Peas-Paneer Paratha

Category: Chapati / Paratha   
Preparation Time: 15 mins + 6-8 hrs of soaking time   
Waiting Time: 30 mins      
Cooking Time: 20 mins      
Servings: For 2 persons

Peas Paneer Paratha

Ingredients:

For dough:

• Wheat flour / Atta - 2 cups
• Salt- to taste
• Ajwain / Omam-  a pinch
• Warm Water - as required (Here I used Whey water left over from paneer making)

For Stuffing:

• Green Peas, dried - 1/2 cup (I felt Dried peas gives nice texture than frozen / fresh ones)
• Paneer, grated - 1 cup (Home made Paneer)
• Oil -1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Small onions - 6-8 nos
• Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp / Green chilly, minced - 1 no
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Amchur Powder - a pinch
• Coriander leaves, chopped - 1-2 tbsp 
• Salt - to taste

Other Ingredients:

• Wheat flour - for dusting
• Ghee / Oil - for toasting
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Clove - 1 no

Method:

1. Soak the dried green peas overnight or for 6-8 hrs
   
2. Drain the water and pressure cook the peas with 1 bay leaf, 1 clove, little salt and required water for 3-4 whistles
3. Once it gets cooked well, drain the water (can be used to knead dough or for gravy) and coarsely ground in a blender for few secs - should be in crumbly texture
   
4. In a wide bowl, take 2 cups of wheat flour, ajwain seeds and required salt, mix well and knead into a smooth soft dough by gradually adding warm water / whey water. Keep aside for atleast 30 mins and prepare the stuffing
5. Grate the paneer cubes and set aside
   
6. Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds and once it crackle, add the ginger-garlic paste and minced chilly (if using) saute for 30 secs , then add finely chopped onion and saute for 3-4 mins
   
7. Add the cooked peas, saute for a min
   
8. Then add the dry masala powders and required salt, saute till the raw smell goes off
9. Add the grated paneer and coriander leaves,mix well
   
10. Allow the stuffing to cool down
    
11. Divide the dough into equal lemon sized balls, dust them with flour, flatten them to a small thick circle
    
12. Place about 2 tbsp of stuffing inside, cover it up and then roll again to a thin paratha
    
13. Heat the tawa, place the parathas and cook till bubbles started to appear on the surface
    
14. Turn over and cook the other side
    
15. Once it's cooked, spread a little ghee / oil on the paratha and transfer to plate or place it in hot box till you serve
    
16. These parathas are soft and tasty; you can have it with plain curd / any raita
    

Mint flavoured Aloo Paratha

Category: Chapati / Paratha   
Preparation Time: 15 mins    
Waiting Time: 30 mins    
Cooking Time: 25 mins    
Servings: yields 10 - 12 parathas

Minty Aloo Paratha

Ingredients: 

For dough:

• Wheat flour / Atta -2 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Salt- to taste
• Warm Water - as required 

For Stuffing:

• Potatoes - 4 nos
• Mint / Pudhina leaves, finely chopped - 1 cup , loosely packed
• Ajwain / Omam - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Green chilly paste - 1 tsp (Optional - I didn't use here)

Other Ingredients:

• Wheat flour - for dusting
• Ghee / Oil - for toasting

Method:

1. In a wide bowl, take wheat flour, ghee and required salt, mix well and knead into a smooth soft dough by gradually adding warm water. Keep aside for atleast 30 mins and prepare the stuffing
   
2. Pressure cook the potatoes; remove the skin and mash them well without any lumps
   
3. Add the finely chopped mint leaves, Ajwain, Salt. Turmeric powder and green chilly paste (if using) to the mashed potatoes and knead well
   
4. Make equal sized balls of the stuffing and keep it ready
   
5. Divide the dough into equal lemon sized balls, dust them with flour, flatten them to a small thick circle
   
6. Place one ball of stuffing inside, cover it upto form a big ball
   
   
7.  Roll to form a thin or slightly thick Paratha
   
8. Heat the tawa, place the parathas and cook till bubbles started to appear on the surface
   
9. Turn over and cook the other side
   
10. Once it's cooked, spread a little ghee / oil on the paratha and transfer to plate or place it in hot box till you serve
    
11. These parathas are super soft and taste good with plain curd / any raita

Spicy Baked Potato Wedges

Category: Baking 
Preparation Time: 5 mins + 30 mins waiting time
Cooking Time: 15 -20 mins  
Servings: For 2 persons

Spicy Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 2 nos (I used large Russet potatoes)
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilly powder - 1-2 tsp (adjust as per spice level) 
• Garlic Powder -  3/4 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Oil- 2 tsp

