiling milk to splash some vibrance.

What's in it :-(Serves :3 tall glasses)

For the Paste :-

• Almonds - a fistful
• Pistachios - few
• Cashewnuts - few
• Black peppercorns - 1 tsp
• Fennel Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Poppy Seeds - 2 tsp
• Cardamom Pods - 2 to 3
• Dried Rose Petals - a few
• Watermelon Seeds - 1 tsp (I did not use it)
• Sugar - to taste
• Milk - as required

For the Milk :-

• Whole Cream Milk - 1/2 liter
• Saffron Strands / Edible saffron colur - a little
• Rose water - a splash or two

For the garnish :-

• Slivered Almonds
• Mint leaves
• Finely grated pistachios
• Saffron strings

How:-

Soak all the ingredients marked in blue in adequate water for a few hours or overnight.In the meanwhile, boil milk with saffron strands and/or a pinch or two of saffron color.Let it cool.

Drain the contents and grind them to a fine paste along with sugar and milk as required.Mix the paste to the milk and further add a splash of rose water. 

Refrigerate the contents for a few hours.Let the flavours blend and mingle.

Pass the content through a strainer/muslin cloth and extract the liquid in to a vessel.Discard the residue. Serve in to glasses and garnish as required.

Drink chilled. Enjoy

Thandai shots anyone ????

It's off to Anusha's Summer Spunk , kalyani's Holi Fest & Rasi's I'm the star
  

Charred Aubergine & Cottage Cheese in a White Gravy (Hubby Cooks & Clicks)

Last week when Wikipedia shut down for 24 hours under a self-imposed ban to protest SOPA, I read an article in one of the social readers as to what will happen If the Internet itself goes Kaput for a day? While it is really difficult to imagine such a situation, I did a small test on myself to see if I am immune to being online 24*7. 
It is not that I am addicted to the net or checking FB & Twitter status every second - more often than not the unscheduled power cuts & kids make sure that I stay away from computer. Still, the very thought of being totally cut was challenging  and I decided to stay off for a day but not before I paid all the bills/dues online ;)


It's nothing great that's what I told myself and started off on a positive note.While the first few hours went well with me getting friendly with newspapers & a few books which I have been meaning to read for quite some time, the fact that the net was out of reach made me long for surfing after some time. But truthfully, staying offline helped me  to finish so many work that had been pending for a while and the kids got more MUMMY time ! There was an ache to check mails & surf late in the day but managed to curtail those thoughts with some outdoor activity with kids.


The next day I was very glad to get back to my beloved laptop & getting connected all over again ! :D The self imposed ban made one thing clear - it is not entirely impossible to survive without being plugged (people have lived their life in the past without being perpetually on net), but it's more imperative to appreciate the resources availble & use them judiciously. Taking things for granted never pays.


Today's post has my favourite bharta getting a glamorous makeover. Hubby Dearest likes to don the apron every once in a while and experiment with the available ingredients. More often than not, the simple & routine dishes gets a glossy look with his magic touch. And he absolutely loves the fact that we go totally gaga over his culinary skills and is in a constant ache to WOW us.


Last week, he was early from work and decided to give the aubergine a different twist with a rich gravy & added cottage cheese to further pep it up.It was finger-licking good and my daughter, who was thrilled to see her favourite cheese in the gravy wiped her plate clean.


The fun part was seeing my hubby juggle the camera as well as the ingredients ; the kitchen resembled a war zone for those 40 minutes ~X(

The smoky eggplant & the cottage cheese spiced up was a yum treat !

Here's How :-

Wash the aubergine & pat dry. Grease it all around with  little oil and put it directly on the stove top @ medium flame. Let the eggplant char complete, constantly turning it all around, so that it is cooked from inside too.

Grind the Cashew nuts along with milk to a fine paste.Once the aubergine cools off, peel its skin & take of its crown. Mash it with a masher /fork & set aside.

In a pan/wok, add oil and as it warms, add the garlic and saute till the aroma of the . pods tickle you & then tip in the chopped green chillis, mint leaves and coriander leaves and saute for a few minutes. Then add the shallots and the onion and saute for a few minutes.

Spice up the mix with red chilli powder & garam masala. Saute till the raw smell goes away. Add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook till they are mushy.  Let the mix cook on a low-medium flame till the oil starts leaving sides.

Add the mashed eggplant and cook for a few minutes till the mix blends well with other ingredients. Now dunk the cashewnut paste and cook for a few minutes. Finally add the cottage cheese and give the mix a good swirl. Season it with salt as per taste.

