Gobi Parathas

Varun got engaged to Mrudula and that is the reason for a trip to India and the rather long break. Congratulations to both of them and welcome to the family Mrudula.

Gobi parathas need no introduction. Another from the popular Paratha league, this one is made with cauliflower or phool gobi as it is referred to Hindi. Here is the detailed recipe:

Preparation time: 30-45 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Wheat flour 1 cup (200gms)
Cauliflower 1
Refined cooking oil 1 cup
Garam masala 1tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Green chilli 1
Coriander 2tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

To the wheat flour add a few tsp oil, pinch of salt and knead to dough of roti dough consistency using water. Cover and set aside.

Finely chop the cauliflower, green chillies and coriander.

Heat 2 tbsp oil. Add green chillies, garam masala, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, coriander, salt and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the finely chopped cauliflower and mix well. Cover and set aside to cool.

Take small lumps of dough and bail into average sized flat breads (in the size of a poori preferably). Place a spoonful of the cauliflower mixture in the centre on the bailed bread and bring together all the edges to make a dumpling kind of a stuffed ball. Bail again into a flat bread ala a roti.

Pre-heat a tawa/pan. Add the paratha and fry for a couple minutes on both sides before adding a tsp of oil/ghee/butter and fry until crisp and light brown.

Serve hot Gobi or cauliflower parathas with thick and cold yoghurt and spicy green chutney. Try them with a little tomato sauce for the occasional ‘something different’ feeling.

Capsicum Chutney

Andhrites are popular for spicy pickles and chutneys. Anything and everything can be pickled or turned into chutney. One such creation is the capsicum chutney. Another of the quick chutneys, this one is the show stealer whenever included in the menu.

Preparation time: 15-20 mins

Serves: 2

 

Ingredients:

Large Capsicum 2
Mustard seeds (rai/aavalu) 1 tsp
Red chillies (lal mirchi/endu mirchi) 6
Tamarind/tamarind paste 1 tsp
Refined cooking oil 1 tbsp
Black gram (Uraddal/uddipappu) 1tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Pinch of turmeric
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash, wipe and dice the capsicum.

Dry roast in half tsp of oil a tsp each of mustard seeds, black gram and the red chillies. Set aside to cool and when at room temperature, grind to a fine powder.

Heat a couple of tsps of oil and add the diced capsicum and a tsp of tamarind paste/ tamarind. Cover and cook until soft. This should take around 5-8 minutes on medium heat. When the raw smell is lost and the capsicum feels soft and cooked remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Once at room temperature, blend the above ground powder, cooked capsicum and tamarind. Add salt to taste and blend to a fine paste.

For the seasoning, heat the remaining oil, add black gram, curry leaves and a pinch each of turmeric and asafoetida.

Add the finely blended capsicum paste to this seasoning and cook for a couple of minutes for the paste to absorb the oil.

Capsicum chutney is a hot rice and Indian bread supplement. Pour a spoon of oil over hot rice, mix in the capsicum chutney, dip into bland onion dal and enjoy.

Radish Sambar/mullangi pulusu

This is a lifetime favorite. It is available every other day at home. Radish sambar is one of the yummiest creations on earth. Glad to have known and relished it to the last drop.

Preparation time: 25-30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Radish (mooli/mullangi) 1
Pigeon peas (toor dal/kandipappu) 1 cup
Tamarind (imli/chintapandu) 1 blob
Sambar powder 1 tbsp
Ghee 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Red chilli 1
Pinch of asafoetida
Pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste
Fresh and grated coconut for garnish

Method:

Wash, add a pinch of turmeric and pressure-cook the pigeon peas to 4 whistles. Alternatively boil until soft and well mashed.

Wash, peel and slice the radish into thin and round circles.

Add around 1 cup water or water enough to immerse the radish slices, cover and boil on medium heat until soft and cooked. This should take around 10 mins.

Add a blob of tamarind, the cooked pigeon peas and cook for around 5 mins.

Add sambar powder, salt and stir well. Leave to boil for a couple of minutes.

In the meanwhile, heat ghee in a pan and add a red chilli (optional, in fact small sambar red chillies if you find them) and mustard seeds. As they pop, add the curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.

Season the sambar with this tempering and remove from heat. Garnish with fresh and grated coconut before serving.

Pour thick and soupy sambar over a cup ghee laden hot rice, mix and have with some tangy lime pickle. As for the radish slices, most of them will dissolve the moment they are on the tongue. If a few are left, dip each in ghee and savor it. YUMMMMMMM!

There might be a thousand varieties of radish sambar and an equal number of radish recipes. But nothing in the world can beat this one. This is it! Can’t stop drooling, shall dig into the hot sambar rice NOW…