Kerala Style Pappadam Chammanthi | Traditional Papad Chutney

Pappadam chammanthi or papad chutney is a quick tasty Kerala style chutney that can be served with lunch boxes, kanji (rice gruel) or any sides. Kerala style pappadam is used for the recipe but you can always use any other papad and try it out. You may not get the authentic flavours with other papads.

Very simple to put together, no addition of water and gets ground with the moisture of fresh grated coconut. Depending on the type of chillies and heat, alter the amount of chillies. Try this out and enjoy !!

Watch the YouTube #shorts on the Pappadam Chammanthi.

Preparation time ~ 5 minutes

Cooking time ~ 2 minutes

Author ~ Julie

Serves ~ 3-4 

Ingredients

pappadam (papad) 2-3

dry red chillies 4-5

shallots 5-6

ginger a small piece

tamarind a small piece

curry leaves a sprig

salt 1/3 tsp

grated coconut 1/2 cup

kashmiri chilli powder 1/4 tsp

oil to fry papad

Method

• Heat oil in a pan and slide in the pappadam(papad) when oil is hot. Fry until crisp by flipping both sides. Drain from oil and keep aside.
• In the same oil, add the red dry chillies and fry till crisp, drain from oil and keep aside.
• In a blender jar, add the shallots, ginger, fried red chillies, tamarind and salt. Crush the mix by pulsing. To this add the fried pappadam (papad) and kashmiri chilli powder. Add the grated coconut and pulse again without adding water. Once everything looks crushed and coarsely combined, make a ball by pressing the chammanthi in your palm. Garnish with curry leaves and enjoy with steamed rice or rice gruel(kanji).

NOTES

* Adding kashmiri chilli powder is optional, it just adds a nice colour.

* If you have a grinding stone, then use that as the bits of papad crunch pieces can be retained when suing gridning stone unlike the mixer where everything gets completely crushed.

* Depending on the heat of chillies, alter the number of chillies used.

Pudina Corn Rice ~ Under 10 minutes Lunch box Recipe

Looking for some quick rice recipes for lunch box ? 

Here is one simple quick fix and flavourful rice recipe with fresh mint leaves and corn kernels. The mint leaves adds the flavour and corn kernels adds the sweet balance in the rice. This rice is very mildly spiced, as my kids don't love spicy one pot meals. You can always alter the number of green chillies as per tolerance. The yogurt adds the sourness and creaminess to the rice, and there are very few basic spices that you can put together to make this quickest one pot meal. Try and enjoy !!

Preparation time~ 10 minutes

Cooking time ~ 10 minutes

Serves ~ 3

Author ~ Julie

Ingredients

to cook rice

basmati rice 1 cup

water 1 + 3/4 cup

salt 1/2 tsp

to cook pudina rice

mint leaves (pudina) 1 small bunch

ginger 1/2' piece

garlic 3–4 cloves

green chilli 1

yogurt 2-3 tbsp

cashews 2 tbsp

onion 1 finely chopped

corn kernels 1/2 cup

garam masala 1/4 tsp

whole spices - cinnamon 1/2' piece, cloves 3, cardamom 2, bay leaf 1

veg oil 3 tbsp

Watch on YouTube -

Method

• Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Boil water(3 cups) in a pan and add salt. Add rice when water starts boiling. Cook till done, switch off and keep covered till use. If you have cooked rice ready at hand, omit this step. I showed the step of making rice to share the amount of cooked rice needed for this recipe, which you can modify as per your need.
• Heat a pan and add oil. Add the cumin seeds to sizzle, add the whole spices. Sauté a minute and add the cashews, fry lightly. Slide in the chopped onions. Add the ground paste and cook covered for 1.5 minutes, or till oil separates.
• Then add corn kernels and give a quick mix. Add salt and give a quick toss. Cook covered on low flame for 3–4 minutes, or until cooked. 
• Finally, slide in the cooked rice. Mix gently and cook simmered for 2 minutes for the flavours to infuse. Mix and serve warm.

NOTES

* I have used homemade garam masala, the link is here.

* The yogurt can be replaced with lemon juice, but I feel yogurt adds to the creaminess and prevents the rice from drying out when packed in a lunch box.

* Alter the number of green chillies as per tolerance.

