Lachha Paratha

I used to always wonder while eating the maidewala Laccha paratha in hotel, that how can I get such a layered paratha with our gehula aata @ home. 
Tried various ways, also watched youtube videos but was not able to get the right technique.

Thanks to my north indian friend who taught me this trick of making Laccha paratha.

Its really easy. We are used to fulkas but this makes the meal interesting once in a while... specially with anda curry, chicken, or any spicy gravy...

Kids can enjoy paratha with their favourite jam or sauce...

Ingredients:
Wheat floor
Salt
water
Oil (whichever you use @ home)
Deshi Ghee

Method:
1) Make dough same like you make for roties & fulkas. Ensure you have added salt in the floor while making the dove. The dough should not be too hard.

2) Make small pedhas of the dough. Try to make it equal size.

3) Make roti using chakala bailan.

4) Add few drops of oil on the roti..Greece it properly. Sprinkle dry wheat floor on it.

5) Now fold the roti like we make fan of paper.

6) Roll it to make a round pedha. Tuck the end in the backside. The pedha has a circular texture at both sides.

Make remaining pedhas in the same way.

7) Put a roti tawa on gas & till the time it gets hot.
Start making paratha with the pedha we have made. Ensure you make paratha small size & thin from the sides. We need to keep the thikness to see the layers properly.

8) Put the pataha on tawa & cook it properly from both sides. Make it nice & crisp

9)Take out from tawa & serve it hot with deshi ghee.

Notes:
While making the paratha pedha you can also sprinkle some sesame seeds, finely chopped dhaniya to make it more interesting.

In my variation i has used cheese spread while making pedhas. But when you are using cheese you need to be careful while cooking it on tawa as cheese melts.
But it tastes yummy :))

Chilli Panner Wrap

Ingredients :

Chilly Panner Filling, Stir Fry Vegetables,4TBSP Sweet and Sour sauce

4 Rotis

Chilli Panner Filling 

• Add 1/4 th cup corn flour 1/4 cup Maida , 1 tsp Soya Sauce, pinch of baking powder salt and 1/4 th Cup water togehter to make paste.
• Dip panner cubes in above paste and deep fry till turns golden
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan , add 2tbs finely chopped garlic 1 tsp finely chopped ginger , 1 stsp chopped chilles , i/4th cup chopped onion to it . saute it for 2 mintues .
• Add vertically sliced capsicum and salt to it cover it for 2 minutes 
• Then add 1tsp soya sauce , 1tsp sugar , one pinch ajinomoto & cornflour paste (1 tbsp Corn FLour & 3tbsp water)to it and stir constantly
• Finally add fried panner cubes to it and toss it for a minute .

Stir Fry Vegetables 

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan . Then add 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic , 1 tbs finely chopped ginger and 1/4th Cup riughly chopped spring Onion to it and Saute it for 1 Mintue .
• Then add 1/4 Cup Carrots , 1/4 cup Cabbage 2 Tbs Schezwan Sauce , 1 tbs Vinegar salt and sugar to it. Saute it for 2 mins on high flame .
• Finally add chopped Spring onion to it and mix well.

Sweet And Sour Sauce

• Mix 1/4 CUp Vinegar , 1 tbs tomaot Ketchup , 1/4 cup Sugar ,1/2 tsp Shezwan Sauce , corn flour Paste ( 1 TBSP Corn FLour and 2 TBSP Water )and 1/4 CUp water toghter . keep it on gas and boil till thickens , add salt according to taste after cools down .

WRAP ASSEMBELING ":

1. Spread Some Butter On Roti . Divide Stir Fried Vegetables in 4 parts keep one part each on Rotis
2. Put Chilli Panner Pices on it , then add 1 tsp Sweet and SOur Sauce on it . Fold It and make an Wrap 
3. Add butter on Gridlle and Heat the Roti for some time on both the sides .

READY TO SERVE 

( THIS QUANITY WILL SERVE 4 ROTIS )

MOONGDAL PAYASAMA

Ingredients200 gm moong dal

4 Tbsp desi ghee

4-5 sticks cinnamon

4 pods green cardamom

2 1/2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup thick coconut milk

1/2 cup milk

Water.

Method

Soak moong dal in water. 

Heat some ghee in a pan and add cinnamon and green cardamom. Saute for a minute. 

