Aloo Parata/ Potato Stuffed Indian Bread

Aloo paratha is a popular Indian stuffed bread, which is very filling and will be loved by all. This can be prepared very easily, as all the ingredients added to the stuffing are very easily available in our kitchen pantries.

This is a flatbread made of whole wheat flour, which is stuffed with a potato filling and cooked until golden brown. This aloo paratha is a delicious and versatile dish, which we can have any time of the day. This is a complete meal in itself. this tastes great when served with raita or pickle. This is a perfect lunch box meal for kids. Potato is very filling as it is high in carbs.

I make this often as my daughter likes it a lot. Street vendors in India sell these aloo parathas along with a big chunk of butter or curd on the side. We can add mint, coriander leaves, ginger- garlic paste in the stuffing but I made it simple. Hope you may like this. Try this out and let me know.

Ingredients:

1. Whole Wheat Flour- 2 Cups
2. Oil- 2 tbsp
3. salt- as required
4. Water - to knead

For the stuffing:

1. Potatoes (boiled and peeled)- 3 nos
2. Carom Seeds/ Ajwain- 1 tbsp
3. Red Chili Powder- 1 tbsp
4. Salt- as required
5. Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves(optional)- 2-3 tbsp

Method:

1. Knead the whole wheat flour along with oil, salt and required amount of water till it forms a soft, smooth dough. Keep this aside.
2. Meanwhile make the stuffing by mashing the boiled potatoes along with carom seeds, red chili powder, chopped coriander leaves and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. Make small balls out of the dough and roll them with a rolling pin into circular discs.
4. Place a 2 tbsp of the potato filling in the center of the disc and wrap the stuffing by lifting all the sides of the dough into a ball and roll them again using a rolling pin slowly or else the stuffing will come out.
5. Place it on a hot tawa or a nonstick pan and cook on medium flame. Spread a tbsp of oil on both sides of the paratha and cook till both the sides turn golden brown.
6. Enjoy hot aloo parathas with curd.

Spinach and Cottage Cheese Samosa/ Palak paneer Samosa

I have not been active in this space for some time now. I missed my blog space a lot. I had a lovely short trip to my brother’s place in Ohio and so I couldn’t blog from there, (which I planned to) as I was enjoying with my lovely niece and naughty nephew. This whole time, I didn’t cook anything, as I was enjoying my Sister- in law's amazing dishes. In some of my previous blog posts, I have mentioned about her dishes like the chocolate roll cake and the baked apple roses. As now I have returned, everything is back to normal. I started my routine and so after the break, the post which I thought would be perfect was this snack which is everyone's favorite.

We all know that spinach and paneer is an amazing combination in Indian curries. So I thought why not try it out in our favorite samosas. Samosas are deep fried snacks, which has a filling of meat/ vegetables. Samosas are one of the most common snacks in India. They are very special during the month of Ramadan, which is eaten as an iftar snack. These are easy to make, only difficult part is to make the dough and shaping them into a cone, but if you have spring roll sheets then within minutes an amazingly delicious snack will be ready to eat.

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

1. Spinach- a small bunch
2. Cottage Cheese- ½ Cup
3. Garam Masala Powder- ½ tsp
4. Oil- 1 tbsp
5. Onions (chopped)- 1 no
6. Green Chillies (chopped finely)- 2 nos
7. Ginger (crushed)- 1 tbsp
8. Garlic (chopped)- 1 tbsp
9. Cumin powder- 1 tsp
10. Red Chilli Powder- 1 tsp
11. Coriander powder- 1 tsp
12. Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
13. Oil- for deep frying

For the Dough:

1. All Purpose flour- 11/2 Cups
2. Salt- as required
3. Melted butter- 2 tbsp
4. Ajwain/ caraway seeds- 1 tbsp
5. Water- required to knead the dough

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, salt, melted butter along with required amount of water into a smooth dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for some time.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, saute the onions. When they turn translucent, add the ginger, garlic and green chilies.
3. Saute till the raw smell disappears. Add the chopped spinach, stir till it becomes soft. Add the crushed cottage cheese and mix well till everything gets blended well.
4. In the above add the garam masala powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix and switch off the flame.
5. Divide the above-made dough into small round balls of 12- 15.
6. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough balls into small round discs, cut into half, water the straight edge and join the edges to make a cone. Press gently to seal the edges.take a spoon full of the filling and place it inside. Seal the other end and press gently make sure that the filling doesn’t come out.
7. Repeat with the remaining dough and the filling. When all the samosas are ready, heat oil for deep frying and fry the made samosas till golden brown. When they are done drain on a kitchen tissue and serve hot along with tomato ketchup or green chutney.

Easy ‘n Healthy Baked Fish

From so long I was thinking of baking fish and this happened on a Sunday when my husband was at home, we both planned to make a simple lunch and this was his idea of baking fish.

This is a super easy and a simple dish which can be made within minutes. This is one of the best party ideas, which will be loved by all, even kids…

In this preparation, the fish is smeared with mild spices and then baked in a pre heated oven. This can be a quick entry to any party menu which will be unique.

Ingredients:

1. Fish Fillet- 4- 5 nos
2. Pepper powder- 1tbsp
3. Salt- as required
4. Lemon juice / Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tbsp
5. Garlic ( crashed)- 2 tbsp
6. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
7. Oil-1tbsp
8. Red Chilli Powder- 1 tbsp
9. Ajwain / Carrom Seeds( slightly crushed)- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
2. Wash the fish fillet and pat dry this using a kitchen towel.
3. Mix ajwain, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, lemon juice/apple cider vinegar, oil, garlic and salt to a paste using little water.
4. Brush this on the fish fillets and bake this for about 20 minutes. In between flip the sides and enjoy an amazing delicacy with your choice of steamed veggies or steamed rice.