Any masalas of our choice can be used or even plain pepper powder

Method

1. Wash the potatoes well; cut into equal sized wedges and place them in ice cold water for atleast 30 mins
   
2. Drain the water and pat dry the wedges with paper towels till there is no left over moisture
3. In a bowl, add the remaining ingredients (Oil, Salt, Turmeric powder, Chilly powder, Garlic Powder and Garam Masala) and mix well
4. To the masala mix, add in the wedges and mix well so that it gets coated well
   
5. Place it in baking tray and bake in the pre heated oven for 15-20 mins or until its done; Check after 7-8 mins and turn it over to cook the other side as well 
   
6. Bake it till it becomes golden brown
   
7. Remove from the pan and allow to become warm
   
8. Serve hot with ketch up or Ranch
   
   
   

Pudhina (Mint) Paratha

Category: Chapati / Paratha  

Preparation Time: 15 mins   

Waiting Time: 30 mins  

Cooking Time: 20 mins    

Servings: yields 8 - 10 Parathas

Mint / Pudhina Paratha

Ingredients:
For dough:

• Wheat flour / Atta - 2 cups
• Pudhina / Mint leaves- 1 cup tightly packed
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Warm Water  - as needed

For Mint Masala Powder:

• Pudhina / Mint leaves - 1/2 cup tightly packed
• Chaat Masala / Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp

Other Ingredients:

• Ghee / Oil - for toasting
• Wheat Flour - for Dusting

Method:

1. In a wide bowl, take 2 cups of wheat flour, ghee and required salt, mix well; Clean and chop the mint leaves, add it to the flour  and knead into a smooth soft dough by gradually adding warm water. Keep aside for atleast 30 mins
   
2. Heat a pan and dry roast the 1/2 cup of mint leaves until it become crispy
   
   
   
   
3. Once the leaves got shrunken and crispy, crush them into coarse powder and mix it with Chaat Masala / Cumin powder; keep aside
   
4. After 30 mins, knead the dough for 2 mins and divide the dough into equal lemon sized balls  
5. Take one dough ball, dust it with flour and roll into a thin paratha  
   
6. Apply few drops of ghee / oil and spread it evenly on the paratha, sprinkle little flour
7. From one end of the paratha, start making small pleats till the other end is reached
   
    
8. Roll it to form a circle; flatten it and keep aside till the remaining dough were prepared in the same way
   
9. Take one circled dough, roll into a paratha (not too thin) 
   
10. Heat the tawa, place the parathas and cook till bubbles started to appear on the surface; Turn over and cook the other side
    
11. Once it's cooked, spread little ghee over it and sprinkle the Mint Masala powder
    
12. Serve Hot with any raita or gravy
13. We can also roll as normal chapathis and then sprinkle the masala
    

Green Beans Briyani

Category:  Lunch / Rice
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Servings:For 2-3 persons

Green Beans Briyani

Ingredients: 

• Green Beans, chopped -2 cups

  

  Beans - So Fresh!
  

• Rice - 1 cup
• Onion, thinly sliced - 1 no
• Tomato, chopped - 1 no
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilly Powder - 1 - 2 tsp (adjust as per spice level)
• Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Fennel Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Mint leaves - handful
• Curd- 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Cloves - 3 nos
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Cardamon - 1-2 nos 
• Water - as required

Method:

1. Wash & Soak rice in enough water for atleast 30 mins and chop the green beans finely or as 2 inch pieces
   
2. Heat Oil in a pan / Pressure cooker, add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and cardamon; saute for 30 secs
   
3. Reduce the flame to medium; Add the Ginger-Garlic paste and saute for a min till the raw smell goes off
   
4. Add the sliced onions along with little salt and fry them till it becomes soft and translucent
   
5. Then add the mint leaves and saute for one min
   
6. Add in the tomato pieces and saute well
   
7. Add the Masala Powders (Turmeric, Cumin, Chilly, Fennel, Coriander & Garam Masala Powders) and saute well till it gets well blended
   
8. Now add the chopped green beans and mix well with the masala
   
9. Saute for 3-5 mins and reduce the flame, then add the curd and mix well
   
10. If using electric rice cooker, we can transfer the contents to the electric cooker now
    
11. Add required salt and water (Since I want rice to cook soft, I used 2 1/2 cups of water; if you like it as separated grains, you can use around 2 cups and it depends on the rice we used - I used normal Sonamasoori)
12. Drain the water from the rice and add the rice to the cooker
    
13. Check for salt and allow to cook in medium flame (In Pressure cooker - cook for 2 whistles and reduce the flame to low and allow to stand for 5 mins before switching it off; In Electric cooker - Change to "Warm" mode after the water gets almost absorbed and let it stand in warm mode for 5-8 mins)
14. Once its done, let t stand for another 7-8 mins and then open it up and gently fluff it with fork
    
15. Serve hot with any raita