Aloo Paratha | Punjabi Aloo Paratha Recipe

When I think of Paratha, the first and foremost that comes to my mind is Aloo ka Paratha (Stuffed Potato Paratha aka Alu Paratha). Among all the Paratha varieties, I like this classic Aloo Paratha the most .I don't like the thinly rolled, lean looking parathas which we get in south,in fact it doesn't give any satisfaction of eating a Paratha.I love the parathas when it is made in typical Punjabi style-where the Parathas are made plumpy and loaded with fresh and simple spices.However, I do not add more butter or ghee to the parathas as the Punjabi's do,but if you are not bothered about calories, you can go a bit easy on ghee/butter,it tastes really delicious.I was amazed to see how my Punjabi friend served the ghee roasted Aloo parathas with a tub of butter on the breakfast table.

The mixture of mashed potatoes makes the Aloo paratha extremely soft and the fresh spices and butter/ghee add an extra taste to it.I like to add coarsely crushed coriander seeds instead of coriander powder to the potato stuffing and also use larger quantities of ginger and green chillies in the recipe as I am fond of that masaledar taste.

Check out other Stuffed Parathas recipes:

• Palak Paneer Paratha 
• Gobi Paratha 
• Tofu Alu Paratha 
• Paneer Bhurji Paratha 
• Methi Aloo Paratha 
• Mooli Paratha 
• Palak Aloo Paratha

Aloo Paratha | Aloo ka Parantha Recipe:

Yields 6 parathas

Prep time:30 mins | Cooking time:30 mins | Total time:1 hour

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Flat Bread(Paratha) – Main Course 

Ingredients:

for dough:

1 1/2 cups Wheat flour

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

Water,to mix

for filling:

2 big Potatoes,boiled and peeled
1 medium Onion,finely chopped(optional)

2-3 Green chillies,finely chopped

1 tsp grated Ginger

2 tbsp chopped Coriander

1 tsp Amchur(dried mango) powder

1 tsp Coriander seeds,coarsely pounded

1 tsp roasted Cumin powder

Salt to taste

Wheat flour,for rolling

Ghee and Oil,to roast parathas

Butter,to serve

Method:

to make dough:

• In a bowl add wheat flour and add required salt and 1 tsp oil and mix well.
• Add little water(if needed) and knead it into a smooth and soft dough.The dough should be slightly softer than the regular chapati dough for parathas as it will not only make easy to stuff the filling it will help in easy and even rolling of parathas.
• Apply oil on top of the dough and cover it and keep it aside for at least half an hour.

to make filling:

• Grate the boiled potatoes and put it in to the bowl.
• Add finely chopped green chillies,onion,grated ginger,chopped coriander and mix well.
• Add amchur powder, salt, coarsely ground coriander seeds and cumin powder and mix well and keep it ready.

to make paratha:

• Pinch the dough and take a big size lemon sized dough and place the dough in your left hand palm.
• Dip your right hand fingers in the flour and try to make a cup shape(which can hold 3-4 tbsp filling) out of the dough by moving your fingers pressing with the thumb in the center.Take care that the edges should be slightly thinner and in the center it should be thick.

• Fill the cup with 3-4 tbsp filling and seal the two sides of the dough(it would look like Karanji now) and gently press the corners to get a big round ball out of it.See the pictures for better idea.

• If you stuff the filling in the dough in this way you will get evenly filled paratha and it also forms like pocket.If you find all the above process bit difficult,you can easily roll a 3" circle out of the dough and place the filling in the center and pleat the dough and seal it by gathering the dough around the edges.

• Slightly flatten the dough(stuffed with filling) with hands and dip it in the wheat flour and gently roll it to a 6" disc of 1/2" thickness.You should not apply more pressure while rolling,so roll it gently.If you apply pressure the stuffing would come out.
• Flip it on to a hot tawa and fry it until you see bubbles. 

• Turn it and apply oil/ghee and fry and then turn and apply oil/ghee on the other side.Roast until you get golden colored slightly crisp parathas.Mine got bit over roasted as I was doing multitasking at that time.
• Fry the parathas on both sides until you get crisp brown patches on both sides.

