Carrot-Paneer Paratha/Bread Recipe

The paratha or flatbread was previously conceived in North India, especially in Punjab. But, now it is conceived in almost every corner of the world. It is nothing but a roti stuffed with different vegetable either boiled or raw. The variations that are possible are enumerable. This time I am trying a new combination of vegetables for paratha. That combination is Carrot and Paneer/Cottage cheese.

Makes - 5 Parathas                                                                       Time Taken - 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup grated paneer
• black pepper powder as per taste
• 2 green chillies finely chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 Tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 Tsp dry mango powder
• 1 & 1/2 cup of whole Wheat flour
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 Tsp red chilly powder
• Ghee/Clarified butter
• Water as required to kneed the dough

Procedure:

1. Mix oil, some salt, red chilly powder & wheat flour together. Kneed to make the soft dough using water.
2. In a bowl, mix all the other ingredients except clarified butter.
3. Now take a small portion of dough and roll it a little. 
4. Place a small quantity of carrot and paneer mixture in center, and fold in the roti so as to wrap around the stuffing. Make sure stuffing is not visible and will not come out while rolling. Now, roll this gently with the help of rolling pin to make a paratha.
5. Cook it on hot griddle(tawa), pour some clarified butter and flip frequently until very small brown spots appear on both sides.
6. Serve it hot with curd or pickle or any chutney.

Cone-Byte Spring Salad Recipe

Just pick up the byte size cone filled with lovely salad, dip in pineapple dressing and enjoy.

Serves: 4                                                                                       Time taken: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
For Salad:

• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp. of chopped cucumber
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp. of chopped carrot
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp of chopped apple
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp of chopped tomatoes
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp of sweet corn
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp of chopped kiwi
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp of Peanuts
• 7-8 pieces of grapes, vertically cut into 2 pieces
• 1/2 Cup in total - Black chickpea, Green gram and red kidney beans, boiled
• 2 Tbsp of dry mint leaves                        
• 7-8 Lettuce/Cabbage leaves [Your Choice]
• Black salt as per taste
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp of lemon juice
• Empty shell of 1/4th watermelon
• 10-12 toothpicks

For Pineapple Dressing:

• 1/2 cup of Whipped cream
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp of very finely chopped pineapple
• 1 Tbsp of Sugar 

Method:

                                                     

For Salad:

1. Mix all the ingredients of chopped salad together, except mint leaves, salt and cabbage/lettuce leaves.
2. Make small/byte size of cones from cabbage/lettuce leaves. Fix them with the help of toothpick. Fill the cones with salad mix.
3. In a tray, keep the watermelon shell in center. Put all the cones on that shell. Spread the remaining salad in tray, around that watermelon shell.
4. With the help of your palms, rub the mint leaves and make powder. Sprinkle that powder above the complete salad.
5. At the time of serving sprinkle black salt on it.

For Pineapple dressing:

1. Mix whipped cream, sugar and pineapple together.
2. Serve salad with pineapple dressing.
3. While eating, simple pick up the cone, put some dressing on above it and have a delicious byte.

Spinach Dumplings in Tomato Gravy

A new form of spinach.Very tasty and delicious. Looks good too.

Serves: 4                                                                                          Time Taken: 50 Minutes

Ingredients:

• Spinach 1/2 Kg
• 8 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
• Salt as  per taste
• 1/2 Tsp turmeric powder
• 2 Green chillies finely chopped
• 1/2 Tsp red chilly powder
• 3 Big Tomatoes Paste
• Paneer/Cottage Cheese 50 gm
• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 1/2 Tsp Green Cardamom Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Ginger Paste
• Oil to deep fry and cook
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 Tsp Coriander powder
• 3-4 Tbsp of corn-flour
• Cumin powder as per taste
• 1/4 Cup of heavy cream
• a pinch or two of garam masala
• A Tbsp of green onion or coriander finely chopped

Procedure:

1. Boil the spinach leaves for a minute only or keep them in hot water for a minute or 2 only. Take them out of water and blend them in a blender.
2. In a pan heat 1 & 1/2 Tbsp of oil. Add around 1-2 Tsp of chopped garlic as per your taste.
3. Saute it for 2-3 seconds. Don't let them turn in red or light pink color. Add half turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, green chilies and spinach. Saute it until the moisture is completely gone. Let it get cool.
4. Mash the paneer and add salt and cumin powder as per taste. Now, once spinach comes at room temperature, mix spinach, cornflour and paneer together very well.
5. Make small balls of it and deep fry them. Oil should not be very hot. Fry them until they are crispy.
6. In a wok add butter. Into this add garlic, ginger paste, cardamom powder. Mix them well. Add tomato puree into it. Add salt as per taste and red chilly powder. Cook tomatoes until the gravy is thicken. 
7. Then, add heavy cream and mix it really well.
8. Add garam masala powder and a pinch of cardamom powder. Cook it for 2 minutes.
9. For serving, Take the gravy in serving bowl. Put, dumplings in it and sprinkle either green onions or coriander. Serve Hot with chapati/Paratha/any indian Bread.

