Kuttu Aur Aloo Ka Paratha

kuttu aloo ka paratha

Kuttu aur aloo ka paratha can be eaten in fasts of Ekadashi and Navratras. Kuttu paratha along with aloo ki sabzi are part of Navratra thali.

Recipe of kuttu aur aloo ka paratha

1 cup kuttu atta (buckwheat flour) and singhadi atta mixed in equal proportions

4-5 medium potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed)

2-3 green chillies- chopped finely

Salt to taste

Oil to shallow fry

1. Mix all the above ingredients except oil in a bowl and knead into pliable dough. There is no need to add water, use potatoes to knead.

2. Take a small ball (peda) out of the dough and roll into a 4-5 inch diameter disk dusting in dry flour to prevent from sticking or alternatively you can make the paratha by patting the peda between your palms.

3. Heat a tava (griddle) and place this paratha on it. Roast from both sides applying oil. Similarly make other paratha from rest of the dough. Serve hot kuttu aur aloo ka paratha.

kuttu aloo paratha

Gobi Paratha

gobi paratha

Gobi paratha is one of my favorite stuffed paratha. Gobi holds a pride of place in my kitchen and so is this paratha.

Recipe of gobi paratha

Filling

1 medium cauliflower (gobhi/ gobi) - grated

1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

Salt to taste

2 green chillies- finely chopped

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1 inch piece ginger- grated

Dough

1 1/2 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp oil

Oil to shallow fry

1. Mix all the ingredients of the dough and add enough water to knead the atta into pliable dough. Cover it with a cloth and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

2. Squeeze hard grated gobi and remove the excess liquid. You can use this water to knead the dough. After 10 minutes, again squeeze hard gobi to remove any moisture that remains.

3. Mix all the ingredients under the head ‘filling’.

4. Take a ball (peda) out of the dough and roll out into a 3 inch round dusting it with dry flour to prevent it from sticking.

5. Grease this round with the help of a greased spoon or spatula. Place 1 tablespoon of gobi filling in the centre. Gather the edges of the round and reshape it into a ball. Flatten this ball by lightly pressing with hand.

5. Roll out this ball into a 6 inch round dusting it in dry flour. Roll out gently and also lift the paratha gently before placing it on the griddle.

6. Heat a tawa (griddle) and smear it with some oil with the help of a spatula. Turn the heat to medium and place the parantha on it. Cook till the underside is cooked and rawness of flour disappear. Turn over and cook the other side also. Cook both sides till they become somewhat reddish brown. While cooking the paratha, press with the spatula in between to make it crisp. Similarly cook other parathas. Serve hot gobi paratha with curd and pickle.

Bael Sherbet

bael sherbet

Its summer time folks. So how about a chilled glass of bael sherbet after coming home from the hot sun. It’s an excellent way to beat the heat. Some people don’t add sugar to it if the fruit is very sweet but then again, its optional and according to your taste. 

Recipe of Bael sherbet

1 kilogram whole bael fruit (Bilva)

 Black salt (kaala namak) – to taste

 100 grams Sugar

3 liter water

1 tsp black pepper powder (kaali mirch)

bael fruit

1. Break the bael fruit and remove the pulp. Discard the hard outer covering or shell.

2. Soak this pulp in water. Break the pulp with hands. Let it be soaked for 2-3 hours.

3. Strain it in a  strainer crushing the pulp well against the strainer.

4. Add salt, sugar and black pepper powder. Mix well and serve bael sherbet chilled.

Healthy Bytes- Bael fruit is an excellent laxative and relieves constipation. It also cleans stomach and half ripe fruit is good for digestion.

100 grams of edible portion of the bael fruit contains-

61.5% water

0% fat

2.9 % Fiber

31.8 % Carbohydrates

1.7 % Minerals

1.8 % Protein 

Bajre ki Roti (Millet Flour Flatbread)

bajre ki roti

 Bajre ki roti is made a lot in Rajasthan. They eat it with a piece of gur and it is liberally smeared with pure ghee. Initially you may find it difficult to make bajre ki roti by patting between your palms so I have shown an easier way by using polythene bag or plastic sheets. This way even a novice can make bajre ki roti.

Recipe of bajre ki roti

1 cup bajra atta (millet flour)

Salt to taste

Ghee (clarified butter)

rolling out bajre ki roti

1. Mix bajra atta with salt. Add warm water little by little to knead bajra flour into medium soft dough. There is no need to knead the dough too much.

