Akki Bhakari/ Akki Rotti/ Tandula-chi-Bhakari

Akki Bhakari/ Akki Rotti/ Tandula-chi-Bhakari

Flatbreads are a part of Indian menus. We, Indians make flatbreads out of wheat, jowar/sorghum, and millets like ragi, bajra and many more grains  I do not know about.

Indian flatbreads like its culture and cuisine is diverse but still there is a thread connecting them all. You can read about Indian flatbreads here.

Coming to today’s CCC challenge I am making Akki rotti (like the Lingayats community will say in my hometown) or Akki Bhakari like the Brahmin community will say!

Akki bhakari was a standard food growing up.  It used to be like jowar one only whiter, easier to eat and hot straight from the tava/skillet to the plate!

This used to be breakfast and then straight to books after that to do holiday homework!

Amma never added spring onion or dhania/ coriander or chillies but here in Goa the same is made with all the above and is called Tandula chi bhakari.

Remember the thread that connects the whole of India! You will find the same foods with a slight variation all over India.

It’s delicious and hubby loved it.

Akki Bhakari/ Akki Rotti/ Tandula-chi-Bhakari

Akki Bhakari/ Akki Rotti/ Tandula-chi-Bhakari

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Rice flour
• 1 bundle of spring onions, chopped fine
• 2-3 green chillies, chopped fine
• 3 tblspn coconut, freshly grated
• A few springs of dhania/ coriander
• Salt to taste
• Oil to fry
• Water

Foil

Non-stick tava/skillet

Method:

• In a bowl add the rice flour, spring onion, green chillies, coconut coriander and salt.mix well.
• Pile the mixture in the middle and make a well in the centre.
•  Using hot water and a spoon mix a little water. Add water gradually the idea is to get a soft dough without it being sticky.
• Once the dough is ready make small balls the size being smaller than that of tennis balls but bigger than a lime. Set aside.
• Heat the non- stick tava/skillet.
• Oil the foil and place one ball on the smeared portion.  Flatten the ball on the oil gently turn it over and using your fingers flatten the dough to make a thin circle about 1/8 inch in thickness.
• Place the foil on the tava/skillet with the flattened circle on the tava/skillet. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes then you will be able to peel the foil off and reuse to make the next roti.
• Meanwhile the roti on the tava/skillet needs your attention. Use a tsp to oil the sides of the roti. Flip it over and cook on the other side. The roti is done when it gets slight brown flecks and changes colour.
• Serve hot with homemade butter.

Akki Bhakari/ Akki Rotti/ Tandula-chi-Bhakari

This joins the May Week 3 Cooking from Cookbook Challenge Group.

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Aloo Paratha

Aloo Paratha

Whatever paratha I make the first question I am asked is “aloo paratha?”

Half the times I say no and the complaint to you never make … blah blah is followed.

I make aloo paratha in 2 ways this is the simplest one. The only job here is grating the boiled potatoes. Mashing them makes them sticky and at times there are fine lumps which will make rolling out a bit difficult in this shortcut method that I generally follow,

Needless to say aloo paratha is filling and tasty.

Tastes best with pickle and curds!!

 Aloo Paratha

Ingredients:

For The Dough:

• 2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

For the Stuffing:

• 2 ½ cups boiled potatoes peeled and grated tsp jeera/cumin powder
• 1 tsp dhania/coriander powder 
• 1 tbsp green chillies finely chopped 
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 2 tbsp dhania/ coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• whole wheat flour for rolling
• oil for cooking and greasing

Method:
For the dough:

• Combine the whole wheat flour, oil and salt in a bowl and mix well.
• Add enough water and knead into semi-stiff dough. Keep aside.
• For the stuffing:
• In the grated potatoes add the cumin powder, coriander powder, green chillies, chilli powder, coriander leaves, and salt.
• Mix well till it forms soft dough.
• Divide the stuffing into 12 equal portions and keep aside.
• Divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
• Using the dry flour roll a portion of the dough into a circle about of about 4 inches.
• Place a ball of the stuffing in the centre of the circle and
• Fold the edges over stuffing and seal tightly.
• Roll again into a circle of 6 inches circle using the flour as needed.
• Heat a tava/skillet and cook the paratha using a little oil until golden brown spots appear on both the sides.
• Repeat with the remaining dough and stuffing.
• Serve immediately with fresh curds.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#50

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Mooli ke Parathe/ Raddish Paratha Indian Flat Bread

Mooli ke Parathe/ Raddish Paratha Indian Flat Bread

“Roti khayenge?” Which will translate to,” will you have food? ”

Diversity is what India is all about not only in regions, languages but also in food. But this is a question you will definitely hear in North India! People will welcome you to join them for a meal.

