South Indian Style Roast Potato

In South India, people would cut the Potatoes into cubes and add enough water to cover it, bring it to a boil, and then they would strain the water or the starch from the Potatoes, and roast them with very little oil.
The idea behind this, is to have a non- sticking potatoes, devoid of all the starch. It is an excellent idea for people who love regular Potatoes but being Diabetic have to avoid eating this otherwise healthy vegetable. Though, some nutrients maybe lost by doing this, all is not lost, and one can enjoy guilt free Potatoes roasted with very little oil.
If anybody knows the reason, as to why in many South Indian homes this practice was prevalent, please feel free to share your knowledge here.

Recipe: South Indian Style Potato Roast
Serves: 4-5 people
Ingredients:
6 medium sized regular Potatoes
Peel them if they are too muddy or difficult to clean, otherwise wash them well and keep the skin, and cut them into small cubes
In a pan transfer these Potatoes and fill it with enough water to cover them. and bring them to boil for a few minutes, and then switch off the flame, and strain the water/ starch from the Potatoes.

Other Ingredients:

2 tsp of oil
1/2 tsp each of Cumin and Mustard seeds
1/3 tsp of Turmeric Powder
1/3 tsp of Red Kashmiri Chilli Powder
A pinch of Asafoetida (optional)
Salt to taste
1 tsp of Cumin and Coriander Powder mix
A few Curry leaves

For Garnishing
A few fresh leaves of Coriander ((optional)

Method:
Heat a pan (a nonstick pan would be better for people following Oil free diet), once hot add the Oil and add the Cumin and Mustard seeds and let them crackle.
Next add the curry leaves and the Potatoes, Turmeric powder, and Salt
Stir it once keeping the flame in medium
You will find the Potatoes hardly sticking to the pan.
Keep stirring it once in a while, till the Potatoes are cooked from the inside and crisp from the outside.
Lastly add the Red Chilly Powder,and Asafoetida, and give everything a good mix.

Cook them for a few seconds and switch off the flame. Transfer it to a plate or bowl and garnish it with fresh Coriander leaves.

People who are in oil free diet, can just bake these Potatoes, turning them once in a while, so that they get evenly roasted.

(I may be wrong in my reasons for the Potatoes being cooked in this way, but they were and are still cooked in this manner, not only during my grandma's times, but even now. Probably people also thought, it was an easy way to reduce the amount of oil used in roasting, and thus being safe from Cholesterol too).

There were so many things,

that were done in olden days, and we also blindly followed them without knowing the real reason behind such things. We never even bothered to ask why they did such things. Isn't it strange?

Potato Roast South Indian Style (with just 2 tsps of Oil)

3 photos

Masalaydhar Gopi (Cauliflower), Carrot and Onion Stuffed Parantas

Paranta Masala:

This is a Masala from the region of Punjab (North India) and the recipe for this masala is from a famous Chef from Punjab.

Recipe:

3 tblsps of Coriander seeds

1 tblsp of Cumin Seeds

1 tsp of Black Pepper

1 tblsp of Pomegranate (Dry ones)

1/4 tsp of Hing (Asafoetida)

2 tsp Black salt

1 tsp plain salt

1 and half tsp of Amchur Powder (Dry Mango powder)

1 tsp of Ajwain ( Carom seeds)

1 tsp and half Chilli flakes (you can use 2/3 dry red chillies)

Now dry roast all these ingredients on a very slow flame, for about 5-6 mins. constantly stirring it.

Switch off the flame and let it cool completely before you grind everything coarsely (remember not to run the mixer/ grinder too much, for it is very important that the mixture is coarse, for only then you would get the crunch in the parantas.

Now store this Masala in an airtight container and use it as and when required for making Parantas.

You can sprinkle a few tblsps in the flour while making plain Parantas, and make it into a crunchy Masala paranta, or you can add to any kind of stuffing which you make for the paranta, like Potato and Peas stuffed ones, or Radish and Onion ones, or like I have made Cauliflower, Onion, and Carrot stuffed Parantas.

So, now that we have the Masala ready let us go to the recipe for Cauliflower, Onion and Carrot Parantas.

Recipe for the stuffing:

1 medium size Cauliflower grated in a mixer/ grinder. Take it out and keep it aside

1 small size carrot grated in a hand grater. Keep it aside

2 green chillies,a small piece of Ginger and a small bunch of fresh coriander leaves.

Grind everything in the mixer and keep it aside. Do not add water to anything at all.

1 small onion finely chopped . Keep it also aside.

Now, since the Cauliflower would ooze out some water, instead of squeezing the water, which is a bit messy, I prefer to keep in the microwave on high for a few mins. (till the cauliflower has no water in it)

Once it is ready, add the grated carrots and the chopped onions and the ginger chilly and fresh coriander paste to the Cauliflower, and mix everything well.