Drain the dal and add it to the cooking mixture. Add water and cook for sometime. Remove and leave it to cool. 

Blend the dal to make a thick puree. 

Heat ghee in a pan and add the dal paste, sugar, green cardamom powder, coconut milk and milk. Cook for sometime. 

Serve.

UKADICHE MODAK

UKADICHE MODAK is a favorite sweet of the family member . we all like the sweet jaggery and coconut filling inside the modak. this filling has a resemblance to the filling used in Patholi . 

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

for the outer modak covering:

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1.5 cups water
• ¼ tsp oil or ghee
• a pinch of salt

for the inner sweet filling:

• 1 cup fresh grated coconut
• ¾ cup powdered or grated jaggery, for a more sweeter taste, you can add upto 1 cup of powdered jaggery
• 3 to 4 cardamoms, powdered in a mortar-pestle, about ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• a pinch of nutmeg powder or grated numeg
• ½ tsp poppy seeds
• ½ tsp ghee or oil
• ½ tsp rice flour (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

making the sweet filling for ukadiche modak:

1. heat ghee in a pan. add poppy seeds, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. saute for a minute.
2. then add grated fresh coconut and powdered/grated jaggery.
3. mix well and cook this coconut-jaggery mixture on a low flame. the jaggery will melt first.
4. stir at times and cook this mixture till the moisture from the jaggery begins to dry. switch off the flame. don't overcook as the jaggery then hardens. keep this coconut-jaggery filling aside. on cooling the mixture will thicken more.
5. you can also add a bit of rice flour to this mixture. this is an optional step. the rice flour helps to absorb moisture, if any from the filling.
6. keep the filling aside to cool.

making the outer cover of the ukadiche modak:

1. in a pan or dekchi add the water, oil and salt. keep it on the stove top.
2. let this mixture come to a boil.
3. reduce the flame and add the rice flour gradually. quickly stir and mix the flour with the water.
4. stir till all the rice flour is mixed with the water.
5. switch off the flame. remove the pan from the stove top and then cover this pan with a lid for 4 to 5 minutes.
6. now take all the dough in a plate/thali or in a bowl. gather the dough together and begin to knead it.
7. the dough will be hot when, you begin to knead. so apply some water on your palms and knead the dough. knead the dough very well.
8. if you feel the dough looks dense or hard or dry, then just add a few teaspoons of warm water and continue to knead.
9. make small balls from the dough. roll the balls till smooth in your palms.
10. you can also apply some water on your palms, while rolling the balls. keep the balls covered with a kitchen towel. the balls should be smooth in appearance and should not have any cracks.
11. assembling & shaping modaks:
12. before you start shaping the modaks, keep water for steaming in a pan.
13. grease the steamer lightly with oil or ghee.
14. take a ball and flatten it with your fingers to a round disc or a shallow bowl shape. you can apply ghee/oil in your palms, while flattening.
15. place the modak filling in the center.
16. press the edges as shown in the pic below. you can also press the edges first and then add
17. bring together all the edges and join them. remove the extra portion of the dough from the top, if any. shape and taper the top of the modak with your fingers.
18. make all the modaks this way. keep them in a steamer pan.
19. cover the pan with a lid and steam for 10 to 15 minutes on a low flame.
20. some modaks may crack whilst shaping or steaming, buts its alright. you can forgive yourself if you are making this first time.
21. once the ukadiche modaks are steamed, drizzle a few teaspoons of ghee on the modaks.

Crispy Chicken Spring Onions

 This is one of my favorite Oriental starter dish

Ingredients :

• Boneless Chicken : 250 gms
• Onions chopped : ¼ cup
• Peppercorns :3
• Cloves : 3
• Salt to taste
• Oil to fry and stir fry
• Slit Chillies : 4-5
• Spring onions Green : ¼ cup (onions as well as green leaves)
• Garlic (finely chopped) : 1 tsp
• Ginger (Finely chopped) : 1 tsp
• Soya sauce : 2 tsp
• Vinegar  : 2 tsp
• Sugar : ½ tsp

For the batter :

• Maida : ½ cup
• Cornflour : 1 cup
• Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 tsp
• Lime juice: 1 tsp
• Pepper powder : 1 tsp
• Soya Sauce : 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Water to make paste

Method :

This dish has to be made in 3 steps :

Cook the Chicken

• Take enough water in a vessel till it covers the boneless chicken. Add the chopped onions, peppercorns,cloves and salt. Boil it till the chicken is cooked .Then shred the chicken .Keep them ready.

