Parotta / Lacha Paratha / Flaky Paratha

Learn how to make flaky easy parotta - flaky layered Indian flat bread

Lacha Paratha

Ingredients

Maida flour/ All purpose flour- 2 cups

Sugar- 1 tsp

Curd- 1 tbsp

Oil- 4 tbsp

Ghee- 1 tbsp

Milk- 1/2 cup

Water to knead

Salt to taste

To make layers

Oil- 1/4 cup

Rice flour- 1/4 cup

Parotta

How to mix parotta dough

In a wide bowl add maida, sugar, salt, oil, milk and required water. Knead dough for 15 mins until soft and smooth. Set aside for 1 to 2 hours( the long you rest the parotta dough it becomes soft, elastic and flaky).

How to make layers in parotta

Divide the dough into equal lime sized portions. Roll out each lime sized dough into chapati( round discs) as thin as possible. Spread one tsp oil on the rolled dough and sprinkle 1/2 tsp rice flour on top of rolled and oiled dough. Starting from one end make fleets like doing for saree or fold like making paper fan till u reach other end. Gather the fleets made with dough. Hold one end of gathered fleet in center and roll like a wheel( clockwise) and tuck the other end below the wheel. Do the same process with rest of dough until fleeted and wheeled. Cover these prepared parotta dough with damp cloth and rest it for 30 mins.

How to cook parotta

After 30 mins roll out each prepared dough wheel into thick parottas( into circle).

Heat tawa or griddle, when hot, lay each rolled thick parottas on tawa and cook on both sides on medium heat for 5 mins, smearing oil around parotta if needed. Fry parotta until cooked and golden brown on both sides.

How to bring flakes in cooked parotta.

Place upto 5 to 6 cooked parotta on top of another. Cover piled parotta with clean cloth( since its too hot) use both hands and dab on sides of parotta, by dabbing vigorously on the sides the layers in parotta will open up and become flaky. Remove parotta from cloth and serve hot with chicken curry or veg curry of your choice.

Click here for Chettinad Soya Curry recipe

or

Click here for Chicken Kurma recipe

Flaky Paratha

Hotel Style Tiffin Sambar Recipe / Ratna Cafe Sambar / Sambar for Idli Dosa Pongal

Learn how to make Hotel Sambar / Tiffin Sambar

I still remember when I started blogging 4 yrs back I was first or one of few bloggers to post about Tiffin Sambar Recipe or Hotel Sambar Recipe. This Sambar recipe has acclaimed me many compliments from my fans, friends and co- bloggers. At that time I had just point and shoot camera I wasn't able to shoot a good picture of it, so here I'm re-posting the same recipe here with recent pictures. You can click here for the link to older post.

This is my favorite sambar for idly, dosa, pongal and even it tastes great with hot pooris. For the people who know about the popular Ratna Cafe's Sambar( triplicane, Chennai), this Tiffan sambar tastes similar to the Ratna cafe's sambar. 

Hotel Sambar

Ingredients

Toor dal/ Split pigeon peas( cooked and mashed)-1cup

Small onions/ Shallots( peeled)-15 to 20

Tomato medium chopped-1

Drumsticks-1 no

Carrots chopped-1/2cup

Curry leaves-few

Coriander leaves-few

Turmeric powder-1/2tsp

Mustard seeds-1tsp

Jaggery powdered-1tsbp

Salt to taste

Oil required

Sambar powder ingredients

( Dry roast the following ingredients separately and grind to fine paste)

Coriander seeds-3tbsp

Bengal gram/ Split chick peas-2tbsp

Whole dry red chilly-10( +/- depending on taste)

Cumin seeds-1tsp

Fenugreek/ Methi seeds-1/2tsp

Fresh shredded Coconut-1/2cup( don't roast coconut, add this while grinding).

Tiffin Sambar

Method

Heat enough oil in a pan, when hot add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds crackles add the shallots and curry leaves, fry for few minutes and add the carrots and drumsticks. Now add the tomatoes and cook for few more mins, when the tomatoes are done, add the turmeric powder and ground sambar paste. Fry the ground paste for few seconds and add the cooked toor dal. Season with salt and add enough water( to get required consistency, sambar should not be too thin or too thick). Simmer the sambar for 5 mins. Finally add the powdered jaggery and coriander leaves, give a good stir and remove from heat. Serve hot with Idly, Dosas. Pongal or Poori.

Sambar for Idli Dosa 

Important points for making this delicious Tiffan Sambar are

Never use tamarind pulp for this sambar

Do not add more vegetables( any 2 to 3 variety of vegetable is enough) 

Try to use small onions( shallots)

A tbsp of powdered jaggery is very important ingredient for this recipe.

Click here for Ghee Idli / Sambar Idli recipe

Strawberry Muffins Recipe

How to make strawberry muffins

I had adapted this easy strawberry muffin recipe from here and made many changes to suit my taste. I love my muffins to be moist and nicely browned, the outcome was excellent.

Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients

Maida/ All purpose flour- 1 and 1/2 cups

Sugar- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp

Salt- 1/2 tsp

Baking powder- 2 tsp

Egg- 1 no

Milk- 3/4 cup

Oil- 1/4 cup

Vanilla essence- 1 tsp

Strawberry chopped- 1 cup

Moist Strawberry Muffin

Method

Preheat oven to 200° Celsius. Grease an 12 cup muffin pan or use paper cups. 

Combine oil, milk, vanilla essence and egg in a bowl and beat well with fork.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in large bowl and mix well.

Now add chopped strawberries to the flour and stir to coat with flour.

Reserve some chopped strawberries to top the muffins.

Pour in the milk mixture to the flour in bowl and stir together until smooth.

Fill the muffin cups. 

Bake muffins at 200° Celsius for 12 mins or until the tops bounce back from the touch. 

Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.

Strawberry Muffin

Sending this recipe to Valentine's day recipe contest held by Priya's Versatile Recipes

Spicy Egg Korma / Muttai Kurma

Spicy Egg Korma

Ingredients

Eggs- 6

Onion large- 2 nos

Tomato large- 2 nos

Ginger and Garlic paste- 2 tsp

Red chilli powder- 1 and 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala powder- 2 tsp

Coriander powder- 2 tsp

Cumin powder- 1 tsp

Oil- 4 tbsp

Water required

Salt required 

Coriander leaves and curry leaves to garnish

To grind into paste

Coconut freshly grated-1/4 cup

Roasted Kuskus/ Poppy seeds- 1 tbsp

Cashew nuts- 6

Green Chilli- 1 no

For tempering

Cinnamon- 1" stick

Cloves- 4 nos

Cardamom- 2 nos

Fennel seeds/ Sombu- 1/2 tsp

Egg Kurma

Method

Hard boil, shelled the eggs and set aside.

Mince the onions and tomatoes separately.

Grind the ingredients given in the "to grind paste" to smooth paste adding little water.

Heat oil in a pan when oil is hot add tempering ingredients and fry until aroma rises. Now add minced onion and curry leaves, saute until onion turns transparent. Add ginger and garlic paste to onion and fry till raw smell leaves. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt, saute for few seconds. Next add chopped tomatoes and fry till tomatoes are mashed. Add ground paste, boiled eggs and required water to the pan, mix well and bring gravy to boil. Cover pan with lid and cook gravy on medium heat for 5 mins until gravy slightly thickens. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Idli, Dosa, Parotta or Chapati.

Muttai Kuruma

Tamilnadu Mutton Curry / Aatu Kari Kuzhambu

I always like home style mutton gravy. Here is an quick and easy South Indian Style mutton curry/ kulambu made in pressure cooker.

Mutton Curry

Ingredients

Mutton( goat) pieces with bone- 1/2 kg

Onion large( sliced)- 1 no

Tomato small( chopped)- 4 nos

Ginger and garlic paste- 2 tbsp

Red chilli powder- 3 tsp

Coriander powder- 2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp 

Cinnamon- 1" stick

Cloves- 6

Sombu/ fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp

Bay leaf/ brinji leaf- 1 no

Curry leaves- few

Oil- 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Mutton Curry South Indian Style

Method

Heat oil in pressure pan/ cooker, add cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and fennel seeds, saute for few secs. Add chopped onion and saute for few mins. Add ginger and garlic paste, chopped tomato, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and saute until raw smell leaves. Now add cleaned mutton pieces and saute for few mins until mutton turns pale. Add 2 cups water and required salt to mutton. Mix well, cover with lid and pressure cook mutton curry for 4 whistles or until mutton is cooked. Garnish with curry leaves and serve with rice,idli, dosa or parota.

Tamilnadu Mutton Curry

Ven Pongal / Ghee Pongal

 Wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous pongal 2013

Ven Pongal Recipe

Ingredients

Raw rice- 1 cup

Moongdal- 1/4 cup

Cashew nuts- 20

Ginger( chopped)- 1" piece

Curry leaves- few

Ghee- 4 tbsp( optional)

Oil- 1/4 cup( more oil added pongal will be non sticky)

Cumin seeds/ Jeera- 2 tsp

Black peppercorns- 2 tsp( slightly crushed)

Water- 4 cup

Salt to taste

Ghee Pongal Recipe

Method

Clean, wash and soak dal and rice together in 4 cups of water for 30 mins. Transfer soaked dal and rice along with the water in which it was soaked to a pressure cooker. Add chopped ginger, required salt to the rice, mix well and pressure cook rice for 15 mins or until rice is mushy. In meantime make tadka by heating 1/4 cup oil in a pan, fry the cashew nuts until golden brown and set aside. To the same hot oil add cumin seeds, peppercorns, curry leaves and turn of the heat( cumin seeds will splutter in hot oil). Once pressure releases from cooker, remove its lid and mix well the rice until mushy, immediately add the tadka along with oil, fried cashew nuts and ghee to the rice. Mix well and Serve hot.

