Paratha Power!

Last week we decided to ask two of our good friends to come over for lunch and i tried my hand at making the paratha :) , a north-Indian specialty.
My Chiti is a paratha expert and so i called her up for advice on how to make them , but as it turned out she had gone out shopping(duh!) and so i ended up asking her daughter , my cousin who is studying in new jersey.
so she briefed me on how her mum makes the paratha . I started with the very basic Aloo paratha . Here is how i made it :
Ingredients:
Whole Wheat flour-2 cups
Aloo-4
Onions-1 big yellow one or a red one
Green chillis-2
Garam masala
turmeric-just a pinch
red chilli powder-1tsp(optional)
Jeera-1tsp
sugar-1tsp
Coriander-a bunch (finely chopped)
salt
chaat masala -1tsp (Optional)
ghee
How i made it:

1. First i pressure cooked the potatoes till tender and grated them finely(This makes it easier and smoother while rolling out the dough)
2. Then i added the garam masala, salt ,sugar ,green chilli(finely chopped) ,Jeera ,onions,ghee/oil ,coriander and mixed it thoroughly.
3. Next i slowly added the flour and mixed it into a smooth dough adding hot water if necessary( since potatoes themselves let out water be careful adding extra water) and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.The tava should be hot for the parathas to cook so make sure the tava is really hot. 
4. Next i made the dough into balls of equal size and rolled them out flat (not too flat!thick parathas are what we want!)
5. I put the parathas on the hot tava with a little butter on either side else the parathas will turn out rough .

Serve them hot with pickle,onion raita and cucumber by the side and its absolute heaven :)

Note:The parathas can be made with Aloo,methi leaves,paneer etc 

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
      And miles to go before I sleep,
        And miles to go before I sleep....."
               --ROBERT FROST

Football Aloo!

It was Super Bowl day today and we had a small potluck at a friends place.And the team i supported won! Go Green Bay Packers!!!
We came to know of this potluck really late so i dint know what to do for so many people! About 12 people got together in the last minute.
So,I made Aloo mattar the readily available ingredients Aloo and peas :) It came out great ... Here is how i made it.

Ingredients:

Masalas:
Bay leaves-2
cinnamon sticks- 2
cloves-7-8
jeera-1 tbsp
somf-1tsp
cardamom-5
turmeric-1tsp
red chilli powder-1tsp
garam masala
kasoori methi(optional)

Main ingredients:


Aloo -4
peas-2 cups
tomato puree- 2 cups or tomatoes 4-5(grind to a puree form)
Onion-1 big yellow
garlic-3-4 cloves
ginger- a small piece
green chillies-2 (according to taste)
cashews-few(6-7)
Milk-1 cup

How i Made it:

1. First i fried the onions garlic and ginger in a pressure cooker till the onions are golden brown and cooled it down  added the tomato puree and blend it in a mixer along with cashews and some milk
2. Next , in the same pressure cooker i fried the masalas together(except the garam masala) in ghee(makes it tastier) 
3. then , i added the ground onion/tomato paste, the garam masala ,a little bit of anardhana powder and fried it again till the oil separated .
4. Next i added the potatoes and a little bit water,salt ,closed the lid and left a whistle for the potato to cook.
5. After the pressure goes down, i added the peas (microwaved) and at last the kasoori methi.Taste it and you are done.

It was simple, easy to make and awesome to eat :D

Note:The sabjis can be made with carrots /cauliflower or whatever veggies you like to add .

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
      And miles to go before I sleep,
        And miles to go before I sleep....."
               --ROBERT FROST