Miscellaneous not to be missed !

I am giving the typical Gujarathi method for this with Bajra flour. Bajra is known as “ kambu “ in tamil & small millet in English. It is a very small pale coloured grain, about the size of mustard seeds. Grind to flour, small quantities & store in the fridge for best results. The ratio of both flours is one’s choice – more bajra flour can be added, but rolling needs a little practice. Both flours can be added in equal amounts also. This is a soft type of chappathi.

Bajra flour - 2/3 cup

Wheat flour - 1/3 cup

Freshly chopped methi leaves - 1-1 ½ cups

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Hing - ¼ tsp

Salt, haldi

Slightly sour curds to knead

Knead all ingredients to a soft dough, adding just enough curds to bind.

Make balls.

Since bajra flour has no binding capacity, one can pat into a chappathi with hand.

Or keep a ball between 2 oiled plastic sheets & roll gently.

Make like parathas, using little oi.

Serve with any dhal, pickle or any dry vegetable.

dear chitra,
kindly guide me as to what i can pack for my children,
i am at a loss as they r not in a mood for the regular rice and chapathi
items....they dont like aval...so how to specialise rice without invoking
the heat....i know they call it the ice biryani..rice soaked in water made into curd rice..but to pack it every day would be a problem...so i seek ur help here
hope to hear from u...regards..sunkan

Dear Sundari,
You have not mentioned the age group for whom you want to pack lunch !
One dish called " thayir dosai" is:
Keep milagai podi & oil mixed with little water & ready,
Curds beaten well, if necessary adding little milk ( to offset the sour taste)
First make a soft dosai, remove & smear with milagai podi mixture.
Pour curd over it, fold & keep in the dabba. Stack 3,4 more as required one over the other.
This is usually good. More than chappathis, the theplas I have posted today are ideal for packed lunch. You can make poha buns with a variety of fillings - paneer, channa,mixed vegetables etc.
Try these & get back to me.
Love & regards,
Chithra.

Water melon with its watery texture combines here with ripe strawberries having a pulpy texture ! The result is “ perfect unison”!

Dessed the red portion of the water melon thoroughly & chop.

Remove the green portion of the strawberry & chop.

Chopped watermelon pieces - 2 cups

Chopped strawberries - 1 cup

Sugar - to tase.

Mix all ingredients & liquidise.

Serve chilled.
st berry melon cooler.JPG

This is a more elaborate method of making alu paratha, but this tastes different and excellent.

For the parathas;

Wheat flour - 1 heaped cup

Oil - 2 tsp

Water to make a dough

Filling:

Medium potatoes - 2, boiled, peeled and grated

Green chillies - 4,5 finely minced

Ginger - 1”, finely minced

Finely chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tsp for filling + for parathas

Jeera - ½ tsp

Amchur powder - 1 tsp

Hing - ¼ tsp

Salt

Outer covering:

Knead as usual for the chappathi dough.

Filling:

Heat oil in a kadai & temper jeera first & then hing

Add all other ingredients & saute till dry.

To make 6 parathas, divide dough into 12 parts & filling into 6 parts.

For each paratha, take 2 dough balls & one filling ball.

As shown in the photo below, roll the dough balls into 3 “ discs.

Wet the outer edges with water.

Pat the filling into a smaller disc & keep in between thedough discs.

Stick the dough discs & roll them with the filling in between, to as big a paratha as possible.

Place it on a hot tava.

When the underside is partly done, turn over.

Flip it again & pour 1 tsp oil on the paratha.

By turning over the paratha on both sides, brown spots will appear & it will get thoroughly cooked.

Serve hot with pickles & curd.

The finished alu paratha picture is given in the tips. Check the below links...

Alu Paratha Rolled

Alu Paratha - Ready to Eat
alu%20paratha3.JPG

Select mango which is not very sour.

