Aloo paratha

        Stuffed parathas are delicious as it is. There is no extra effort needed to make a side dish as paratha goes well with raitha/ pickle.

Ingredients:

3 cups of wheat flour
1 cup of water 
1 tbsp  of oil
salt as required

Filling:


3 boiled potatoes
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 tbsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of red chilli powder
1 tsp of chaat masala
handful of coriander leaves
Oil as required
salt as required 


Preparation:

1.Mix the wheat flour, salt, oil and add water. Knead well enough to make a dough. Keep aside for half an hour.

2.Peel the potato skin and mash them. Add  onion, finely chopped coriander leaves, red chilli powder, chaat masala, cumin powder and salt to the mashed potatoes. Mix well and the filling is ready. Make small balls of the filling.

3. Make lime sized balls out of the dough, add the filling to it. Roll it out.

4. In a pan put little oil, fry the paratha on both the sides till it turns golden brown. Serve hot fluffed aloo paratha with raitha or pickle.

                             

kathrikai puthina curry/Minty Eggplant curry/Pudina baigan subzi

   I tried this recipe with Thai eggplant which are round green eggplant. It takes long time to cook as they are firm but do not overcook the vegetable as it will become mushy. 

Serves up to 2-3 people
Preparation time:35 minutes

Ingredients:

500 grams of green brinjal/ eggplant
pinch of turmeric
1 chopped onion
3 green chillies
3 cloves of garlic
1 inch of ginger
1 tbsp of coriander seeds
1 tsp of poppy seeds 
1 tbsp of toasted cashew nuts 

handful of coriander leaves
handful of mint leaves
1 tbsp of butter
oil as required
salt as required

Preparation:

1. Add 1 tsp of oil to the pan, then add onion, green chillies, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds and poppy seeds. Saute for 3 minutes. As the nice aroma comes, add the coriander and mint leaves. Saute for a minute and allow them to cool.

2.Grind the above ingredients along with cashew nuts and salt. Cut the brinjal in to 4 pieces. Cook them separately with turmeric and salt along with 1/4 cup of water.

3.Once the vegetable is cooked, add the ground paste. Add the butter and cook in low flame for 15 minutes. Close the lid. Serve with jeera rice/ roti.

   

Vegetable Pulav/ Vegetable pulao

   This is my favorite recipe..and my hubby compliments it almost every time I make it. If you have all the right ingredients, this dish can come out well.

Serves up to 2 people
Preparation time:30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup of Basmati rice
1 tbsp of ginger and garlic paste 
2 green chillies
1 chopped carrot
1 chopped potato
1 chopped onion
 handful of green peas
1/2 tsp of fennel seeds
1 inch of cinnamon stick
2 cloves 
1 piece of cardamom
1 bayleaf
pinch of turmeric
1/2 tbsp of red chilly powder
1 tsp of coriander/ dhania powder
handful of coriander leaves
handful of mint leaves
1 tbsp of ghee
salt as required

Preparation:

1. Add 1 tsp of ghee to the pan, then add the fennel seeds, 1 inch of cinnamon stick, cloves ,cardamom and bay leaf.

2. As the nice aroma comes add the onion, green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.

3.Add the carrot, potato and onion to the pan and saute well.

 4.Add the mint and coriander leaves and saute with the vegetables. Add the turmeric, red chilly powder ,dhania powder and salt. Transfer the ingredients to the rice. Add 1 and 3/4 cups of water and pressure cook for one whistle.

 5. Serve with raitha and papad !