YAM AND ALOO PARATHAS BY SOBHA P. SHENAI

JUST A SMALL CHANGE IN YOUR USUAL PARATHAS CAN MAKE IT A SPECIAL ONE..! TRY THIS YAM AND ALOO PARATHAS........!

YAM AND ALOO PARATHAS

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:

1 large yam – cooked pealed, and mashed

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped finely

1 clove of fresh garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (if possible, freshly grated)

1/8 teaspoon of powdered ginger

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon caraway seed

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon oregano

1/2 tablespoon turmeric

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (plus 1/4 cup set aside)

Dough:

3 cups of all purpose or wheat flour

1 and 3/4 cups of lukewarm water

1 and 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt.

Dough – In a large bowl add the flour and salt. Mix well with fingers. Slowly add the water and olive oil to the flour, while mixing by hand. Mix dough until a rough ball is formed. On a well floured surface, roll out the dough until smooth and soft (about 5 minutes). Separate the dough into golf ball sized portions and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover with dishcloth so the dough does not dry out.

Filling – In a small sauté pan heat the 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-low. Add the caraway seeds and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to release the flavors. Add the remaining spices and the mashed yams. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the spices are aromatic. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Once ooled, add the fresh parsley and mix well.

To make the flatbread, roll out a piece of dough into a 4-5 inch circle (1/4 inch thick). Place 1 tablespoon of the yam mixture into the center of the dough. Fold up the sides of the dough, covering the yam mixture. Use the palm of your hand to press down the dough. Use the rolling pin to gently roll out the flatbread again to a 4-5 inch circle (1/4 inch thick). Its okay if the dough tears. Continue this process with all of the dough and mixture. Place flatbread back on the baking sheet and cover with a dishcloth.

Heat the cast iron pan over medium-high heat. The pan is ready when a drop of water sizzles in the pan. Add a tiny bit of the reserved 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil to the pan. Place a flatbread in the pan and cook until the bottom is golden brown. Flip the flatbread and continue to cook the other side until golden brown. If the flatbread starts to puff, press it down with the spatula. Once both sides are golden brown, remove from pan and place on the wire cooling rack. Immediatly season with a pinch of kosher salt. Repeat until all the flatbread is cooked.Serve hot topped with butter.

BEETROOT PAVBHAJI BY SAPNA NAYAK

BEETROOT IS VERY HEALTHY I HAVE ADDED IT IN PAVBHAJI AS KIDS LOVE IT..!

BEETROOT BHAJI 

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 3 cups, diced small

Cauliflower – 2 cups, finely chopped

Beatroot - 1 cup

Frozen Green Peas – 1 cup

Carrots – ½ cup, diced small

Salt – 1 tsp (to taste)

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Water – 2 cups

Oil – 1 Tbsp

Butter – 1 Tbsp

Jeera (Cumin Seeds) – ½ tsp

Hing (Asofoetida) – pinch

Red Chili Powder – ¼ tsp (to taste)

Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped

Garlic – 2 tsp, minced

Ginger – 2 tsp, minced

Tomato – 1 medium, chopped

Tomato Sauce – ½ cup (1/2 of 8 oz. can)

Pav Bhaji Masala – 2 tsp (to taste)

Dhania Powder – 1 tsp

Lemon Juice – ½ tsp (to taste)

Daniya – chopped (for garnishing)

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker, add Potatoes, Cauliflower, Green Peas,Beetroot, Carrots, Salt, turmeric powder and Water – Mix well.
2. Pressure cook for 1 whistle and remove pressure after 2 minutes (To remove pressure, hold cooker under cold running water in sink).
3. Heat Oil and Butter in a non-stick pan.
4. Add Jeera and allow it to sputter.
5. Add Hing and Red Chili Powder.
6. Add Onions, Garlic and Ginger – stir well.
7. Cook until Oil starts to separate.
8. Add Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce and mix well.
9. Cook until Oil starts to separate again.
10. Add Pav Bhaji Masala and Dhania Powder – mix well and cook for 1 minute.
11. Add Vegetables and lightly mash.
12. Add Lemon Juice and adjust Salt/Chili Powder/Pav Bhaji Masala.
13. Cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with Cilantro, chopped raw Onions, Green Chillies and a squeeze of Lime juice.

YOU CAN SERVE WITH BREAD, ROTI OR PAV

STUFFED BANGDA RAWA FRY BY SANDHYA KINI MAYENKAR

BANGDA (MACKEREL) IS AVAILABLE IN PLENTY YOU CAN EASILY TRY THIS RECIPE..!

STUFFED MACKEREL

Goan style Stuffed machreals 

4 large machreals cleaned 

1 large lemon juice

1 tsp haldi powder

1 tsp chilli powder or as per individual taste

Salt to taste.

Rava to coat the machreals

Cooking oil for shallow frying

Grind to a fine paste:

8-10 garlic flakes

1" PC ginger

5-6 green chillies

Half bunch of coriander leaves

3/4 cup grated coconut

Small lump of tamarind

And salt

Method: Clean the machreals and slowly slit lenghtwise so that you can stuff the chutney inside the fish. Marinate the fish with salt lime juice haldi powder and chilli powder and keep aside for at least an hour.

Meanwhile grind the stuffing chutney to a thick paste adding only very little water as much as required. The chutney should be a very strong version of the normal coriander chutney that you make. Spicy and very tangy. 

