Yummy Gobi Parathas

I always tend to avoid buying Gobi when I go to Groceries becoz I find cutting Gobi into small florets a very tedious process. I had a Gobi which I bought last week and was untouched, so to get rid of it easily the only process that hit my mind was to grate it. And what do I do with grated Gobi...???? Hmmmm... Make Parathas Ofcourse :-)

Gobi Parathas

So here goes the recipe for the Gobi Parathas...

Ingredients:
For the Dough:
Whole Wheat Flour: 3 cups
All Purpose Flour: 1 cup
Yogurt: 2 tbsp
Warm Water: for kneading
Salt: to taste

For the Filling:
Cauliflower: 3 cups, grated
Onion: 1 small, finely chopped
Finely Chopped Garlic: 1 tsp
Finely Chopped Ginger: 1 tsp
Green Chillies: 4, finely chopped (Adjust acc to taste)
Jeera/Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: a pinch
Amchur/Dry Mango Powder: ½ tsp
Garam Masala: 1 tsp
Kitchen King Masala: 1/2 tsp
Fresh Coriander Leaves: a handful, finely chopped
Oil: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste

In the Making

How I did it:

1. Knead the dough with the whole wheat flour and maida, using curd and warm water. Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and let it rest for about 30 mins.
2. Heat oil in a kadai and add cumin seeds.
3. When it sizzles, add finely chopped onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic and fry for few mins.
4. Add turmeric, dry mango powder, garam masala, kitchen king masala and mix well.
5. Mix in grated cauliflower florets and salt to taste and fry for 4 to 5 mins till the Gobi becomes soft and the mixture is dry.
6. Add finely chopped coriander leaves, and turn off the heat and let the stuffing come to a room temperature. The filling should cool down completely before starting the next step.
7. Now roll out small balls of the dough and fill with 1 tbsp of the filling.
8. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Dust liberally with flour to avoid the stickiness.
9. Pat off the excess flour and roast on a hot griddle.
10. Fry one side for 1 minute and then turn over and brush with a little oil.
11. When the second side is done and golden brown, flip and brush with a little oil on that side too.
12. Serve hot with raita.
    

Gobi Parathas

And the Verdict:
Parathas are always yummy.... and Gobi stuffing is different from the regular aloo we use. And it is not as heavy as Aloo Parathas.....
It is a perfect selection for Brunch.... tasty, healthy and filling :-)

More Paratha Recipes:
Mooli Paratha
Paneer-Methi Paratha

Wylde Woman Award:
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Purpose of the Award: To send love and acknowledgment to men and women, who brighten your day, teach you new things and live their lives fully with generosity and joy. It's been a blessing and an inspiration to meet all of you through your wonderful blogs.

Thank You girls for the sweet gesture, which helps me in motivating and make my blog better and better each day!!!

Flavoured Rice/Bagara Rice

Planning a menu is very important when you have a party or a get-together at home. When I have Rice varieties like Biryani, Pulav etc., I generally do not prepare curries with lots of masala in it, instead I opt for lighter versions of side dishes like raita and sambhar. On the other hand when I plan to have curries like Bagara Baingan, Chicken, Kofta etc., I opt for Plain white Rice, Jeera Rice, Saffron Rice or Flavoured Rice... also known as Bagara Rice in Hyderabad.

Bagara Rice

Bagara Rice is very simple and goes with any type of gravies. It does not have lots of masala in it, but just has the flavor and aroma of masala. Veggies are usually not added to it, but I add a few to make it colorful.

Ingredients:
Rice: 2 cups, uncooked
Water: 3 cups (1.5 cup water for 1 cup rice)
Onion: 1 small, optional
Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 tbps
Whole Masala:Mace: a 1 inch peice, Cloves:5, Cinnamon:1 inch piece, Black Cardamom: 1
Carrot: 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Peas: 1/2 cup, frozen
Salt: to taste
Ghee/Oil: 2 tbsp

How I did it:

1. Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker.
2. Add onions(if using), fry for a min and add ginger garlic paste.
3. Add the veggies and fry for a min.
4. Add rice and water. Add salt to taste.
5. Tie all the whole masalas in a muslin cloth or in a tea strainer and drop in the water.
6. Close the pressure cooker and cook as usual till rice is done.
7. Remove the whole masala and Serve hot with any gravies.
   

