Hari Pyaz Ka Paratha (Scallion Pan-fried Flat Bread)

Delicious Hari Pyaz Ka Paratha is an irresistible recipe of mixing the chopped scallion/green onion/spring onion and green chilies in wheat flour. Serve with Sabji and Raita of your choice.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup maida (All Purpose Flour)
• 1 cup chopped green onion
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 1 tsp Stuffed Paratha Masala (available in Indian Grocery Store)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp cooking oil for dough
• 1 cup ghee (clarified butter) or cooking oil to pan-fry parathas

Method: For step by step demo: Making Paratha Method II

• Mix the wheat flour and maida. Add 2 tbsp cooking oil, Parantha masala, green chilies, chopped green onion and salt to taste and mix well.
• Knead the flour into smooth, firm dough and keep aside in refrigerator for ½ hour.
• Divide the dough into equal sized balls.
• Flour a clean surface and roll each ball out into a circle about 4” in diameter.
• Sprinkle some dry wheat flour over it and roll it into a finger shaped structure. Coil this finger into a spiral.
• Flour the rolling surface lightly and very gently roll out the spiral into a flat circle about 5-6” in diameter.
• Heat a griddle or ‘tawa’ and carefully put a paratha over it. Allow to cook for a minute then turn it over. Drizzle a bit of oil on the top and spread well over the surface of the paratha. Smear a little oil on the surface of griddle or ‘tawa’ along the edges of the parantha. Flip and drizzle some more oil on this surface too. Continue to flip the paratha frequently, pressing with a spatula on any unbrowned areas until browned all over on both the sides. The parantha is done when both sides are crispy and golden brown.
• Serve with Green Coriander Chutney and /or Curry of your choice.

Do You Know?

Green Onions are a great source of vitamin A, iron, calcium and fiber. Research has shown tat Onions contain a substance that prevents the formation of blood clots.

Oats Mango Phirni

Phirni is a creamy based dessert from North India traditionally made with rice. Here I have made Phirni with Oats flavored with mango. Serve chilled.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Quaker Oats - Old Fashioned
• ¾ cup Water
• Half pinch of salt
• 1 cup Half and Half Milk
• Sugar according to taste
• 2 big mangoes peeled and diced

Method:

• In a bowl take Oats and salt; cook in a microwave for about 2-3 minutes. Cool.
• Transfer the cooked Oats into an electric grinder. Add sugar, half of the mango chunks and Half and Half milk. Amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of the mango.
• Churn in pulse mode for 2-3 times so that Oats remain granular like phirni rice.
• Transfer in a serving bowl.
• Garnish with remaining mango chunks. Leave in refrigerator covered for about 1-2 hours.
• Serve Chilled

Do You Know?

Mango contains essential vitamins and dietary minerals. The antioxidant vitamins A, C and E; Vitamin B6, Vitamin K, essential nutrients, such as potassium, copper and 17 amino acids are at good levels in mango.

Hare Dhaniye Wala Murg (Cilantro Chicken)

Chicken cooked in sauce of fried onions and tomato with lots of fresh green Cilantro (coriander leaves).

Ingredients:

• 5 skinless boneless chicken thighs, each cut into 6 pieces, washed, dried

For the Marinade:

• 1tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp chicken Tandoori Masala (available in Indian Grocery Stores)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup plain yogurt
• Salt to taste

For the Gravy:

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 medium onions thinly sliced
• 1 tsp garlic grated
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• ½ cup diced tomatoes
• 2 green chilies chopped finely
• 1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
• ½ tsp ground cumin seeds
• ½ tsp red chili powder/cayenne
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup packed fresh coriander leaves and upper tender stems - chopped, washed and drained

Method:

• In a mixing bowl mix all ingredients of marinade well. Now toss in the chicken and coat well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• To cook, warm oil in a non stick skillet over medium to high heat and add the cumin seeds. After a few seconds, add the onions. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes, until onions are golden. Add grated ginger, grated garlic, green chilies chopped, diced tomatoes and all dry spices (without garam masala powder) and salt; cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes or until the oil separates from the gravy.
• Stir in the chicken and its marinade. Cover, and cook at medium low for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender, stirring occasionally. Add little water if required.
• Fold in the chopped coriander leaves and garam masala powder. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve hot with Boiled Rice or Roti, Sabji and Raita of your choice.

Do You Know?

Cilantro or Coriander not only has two common names, but two entirely different identities and uses. Cilantro (leaves), Coriandrum sativum, describes the first or vegetative stage of the plant's life cycle and coriander (seeds) represents the reproductive stage.

Cilantro is considered an aid to the digestive system. It is an appetite stimulant and aids in the secretion of gastric juices.

The essential oils of the cilantro leaves contain antibacterial properties and can be used as a fungicide. It is rich in vitamin C.

Murmure Ka Upma (Seasoned Puffed Rice)

It is a great evening snack item. Soaked Puffed rice or Murmure are seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, roasted peanuts and lime juice.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Puffed Rice (Murmure)
• 1 medium onion chopped fine
• 1 tbsp peanuts
• 2-3 green chilies chopped
• 3-4 curry leaves
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 medium tomato chopped fine
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
• Salt to taste
• Lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Wash the puffed rice in water and soak it for about 2-3 minutes. Squeeze out all the water from the Murmure after that.
• In the mean time heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add mustard. After they splutter add peanuts, curry leaves, green chilies and chopped onion. Sauté a little; and then add chopped tomatoes, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Cook till tomato is soft and mushy.
• Now add moist Murmure (puffed rice) and chopped coriander leaves; mix well. Add lemon juice if required.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve as snack.

