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Hello everybody! Hope you had a great start in this year 2008 .
          Here is the way I made aloo paratha today..And I know all of you know very well to make this one,yet for my future reference and those who don't know before…, I am posting this one!

For me Aloo paratha means it has to be thin and soft, with the stuffing blended well with the dough. This 

is the way I learnt from my friend (Sangeeta) and I always make this way. For all stuffed parathas, the key

 is to have the dough and stuffing in same consistency. If the dough is very tight and tough, the stuffing 

will ooze out. And even if the stuffing is gooey or watery, the paratha will become sticky and hard to roll.

Aloo Paratha recipe

Prep Time: 15 mins    |  Cook time: 5 mins per paratha    |  Makes: 6

Ingredients

Wheat flour	1 cup
Oil (optional)	1 tsp- 1 tblsp
Salt &  warm water/milk	As needed

Knead dough to a non-sticky consistency similar to  how we prepare for chapattis and keep for some 

15 - 30 minutes.

For stuffing

Boiled and mashed potatoes	3 large
Coriander leaves	2-3 tblsp
Green chilies	4-5 nos.
Ajwain/Omam	1/2 tsp
Salt	as needed

Method

1. Make equal sized balls out of the dough and the stuffing.

2. Roll the dough ball to a thick,palm sized circle.
3. Keep the stuffing in the middle and cover it from all sides towards the middle and press to a patty.
4. Dust the platform with flour and roll as thin as possible so that the dough covers the stuffing as a thin layer.  refer the video for help.
5. Heat tawa and cook the parathas both sides in medium low flame,add oil as needed,till golden brown spots appear. If needed, press the parathas gently with the spatula to ensure even cooking.

Smear with butter or ghee both sides if desired. Serve with pickle or Dahi. Want something different?

  Try the below recipe as side dish.

Video: How to roll stuffed paratha

Tip : Roll and cook side by side the parathas. Do not roll and keep as it may become sticky or soggy.



   This is very simple to make and it can be a good side dish for aloo,methi parathas! Also I would 

recommend this chutney because,the garlic in this chutney nullifies/neutralizes the gastric properties

 of aloo,so good for health chutney . This is a treat for garlic flavour loving people and perfect for all

 sort of parathas/stuffed and plain. Try this,you will be amazed!

Aloo Paratha Side dish Tomato garlic recipe

Ingredients

Tomato	2 big (ripe)
Garlic	10 – 12 flakes
Salt	as needed
Sesame oil	1/8 Cup + 2 tblsp

Method

1. Chop the tomatoes roughly, peel and Crush the garlic little.Grind the tomatoes in a mixer to a 
2. smooth paste without adding water.and then add this to the ground tomato and again run 2-3
3.  times (use Juice/inch option),taking care to not to grind it smooth..Garlic should be visible as
4.  little little bits.

5. Heat the gingelly oil(nallennai),preferably in a flat broad pan...really really hot,till it fumes.Add
6.  the ground mixture and stir well. Let it boil only for a minute and by this time the colour would
7.  have changed and the oil should have separated.

8. Put off the stove and transfer to the serving bowl!

Notes

• Don't substitute sesame oil with any other oil..
• Don’t reduce the oil amount,be generous,sesame oil is only good for your health.
• It also suppress the garlic flavour’s raw smell and makes it smell balanced .
• Don’t let boil more than a minute. You can find the correct time,as when the chutney’s colour changes as it boils.

Technorati Tags: Aloo Paratha recipe,Aloo paratha step by step,Side dish for aloo paratha,tomato 

chutney for aloo paratha,tomato garlic chutney for parathas

I also tried a Korma form Lavanyaa's cookery corner..Even though I dint get her korma colour...I think 

I will get it right next time! It was very nice...! Here's a picture of that one to share with you all!

source - http://www.rakskitchen.net/2008/01/aloo-paratha-with-tomato-garlic-chutney.html

Cook Kaju Katli - Cashew Barfi (Indian Diwali Dessert Recipe)

Kaju katli recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 20 mins    |  Makes: 14 pieces

Ingredients

Cashew nuts	1 cup(levelled)
Sugar	1/2 cup(heaped)
Water	1/4 cup
Milk	1 tblsp
Ghee	Just for greasing

Method

1. Powder the cashews in a dry mixer. You have to be careful here, just grind it in a stretch, don’t stop in between and grind. You will be sure able to see the powder in the transparent lid, so keep grinding until you get fine powder.This will not take much time. Also never grind the cashew which is cold,taken from the fridge,grind it when it is in room temperature. When I ground 1 cup of cashews, I got more than a cup of cashew powder, but I used 1 cup,heaped(like a mountain) cashew powder. There was some 2 tblsp left for me.

2. Boil sugar with water and keep stirring. Keep little water in a small bowl and just pour few drops in the water to check the consistency. If you pour few drops, it should lay a fine thread that doesn’t gets dissolved in water immediately when you touch.

3. At this stage,low the flame add the powdered cashew and keep stirring.Say for 3-4 minutes in low flame and your mixture gets thick and starts boiling, switch off the flame. Smear ur hands with water and test by rolling a small pinch of the mixture in between ur fingers. You should be able to form a non sticky ball. This is the correct consistency.