Next add about 4 tsps of the Paranta Masala, mix it with the stuffing, taste for the salt, if needed add some salt (but don't add it if you are not going to make parantas immediately, add salt just before you start making parantas) In fact add the masala only just before you start making the Parantas.

Now for the dough, take 4 cups of whole wheat flour add a pinch of salt, and adding water little at a time knead it into a soft non- sticky dough. Cover it with a damp cloth and keep it aside till you are ready to make the parantas.

Now make two small lemon size balls from the dough and roll them out with a rolling pin, each separately, dusting with some dry flour, into about 3 inch circles.
On one circle place about 2-3 tsps of the stuffing and spread it all over the circle.
Next take the other circle and close it by pressing all the sides completely, so that the stuffing is sealed properly,
Now dust a little flour and roll it gently in to a 5-6 inch circle
Heat a girdle and place the stuffed paranta, and cook till the lower portion is slightly cooked .
Now flip it to the other side .
Apply very little oil on each side and let them cook till some brown spots starts appearing on both the sides, keeping the flame always low. (omit the oil and just dry roast it on both sides). Do not be in a hurry to cook them b keeping the flame on high.
They would come out crunchy on the outside and soft and cooked in the inside, only when cooked on a low flame
Take it out and lay it on a paper napkin.

Now make the other parantas in the same way, and serve them with yogurt, some chilly pickle or any other Indian pickle, and some fresh salad
My Parantas are not shiny as I have used very little oil, for in this way, it is more healthy and at the same time very tasty too.

Enjoy the delicious Masala, and also the Parantas made with  it!

Parwal A Favorite Dish Of West Bengal

Parwal is also know as Pointed Gourd in English. It    is a vegetable that has lots of health benefts. Bengalies can never lve without cooking it almost every day. They  have many dishes made with this vegetable.
What I have made is the simplest one and also very tasty and easy to make

       Here is the recipe:
     
10 Pointed Gourd washed and cut length wise wth the seeds

1 big onion cut similarly
Totally 4 tsps of oil
1/2 tsp each of mustard and cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp of dry coriander and cumin powder
1 tsp of Garam masala
1/2 tsp of red chilly powder
In a heated pan add 1 tsp of oil (Mustard oil goes well with this curry, but if you don't have use any oil)
once it is smoking hot fry the sliced onions in it for a few seconds (it is not ot be browned)
Take it off and keep it aside
Now in the same pan add 3 tsps of the remaining oil, bring it to smoking point , and then add the mustard and the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Add turmeric powder, salt and the Pointed Gourd and mix everything nicely.

Fry for a few seconds and then sprinkle 4 tblsps of water and cover it and let them cook on a slow flame for sometime, once in while stir them. You would find them becoming a little soft, if they are not sprinkle a little more water.
Once quite soft remove the lid, and fry them for a few more mins, adding the coriander and cummin powder
Next add the red chilly powder and the garam masala, and fry for a second or two.
Now add the fried onions and give everything a good mix and take the curry off the flame and serve it with Phulkas / parathas, or any Indian bread.
By adding onions in the end the curry comes out well and doesn't have the burnt onion look as the onions cook fry faster. 

Enjoy this extremely healthy vegetable. You can google it and find out how this vegetable looks and also all the benefits.

Simple, Lightly Spiced Vermicelli Pulav.

Recipe:
2 cups of Roasted Vermicelli ( you can get roasted one in shops)
1 small onion, chopped
1 small Green or any color Capsicum chopped
2 small Tomatoed chopped
1 carrot cut into thin strips (so that they would cook fast and also blend with the vermicelli)
1/2 tsp of Cumin seeds
1 tsp of turmeric powder
2 green chilies slit
1 inch piece cinnamon stick
2 pices of Black Stoneflower
2 dry red chillies broken into pieces
2 green cardamoms
2-3 cloves
1 bay leaf Salt to taste
a few choppe dcoriander leaves
2-3 tsps of oil

Method:

Heat a pan and add oil and cumin seeds, let them splutter
Then add the whole Spices
Add the chopped onions and fry them for a few seconds
Now add the green chillies, turmeric powder, and the carrots and cook for a few seconds.
Add just a little amount of salt at this stage , mix well and transfer these vegetables to a plate and keep aside.

Next in the same pan pour about 2 cups of water, once the water starts to boil add the Vermicelli to it and let it boil in a low flame.
Add the required amount of salt to the Vermicelli,(remember that you have already added a little bit of salt to the vegetables)

Once the vermicelli is cooked add the vegetables to it and mix them gently and let them cook covered for a little while, just keep stirring gently off and on for about 3-4 mins.
Now finally add the chopped Coriander leaves.
Then switch off the flame and serve this lovely, Vermicelli pulav with Yogurt,or Raita (it is yogurt mixed with some raw vegetables like tomato, cucumber, onion and salt)
Enjoy!

