Rajma Paratha

Love stuffed parathas? Then you should definitely try this out. Stuffed Parathas get featured in our menu often and aloo paratha is our favorite. I found this version of Rajma Paratha from DK's website and I had bookmarked it long ago. After one of our busy weekends when we were out of veggies, I was thinking of something to make for dinner. I had soaked some rajma/kidney beans to make some rajma kurma. But instead, I made these delicious rajma parathas and it was a great hit at out place. I skipped the paneer in the original recipe and it was soft and filling! I served it with some curd/yogurt and pickle. It also tastes great with yogurt and ketchup!

Ingredients
Rajma/Kidney beans (cooked/canned) - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon (or) finely sliced green chillies
Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves/ Cilantro finely chopped - 1 spoon
Salt to taste

For the dough
Atta/Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
Water for kneading the dough
Salt to taste

Directions 

Soak the rajma/kidney beans overnight if using fresh ones.

Add enough water to the atta/whole wheat flour and salt and knead into a soft, pliable dough. Cover and allow it to rest for atleast half and hour.

Meanwhile prepare the rajma filling. Pressure cook the overnight soaked rajma/kidney beans for atleast 15 minutes until soft and cooked well. Alternatively you could use canned kidney beans. Drain the water in the canned variety.

In a bowl, using the back of a spoon or a potato masher, mash the rajma well to get a smooth mashed mixture. To this mashed rajma, add all the other ingredients listed and mix well.

To make the parathas, take a small lemon sized ball from the kneaded dough. Roll it slightly with the help of a rolling pin. Take a small ball from the prepared mashed rajma mixture and place it in the center of the dough. Cover the dough over the rajma from all centers and pinch the dough together.  Slightly press using the palm of your hand. Dip the entire ball in flour and knead carefully with the rolling pin into a flat disc. Take care that the filling doesnt come outside. Use more flour while kneading if needed.

Heat a tawa/pan and cook the rolled out paratha. Drizzle some oil on the sides. Flip over and cook on the other side alternating on each side for a total of about two minutes. Remove when it gets completely cooked and golden brown on both sides.

Serve with your choice of yogurt/curd and pickle/ketchup!

Sending this to MLLA:28 hosted here at DilSe.. and initially started by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook

Also sending this to Tried and Tasted hosted by Priya and started by Lakshmi

Gobi ka kheema / Spiced Cauliflower curry

This is a different way of cooking the humble vegetable - cauliflower! I wanted to try this version for long after seeing this recipe in many blogs. I followed my own version by adapting those recipes and the recipe yielded in an absolutely flavorful and fragrant cauliflower, as opposed to the bland and not-so-good smelling cauliflower! The cauliflower is very finely chopped for this recipe and hence called "Gobi ka kheema". Alternatively, the cauliflower could also be grated to get a fine texture. Green pease could also be added to make it more flavorful..


Ingredients
Cauliflower - 1 medium sized
Onions - 1 small sized
Tomato - 2 medium sized
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Hing/Asafoetida - 1 pinch (optional)
Frozen green peas - 2 tablespoons (optional)
Corainder leaves/Cilantro - for garnish
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 spoons

Directions
Grate or chop the cauliflower finely. Also puree the tomatoes. Dice the onions finely.
In a saucepan, add1 spoon of oil. Once it gets heated, add the grated/chopped cauliflower to it and fry it for about 5 to 6 minutes, until it gets a deep golden hue. Remove the cauliflower and set aside.

In the same saucepan, add the remaining oil and add cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the onions and saute until they turn translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few more minutes.

Add the pureed tomato, turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder and salt. Simmer for about 3 minutes, until everything mixes together. Bring it a boil and then add the grated and chopped cauliflower and green peas if using. Mix well until well coated by the spices. Switch off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve warm along with rotis or chapatis or rice.

Aloo Baingan / Curried potato and eggplant

This is an authentic combo of vegetables. Potatoes and eggplants beautifully pair each other. Both veggies cooked with a few spices take themselves to a whole new level. This subji makes a great accompaniment with rotis, chapathis, naan or with some rice and dal. It can be made real quick and tastes delicious.

 

Ingredients

Eggplant/Brinjal - 1 big or 4 small ones

Potato - 1 big or 2 small sized ones

Onion - 1 medium sized

Tomato - 2 medium sized ones

Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander/Dhania powder - 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida/Hing - 1 pinch (optional)

Oil - 1 spoon

Coriander leaves/Cilantro - for garnish

Salt to taste 

Directions

Dice the potatoes and eggplants into even sized pieces.  Also chop the onions and tomatoes.

In a kadai/saucepan, add the oil and do the tempering with cumin seeds and hing. Add the diced onions and saute until they get translucent. Then add the tomatoes and cook for about two minutes until they turn mushy.

Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt and mix well. Saute for a minute. Add about two table spoons of water, cover and cook for about five minutes or until the veggies turn tender.

Add the garam masala and mix well. Cook for two more minutes, adjust salt and spices and turn off the stove. 

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve warm along with any side - rice/roti/chapati/naan.

 

Sending this recipe to Any One Can Cook hosted by Umm Mymoonah

Bisibelabath

This is a one pot meal that is wholesome and can be made with any number of veggies on hand. it is quite delicious served with some papads and pickle. It is comfort food to many South Indians! I have tried several variations of this rice and each time it is a hit at my place. here is my favorite version of Bisibelabath! The ingredients list may seem too long, but it is so easy to prepare. The spice powder can be made ahead in bulk and stored for future use..

Ingredients
Rice - 2 cups
Toor dhal- 1 cup
Vegetables - peas, carrot, beans, potatoes, brinjal, drumstick - a total of two cups chopped (can be replaced with any veggies of choice)
Turmeric powder- ¼ teaspoon
Asafoetida- ¼ teaspoon
Shallots/Onions - ½ cup
Tomatoes - 2 diced
Garlic - 6 cloves (optional)
Green chillies- 3
Sambar powder- 1 teaspoon (optional)
Tamarind extract - 1 teaspoon or juice from tamarind of lemon size
Ghee - 2 spoons
Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons chopped finely
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

For tempering

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Ghee/Oil - 1 teaspoon

For the spice powder :
Roast and grind the following -
Toor dhal - 1 teaspoon
Channa dhal - 2 teaspoons
Urad dhal- 1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds/Dhania - 1 tablespoon
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 ½ teaspoon
Cinnamon - 2 one inch pieces
Cloves - 5
Peppercorns - ½ teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - ½ teaspoon
Saunf/Aniseeds - ½ teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Red chillies - 4 or more according to your choice of spice level
Dried Coconut - 2 spoons (optional) can also be replaced with fresh grated coconut

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add all the above ingredients and roast it until everything gets toasted. take care not to burn the spices. Allow it to cool and coarse grind the spices in a mixie / spice grinder.

Directions
Cook the rice along with salt and water. Rice:water= 1:2
Cook the toor dhal along with water, tomatoes, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Dhal:water = 1:3
In a large saucepan or in a pressure cooker, heat some oil and saute the shallots or onions. Once they turn translucent, add the green chillies and garlic and saute for a while.
Add all the chopped vegetables and required amount of salt and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tamarind mixture and a little water. Cover and cook until the vegetables get tender. Add the ground spice mixture and saute for 2 more minutes until a nice aroma is released.
Now add the cooked rice and dhal to this mixture and mix well. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or pressure cook for 3 whistles.
Meanwhile, do the tempering with ghee/oil, mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves. Pour this seasoning over the rice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with some papads or pickle.

Molten Lava Cake

This is one of the best cakes I have ever baked. This recipe is a keeper for sure. It sure satisfied my cake and chocolate craving :) The best part is that it can be made from start to finish in 30 minutes and also it needs only five ingredients. I used dark chocolate instead of the semi-sweet chocolate and it tasted equally yummy! A bit healthier too.. Also loved the fact that it is baked i single sized servings. loved the gooey center of the molten lava cake. I baked it a little longer and it still resulted in a soft and moist center. This sweet goes to A Sweet Punch hosted by Divya this month. Now onto the recipe..

Ingredients

Recipe courtesy : www.showmethecurry.com

Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate/Dark Chocolate – 4 oz (113g)
Butter – 4 oz (113g)
Eggs – 2
Sugar – 1/3 cup (75 g)
All-purpose Flour – 1/4 cup (40g)
Butter – for greasing ramekins

Directions

1. In a double boiler, melt chocolate. Alternatively Microwave for 2 minutes checking every 30 seconds.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Once chocolate is melted, remove pan from heat and add in butter. Mix until the butter melts fully.
4. Add chocolate/butter mixture into the eggs, add all-purpose flour and mix until well incorporated.
5. Butter bottom and sides of ramekins (small glass/porcelain bowls) and pour in mixture about 3/4 way full.
6. Place ramekins on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C) for 10 – 15 minutes. Shorter for gooey (molten) inside, longer for stiff inside.
7. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate cakes cannot get any better!

My Legume Love Affair (MLLA #28) - Event Announcement

Hello Foodie Friends..
Am back all charged up after my trip to India.. Will catch up with all your posts soon.. Am here with an exciting event announcement.

Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook offered me the opportunity to host October's edition of My Legume Love Affair (MLLA #28). Thank you Susan!