Everyday food in India has good health packed in its ingredients and is a complete meal by itself. You will have proteins, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins minerals and water when you have an Indian meal especially when you have a home cooked Indian meal.

I have already written about Indian flatbreads. Interested? 

In my place we have chapatti every day; rice is made only on demand.  I prefer to make paratha to chapattis.

Mostly I make the kinds in which the flour is mixed with the vegetables or dal.

 The girls of course prefer the aloo paratha! The complaint is mooli paratha or methi paratha?? And they dig in.

Mooli ke Parathe/ Raddish Paratha

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour/atta+ for application

  

  Mooli ke Parathe/ Raddish Paratha Indian Flat Bread

• ¾ cup white radish, grated
• ¼   cup radish leaves, chopped
• ½ tsp haldi/turmeric powder
• 1 ½ tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp dhania/ coriander powder
• 1 tsp jeera/cumin powder
• A pinch of chat masala
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt to taste
• Oil for cooking

For Serving:

• Curd

Method:

• Mix the grated radish, radish leaves salt and all the dry powders in a bowl. Knead and combine well. Let it stand for a few minutes to ½ and hour.
• add the flour and 1 tsp oil  mix all the flour. 
• Knead with hardly any water. The water from the radish is generally enough but in case you need use water sparingly to make soft dough.
• Make 12 equal portions of the dough.
• Roll out each portion thinly into a circle, using a little whole wheat flour for rolling.
• Heat a non-stick tava/skillet  and cook each paratha, using ¼ tsp of oil, till they turn golden brown in colour from both the sides.
• Keep aside to cool slightly.

Variation:

Methi parathas:

• You can use 1 ½ cup of chopped fenugreek (methi) leaves instead of white radish and radish leaves for the above recipe.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

How to make Chapattis/Rotis/ Indian Flat bread

The diversity of Indian cuisine is reflected in the sheer variety of flatbreads and crêpes.

Most Indian breads are flatbreads, that is flattened by rolling and are mostly without the addition of leavening agent.

So what is a leavening agent?

A leavening agent also called leavening or leaven is a substance used in dough and a batter that causes them to rise. The triggers could be moisture, heat, acidity. The leavening agent reacts to produce gas (often carbon dioxide) that becomes trapped as bubbles within the dough.

In northern India breads are primarily from milled flour, usually whole wheat flour / Atta or maida/ all purpose flour, and water.  Paratha may be stuffed with vegetables and layered with either ghee or butter or they may be kneaded in the dough itself.

The Atta is kneaded with salt and a little oil with water/ milk and then rolled on the “chakla with the belan” or on a floured board with the rolling pin and then baked on a hot tava/skillet. Puri, lucchi, baturas etc are deep fried.

 Different varieties of Indian bread include are  Chapatti, Phulka, Puri, Roti, Bajra Rotla,  Thepla, Paratha, Naan, Kulcha, Bhatoora,  Luchi, Puran Poli/ holgi ,Pathiri, Parotta and many more. The difference arises from on the kind of grain used to prepare them, and also on the fillings they contain.

In southern India and the West Coast, most flatbreads are basically crêpe made from Urid dal and rice, generally the kinds of lentils used in India especially south India is mindboggling.

The batter of rice and dal is prepared and ladled in small amounts onto a hot greased or tava/skillet, where it is spread out into a circle and fried with oil or ghee until golden brown.

 In Western India (including the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan) bread may be made from coarse grains such as bajra, sorghum or ragi, though wheat is the staple in these regions. These breads are known by various names rotlo (Gujarati), bhakri (Marathi), roti (Rajasthan) or rotti (North Karnataka). Rice is also used to make rotti.

The Appam is fermented bread usually prepared with finely powdered rice flour.

