No Croutons Required - The Winner for May

The challenge for May was to come up with a soup or salad that would make for a perfect appetizer to start a meal. We received some delicious little bites, but a winner we must choose. The most popular submission this month is this gorgeous Avocado and Strawberry Salad with Honey Vinaigrette from Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey. Congratulations Jagruti. Once strawberries are in season here, I will be giving this one a try.

Jacqueline will be hosting the June 2013 edition of No Croutons Required. Check back at the beginning of the month for the theme.

ALOO PARATHA | DINNER RECIPES

I must thank my friend Megha for teaching me this yummy paratha recipe. It was excellent and we loved it a lot. I don’t make stuffed paratha very often in my kitchen. So I have posted very less paratha recipes. Yesterday I tried this aloo paratha for our dinner.We had it with plain curd & pickle.My hubby loved it and praised me a lot . Usually most of us make aloo paratha in a simple way by adding red chilli powder, dhania and garam masala powder.Even I too used to do this way. But this recipe is completely different which attracted me & made me try it. It has very less spices yet flavourful. I used ghee while cooking the paratha as my friend suggested. Parathas were very soft with a nice flavour of ghee. I dint add ghee for last 3 parathas for myself due to weight concern & i used oil . But still the parathas were soft n tasty. Adding ghee really gives a nice taste and helps the paratha stay soft for long time.So i have planned to prepare this for my husband’s lunch box too. I have rolled it thin as my husband loves thin parathas. Please adjust the thickness as u wish .Do try this friends and let me know how u liked it

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Wheat flour – 2 cups ( I used Pillsburry atta) Water – 3/4 cup Salt – as needed Cooking oil – 2 tsp For stuffing Boiled & mashed aloo/ potato – 4 nos  (medium sized) Dhania / coriander seeds – 1.5 tsp Ginger & Garlic paste – 1.5 tsp Big onion – 1 no ( Very finely chopped) Green chillies –2  nos  (-do-) Coriander leaves – 1/4 cup (finely chopped) Mint leaves – 1/4 cup (-do-) Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Salt – As needed Cooking oil – 1 tbsp Ghee – for greasing

METHOD

Pressure cook aloo/ potato, remove the skin , mash it very well. Set aside. Mix the atta/ wheat flour, salt and oil well.Then add water little by little and make a tight, non-sticky yet soft dough.Do not make it too soft as we make for phulka / roti.Mix the flour adding salt & water and make a tight dough. Finally apply oil and knead it well. Leave it covered for 30 minutes. In the mean time, start making the stuffing.After 30 minutes knead the dough well , dough turns little soft .Make lemon sized balls. Keep it ready & cover it. In a kadai , heat oil . Crush dhania seeds coarsely & add to oil. Saute for a second. Now add the G&G paste. Mix well. Then add the finely chopped onions , green chillies, coriander & mint leaves. Add the required salt & mix well till u get a nice aroma. Lastly add the boiled & mashed potatoes, turmeric powder. Mix well and make the stuffing. Check for taste. If the mixture is too dry , sprinkle little water for togetherness. But adding water is completely optional.Mix well and let it cool down completely.Make lemon sized ball out of stuffing..Dough & stuffing should be of equal size.. Now take a lemon sized ball of dough & roll it to 3 inch diameter circle.Keep the stuffing ball.Pull all the corners of the dough & cover the stuffing. Pat it to make a circle & dust them well.. Make a ball , flatten it with your palm , dust it in the flour and roll the paratha gently to 8 inch diameter circle. Make it thick or thin as per ur wish. Heat a dosa tawa & cook the paratha both the sides adding few drops of ghee. Cook till golden brown spots appear. Remove & serve immediately.. Enjoy eating hot with curd & pickle !

NOTE

Most of us face the problem of stuffing oozes out while rolling the paratha.To avoid this we should mash the aloo very well without any lumps. If u wish, u can grind them in mixie & make a smooth paste. Second thing is we should chop the onions , chillies & leaves very finely so that when we saute they get mixed with aloo very well and the stuffing will be a whole mass. Also the size of dough & aloo ball should be more or less equal. This helps in even spreading of stuffing all over the paratha. Dough should not be too loose or too tight. Stuffing should not be watery. Beginners can practice by keeping more dough & less stuffing in the beginning. By practice u can improve..Dusting can be done as many times as u want. But use oil  or ghee while cooking the paratha. Otherwise paratha will become hard & dry..Remember to serve n eat parathas hot For variations , u can try adding ajwain/omam.

