Parota

Parota, an Indian dish, poppular all over the world. It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is prepared using Maida (all purpose flour), curd, milk and a pinch of cooking soda.(Bicorbarate of soda).
Maida flour is nothing but highly refined wheat flour. Maida plays a very high role in Indian diet. Bread, cakes, pizza's even many salty-sweets and many more eatables are prepared using Maida.
Here is a recipe of simple Maida Parota and a pumpkin curry. Parota - curry will be liked by all age group. This reccpe is easy to prepare and should be eaten when it is hot to njoy the most. Since curd & milk is used it is easy to digest. You don't have to leave this dough to rest for a long time. Just leave it for 10 to 20 minutes and kneed it well, before preparing Parota.

Ingredients :

Maida (All -purpose flour) : 2 Cups
Curd :  2 to 3 Table spoons
Salt : required
Cooking Soda(Bicarbonate soda) : a pinch
Milk : 2 to 3 table spoon
Ghee : 1 Table spoon
Oil :  6 Table spoons

Method :

1. Put Maida, salt, Curd, bicarbonate soda and ghee in a big bowl. Mix it well.

2. Add milk and kneed it well and prepare dough. Add milk if the dough is thick.

3. The dough should be very soft. Cover the dough and leave it for 20 minutes to rest.

4. Now kneed the dough again.
5. Divide the dough into small portions.
6. Keep some dry maida flour in a plate or bowl.
7. Take one portion of the dough and make like a ball.
8. Dip this ball size dough in the dry flour and roll as chapati.

9. Add 2 drops of oil on the surface of the chapati and fold this chapati into in and outer way and roll them like a ball.

10 Again roll this dough as flat chapati .
11. Keep a tava on the fire. Heat and sprinkle oil.
12. Put rolled Parota and cook on both side on medium heat. Using oil is an optional.

11. Repeat the same with rest of the flour.

12. Serve this Hot Parota with the curry You have prepared.

Vegetable saagu, kootu, Sambar or any thick curry will go with this Parota.

Note :

You must use a savoury curd. Do not add any water. Do not add too much of milk too. If the dough turns thick use milk. The consistency of the dough should be like Holige dough. (pooran poli dough). No need to add much oil. Serve immediately. Even when it is cool it does not turn hard. Using oil is purly optional. You can use wheat flour too .( 1 cup Wheat flour , 1 cup Maida).
Time

Cooking : 15 minutes

Preparation time (resting the flour) : 20 minutes

Served Pumpkin Curry and Carrot -Capsicum dry curry

Pumpkin Curry : Wash and cook pumpkin pieces add mustard spurt, ingh curry leaves. Add salt and Sambar Powder.
Capsicum Dry Curry : Wash and cut capsicum and carrots. Add jeera spurt with curry leaves. Add salt. green chilly and grated coconut. 

Cucumber Dry Curry (Suthekai Palya)

Colour Cucumber (Mangalore Sauthekai) is one of the known vegetable for Indians and South Indians love Southe kai. (Cucumber). It is also known as Dosekai since used in curries. It is said Velarekai in Tamil, Vellarikka in Malayalam, Kheera or Kakadi in Hindi and Shosha in Bengali.

SoutheKai  (Mangalore Sauthe Kai) is yellow Indian curry cucumber. It has sweet taste and neutral flavor. It is used in the preparation of stews and curries mostly during the summer season in south parts of India and Sri Lanka.

Cucumber is one of the low calorie vegetable. It is very good source of potassium. Potassium is a heart friendly electrolyte. Cucumber contains uique anti-oxidants in moderate ratios. Cucumber also contain high amount of vitamin K.

Here is a Cucumber Dry Curry which is vey simple and with minimum Ingredients. Easy to prepare  and with mild spice. You can have them with rice, dosa, chapati, roti and even with poories. I am sure it will be liked by the whole family and suits to all age group.

Cucumber Dry curry is onion and garlic free dish and you can even enjoy this dish during festivals and fasting perionds too.

Things Needed :

Cucumber :1
Oil :1 Table spoon
Green chilly :2
Mustard seeds :1/2 Tea spoon
Urd dal :1/2 Tea soon
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Coriander leaves : 2 Table spoons
Salt : to taste
Coconut : 2 to 3 Table spoons.
Turmeric powder : a pinch

Method :

1. Wash and cut cucumbe into small pieces.

2. Wash and cut green chilly, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
3. Grate coconut
4. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put oil.
5. Add Mustard seeds and Urd dal.
6. Let the mustard seeds spurt.
7. Add Curry leaves and green chilly.
8. Add cut cucumber and fry for 10 seconds.
9. Add required water and cook till the pieces are soft.(5 to 6 minutes)
10. Add salt when it is cooked. Mix it well and cook till the water disappear.

11. Add coconut and mix well . Add coriander leaves.

12. Mix it well and shift the Palya to a serving dish.

Serve with Hot chapatis or Hot rice

Note : 

You can cut sauthekai accoding to your wish.(big or small). Add little water and cook on low flame. See that it does not get burnt. Adding coconut is optional. You can also use palya powder or chutney pudi as spice. Adding ghee to the Sauthe Palya adds to the taste. You can add onions if you wish. (Add it to mustard spurt and fry for 2 minutes, add cut sauthekai pieces and cook. Note that it taste differ.

Time :    15 minutes

Serves :  23 to 4