LUNCH BOX RECIPES 

• Black Chana Pulao
• Achari Chana Pulao
• Carrot Rice
• Lemon Rice
• Paneer Veg Pulao
• Chicken Pulao
• Egg Fried Rice
• Broccoli Tomato Rice
• Minty Veg-Chicken Pulao
• Veg Pulao
• Spinach Corn Rice

Cauliflower(Gobi) Rice ~ Quick Lunch Box Veg Recipes

 Cauliflower is a versatile veggie and can be used in various forms in our daily meals. Most of the time, I end up making the gobi manchurian with veg fried rice for a weekend lunch. However, gobi is one veggie which kids don't make a fuss, and they love in whichever form they are served with. Check out a few of the recipes that are successfully running at home, taking turns. 

This cauliflower rice recipe is a little different from that of the usual cauliflower rice, where we add small florets and make rice. This recipe uses grated cauliflower and that can be cooked alone with the spices, and served as again 'cauliflower rice' for a low-carb version wherein there is no addition of extra cooked rice. The grated cauliflower itself resembles that of rice and is cooked just like that. 

However, this version of mine has cooked rice that I prepare for my kid's lunch box, which I don't plan for a low-carb version. This rice is quite simple to prepare and put together if you have cooked rice at hand. The only time needed is the blanching of florets and grating the florets (I used a manual grater, which otherwse can be done in a food processor quickly). The best part of this rice is that the rice tastes delicious, but hardly anyone notices the grated cauliflower in the rice, especially if you have some picky eaters. Give this a try and pack for the lunch boxes or a quick fix weekend brunch.

Preparation time ~ 15 minutes

Cooking time ~ 10 minutes

Serves ~ 4

Author ~ Julie

Ingredients 

to cook rice

basmati rice 1.5 cups

water 3 cups

salt to taste

to make cauliflower rice

cauliflower 400 g or a medium size one (2 cups grated)

ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp

onion 1 finely chopped

green peas 1/4 cup

tomatoes 2 small chopped 

turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

hot chilli powder 1.5 tsp

pepper powder 1/2 tsp

fennel powder 1/2 tsp

garam masala 1/2 tsp

whole spices - cardamom 3, cloves 3, cinnamon 1' piece

water 1/4 cup

ghee 1 tbsp

veg oil 3 tbsp

salt to taste

coriander leaves 2 tbsp chopped

Watch on YouTube -

Method

• Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Boil water(3 cups) in a pan and add salt. Add rice when water starts boiling. Cook till done, switch off and keep covered till use. If you have cooked rice ready at hand, omit this step. I showed the step of making rice to share the amount of cooked rice needed for this recipe, which you can modify as per your need.
• In a wide heavy bottom pan, add oil. To this add ginger-garlic paste and sauté a minute for the raw smell to disappear. Slide in the whole spices, followed by chopped onions.
• Sauté onions until lightly browned, add a little salt to fasten the process. Then add turmeric powder and chilli powder on low flame, sauté until the spices are done. To this, add chopped tomatoes. Give a quick mix, cook covered until tomatoes are soft and cooked.
• Add the green peas and grated cauliflower.Give a quick stir and add the remaining spices- garam masala, pepper powder, fennel powder on low flame. Combine and cook covered for 3 minutes on low flame.
• Add 1/ 4 cup water and add salt. Combine well and cook covered for another 3 minutes. Adjust salt and add ghee, give a quick toss.
• Finally, add in the cooked rice and mix gently. Add the chopped coriander leaves and switch off flame. Keep covered for 10 minutes and then serve (for the flavours to infuse in the rice).

                                             

NOTES

* I have used frozen green peas, you can use any others like fresh or dried. If using fresh or dried, cook accordingly and add.

* Fennel powder imparts a nice fragrance, add fennel seeds if you don't have powder. Add the fennel seeds when adding whole garam masala.

* I have used homemade garam masala, the link is here.

RELATED POSTS

* Gobi Stuffed Paratha

* Gobi Masala

* Hot Chilli Gobi

* Cauliflower Thoran

* Potato Cauliflower Stir Fry

* Cauliflower Pepper Fry

* Cauliflower Thoran

* Gobi Manchurian

LUNCH BOX RECIPES 

• Black Chana Pulao
• Achari Chana Pulao
• Carrot Rice
• Lemon Rice
• Paneer Veg Pulao
• Chicken Pulao
• Egg Fried Rice
• Broccoli Tomato Rice
• Minty Veg-Chicken Pulao
• Veg Pulao
• Spinach Corn Rice

Black Chana Pulao | Karutha Kadala Pulao | Lunch Box Special

Back to school !! 

