Avocado Paratha

Avocado Paratha| Guacamole Paratha is a healthy variation to plain parathas. I have been posting various rotis and paratha recipes last year. This year so far i have not posted any paratha recipes. So here i have prepared some avocado parathas to update my Rotis and Paratha recipe collection post. Unlike stuffed parathas this is a quick to make easy recipe. Because of the avocados the parathas will be so soft and nutritious.

Actually i bought those avocados to make some drink for this hot summer. Here at home every one has sore thorat and could not make a drink out of it. So the avocados were waiting inside fridge for about a week. Then i was planning for some salad or the other recipes which wont be cold and ended up in making these yummy parathas.

INGREDIENTS:
Whole wheat flour| Atta- 1 and 1/2 cups
Avocado- 2 nos
Lemon juice- 1/2
Green chillies, finely chopped- 1
Garlic,finely chopped- 2 cloves
Coriander leaves, chopped- 2 tablespoons
Roasted jeera powder| ajwain- 1 teaspoon
Oil- 1 teaspoon+ for cooking
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• Cut the avocado and scoop out the flesh using a spoon. With this add lemon juice finely chopped garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves and roasted jeera powder.
• Mash well with a potato masher or you can use blender too.

• Add a teaspoon of oil and enough salt for the rotis.
• Now gradually add the atta and knead well to form a dough.
• Grease the dough with a teaspoon of oil and rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Divide the dough into equally sized balls.

• Dust with flour and roll the dough into small parathas using rolling pin.
• Heat a pan and reduce the flame to medium and grease the pan and cook the parathas both the sides till brown spots appears.

• Note: You could add some spinach and grind together with avocado and make more nutritious Spinach Avocado parathas too.

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Schezwan Roast Chicken| Szechuan Roast chicken

Schezwan Roast Chicken| Szechuan Roast chicken| Sechuan Roast Chicken | Spicy Chinese Roast Chicken| Roast Chiken Chinese style - Roast or grilled chicken is a healthy option for consuming chicken. I have shared many whole roast chicken recipes in my blog. I have prepared this yummy chicken for Easter dinner and forget to post this recipe. It is my trial recipe which came out really tasty. Easy and also quick to make marinade with out any prior planning.

This is a chinese style roast chicken with home made Chinese schezwan  sauce. I have already shared another Chinese style roast chicken recipe with Chinese 5 spice powder and Chinese sauces. I have already posted Indian style Tandoori Masala Roast Chicken and another Roast chicken recipe mainly spiced with green chillies and with garam masala.

INGREDIENTS:
Schezwan sauce- 2 tablespoons (Click on the link for the recipe)
Soya sauce- 1 teaspoon
lemon juice- 1/2
Pepper- big pinch
Salt- to taste
Oil/ melted butter- 2-3 teaspoons

PROCEDURE:

• Clean the chicken and pat dry score the flesh using a sharp knife; set aside.
• In a broad bowl add the schezwan sauce, soya sauce, lemon juice, pepper, salt and oil; mix well.

• Keep the chicken and rub the marinade well over the chicken keep some marinate inside the scored areas. Allow to marinate for 15-30 minutes. You can marinate up to 1 hour for more taste.
• Now transfer the chicken into a baking tray (line with aluminium foil if required). 
• Cut some potatoes, garlic and onion and roll well on the leftover marinade and keep the veggies at the sides of the chicken.

• Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 degrees for 10 minutes. Now decrease the temperature of the oven to 180 degrees and place the baking tray on the middle rack and bake for an hour or the chicken cooks well when it pricked with a fork.
• Notes: Use olive oil for health conscious people. Replace oil with melted butter for more taste.

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Tricolour Idli/ Trianga Idlis/ Healthy Idlis

        This Independence Day i have planned to prepare this colourful breakfast. Yummy and healthy by adding carrots and spinach in it. Easy to prepare too. Independence day brings us a patriotic feeling in us. So try this idlis too on your home for this Independence day.

       We liked the taste of those idlis a lot. Mild spicy and falvourful idlis. I have made this Idlis in a pattern to represent the Indian Flag. Using natural colours present in the veggies makes these Idlis more colourful and also healthy. Kids love this as it is so colourful.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-8 minutes
Cuisine: Tamil
Serves: 3-4

INGREDIENTS:

Idli batter- 9 small ladle

For Saffron Colour:

Carrot-1
Red Chilli powder/ Roasted dried red chillies- 1 teaspoon/2 nos
Ginger- 1/4 inch
Salt- to taste

For Green Layer:

Spinch leaves/ palak-1 small bunch
Green Chillies-2
Ginger- 1/4 inch
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• Grind the chopped/ grated carrots, red chilli powder, ginger and salt together in a blender as puree; set aside.

• Likewise grind spinach leaves, green chillies, ginger and salt together as a fine puree; set aside
• Fill the idli steamer with water and allow to boil.
• Take equal amount of idli batter in 3 bowls. Mix carrot mixture with one bowl of idli batter and another with spinach batter. Keep one plain add salt if needed on 3 bowls.

