Palak Puri Recipe | How to make Palak Poori

Puri is a popular breakfast in almost all parts of  India and also there are few variations in various regions to the simple puri.While the most common version is by using the whole wheat flour there are variations like the Luchi, which is a Bengali version of puri with all purpose flour.Even at our place we prepare puri with a mix of wheat flour and all purpose flour.Puri is again a versatile recipe that one can flavor the puris with spices like a mix of all masalas to make masala puri or ajwain to make ajwain puri or you can add puress of various vegetables or greens to make vegetable puree or you can even stuff them and make various stuffed puris.

Coming to today's recipe - Palak Puri is a simple puri recipe where I have added pureed spinach while making the dough which resulted in beautiful green puris. There were days that deep fried foods used to be rare at home just to compensate the extra calories we used to gorge on weekends in the restaurants,but now staying in a different country and also an active toddler at home - I have started preparing these deep fried goodies often at home. As my little one ate this puri for the first time he was so surprised to see a colorful puri in his breakfast plate.Also, I prepare puris for him in various shapes using cookie cutter instead of a round puri, so he likes it even more!!

Check out other puri recipes in my blog:

• Mangalore Buns | Deep fried Banana Buns
• Matar Kachori with Alu ki Sabzi  - Delhi Style (must try recipe)
• Methi Poori and Potato Masala
• Poori and Mixed Vegetable Saagu
• Vadappam(Riceflour Poori) and Chintaku Palya

Palak Puri Recipe:

Serves 2-3 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Breakfast

Ingredients:

1.5 cup Whole wheat flour

1 medium bunch of Spinach(Palak), 2 cups when roughly chopped

2 Green chilies,optional

2 tsp Oil

Salt to taste

Oil,to deep fry

wheat flour, to dust

Method:

• Blanch the spinach(palak) along with green chilies(if using) in hot salted water until they turn slightly soft .Drain and cool it and grind to a smooth paste.
• In a large bowl, take wheat flour and add ground palak puree, salt and 2 tsp oil and mix nicely.

• Add water little by little until you can make semi-hard dough. Knead the dough nicely for 3-4 mins and apply oil and cover it and leave it aside for 10-15 mins.
• Slightly knead it again and divide the dough into 10-12 small lemon sized balls.

• Roll each ball into 4" diameter puri(slightly thicker than the rotis) by dusting it with wheat flour or by using oil whichever is convenient for you.Roll 5-6 puris and keep them ready.

• Meanwhile heat sufficient oil in a kadai over medium flame.Once the hot is hot enough which you can test by putting a tiny pinch of dough, if it raises immediately means the oil is hot enough.

• Gently slide one puri in the hot oil and try to press it in the center slightly until it puff up and turn them to the other side and fry them.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and repeat the process for all the puris.

Serve the puris hot with Chole/Kadai Chole/Pindi Chana/Aloo Bhaji/Aloo gravy/ Boondi Raita and and North Indian Aam ka Achar.

Notes:

1. If you are preparing it for kids, avoid green chilies in the recipe as I did.
2. You can even flavor it with a tsp of ajwain for making the dough.It is optional.
3. You can make any vegetable puris like the same by using either carrots or beetroots or tomatoes and follow the same process.

Technorati Tags: palak puri recipe, how to make palak poori, north indian breads, puri recipes, breakfast recipes

Keerai Molagootal Recipe | Palakkad Recipes

Keerai Molagootal is an authentic Palakkad Iyer recipe which is prepared out of spinach,toor dal and coconut mixture. I saw this recipe being posted by many of my tamil friend bloggers all these years but I never thought of making it by myself. Tamil cuisine is a bit unexplored territory for me apart from the usual breakfast recipes.I had mentioned in this post about my helper who had introduced the Chinese chye sum greens to my kitchen, she only has introduced even this dish to us.She had learnt it from her earlier employer who is a Tambram belonging to Palakkad and hence I would say this is an authentic version of the recipe.So, do not get surprised if you see me posting more Tamilnadu recipes in my blog.

I have mentioned many times in my blog that we eat lot of greens in our regular cooking and spinach is one such green which gets featured more.There are lot of options in North Indian cooking but have limited options in south Indian cooking and hence I always end up making spinach dal, spinach sambar and spinach chutney.Repeating the same dishes might be boring and hence a change in recipes is always welcome and this is one such dish which is getting featured now often in my menu.

