Piping hot dal + white rice (chawal) is a combination made in heaven. There are numerous ways to prepare a dal in Indian cuisine incorporating different kinds of veggies and spices. Today's recipe - Lauki Chana Dal (Bottle Gourd Cooked in Lentils) uses split bengal gram, bottle gourd also known as opo squash and my handy, best friend in the kitchen - a pressure cooker. I know it is one of those cooking equipments with a bad rep but it is making a comeback thankfully with many fool-proof, safety features. Did you know when compared to conventional cooking, most foods cook 70% faster (here's the proof) when using a pressure cooker. No wonder I love it so much especially on crazy weekdays when whipping up a simple meal seems like a big chore. Food taste better too, don't you think with all the aromatics, juices and nutrients trapped inside the pot. If you don't have one already, I would highly recommend it and there are tons of delicious recipes that you can make in minutes. Now, let's jump on the dal recipe. Shall we?
Eggs and I share a very intimate relationship. Most of my friends very well know that and I often get teased about the same. I tend to make them to celebrate the happy moments and also to soothe myself during times of distress. I love to eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Today's recipe is the most fun dish I made in recent times. It felt like am playing with two different recipes and combining the recipes into one which is better in taste and in looks as well. My good friend Sandeepa has a similar Bengali version and mine - Easy Indian Omelette Curry is an lazy, adapted version. In less than half an hour, you will have a delicious egg dish which can be served with any kind of rice or roti. :-) Enjoy!
Its raining cats and dogs since past few days here in Hyderabad and the weather in general is not-so-good for any physical activity. I just want to curl up into bed and sleep for long hours without anybody reminding me of the never-ending to-do-list. Well, that's just a dream distant now, but one thing I can definitely do is pester my mom to make something delicious and just relax. At least I don't have to worry about some good food getting on to the plate. Isn't it.
Our dinner last night were these subtly spiced Paneer and Spinach Parathas and Oh my, these taste so so good. I just couldn't take off my hands as these parathas were flying off the griddle. But, there was a job (to photograph them) at hand. So, I quickly clicked a few and quietly enjoyed my meal. I was in food-heaven you see! :-)
Now it your turn to make these and Enjoy!
Paneer and Spinach Parathas with fried green chillies to give it a dhaba-like feel.
{Recipe} Paneer and Spinach (Palak) Parathas
Makes around 10-12 parathas Ingredients:
For the dough:
3 cups Whole wheat flour (atta)
1 bunch or 1 cup tightly packed of spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil (or ghee or any oil)
For the stuffing:
250 gms of paneer/indian cottage cheese, grated
2 small bunches of coriander or cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp amchur /dry mango powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
salt - to taste
1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
To serve as accompaniments - Fried green chillies, Yogurt, Pickle
Preparation:
1. Gently mix all ingredients listed under "For the stuffing". Keep aside.
grated Paneer Stuffing
2. Blend together spinach, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water until smooth. In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, olive oil and spinach paste. Mix and knead until smooth dough by adding enough water. Make into lemon-sized portions.
3. Roll out each portion of the dough.
4. Place a tbsp of stuffing in the middle.
5. Seal all edges like you do for a dumpling.
6. Do the same for rest of the dough portions as well. It is important to not to roll out these stuffed dumplings immediately. Rest them for 5-10 mins.
7. Place sealed side down and gently roll out into a paratha.
8. Heat a griddle and cook both sides of the paratha with some oil or ghee. Repeat with rest of the parathas as well.
Fry some green chillies until charred and serve them as accompaniment to these parathas along with yogurt and pickle. Truly dhaba-style! :-)