Who can forget masala dosa and its variations also a South Indian staple food.

The famous naan and tandoori roti which are baked in a tandoor are of Central Asian Origin. Naan is leavened with yeast.

Most of this gyan is from Wikipedia, of course.

So let’s begin out journey about Indian breads with the plain everyday chapatti.

Something each girl learns at her mother’s place, the first chapatti where mum guides you to make it, the thrill of eating “my chapatti”!

I still remember how my father in my Std. IX used to tease me about the maps I made every day for his breakfast.  Till, I gave him perfectly round circles, not one of them smaller or bigger than the next one.

He started his next hunt how does she do it? The mystery remained mystery till he caught me using a plate with a sharp edge and removing the uneven edges. :D

So let us get down to make e chapattis, here is what you need.

Chapatti

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour+ some more for application
• 1 tblspn oil+ some more for application in a bowl
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Water as needed

Method:

• Mix the flour, oil and salt.
• Add a little water at a time to make a soft dough.
• Knead the dough well.
• Apply some oil and keep aside covered for ½ an hour at least.
• After ½ an hour knead the dough again.
• Divide into 6 portions dredge.

• Roll out each portion into small circles the size of your palm
• Dip your fingers in the oil and apply to the circle. Fold in a semicircle.
• Apply some oil to the semicircle and fold again. Now you have a quarter.
• Dredge in dry flour and roll out thin rounds. Use flour to prevent the chapatti sticking to the board or the rolling pin.
• Cook on a heated tava/skillet.

To cook:

• Keep the flame low and transfer the chapatti on the hot tava/skillet.
• As the chapatti cooks you will get slight bubbles on the surface of the chapatti.
• Gently turn the chapatti so the side on the tava/skillet is now facing up. Raise the flame to high.
• Now your chapatti will cook faster and if you have rolled out the chapatti well it will fluff up.
• With a clean kitchen cloth or a spatula press the edges turn the chapatti. The idea is that the chapatti should be browned lightly   even on the edges. Once all the edges are done.
• Turn the chapatti again for the final time.  Repeat the pressing of the edges.
• Set aside.

Notes:

• The rolling of the chapatti has to be tin on the edges and thicker in the centre.
• If your rolling is correct and even then you need not press the chapatti. But I prefer to do it as the chapatti fluffs up and the edges are not done.

 Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Dhania Puri and Spicy Potato Vegetable ~ Baby Shower for Sapana

Life is meant to be cherished, embraced and enjoyed!  

Who demonstrates the philosophy better than a baby?

Who can resist the wobbly bundle of joy that makes all the household dance?

In fact you are happy that you are dancing to the small bundles tunes. Who cries and cries but coos and smiles the moment his needs are satisfied?

Wondering whets wrong with me?  My friend Sapana is having a baby and this is a virtual baby shower that we at Blogging Marathon group have organised for her.

Enjoy the party and feast on the delicious Dhania Puri and Spicy Potato Bhaji that I have made for the party from Sapana's space!! They were a part of my daughters tiffin .

Have a great time Sapana and share lots and lots of pics of the baby!

Dhania Puri

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup wheat flour
• 1 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala (I did not use)
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tblspn oil
• Water as needed
•  Oil for frying

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, as it started popping add grated ginger and sauté for 1 minute.
• Add chopped chillies and onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
• Now add all spices and salt, mix well.
• Add chopped coriander leaves, cook or 5 minutes and set aside.
• Take wheat flour in a bowl, add coriander masala and knead to a smooth dough by adding   water as needed.
• Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Make 8 small round balls from the dough.
• Apply some oil on chakla belan and roll one ball into the size of Puri.
• Heat oil in a kadhai/wok, slide one Puri at a time carefully and fry from both sides you should get slight brown specks on the puri and you are done.
•  Repeat with remaining balls.
• Serve hot with Spicy potato vegetable.

Ever on look out to reduce time spent in the kitchen? Or you have guests and you need a dish urgently? Then this one is for you!

A simple and delicious potatoes vegetable to enjoy with your lunch or dinner! Potatoes…so it has to taste awesome and it can be put together effortless!!

Sapna has used baby potatoes I used regular ones.