Check out south Indian green recipes to serve with rice:

• Thotakura(Amaranth leaves) Stir fry
• Dill-Dal Stir Fry/Sabasige Soppu Palya
• Gongura Pulusu Kura, Gongura Pappu
• Thotakura Pesarapappu Podi Kura/Amaranth-Moong dal Curry
• Menthikura Pappu/Methi Dal
• Palakura Pappu / Spinach Dal

Keerai Molagootal Recipe:

Serves 3-4 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 40 mins

Cuisine: Tamilnadu | Category: Side dish for Rice

Ingredients:

1 bunch Spinach/Palak

1/4 cup Toor dal

1/4 cup grated Coconut or 1/3 cup chopped Coconut pieces

2-3 Red chilies

2 tsp Urad dal

3/4 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

to temper:

2 tsp Coconut Oil/ regular Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Urad dal

1 Red chili,broken

4-5 Curry leaves,optional

Method:

• Clean ,wash and cut the spinach roughly and boil it in water for 3-4 mins and drain it.Pressure cook toor dal and keep it ready.

• Heat 1/2 tsp of oil and add urad dal and red chilies and fry until they turn red in color.Cool them a bit.

• Grind the roasted urad dal and red chilies with grated(chopped) coconut and cumin seeds to a fine paste by adding enough water. 

• Add boiled spinach to the ground coconut mixture and grind it again.

• Add the ground mixture to the pressure cooked dal and add salt and turmeric powder and cook for 4-5 mins until the mixture boils.Adjust the consistency as required.

• Heat coconut oil or regular oil in a small tadka pan and crackle cumin seeds.Add urad dal, red chili and curry leaves and fry until the dal turns red and add it to the cooked mixture.

Serve it hot with steamed plain rice, some dry curry and papad.

Notes:

1. You can avoid grinding the spinach and instead add the finely chopped and boiled spinach and follow the recipe, it will not look green like this.
2. Greens like green Amaranth or red amaranth can be used to prepare this molagootal recipe by following the same recipe and also few vegetables like beans, cabbage or a mix of vegetables.
3. The quantity of spinach should be more and the toor dal should be less in the recipe.
4. Coconut oil is said to give the best flavor in the recipe, but I used regular oil in the recipe.

Technorati Tags: molagootal recipe, keerai molagootal recipe, palakkad iyer recipes, palakkad recipes, southindian side dish, tamilnadu recipes, side dish for rice, spinach recipes, keerai recipes

Dondakaya Pacchadi | Ivy Gourd Chutney | Andhra Pacchadi Varieties

Pacchadi is nothing but Chutney prepared out of vegetables and is served with Rice. Pacchadis are a part of an everyday Andhra meal and an Andhra Thali is incomplete without a Pacchadi variety. There are various Pachhadi varieties in Andhra and is prepared with many vegetables like Brinjal. Ladies finger, Bottle gourd, Bitter gourd, Ridge gourd, Carrot, Radish, various greens etc. I am posting a very versatile recipe which can be adapted to prepare with many vegetables mentioned in the notes.

Today I am posting a simple Dondakaya Pacchadi, aka Ivy Gourd Chutney. We prepare Dondakaya Pacchadi in two variations - one is this and the other one is a raw version where we use raw Ivygourd which tastes surprisingly delicious,which I post some other time. Ivy gourd is one of my favorite vegetable and I always end up preparing a simple Dondakaya fry most of the time which is my favorite,one can prepare Dondakaya Poriyal(kura) with Coconut or Dondakaya Ullipaya Karam which tastes delicious too. If you want to try something new you can even try the Maharasthrian style Masale Bhaat which itself is a complete meal.Now off to the recipe.

