Paneer Parata.

Paneer Parata is prepared using home made paneer and wheat flour.

Some time the milk gets spoil and curdles once it is heated. We feel sad because of it. When this happens I try and prepare paneer out of that split milk. (Immediately). The paneer is used in cooking later.
How to prepare Panner @ Home ?
Boil Milk, put some lemon extract/vinegar to the hot milk . It starts to curdle. Leave it for cooling. Take a clean towel. Drain the water through the towel. Let the thick milk content stay in towel. Squeeze out the remaining water. Place a heavy bottomed pan on the towel which has milk content. So the whole water goes off. Take the paneer content and kneed it well. Paneer is ready to use.
Paneer/Indian cottage cheese has become very popular than before and all age group love to have paneer in their dishes.
Let us see some benefits of eating  " Paneer " in our diet.
Paneer/Cottage cheese has a good source of calcium and it helps in maintaining strong teeth. Paneer contains Vitamin D so it helps to preserve the teeth to be in good conditions. Paneer is rich source of calcium and good for women, elderly and children who suffer from malnutrition. Paneer is a rich source of protein, and vitamins which are necessary for proper bone health. Vitamin B complex in Paneer is good for women, men and children. Paneer helps to absorb and distribute calcium in our body and it helps and guard against diseases. Paneer is good for gaining weight since it has good amount of proteins, fats, calcium, vitamins and minerals. Eating Paneer is good for enhancing blood formation and strengthen the liver.  
Lets see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Paneer : 1 small bowl. (1/2 liter milk)
Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Jeera /Cumin Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Garam Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon
Chilly Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon  
Dry Ginger Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 1 Handful
Oil : 4 to 5 Tablespoons
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon

Method :

1. Put wheat flour, paneer, garam masala, chilly powder, jeera powder and a little turmeric powder in a bog bowl.
2. Wash and add cut coriander leaves. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and a tablespoon of ghee.

3. Add a teaspoon of dry ginger powder and add warm water. Mix it well and prepare chapati dough.

4. Divide the dough into small size balls.

5. Keep 1 cup of dry wheat flour in a small bowl.
6. Dip a small size of parata dough and roll as chapati.

7. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put rolled paneer parata. Sprinkle oil on the top and cook for a minute.
8. Turn the other side and sprinkle little (1/2 teaspoon) oil around the parata on outer surface.
9. Cook on both sides and remove from the pan.

10. Repeat the same and prepare the remaining paratas.

11. Serve paneer paratas with curd and the side dish of your choice.
12. We had " Paneer Parats with a cup of curd/yogurt and mango tokku. (Chutney)

Note :

You can use more oil while preparing the dough. (Optional). Adding green chilly to the dough is optional. Adding grated onions to the dough is optional. I did not add. Adding any spice is optional.
Example : Pav bhaji masala, chat masala, channa masala etc. Adding normal water to prepare parata dough is optional. Warm water helps the dough turns parata soft and nice.  Use of any brand paneer is optional. (Nandini, Amul) .
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 .(6 to 8 Paratas can be done, according to size ).                                                                                                                                                                                                

Jack Fruit Buns/Pooris

Jack fruit buns/pooris are yummy and it is an easy dish to prepare and very good for breakfast/snack with a cup of coffee.

I have used jack fruits, organic jaggery and wheat flour.
Buns are famous in South Canara and Malenadu . They are fried pooris, prepared using  Maida/All purpose flour, banana and sugar. We can easily prepare many varieties of Buns using different fruits.
I have prepared pineapple buns and wheat and jaggery buns etc.
Here I have tried wheat flour with jack fruit added and jaggery instead of sugar. No need to add any oil while preparing the dough. It does not take much of oil.
Our foodie blog's, one of the Admini, Madhura Pradeep had tried jack fruit buns and that encouraged me to prepare these Jack Fruit Buns/ Jack Pooris. She has used sugar and instead of sugar I have used jaggery. The Jack Buns turned as yummy as usual banana buns which we prepare very often.
Jack fruit is a seasonal fruit and it is just about to complete its season for this year.  I had some jack fruits from  my sister's home and jack fruit was just enough to prepare these pooris. (The remaining fruits were eaten before preparing the buns :) .
Let us see the recipe now:

Things Needed :

Jack Fruits : 10 to 15
Jaggery : 1 to 2 Tablespoons
Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Salt :  A little
Oil : 1 Cup ( To fry )

Method :

1. Remove jack seeds from fruits and grind it with out water. Put it in a bowl.

2. Add jaggery and mix it well.

3. Add wheat flour and little salt. Mix it well and prepare poori dough.
4. Kneed the dough well and divide them into small lemon size balls.

5. Turn them as round shaped balls. Grease each ball shaped dough with little oil.
6. Roll them as small poori. Arrange them in a plate/tray.

7. Keep oil for frying and let it heat.
8. Drop a poori slowly in hot oil and fry on both sides till they turn slightly brown.

  Remove it from oil and put it on a kitchen tissue. Let all the extra oil absorb by kitchen tissue.

9. Repeat the same and fry all the pooris.

10 Serve with chutney or you can just eat as they are.

Note :

Adding sugar instead of jaggery is optional. You can use normal jaggery instead of organic jaggery.
Powder jaggery and heat it with very little water. Let it boil and turn as liquid completely. Sieve it in a strainer and used it. You can add a teaspoon of ghee to the dough while preparing the dough. (optional). I did not. No need to rest the dough. It might absorb oil if you allow to rest the dough. Do not add any water while grinding fruits. Adjust the jack fruit mixture with wheat flour. Mix it with little quantity and check . (Divide both jack fruit ground mixture and wheat flour and add little by little while preparing the dough).
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 20 to 25 pooris. (According to size).