Unripe fully developed mango - 1 ( about 200 gms)

Sugar - 2-3 tbsp ( to taste)

Water - 500 ml

Salt - 1 tsp

Ginger powder - ¼ tsp

Chilli powder & hing - a pinch, each

Black salt - ¼ tsp

Dried mint powder - a pinch

Crushed ice - to serve

Roast the mango on a wire toaster on an open flame, until soft, pulpy & outer skin is somewhat burnt.

Cool & remove the skin of the mango.

Mash the pulp & discard the stone.

Add water & strain.

Mix in all other ingredients & chill.

Adjust sugar & seasoning according to taste.

Just before serving, add a little crushed ice in individual glaasses.

Makes 3 glasses.

Originally Posted by chitvish

Dear Sundari,
You have not mentioned the age group for whom you want to pack lunch !
One dish called " thayir dosai" is:
Keep milagai podi & oil mixed with little water & ready,
Curds beaten well, if necessary adding little milk ( to offset the sour taste)
First make a soft dosai, remove & smear with milagai podi mixture.
Pour curd over it, fold & keep in the dabba. Stack 3,4 more as required one over the other.
This is usually good. More than chappathis, the theplas I have posted today are ideal for packed lunch. You can make poha buns with a variety of fillings - paneer, channa,mixed vegetables etc.
Try these & get back to me.
Love & regards,
Chithra.

the boys r in the 24 26 group chitra....and thought of getting them something different they hate iddli dosa...and in this heat chapathi also i cannot rpt always..so something to cool their system....hope u realise my problem..regards sunkan

Chilled fresh curds - 2 cups ( must not be sour at all)

Sugar - 4 tsp ( or to taste)

Salt - a pinch

Lime juice - ½ - 1 tsp

White rose essence - 2,3 drops

Crushed ice

Liquidise everything together & serve immediately.
A little malai can be added as topping, if you like.

Use well fermented dosai batter which we normally make oothappam with.

The batter must be slightly thick & not flowing.

Make a topping as for pizza ( traditional or tandoori) as given in

http://www.indusladies.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3689&postcount=2

You can use any combination of vegetables & use even pav bhaji masala for a different flavour.

Pour one ladle of batter on a hot tava.

Pour a tsp oil around & cook on high, covered for 1 mte.

Open, spread the filling & pour ½ tsp more oil on the filling.

Sprinkle pizza cheese, grated, on the top.

Now cook on medium till the bottom turns brown & cheese sizzles.

This need not be turned over.

Outer covering:

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Slt

Oil - 2 tsp

Water - to mix

Filling:

Finely grated or minced cauliflower - 1 cup ( washed well in warm water with little salt)

Jeera - ½ tsp

Hing - ¼ tsp

Green chillies - 2, finely minced

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Amchur powder - 1 tsp

Salt, haldi

Oil - 2 tsp

For the outer covering, mix all ingredients to a soft dough.

For the filling, heat the oil in a kadai.

Temper jeera first & then add green chillies & hing.

Now add cauliflower, haldi & salt.

Sprinkle little water, cover & cook till soft.

Add amchur powder & chopped coriander leaves.

Remove & cool.

Divide the dough & filling into 6 portions each.

Take one ball of the dough & with hand pat it into a small cup.

Keep filling inside & smearing fingers with water, close the cup, drawing the dough from all round.

Roll the ball, carefully into a circle about 6” diiameter.

Put it on a hot tava.

When the underside is partly cooked, turn over.

After a mte, flip again & pour oil on the first side.

Now cook on bith sides till brown spots appear.

Serve with pickle & sabji.

The same way, mooli parathas can be made.

With food processor:
Drop big chunks of gobi in boiling water, switch off the stove & kept it covered. Strain after 15 mts. Pass that, ginger, green chillies, through the mincer blade of the food processor. Remove & change to the kneading blade. Then make paratha dough with the minced ingredients, as I have given.
Madke parathas as usual. I have never got such thin, soft gobi parathas.
gobi paratha.JPG