• Once the water starts to boil keep inside the idli stand and close tightly with the lid and cook for about 5-8 minutes till done.

• Check the idlis whether cooked or not by inserting edge of a knife of just piercing with a finger. Batter should not come out or idlis should not stick to your hand. If it sticks cook little more.
• Remove the idli stand from steamer and allow to cool.
• Using a spoon dipped in water remove the idlis from the stand and serve hot with sambar/chutneys.

I am linking this recipe to the Event Independent India conducted by Cooking with SJ.

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Mushroom Kothu Parotta

       Kothu Parotta is a street food served during evenings to late nights. Bus stands and the by pass road's night shops are very special for this dish. But nowadays it has been served in restaurants also by incorporating varieties like Paneer, Mushroom in it for the vegetarian versions. It is easy to make tasty dish. Does not require any side dish. It has several variations veg (Mushroom, Paneer)and non-veg (Chicken, Egg) versions.

       Left over parottas can be used to make this dish in a fresh make over. Super tasty filling dish. It can be eaten as Breakfast or Dinner or even Snack. What time you eat is your choice but whenever you eat, you will feel to eat more. Yummy!

INGREDIENTS:

Button Mushroom, chopped-250 grams (2 cups)
Parotta, cut in to pieces- 8-10 medium sized
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Curry leaves- 1 strand
Onion, chopped- 1
Green chillies, chopped- 2
Ginger and Garlic, chopped/ paste-  each 1 teaspoon
Tomato- 1 big or 2 small
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander leaves, chopped- 1 tablespoon
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• Chop the mushroom in to thin slices.
• Cut the parottas using kitchen scissors or chop them using chopping board or tear them using hands.
• Heat oil in a broad pan and add the onion, green chillies and curry leaves.

• Once the onion cooks and become translucent add ginger and garlic and cook for a minute till raw smell leaves.
• Now add the tomatoes and salt; cook well.
• When the tomatoes becomes mushy add the mushroom and salt and cook for a minute or two till water starts to oozes out from mushroom. 

• Add the masala powders turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powders.
• Mix well and cook for thirty seconds and make like a thick gravy. Now add the chopped parotta and cook in that gravy for a minute or two till the gravy coats well in the parotta pieces.

• Do not allow to dryout the parottas. If you feel too dry sprinkle little water and cook. So that the parotta will be soft and slightly moist.
• Sprinkle coriander leaves and serve hot. Serve with chopped onion/ onion rings.
• You can serve with Onion Raitha too.

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Chilli Parotta

       Chilli Parotta| Chilli Kothu Parotta is a street food  served generally on nights by roadside eateries. It is a very popular street food from Tamil Nadu. Easy to make dinner or a one pot meal. Easy to carry dry food for travel, picnics etc. You can prepare this with leftover parottas and give a fresh and tasty make over to the old ones. Very rich in taste, and once you taste this, you would really really want this everyday.

     Original recipe is to cut long parotta strips that are dipped in a batter, deep fried then chopped into pieces and cooked in a gravy and served. Batter consists of a cup of Maida/ All purpose Flour, a teaspoon of Ginger garlic paste , a teaspoon of Garam masala powder with Red food colour and Salt mixed to a bajji batter consistency. You can dip the long cut stips of parotta  in this batter and proceed with the recipe. As parotta itself has enough oil, so i am avoiding the deep frying part and cooking it in the gravy directly.

INGREDIENTS:

Parotta| Kerala Parotta- 5-6 small
Capsicum/ Bell pepper, cubed-1
For the Tomato Gravy:
Onion, chopped-1 (1/2 cup)
Green chillies, chopped-2
Ginger Garlic, Chopped/Paste- 1 tablespoon together
Tomato, chopped- 1 big (1/2 cup)
Chilli powder/ (Kashmiri chilli powder)- 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves- 2 strand
Cinnamon bark- 1 small piece
Cloves-2
Cardamom-2
Oil- 3 teaspoons
Salt- to taste

To Grind as Paste:
Coconut- 1/4 cup
Poppy seeds- 1 teaspoon
Cashew nuts- 5-6

PROCEDURE:

• Chop or cut the parottas small pieces/ cubes using knife or kitchen scissors which ever is easy for you. 
• Grind coconut, poppy seeds and cashewnuts together as a fine paste. First powder it inside the blender then add water and grind as a paste.

• Heat oil in a pan and add Cinnamon, Cloves and Cardamon when you get the smell of it add onion and cook till translucent. 
• Add Green chillies, Curry leaves and cook for thirty seconds.

• Add Ginger, Garlic and cook till the raw smell leaves.
• Add the Tomatoes and salt; cook till mushy.
• Add Chilli powder, Coriander powder and Garama masala powder; cook for thirty seconds.

• Add 1/4 cup of water and cook the gravy for one minute on medium flame till starts to thicken. Now add the ground coconut paste and mix well and cook well for about a minute and switch off and keep aside.