Do You Know?

Puffed rice is made from white rice, meaning that it is not a whole grain and contains very little fiber. One cup of puffed rice cereal provides 56 calories and just .1 g of fat. The calories mostly come from the 13 g of carbohydrates. The cereal has only .9 g of protein, making it an insignificant source.

Long Podded Cowpea/ Chinese Long Beans

The long podded cowpea beans are called as asparagus beans or snake beans or Chinese long beans. These are known as Borboti in Bengali and Eeril in Goa, India.

Smaller or younger beans, that have a lighter shade of green and a soft texture, provide a tender, meatier and sweeter taste.

In this recipe the beans are seasoned with Indian spices and are paired with potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Yardlong beans
• 1 big potato cut into small cubes
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• Pinch of asafetida
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp Chaat Masala or Amchoor powder
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Wash the green beans, drain thoroughly, and trim the tops and bottoms. Cut them into small pieces approximately one cm long.
• Heat oil in a skillet. Add asafetida, cumin seeds and red chili flakes.
• Stir in potato cubes. Fry till light pink.
• Add beans to this and stir. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt.
• Cook covered till potato and beans are tender. Add little water if required.
• When beans and potatoes are done add Chaat Masala or amchoor powder and mix well.
• Serve hot with hot Roti.

Do You Know?

Long beans are a good source of protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, and potassium, and a very good source for vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and manganese.

Shahi Chicken Korma

Chicken is cooked in a rich sauce of onions, yogurt and nuts.

It could be served with Baghara Chaawal (Fried Rice) or Stir fried Indian Flatbread and a vegetable.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chicken cut into 2 inch pieces washed and drained
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 10 raw almond powdered
• ¼ cup heavy cream

Onion Masala:

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 inch ginger

Nuts Mix:

• ¼ cup raw cashew
• 1 tbsp white poppy seeds
• 1 tbsp desiccated unsweetened coconut
• 1 tbsp whole fennel seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ tsp carom seeds

Dry Spice Powder:

• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
• ½ tsp ground cumin seeds
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp red chili powder (or paprika)
• Pinch of saffron

Whole Garam Masala:

• 1 whole brown cardamom
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick

Method:

• Prepare yogurt: Line a fine mesh sieve with two layers of cheese cloth and place over a bowl. Pour in the yogurt, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Prepare marinade:
• Onion Masala: Warm the oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat and add the cumin seeds, then after few seconds, the chopped onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are lightly brown. Lift them out of the oil, leaving as much oil behind as possible, and put them in a food processor or a blender.
• Nuts Mix: Warm a small frying pan over medium heat and add the cashews, Poppy seeds, coconut, fennel seeds, bay leaf and carom seeds. Toast for a few minutes until they change color and smell roasted. Transfer to a clean spice grinder and powder finely. Add this powder to the food processor
• Yogurt: Scrap the strained thickened yogurt into the food processor as well.
• Dry Spice Powder: Add the ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala powder, salt, saffron and red pepper powder (paprika), to the food processor.
• Mince well all the ingredients, and then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Marinate Chicken:
• Put cubed chicken in the mixing bowl and coat well.
• Marinate for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.
• Cook Chicken: Warm left over oil in the nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
• Add the whole cardamom, clove, and cinnamon.
• Pour in the chicken pieces without its marinade and stir fry continuously for 10 minutes. By this time the moisture should have evaporated and the oil should be floating on the top.
• Stir in marinade, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes. Boil off the excess liquid if any. The sauce should be very thick at the end of the cooking time.
• Cool for 5 minutes. Powder the almonds in a clean coffee grinder and mix them into the chicken curry along with the heavy cream.
• Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.
• Serve with Baghara Chaawal (fried rice) or crispy Ande Ka Parantha and Baghara Baingan or any other green vegetable.

Do You Know?

Mughlai cuisine is a style of cookery developed in the Indian Subcontinent by the imperial kitchens of the Mughal Empire. It represents the cooking style used in Delhi, Kashmir, and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.

The cuisine is strongly influenced by Persian and Turkish cuisines of Central Asia. The food served in the vast majority of Indian restaurants in the Western hemisphere draws inspiration from Mughlai cuisine.

Aloo Tamatar Ki Sabji

Potatoes are cooked with lots of ripe tomatoes and spices. It goes well with Paratha or White Rice and Simple Arhar Ki Dal.

Ingredients:

• 1 big potato cut into small cubes
• 4 big red tomatoes ( preferably vine ripened tomatoes )
• 1 small onion sliced
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 3-4 curry leaves
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp sugar
• Salt
• 3-4 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add mustard, after they splutter add curry leaves, green chilies and chopped onion.
• Sauté until onion is transparent.
• Add diced potato and chopped tomatoes, red chili powder, turmeric powder, sugar and salt.
• Cook till tomato is soft and mushy; and oil is separated.
• Serve hot with Paratha or White Rice and Simple Arhar Ki Dal.

Do You Know?

Fresh tomatoes are available throughout the year but most abundant at the end of the summer. They are best when freshly picked off the vine. Since fresh tomatoes are very perishable, these have been picked when green and then forced to ripen. These tomatoes have longer shelf life but do not have the taste and texture of a vine ripened tomato.