Check out other Pacchadi varieties for Rice in my blog:

• Beerakaya Pottu Pacchadi/Ridgegourd Peel Chutney
• Dosakaya(Andhra Cucumber) Pacchadi
• Chintakaya Pandumirapakaya Pacchadi | Tamarind Redchili Chutney
• Gongura Pacchadi with Green Chillies
• Gongura Pacchadi with Red Chillies
• Kobbari(Coconut) Pacchadi for Rice
• Mamidikayi-Kobbari Pacchadi/Mango-Coconut Pacchadi
• Nalleru Pacchadi | Pirandai(Adamant Creeper) Thuvaiyal
• Nellikai Pacchadi | Usirikaya Pacchadi with Red Chillies
• Radish leaves(Mullangi akula) Pacchadi
• Talimpu Gongura | Noone Gongura
• Usirikaya Pacchadi(with Green Chillies)

Dondakaya Pacchadi Recipe:

Serves 3-4 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: Andhra | Category: Side dish - Pacchadi(Chutney) for Rice

Ingredients:

200 gms Ivygourd/Dondakaya (20-25 pieces)

3-4 Green chilies(or Red chilies)

2-3 Garlic pods,optional

1/2 tsp Tamarind paste

1 tsp Chana dal

1.5 tbsp Urad dal

3/4 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tsp Oil

to temper:

1 tsp Oil/Ghee

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Urad dal

5-6 Curry leaves

1 broken Red chili

a pinch of Asafoetida

Method:

• Wash, trim both the sides of Ivy gourd and cut them into thin roundels and keep them ready.
• In a kadai heat 1 tsp oil an add chana dal, urad dal and cumin seeds and fry until the dals turn slight red in color.
• Add green chilies(or red chilies) and garlic pods and fry until the chilies wilt.Remove the mixture into a plate and let it cool.

• Grind the roasted dals ,chilies and garlic mixture to a fine powder.
• In the same kadai heat oil and add sliced ivy gourd roundels and fry for 5-7 mins until they are 3/4 th cooked.If you are using whole tamarind add it now and cook for a minute to soften it else you can add it during grinding if you are using tamarind pulp.Let it cool.

• To the ground spice powder add the fried ivy gourd pieces and grind it in whipper mode to a coarse paste.Remove the mixture into a serving bowl.

• Heat oil(or ghee) in a small tadka pan and crackle mustard seeds and add urad dal,curry leaves, red chili and asafoetida and fry until the dal turns red in color.Add the tempering on top of the pacchadi and mix it gently and keep it covered.

Serve it with hot steamed rice,ghee and fryums.

Notes:

1. You can use red chilies instead of green chilies. You can even skip garlic if you do not like it.
2. You can follow the same process to make other pacchadi varieties like Brinjal Pacchadi, Bottle gourd Pacchadi, Ridge gourd Pacchadi, Ladies finger Pacchadi, Cabbage Pacchadi and other vegetables and greens too.

Technorati Tags: dondakaya pacchadi, ivy gourd chutney, dondakaya recipes, andhra roti pacchadlu, andhra pacchadi recipes, south indian chutney recipes, pacchadi varieties for rice, andhra recipes, tindora chutney

Cranberries Cupcakes | Easy Cranberries Muffins Recipe

Wishing all my friends and readers a very Merry Happy Christmas!!!
When my bestie Lubna messaged and asked me if I could do a guest post for her Christmas bakes series what else I would have told other than YES, it is my pleasure to do a post for a good friend like her. We both can chat for hours together about the food, menus, pictures, food photography and so on. I am thankful to blogging that I could make wonderful friends like her who are friends for life. I actually did not have much time when she asked me as I had travel plans, so could not do an elaborate bake and chose a simple cupcake which I promised to send her on time.As her theme was Christmas bakes I chose something fruity and these cranberry cupcakes are the most easiest cupcakes to prepare.So if you are looking for simple and quick Christmas bakes, this recipe is apt for you.If ou are interested to check Christmas Fruit Cake recipe, check it here. I am posting the same in my blog too just to keep record of the recipe for later use and also for my readers not to miss this recipe.

I bake a batch of cupcakes or muffins for my son every week and it has become a ritual now. I try to do mostly whole wheat based cakes for him and of course there are exemptions at times. These muffins I have tried from a book named Mini Cakes by Joanna Farrow. This book was gifted to me by a fellow blogger Deesha in one of her contests. This book is apt for those who look out to prepare a small batch of cakes and cupcakes.This book has lot of brownies.cupcakes, little cakes,muffins and cake pops recipes.These cranberry muffins are really easy and quick to make and can be prepared in less than half an hour. I have tweaked the recipe a bit in order to prepare with the ingredients in my hand and have mentioned the details in the notes section.