And here starts the worry of moms as to what to send for lunch box each day. Kids love all sorts of junk fancy items and moms try to send them a healthy, filling meal. But one pot meals are liked by most of the kids as they don't have to think much and can just gobble down without much fuss if it's tasty. One such meal for today is preparing this black chana pulao in a pressure cooker. 

\

The work becomes much easier if you already have some boiled chana in the refrigerator. Just take out and add to make a filling healthy meal or a lunch box meal. Achari Chana Pulao is another interesting option made with kabuli chana, try that out too. Give this a try !!!

Preparation time ~ 10 minutes

Cooking time ~ 20 minutes

Author ~ Julie

Serves ~ 4

Ingredients

*karutha kadala / black chana boiled, 1.75 cups

basmati rice 1.5 cups

water 2.5 cups

onion, 2 medium-sized sliced

ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp

tomato 2 medium-sized chopped

kashmiri chilli powder 1.5 tsp

hot chilli powder 1/2 tsp

coriander powder 2 tsp

garam masala 3/4 tsp

turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

salt to taste

coriander leaves 2 tbsp chopped

vegetable oil 3 tbsp

lemon juice 2 tsp

Watch on YouTube-

Method

• Wash and soak the basmati rice in water for 20 minutes.
• Soak the chick peas overnight and then cook as you regularly do in a pressure cooker. Keep the cooked water for gravy. Drain half cup of the boiled chick peas in a blender jar and pulse twice without adding any water. Keep aside.  

IMPORTANT- I have used 3/4 cup dry chick peas= 1.5 cups soaked chick peas = 1.75 cups boiled cooked chick peas for 1.5 cups basmati rice.I have mentioned each of the measures of chick peas so that it becomes easy if you are directly trying out the recipe with some leftover cooked chick peas. Modify the rice quantity to your available cooked chick peas and make pulao.

• Heat a pan and add oil. Add the ginger-garlic paste. Sauté until raw smell disappears. Slide in the onions, curry leaves and sauté until lightly browned.
• Add the turmeric powder, hot chilli powder, kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala. 
• Add the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are mushy.
• Add the ground chick peas and mix well. Then, add 1 cup of the chickpeas cooked water. Add the remaining boiled chick peas and cook covered for 5 minutes.
• Then add the 2.5 cups water, add the lemon juice, and finally add the drained rice and few coriander leaves.
• Cook for two whistles on high. Finally, add the remaining coriander leaves once the lid is opened. Fluff with a fork and enjoy with yogurt and cucumber.

NOTES

* IMPORTANT- I have used 3/4 cup dry chick peas= 1.5 cups soaked chick peas = 1.75 cups boiled cooked chick peas for 1.5 cups basmati rice.I have mentioned each of the measures of chick peas so that it becomes easy if you are directly trying out the recipe with some leftover cooked chick peas. Modify the rice quantity to your available cooked chick peas and make pulao.

* You can add 2 tsp of ghee too, but I kept it very simple for lunch box.

* You can try the same recipe with white kadala (kabuli chana) too.

* Grinding half of the chick peas and adding makes the pulao tastier.

* I haven't added whole spices in this pulao as kids don't like separating them out in their lunch box.

RELATED POSTS

* Achari Chana

* Falafel

* Kabuli Chana Chaat

* Kootu Curry

* Crispy Baked Chickpeas

* Achari Chana Pulao

* Chickpeas Avocado Salad

* Spinach- Chickpeas Masala

* Kabuli Chana Dip

Tawa Style Pulao | Mumbai Street Style Pulao (Step by Step Pics)

Tawa Style Pulao is a popular Mumbai street style pulao recipe made in a hot iron frying-pan(tawa) in which they make the pav bhaji masala. To the same pan, some leftover rice is added along with vegetables and prepared to soak up the spicy pav bhaji masala flavours leftover in the pan. Ideally long grain is used to make the tawa style pulao but here I have used kaima rice (jeeragashala rice) as I had some leftover cooked rice. In fact, you can use any leftover cooked rice to make this pulao as per the availability.

As it's one of the quickest pulao to make, all you need is some cooked rice, chopped veggies and pav bhaji masala. This is best served when warm and tastes yumm with no sides either. If you have an iron griddle or anodized pan, then should work finer than a non-stick pan. I have used an anodized pan to prepare the tawa pulao.Do give this a try if you are hunting down a quick pulao.