Mango Fruit Burfi

Happy Vara Mahalaxmi to You all. Mango burfi is a sweet dish and you can serve them as desert.

Some time back I saw Mango burfi done very nicely in Foodie blog. Foddie blog is managed by Admins ..Mr. Sadashiva Rao Mailankodi, Shri Kripa and Madhura Pradeep...The blog is super and the members and admins are very creative. It is one of my favourite blog  too.
Sorry to say I forgot the name of the person who had prepared this sweet. It was looking superb. I wanted to try but was busy a bit. I had some Neelam Mangoes from sister Sujatha 's house. (Udyavara/Udupi/Karnataka). So Thought of the recipe and tried it with jaggery instead of sugar.
 I have used mango pulp, wheat flour, ghee and jaggery.
It is always better to eat /use seasonal fruits because they are fresh and filled with more nutrients and vitamins
Let us see the recipe :

Things Needed :

Mango Fruits : 3 to 4 (Medium sized)
Wheat flour : 1 Cup
Ghee : 1 Cup
Cardamom : 4 to 5
Jaggery : 3/4 Cup.
Almonds flakes /Powder : 3 to 4 Tablespoons.
Cashew nuts  : 6 to 8 or little more

Method :

1. Wash and clean mango fruits and squeeze out the pulp. Keep it in a bowl.

2. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.
3. Keep a pan and put jaggery and put 1/4 cup of water and melt jaggery and filter it. (with a tea strainer). Keep it aside.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and put ghee. Let it melt. (Keep a tablespoon of ghee aside).
5.  Put cashew nuts and fry nicely. Add wheat flour and fry nicely till the raw smell goes off. (4 to 5 minutes).

6. Remove it from the pan to a plate/tray.
7. Add jaggery and let it get one string consistency. Add mango pulp and stir for some time. (10 minutes).

8. Add fried wheat flour and mix it well. Stir continuously till it starts to leave the edges of the pan.

9. Stir for another 10 minutes and add a tablespoon of ghee. Mix it nicely. Keep stirring for a minute.

10. Grease ghee to a tray or plate. Shift the ready Mango burfi to the greased plate and spread it around evenly.
11. Just roll a roller or spatula and make it even on all sides.

12. Spread almond flakes on the top and press it with spatulla. Let it cool. Cut it according to your desire once it is cooled.

13. Put the pieces in a clean airtight box.
14. Serve when some one visits you and your family.

Note :

Do not use much water to melt the jaggery. |Use of clean jaggry is a must. You can also use sugar instead of jaggery. Use of more jaggery helps the burfi to get it thick quickly. But too much of sweet dominates more. It gets harden once it is cooled.
Time : 30 to 40 minutes
Pieces : More than 30 pieces. ( According to your desired shape and size).

Wheat Flour Naan

Naan is a kind of Roti, and I have prepared this Naan with wheat flour and chiroti rava/Thin variety of semolina. 

Naan is a type of roti and most of the people love to have Naan. Normally Naan is prepared by using Maida/All Purpose flour.
This Naan recipe has no maida. I have used wheat flour and chiroti rava and to soften the naan I have used milk and a tablespoon of curd.
I have seen this this Naan preparing method in a T. V. Cookery show. Just changed maida to wheat and tried it and it turned as good and soft Naan. So prepared these Naan many times at my home
Now I can happily eat and enjoy these Naan because I am sure it is healthy.
I have used Wheat flour, chiroti rava/thin variety of semolina, milk, curd, oil and salt.
Naan turned as soft and yummy.
Let us see the recipe:

Ingredients : 

Wheat flour  : 2 Cups
Chiroti Rava/Thin variety of Semolina : 2 Tablespoons
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Curd : 1 Tablespoon
Oil : 2 Teaspoons.
Salt : A little
Cooking Soda : A pinch
Bowl of water

Method :

1. Mix wheat flour, chiroti rava/semolina, oil, salt, cooking soda and mix it well.
2. Add milk and curd to the mixed flour and prepare dough. Add required water while preparing the dough.
3. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

4. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat.
5. Divide the ready dough into small portions. Take a small ball size of dough and roll as chapati or reetangle shape.
6. Sprinkle a drop of water on chapati and put it on the tava and press a little. Cook on medium heat.

7. Sprinkling water helps the chapati to be moisture and helps to cook with out oil.
8. It starts to bubble up on chapati.

9. Remove this chapati and put it on a burning gas and cook fof 10 to 20 seconds.

10. It should be roasted well on the other side.
12. Put it on the plate and apply butter on the top.

13. Naan is ready to serve. Serve " Hot Naan" with the curries of your choice.

14. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare Naan.

Note:

Let the dough be soft so that Naan turns as soft. Adding milk and curd makes the dough soft. Adding butter instead of oil is optional. You can sprinkle sesame seeds on the top of Naan. ( Optional).
Moisture on the top helps the naan to cook well. (You can press the rolled naan to tava and then hold it on gas burner. It helps you to do the process bit easy. Naan sticks to tava and you can turn the tava upside down to cook upper layer of Naan. Hot Naans is better to have or it might turn bit hard.(Dry).
Time : 30 minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 ( 8 Naan can be made, according to the size ).