Stuffed Paranthas - Palak

Parantha's (a kind of griddle cooked flat bread) are an evergreen north Indian breakfast option. There are a variety of stuffing one can use to make delicious and healthy paranthas. My breakfast for tomorrow is stuffed palak paratha. This one is a little tricky so I'll put in an how to make it easy tip at the end ;) read on:
You need:
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Curd - 1 tbsp
Salt - 2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
1 green chilly - finely chopped
Palak (spinach) - chopped finely 2 cups (wash really well before chopping)
Oil for cooking
Water for kneading the dough

How to:
Add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp oil and curd to the wheat flour. Mix slightly and then with water knead into a tight dough. Cover and keep aside.
Drain the washed and chopped spinach really well to remove all water. Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, green chilly, and cumin seeds. Mix well. DO NOT add salt at this point. If you do, the spinach will leave water and cannot be used as stuffing.
Take the dough and knead it some more till it is smooth. Divide into fist size parts. Roll out each part with a rolling pin into small circles. Put a drop of oil in the middle of the circle, add a pinch or 2 of salt (according to your taste) and spread evenly on the circle. Put a little of the spinach filling in the center and fold the edges to close the ball. Roll out again into a flat round bread. Sprinkle some wheat flour while rolling to avoid the bread sticking to the surface.

Heat a griddle and put the rolled parantha on it to cook. Spread a little oil on both sides and cook till they are nicely crisp and brown.

An easier way to make it is to mix all the ingredients together (even the spinach) while kneading the dough. Then you only need to roll it out and cook it and avoid the messiness of the stuffing. tastes are different though and I prefer the stuffed version :)

More stuffing recipes coming up :)

Eggless pancakes

I got this recipe from the net. Added a bit of my twist to it.. and here it is :)
For the pancake you need:

• Maida (self raising flour) - 1 cup


• Whole milk - 1 cup


• Water - 1 tbsp


• Oil - 1 tbsp


• Baking soda - 2 tsp


• Sugar - 1 tsp


• Honey - 1 tsp


• Cinnamon powder- 1 tsp


• Salt - 1/2 tsp


• Butter - 2 tbsp

For the filling you need

• Honey - 6 tbsp


• Strawberries - 6 chopped


• Bananas - 2 chopped


• Chocolate sauce/ Strawberry syrup - as much as you like :)

How to:

• Put honey, strawberries and bananas in a jar and shake well. Keep aside


• In a bowl add maida, salt, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon powder and mix well


• Add the remaining ingredients except butter and mix lightly. Do not mix too much. It's ok if you see lumps. Set aside for 5 minutes.


• Heat an non stick griddle and add butter to it. Heat till the butter just melts. Add the butter to the pancake mix and stir well


• Heat the griddle again. Add 1/4th of the pancake mixture to the griddle, spread in a thick circle and cook till bubbles appears on the surface. Flip and cook till the other side is done.


• Take the pancake out on a plate bubble side up and spread half the filling mixture on it. Cook another pancake and use it to sandwich the filling. Top with a generous helping of chocolate sauce/ strawberry syrup. Ready to eat. Can make another sandwich from the remaining mixture :)

Kairi ki Launji (Sweet and Sour raw mango chutney)

This is my favorite accompaniment with lunch in summers. Its tangy and sweet and fresh and just the thing that'll make you lick your fingers.
You need:
Raw mango (kairi) - 2 diced
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Sauf (fennel seeds) - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Dry ginger (Saunth) - 1tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

How to:
Heat oil in a pan and add the saunf and dried ginger. Add the chopped kairi, cover and cook till it is slightly soft. Add the other ingredients (except sugar) and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cook till the oil leaves sides. Mash the mango pieces a bit to give a pulpy consistency.

Ready to eat :)

Jalapeno and olive pasta sauce

This is my twist on the regular red sauce that I make to go with pasta. Makes it spicier and yummier.

You need:

• Tomatoes - 4 medium (make sure they are red to give that beautiful color to the sauce)


• Garlic - 10-12 cloves (believe me.. more garlic.. more yumminess)


• Jalapenos - 2 ( I got it out of the can.. so I took 5 pieces)


• Black olives (or green ones or mix both) - a handful (again out of the can here)


• One green chilly (optional)


• A handful of fresh coriander leaves


• Onions - 3 medium - finely chopped


• Olive oil - 1/2 cup (GOOD FOR HEALTH)


• Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp


• Chilly flakes - 2 tsp


• Oregano - 2 tsp


• Salt to taste

How to:

• Put green chilly, tomatoes, and garlic in a mixer and grind to a paste


• In this put in the olives, jalapenos and fresh coriander and just give one turn in the mixer. The paste should be coarse and grainy


• Heat the oil in a pan and saute the chopped onions till they are slightly golden


• Add the tomato paste to it, cover and cook for 5 minutes


• Add the chilly powder, chilly flakes, oregano and salt to it and cook till the oil leaves sides.

Toss in any pasta and serve hot :)