2. Take a ball from the dough, wet your palms and pat this ball between your palms to make 4-5 inch roti. OR alternately tear a polythene bag into 2. Place 1 half on the rolling surface and place the ball on it. Cover it with the 2nd half of polythene bag.

3. Roll it into as thin round as you can. Remove the above polythene, take the roti on your right hand removing from the lower polythene.

4. Place it on a hot non-stick griddle (tava). Cook bajre ki roti from both sides till browned.

5. Remove it from the tava and smear it with ghee. Serve bajre ki roti hot with some gur (jaggery) and vegetable dish.

Moong Dal Chilla (Spiced Lentil Pancake)

moong dal chilla

These moong dal chilla have me drooling. I make them frequently in our breakfasts as me and my husband both loves them. My husband insists on onion, tomatoes so I have found an easy way out. I grind them along with soaked moong dal which gives the chilla a unique flavor and makes it easy to make. You can also call it moong dal dosa.

Recipe of moong dal chilla

1 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

3 green chillies

1 medium onion

1 tomato

Salt to taste

1 tsp coriander seeds- crushed coarsely (optional)

Oil for roasting

reverse side of chilla

1. Soak mung dal for 2 hours. Drain and grind along with rest of the ingredients except oil. Add little water to get thick pouring consistency. Beat well.

2. Heat a non-stick tava (griddle). Smear it with oil. Turn the heat to low. With the help of a tablespoon, put 2 tablespoons in the centre of the tawa.

3. With the help of the tablespoon, spread the batter outwardly in the round, circular motion into a thin round. Now turn the heat to medium.

4. Pour some oil over the chilla and after about 3 minutes; turn over the cheela so that other side also gets cooked. Use a wide, thin spatula for doing this. After 2 minutes remove the moong dal chilla from the tava. Similarly make other chillas from rest of the batter. Serve hot with green coriander chutney.

Note- Always spread chilla on a low heat and cook on medium heat.

Bhel Puri Recipe

bhel puri

You can munch on this bhel puri as an evening snack or anytime when hunger pangs hit you. If you do not add too much readymade namkeen, then this is a low calorie healthy snack. Bhel puri is a delicious chaat item which is basically a Gujarati dish.

Recipe of diet bhel

2 cups murmura (kurmura/ mamra/ puffed rice)

1 small potato- boiled, peeled and cubed

1 small tomato- chopped

1 small onion- chopped

2 green chillies- chopped

1 tbsp peanuts (moongphali)

1/2 tsp chaat masala

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Bhujia, papadi or some other readymade namkeen

3 tbsp meethi chutney (see the recipe below)

2 tbsp green chutney

1. Dry roast the peanuts in a heavy bottomed vessel (karahi). Take them out and in the same karahi, dry roast the murmura on medium heat stirring continuously till they begin to change color.

2. In a large bowl, mix all the above ingredients and serve bhel puri immediately otherwise murmura will get soggy.

Recipe of quick meethi chutney

2 tbsp sugar or gur (jaggery)

1 tbsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp roasted jeera (cumin seeds)

1. Take a small heavy bottomed vessel and mix all the above ingredients in it.

2. Cook till everything dissolves and chutney gets the right consistency. Let it cool.

bhel poori

Kuttu Poori (Buckwheat Flour Fried Flatbread)

kuttu poori

I made kuttu poori during 'Navratras' but somehow forgot to post it on the blog. You can also make kuttu poori with kuttu atta only. Singhadi atta is optional. Singhadi atta binds well and also rich in Calcium. Also my mom says kuttu atta is hot on body so mixing singhadi atta leads to cooling down effect.

Recipe of kuttu poori

1 cup kuttu atta (buckwheat flour)

1/2 cup singhadi atta

3-4 medium sized potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed

3 green chillies- chopped finely

Salt to taste

Oil to deep fry

1. Mix salt and green chillies to potato. In a bowl, mix kuttu and singhadi atta.

2. Mix potato mixture to kuttu and singhadi flour. Use potato to knead the flour into stiff dough. Add water only if there is a need. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

3. Take lemon sized ball from the dough and pat between your greased palms to make 3-4 inch round or poori.

4. Heat oil in a kadhai/wok. To check whether the oil is hot enough, put a small portion of dough into the oil. If it sizzles and comes to surface, your oil is ready. Turn the heat to medium. Gently place the poori in the oil.

4. Press the kuttu poori with a pauni (slotted spoon/ chhari). The poori will puff up. Turn over and fry from other side also. Drain the poori using the same slotted spoon on an absorbent paper. Similarly make rest of the kuttu puri from the dough. Serve hot with curd.