Check out other cupcakes/muffins recipes in my blog:

• Eggless Oats- Wheat Banana Muffins
• Eggless whole wheat banana muffins
• Eggless Chunky Apple Streusel Muffins - both Egg/Eggless options
• Moist Chocolate Cupcakes with Cocoa Butter Frosting
• Vanilla Cupcakes with Butter Cream Icing

Cranberry Muffins Recipe:

Yields 9 big Cupcakes ,I got 6 big and 6 small cupcakes

Prep time: 10 mins | Baking time: 15 mins | Total time: 25 mins

Cuisine: International | Category: Muffins/Cupcakes - Baking

Ingredients:

100 gms All Purpose flour

100 gms Cranberries, roughly chopped

100 ml fresh Yogurt, beaten

80 gms Caster Sugar

1 Egg

2 tbsp Vegetable/Canola Oil

3/4 tsp Vanilla essence

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking soda

a pinch of Salt

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190 deg C/375 deg F/Gas Mark 5. Line a muffin pan with the liners, I have used 6 piece big muffin tray and 6 small muffin cups here for this recipe.

• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl. I did on paper and shifted it to the bowl. You can mix in caster sugar to the flour mixture here or beat with the wet ingredients in the following step.

• In another bowl beat yogurt,oil and egg with a wire whisk until evenly combined.Add vanilla essence and mix it nicely.

• Add the whisked wet ingredients into the dry flour mixture and fold in gently until the ingredients are just mixed.This mixture will be slightly thicker compared to cake batter.
• Add a tsp of flour to the cranberries and mix them in a cup and then add to the muffin batter and mix gently.

• Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until 3/4 th of the liners.Bake them in a preheat oven at 180 deg C for 12-15 mins until they are done.Do a toothpick test to check the doneness of the muffins, if you prick the toothpick in the center it should come out clean which indicates that the muffins are done.

• Leave the muffins in the tin for 2 mins and transfer them in their case to a wire rack to cool.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

You can dust them with icing sugar.

Notes:

1. The original recipe called for self raising flour, I used all purpose flour and increased the quantity of baking powder in the recipe than mentioned. If you are using self raising flour use the same amount as all purpose flour and reduce the baking powder to 1/2 tsp in the recipe and you can avoid baking soda too.
2. The original recipe used 55 gms of sugar which I felt was very less and hence added more in the recipe and that was perfect for our liking.
3. These are low fat muffins which I could feel in the taste Though they were soft and fluffy I felt they could have been more moist. You can increase the oil more by 1-2 tablespoon in the recipe and reduce the yogurt accordingly if you want very moist muffins.

Technorati Tags: muffins recipes, cranberrry muffins recipes, cupcakes recipes, easy cupcakes recipes, easy muffins recipes, easy baking recipes

Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe | Basic Eggless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

I have realised that I still have not posted an eggless chocolate cake recipe in my blog though I have made it umpteen number of times. I have tried many eggless chocolate cake recipes and this recipe from maria's blog is one among the best that even a beginner can do it without any hassles. This is an easy eggless chocolate cake recipe with no eggs and no butter. As it is Christmas time I thought it is perfect to post this recipe atleast now,better late than never.

This recipe yields a rich, moist and soft eggless Chocolate cake which is perfect for any occasion.I have made this cake for my helper's birthday to wish her in my style and needless to say that she was surprised and overwhelmed with joy seeing this cake and a small gift from my kiddo. I had made this cake in a jiffy and hence the finishing was not perfect but one can easily make it and decorate it as their wish.

One can follow the same recipe to prepare eggless chocolate cup cakes and they turn out good too.You can make this as a plain eggless chocolate cake with no frosting too, in that case one needs to increase the sugar portion a bit more,check it in my notes section.But the chocolate cake with chocolate ganache is a match made in heaven and I just love the thick ganache on my chocolate cake, it makes it even more rich and yummy.But one can use even simple cocoa butter frosting or chocolate icing to decorate this simple eggless chocolate cake. I have tried this recipe many times and I must say that this is a fool proof basic eggless chocolate cake recipe which you can blindly follow the recipe and make this delicious cake.I will post other eggless chocolate cake recipes later which are equally good.