Serve them piping hot with a blob of butter and Aam ka Achar/Mirch ka Achaar or Mixed Vegetable Achar , curd/masala dahi and sliced onions.

Notes:

1. You can even do a combination of mashed boiled aloo and gobi or gobi and mooli(radish) in the recipe. 
2. Aloo can be replaced with grated paneer or grated and squeezed gobi or radish and follow the same recipe,it tastes nice too.
3. I like to add coarsely crushed coriander seeds instead of coriander powder to the potato stuffing and also use more quantity of ginger and green chillies in the recipe as I am fond of that taste.
4. You can also try adding coarsely crushed dry pomegranate seeds(anardana) for a different taste.

Technorati Tags: aloo paratha recipe, punjabi aloo paratha, how ot make alu paratha, potato stuffed paratha, stuffed paratha recipes, paratha stuffing ideas, easy paratha recipes, dhaba style stuffed parathas

 

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Tofu Bhurji Recipe | Soya Paneer (Tofu) Recipes

'Soya Paneer' also known as 'Tofu' is a healthy alternative for paneer though the taste of tofu would not match the taste of paneer exactly.As Tofu has less calories I usually buy it often and use it in various recipes like Tofu-Alu Paratha, Chili Tofu, Grilled Marinated Tofu ,Tofu Bhurji, Cutlets(Tikkis), Kebabs etc.Tofu is basically bland in taste and hence it can absorb the flavors beautifully.Today I am sharing a simple Bhurji recipe with tofu,I have prepared it in a similar fashion like how I prepare Paneer Bhurji,just that you need to pep it more with extra seasonings and spices to make it more tasty.

Check out few Tofu recipes in my blog.

• Chilli Tofu
• Tofu-Alu Paratha

Tofu Bhurji Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 cup crumbled/grated Soya Paneer / Tofu - hard variety

1 medium Onion,finely chopped

2-3 Green chillies,finely chopped
1 Tomato,finely chopped

1 small Capsicum, chopped

1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

1/3 tsp Garam masala

1 tsp Pav Bhaji masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tbsp Chopped Coriander

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Butter

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add finely chopped onions and green chillies and fry until the onions turn pink.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and fry well.
• Now add finely chopped capsicum and fry for a minute and then add chopped tomatoes and saute until it becomes slightly mushy.
• Now add garam masala,pav bhaji masala,red chilli powder and turmeric powder and fry for a minute.
• Add crumbled tofu and salt and give a good mix and saute for a couple of minutes.The mixture should be moist and not dry,add a tbsp of water if required and cook for a minute.
• Add the butter at the end and mix it properly.
• Switch off the flame and add lemon juice,chopped coriander and mix it.

Serve it hot with toasted bread/pav and also with some sliced onions and lemon wedges.

Notes:

1. Tofu comes in a sealed pack in India. I usually wrap it in a kitchen towel for some time to remove the excess water from it.
2. It can be placed in a chapati and make it into a roll and serve for kids.
3. This can be used as a filling for parathas,Samosa,Bread rolls.
4. You can add colored bell peppers along with capsicum in the recipe.
5. Instead of Pav bhaji masala you can even add Kitchen king masala in the recipe.I suggest you add this for sure as the tofu is bland it really needs some masala to pep up.
6. Replace tofu with paneer and follow the same proceed to make paneer bhurji.

You can stuff the tofu bhurji in between two toasted bread sliced to make a healthy Tofu Sandwich.

Technorati Tags: tofu bhurji recipe, soya paneer recipes, tofu recipe, side dish for rotis, side dishes with tofu, north indian curries

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Pindi Chole | Rawalpindi Chana Recipe

I prepare Chole or Rajma at-least once a week and if I run out of them, I end up with options like Lobia, black peas etc.TH prefers black chickpeas over the white one, as he likes the nutty taste of the black chickpeas; hence the black chickpeas get featured at our place more than the kabuli chana does.Though my ideal option for chickpeas would be the Punjabi Chole version,but it is quite boring to prepare the chole in the same way hence I always look out for various options.You can prepare chickpeas in various forms like Pindi Chole, Kadai Chole, Chana masala(with coconut), Kala chana masala, Punjabi Chole, Methi Chana, Chana Palak, Kadala curry etc. This post is on the preparation of Pindi Chole recipe. I will post the other varieties later.

