Curried Aloo Paratha With Boondi Raita

Converting leftovers to a yummy recipe is sometimes tricky. Sometimes a trial and taste will give you a new recipe and sometimes a very yummy that you would love to have again and again. Curried aloo paratha is a result of one such recipe, which I love to indulge again and again. As I said earlier cooking for me and me only is something I will do when rats are on rampage in my belly. In one such a situation, I opened my fridge to check out what I can indulge with and all I could find is some veggies and leftover aloo curry. As I was not in a mood to cook elaborate meal for me, I thought of making chapatti and having with aloo curry by heating it. In the process I landed up making curried aloo paratha. A quick and yummy boondi raita complimented the soft and pleasant-tasting aloo paratha. A quick, simple and yum meal I ready to indulge!

FOR ALOO PARATHA:
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup cooked Aloo Curry *
• 2 cups Wheat flour + ½ cup for dusting
• Salt
• Oil
• Water for kneading

PREPERATION:

• In a bowl mix, wheat flour with a tbsp of oil, salt and water. Make smooth dough. Cover and leave for 15 minutes. Meanwhile make small size (lemon size) balls of the aloo curry and set aside.
• Divide the dough into equal portions (tennis size ball) and roll out into a 4” inch thick roti dusting with flour.
• Now gently place aloo curry ball on the rolled roti and bring the corners of the roti to the center. Pinch and press gently. Roll again to 1”inch thick circle, concentrating on the edges and dusting with flour whenever needed.
• Now on a hot non-stick pan, cook paratha by gently greasing paratha with little oil, till brown spots appear on both the sides and take out on kitchen tissue or towel.
• Repeat the following process and make the remaining paratha’s.
• Serve hot with boondi raita or tomato chutney or tomato ketchup or anything of your choice.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

FOR BOONDI RAITA:
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Curd/yogurt
• ½ cup Boondi
• ¼ tbsp Coriander powder
• ¼ tbsp Cumin powder
• ½ tbsp Red chili powder
• Salt

PREPERATION:

• In a bowl beat curd to avoid lumps and add salt, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Mix well.
• Add boondi and serve immediately.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.
  

  

NOTE: If there is no leftover aloo curry and you are in a mood to spend little more time on cooking then check out the recipe here.

Quote Of The Day

Lemon Rice

Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them says John Shirley. Sometimes, after a hectic long 5 day week a weekend is much like a treat. Time to relax, time to do little extra work, time to spend more time with your loved ones, time for vegetable shopping and much more. But when rain spills your plans then, weekend too becomes dull and boring. Last few days where very rainy in Bangalore and planning an outing is much difficult. So with no plans of outing or anyone visiting my morning started getting up late. Who wants to be out of bed when it is raining cats and dogs in the morning hours? Just imagine laying in the bed with warm blanket wrapped, chill wind coming from the window gently touching your cheeks, hearing tip-tap sound of rain drops slowly sliding down your window pane giving you an exotic view of the branches of trees swinging and dancing to the tune of the silky rain drops……A warm cup of coffee and an good romantic novel is all that you need to feel the real luxury. Sometimes it’s really wonderful to treat yourself with real luxury….After pampering your scenes with the nature’s delight, them to pamper your taste buds with some yummy food.

Most of the times weekends call for brunch. Brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch; usually served in late morning. A perfect idea of brunch is to whip off a perfect meal in less time. I love to prepare jeera rice, dal fry and jeera-aloo to make a perfect brunch, but at times when I am running really late, simple lemon rice is a life saver. Lemon rice with papad makes an ideal brunch. Lemon rice is not only simple to make but also flavourful and filling. Scroll down to look at the recipe…..

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups rice, cooked and cooled
• 3-4 tbsp Lemon juice
• ¼ tbsp Turmeric powder
• 2-3 tbsp Penauts
• Salt

TEMPERING/TADKA:

• 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tbsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Chana dal
• 1 tbsp Urad dal, optional
• 1 dry Red chilli
• 6-9 fresh Curry leaves
• Oil

PREPERATION:

• In a bowl mix rice, salt*, lemon juice and set aside.
• In a heavy bottom cooking vessel, add oil and when it gets heated up add one by one ingredient’s mentioned under tempering. When curry leaves start to change color add peanuts and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
• Now add turmeric powder and stir for 1 min (or till turmeric smell disappears).
• Turn the flame low and add lemon juice mixed rice. Gently stir till all the ingredients mix together. Cook covered for another 2 minutes and turn off the flame.
• Serve with your choice of papads.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

This lemon rice is in a last moment rush to participate in Meeta's Monthly Mingle event where the theme is Brunch. I was so hungry by the time I completed taking photos, I started indulging then and there, still camera hanging on my neck....so the below picture was the result of that....

