Aloo Paratha - Make them the Easy Way!

Aloo ka Paratha - An Authentic North India Recipe, which is everyone's most favorite food in my house. Earlier, I used to make these Parathas in the traditional way by filling the Whole Wheat dough with Potato stuffing. But, recently I made some changes to the way I cook my parathas and they turned out much better than the regular ones...thin, soft and tasty. This saves a lot of time too. So here is the most simplest way of making Aloo Parathas :)

Ingredients:

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 Large Potatoes (Boiled)
1 Tbsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1/2 Tbsp Jeer Powder
2 Tbsp Fresh Coriander, Mint and Green Chillies Paste (Optional)
Salt to Taste
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
2-3 Tbsp Ghee for Frying Parathas

Aloo Ka Paratha with Curds n Mango Pickle

Process:
1. Peel and mash boiled Potatoes. Add Salt, Red Chilli Powder, Jeer Powder, Coriander Powder and Coriander-Mint & Green Chillies paste and mix well.

Mashed Potatoes with other ingredients for stuffing

2. Add Whole Wheat Flour to this mixture and little salt to adjust the taste of the flour and mix well.

Aloo Mixture with Whole Wheat Flour

3. Add water in little quantities while mixing the dough. Add 1 Tbsp Cooking oil and mix the dough well and cover it a wet muslin cloth and keep it aside for 10 mins.

Aloo Paratha Dough

4. Make small round balls from the dough and press them slightly to flatten in your palms. Dust in Whole Wheat Flour and roll gently until it is about 1mm thick.
5. Heat a Tawa till the smoking point and reduce the flame to low. Now fry the parathas. When cooked half way, turn it over and spread a few drops of Ghee then flip it over to the other side and again spread some drops of Ghee and cook till you see the dark brown or golden brown patches on the paratha.

Yummy Aloo Paratha with Curds n Mango Pickle

6. Yummy Aloo Parathas are ready to serve. Serve them hot with Curds and Pickle of your choice.

Wasn't this Simple!!!

Happy Cooking.
Signing Off...
Your Favorite Chef!

Bottle Gourd(Anapakaya/Kaddu/Lauki) Halwa

Yesterday was last SravanaSukravaaram and I was tired of same old sweets and I was telling my neighbor I wanted to make something different this time. I could not think of anything easy and different. She suggested that I can try Bottle Gourd Halwa. I liked the idea because it was more than a a couple of years I haven't made this halwa. I know its very easy and simple to make.  So here I made the Halwa :)

Ingredients:

3 Cups Grated Bottle Gourd (Anapakaya/Surakaya/Kaddu/Lauki)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Cardamom(Elachi) Powder
1/2 Cup Nuts n Raisins (I used Almonds n Cashewnuts)
4 Tbsp Ghee
Green Food Color (optional)

Yummy Bottle Gourd(Anapakaya/Kaddu/Lauki) Halwa

Process:

1. Take a wide non-stick pan, add 2 tablespoon Ghee, fry Nuts and Raisins till golden brown and keep them aside.
2. In the same pan add the remaining Ghee, grated Bottle Gourd and stir fry for 1 min. Cover it with lid and cook on low flame for 15 to 20 mins stirring occasionally.
3. Remove the lid and increase the flame to medium and cook till it becomes transparent and all the natural water evaporates.
4. Mix Green Food Color in two tables of water and stir it well with the cooked Bottle Gourd.
5. Add Sugar and cook till the sugar comepletely melts on low flame.
6. Finally add Cardamom Powder and fried Nuts and Raisins.
7. Yummy, yummy Bottle Gourd Halwa is ready to serve. Tastes best when served hot or warm.

Yummy Halwa - Close up look!

Happy Cooking!
Signing Off...
Your Favorite Chef!

Palak(Spinach) Sweet Corn Rice

Ingredients:
1 Cup Raw Rice
2 Cups Water
1 Bunch Fresh Palak (Spinach)
1/2 Cup Sweet Corn Kerenals
3 Green Chillies
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger
2 Tbsp Ghee/Cooking oil
1/2 Inch Cinnamon
2 Green Cardamom (Elachi)
3 Cloves
1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
1/2 Tsp Jeera Powder (I used MTR brand)
Salt to Taste

Palak Sweet Corn Rice

Process:
1. Wash rice and keep it aside in a strainer to drain the water completely.
2. Soak, wash and finely shred Palak Leaves and keep them aside.
3. Take a Pressure Cooker, heat Ghee or Cooking oil and add Whole Garam Masala (Cinnamon, Cardamom & Cloves) and fry for a min or till u get the aroma.
4. Add slit Green Chillies, Ginger, Jeera Powder, Garam Masala Powder and saute for 2 mins. Now add shredded Palak Leaves and fry till the water is almost evaporated.

Palak & Corn in Pressure Cooker

 5. Add Raw Rice and mix well. Add Salt and 2 cups Water and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles.

Palak Corn & Raw Rice

6. Once the pressure is escaped, mix gently and dish out in a Cassarole.
7. Serve hot with Tomato Sauce or any Chutney of your choice.

Palak Sweet Corn Rice

Happy Cooking!
Your Favorite Chef!