Pindi Chole or Rawalpindi Chana emerged from the name of Rawalpindi, a place in Pakistan. Pindi Chole is prepared in a different way from the usual chole recipe. In Pindi chana there is no onion and tomato used and it is totally prepared with the spices and is made dry unlike the regular chole.The addition of freshly pound spices and dried anardana powder along with amchur adds a nice tang to the recipe.I have adapted the recipe from SK's site but I toned down the spices and masalas to suit our taste buds.Pindi chana is a great combination with parathas or pooris/bhaturas. Serve it along with onions,green chillies on the side and add lemon juice to the chole; this combination will elevate the taste to a different level.

Pindi Chole | Rawalpindi Chana Masala Recipe:

Serves 2-3

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 15 mins | Total time: 25 mins + 25 mins of chole cooking time

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Side Dish - Main Course

Ingredients:

to cook chole:

1 cup white Chickpeas(Kabuli Chana)

1 Tea bag

1 Biryani leaf

1" Cinnamon + 2 Cloves

Spice mix:

1 tbsp Coriander powder

3/4 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Homemade Garam masala

1 tsp Amchur(dried mango) powder

to roast and grind:

1 tbsp Cumin seeds

2 tsp Anardana(dried Pomegranate seeds)

other ingredients:

2-3 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste

1-2 Green Chilies,roughly chopped

1 tbsp Coriander leaves,to garnish

to serve:

Onion,finely chopped

1 Green Chilli,finely chopped(optional)

Lemon wedges

Method:

• Wash and soak chickpeas for 7-8 hrs or overnight. Drain the water and rinse it again and add fresh water (2-3 cups) and add biryani leaf, tea bag, cinnamon, cloves and salt and pressure cook for 1 whistle and simmer it for 20-25 mins.Once the pressure drops, fish out the spices and tea bag and drain and reserve the cooked water.
• Dry roast cumin seeds until they are dark brown in color and remove it aside,do not burn them.In the same pan dry roast anardana and keep it aside.Once they come to room temperature grind to them a powder,slightly coarse is fine.
• Meanwhile mix red chili powder, coriander powder and amchur powder and keep it ready.
• Heat oil in a deep curved pan and add ginger-garlic paste and cut green chilies and fry for a minute until they loose their raw smell.
• Reduce the flame and quickly add mixed masala of red chili powder,coriander powder and amchur powder and fry for half a minute.Be careful and make sure you do not burn the masala.
• Add 1/4 cup of reserved cooked water to it and let it boil until the oil floats.Add the boiled and drained chickpeas and enough salt(remember we added salt while cooking chickpeas as well) to it and cook until the water evaporates.
• Add garam masala, roasted cumin and anardana powder to it and mix well and cover it and cook for 3-4 mins.If you want you can add a tbsp of water and cook if the chole is very dry.
• Garnish with coriander.

Serve it hot with Poori/Naan/Phulka/Bhatura with chopped onions,green chillies and lemon wedges. Mix the chopped onions and green chillies and add lemon juice to the pindi chana before eating.

Notes:

1. You can prepare this with black chickpeas.I usually prefer black chickpeas over the white ones.
2. If you like you can add a chopped tomato along with the garam masala and other spices at the end as the original recipe suggested.
3. It tastes nice when it is made spicy but you can adjust the spices according to your wish.Instead of chopping the green chillies,you can add slit green chilies in the recipe.
4. I used home made Garam masala and Ginger Garlic paste, if you are using store bought ones increase them to 1 tsp garam masala and 1.5 tbsp  ginger garlic paste in the recipe.
5. If you want you can add 1 tsp Chole masala along with the other spices in the recipe. 