*NOTE: If you are using salt while cooking rice then adjust in making lemon rice. Rice should be cooked as each grain should be soft and seperate. This lemon rice can also be made with leftover rice.

Turai Aur Masoor Ki Dal

My previous post on fond childhood memories made me nostalgic and I was desperately missing my young cute lil sis….Oh how blissful were those days when me and my small sis use to wrap ourselves in a warm blanket and enjoy reading stories from story books. It’s always fun to grow up with very young lil siblings. Sometimes my mom use to tell us stories which she heard over the years from her mother. One such story which I love telling till today to my young lil cousins is about Seasons. Seasons come and seasons go is a beautifully narrated story…..where you get to know importance and facts about each season in an enjoying manner….you can read the story here and enjoy telling your small cute loved ones…

Coming to today’s recipe, it’s again combo…this time a combo of fresh veggie and mild dal. Masoor dal is know for it’s quick cooking, where as turai for it’s slow cooking….and a combo of these two will be perfect to relish…..isn’t it? This turai aur masoor ki dal is going to participate in MLLA-17 hosted by Sra of When My Soup Came Alive, event by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 kg Turai, peeled and cut into pieces
• ½ cup Masoor dal, washed
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 2 Green chillies, slight lengthwise and deseeded
• 1 tbsp Red Chilli powder
• ¼ tbsp Tumeric powder
• Salt
• Oil
• 1-2 spring fresh Coriander leaves

PREPERATION:

• In a heavy bottom cooking pan or kadai add oil and when it gets heated up add onions and fry till truculent.
• When the onions are translucent, add turai pieces, masoor dal, red chilli powder, tumeric powder and green chillies.
• Using a spoon slightly mix up the ingredients and cook on a low flame by covering with a lid.
• Cook till all the water evaporates. If dal is not cooked then add little water.
• Add salt and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve with hot piping roti’s.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

QUICK TIP: Adding salt in the last helps in cooking the dal fast.

Mash Ki Dal/White Lentil Recipe

With the onset of November, the climate in southern part of India cools down. Hot, humid and sultry climate change to cool, soft and dry. Winters are always special to me as they not only bring cool breeze but also carry year end vacation to relax. I still remember the lushes green fields, dancing daises and tossing sunflowers tuning to the cool breeze brushing across, when we used to take a train trip to my granny’s place during my Christmas vacation. I can still feel the cool breeze gently touching my cheeks and blowing my hair across my face. Light golden sun shining with lil intensity giving the warmth needed. I can visualize the scene before my eyes, how me and my sis used to fight for the window seat in the train to have this experience. Those were the best memories a girl can carry in her heart…..fond childhood memories…..

When we are at granny’s place during winter vacation, hot and spicy food used to top the menu card for the days. Hot soups, piping hot roti’s, spicy curries and much more. Among those curries this dal recipe is my all time favourite. Simple, creamy and delectable medley of dal with onion and ginger-garlic paste gives an aromatic flavour to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Urad dal/maash dal/white lentils, washed and soaked for an hour
• 1 Onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 Green chili, slit length-wise and deseeded
• ½ tbsp Red chili powder
• ¼ Turmeric powder
• ½ tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
• 6-9 fresh Curry leaves
• 2-3 springs fresh Coriander leaves
• Salt
• Oil

PREPERATION:

• Pressure cook urad dal with a drop of oil and turmeric powder until soft but not mushy.
• In a heavy bottom cooking vessel add oil and when the oil gets heated up add onions and green chili. Fry till onions are translucent.
• Now add curry leaves and fry for another 2 minutes. To this add ginger-garlic paste and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
• When the ginger-garlic paste start to change color, lower the flame and add boiled dal, red chili powder and salt.
• Gently mix the ingredients using a spoon. Cool covered for another 2-3 minutes.
• Sprinkle chopped fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with piping hot roti’s.
• Last but not least add your 'love' to make the dish 'YUMMY'.

This dal is going to participate in MLLA-17 hosted by Sra of When My Soup Came Alive, event by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.