Healthy and Delicious Poha

Poha as we all know and love is famous in Maharashtra where they add sugar to the poha and is known by the name of kanda batate pohe, its very famous in Madhya Pradesh and Gujrat as well. I do remember a train journey to Jammu and we had got down at Ratlam to have some breakfast and has this yum and delicious poha - jalebi, a very famous dish in all of MP and you can't get anything better than this anywhere else in the world. It tasted just awesome. Every state has its own way and method to make poha and they serve it differently as well.

Here goes my recipe which was taught to me by my husband and I love the taste of this yummy, flavorful and delicious poha.

Ingredients:

2 cups poha (washed and dried)
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1 tomato finely chopped
6-8 green chilies (split)
1 tsp turmeric powder
4-5 curry leaves
1 tsp rai (mustard seeds)
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1 tsp sugar
A pinch of Hing (asafoetida)
1 table spoon oil
1/2 cup green peas
salt to taste
1/2 cup green coriander leaves (chopped)
2 table spoons lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method:
Take poha in a colander and wash under running water thoroughly. Drain the water completley and transfer the washes and drained poha to a serving plate. Spread poha evenly on the plate and let it dry out completley. Add some salt and sugar to the poha and mix well.

Heat oil in a pan, add hing to it. Add rai, jeera, curry leaves and green chilies to the pan and let it cook for 2 mins. Add sliced onions to the pan and saute till the onions get a slightly golden color. Add salt and turmeric powder to the pan and mix well. Add tomatoes and peas to the pan as well and saute for 2 mins. Add washed and dried poha to the pan and mix well. Cover with the lid and let it cook for another 5-7 mins.

Remove from flame, add lemon juice and coriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot with sev or jalebi. Eaten in any form, this poha recipe tastes yum.... Thanks Hubby!!!!!!!!!



This recipe goes to Vandana's (Cooking up Something Nice) food event Lunch Box Special

Italian Panini with Indian Twist

Panini in italian means sandwich which is normally made from Cibatta bread which is cut horizontally , filled with the filling of ones choice and is sometimes served hot.

Panini can be made using typically any kind of bread and is a great last minute option for suppers and can be eaten in thye form of snack as well.

This sandwich or panini is made with the Italian flavors but is finished with the Indian touch.

Ingredients:

1 Cibatta bread
2-3 basil leaves
Mozarella Cheese 2 slices
1 tomato sliced
1 medium sozed onion sliced horizontally
2 table spoon green chutney
2 table spoon tomato ketchup
1 table spoon butter ( for grilling the panini)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Slit open the cibatta bread. Place sliced tomato, onion and mozarella cheese on one side of the bread. Apply green chutney and tomato ketchup on the other side of the bread. Place the basil leaves over the sliced mozarella cheese and sprinkle salt and pepper over the cheese. Place the other slice of the bread over the one holding the tomato, onions and mozarella cheese. Butter the cibatta bread from outside on both the sides of the bread. Heat the griller and place the panini on the griller and grill the panini till you have the grilled marks on both the sides of the sandwich.

Alternatively,if you dont have the griller, heat the tava or a gridle and place the buttered sandwich on the tava and place a heavy bottom pan over the panini, so that the weight of the pan presses the panini to the hot tava and we have a toasted panini sandwich with the Indian Twist ready to be served hot with some more green chutney and tomato ketchup. The Italian flavors of tomato, mozarella and basil blends pretty well with green chutney and tomato ketchup which adds the Indian twist to the sandwich.

Poori Aloo

This dish originated in the Northern parts of India, New Delhi to be precise. This is one dish which can be eaten during breakfast, lunch or dinner and the name of poori aloo brings water to my mouth and I am sure it is the same with all of you as well. It is am amazing treat to the eye and once they go into the mouth you would not look left and right before finishing them up.

Ingredients:

To make Allo ki Sabji:

3-4 boiled aloo ( cut into small cubes)
2-3 green chillies
4-5 chopped tomatoes
3-4 kadhi patta leaves
1 tsp rai
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilly powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp amchur powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 table spoons – chopped coriander leaves
1 table spoon olive oil or any cooking oil.

To make Poori’s:

2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp of oil
1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
Oil for frying.
Water to make the dough.

Method:

• To make the poori’s ; mix all the ingredients together (except the water) and add sufficient water to the flour mix and knead the flour to get a slightly tighter dough than the one that you would make for roti’s. Tighter dough helps in rolling the poori’s better. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and keep it aside for around 30 mins.



• Heat sufficient oil in a frying pan. Take the dough and prepare smaller round shaped poori’s and keep aside. The size of the poori is smaller than that of a roti. Once the oil is heated enough, add the poori to the hot oil and fry them till you get a golden brown color on the poori.
• In a pan; heat the oil and add rai, jeera, green chilies and kadi patta. Once the oil is fragrant add the chopped tomatoes. Add salt to the pan as it helps to release moisture from the tomatoes. Sauté the tomatoes for 5 mins.
• Now add the dry masala’s; i.e. coriander powder, chilly powder, cumin powder, amchur powder and turmeric powder and mix well.
• Now add the chopped boiled potatoes to the pan and mix all the ingredients well. Simmer the gas on a medium flame and let it cook for another 10 mins.
• Adjust the seasoning and add more salt if required. Now add the chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot pooris and aam ka achar.

Voila!!!!! You are up for a treat.

Tip: Instead of making the pooris with whole wheat flour (atta) you can also use all purpose flour (maida).

Fenugreek Parantha (Methi ka parantha)

2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup – 1 cup fenugreek leaves
1tsp salt
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilly powder
1 tsp caraway seeds (ajwain)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp oil to be added to the dough
Oil for making the tortilla (parantha)
½ cup water (to make the dough)




• Take wheat flour in a bowl, add fenugreek leaves, salt, turmeric, coriander powder, caraway seeds, chilly powder, oil into the bowl and mix well.
• Add water to the bowl and mix well to make dough of a consistency similar to that of a pizza dough. Let it sit aside for 10 mins.
• Take some of the dough and roll it between your palms so that you have a round ball like shape. Dust some of the wheat flour on the board and put the dough on the dusty board and with the help of the rolling pin, flatten the dough to make a round shape tortilla.
• Heat the griddle and once it turns hot place the tortilla to the griddle and cook it on one side. Apply oil over the tortilla and turn it over to cook the other side. With the help up of the spatula press the tortilla evenly so that you get a nice brown color on both the sides of the tortilla.
• Apply some butter over the hot tortilla (parantha) and serve with curd.