Gobi Paratha with Multi grain Atta

It is very rare that I follow a recipe word to word. I did it this time. It is for a recipe for  Gobi paratha that I got from a youtube video by Smt. Manjula. I really thank her for her wonderful recipe and demonstration as well. I have also embedded the video here. She used 1 cup of flour and I used 2 cups flour. I prepared these parathas using a very healthy atta - Pillsbury atta with multi grains. The parathas were tasty and stayed soft as well. It has extra protein, calcium and iron and seven different natural grains are present in the flour. See the embedded ads for this atta that I found in youtube. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

The following ingredients quanitity is for 15 parathas:

Pillsbury atta with multi grains - 2 cups (unsifted) which is approximately 300 gms for the paratha and quarter cup for dredging/dusting. 

Oil - 1 tablespoon for the dough and 'spray oil' for preparing parathas

Salt - 1 teaspoon for the dough and 1 teaspoon for gobi filling

Water - approximately 1 cup

Gobi / Cauliflower - 1 medium

Ajwain seeds - 2 teaspoons

Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoons

Coriander leaves - finely chopped - handful

Green chillis - 3 chillis finely minced (use less or more as per your taste)

Method:

Prepare the dough:

Add oil to the flour and mix one teaspoon salt and three-fourths cup water. Knead the flour to make a soft dough. Sprinkle water if needed while kneading. Cover and keep it aside. 

Prepare the filling:

Separate the cauliflower florets from its stem.

Wash the cauliflower florets using a colander and strain excess water.

Shred the cauliflower. I used my Cuisinart food processor using the shredder disc.

The shredded cauliflower should be approximately 4 to 4½  cups

Transfer the shredded cauliflower to a mixing bowl and add the following:

one teaspoon salt, ajwain seeds, cumin seeds, coriandar leaves and green chillis. Mix well and keep it aside for 5 to 10 mins.

Divide the dough:

Meanwhile, knead the dough again and make 14 to 15 equal parts and keep it aside.

Draining excess water from the filling:

By this time the prepared gobi filling would have left water due to the presence of salt. 

Drain out the excess water from the filling by pressing the filling between two palms. 

Stuffing:

Dredge one part of the dough in the flour and roll to make a 3 inch diameter circle.

Keep a tablespoon of filling in the middle and make a dumpling by enclosing it on all sides. Seal on the top.

Repeat the process for the rest of the dough.

Rolling the paratha:

Dredge the stuffed dough in the flour and keeping the sealed portion on the top, gently roll the dough to a 5 to 6 inch diameter circle. Dust  with flour if needed.

Repeat the procedure for the rest of the stuffed dough.

Making parathas:

Heat a non stick griddle/tawa. 

Once the tawa is heated, Keep in medium heat and place one paratha. After a minute, spray or dribble oil on the top side and toss the paratha. Again, spray or dribble oil and press gently. Toss again. Make sure it is roasted golden both sides. Repeat for the rest of the rolled parathas.

The Gobi parathas are ready. Serve hot with any side dish/raitha. These parathas are really filling.

Here are the ads for the multi grain atta:

one more,

The Youtube video for Gobi Paratha by Smt. Manjula. 

Mrs. Manjula, your recipe is now tried and tested. Great recipe. Thank you.

This is my entry to Global Kadai - Flat breads hosted by Sandhya.

Spicy Moong dal Soup/Curry

Soup or curry, enjoy how ever you want it, this is one amazing dish that is healthy, filling and guilt free. Coming to the recipe, I have used only half a cup dry split (green) moong dal with onion and tomato base, flavored with the kitchen king masala. I used my prestige kadai pressure cooker for quick cooking. Here's the recipe. (Look for alternate recipe without kadai pressure in the end of this post).

Ingredients:

Split green moong dal - half cup

Red onion - 1 large (optional)

Diced tomato - 1 can

(or 4 or 5 red ripe roma tomatoes)

Oil for seasoning - 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Dhania powder - 1 teaspoon

Kitchen king Masala ( MDH brand ) - 2 teaspoons

(or Red chilli powder - 2 teaspoons)

Turmeric powder - quarter teaspoon

Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch

Salt as required

Water - 4 cups

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Chop the onions. Dice the roma tomatoes if canned diced tomato is not used. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in the kadai pressure cooker and add the cumin. Then, add onion and sauté for a couple of minutes. 