Spicy Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes
• 1 tsp kasuri methi(dry fenugreek leaves)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp amchur(dry mango powder )
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 2 tblspn oil

Method:

• Pressure cook the potatoes till cooked well.
• Peel and prick and cut in pieces.
• Heat oil in a kadhai/wok add cumin seeds and kasuri methi.
• As cumin seed crackle, add potatoes and let the cook on both side till a little golden in colour. Flip the potatoes gently to avoid breaking.
• Now add all spices powder and salt, mix gently to evenly coat the spices.
• You can add oil If potatoes start sticking to the pan. (I did not).
• Cook for 4-5 minutes, remove from heat and serve hot with Paratha or chapatti.
• I served it with Dhania/ coriander Puri.

This is a part of the Baby Shower that we at Blogging Marathon are having for Sapana !

An InLinkz Link-up

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Paneer, Bottle Gourd and Mint Parathas-Working Lunch Thali

When Valli was floating her idea of Indian Thali Mela I was quiet. 

That is quite unlike me. Usually I like to be in the thick of things if not doing anything else at least making a noise.

You may wonder why I was quiet. Well there is a reason no three reasons

1. Will I be able to cook an entire festive thali all by myself? I do not know why I wanted one festive thali but I wanted it. I still want to make one but

 2. Will I have eaters? For my family is one are very fussy eaters so I did not want my hard work go down the drain.

3. The most important reason is I do not know how to click it. The pictures suck.  

So I decided to let the festival go by. But I hate failures or giving up before I try so I decided to try. I would love to see your comments on improving my pics.

Raw Banana Paratha

Back to basics is running breads and is being hosted by PJ. And I wanted to send something. What better than a raw banana paratha. I know this is one of my shortest posts but today is the last day and I have left it for the last possible moment.

Ingredients:

3 cups atta

2 tsp jeera/ cumin seeds powder

2 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp red chilli powder(adjust as per taste )

1 tsp  haldi

1 tsp kalonji(optional)

1 raw banana

Coriander

Oil

Salt

Method:

1.     Peel and boil the banana in the cooker for 2 whistles.

2.     Let it cool completely. Now grate it.

3.     Mix all the ingredients using a teaspoon or two of oil with a little water to form a smooth but elastic dough.

4.     Let it rest for atleast half an hour.

5.     Make balls and roll out into parathas. ( I got 16)

6.     Heat a griddle/ tava and fry the parathas on both sides. Use oil if you need generally I use oil for every alternate one.

7.     Serve with curds, tomato chutney.

Sending to Back to Basics

And veggie /fruit of the month

Archana

Soya Bean and Methi Paratha

We had a sweet old couple living near us they have now shifted to Mumbai.  I used to make it a point to meet them everyday in the evening after Office. The old gentleman whom my kids used to call Ajoba was my feedback on politics, current affairs etc and the lady whom we called Ajji used to share a lot of tips recipes and general gossip.  

 She told me to how to make Soya bean curd or whatever the lump is called and she told me she had watched paratha made on the TV. I tried it and was very happy that I could get in a whole grain in the form of  a Paratha which is highly appreciated here at my home.

The rest is all how I make parthas at home. I have used methi you can use palak, pumpkin bottle gourd anything.

Ingredients:

10 grms Soya bean, soaked over night

1 cups methi leaves, chopped fine

Coriander leaves chopped

Mint leaves (optional)

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 green chillies (adjust as per taste)

 ½ inch piece of ginger

5 cloves garlic

3 cups Wheat flour

Red chilli powder

Turmeric

2 tsp powdered cumin

1 tsp powdered coriander seeds

A big fat pinch of hing/asafoetida

Sesame seeds

Salt

Method:

1.       Peel the soaked Soya bean seeds. 

2.Then grind them to a fine paste in the mixer use water if you feel the need.

3.       Pour the paste in a kadhai and heat it on low flame till it clumps together. Let it cool.

4.       Grind the mint, coriander, chillies, ginger, garlic and onion in the mixer to a fine paste.

5.       Mix all the ingredients to soft dough.

6.       Make balls and roll out into circular shape.

7.       Roast on hot tava.

8.       Serve with curds, tomato chutney.

Here I have served with curds and stuffed capsicum.