Fry  the Chicken in the batter

• Make the batter with given amounts of Maida, Cornflour, salt, soyasauce, and ginger garlic paste with very less water. This step is important if the batter is too thin then the chicken won’t become crisp. Hence thick batter is very important to make chicken crisp.Drain and keep it on a tissue paper.

Stir Fry Chicken

• In a fry Pan , heat 2 tsp of oil , on a high flame add , finely chopped ginger garlic and chillies and some spring onions. Then add soya sauce, vinegar , sugar and salt and toss in the fried chicken in it. Garnish it with spring onions green and serve hot.

Potato carrot nest with fried egg

Thanks to sanjeev kapoor's cook smart show on food food...we can learm many smart recepies which are really good for the working women.

This recepie is actully a 1 dish meal. I have done some veriation honestly bcos i was not able to remember what was the actul recepie....:O ;-)

so here you go my veriation which turned out tasty....

Ingredients:

• potato 1 medium size
• carrot 1 medium size
• Red yellow & green capsicum 1 each
• cabbage 3-4 leaves
• oninon 1 medium size
• tomato 1 small size
• 3-4 olives or halapinos
• 2 eggs
• red chiili powder
• barbeque sauce 1 t spoon
• Dried basil 1 tspoon
• origano 1 tspoon
• chilli flex 1 tspoon
• Ginger garic paste 1 t spoon
• Lattuse
• salt to taste
• oil

Method:
 

• Peal & grate the potato. Put the gratted potato in a bowl of water so that it will not turn red.
  Wash & grate the carrot.
• Mix the gratted carrot & potato in a bowl. Add ginger garlic paste, some red chilli powder, salt to taste. Mix this well.
• Keep a non stick pan on gas. Let it get hot, put some oil on it...
  Now put the carrot potato mix on it sperad it evenly in round shape. put the gas on medium heat & cook the nest til its crispy brown from both sides. Its tricky to flip the nest as it can break because we have not added any binding to it.
  Tip: do not flip it until its  cooked properly from one side.
• Cut green yellow red capsicum, onion, tomato into fine pieces.  Cut the cabbage verticlly into to fine pieces.
• Put a pan on gas with medium heat. Add some oil. Once oil is hot add onion, saute for some time it turna tasparent. Now add capsicum, tomatto, cabbage. Cut the olives & add in it. Now add basil, origano, chilli flex. Add barbeque sauce. Saute the veggies add salt to taste.  Do not overcook it keep it crunchy.
• Now we are ready to plate the dish.
  Take a nice medium size plate. Spread lattuse leaves on it. Now put the nest on it. Now add veggies on the nest.
• Top your plate with half fried egg. add pinch of salt for seasoning it.
• garnish it with few finely cut tomatoes & capsicum or freash dhaniya.

Dig into it & enjoy :))))

Doll Cake

Mini Doll Cake

Mini Doll Cake

Bigger version Doll cake

Basic Chocolate Cake preparation  in Dome shape(Dome size : 750gms –baked caked)

Ingredients reqd for base cake:

• Maida :  190 gms
• Sugar : 190 gms
• Butter (Margarine) : 190 gms
• Eggs : 3
• Cocoa (preferably Cadbury cocoa) : 3 tbsp
• Baking powder :1 & 1/2 tsp
• Baking soda : 1/4 tsp 
• Vanilla essence : 3/4 tsp
• Milk as per reqd to adjust the end consistency for pouring(Not too stiff not too runny)

Preparation :

• Sieve together 3-4 times Maida ,Cocoa,Baking Soda and Baking powder  (Do not skip this process, This helps to blend them evenly )Keep this dry ingredients mixture aside.
• In another vessel ,beat the butter(normal temp) and sugar  with vanilla essence till soft and light with a hand mixer
• Add the eggs one by one and whip them together with a blender again till light and frothy
• Now add the dry ingredients in three parts and fold them with spatula ( Always add dry ingredients to the wet one)
• Put the mixture in the dome mould (which should be dusted with butter and maida or you can use butter paper also) and place it in the preheated microwave

For Microwave (Convection mode) / OTG :

• Pre-Heat the microwave while preparing the mixture at 180 c for around 8 to 10 mins on convection mode.(Same follows for OTG
• After pre heating  increase the temp to 210-220 degree and cook for 5 mins
• After completion , decrease the temp to 180 degree and cook the cake for 35 mins.(Here the time will vary according to your microwave capacity) Others might take more time.
• You will have to check your timings by inserting a toothpick in the centre of the cake and should come out clean.This is when your cake is ready.