4. Keep stirring in the pan itself with the ladle and the mixture turns more like a dough.When the mixture is still warm,take it to another clean platform/countertop and keep kneading. Mine was a bit dry, so I sprinkled some milk and kept kneading.The dough was grainy till then, but after kneading the dough really became smooth. I used gloves for kneading,so if you want u can use little ghee while kneading.

5. Roll the dough into thin layer and cut it diagonally to make pieces.You can first draw lines lightly with the knife tip and then cut into diamonds to get perfect shapes.

Notes:

1. I used milk only as my mixture was dry while kneading. If its fine then no need to add milk while kneading.
2. If you add milk while kneading,shelf life is less,so keep refrigerated.
3. Use less water to make sugar syrup to get the consistency quickly. While making sugar syrup,keep the flame in medium if you are nearing the consistency.
4. If you add cashew powder before the sugar syrup reaches the consistency, then the dough will be sticky. So the sugar syrup consistency is important.
5. While powdering,if you grind for more time,the powder sticks and gives a coarse looking powder. But that’s ok,it will be smoothed when you are kneading. But note that coarse look on result of over grinding – is different from the real coarse powder. So don’t get confused.
6. Till the end your mixture will not be that smooth,but when you knead the  mixture turns to a smooth dough. So don’t panic like me ;)

Your Kaju Katli is ready now to enjoy! Just melts in our mouth!! My kid call this ‘Diamond sweet'.

source - http://www.rakskitchen.net/2011/08/kaju-katli-diwali-sweet-recipes.html

Chicken Mushroom Soup

Ingredients for Chicken Mushroom Soup Recipe

Chicken – 100g(minced) Spring onion – ¼ cup(chopped) Garlic – ½ tsp(crushed) Mushroom – ½ cup(finely chopped) Butter – 1 tsp Chilly sauce – 1 tsp Chicken stock – 2 tbsp Sugar – A pinch Corn flour – 1 tsp Egg white – 1 no(beaten) Celery – 1 tsp(finely chopped) White pepper powder – As reqd Salt – As reqd Preparation Method of Chicken Mushroom Soup Recipe 1)Melt butter in a pan and fry the garlic. When the raw smell goes add the chicken and chopped spring onion. Fry for 2 minutes 2)Add chilly sauce, chicken stock, mushroom, salt and sugar. Cook in a low flame till done. 3)Mix corn flour in 1 tbsp of water and add to the boiling mixture. 4)Pour the soup immediately into serving bowl. Pour the egg white slowly into the soup to form thin threads like noodles. 5)Garnish the chicken mushroom soup with celery and pepper powder. Serve hot.

COOKING WITHOUT FIRE - Banana Delight

Just chop the bananas, mix in how much ever condensed milk you want, sprinkle with cinnamon powder if you prefer, chill it for a while if you have time. Simply eat!

Mutton Fry – Mutton sukka (mutton kothu kari)

Mutton Fry – Mutton Sukka Recipe

Ingredients:

• Mutton- 1/4 kg
• Onion- 1
• Tomato- 2
• Garlic- 2-3
• Ginger paste- ¼ tspn
• Chili powder- 1½ tspn
• Coriander powder- ¼ tspn
• Turmeric powder- a pinch
• Cinnamon- 1 inch stick
• Cloves- 3
• Cardamom- 2
• Curry leaves- few
• Black pepper- 1 tspn
• Fennel seeds- 1 tspn
• Cumin seeds- ½ tspn
• Salt and Oil- as required

Recipe:

1. Cook Mutton, Onion, Tomato, Garlic, Ginger paste, Chili powder, Turmeric powder, Coriander powder and Salt. (If you cook in a pressure cooker, Mutton will be done in 4 to 5 whistles). Make sure that mutton is well cooked.
2. Heat a pan and roast Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Fennel seeds, Black pepper, Cumin seeds without Oil till it gets little brown.
3. Grind the fried items.
4. Heat Oil in a pan. Add Curry leaves, cooked Mutton (in step1) along with water you used to cook mutton and the grounded items. Fry till the water evaporates. Again fry for 4-5 minutes and sever hot.
5. The delicious mutton fry is ready to eat now.

Mutton kola (Mutton balls)

Ingredients:

• Mutton – 150 gram (finally chopped)
• Egg – 1 beaten
• Green chili – 2
• Small onion – 12
• Garlic – 8
• Mint leaves – 3 sprigs
• Corn flour – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Bread crumbs – 1 plain brand (crumbled)
• Oil and salt- as required

Recipe:

1. Cook the finally chopped Mutton in a pressure cooker and keep it aside.
2. Chop Garlic, Green chilies and Onions into small pieces.
3. Heat 2 spoons of Oil in a pan.Add finely chopped Garlic, Green chilies, Onion and fry for 3 minutes.
4. Then Add finely chopped Mutton and fry for 5 minutes till the raw smell and water goes out.
5. Grind the fried items in a mixture grinder.
6. Mix the beaten egg, Corn flour and 3-4 finely chopped onions with the ground mixture.
7. Make small balls of it and coat it with bread crumbs.
8. Heat oil in a pan to fry the bread crumbs coated Mutton balls.
9. Fry the balls till it becomes blackish brown and serve the tasty Mutton kola.

Goes well with: Rice.