Mooli Paratha (Indian bread with radish)

Utter the word mooli (radish) and all eyebrows will rise in a frown in synchronicity. Well! I cant blame the people and cant rant about the so called health benefits of the poorer cousin of the carrot. The odor of the veggie itself is strong enough to repel any living person. And trust me even if you lay your hands on a radish recipe, the whole house will reek of its smell. Even a room freshner will feel shy to act against its enemy.


But there are clever ways where you can use the veggie and enjoy its flavour. The best way is to mask the strong flavour with other ingredients and give it a whole new look.( Phir to tummy bhi khush aur mummy bhi khush). So here is one of my favorite parathas....a mooli paratha in all its goodness.....Do not frown but instead try...

Ingredients:

2 cups wheat flour

1 cup soyabean flour ( optional)

1 cup grated radish (squeezed of all juices)

1 tsp ajwain

2 tbs grated ginger

1 tbs finely chopped green chilies

2 tbs finely chopped green coriander leaves

1 tbs oil

Oil for frying

Method:  Take a bowl and mix in all the dry 

ingredient like the flour, salt, ajwain, chopped green chillies, green coriander leaves, ginger and oil, Give it a good mix. Now add the grated radish and knead without water till all the remaining moisture of the radish is taken up by the flour. You can use the squeezed juice of the radish if you want. Add water only if needed. The dough will be little on the sticky side but that is ok. Do not let the dough rest more than 8-10 min as it will becomes too sticky to roll. If that happens just dust with little dry flour. Make medium balls and roll into a chapatti. Cook on medium flame using oil as the regular paratha and serve with your favorite pickle and chutney.  I sometimes grate some cheese in the dough to get that cheesy flavor. Try it if you want.

Palak Paneer (cottage cheese in spinach gravy)

Its raining paneer at my household……….Well! I know it’s a worst PJ on rains especially when the sun seems to be baking everything coming under its ire. But that doesn’t stop me from relishing food and making a sleazy dig on anything that contains even a trace of paneer. Here’s another of my favourite dish waiting to be propped up at your dining tables…….

photo by: Neetu N

Ingredients:

2 bunch fresh spinach

200 grms paneer

1 inch ginger

8 cloves of garlic

5 green chillies

1 tbs  kasoori  methi

¼ tsp garam masala

1 tsp kitchen king masala

1 onion

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ cup milk

½ tsp red chilli powder

1 tbs butter+1 tbs oil

 Wash and blanch the palak leaves. Grind along with green chilies. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add crushed ginger and garlic. Sauté for few seconds. Add chopped onion. Sauté for a while. Add kasoori methi, kitchen king and garam masala. Saute for few seconds till nice aroma comes. Add palak puree and cook on medium flame till the paste is little lumpy and leaves the sides of the pan. Add milk and mix. Add paneer and simmer for 2 min. In another pan heat the butter and add red chilli powder. Mix but do not let it burn. Remove from fire and pour on the paneer. Give a gentle mix. Garnish with grated paneer. Serve hot with chapattis or rice.                                            

                                                                                                                        

Paneer Makhmali (cottage cheese in creamy gravy)

After my mom, my elder sister has played a vital role in pushing me towards cooking. No no….not only cooking but cooking good food. Good food because just like other skills, it requires your undying passion and the love for the spices that tickle the tastebuds in numerous ways. If you don’t enjoy the smoke arising from the tadka and chaunk, milao and bunao gravys’, kneading and rolling the dough alongwith burnt fingers and beads of perspiration glistening on the forehead while in an Indian kitchen, chances are that you will never enjoy one. As you know me and my daughter are paneer mongers, this recipes is really close to my heart for two reasons. One because we simply love it and second it knocked the arrogant cook out of me and lead me into accepting defeat in all the nine times I tried to perfect the gravy for this recipes. Phew! I succeeded the tenth time and I realized what I was missing before. So happy cooking guys…..shove off your perfect cook cap and let the learner take over. M sure you will master it soon…….slurrrrppppp.

photo by Neetu N

Ingredients:

200 g paneer cubes

1 cup fresh  green peas(optional)

1 capsicum

For red masala paste

1 large ripe tomato

1 large onion

1 inch ginger

10 cloves of garlic

For white masala paste

7-8 almonds

1 tbs poppy seeds or muskmelon seeds

5-6 cashews

1 ½ tbs coriander powder

½ tbs cumin powder

1 tbs kitchen king masala

1 tbs red chilli powder

1 tbs kasoori methi

¼ tsp garam masala powder

1 tbs sugar

1 tbs tomato ketchup

1 tsp turmeric

3 kernels of cardamom

4 cloves

1 bayleaf

1 inch cinanmon

Salt to taste

Oil and butter for cooking.