Dome cake decoration and icing procedure in 4 steps :

Ingredients reqd for different Icings used:

• Dark Chocolate (Morde): 190 gms (1.5 slab)
• Heavy Whipping cream (Tropolite) : 1/2 kg
• Edible colors :Red (You can use yours)
• Edible sugar small decorative stars/flowers :1 small packet

Make a sugar syrup :

·         1 cup water + ¼ cup sugar : Boil them together just till the sugar dissolves (Don’t boil more )

·         Let it cool and keep it ready.

Making truffle/ganache chocolate icing :

• Take around 190 gms dark chocolate (I used Morde),cut into small tiny pieces and place in a bowl
• Heat 1 cup heavy whipping cream (I used Tropolite) just till u see tiny bubbles not much.
• Put the hot cream on the chocolate pieces and let it rest for 2-3 mins.
• Mix them well with a spatula to get a creamy chocolate icing (Ganache Icing).let it cool down a bit to get a thicker consistency to apply on the cake.The cream will have a nice glaze.

Internal icing of the cake (Ganache icing):

• Cut the dome horizontally in equal parts .This dome take around 4 cuts and forms around 5 horizontal pieces
• Place the biggest piece on a revolving table and sprinkle the sugar syrup on it .Remember you don’t have to make your cake soggy.
• Take a huge dollop of the chocolate ganache (Chocolate cream made) and spread it evenly on this layer.
• Place the next smaller layer on it and follow the similar procedure till all levels are completed.
• In the end cover the whole dome with the ganache . Place the dome in the freeze for 10 mins so the ganache icing gets settled.

External Icing of the cake (Heavy whipping cream) :

This process needs lots of patience and also very messy with different colors.

• Whip the whipping cream (Tropolite) till it form firm peaks.This whipping will take around 15 mins .(Your cream should be absolutely chilled, almost freezed)
• If  you don’t get the exact consistency the cream will keep on drooping from the cake and also the nozzle will not give you a good shape design will look blunt.
• Spread the whipped cream on the chocolate dome evenly till all the brown gets covered.
• Find an appropriate nozzle (I used small flower) and a color and design your doll dress as per your choice.
• Insert a upper part of any Barbie doll (remove the legs) in the centre of the dome .Also undress the Barbie doll and design her upper body dress too as per your choice.
• You can add some small sugar readymade stars or flowers to the dress.
• Your Doll Cake  is ready.

Dum Aaloo

Ingredients

• Baby potatoes : 16-18 (Boiled ,peeled ,pricked with fork and then deep fried)
• Tomato puree : 4 cups roughly chopped tomatoes boiled in 3 cups of water till they cook.Make a fine paste when cooled down completely
• Roughly Chopped Onions  : 2 cups
• Green Chillies  : 4
• Garlic cloves  : 10
• Cashews : 1/4 cup
• Fennel Seeds (Badishep) : 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder : ½ tsp
• Kashmiri Red Chillies (Broken) : 6
• Cummin Seeds : 1 tsp
• Kasuri  Methi : 1tsp
• Cardamon :2
• Cinnamon : 2 sticks
• Cloves : 4
• Amul Fresh Cream : 2 tbsp
• Salt : as reqd
• Sugar : ½ tsp
• Oil : 2 tbsp

Preparation :

• Make a fine paste of onions, green chillies, garlic, cashews ,fennel seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, kashmiri  chillies .
• Keep the tomato puree and potatoes ready as given
• Heat the oil in a pan. Saute cardamom, cinnamon and cloves for a minute.
• Add the mixture / paste of onions etc and sauté for another 5 mins.
• Add the tomoto puree and boil it for another 3 mins.Later add 2 tsp of amul cream and kasuri methi along with salt and sugar.
• Let it boil few more mins on low heat stirring continuously.
• Garnish it with coriander
• Serve it with hot roti or nan.