RELATED POSTS

• Paneer Pulao
• Minty Veg- Chicken Pulao
• Mushroom- Paneer Pulao
• Achari Chana Pulao
• Broccoli-Tomato Rice 
• Kashmiri Pulao
• Quinoa Veg Pulao
• Veg Pulao
• Spinach Corn Rice

Preparation time ~ 15 minutes

Cooking time ~ 25 minutes

Author ~ Julie

Serves ~ 4

Ingredients

jeeragashala / kaima rice 1 cup

water 1 3/4 cups

salt to cook rice

potato 1/2 cup cubed

cauliflower 1/3 cup cubed

beans 1/2 cup chopped small

carrot 1/2 cup cubed

green peas 1/2 cup

capsicum 1/2 cup small cut

onion 1 finely chopped

ginger-garlic paste 1tbsp

green chillies 3 finely chopped 

pav bhaji masala 1 tsp + 2tsp

tomatoes 4 finely chopped 

kasuri methi 1 tsp

oil (vegetable) 3 tbsp

salt to taste

to make paste

kashmiri chilly powder 1tbsp

cumin powder 1/2 tsp

Method

• Boil the potatoes, cauliflower, beans and carrot in a pan  with water and salt lightly. Cook till tender and keep aside.
• Add water in a pan (1 3/4 cups) with salt. Boil and add the rinsed rice, cook till done (may take 10-12 minutes). Spread the rice on a plate to cool completely and helps to prevent the rice from becoming mushy. 

• Mix the kashmiri chilly powder and cumin powder with little water and make a paste. OR soak 5-6 dry kashmiri chilli in hot  water and grind with cumin seeds to a smooth paste. Add salt lightly.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chillies. Then add onions, sauté and followed by capsicum. Sauté lightly without losing the tenderness. Add chopped tomatoes and add the kashmiri chilly paste with cumin.
• Cover and cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Quickly add the boiled veggies, thawed green peas and  slightly mash. Add the pav bhaji masala (1 tsp), mix well. Transfer the cooked rice to the pan. Add the rice in batches and mix.
• Finally, add the kasuri methi pav bhaji masala(2 tsp). Give a quick mix to combine, adjust salt to taste. Add coriander leaves to garnish. Serve warm with any of your fav sides or raitha. We served with Dhaba Style Paneer Curry.

NOTES

*I used frozen green peas, so added at the end with boiled veggies. If you are using fresh green peas, then boil with other veggies.

* Making a kashmiri chilli paste, yields the authentic colour to the tawa style pulao.

* You can use any veggies of your choice as per availability, but more or less these are the frequently used ones.

* Oil can be replaced for butter or both can be divide and taken. 

Try out these sides:

* Dhaba Style Paneer Masala

* Baby Corn Butter Masala 

* Paneer Lababdar

* Mattar- Paneer Curry

* Pomegranate Mango Raitha

Spinach - Corn Rice | Palak Rice ~ Lunch Box Special

Its been quite a few days since I posted something here. The reason being simple, I just got pre occupied with several other things that I hardly got time to pen down the drafts and publish them. So sorry dears. Anyways wish I have this energetic feel always to keep my blog space ready to publish all posts consistently. Today's post is a simple lunch box rice that takes hardly anytime to put together. Whenever mom prepared dishes out of these greens, I used to shy away as spinach was a big 'no' to me as a child.
But as I grew up and started understanding the good health benefits of spinach, I started using spinach in my cooking. Gradually this soft corner for palak helped me to try out variation of spinach recipes which would be acceptable to all especially my kids. The elder child is particular about a few peculiar tastes and so he doesn't like spinach. However spinach in the pureed form hardly tastes anything like spinach greens when it is ground along with a few cashews and added to this rice. The ground paste of grated coconut and cashews adds the needed fat to the rice to make it soft and doesn't make the rice dry out when mixed with spinach puree. The beautiful green color of this rice makes it stand out and definitely a kiddo pleaser too. Corn adds a nice sweetness to the rice which balances the flavours of palak. These are my home grown organic batch of spinach and so I plucked them before its very mature as baby spinach and so tasted delicious. The fried raisins in the rice is purely optional but my kids love cashew or raisins in these one pot meals and so I do add them. Do give this a try and am sure all will love it !!