• In another pan heat a teaspoon of oil, add capsicum and cook till white spots starts to appear on the skin. Add the parottas and cook for a minute till the parotta gets the heat and becomes slightly crispy.

• Now add the gravy and some curry leaves for flavour and  cook till the gravy totally is absorbed by the parotta and the parotta becomes soft.

• Cook for about a minute or two and check for salt. Add if needed.
• Garnish with curry leaves and serve with Onion Raitha.

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Aloo Paratha/ Potato stuffed Paratha

       Aloo Paratha is a very popular paratha from North India. This parathas are easy to make stuffed parathas. At my home generally prepared during travels with tomato thokku. Perfect for kids lunch box recipe.

       Aloo parathas with the addition of onions gives more taste. I sometimes makes with the addition of onions too. Suppose if you are planning to add onions fine them very finely. Very yummy paratha liked by all age groups. Simple yet healthy and tasty parathas.

INGREDIENTS:
Wheat Flour/ Atta-1½ cups
Oil- 1 teaspoon+ few drops to grease the pan
Salt- to taste

For Stuffing:
Potato/ Aloo- 2 medium sized
Turmeric powder- pinch
Chilli powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Garam masala- pinch(optional)
Jeera/ Cumin(Whole/ powder)- 1/4 teaspoon(optional)
Coriander leaves, chopped- 3 teaspoons
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• Pressure cook the potatoes till soft on medium flame till 3-4 whistles. Open the cooker after the steam releases and allow the potatoes to cool.
• In a bowl add the wheat flour, oil, salt and mix well. Then add enough water to make it as a dough.

• Transfer the dough into the flat surface and knead to make it as a smooth dough about 3 minutes.
• Keep it aside till you make the stuffing.
• Peel and mash the potatoes and add turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder/seeds, coriander leaves and salt; mix well.

• Divide the dough into lemon sized balls. 
• Make this stuffing into smaller balls than the paratha dough balls to accommodate the stuffing properly.
• Spread the paratha dough slightly to stuff the balls.

• Keep the potato balls inside the spread-ed dough.
• Gather the edges of the parathas together, press and seal the edges.
• Dust the surface with atta and roll the parathas into thin parathas without stuffing poping out from the parathas.

• Heat the pan and add 3-4 drops of oil; place the parathas and allow to cook on both the sides by flipping and cook the both sides till the air pockets colour turns in to dark golden to light brown colour.
• Remove the paratha from pan and serve hot.
• Note: You can add very finely chopped onions also in this parathas. Some times i prepare that way too.
• Serve hot with Subzi/Curry/ Raita or Pickle.

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Beansprouts Paratha

       Beansprouts paratha is an ideal easy to make stuffed paratha. Incorporating beansprouts in Indian cooking without cooking the sprouts is a challenge indeed. So i have made this stuffed parathas using beansprouts (Moong bean sprouts). Beansprouts are raw crunchy vegetable commonly used in salads and in some soups.

       Beansprouts should be consumed as raw or lightly cooked to keep all nutrients intact.These sprouts are rich in proteins, vitamins and fibre. Easy way to add all these nutients in our normal diet with out introducing a new recipe to your family. I have not cooked the sprouts, but if you do not like the raw taste lightly saute in oil then crush it with masalas and do the stuffing. If you donot like the taste of beansprouts, mix sprouts with cooked mashed potatoes or grated paneer or grated coconut and stuff inside the parathas.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Parathas:
Wheat flour/ Atta- 1½ cup
Salt- to taste
Oil- 1 teaspoon

For Stuffing:
Beansprouts- 1 cup
Green chilli-1
Ginger garlic paste- 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Garam masala- 1/4 teaspoon
Jeera/ cumin powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander leaves- 2 teaspoons
Salt-to taste

PROCEDURE:

• In a bowl add the wheat flour, oil,salt and mix well. Add enough water to knead the dough to make the paratha dough and allow to rest for a while (till you make the filling, for around 5- 10 minutes)

• Wipe the sprouts in paper towel to remove excess water. If you do not like the raw taste lightly saute in oil and crush the sprouts. In a blender jar (should not be wet) add beansprouts, green chilli, ginger garlic, garam masala, jeera powder, coriander leaves and salt.
• Crush the sprouts into coarse mixture (Do not crush as paste)

• Make the dough into lemon sized balls.
• Spread the balls into thick parathas.
• Keep a tablespoon of  stuffing inside.

• Gather the edges of the paratha and press well and seal the edges (otherwise the stuffing pops out when you roll)
• Press the stuffed paratha using fingers and spread lightly.

• Flour the surface and spread the parathas well.
• Heat a pan and add half a teaspoon of oil; keep the paratha and cook till golden air bubbles formed.
• Turn the side; cook the other side too and serve hot.

• Notes: Do not add more stuffing which the dough would not able to accomodate.
• The stuffing should not be too wet/ moist.
• Should not apply more pressure while spreading
• Flour the surface well before spreading parathas.
• Initially lightly spread the parathas and stuff them then roll as thin parathas.

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