Orange-Papaya Mojito

This is a kind of Juice or you can say mock-tail. It works as anti-cholesterol  and also provides instant energy. Also, good in summer. This time before starting the recipe, let's first look at few benefits of Orange and Papaya fruit.

Benefits of Orange:
1) It is an excellent source of Vitamin C & A and is cholesterol free.
2) It contains Calcium.
3) Our brain needs folic acid for proper development which is found in oranges.
4) Blood pressure can be kept in balance because it contains magnesium.
5) It provides instant energy because it contains Thiamin.
6) It also helps in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system because it contains Potassium.

Benefits of Papaya:
1) It provides an overall hydrated skin because it is low in sodium quantity. It removes dead cells of skin and make it more exfoliating.
2) It helps in digestion.
3) You can use mashed papaya for cracked and sore heels.
4) Support cardiovascular system.
5) Due to high vitamin A, it lowers the risk of emphysema in smokers. Can also benefit in fighting with cancer.

Serves: 2 small glasses                                                                      Time taken: 5-7 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 Cup of Orange Peeled and chopped in big cubes [Remove seeds]
• 1/2 cup of papaya peeled and chopped in big cubes
• 1/4th cup of apple peeled and chopped
• 2 tsp of sugar [optional]
• 6-7 Mint/Pudina leaves
• Half glass of drinking water

Method:

1. In a blender, blend everything together till smooth.
2. Strain the juice using a strainer.
3. Serve immediately. Fresh juice is always good for health.

Indo-Chinese Bread Recipe/Chinese Paratha

We all love chinese food. I love it too. Actually chinese is one of my favorite cuisine. Chinese food is really healthy food and aroma of sauces used in it is also very nice. It always contains so many healthy vegetables. This time I found a new version of that. How about a chinese paratha? Give it a try. Trust me, you will fall in love with it. 

Serves: 5 Paratha/Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup of very finely chopped cabbage/Patta Gobhi
• 1/4 Cup of very finely chopped capsicum/Shimla mirch
• 1/2 Cup of very finely chopped carrot
• 1/2 Cup of very finely chopped Green onions
• 2-3 very finely chopped green chillies
• 1 Tbsp of dark soya sauce
• 1 Tbsp of chilly sauce
• 1 & 1/2 Garlic very clove finely chopped
• salt to taste
• a pinch or 2 of black pepper
• 1 Cup of Wheat Flour
• 1/4th Tsp salt
• 1/4th Tsp Red pepper/Lal mirch
• Water as required to make the dough/around 1/2 cup
• Oil or butter or Ghee[Purified butter] for paratha's

Method:

1. In wheat flour add salt and red pepper and mix well. Slowly adding water to it, make the dough as same as chapati dough. Cover it and keep it aside for around 15 minutes.
2. All vegetables should be very finely chopped. Mix together all vegetables, green chillies, black pepper, sauces and salt as per taste.
3. Divide the dough in 10 equal parts. Roll 2 balls in circle shape as same as chapati with the help of rolling pin. On one chapati, spread 2 tbsp. of vegetable mix. Cover it with another rolled chapati. Press it from all sides and pack it well, so that the stuffing will not come out.
4. Cook it from both sides on hot tawa, adding little oil/butter/ghee, till very small brown patches appeared on both sides.

Note:

1) Don't try to make this as normal paratha's i.e. filling stuffing in center of one ball and then rolling it. It will not allow you to do that because we have added sauces to it which makes the mixture a little moist.

2) Be careful while adding salt with stuffing, because all types of sauces already contains salt.

Pizza Recipe

Italian Pizza with Indian Toppings.Today we will first make Pizza base, then Pizza Sauce and then finally Pizza. Very easy to make everything at home. Let's start.

Serves: 3 Family Size Pizza

Ingredients:
For Pizza Base:

• 2 and 1/2 Cups of Wheat Flour
• 1/2 Cup of all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp Dry Yeast
• 1/2 Cup of warm water
• 1/4 Tsp salt
• 1/4 Tsp Sugar
• 1/4 Tsp of baking powder

For Pizza Sauce:

• 2 Big Tomatoes puree
• 1/2 small onion finely chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 3-4 Jalapeno pepper finely chopped
• 1/4 Tsp black pepper
• salt adjust to taste
• 1/4 Tsp Sugar
• 1/4 Tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/4 Tsp Italian seasoning

For Pizza Topping:

You can choose any of your toppings. Its completely your choice. You can use spinach, pineapple, capsicum, onion, tofu, paneer, carrot, olives etc.