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Sweet Potato Roti

Indian flatbreads often make their appearance on my dinner table and truly I could eat them everyday, anytime of day. They are perfect for breakfast or brunch with some chutney and they're an ideal accompaniment to curries — as I eat a lot of dal and vegetable curries, it's no wonder I crave savory breads such as these roti as often as I do. In this case, I wanted a wrap for some spicy jerk chickpeas and with the sweet potato filling in these flatbreads, the combination was perfect. Rotis are not only enjoyed in India and throughout Asia, but are also popular in the Caribbean. To my delight, the roti rolled up perfectly without breaking apart. Feel free to add more spice to the breads if you want to heat things up further.

As with most unleavened savory Indian crêpes and flatbreads, these are really easy to make but the process is more seamless if you have a helper in the kitchen while frying up the breads. The rotis didn't take long at all to brown up and by the time I got another rolled out and ready for the pan, I would have been running a short marathon in the kitchen to keep up the pace. But a helper is not necessary, as you can roll out a few ahead of time or remove the pan from the heat briefly if you start to fall behind. Do keep the dough and any rolled out rounds covered with a clean kitchen towel so they don't dry out.

Sweet Potato Roti

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on May 29, 2013 Simple, moist, soft and delicious lightly seasoned Indian flat breads made with sweet potatoes — perfect for serving with spicy Indian curries Print this recipe Ingredients: 2 medium or 1 large sweet potato (about 1 lb or 450 g) 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup spelt or unbleached white flour 2/3 teaspoon ground cumin a few pinches of dried red chili flakes 1/2 teaspoon sea salt sesame or olive oil as needed hot water as needed Instructions: Begin by cooking the sweet potatoes. Boil in a large pot of water for 20 or 30 minutes until tender or roast in a 425° oven for 40 to 50 minutes until fork tender. Let the potatoes sit until they are cool enough to handle and then peel off the skins. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potato. Add the flours, ground cumin, dried red chili flakes and salt to the bowl along with a drizzle of oil. Lightly oil your hands, then gather the dough and gently work with it until you have a soft yet firm dough that forms into a smooth ball. The dough should be soft but not too moist and sticky. Add a few teaspoons of hot water as needed or more flour. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel to keep moist. Alternately, you can make the dough in a food processor. Purée the sweet potato, then add the flours, ground cumin, dried red chili flakes and salt as well as a drizzle of oil and hot water. Transfer to a bowl and knead for a minute or two with lightly oiled hands until the dough holds together as per the instructions above. Lightly oil clean hands again and divide the dough equally into 14 to 16 small portions and shape into balls. Again, keep covered so the dough does not dry out. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into a thin 6-inch circle. Sprinkle with more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. When hot, add a circle of dough and cook the bread for a minute or two until small golden brown spots begin to form. Flip and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate lined with foil wrap, cover, and repeat for the rest of the breads. They are best served warm but they can be made ahead of time and reheated in the foil in a 250° oven. Makes 16 rotis

Other Indian flatbreads you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Besan Roti
Fenugreek Dosa
Fenugreek Chapatis
Paratha Stuffed with Sweet Potato and Potato

On the top of the reading stack: Chekhov

Audio Accompaniment: Robert Rich

MANGO PICKLE | MANGO RECIPES – PICKLES RECIPES

This is my mom’s recipe. I like this pickle more than the instant version.. My mom calls this as “Vathakina manga oorgai” means “Sauteed mango pickle” .This tastes in between a thokku & oorgai.. It can be done very quickly and it tastes great for curd rice ...Do try this pickle & let me know ur feedback ..
Do visit my MIL’s version of Mango thokku, Neer mangai ,Ripe mango gravy , Raw mango kuzhambu if interested ..

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Raw mango – 1 cup ( Chop into small pieces) Red chilli powder – 1 tsp (adjust) Hing – A big pinch Salt – As needed To temper Oil – 2 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp

METHOD

Chop the mango into small pieces..In a kadai , heat oil & temper mustard seeds . After it splutters completely , add the urad dal . Saute till dal turns golden brown. Now add the mango pieces & saute in low flame by adding the required salt. Saute till it turns soft & shrinks a bit..Make sure u don’t burn them. Switch off the flame. Transfer to a bowl and add red chilli powder, hing & mix well.Leave it for 30 minutes and serve ..

NOTE: Red chilli powder should be added after switching off the flame. If u add while sauting , the mango pieces & chilli powder get burnt & taste may differ. Also saute the mangoes in low flame..Stir every now & then..Adding salt helps quick sauteing..

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Jerk Chickpeas

Growing up I never did much care for chicken even before I became a vegetarian, and my parents generally did not prepare ethnic dishes, so I never did try the classic Jamaican jerk chicken. But now with plenty of ethnic cooking behind me, I found that the seasonings that are commonly used in jerk spicing — Scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg — appealed a great deal to me, and I thought I would try a vegetarian version with cooked chickpeas instead of chicken. I wasn't quite sure what to expect as generally I am more at home with Indian spicing, but I went with my instincts after a bit of research and was surprised and pleased with just how good the result was. Hot, sweet and sour, tangy and zesty, this chickpea recipe is now one of my top favorites.