Garnish with coriander leaves & take off flame. Serve hot..
Linking it to Vardhini's Dish it Out- Brinjal & Garlic ; hosted by Sangee

Mixed Vegetable Kadhi - Veggies in a Tangy Curd Gravy

2012 has just begun and the world is spinning with reels of news,views & events - even as the European slowdown is becoming more pronounced , the countdown for  London olympics has begun with gusto ! India too is in the thick of happenings  right from Mullaiperiyar Dam Row to gearing up for assemble election in 5 states; BAJAJ comes up with RE6o (a new & improved NANO ?) and hopes to ban all the auto-rickshaws in Delhi (amen to that !)  and of course there is also a frantic wait hoping Sachin overcomes his psychological barrier and hits that magic number, - PHEW ; Mayans and their 5,125 year old calendar clearly had not anticipated such tide of events :D


Thankfully nothing tempestuous here and even my hearth has relatively seen a more healthier and less sinful indulgences the past week !


Today's Blog Hop Wednesday sees me paired with Neetu @ Hobby Chef .The blog has a fine mix of various cuisines and a few recipes caught my eye. I decided to make this Kadhi , a North Indian version of our very own morkuzhambu/morkootan and the simple recipe was followed except that I added little jaggery to the final dish.

 Veggies in a creamy tangy sauce

What's in it :-

• Sour Curd - 1 cup
• Chick Pea Flour/Besan - 1/4 cup
• Dry Mango Powder - to taste - optional - add if the curd is not sour
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 to 2 tbsp
• Red Chilli Powder - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 2 to 2 1/2 cups
• Mixed Vegetables - Cauilflower,peas,potato-diced
• Jaggery - a small piece - optional
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

How :-

Whisk the curd & the chick pea flour to a smooth texture. Add all the spices marked in blue and the required water and mix well.

Bring it to a boil on high flame stirring continuously and then let it simmer for 15-20 minutes till the veggies are cooked giving it a occasional stir.Add jaggery and mix well.
Prepare the tempering in a separate skillet by warming up the clarified butter/ghee and letting mustard seeds to sizzle. To this add the red chillis and dunk the mix on the kadhi

Serve hot with rice/rotis (Indian flat bread). It tasted delightful with steaming hot rice!

Kadhai Mattar Paneer (Cottage Cheese & Peas in a Gravy)

As a school & college student, yours truly  had a love-hate relationship with kitchen.Helping mom with chopping vegetables & doing dishes were definitely on the like-to-do list but cooking was never my scene. My mom would always chide me by quoting the evergreen ' way to a man's heart through stomach' line. I would tell her that if my man will love me for what I am , he will cook for me too !!! :D . Well, I am indeed a very lucky woman to have a loving & supportive spouse, a man who is also hands on in kitchen, but it soon dawned that he will defenitely not be standing beside me 24 *7 and I had to COOK and shun away my averse feelings for warming up the hearth. All that happened and a girl who hated kitchen, has turned in to a pro decent chef !


These thoughts were predominant in my mind while I was prowling kavita's space @ Edible Entertainment.  What amazed me  about her blog was not only the vast array of dishes under a variety of cuisines, but also the posts written meticulously, laced with a funky narrative. All this by a young girl who is still a student !!! 
Radhika's Blog-Hop Wenesday is indeed widening my horizon to different blogs & people.The dish that I cooked from kavita's space is Kadai Mattar Paneer. 

My daughter's love for paneer in any form is well known, and this dish was dot on to warm her heart & our hearth.

A few subtle changes to the recipe to suit our palate were made like refrigerating the marinade, adding garlic to the gravy and spice quantity modifications. The dish with luscious cubes of cottage cheese in a lovely cashew gravy garnished with dried fenugreek leaves was a runaway hit with my folks.

Ingredients - Preparation Time : 90 minutes , Cooking Time : 15 minutes (Serves : 3 to 4)


The Main Ingredients

• Cottage Cheese / Paneer - 400 grams
• Onion - 3 - large - thinly sliced
• Green Peas / Mattar - fistful
• Tomato - 3 - small - finely chopped
• Bell Pepper (Green)  - 1/2 - finely chopped
• Cashew Nuts - a fistful
• Garlic - 3 pods- large
• Green Chili - 1 to 2 - to taste - finely chopped
• Coriander Powder - 2 teaspoons (used store bought else dry roast coriander seeds & grind them into a fine powder)
• Red Chili Powder - 3-4 tsp - to taste
• Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp - to taste - store bought
• Dried Fenugreek Leaves / Kasoori Methi - 1 tbsp
• Salt - as per taste 
• Cooking Oil - 2 tsp

For the Marinade

• Yogurt / Curd - 2 to 3 tablespoon
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tsp - to taste
• Salt - a little

Here's How :-

Start with marinating the cottage cheese.Cut them into cubes, and mix with the yogurt/curd, little salt , 1 tsp red chili powder and let it rest in the fridge for about 90 minutes hours.