Slowly open the fish and stuff as much chutney as you can inside the fish. Carefully coat with rava. 

Heat little oil in a thick bottomed shallow frying pan. 

When hot place the fish and on the pan and cook on low heat. Add oil as necessary. Once golden, turn and roast on the other side. 

Serve hot accompanied with piping hot rice and fish curry!!!

COFFEE CAKE BY YOGITA KAMATH

COFFEE IN CAKE ENHANCES THE FLAVOR AND TASTES BEST..!

COFFEE CAKE 

INGREDIENTS :

1cup maida,

4tablespoons nescafe powder,

1egg,

half tsp baking powder,

half cup butter,

half cup sugar & little water.

Method :

Beat d egg well, cream d butter very well,& Add maida,& add sugar pwd,gringd d sugar in mixer to pwd,mix d coffee pwd & baking pwd,Mix well,then grease the baking dish &add the mixture bake at 120 degree for 20 mins. when done,Dust icing sugar,when the cake cools.

YOUR TASTY COFFEE CAKE IS READYYYYYY...........!!!!!!!!!!!!

MELTING MOMENTS BY SANDHYA KINI MAYENKAR

THIS DISH WILL MELT YOUR HEART TRUST ME..!!

MELTING MOMENTS

INGREDIENTS :

Maida 140 GMs
Baking powder 1/4 tsp.
Powdered sugar 85 GMs
Margarine 115 GMs
Egg 1/2
Cornflakes 50 GMs
Vanilla essence few drops

Method:

Grease and dust a cake tin and keep aside. sieve the flour n baking powder n keep aside. Cream the margarine and powdered sugar till light and fluffy. Add beaten egg little by little and vanilla essence.
Add the sieved flour little by little to get a smooth paste dough.

Divide the dough into equal portions. Wet hands and take small spoonful of batter in or hands and carefully form a soft ball. Dip the ball in coarsely powdered cornflakes or decicated coconut and keep on baking tray.

Bake at 190 degrees centigrade for 25-30 mins.

ENJOY TWO DIFFERENT FLAVORS BY TRYING OUT THIS RECIPE..!!

CHOCOLATE FINGERS BY SANDHYA MINI KINI

CHOCOLATE FINGERS ONE OF THE CREATIVE DISH IN OUR BLOG..!!

CHOCOLATE FINGERS

INGREDIENTS :

Maida 140 GMs
Egg 1
Cocoa powder 30 GMs more or less according to taste.
Margarine 95 GMs
Powdered sugar 85 GMs
Vanilla essence few drops
Milk little

Method:
Grease and dust the cake tin and keep aside. sieve the flour and cocoa together three times. Beat the egg till creamy n frothy. Keep aside. Then Cream fat and sugar till light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg little at a tine . add milk only if necessary. Fold in the maid a. Make a soft dough. Fill into the piping bag and pipe it into 5 cms long fingers with a large nozzle. Pipe directly on the greased baking tray. Bake at 190 degrees centigrade for 25 to 30 mins.
Keep to cool.

INGREDIENTS FOR ICING:
Butter cream.
Icing sugar 50 GMs
Butter 20 GMs
Vanilla three drops.

Method: cream the butter and gradually add icing sugar and mix well. Add the vanilla drops and make a smooth icing paste.

Once the biscuits are completely cool apply the butter cream to all the biscuits and stick them together. These biscuits can be stored 10-15 days in an air tight container.


LETS BITE OUR FINGERS..!!!

MATTAR PANEER MASALA BY SANDHYA MALLYA

IF YOU HAVE JUST FEW PANEER LEFT AND SOME GREEN PEAS THEN THIS RECIPE IS PERFECT FOR THE DAY..!!

MATTAR PANEER

INGREDIENTS :

Kasoori Methi 1/2Teaspoons

Garam Masala Powder 1Teaspoons

Oil 1Tablespoons

Turmeric Pinch

Salt To Taste

Bay Leaves 1n

Cinnamon Sticks 1 inch

Cardamom 2 numbers

Cloves 3 Numbers

Fried Onions 1Numbers

Curd (beaten) 3Tablespoons

Chilly Powder 1/2Teaspoons

Cumin Powder 1/2Teaspoons

Coriander Powder 1Teaspoons

Tomato Puree 1 1/2Tablespoons

Melon Seeds 20Grams

Poppy Seeds 10Grams

Almonds 10Grams

Cashew Nuts 20Grams

Paneer 200Grams

Green Peas (Matter) 50Grams

Cream 1Teaspoons

METHOD : 

1) Take cashew nuts, almonds, poppy seeds, melon seeds, put it in to the hot water and boil for 25 minutes, then let it cool down put them into the blender and add fried onions, make a paste.

2) Heat oil in a pan add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bayleaves, add cumin seeds, sauté it and add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, cook this till raw flavour is gone, add tomato puree, one green chilly, cook this for 5 minutes, then add prepared paste of nuts, add coriander powder, cumin powder, chilly powder, salt, add water and keeps stirring while cooking the gravy so it does not burn, add curd, mix it well and put the lid on and let it cook for 25 to 30 minutes in a slow flame.

3) Then add green peas (boiled/ frozen), paneer, kasoori methi powder, garam masala powder, put the lid on and once it comes to boil add cream mix it well and switch off the flame. 

                                                     SERVE IT WITH HOT BREAD OR ROTI..!!