Preparation time ~ 20 mins

Cooking time ~ 20 mins

Author~ Julie

Serves ~ 3 

Ingredients

rice 1 cup(basmati / sona masoori)

frozen corn kernels 1/2 cup

oil 3 tbsp

raisins  1 tbsp

turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

salt to taste

to grind

palak 1/2 bunch or 1 cup chopped

grated coconut 1/4 cup

cashews 10

ginger 1 " piece

garlic 4-5 cloves

green chillies 2 broken

Method

• Soak the cashews in a bowl of water for about 20 minutes.
• Wash and chop the palak(spinach). Blanch the palak and keep aside ( how to blanch palak- In a bowl of hot water, add the spinach leaves for about 40-45 seconds till stems are wilted.Immediately drain water and add in a bowl of cold water to stop cooking process. Drain water and use).

• In a mixer jar, add the grated coconut, ginger, garlic, green chillies, cashews and blanched palak. Add a tbsp of water to grind to a smooth paste.
• In the meantime, cook the rice as per packet instructions or rice variety. Keep aside to cool.
• In a pan, heat the oil. Add in the raisins, wait till its golden brown. Drain and keep aside.In the same oil add the corn kernels. Saute the corn for about 1 minute and add the ground paste. 

• Wash the blender jar with 3 tbsp of water and add. Cook till the masala is cooked well for 2 minutes, add salt and turmeric powder. Add in the cooked rice, mix well. Adjust salt if needed. 
• Cook covered for a minute and switch off flame. Add in the raisins and mix well.Serve warm with cucumber raitha and fried fryms. Enjoy !!

NOTES

* I didn't feel the need to add chilli powder as 2 green chillies were added as paste. But if you still feel to increase the heat then feel free to do so.

* I  have used frozen corn, thawed and used. If you use fresh corn kernels,then cook and use.

* You can use frozen green peas too instead of corn kernels.

Beef Paratha | Erachi (Meat) Paratha ~ Step by Step Pics

Parathas are always a happy dinner or quick lunch pack at my place for the boys, but to me its like serving an incomplete mealt(though its complete in itself )if you look on the nutritional part. That's because kids don't like any sides with parathas and just enjoy them rolling these up.H is not a big fan of parathas and he definitely needs a side like yogurt or raitha with parathas. Aloo parathas are the commonest one that they love most. Earlier I posted one non veg parathas so far that is using eggs- egg parathas and no other were tried unless I got to try this one.

Beef paratha was introduced to me by my cousin, all credits to L. His wife had prepared this for their dinner and over a casual phone call to him, got to know that he was having beef parathas. Though the call dropped minutes later, the blogger in me arose hinting I had to give beef parathas a try. I tweaked my own version of making the masala and finally made it. Though beef is one of my family favorite,I don't get it home frequently(may be once in two months or so). Then when I got beef, I had this in mind to try out the parathas with beef. And finally I tried out the parathas, kids were mad over them and I had to repeat making again the second time too when I bought beef. All loved it and if you love beef am sure you will love rolling up these parathas for a quick dinner or lunch pack. I made them for dinner and so the pictures were taken at night. The parathas can be had with a dollop of ketch up or just like that. You can even make the filling ahead and refrigerate to prepare the parathas thereafter. Do give this a try !!

Preparation time ~ 20 minutes
Cooking time ~ 25 minutes
Author ~ Julie
Serves ~ 8 parathas
Ingredients
to cook  beef 
beef  200 gms
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
pepper powder 1/2 tsp
salt

to make masala
onions finely chopped 1 medium sized
shallots/ kunjulli 1 cup sliced
ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp
green chillies / pachamulakku 2 finely chopped
tomato / thakkali 1 small chopped
chilly powder / mulaku podi 1 tsp
turmeric powder / manjal podi 1/2 tsp
garam masala 1/2 tsp
curry leaves a sprig
oil 2 tbsp
salt to taste

to make parathas
wheat flour 2.5 cups
salt
water
ghee to smear

Method

• Wash and rinse the cubed beef 3-4 times. Drain all water, add the beef to a cooker with 1/4 cup water, salt, pepper powder and turmeric powder. Cover and cook till done for 4-5 whistles or till done(the cooking time may vary as the beef so keep a watch accordingly).
• Knead the wheat flour and make a dough like we do for chapathi dough. Keep covered for 20 minutes.
• To make filling- Heat oil in a pan and add the ginger-garlic paste. Saute till the raw smell goes. Slide in the onions, green chillies, curry leaves and shallots, saute till its translucent.