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Okra and Onion Curry

There are so many Okra Curry recipes. I have already shared with you one with Tomatoes here:https://www.facebook.com/ramasrecipes/posts/452138551889397.

Today I am sharing a simple Okra recipe:
Just Plain Okra and Onion Curry
Recipe:
250 gms Okra cut into small pieces
Onions 2 cut into small pieces
1 Red Chilly just for flavor broken into small pieces
1/2 tsps each of Mustard seeds and Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of jeera powder
2 tsp of Coriander powder
1 tsp Red Chilly powder
Salt to taste
Oil 4 tsps
Method:
In a heated broad pan add oil (I always use Coconut oil, you can use any oil of your choice)
Once hot add the Mustard and Cummin seeds and let them crackle. Add the broken pieces of Red chilll too
Now add the chopped Onions and saute them for a few seconds
Next, add the salt and the Turmeric powder and the Okras, mix and saute for a few minutes.
Keeing the flame in Simmer, let them cook slowly. Keep stirring them at regular intervals.
It might take about 10 mins. or so for everything to cook .
Once they have been cooked add the Coriander powder, Cumin powder, and give everything a gentle mix and let everything cook together for about 2 mins.
Finally add the Red chilly powder and mix everything gently, and wait for a few seconds and then switch off the flame.
Simple, yet very tasty Okra and Onion Curry is ready to be served.
This healthy curry can be had with Chappathi, Plain Rice, can be filled inside a chappathi and turned it into a roll, or filled it in between two slices of toasted bread: the possiblities are many.
It is so good for Diabetes. Enjoy!!!

Fermented Millets More Kalli (Vegan)

This recipe, although is called More Kalli, can roughly be translated as, "Butter milk Porridge", we can make this without any Butter milk also. The idea is it should be sour. Usually it is a very easy and quick dish, which can be made in minutes, just by adding Rice flour to a very sour Butter milk.
However, I wanted to avoid using Rice flour and used Millets instead, which is a very healthy version of the same dish.
Millets are very good for people who have diabetes, and this dish is ideal for them.
There is no difference in taste or texture.

Recipe:
1/2 cup Millets (use any any millets)
2 tblsps grated coconut
Method:
Soak the millets for 24 hours (yes I meant 24 hours)
After that grind it with the coconut into a thick batter, don't add much water
Leave it to ferment for 24 hours (it should look really bubbly, the more it ferments the better, but try not keep it more than 24 hours)
Once the batter is ready, add about 1 cup of water to the batter to get a thin batter. Add salt to it.
Now the tempering:
3 tblsps of Sesame oil (it has to be made in this oil only to get the real authentic taste)
1/2 tsps of each Urad dhal,(Black gram) and Channa dhal (split Chickpeas)
1/2 tsp of Mustard seeds
1/2 an inch of ginger chopped
1-2 dry red chilllies broken into pieces
1 green chilly chopped
a few pinches of Asafoetida powder
a few crushed curry leaves
a few chopped fresh coriander leaves
Method:
In a heated non- stick pan heat oil
add the mustard seeds, red chillies, green chilly , ginger (all the tempering ingredients)
Then add the watery batter
Keep stirring it till everything turns into a pale, shiny color, and come out as a ball without sticking to the pan.
It would happen in about 5- 8 mins. or so, (keep stirring)

(You can add a little bit of any Vegan buttermilk, about 2 tblsps if you feel it is not sour enough, I added about 2 tblsps of peanut buttermilk)

Switch off the flame and enjoy this lovely Hot More Kalli or Porridge as it is,
Or
Another way to have it is to keep a lightly greased plate ready, and pour the More Kalli mixture into the plate and wait for it to cool and then cut it into squares
Both ways it tastes delicious.

I am posting after a very long time. I was encouraged by my  friends and relatives to start my own page in facebook on recipes, and finally I did. I thought I would start posting alll the recipes here too.

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Also, I have chosen Veganism, and so my posts would not have any non-vegan ingredients.

I would love to hear from all of you , who have tried my recipes.

Happy cooking!!!

Chocolate and Coffee Banana Loaf/ Cake

I found this recipe in a Vegan Site. The lady has simple recipes explained  and she also has videos of most of the recipes in her site.
I am slowly turning into a Vegan though  I am still not 100% Vegan, for it takes time. However as much as possible I cook only Vegan food.
Here are the pictures of my recent cake, I only added some Walnuts and some instant coffee  to the recipe, as I like the crunchy taste of Walnuts, which are also very good for brain health.
Just out of the Oven

For recipe go to:http://www.mrishtanna.com/2017/…/chocolate-banana-loaf-cake/

 Enjoy with Tea or Coffee!!!