• 1/2 Cup sliced/cubed onion
• 1/2 Cup sliced/diced green capsicum
• 1/4 Cup sliced/diced yellow or red or orange capsicum [You can use all combinations together]
• 1/2 Cup small cubes Paneer
• Salt to taste
• black pepper powder to taste
• Italian seasoning/Oregano or both [your choice]
• Red chilly flakes [optional]
• Grated mozzarella cheese
• Olive Oil

Procedure to make Pizza Base:

Dough Initially

Dough Risen to double

Base before baking

1. Mix water, sugar, salt and dry yeast very well and keep aside for 10-15 minutes. After 15 minutes you can see some bubbles on top of that. It means it is ready to use.
2. Mix wheat flour, all purpose flour and baking powder together. Now slowly add yeast mixture and make a soft dough. Cover the dough and keep aside for at least 2 Hrs or till the dough rises to almost double.
3. Once dough is risen to double, need it for 4-5 seconds. If you want family size pizza, divide the dough in 3 parts. Otherwise divide the dough in 5 parts. 
4. Roll each part of dough with the help of rolling pin in circle shape. Roll it thin like paratha. Then, with the help of knife or fork make some marks on it so that it will not puff up.
5. Pre-heat the oven at 400 F/200 C. Bake them for about 5 minutes. You can see some brown marks on both sides. It means they are cooked. If you want to store them for later use do not bake them completely. Just half bake them and refrigerate it covering them in aluminum foil. They are good to be used within 12-15 days.

Ready Pizza Base

Procedure for making pizza sauce:

Pizza Sauce

1. In a wok/pan, add 2 Tbsp of oil. Once oil is hot, add cumin seeds. Then, add onion and garlic. Saute till onions are translucent.
2. Then, add tomato puree, jalapeno pepper, salt, sugar, black pepper, coriander powder, turmeric powder,Italian seasoning and mix well. Cook until gravy is thick. 

Procedure for Pizza:

1. On Pizza base, spread some olive oil. Then, spread pizza sauce. Spread some grated cheese on it.
2. Add chopped onion, capsicum and paneer on it. Sprinkle some salt and black pepper on it.
3. Cover it with grated cheese.
4. Bake in pre-heated oven on 400 F/200 C till cheese melts.'
5. Serve hot with italian seasoning, chilly flakes and tomato ketch-up.

Bottle Gourd/Lauki/Doodhi Paratha/Flat Bread Recipe

I was fed-up of eating all similar paratha's like aaloo paratha, mooli paratha, gobhi paratha, methi paratha. So, thought of trying some new paratha which I didn't have tried yet. So, I came up with this Lauki flat bread.

Bottle guard stuffed paratha's are delicious and uncontrollable...It tastes really very yummy. It really very easy to make. Serve bottle gourd paratha's with any raita or simple curd or pickle or green coriander chutney or ketch-up. Completely your choice. Perfect for breakfast.

Makes: 7 Paratha's                                                                             Time Taken: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:

For Dough:

• 1 and 1/2 Cup Whole wheat flour
• Water as required to make dough
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/4th tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp red chilly powder

For stuffing:

• 1/4th Tsp cumin seeds
• 2-3 green chillies finely chopped
• some coriander leaves
• salt to taste
• 1/2 Tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 Tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 Tsp ginger-garlic paste (Optional)
• 1 & 1/2 cups Bottle guard grated 
• 1/4th Tsp dry mango powder
• 1/2 medium onion grated (Optional)
• Oil or butter or ghee for parathas

Procedure:

1. Mix whole wheat flour, oil, salt and red chilly powder. Slowly adding water to flour, make soft dough and keep it aside for 15 minutes.
2. Squeeze the water from bottle guard. In a frying pan, add a tbsp. of oil. When oil is hot, add cumin seeds and bottle guard. Once bottle guard is dry, add everything we kept for stuffing. Mix them really well and off the heat. Let the mixture get cool on room temperature.
3. Divide bottle guard mixture in equal parts. Divide dough in equal parts. The size of chapati/flat bread dough should be a little larger than bottle guard balls. This is just to make sure that stuffing should not come out from dough. 
4. Have some dry flour to roll the dough. Roll the dough around 1 and 1/2 inch into a small cup like structure. Place one stuffing ball inside it and cover it properly from all sides. Press it with your palms to make a small round disk.
5. Flip both sides of this in dry flour and roll it delicately with the help of rolling pin. 
6. Heat the tawa on medium heat and place the rolled paratha on it. Cook it for 1 minute. Turn it and greese it with butter or ghee or oil. Do same on other side of paratha also.
7. Repeat the procedure with other parathas also. Serve Hot.