• Add in the spices on low flame and saute again till raw smell disappears. Add in the tomato and give a quick toss. Keep the pan covered for tomatoes to get cooked and mushy. Finally add in the minced meat(beef) and mix well. Add salt slightly as needed(be careful as cooked beef already has salt in it). Cook covered for another minute till the spices are blend well with the mixture. switch off flame and leave to cool.

• To make parathas- Make balls larger than for making a chapathi and roll out a 3 cm large disc. Place about 1- 1.5 tbsp of filling in the center and close by bringing the edges together to the center. Seal and dip in dry flour. Flatten a bit using hands and then roll using rolling pin until the parathas get shape. 

• Heat a pan and wait till its hot. Transfer the parathas on the pan and cook both sides by flipping. Smear ghee or oil on both sides and serve on  a plate.
• Repeat the same step for making other parathas similarly. Serve warm.

NOTES

* You can add coriander leaves to the masala. I didn't have it ready at hand and haven't added.

* You can try making the same with minced chicken too to make chicken parathas.

* You can use minced beef instead of cooking and mincing too. I that case directly add to the masala mix and cook covered till done.
* You can even make the filling of the parathas ahead and refrigerate. The parathas can be made instantly thereafter.

Check out this link for more parathas and Indian flat bread recipes here.

Square Paratha (with Flax Seeds )

Square parathas are nothing fancy to talk about  and a simple parathas that are rolled in square shape. These parathas are layered with ghee and folded. Then rolled over again to get a square shape. These were a quick fix by my mom for our lunch boxes. We were happy to carry those parathas with a dash of mango pickle or lemon pickle with it. I do make these for my kids too for dinner or lunch box sometimes but never thought to share in the blog space but recently I got a mail asking to post more simple paratha recipes and so thought too share this up. Flax seeds are a new entity at home brought to uplift our omega 3 fatty acids as says the benefits. But sneaking these tiny seeds is a big headache and to be added in disguise. So I finally ended powdering and sneaking these in chapathis,pancake mix and parathas,works good to some extent. My elder one asks me- "What are the brown spots on these,amma?" I casually reply that the parathas/pancakes are probably a little over toasted..though its not a very convincing reply but still they haven't refused to eat as there was no obvious taste or flavors coming up in tastes. And their belief that mom is always right and so must be something healthy easily works out good in these instances. This is a simple layered paratha recipe with added flax seeds.

Preparation time ~ 15 minutes
Cooking time ~ 20 minutes
Serves ~ 6 parathas
Author ~ Julie

Ingredients
wheat flour 1.5 cups
flax seeds 2 tbsp
salt to taste
water (approx) 1 cup
ghee 2 tbsp

Method

•  Add the flax seeds in a blender and powder until smooth.
•  In a bowl, add the wheat flour,flax seeds powder, salt  and pour water little by little to knead in a chapathi dough. Keep covered for 20 minutes.
• Divide the dough in 6 balls and then roll each dough in a chapathi of 3" size. Smear ghee on the chapathi and then fold over in thirds and then fold again.

• Roll again thinly to make the parathas. Heat a frying pan and transfer each paratha on the pan. Cook both sides until lightly toasted and puffed up. Smear ghee on both sides and then transfer to a plate.
• Make the other parathas similarly and serve warm with any curries of your choice or any pickles. We served with a mixed vegetable curry.

NOTES

* You can make the square parathas without the addition of flax seeds too.

* You can make pooris with the dough too.

RELATED POSTS

* Aloo Paratha

* Egg Paratha

* Gobi stuffed Paratha

* Raw Papaya Paratha

* Broccoli Paratha

Paneer Pulao | Mixed Veg Pulao | Quick Lunch Box Ideas

Every day, I know moms are busy stressing themselves to find out what's for lunch box tomorrow for kids? I totally understand the plight as am a mom of two kids. My kids are not very picky to eat, and they only demand variety in their lunch boxes. Paneer is loved by my kids always, and invariably it's paneer butter masala which they love the most. Oh! I remember now, I haven't posted paneer butter masala still?? Usually it's my mistake that the dish which I make frequently never makes to the blog, simple reason is I keep postponing clicking pics. Anyway, hopefully will post soon.