Add the diced tomatoes and allow it to cook. Stir occasionally. 

When the content is heated add the kitchen king masala, salt, turmeric and asafoetida powder. 

Wash and add the moong dal. 

Pour 4 cups water and pressure cook for minimum 5 whistles or until the moong dal is cooked. The dal should get mushy (over cooked).

Garnish with coriander leaves.

The yield is approximately four and half cups.

You can enjoy this as soup or curry for rotis/rice.

If you want to use this as curry for rotis or rice, you can add ginger/garlic paste while tomato is cooking.

Alternate recipe if you don't have a kadai pressure cooker:

Cook the moong dal separately with 3 cups water.

Heat oil in the kadai pressure cooker and add the cumin. Then, add onion and sauté for a couple of minutes. 

Add the diced tomatoes and allow it to cook. Stir occasionally. 

When the content is heated add the kitchen king masala, dhania powder, salt, turmeric and asafoetida powder. 

When the tomato is well cooked, add the cooked moong dal and stir well.

Garnish with coirander leaves.

This recipe is my contribution to 'The legume love affair' hosted in Siri's corner.

Sprouted Methi pickle / Menthya thokku / Vendhaya thokku

Spicy, tangy, bitter and yet sweet = 'sprouted methi thokku', an authentic family recipe that my mother in law and her mom and her elder sister shared with me. They have taught me many many authentic recipes and this is one among them. Thank you avva, dodamma and amma. Thank you for passing on the tradition to us. Will keep posting many more family recipes.

Fenugreek - Health benefits : The fenugreek seeds are primarily used as a culinary spice across many cultures, while herbalists had used them for many centuries for the many health benefits it offers. The fenugreek seeds or fenugreek extract possess a powerful ability in aiding the digestive process, which is one of the many benefits of fenugreek (more here)

Methi is widely used in Indian cuisine in the form of kasuri methi, fresh methi leaves, methi seeds.

Sprouting methi seeds: Sprouting the methi seeds is simple. Take half a cup of dry methi/fenugreek seeds. Wash well and soak in water for at least 24 to 36 hours. Drain water completely and transfer the content to a colander. Cover with wet cloth. I used a wet kitchen towel. Keep it aside undisturbed. Make sure you keep the cover moist at all times. Within a day or two, you will notice small sprouts shooting out. I left it for two days until the sprouts were 1 cm long.

This delicious recipe is definitely an acquired taste. Once you have acquired the taste, resist temptation and take only in moderation. A must try for people who love the taste of methi. Here's the recipe. 

Ingredients:

Dry methi seeds- half cup  or Sprouted methi seeds- 2 cups

Tamarind - 1 tablespoon if using concentrate

alternatively, if using raw tamarind, extract the juice from 1 medium size tamarind ball.

Gingily oil / Nallennai / Olla enna / Sesame oil - half cup

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Water - Three fourths to one cup

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Turmeric powder - half teaspoon

Asafoetida powder - quarter teaspoon

Salt as required

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Jaggery / Gur / Bella - one and half to two tablespoons as per your taste

Method:

Sprout dry methi seeds. Half cup of dry methi will yield approximately two cups of sprouted methi. I used only half cup dry methi.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed kadai. Add mustard seeds. When it pops, add the sprouted methi seeds.

Give a quick stir and add curry leaves.

Stir for a minute and add tamarind mixed with water and allow it to cook in low to medium heat partially covered. Stir occasionally.

While the content is boiling add the turmeric powder and asafoetida powder.

After 15 to 20 minutes, you will notice that the content is reduced, water is absorbed/evaporated and the oil starts leaving in the sides.

Keep stirring and cook for 5 more minutes after you see oil in the sides. At this time the sprouted methi should have cooked well and the raw tamarind smell should have gone.

Add the red chilli powder, salt and jaggery and mix well. The thokku will be in paste consistency or like chitra anna gojju consistency. 

Remove from heat. and keep it aside uncovered.

Use this thokku for rice, iddli or dosa. Use in moderation.

Can be stored in fridge after it is cooled down completely. Make sure to use an airtight container before you keep it in fridge.

This recipe is my entry to 'Think Spice - Think Fenugreek event'.
Also, this recipe is my entry to 'Let's sprout'- a new event in Priya's easy and tasty recipes.