These easy-to-make jerk chickpeas are made on the stove top, but you may want to consider a baked version. Be very careful with the Scotch bonnet peppers in this recipe — the traditional pepper in jerk seasonings, they are about as hot as habaneros, and if you're not used to a great deal of heat then just use half a pepper or substitute serrano or jalapeños for a milder kick.

I served these chickpeas wrapped up in homemade sweet potato rotis for one of the most satisfying meals I have enjoyed in a while. My dining companions agreed too.

Jerk Chickpeas

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Caribbean Published on May 27, 2013 Easy stove-top vegetarian jerk chickpeas — hot, sweet, sour, tangy and zesty Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup dried chickpeas (3 cups cooked or 2 14 oz cans) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 1 to 2 Scotch bonnets or other hot chilies, seeded and minced 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 medium tomato, diced 1 teaspoon honey 2 teaspoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons tamari (soy) sauce 1 small bunch of green onions, trimmed and sliced 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced generous handful of fresh parsley, chopped juice from 3 limes (1/3 cup) fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste Instructions: Rinse the chickpeas and soak for 8 hours or overnight in enough water to cover. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a large saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the chickpeas are soft. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the ginger, garlic and chilies and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thyme and ground spices and stir for another minute. Now add the tomatoes, honey, maple syrup and tamari and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. Stir in the chickpeas, the green onions, red pepper and 3/4 cup of water. Simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more water as needed. Note that you want a fairly thick and dry consistency as the end result. Stir in the lime juice and parsley, season with black pepper and sea salt to taste, and simmer for another few minutes. Serve hot garnished with dried red chili flakes, green onion slices and parsley. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Other Caribbean recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you may enjoy:
Caribbean-Style Black Bean & Delicata Squash
Caribbean Sweet Potato Soup
Vegetarian Jamaican Patties

On the top of the reading stack: various piles

Audio Accompaniment: silence

TAMILNADU LUNCH MENU 2 - LUNCH RECIPES

In my attempt in posting other state recipes ,i have successfully tried & posted Andhra , kerala and punjabi , Kongu lunch recipes. It will be unfair if i don’t post my own state lunch recipes ..So here is a platter of Tamilnadu lunch recipes i made for my parents and bro.Everything came out really well & tasty..Like u all , we tamilians prepare varieties of recipes either for occasions or for guests.Serving in banana leaf is a must for us which is considered as a way of showing our respect and gratitude to our guests.But here i dint present them in banana leaf as i couldn’t get it ..Very soon i’ll post another set of Tamilnadu lunch recipes served in banana leaf with authentic serving order.In the above plate u can see ( Left to right) Rice , Dal , Avial , Morkuzhambu , Mullangi Sambar , Rasam , Vendakkai mangai kathrikai pachadi , Instant mango pickle along with papad , Urad dal vada , Rice vadam, Spiced buttermilk ( Neer mor) & water .. I have posted all the above recipes except dal and Pachadi. So i have shared them in this post. Sorry i couldn’t post step by step pictures as i was hurry in making recipes on time . I’ll update them soon..
Do check out my Tamilnadu lunch recipes post which i made some years ago if u r interested !

DAL FOR RICE / PARUPPU

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Toor dal OR moong dal – 1/2 cup Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Water & salt – As needed Cooking oil – Few drops To temper Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp Hing – 1/4 tsp Curry leaves - few Ghee – to add while serving

METHOD

Pressure cook dal adding turmeric powder & required water and a drop of oil in low flame for 1-2 whistles. Now open the cooker & mash the dal nicely with a ladle.Temper all the ingredients given under”to temper” and add to the dal. Mix well , add salt and serve with hot rice adding a tsp of ghee.. It tastes great with a papad , pachadi and potato poriyal

VENDAKKAI MANGAI KATHRIKAI PACHADI / OKRA RAW MANGO BRINJAL PACHADI

This is my mom’s recipe.This pachadi will surely make its appearance in our home during mango season.It’s a sweet pachadi variety . So we add less salt..Our guests love this pachadi a lot..It tastes great with paruppu sadam /Dal rice

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Cooked toor dal – 1/4 cup Ladies finger / okra - 10 nos Brinjal – 5 nos (small) Raw mango – 1 no (Small, cut into cubes) Grated Jaggery - 1/8 – 1/4 cup Hing – 1/4 tsp Salt & water  - as needed To grind Grated coconut - 1/4 cup Green chilli -  2-3 nos Small onion - 4 nos Jeera / cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp To temper Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Urad dal - 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - few