 Paneer pulao is another interesting protein packed pulao that simply needs no accompaniment. In case you need a side dish with this then try on with some simple raitha which will suffice. Doesn't it sound delicious and make you happy when you have a vegetable and paneer mixed pulao? My kids definitely loved biting through the small cubed paneer pieces in the pulao, and so I make this pulao often. Try this out for your little ones, adjust the spices if you wish to make it more spicy as I always end up making mild pulao esp when it comes to their lunch boxes. Enjoy !!

Preparation time~ 20 mins
Cooking time ~ 25-30 mins
Serves ~ 4-5
Ingredients
basmati rice / jeerakashala rice 1.5 cups
water 2.5 cups if basmati and 3 cups if jeerakashala
paneer /cottage cheese 200 gms
carrot 1 big; chopped small
dry peas 1/3 cup
onion sliced thin 1 big
ginger 1 small piece
garlic 3-4 cloves
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
chilly powder 1/2 tsp
coriander powder 2tsp
garam masala 1 tsp
curry leaves, a sprig
mint leaves 2tsp chopped
salt to taste
oil 3 tbsp

to garnish
cashews 2 tsp
raisins 2 tsp
ghee/oil 1 tsp

Watch on YouTube -

Method

• Wash the paneer under running water if using store brought paneer and cut in cubes. If using homemade paneer, then cut in cubes. Heat a pan, add oil and lightly fry the cubed paneer by adding a pinch of salt and turmeric powder (omit if you don't like frying, add just like that). Drain on a plate and keep aside.
• In the same left over oil, add sliced onions. Sauté until lightly wilted, then add ginger-garlic paste.Then add veggies (peas and carrot), sauté lightly.
• Add in the spice powders, sauté until the raw smell disappears on low flame. Add 1/4 cup water and cook for 3 mins. Then add the required water (as listed) with salt. Let it come to boil, check taste and add salt. Add the rice(I have used jeerakashala rice) and mix well.
• Pressure-cook for one whistle or in a pan cook covered till 3/4th of rice is cooked.Slide in the fried paneer cubes. Cook covered again till the moisture is completely dried up.Finally, garnish with curry leaves and mint leaves.
• In another pan, add oil/ghee and fry the cashews, followed by raisins. Pour over the cooked pulao, mix and enjoy just like that or with a simple raitha.

NOTES
* I haven't' added any whole garam masala to this pulao, as kids don't like whole spice pieces in their rice. Add a small piece of cinnamon, 2-3 cloves, one bay leaf and 2 cardamom for extra flavor if desired.
* Don't forget to wash the store brought paneer, as it has a sour flavor of vinegar predominant.

*You can even add chopped beans, cauliflower too to this pulao.
*Omit the pudina leaves if you don't like the flavor.
* You can even use fresh green peas for a better taste.

You may also like these-
* Homemade Paneer
* Homemade Mawa
* Palak-Paneer masala
* Spinach Paneer Stir fry
* Paneer lababdar
* Mushroom Paneer Pulao

Raw Papaya Paratha | Papitha Paratha

Parathas are always a big yes to my kids. And it becomes easy in a way to sneak in veggies too. If you are looking for a simple lunchbox idea,this can be a helpful one as well. Raw papaya is an excellent source of fiber and so beats constipation and promotes digestive health. Raw papaya has the greatest amount of carotenoids than tomatoes and carrots. Hence it helps prevent vitamin deficiencies which kids are frequently prone to have. It is also helpful to ease menstrual pains for women. Though I do prepare papaya thoran but at times this is a healthy alternative and kids love this over thoran. The taste of these parathas is similar to mooli parathas and has no obvious flavors of its own. Do try it out if you are looking to add this veggie in your menu.

Check out more paratha recipes below-
Colorful Paratha
Broccoli Paratha
Gobi Paratha
Mooli Paratha
Aloo Paratha
Egg Paratha

Preparation time~30 mins
Cooking time ~15 mins
Serves ~6-7 parathas
Ingredients
to make paratha
wheat flour 2 cups
water approx 1 cup
salt to taste
oil or ghee 2-3 tbsp

for filling
raw  papaya grated 2 cups
green chilli  1- 2 finely chopped  or chilli powder 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds /jeerakam 1/2 tsp
ginger 1/2 inch piece chopped
coriander leaves /cilantro 1tbsp chopped
salt to taste
oil 2tsp

Method

• Wash and peel the skin of raw papaya. Remove the seeds. Grate the papaya with a grater like we do for mooli(radish) paratha.
• Heat a  pan and add oil listed from the filling section. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, let it sizzle.
• Then add the grated papaya,ginger,green chilli,coriander leaves chopped and saute for 3-4 mins. Add salt to taste. The filling becomes dry and not sticks to the pan. Remove on a plate and let it cool.
• In the meantime, mix the wheat flour with salt.Add water as needed and knead to form a dough as needed. Cover and leave the dough for 20 mins.

