Kerala Parotta

Kerala Parotta

Ingredients

All purpose flour / refined flour: ½ kg

Egg: 1no

Sugar: 1 tsp

Curd: 2 tsp (not too sour)

Milk: as needed to prepare the dough

Salt to taste

Vegetable fat or ghee

Preparation of rich Kerala Parotta

1.  In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, egg, sugar, curd and milk to make loose dough similar to that of chappathy.

2.  Pound and knead the dough for several minutes till it becomes soft and smooth.

3.  Cover with dough with a wet cloth and leave it aside untouched for 4 – 5 hours.

4.  Knead the dough again before making the parotta.

5.  Roll out lime sized balls from the dough.

6.  Again roll each of them into round and thin on a floured stone or board.

7.  Spread some warm ghee or fat on it and pleat each balls lengthwise from one end to the other and twist into a round.

8.  Flatten these twisted balls again with the palm and fingers of your hand or roll it softly without applying pressure.

9.  Cook them on a hot, greased iron pan by flipping in between till both sides are well done.

10.    Now, keep three or four parotta  on top of each other and forcefully compress them between your palms. This will make it soft and separate the layers.

11.    Serve parotta hot with Chicken Korma, Mutton Curry, or Beef roast.

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Idli (Kerala Recipe)

Idli  (Kerala Recipe)

Ingredients

·         1 cup basmati rice or sona masoori rice or regular rice

·         1 cup parboiled rice

·         ½ cup urad dal/black gram, skinned whole or skinned spilt

·         ¼ cup poha/flattened rice

·         ¼ tsp methi seeds/fenugreek seeds

·         water as required

·         salt

·         oil to apply to the idli moulds

Instructions

1.  Pick and wash both the rice and urad dal.

2.  Soak the rice and poha in water for 4-5 hours.

3.  Soak the urad Dal with methi seeds separately for 4-5 hours.

4.  Drain the soaked urad dal. Reserve the water.

5.  Grind the urad dal, methi seed with some of the reserved water till you get a smooth and fluffy batter.

6.  Grind the rice to make a smooth batter.

7.  Mix both the batters together in a large bowl or pan. add salt and mix well.

8.  Cover and let the batter ferment for 8-9 hours.

9.  After the fermentation process is over, the batter will become double in size and rise.

10.    Gently mix the batter.

11.    Grease the idli moulds.

12.    Pour the batter in the moulds steam the idlis in a pressure cooker or steamer.

13.    If using pressure cooker remove the vent weight.whistle.

14.    Steam for 10-12 mins or until the idlis are done.

15.    Remaining batter can be stored in the refrigerator.

16.    Serve the steaming hot idlis with coconut chutney and Sambar.

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Phirni recipe - Punjabi rice Phirni

Phirni recipe - Punjabi rice Phirni

Ingredients

·         ¼ cup basmati rice

·         1 litre organic milk

·         ¾ to 1 cup sugar or as required

·         18-20 almonds/badam, blanched, reserve a few for garnishing

·         6-7 cardamoms

·         12-15 strands of kesar or saffron

Instructions

1.  rinse the rice a couple of times in water.

2.  drain and let them dry on their own or wipe the grains dry with a kitchen towel.

3.  take the rice grains in a dry grinder or coffee grinder.

4.  grind the rice till the consistency resembles sooji or rava or fine semolina.

5.  you can also soak the rice in water for 30 mins and then drain and grind to a semi fine powder.

6.  keep the ground rice aside.

7.  heat milk in a thick bottomed broad pan or sauce pan or kadai.

8.  when the milk becomes warm, take 1 tbsp from it in a bowl.

9.  stir the saffron strands in this warm milk and keep aside.

10.    let the milk reach to a boil.

11.    then lower the flame and add the ground rice.

12.    stir and add sugar also.

13.    on a low to medium flame cook the ground rice in the milk.

14.    do not cover the pan.

15.    keep on stirring at intervals so that the lumps are not formed.

16.    in a microwave safe bowl take the almonds and water.

17.    the water should cover the almonds enough.

18.    microwave the almonds for 2-3 minutes.

19.    when the almonds become warm, then peel them and slice the almonds.

20.    reserve a few almond slices for garnish.

21.    also powder the cardamoms in a mortar-pestle. discard the almond peels.

22.    when the rice is almost cooked, add the almonds, cardamom powder and saffron dissolved milk.

23.    stir and cook for a further 5-6 mins or more or till the phirni thickens.

24.    if adding rose water, add once the phirni is done.

25.    pour the phirni in serving bowls.

26.    garnish phirni with the remaining chopped almond slices.

27.    cover the bowls and once cooled, refrigerate the phirni.

28.    serve phirni once cooled.

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Veg Pizza recipe

For the pizza bread base:

·         2.5 to 3 cups All-purpose flour/Maida

·         1 cup warm water

·         2 teaspoon dry yeast

·         ¼ tsp sugar or ¼ tsp honey

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         ½ tsp salt

·         olive oil for brushing

·         flour, cornmeal or semolina for sprinkling

For the tomato sauce:

·         4-5 tomatoes

·         2-3 garlic

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         2 tbsp red wine (optional)

·         2 tsp dried basil or 2 tbsp fresh basil

·         1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp dried oregano

·         freshly crushed or ground black pepper

·         salt

Toppings for 2 medium sized pizzas:

·         1 onion, sliced

·         1 capsicum/bell pepper, sliced

·         1 tomato (optional)

·         8-9 pitted green olives, sliced

·         8-9 pitted black olives, sliced

·         grated mozarella cheese as required

·         fresh or dried herbs

Instructions

Making the pizza bread:

1.  Sprinkle sugar in warm water.

2.  add yeast. stir and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 10-15 mins till it becomes frothy,

3.  in a bowl add one cup flour, salt, olive oil and the frothy yeast mixture.

4.  Stir. add another cup of flour.

5.  stir again. the mixture become sticky.

6.  add the last cup of flour and continue to stir.

7.  knead the dough into a smooth, springy ball.

8.  apply some olive oil all over the dough.

9.  cover loosely and keep in a large bowl at room temperature for 1.5 to 2 hours.

10.    the dough will double up and nicely leaven.

Making the tomato basil pizza sauce:

1.  blanch the tomatoes and the chop them.

2.  heat oil. fry the chopped garlic,

3.  add the tomatoes and wine.

4.  let them cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes.

5.  add the herbs, salt and pepper.

6.  mix well. cook further for 3-4 minutes.

Assembling the veg pizza

1.  Flatten the dough to a disk.

2.  on a floured surface roll the dough.

3.  place the dough onto a greased and dusted pan.

4.  brush some olive oil on the pizza base.

5.  spread the tomato sauce on the pizza.

6.  top with the veggies.

7.  spread the grated cheese.

8.  bake the veg pizza in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes at 200 degrees C.

9.  serve veg pizza hot.

Notes

Few tips for veg pizza recipe:
1. the pizza dough can also be made in a food processor or electric mixer.
2. if the dough becomes sticky add some flour and vice versa. if the dough is not soft and a bit dry, then add some warm water.
3. i even made a thin crust pizza with this dough and it was excellent.
4. you can saute the veggies lightly in olive oil if you want.
5. the leftover pizza sauce can be refrigerated.

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