Technorati Tags: pindi chana recipe, rawalpindi chole, pindi chole recipe, dry chole recipe, different chole varieties, side dish for rotis, restaurant style pindi chana recipe 

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Sweet Lassi Recipe | Punjabi Lassi

Lassi is one of the most popular drink recipe in India and Punjabi Lassi is known for its rich,creamy taste.Lassi could be prepared either sweet or salted and I absolutely love both the versions. Mostly I prepare either Salted Lassi or Chaas but I do prepare Sweet Lassi once in a while to treat ourselves with the luscious thick creamy drink.This sweet lassi is even ideal to drink during Navratri fast to keep you fill for long time. If you are looking for more fasting recipes for Navratri, check out this post for more options. 

 

In Punjab,Sweet Lassi is prepared very thick and is topped with white butter or malai and is served in tall glasses.One glass of lassi is good enough to fill your tummy and can skip a meal easily. In summer season it is a treat definitely but one can prepare it any time round the year. You can prepare various fruit lassis like Mango Lassi and Strawberry Lassi during their respective seasons.

I used to flavour my Lassi with Roohafza during my child hood and love that flavor a lot, if you have not tried that flavour please do try, you will definitely love it. Traditionally Lassi is prepared with hand by using the wooden whisk but it is a bit time consuming process. If you want you can try that or just blend it in the mixer which is the most easiest way.

Punjabi Lassi | Sweet Lassi Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time:5 mins | Cooking time:nil : Total time:5 mins

Cuisine: Punjabi - Indian | Category: Beverages

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fresh thick creamy Curd/Yogurt,chilled
1/2 cup Milk,chilled
1/4 cup chilled Water

2-3 tbsp Sugar
1 cardamom,crushed(only the seeds)

2-3 Ice cubes(optional)

1 tbsp Malai/fresh cream,to top(optional)

Method:

• In a juicer/mixer blend curd with milk, water, sugar and cardamom powder until it becomes frothy. Do not blend for long otherwise it will form butter on top. You can do this process in a traditional way of whisking it with the wooden whisk.
• Check the sweetness and add more sugar if needed. Also adjust the consistency by adding more curd/milk to suit your taste buds.

Serve it in a glass topped with cream and ice cubes. I did not add in mine. I just garnished with cardamom powder and few saffron strands.

Notes:

1. You can add kewra water or rose water for a nice and distinct flavour. 
2. I sometimes add 2-3 tbsp of Roohafza while blending and it is my favourite flavour for lassi.
3. To prepare Saffron lassi add few saffron strands to milk and let it sit for some time and then blend along with the remaining ingredients.
4. You can even add few thinly sliced almond pieces for a nice bite in lassi.
5. Seasonal fruits like Mangoes or Strawberries can be added during their season to prepare Mango Lassi and Strawberry Lassi respectively.

 

Technorati Tags: punjabi lassi recipe, sweet lassi recipe, meethi lassi recipe, creamy lassi, summer recipes, thirst quenchers, lassi varieties, kesar lassi, cardamom lassi recipe, summer drinks

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Paneer Butter Masala Recipe - Restaurant style

Paneer Butter Masala is my most favorite gravy and we always order this whenever we visit any North Indian restaurant. Well I know that I have mentioned this for several North Indian veggies but if I am asked to choose only one then it would be Paneer Butter Masala.I love it a lot and usually  order kulchas with it. Kulcha or Butter Naan and paneer butter masala is a hit combo, in my view.

Butter Chicken is the most popular gravy in and outside India and while it's a treat for non vegetarians, this  Paneer Butter Masala is prepared on similar lines and is definitely the king of dishes for the vegetarians.I am sure most of us love paneer based recipes  and we are no exception.DH is a big fan of paneer and hence it is mandatory to prepare at least one paneer recipe in any form.Paneer is also a good source of proteins for vegetarians.

In my earlier post on Paneer Makhani, I have highlighted a few differences between Paneer Makhani and Paneer Butter Masala.While the ingredients that are used in both the gravies are almost similar,the cooking procedure and the quantity of ingredients varies and this is what makes them taste different. This is an ideal recipe for parties, so dont miss preparing this restaurant style paneer butter masala at home.This recipe has a bit of fat and may not be ideal for calorie conscious one's but one can reduce the fatty content by replacing cream with milk and also the butter quantity. One would have to compromise on the taste though.

