Matar Paratha

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh green peas(80gms)

1/2 medium onion finely chopped

1 clove garlic

1 green chilli finely chopped

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp haldi powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional)

2 tsp oil

salt to taste

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

water as required

Method:

• knead the whole wheat flour with water to make a very soft dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 20 mins.
• boil peas in 1 cup of water and 1/4 tsp of salt. Drain and keep it aside.
• heat a kadai and add 2 tsp of oil. once the oil is heated add the garlic and stir well, add the onions and saute the onions on medium flame till it turns soft and translucent in colour.
• mix haldi, jeera powder, coriander powder and red chilly powder with 1 tbsp of water and add to the onion. saute the onion mixture for about a minute.
• after the masala is cooked add the boiled green peas. Season with salt.
• mash the green peas and let the mixture cook for 3-5 mins.Turn off the flame and let the stuffing cool. Once the stuffing has been cooled divide it into three parts.
• place the tawa on the gas and heat it on a medium flame.
• After the dough has been rested for a min of 20 mins knead it once again.
• make 3 balls of the dough
• roll one ball into a size of small puri, put one portion of the stuffing into the puri and close all the sides to make a ball. gently press the dough stuffed with the filling to get a size of small puri.
• place the stuffed puri and roll it with the help of a rolling pin. roll it gently so that the stuffing is evenly spread in the paratha. use dry flour if required.
• put the stuffed paratha on the tawa and cook it till it turns golden brown on both the sides.repeat the same procedure with other two balls of dough.
• serve hot with butter.

Tips:

• kneading the dough to the right texture is extremely important.
• for a stuffed paratha the dough should be as soft as possible. The water used in kneading a dough for stuffed paratha is more than for normal paratha dough.
• when kneading the dough keep adding 1 tbsp of water at a time, till the dough is very soft and elastic.
• you can add 1/4 tsp of salt to the dough while kneading.
• you can add 1 tbsp of milk while kneading the dough to make the dough soft.
• you can avoid garlic and onion in the stuffing.
• see that you do not completely mash the peas. flatten some so that they can be seen when you roll out the paratha.
• you may apply ghee/oil or a combination of both while cooking the paratha.
• non stick tawa may be used, it would decrease the quantity of the fat used while cooking the paratha.
• if the stuffing turns very dry and sticks to the pan at any stage just add 1 tsp of water and mix.
• if you have used too much of dry flour for rolling the paratha just play with the paratha with your palms to dust the excess dry flour before putting the paratha on the tawa.
• if you have to make parathas in bulk, cook the parathas till it is light brown in colour and stack them, just before serving apply ghee and cook it on both the sides and serve.
• you can have the parathas crispy or soft.
• the above recipe would make 3 parathas of 8 inch diameter.
• serve the paratha with ghee, butter, chutney, raita or even just sauce!!!!

Vegetable Curd Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slice of bread

1/4 carrot finely grated

1/4 capsicum finely chopped

1 leaf of cabbage finely shredded

1 1/2 tbsp of hung curd (dahi)

1 tsp of mustard sauce

1 tsp of tomato ketchup

1 tsp of pepper powder

salt to taste

Method:

• mix hung curd, mustard sauce, tomato ketchup and pepper powder.
• Add cabbage, carrot, capsicum to the curd mixture. Add salt to taste and mix well.
• spread the curd mixture on one side of the slice bread and cover it with the other slice.
• cut the sides of the sandwich and cut it into two triangle.
• serve with mustard sauce.

Tips:

• this sandwich can be had cold. however before refrigerating ensure that its airtight by covering it with cling flim, aluminium foil, zip lock or airtight tiffin box.
• you could also add 1/2 tsp of olive oil to the stuffing.
• the said dressing of hung curd, mustard sauce, tomato sauce could be varied to make a dressing for salad.
• you could also add 1/2 tsp of lemon juice to enhance the flavours.
• you could dry roast the mustard seeds and coarsely grind it and use it instead of the mustard sauce.
• the vegetables given above could be changed according to your taste.
• to prepared hung curd tie the curd in a muslin cloth for twenty minutes. will shortly post the recipe.
• this sandwich can also be had grilled.
• in case you wish to consume the sandwich after some time-gap from the preparation, you could apply butter to the slice, this will ensure that the slice bread does not turn soggy.
• if you are making this sandwich for immediate consumption then add the salt to the mixture just before spreading.
• if you are not making the sandwich for immediate consumption but to be had after sometime, add salt to the vegetables and let the vegetables sweat for sometime. squeeze the water and then add the curd mixture to the vegetables.
• this sandwich can be served with mustard sauce or tomato ketchup.