What is a legume?
According to Wikipedia, “A legume in botanical writing is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or a fruit of these specific plants. A 'legume' fruit is a simple dry fruit that develops from a simple carpel and usually dehisces (opens along a seam) on two sides. A common name for this type of fruit is a pod, although "pod" is also applied to a few other fruit types, such as vanilla. Well-known legumes include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, soy, and peanuts.”

Fresh or dried beans, lentils, pulses, and/or the sometimes edible pods that contain these seeds, derivative products like tofu or besan,  fenugreek, carob, peanuts, etc are all acceptable ingredients for this event.

MLLA is all about the legumes of any sort as the main draw. Hence, please note that the "legume" being used for the dish must be the main ingredient rather than an auxiliary one.

Here are some of the rules for participating in this event:

• Post any recipe on your blog with any legume as the main ingredient during the month of October. Use of logo is optional.
• Please link back to this announcement post and also to MLLA host line up page on The Well Seasoned Cook .
• All courses and cuisines (vegetarian/vegan/non-vegetarian) are welcome, as long as legumes are the dominant ingredient. 
• Multiple recipes are allowed (although only one submission will be counted towards the random drawing). Recipes submitted to other events are also allowed. Recipes from archives can be accepted ONLY if updated and reposted as current.   
• Email your recipes to divyablogs[AT]gmail[DOT]com with the following details on or before Oct 30: 

1. Name:
2. Location: (required)
3. URL of the recipe:
4. Picture of any size: (optional yet preferred)

•  Location of each participant is necessary to know who qualifies to win the Hurst Bean prize, shipped to U.S. residents only. If you don't want your location published in the round-up, please indicate this in your email so that I can maintain your privacy.
• For those who dont have a blog, pls send me the recipe and other details and I will gladly add that to the round up as well. Such entries also make eligible the participants to win the random drawing. 

Here comes the best part of the event:
Susan has offered to sponsor two exciting prizes to a randomly selected winner:

1) Winner chooses any cookbook or food-related book from Amazon U.S. valued at not more than 15USD, not including shipping.  This prize is offered by Susan at her expense and includes worldwide shipping.  Susan does not receive any compensation from Amazon.

2) Hurst Bean Box - A case of six bags of the winner's choice of Hurst Bean products, suitable for every diet, sponsored by Hurst Bean. (Due to shipping restrictions, this prize can only be awarded if the winner is a U.S. resident.) FTC Notice: In May 2010, Susan, at her request, received two Hurst Bean complimentary products which are not available for purchase in her local markets. Susan does not generally accept free products from Hurst Bean nor is she financially compensated by them.

Drawing Structure - If the winner is a U.S. resident, she/he will be the recipient of both Prizes 1 and 2 above.  In the event that an international winner is drawn, a second drawing will be conducted from the U.S. pool of entrants to ensure that the Hurst Prize is awarded every month.  The international winner will receive the book, and the U.S. winner will receive the Hurst Prize.

What are you waiting for? Start cooking!! Looking forward to your entries..

Aloo/Potato Bonda

I try to avoid making deep fried goodies often. But we couldn't resist these aloo/potato bondas on a chilly rainy day. We had these beauties along with a cup of tea on a rainy evening watching our favorite TV show!

These can be made in a jiffy if you have some boiled potatoes ready. Just mix the batter, dip the potaot mixture and deep fry them! Heavenly bliss! This could be served by itself or accompanied with any chutney of choice or just mighty tomato ketchup!

Ingredients

For the Potato Mixture

Boiled and mashed potatoes - 2 cups

Chopped onion - 1/2 cup

Green chillies finely chopped - 2

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Fresh Coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons

Asafoetida/Hing - 1 pinch

Oil - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

For the batter

Gram flour/Besan/Chickpea Flour - 1.5 cups

Rice flour - 1 tablespoon

Chilli Powder - 1 teaspoon

Cooking soda - 1 pinch

Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

 

Directions

First prepare the potato mixture. 

In a saucepan, heat one spoon of oil and add the mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add the onion and green chillies and saute till the onions turn translucent. Add the turmeric powder and asafoetida and switch off the heat. Add the boiled and mashed potatoes and mix well. Also add in the coriander leaves and salt. Allow it to cool.

Meanwhile prepare the batter. Mix in all the ingredients listed under the batter section ( gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder, cooking soda, turmeric powder and salt. Add water little by little and make it into a thick batter. it should not be very runny. It should be like idli batter consistency.

Make small lemon sized balls using the potato mixture.

Now heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel.  Once the oil turns hot, slowly dip each potato ball in the batter and deep fry in batches of 4 to 5 for about 2 to 3 minutes until they turn golden brown on all sides. 

Using a slotted spoon, remove the bondas from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with chutneys/ketchup!