Palak Paratha (Green Spicy Chapati)

Palak Paratha is a healthy dish. It is a main dish and we can have them for breakfast, for lunch or for dinner. Normally kids do not want to eat leaves. So here is a simple way that you can make them eat leaves. It is a healthy recipe and not much of spice is used here.
Palak or any other edible leaves are loaded with iron and other minerals.

Lets see some benefits of eating Jeera /cumin seeds in our diet.
Cumin /Jeera seeds have wonderful flavour and aroma. They are loaded with number of health benefits. It is good for improving digestion. They are loaded with fibre and good for people who are suffering  from constipation. They are good sources of potassium and it helps to regulate blood pressure and heart rate. They contain anti inflammatory, anti bacterial and anti fungal properties and they are good remedy for cold and asthma. They contain good amount of iron, and are good for people suffering rom anemia. They also contain high amount of calcium good for women.
No onion or no garlic used in this " Palak Paratha ", and it is easy to prepare. A healthy paratha for all age group, easy to carry for the traveling, kids lunch box and even for the working people.

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour : 3 Cups
Palak Leaves : 1 Bundle
Jeera powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Garam Masala : /12 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : Handful (of a small bundle).
Chilly powder : 1/4 Teaspoon
Oil : 2 to 3 Tablesppon
Salt : as required

Method :
1.Wash and cut only the leaves of palak (spinach) and keep it aside.
2. Wash and keep coriander leaves aside.
3. Now keep a pan on the fire and put 1/2 glass of water. Let it boil.
4. Add cut palak leaves and let it turn slightly cooked. (1 to 2 minutes). Remove the leaves from the pan and keep the boiled water aside.

5. Let the palak leaves cool. Grind them with coriander leaves nicely till paste. (Do not add any water while grinding).
6. Put the ground palak paste in a bowl. Add salt, garam masala powder jeera powder and chilly powder. Mix it well.

7. Add wheat flour and use palak boiled water and prepare chapathi dough. Keep it for 5 minutes. ( Add extra water if it requires).

8. Keep the dough for 5 minutes and then divide the dough in to small ball size.

9. Dip a ball size of paratha and then roll it out like chapati.

10. Keep tava on the fire and cook paratha on both side by using very little oil.
11. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare parathas.

12. Serve paratha with cup of curd and the side dish you have prepared.

Cooking palak is to get away the raw smell. Do not over cook. Cook with little water and use the extra water while preparing the dough. (Palak cooked water). Do not use more spices. Mild spice is always healthy. You can use little ( a tablespoon) ghee or oil while preparing the dough. It helps the and turns the paratha soft. Use of garlic or onion is optional. While grinding you can add garlic pods and thin cut onions can be added while mixing the flour. (Completely optional). The taste differ. You can add jeera seeds instead of jeera powder. (Jeera powder helps the paratha to roll well and you can not see any spice on the top).
Time : 20 minutes
Serves : 4 .

Carrot Tambuli & Parata

Ready to Serve Tambuli & Parata

Carrot Tambuli is a gravy side dish. Tambuli is normally served and eaten in the beginning during lunch. Tambuli is prepared using curd or butter milk and healthy leaves or vegetables and very few spices like jeera and pepper. It should be mild (not very spicy).
We from South Canara ( Southern part of Karnataka) prepare tambuli with edible leaves and some vegetables too. Tambuli helps to keep the body cool and digest our food easily.  It is also one of the traditional dish I can say. Tambuli is normally prepared using butter milk or curd. Tambuli should be like butter milk or little thicker than butter milk consistency.
I have prepared this tumbuli many times before and did not write up the recipe. When I saw one of our friend prepared Carrot Tambuli and put up in the face book page I was eager to prepare that day and have it with our lunch. Luckily fresh carrots were there in the fridge and I could make use of it.
Tambuli is normally eaten during lunch, not at night in most of the time. So I used the remaining tambuli for making paratas for dinner and it was soft and thin. Adding some jeera, turmeric powder and garam masala added good taste to the parata.
Lets see some benefits of using carrots in our diet. 
Carrots are rich in anti oxidants, vitamins, dietary fiber and cholesterol free. They are rich source of carotenes and Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps the body to maintain healthy tissue, teeth and gum. Its anti oxidant contents helps the human body protect from diseases. They are rich in B-complex groups of vitamins like folic acid, B-6. They contain minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, manganese and phosphorus.
Here is a recipe of Carrot Tambuli and we can have them with rice , or use it as side dish with chapatis, pooris, rotis etc.

Things Needed :

Carrots : 2
Coconut : 1 Table spoon
Jeera (cumin seeds) : 1/2 Tea spoon
Black Pepper : 2
Red Chilly : 1
Ingh : a pinch
Curd :  1/2 Cup
Salt : required
Ghee : 1 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 3 to 4

Method :

1. Wash and clean carrot (just scrape out slightly the outer layer) and grate it. Keep it aside.

2. Cut or grate a spoonful of coconut.
3. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Add ghee, jeera and pepper pods. Fry for 10 seconds.