Serve ghee pongal with 
Coconut chutney 
Hotel style sambar.

Ven Pongal

Prawn Fried Rice / Oriental Rice

Learn how to make quick and simple prawn fried rice in few mins.

Prawn fried rice

Ingredients

Short grain rice- 1 and 1/2 cups

Small prawns- 250 gms

Spring onion- 10 nos

Garlic cloves- 2 nos

Capsicum/ Bell pepper- 1 no

Soya sauce- 2 tsp

Ajinomoto- 1/2 tsp

Salt and Pepper to taste

Water- 3 cups

Oil- 5 tbsp

Oriental rice

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add chopped spring onion bulbs and chopped garlic, saute for 2 secs. Add the diced capsicum and saute for few more secs. Add cleaned prawns and saute until prawns turn pale. Add water, soya sauce, ajinomoto, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and add washed rice. Cove pan with tight lid and cook on medium heat until rice is tender and cooked. Finally add chopped spring onion greens and stir well. Serve hot with side dish of your choice. If preferred also garnish with finely scrambled eggs.

Prawn Rice Recipe

Soya Chunks Pulao/ Meal maker Pulao

Learn how to make Soya Chunks Pulao in easy method

Soya Chunks Pulao

Ingredients

Basmati rice- 2 cups

Soya chunks/ Meal maker nuggets- 20 to 30 nos

Onion medium thinly sliced- 2 nos

Tomato small chopped- 2 nos

Green chilly broken- 5 nos( +/- to taste)

Ginger and Garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves- 1/4 bunch

Mint leaves- 1 bunch

Garam Masala powder- 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Ghee/ Butter- 2 tbsp

For tempering

Cinnamon- 1" stick

Cloves- 4 nos

Cardamom- 4 nos

Bay leaf- 2 nos

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Oil- 4 tbsp.

Meal maker pulao

Method

Wash and soak basmati rice in 4 cups water for few minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan, add drained rice and fry rice in ghee on low heat until slightly browned, turn off heat and set aside.

Soak Soya chunks in hot water for 5 mins or until Soya chunks are soft, squeeze excess water from soya chunks and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan when hot add tempering whole spices, fry until aroma rises. Add sliced onion, broken green chillis and fry until slightly browned.

 Now add ginger and garlic paste and fry until raw smell leaves. Next add chopped mint and corinader leaves( reserve some to garnish), Soya chunks and chopped tomatoes. Saute for few seconds and add garam Masala powder. 

Pour 4 cups of water in which basmati rice was soaked to the pan, stir well and bring to boil. When water starts boiling add required salt and ghee fried basmati rice. 

Stir well on medium heat until 1/4th of the water is absorbed by rice. Now cover pan with tight lid and cook pulao on low heat for 10 mins or until rice is cooked and tender. 

Finally garnish with rest of mint and coriander leaves and serve hot Soya chunks pulao with your favorite mushroom korma or paneer tikka masala or mushroom masala.

Soya Chunks Pulav

Serve Soya Chunks Pulao with
Mushroom Korma
Paneer Tikka Masala
Mushroom Curry

Chettinad Chicken Restaurant Style

Authentic home-cooked chicken chettinad recipes do not have too much of spices. After trying out my home style chettinad chicken recipe my regular reader Meenal requested for restaurant chettinad chicken recipe. So here goes the hot and spicy restaurant style chettinad chicken recipe.

Restaurant Chettinad Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken pieces- 1/2 kg( 500 gms)

Onion large( chopped)- 2 nos

Tomato large( chopped)- 1 no

Curry leaves- few

Thick coconut milk- 1 cup

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Cinnamon- 2" piece

Cloves- 4 no

Sombu/ fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp

Bay leaf- 1 no

Star anise/ annachi poo- 1 no

Coriander leaves to garnish

Masala paste

( roast and grind below ingredients in 1 tsp oil)

Red chilli- 6 nos

Coriander seeds- 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds- 2 tsp

Peppercorns- 1 tsp

Garlic cloves- 6 nos

Ginger- 1" piece

Coconut grated- 1/4 cup

Kuskus- 1 tsp

Cashewnuts- 10 nos

Chicken Chettinad Fry

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add cinnamon, cloves, aniseed, star anise and bay leaf, saute for few mins. Add chopped onions, curry leaves and fry for few mins. Now add chopped tomatoes, turmeric and ground masala, saute on medium heat for few mins until oil separates from masala. Add chicken pieces, saute well and add coconut milk. Add salt to taste. Add 1/2 cup water, mix well, cover the pan with lid cook till chicken is done. Remove lid and saute chicken till semi dry. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice, roti etc.

Chettinad Chicken