In case you are interested check out  Paneer recipes both dry sabzi and gravy varieties in my blog - Kadai Paneer, Palak Paneer, Paneer Jalfrezi , Paneer Bhurji, Matar Paneer, simple Paneer Sabzi, Paneer Makhani and Grilled Corn-Palak Paneer.

If you like sweets try this easy Paneer Modak Peda recipe. Its simple and yumm!!

Paneer Butter Masala Recipe - Restaurant style:

Serves 3-4

Preparation time:10 mins | Cooking time:30 mins | Total time:40 mins

Cuisine:Punjabi-India | Category:Side dish - Main Course

Ingredients:

200 gms Homemade Paneer (Cottage cheese) (or store bought)

2 medium Onions

3 large Tomatoes

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste

6-8 Cashew nuts

1/3 cup Milk or 1/4 cup Cream

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp roasted Cumin powder

1/4 tsp Home made Garam masala(or 1/2 tsp store bought)

a tiny pinch of Turmeric powder

2 tsp Kasuri Methi

1/4-1/2 tsp Sugar

1 small Green chilli,thinly slit

1 tbsp Coriander leaves,to garnish

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Butter

Method:

• Cut paneer into triangle pieces of 1/2" depth.Immerse them in warm water until its usage.

• Soak cashew nuts in warm milk for some time.Grind it to a smooth paste along with the milk.If you want to use cream,grind the cashew nuts with a couple of table spoons of milk.

• Make a cross on tomatoes and blanch them in hot water for 3-4 mins.Remove them and let them slightly cool.Peel the skin and remove the eyes of tomato and chop into pieces and grind it to a smooth puree.

• Grind chopped onions with ginger garlic paste to a slightly coarse or smooth paste.
• Heat oil and 1 tbsp butter and add slit green chilli,onion-ginger garlic paste mixture and fry well until it turns slight brown and the raw smell goes away.

• Add pureed tomato and fry constantly for 6-8 mins over medium heat until the mixture becomes really thick and oil separates.This step is important to get a deep red color to the gravy and also it enhances the taste of it.So fry the tomato mixture until it leaves the pan and take care that you would not burn the masala in any stage.

• Add roasted cumin powder,sugar,coriander powder,red chili powder and turmeric powder fry well again for 2-3 mins.
• Add 1 cup of water and boil it for 6-8 mins till the oil separates and the gravy dries up to a thick masala gravy.

• Remove the kadai from flame and add the ground cashewnut- milk mixture(if you are using cream,add it now).Add kasuri methi,salt and garam masala and give a stir.
• Return the kadai back on to the burner and keep mixing on low flame and let it come to a boil for 2 mins.

• Add butter and paneer slices (dipped in warm water) and cook for 2-3 mins stirring continuously.

Serve hot with flat breads like Naan/Roti/Kulcha or Jeera rice/Bagara Rice.

Notes:

1. You can add a tiny pinch of  red food color to the gravy along with the masalas.I don't like to use food colors and hence I did not add it.
2. The addition of sugar and milk(cream) helps in neutralizing the sourness from tomatoes.So do not miss it.
3. You can toss few onion rings and capsicum rings in butter and add along with paneer slices at the end.
4. You can even toss paneer slices in butter for few minutes,do not fry for long otherwise they will become tough.As I like to use soft malai paneer I do not like to toss them as I feel they will loose their texture.
5. For a vegan version,replace paneer with tofu.Avoid cream,milk and butter.Increase the quantity of cashew nuts in the recipe and follow the same process.

Technorati Tags: how to prepare restaurant style paneer butter masala, paneer recipes, side dishes for roti, easy paneer recipes, paneer butter masala recipe, paneer sabzi varieties, north indian paneer recipes

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Gobi Paratha Recipe | Paratha Stuffings Ideas

A stuffed Paratha with North Indian style Aam ka Achar/Mirch ka Achaar, or Mixed vegetable Achar and a bowl of dahi(curd) is a perfect meal for me.I usually prefer preparing parathas when I am not in a mood to cook the usual Roti-Sabzi-Dal fare. Parathas are quick to make if you finish the basic preparation of the filling ahead.