METHOD

Pressure cook toor dal, mash & set aside. Cut okra into tiny pieces , peel the mango skin and cut into small slices . Cut brinjal into very small pieces and keep immersed in water to avoid discoloration. Grind all the ingredients given under”to grind” and make a smooth paste. In a kadai , heat oil and saute the okra pieces for few minutes. Pressure cook mango , brinjal and okra pieces together adding required water & salt. After the steam is released add the cooked & mashed toor dal , ground coconut paste and hing. Mix well and allow it to boil for few minutes. Finally add the grated jaggery. Give a boil and check for salt & sweetness. Add more jaggery if u want more sweet. Finally temper all the ingredients given under “to temper” and add to the pachadi. Tastes best with dal rice and rasam rice

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Mung Dal Kitcheree

A kitcheree is a traditional dish originating in North India that consists of legumes and rice and often vegetables. For those who enjoy Indian creations, this is a one-pot meal that won't take you long at all to prepare. Split mung beans are an especially easy legume to digest, making this a nourishing and restorative meal. I've always enjoyed the distinctive sweet and earthy aroma and flavor that these little gems impart to a dish. Here they are all nestled in with rice after simmered together with some spices and coconut milk.

To fill out the meal, serve with a vegetable side and some Indian savory flatbreads. I served it with butter paneer masala and a spicy potato and green bean salad.

Mung Dal Kitcheree

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on May 24, 2013 Simple, nourishing and delicious one-pot meal of sweet split mung beans and buttery rice with coconut milk and gentle Indian seasonings Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup split mung beans (mung dal) 1 cup basmati rice 1/4 cup ghee, unsalted butter or sesame oil 4 to 5 whole cloves 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon asafetida 1 cup coconut milk 3 cups hot water 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) fresh cracked black pepper Instructions: Rinse the mung dal and rice under cold running water in a strainer. Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the dal, rice and cloves to the pan and gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add the turmeric and asafetida and stir in the coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are tender. Quickly stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes, covered. Fluff with a fork, discard the cloves, and serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Other mung bean dishes you are sure to enjoy from my vegetarian kitchen:
Mung Bean Paneer
Mung Tamarind Dal
Indian Sour Mung Bean Soup
Indian Style Spicy Mung Beans (Moong Dal)

On the top of the reading stack: John Wyndham

Audio Accompaniment: Magnetik North

MULLANGI SAMBAR | RADISH SAMBAR - SAMBAR RECIPE FOR LUNCH

 This is my MIL's basic sambar recipe for rice.I make this sambar adding one of these vegetables like radish, drumstick, Ladies finger, brinjal , broad beans and cluster beans. I adjust the quantity of tamarind & chillies based on the vegetables i use. But the other ingredients are same.For radish , we should use little less tamarind than the usual quantity because radish has a tendency to absorb the tanginess of tamarind and it spoils the taste of sambar. Usually i pressure cook radish with toor dal and make sambar. One of my aunties suggested me to saute radish in little oil because it helps to suppress the raw smell of radish and also adds a nice smell to sambar. So i started preparing that way. If u like the smell of radish , u don't have to saute it.Lets see how to prepare Mullangi sambar !

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

Tamarind – Big gooseberry size Sambar powder – 1 tsp Big onion or sambar onion – 1 no/ 10 nos Tomato – 1 no (optional) Green chilli – 3 nos Red chilli – 2 nos Hing / Asafetida – 2-3 generous pinches Jaggery – a pinch To pressure cook Toor dal – 1/2 cup Radish – 1 no (big - 250 gms) Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp To temper Cooking oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Methi seeds – 1/4 tsp Curry leaves- few Red chilli -1  no ( pinched into 2) Coriander leaves – to garnish Ghee – 2 tsp (for flavour)

METHOD

Peel the skin of radish and cut into 1/2 inch round slices. Saute them in a tbsp of oil.Peel and roughly chop the onions, slit the green chillies , pinch the red chillies and set aside.Soak tamarind in water and take the extract. Pressure cook the toor dal and sautéed radish adding turmeric powder  and the required water. Cook for 1-2 whistle in low flame.Open the cooker and mash the dal well along with radish.Radish won’t dissolve.. In a pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds & methi seeds.Methi seeds should not be burnt, take care..Then add the onions , curry leaves , green chillies , red chillies and saute well till onion turns transparent.Then add the tamarind extract , sambar powder , turmeric powder ,salt. Allow it to boil. When it starts to roll boil, add pinched raw curry leaves ,2-3 generous pinches of hing & jaggery. Let it boil for few minutes… Now add the mashed dal and some water if necessary. Check for salt and let it boil for 2-3 minutes..Finally add the coriander leaves , give a boil and switch off the flame.Transfer the sambar to a bowl and add 2 tsp of ghee . Cover it with a lid..

 

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