Boil the peas in microwave or on the stove, strain water & keep aside. Making the base for the gravy is the next step. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add the green chillis, garlic,half of the sliced onions, tomatoes & cashew nuts and stir till they start changing color. Take off flame, let it cool and transfer the mix to a blender. Add garam masala, coriander powder and blend until you get a smooth paste. Add little water if required.
Again, heat 1 tsp oil, add the remaining cut onions & satué for 30 seconds & add the capsicum. Add the pureed blend to the onion-capsicum in the pan and give it all a nice mix. Let it cook on medium-high flame for at least 5 minutes or till the raw smell evaporates. You can add around 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to it & let it boil. Meanwhile - take half cup of warm water. Add the dried fenugreek leaves & let it rest for a few minutes. Take the marinade from the fridge and tip it to the gravy cooking it on medium flame. It has to cook for around 2-3 minutes. Add the boiled peas, dried fenugreek to it . Mix well and once it simmers take it off flame.
Serve it hot with rotis/phulkas/parathas (Indian Flat Bread) ; tortillas or rice. 

Enjoy !

Also linking it to Julie's Christmas Delicacy

Double Decker Parathas & Remembering a Good Soul

Food evokes memories - mostly pleasant, sometimes heart tugging but always welcome! A good meal enjoyed with family or an outing with friends with loads of fun, food n frolic or simply cooking a favourite dish for near & dear stays with us for a long time and gently tugs us as delightful memories. I have so many recollections of the past associated with food, that promises to stay fresh always. 


The parathas made today evoked a soulful recollection of a person who has managed to stay in our hearts forever. This gentle & humble soul whom we fondly called as  Naseema ji had in her own ways made a difference to our lives. She joined us as a housemaid 4 years back while we were in Mumbai. Always smiling & cheerful, never having  a bad word for any body and sticking to her work without unnecessary gossip & banter were just a few traits which I admired in her. That she had problems with her spouse was something I came to know after one year of her working --- such was her grace that she did not like self-pity talks. 


When my son who was born under stressful conditions, was very sick & on the verge of not making it any further, she used to pep me up by saying that God tests the bravest the most and to have unconditional faith in HIM. She added that my boy is a mighty warrior and will go places and that her prayers will always have my son's name.


Now when I see my son who has almost become normal, those words that are still etched in my heart, gives me courage to carry on whenever I am down & out.


One fine day after finishing her work as usual she left with a cheerful smile. Unusually she refused to have breakfast and little did I know, that was the last I would ever see her. I got a phone call later in the day saying that she died because of an electrical shock when she was ironing the family's clothes. We went to pay our last respects and I sincerely prayed that her soul Rests in Peace!


Coming back to this holy month of RAMADAN , I remember she telling me that she loved to break her fasts with fried stuff and parathas which were her favourite.


We have moved away from Mumbai, but the fond memories of that gentle soul still lingers.


In her memory........

I made these parathas that got a thunderous reception . The recipe is adapted from Tarla Dalal. The fillings have been tweaked to suit our taste-buds and you are welcome to give it any make over by going in for more peppy ingredients! I enjoyed the parathas with little pickle, a dash of Tomato sauce and a bowl of curd and one paratha is enough to keep you fired up in the morning !

What's in it :-


Filling no 1 :- (Carrot & Green Peas)

• Carrots - 2 - grated
• Green peas - a fistful
• Green Chillis - 2 to 3 - chopped finely - to taste
• Olive Oil - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves - a few sprigs - finely chopped
• Splash of lemon juice - to taste
• Salt & pepper Powder - to taste

Filling no 2 :-(Cheesy Potatoes)

• Potato - 2 - boiled & mashed
• Onion - 1/2 - finely chopped
• Green Chillis - 2 - finely chopped - to taste
• Coriander leaves - a few sprigs - finely chopped
• Cheese - 1 chiplet - grated - as required - optional
• Salt & Pepper Powder - to taste

For the flatbread/ rotis :-

• Wheat Flour - 1 cup
• Water - as required
• Oli - little
• Ghee/Olive oil - for cooking the parathas - as required

How :-

Knead the flour with required water and add little oil for a smooth pliable dough. Set aside.

In a small pan, add oil and as it warms up let the cumin seeds crackle. Drop the green chillis and the green peas and saute for a few minutes. Add the grated carrots and let it cook for a few minutes before seasoning it with salt & pepper. Take off flame and lemon juice to taste . Garnish with greens. Filling No 1 is ready. 


Mix the ingredients for Filling No 2 in a bowl and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.


Take a small ball of dough and spread it across thinly for the flat bread. Make 3 of them for one double decker paratha. Take a heaped spoon of the carrot-peas filling and spread on one chapatti and cover with another chapatti. On top of it again spread a spoonful of the cheesy potato filling and place another chapatti on the top and press firmly to seal the edges.

Cook the double decker parathas on a tava (griddle) on both sides, using a little oil/butter/ghee . Repeat the process for more parathas. Serve hot.

RAMADAN KAREEM TO ALL MY READERS ! Sending my Ramadan Musings to Lubna's Joys from fasting to Feasting - IV and also to Jabeen's Iftar Nights