Check out other eggless cakes recipes in my blog here:

• Eggless Chocolate Banana Bread-low fat version
• Eggless-Dates Cake, Eggless Marble Cake
• Eggless Sponge Gateau with Strawberry Cream Icing
• Eggless Vanilla Sponge Cake | Eggless Tutti Frutti Cake 
• Eggless Orange flavored Sponge Cake
• Eggless Cocoa Walnut Brownies
• Eggless 2 mins Instant Microwave Mug Brownie/Cake
• Eggless Parle-G Biscuit Cake

Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe with Chocolate Ganache:

makes a 7" round cake

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 25 mins | Total time: 35 mins

Cuisine: International | Category: Dessert/Cake

Ingredients:

for Cake:

1 cup All purpose flour(1 cup - 240 ml)

6 tbsp Unsweetend Cocoa powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/8 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Caster Sugar,if  using frosting (use 3/4 cup sugar if not using frosting)

1/2 cup Oil (Canola/neutral Vegetable Oil)

1/4 cup beaten Yogurt at room temperature

1/4 cup Milk,at room temperature

1/4 cup Hot Coffee(1 tsp instant coffee powder mixed in 1/4 cup hot water)

1 tsp Vanilla Essence

for Ganache:

100 gms Dark Couverture Chocolate chips

200 gms heavy Cream

Method:

for Cake:

• Grease a 7" round pan lightly with oil and line it with a parchment paper.Preheat the oven at 180 deg C (350 F) for 12-15 mins.
• Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt for a couple of time until you get the uniform mixture. 

• Boil water until it is bubbling and mix with instant coffee powder and keep it ready.
• In a big bowl add beaten yogurt and sugar and mix well until the sugar melts. Add oil, milk, hot coffee and vanilla essence to it and mix it nicely with a whisk.

• Now add the sieved dry ingredients into the wet ingredient mixture and beat it nicely with an electric beater for 2-3 mins or using a wire whisk until the mixture is well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently tap it so that there will not be any air bubbles formed in the final cake.

• Bake it for about 25-30 mins until the cake is done. Check the doneness of the cake by doing a tooth pick test. Prick a toothpick in the center of the cake and if it comes clean means it is done.Please keep an eye after 20-25 mins and check once. If the tooth pick is sticky with the chocolate liquid bake for 5 more mins or until it comes out clean.
• Remove it from the cake and let the cake rest in the pan for 7-8 mins until the cake becomes bit warm, gently run the knife around the edges of the cake and unmold the cake on to a wire rack and let it cool completely.

for Ganache:

• Heat the cream over medium flame until it is hot(you do not need it bubbling, just hot enough to melt the chocolate) and pour over chocolate chips and whisk it nicely until you get an uniform smooth ganache mixture and let it become slightly warm.

for arranging the cake:

• Level the cake if necessary by cutting the top portion.Cut the cake into two equal halves by running the knife horizontally in the center slowly from the edges towards inside.

• Apply a thick layer of ganache and place the other layer and pour the warm ganache over it by starting pouring in the center first and slowly at the edges so that it flows down the edges. Make sure you cover the whole cake.

• Sprinkle few color sprinkles or gems or decorate it with fruits or simply dust it with cocoa powder or leave it as it is.
• Allow it to set in refrigerator for couple of hours or overnight.

Just before serving keep the cake outside for 15-20 mins and cut it and serve.

Notes:

1. If you are covering the cake with an icing or ganache keep the sugar quantity as it is, else increase it to 3/4 th cup or little more than that for a sweet cake.
2. Use good quality cocoa powder and good quality chocolate for a richer taste.
3. I did not take the pain to level the edges of the cake before pouring the ganache and also I poured a very thin layer and hence you can see a bit of unevenness.You can do it bit carefully and achieve a perfect look.
4. The ganache thickens as it sits, make sure you pour it when it is still warm for smooth flow of the ganache.
5. You can even frost the cake with cocoa frosting or chocolate icing. 
6. You can even prepare cupcakes out of this recipe.You will get approximately 9-10 big Cupcakes.

Technorati Tags: eggless chocolate cake, how to make eggless chocolate cake, homemade eggless chocolate cake, easy chocolate cake recipe, eggless baking, eggless cakes recipes, chocolate cakes recipes, basic eggless chocolate cake recipe, moist eggless chocolate cake recipe