The options for parantha fillings are endless. One can get creative with the fillings and use various combination of vegetables to prepare the fillings.Today I am sharing a simple Gobi Paratha recipe where a spicy cauliflower filling is stuffed in a wheat flour dough and is rolled into a thick bread and roasted on a tawa.

Gobi Paratha Recipe :

yields: 6 parathas

Prep time:30 mins | Cooking time:30 mins | Total time:1 hour

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Flat Bread(Paratha) – Main Course  

Ingredients:

for dough:

1 1/2 cups Wheat flour

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

Water,to mix

for filling:

2 cups grated Cauliflower

1 medium Onion,finely chopped(optional)

3-4 Green chillies,finely chopped

1 tsp grated Ginger

2 tbsp chopped Coriander

1 tsp Amchur(dried mango) powder

2 tsp roasted Cumin powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Wheat flour,for rolling

Ghee and Oil,to roast parathas

Method:

to make dough:

• Mix in the salt with wheat flour and add 1 tsp oil and mix well.
• Add little water(if needed) and knead it into a smooth and soft dough.The dough should be slightly softer than the regular chapati dough for parathas as it will not only make easy to stuff the filling it will help in easy and even rolling of parathas.
• Apply oil on top of the dough and cover it and keep it aside for at least half an hour.

to make filling:

• Clean and wash the cauliflower florets and soak them in warm water with salt for 10 minutes.
• Grate the florets and squeeze the extra water from it and put it in a bowl.
• Add finely chopped onion,green chillies,grated ginger,chopped coriander and mix well.
• Add amchur powder,garam masala,turmeric powder,salt and cumin powder and mix well and keep it ready.Add salt and other masalas just before you are going to prepare parathas otherwise the mixture will leave water when kept for long time.

to make paratha:

• Pinch the dough and take a big size lemon sized dough and place the dough in your left hand palm.
• Using your right hand fingers in the flour and try to make a cup shape(which can hold 3-4 tbsp filling) out of the dough by moving your fingers pressing with the thumb in the center.Take care that the edges should be slightly thinner and in the center it should be thick.

• Fill the cup with 3-4 tbsp filling and seal the two sides of the dough(it would look like Karanji now) and gently press the corners to get a big round ball out of it.See the pictures for better idea.

• If you stuff the filling in the dough in this way you will get evenly filled paratha and it also forms like pocket.If you find all the above process bit difficult,you can easily roll a 3" circle out of the dough and place the filling in the center and pleat the dough and seal it by gathering the dough around the edges.

• Slightly flatten the dough(stuffed with filling) with hands and dip it in the wheat flour and gently roll it to a 6" disc of 1/2" thickness.You should not apply more pressure while rolling,so roll it gently.
• Carefully place it on the hot tawa and fry it until you see bubbles on one side and flip the other side.
• Apply oil/ghee generously and roast on the other side.
  

• Fry the parathas on both sides until you get crisp brown patches on both sides.

Serve them piping hot with Aam ka Achar/Mirch ka Achaar/Mixed Vegetable Achar,curd/masala dahi and sliced onions.

Notes:

1. You can even do a combination of mashed boiled aloo and gobi or gobi and mooli(radish) in the recipe.
2. Gobi can be replaced with grated paneer or mashed aloo or grated and squeezed radish and follow the same recipe,it tastes nice too.

Check out other Stuffed Parathas recipes:

• Palak Paneer Paratha
• Tofu Alu Paratha
• Paneer Bhurji Paratha
• Methi Aloo Paratha
• Mooli Paratha
• Palak Aloo Paratha

Technorati Tags: gobi paratha recipe,paratha filling ideas,stuffed gobi paratha,punjabi paratha recipes,paratha stuffings,typical delhi style parathas,stuffed cauliflower paratha,how to sroll perfect paratha,stuffings for parathas,how to make stuffed parathas,stuffed paratha tutorial

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