• After 20 mins, divide the dough into 6-7 equal portion and make balls. Take out one ball and roll out the dough by dipping it in dry flour. Make a 3 inch round and then place a tablespoon of filling. Cover neatly to seal all sides, and then dip in flour and roll out again to make a 6" round circle.
• Heat a tawa and when its hot,slide the paratha on it. Flip and turn both sides on low flame( that makes the parathas more crispier ). Smear oil or ghee on both sides and transfer to a plate.

• Similarly, repeat the same step to make rest of the balls. Serve warm parathas with achar(pickle) or raitha. We had with a simple raitha and kadumanga achar( raw mango pickle).

NOTES
* You can also prepare this paratha by kneading the dough with the filling like I prepared these mooli parathas. That way it becomes easier to roll out.
* This recipe is inspired from Nishamadulikka.com and I have tweaked slightly here and there.

Mexican Rice (Step by Step Pics)

Mexican dishes are loved by my family and this mexican rice is one of my kids favorite too.We first had this rice at a mexican restaurant(after reaching US) and we really liked the flavors.The rice tastes similar to tomato rice flavored with chicken broth.But recreating it at home was a big question to get the perfect restaurant style.I tried a few recipes wherein they used diced tomatoes but that didn't give a perfect texture of the restaurant one.Frying the rice in oil like we do for biriyani is an important step to get a non sticky rice.Finally,I ended up getting in these final measurements that worked just fine for me.However,restaurants use tomato paste and canned tomatoes that have a darker color and gives a nice color to the rice when cooked.Fresh tomatoes don't yield that bright color when cooked but flavor wise tastes great.This is a simple quick fix rice that we don't need any sides and love it just like that !!

Preparation time ~15 minutes
Cooking time~ 35 minutes
Recipe source~here
Serves ~ 4 adults small servings
Ingredients
*white long rice 2 cups
tomatoes 2 big (2 cups puree)
white onion 1 medium sized
*tomato paste 1 tbsp
jalapeno peppers deseeded 3
garlic cloves 4 minced
chicken broth/vegetable broth 2 cups
*water 1.5 cups
salt to taste 1 tsp
oil 1/3 cup
cilantro half cup chopped

Method

• Wash and cut the tomatoes,add to a blender.Add the chopped onions and blend together to a smooth paste.The puree shouldn't be less than 2 cups.
• Wash the rice under running water a few times to remove excess starch.Drain water and leave aside.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and add the rice.Saute the rice until nicely browned on low flame(takes about 6-7 minutes).

• Add in the minced garlic and jalapenos(green chillies).Saute again for 2 minutes.Now add in the broth(chicken/vegetable) and add the pureed tomato mixture(2 cups),water(1.5 cups),salt and tomato paste(if using).Mix well and bring to a boil.
• Lower the flame and cook covered for 20-25 minutes(stir in between once or twice to check the water content and to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan).
• Check the rice if done and switch off flame.Add in chopped cilantro to garnish.
• Serve warm with lemon wedges.

NOTES
* Traditionally they use white rice and so used that instead of basmati rice but you can always use brown rice or basmati rice as per tastes.But remember to alter the amount of water as per your rice.
* I personally don't like tomato paste and so don't buy.I used pizza sauce instead which works fine and has oregano in it.
* You can add cumin or oregano too to suit your taste buds.
* You can even add corn,peas or diced carrots to make it taste like a pilaf(pulao) style.
* I used chicken broth but you can always use vegetable broth if you are a vegetarian.
* I have used 1.5 cups of water as my family loves the rice well cooked.But you can always add 1 cup water and check in between for the cooking.This may also vary with the type of brand and variety.
* I used regular Indian green chillies and so used 4 chillies.But if using jalapenos,then modify as per tolerance.
* You can sautee the onions along with garlic and leave it just like that,tastes good too.But here when we had in restaurants,they had no visible veggies in it and so I pureed them to recreate the original flavors.