4. Add red chilly, 4 to 5 curry leaves and ingh. Add grated carrots and fry for another 10 to 20 seconds. Put off the fire.

5. Let the friend items cool. Add coconut and grind fried carrot mixture with very little curd or butter milk.

6. Add salt and remove the ground mixture to a bowl.

7. Add curd or butter milk to the ground mixture and mix it well.

8. Add jeera curry leaves ingh splutter to Tambuli and serve with rice or chapati.

Note : Do not fry the mixture for a long time. Do not add too much coconut. Add little curd or butter milk while grinding.
You can add water if the tambuli is bit thick. Adding Jeera splutter adds to the taste. Remember this is only one of the side dish.
Time : 10 minutes
Serves : 4 to 5. 

Carrot Tambuli Paratha.

Things Needed : 

Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Carrot Tambuli : 1 Cup
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 Tea spoon
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon
Oil : 1/2 Cup (Optional)
Salt : Required

Method : 

1. Put Carrot tambuli in a big bowl. Add jeera, salt and garam masala.

2. Add Wheat flour and a spoon of ghee.
3.Mix it slowly and prepare dough. (Add water if required).

4. Now divide the dough in to small portion.( ball size)

5. Roll each ball size dough in to chapati.

6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put a rolled parata and cook for 1 minute. Add oil (optional) and turn the other side and cook.

7. Remove from the pan and serve hot Carrot Parata with the side dish you prepared.

8. Repeat the same with remaining dough.

9. We had this carrot parata with a bowl of curd and mango chutney.

Note :

Do not use any stale tambuli. Your health may get spoiled. Using oil while preparing parata is optional.  Parata taste better when you add oil. You can use cut coriander leaves while preparing dough. Adding more chilly ( green cut chilly or red chilly powder) is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4

Methi-Mooli- Palak Parata

Methi - Mooli -Palak Parata is a simply superb item for the breakfast or dinner. It is full of energetic and loaded with all vitamins and minerals. It is easy to prepare like any other paratas. We can eat these Paratas with a cup of curd and pickle. Paratas are from Punjab and North India and they use lots of ghee, butter or oil to prepare paratas. It will be full of spices like garam masala or other masalas. It is not that easy to digest. But I think In their region they do hard work and it will be easily digested.
One of the evening when I was lazy to cook, idea of putting all these, mooli (Rasdish), Methi Leaves and Palak leaves together just flashed in my mind.. Mooli, Methi and Palak leaves are used with some garam masala, jeera and chilly powder.
Mooli is Radish . ( In Kannda Langutage we call as Moolangi). 
Lets see some benefits of eating Mehti Leaves and Palak Leaves.
Methi or fenugreek leaves are rich in medical properties. They contain protein, fibre, Vitamin C, Potassium, Iron. They help to reduce cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease. It helps to control blood sugar levels in diabetics. Fenugreek helps to relieve indigestion and treats constipation. They are rich in anti oxidants. Methi leaves are good for hair and skin .
Palak Leaves or  Spinach as it is known as is a wonderful green leafy vegetable is full of nutritious, anti oxidantants  and anti cancer composition. They are rich source of several vital anti oxidant  Vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin C and beta carotene. The leaves contain good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc.It is also good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

" Methi -Mooli -Palak Parata" is a simple and easy dish and we can have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Things needed :

Radish : 2 (Medium size)
Methi leaves : 1Bundle (Small)
Palak leaves : 1  Bundle (Small)
Red chilly powder : 1/2 Tea spoon
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 Tea spoon
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon
Turmeric Powder : a little
Salt : as required
Oil : 3 to 4 Table spoons
Wheat flour : 2 to 3 Cups

Method :

1. Wash and remove the outer skin of radish slightly and grate. Keep it aside.

2.  Wash and clean the leaves and cut into small and keep it aside.

3 Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and jeera. Fry for 1 minute.

4. Add grated radish and fry for 2 minutes. Add cut palak and methi leaves.
5. Fry them till they are soft. Add chilly powder, garam masala powder, salt and turmeric powder.
6. Mix it well and fry till the moisture disappear.

7. Take a big bowl and  put wheat flour. Add fried radish + leaves mixture to the wheat flour.

8. Mix it nicely and prepare dough ( use water if required) . Keep it aside.

 9. Divide the dough in to small portions. Take a small portion of the dough and roll them as Chapati.

10. Keep a Dosa Pan on the fire. Heat and put the rolled Parata on the tava and cook on both side.
11. Sprinkle oil on both sides and cook . Remove from the pan once it is done.

12. Repeat the same with remaining dough. Serve Methi - Mooli - Palak Parata with a cup of curd and pickle or chutney powder or any curry you prepared.

 You can also pack these Methi Mooli Palak Paratas to office or Kids Lunch box. ( with tomato Ketch Up ).

Note : Parata is nice to eat with curd. (yogurt). Adding onions or garlic while frying is optional. You can also  add coriander leaves. ( Cut it into thin). Adding  spice (masala powder) like chat masala or bhav bhaji masala or channa masala is optional.
Time : Preparation time : 10  Minutes. 
Cooking Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4