Bagara Rice

And the Verdict:
As I said, it is perfect for parties and its mild flavor compliments with any type of gravy/curry.

Karivepak(Curry Leaves) Chicken

This is the chicken recipe a bit different from the regular chicken curry I make. This was shared by my friend J and everyone at home loved the taste and flavor very much. It is definitely worth a try!

Karivepak Chicken

Ingredients:
To Marinate:

Chicken: ½ kg, washed and cut into medium sized pieces

Curds: 3 tbsp

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric pwd: ¼ tsp

Salt: to taste

Make a paste:

Cashewnuts: 3
WaterMelon seeds: 1 tsp
Chironji: 1 tsp

Milk: 5 tbsp, add more if required

Dry roast and make a fine powder:

Cinnamon: 1" stick

Curry leaves: around 15

Cloves: 3- 5

Rest of the ingredients:

Oil: 3-4 tbsps

Onions: 2 big, finely chopped

Tomato: 1 large, finely chopped

Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Coriander powder: 1 tsp

Black pepper powder: 1 tsp
Cumin powder: ¼ tsp

Coriander leaves: for garnish

How I did it:

1. Marinate chicken pieces in chilli powder, turmeric powder, curds and salt for 30 min.
2. While the chicken pieces are marinating, make a paste of cashewnuts, watermelon seeds and chironji and milk. Keep aside. (If you dont have watermelon seeds and chironji, use around 10 cashewnuts).
3. Dry roast cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves for 1 min and make a powder of them. Keep aside.
4. Heat 1 1/2 tbsps of oil in a kadai. Add the onions and saute till pink. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute further for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
5. Add coriander pwd, cumin pwd, pepper pwd and mix well and fry for another minute.
6. Add the tomatoes and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Combine well and cook till oil separates.Turn off heat. Cool and grind the cooked masala. Keep aside.
7. Heat 1 1/2 tbsps oil in an other wide kadai and add the marinated chicken and cook on high flame for 4-5 minutes, reduce heat and cook covered for another 4-5 minutes.
8. Add the ground masala paste, cashewnut paste and ground powder of cinnamon,cloves and curry leaves and combine well. Cook till chicken pieces are soft and you get the desired curry consistency. Adjust salt.Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

And the Verdict:
Goes well with rotis or Jeera Rice/Bagara Rice. The curry leaves add the twist to the curry.
It is a hit with the family and I would definitely try it again.

Karivepak Chicken

Food Event:
This is my entry for the Curry Mela event being hosted by dear SriValli of Cooking For All Seasons.

Awards.. Awards and more Awards:
I am utterly delighted that my blog is being showered with awards...... I am thankful to everyone out there, who thinks that my blog is worth them :-) Thank You all!!!
Usha of Veg Inspirations and LubnaKarim of KitchenFlavours passed me on "The Brilliant Web Blog Award".... Thank You Girls.
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Its really nice of her to think that content of my blog is creative, interesting, and it inspires the blogging community.
Thank You all for your sweet gestures... I am honored!!

BeetRoot Chutney

Beet Root:I love this veggie because of the beautiful purple color it gives when added to any curry. Dietitians say that we need to eat rainbow of food everyday; i.e, include veggies or fruits from all the color bands like,
Red(Strawberries, Red Bell Pepper, Water Melon, Cherries etc),
Orange and Yellow(Apricots, Oranges, Papaya, Peach, Pumpkin etc),
Greens(Broccoli, Lettuce, Kiwi, Spinach etc) and
Blues and Purple(Blackberries, Black currants, Red cabbage and Beetroots).

The more of these colorful foods that you can fit into your daily diet, the better.

BeetRoot Chutney

Coming to the Recipe...

Ingredients:
Beet Roots: 2 medium
Green Chillies: 5 to 6, adjust acc. to your taste
Curry leaves: 10 to 15
Tamarind: size of small sized lemon
Coriander leaves: a handful
Salt: to taste
Oil: 2 tbsp

How I did it:

1. Chop beetroot and green chillies.
2. Heat oil in a kadai and add curry leaves, beetroot and green chillies.
3. Fry on medium till done. Takes about 10 min.
4. After switching off the gas, add chopped coriander, mix well and keep aside to cool.
5. Soak tamarind in hot water, to make it soft.
6. Now grind the cooled mixture, to a coarse paste, along with tamarind and salt without adding any water.
7. This can be served with plain hot steamed rice, or with any breakfast like idly and dosa.