For red masala paste:

Slightly blanch the onion and tomatoes. You can bring water to boil and switch off the gas. Add the tomato and onion and cover for 2 min. Then grind them into a paste along with ginger and garlic.

For white masala paste:

Repeat the same process of blanching the almonds, poppy seeds and the cashew. Peel the almonds once cool. Make a paste and keep aside.

Method:

Heat the pan and add just a small cube of butter. Toss the paneer cubes on medium flame. They should take a slight colour but not too golden or it will harden later. Immediately put them in warm water. You can use this water while cooking the gravy. Toss the sliced capsicum for 2 min in the same pan till it softens and gives out nice aroma.

In the same pan heat 1 tbs of oil + 1 tbs of butter. Lower the flame or the butter will burn. Add whole cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bayleaf. Fry till aroma comes. Add the red paste and stir. At the same time add salt, turmeric, red chili powder, cumin and coriander powder. Mix. Cook on medium flame till the paste is cooked and leaves the sides of the pan( abt 5 min). Now, it’s time to add the white masala paste. Add two tbs of water in which the paneer has been soaked. Stir the paste, cover and cook. You have to cook for about 7-8 min till the paste is cooked properly and leaves the sides of the pan.  Now add kitchen king, garam masala, kasoori methi, ketchup, sugar and give a good mix. Cook for 5 min. You can add the peas, capsicum and paneer cubes and mix. Add little water according to the required consistency and simmer for 2 min. Garnish with green coriander leaves and serve with nan or pulav.

  

Tahri (mixed veg pulav)

Looking for a comfort food in this weather? Well it can’t get better than the aroma wafting from steaming rice filled with the richness of green veggies, a gift of winter season. The slight hint of spices makes it ideal wholesome food that can be enjoyed anytime. You can serve it with veg or non-veg curries too. If not, then just relish with a raita of your choice and you won’t mind licking your fingers……

Ingredients:

1 cup jeera/samba/fragrant rice

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 cup diced French beans

1 cup fresh green peas

½ cup cubed carrots (optional)

½ cup fresh coriander leaves

2 bayleaves

1 tbs cumin seeds

1 cup roughly chopped onion

1 tbs ginger grated

2tbs garlic chopped

1 tbs  coriander powder

1 tsp kitchen king masala

1tbs red chilli powder

1tsp dried mint powder

2 tbs curd

1 tsp garam masala

1tbs turmeric powder

1tbs oil+1tbs ghee

Salt

Method:  Pick, wash and drain the rice. Keep aside for 30min. Heat a wok/kadai.  Add the ghee and the oil.  Add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add bayleaves and the grated ginger. Sauté for few seconds. Add garlic and sauté for few seconds. Add onion and sauté till its gets a slight colour. Add the veggies one by one. First goes the florets. Fry till it gets a slight colour. Add the beans and carrots and sauté. Add the rice and mix well.  Add the spices chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and the kitchen king. Fry them till the spices give out a nice aroma. Now, it’s time to add garam masala, salt and mint powder. You can add mint leaves but only in the end. Give a good mix. Add curd and mix. Add 2 cups of water. Sprinkle the fresh coriander leaves and reduce the flame. Cover and cook till the rice is done. I add a little more water if cooking in the wok. You can use a pressure cooker but then the water should be just the double of the rice and cooked only for one whistle. You can also sauté the veggies separately and add in the end. The proportion of the veggies and the rice is your choice.  Serve with raita.

Beetroot raita

1cup grated beetroot

2cup curd

Salt

Method: Steam the grated beetroot. Cool and mix in the salt and the curd. Serve. You can also sauté the grated beetroot in some oil seasoned with mustard seeds and few curry leaves to give a different flavor. I like it plain though.