Interesting Notes:
The Romans considered beetroot an aphrodisiac (it’s rich in the mineral boron which is important in the production of human sex hormones). The belief persists to this day that if a man and a woman eat from the same beetroot, they will fall in love.

Nutritional Facts:
Beetroot has a higher sugar content than most vegetables. It is rich in vitamin C, fibre, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and folic acid. The leafy tops are an excellent source of beta-carotene, iron and calcium.
Beetroot contains betaine, a substance that relaxes the mind and is used to treat depression. It also contains trytophan (also found in chocolate!) which contributes to a sense of well being.

Sign of Friendship:
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I would like to pass on this award to every food blogger who visits me, and leave encouraging comments in my blog, which is like great inspiration for me. Thank You all!!!
Have a wonderful day!

Chocolate Banana Cake

Chocolate Banana Cake

I had few bananas, which were untouched and became ripe. And I thought it was time to put them to some use. The first thought that came into my mind is a banana cake..... but I am such a chocoholic that I wanted some chocolate also in the cake. So the best thing is Chocolate Banana cake.

The bananas add the extra sweetness to the cake and keep it really moist and fresh for 2 or 3 days. It is perfect as tea time cake.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour : 175 gms
Cocoa Powder : 25 gms
Baking Powder : 1 tsp
Brown Sugar or Golden Caster Sugar : 175 gms
Butter : 150 gms, softened
Eggs : 3, at room temperature
Bananas : 2 large, ripe and mashed
Dark Bitter Chocolate or Plain Chocolate : 100 gms
Icing Sugar : 1 tbsp

Cakes : Out of Oven

How I did it:

1. Heat the oven to 180C.
2. Butter and flour the bases of two loaf tins.
3. Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or in a small glass bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until smooth and remove from the heat.
   
4. Cream together the softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, one by one, beating well between each addition.
5. Sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa and fold in using a large rubber spatula.
6. Add the mashed banana and chocolate and mix well.
7. Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
8. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.
   

Chocolate Banana Cake

And the Verdict:
Rich, Chocolaty, moist and mild sweetness of the bananas.... yummmmm... can anyone resist this? :-)
I used dark bitter chocolate, and J dint like that bitter taste in cake. So I would use plain chocolate next time.

Gutti Vankaya Koora / Stuffed Brinjal Curry

When talking about Andhra Cuisine, you will surely come across the curry Gutti Vankaya or Stuffed Brinjals. It is usually made with tender, short and round type of purple brinjals.

It is made with a variety of stuffings and the taste differs from one region to an other. The recipe I am posting is my mom's recipe and our favourite.

Gutti Vankaya (Stuffed Brinjals)

Ingredients:

Brinjals: 1/2 kg
Onions: 2 medium size
Ginger-Garlic : 1tbsp
Tamarind paste : 2 tbsp / or tamarind size of lemon
Peanuts: 1/2 cup
Nuvvulu / Sesame Seeds : 1/4 cup
Garam masala : 1/2 tsp
Salt : to taste
Red chilli pwd : 1 tbsp, or acc. to your taste
Haldi / Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Oil: 3tbsp

How I did it:

1. Chop onions, and fry in a tsp of oil.
2. Roast peanuts and sesame seeds, with out any oil.
3. Grind together, all the ingredients (onions, peanuts, sesame seeds, ginger garlic paste, tamarind paste, salt, turmeric, red chilly pwd, garam masala), to a fine paste.
4. Wash brinjals and pat dry. Make 4 slits on each brinjal, on the opposite side of the stem, taking care not to cut it completely.
5. Fill in the paste in all brinjals. This step requires some patience, separate the slits of the brinjal carefully and stuff the masala taking care not to break the brinjal.
   
6. Add oil in a pan , and add all the brinjals, once the brinjals are 3/4th done, add some water to the remaining paste and add it to the brinjals.
7. Cover and simmer for few mins, till it comes to a boil, and the brinjals are done.
8. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Gutti Vankaya, served with steaming white rice

And the Verdict:
The stuffing makes the curry really special. It has got the yummy fiery taste and is absolutely delicious.

Food Event:
This is my entry for the Curry Mela event being hosted by dear SriValli of Cooking For All Seasons.