Besan Methi Paratha

              Now that school has started me and other moms like me keep worrying about our kid's food. we as mothers try to provide healthy and nutritious food as much as possible. I Strongly believe that the eating habits children pick up when they are young will help them maintain a healthy lifestyle when they grow up. My son, his food choices aren't that bad. he has his own favorite veggies and fruits. He loves bread of any sort. Roti, stuffed paratha, Kulcha, Naan, Pita, french bread everything.

               So I try to make different variety of breads. Here is something which is healthy, nutritious and very easy to make as well. You can serve these with plain yogurt.

 INGREDIENTS:

Gram flour (besan) - 1 cup
Wheat flour (atta) - 1/2 cup
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain  seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafetida a pinch
Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Fenugreek leaves chopped - 1 cup
Butter for applying

 METHOD:

• Take besan, atta and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Add in red chilli powder , ajwain seed, asafetida, yogurt, fenugreek leaves and salt. Combine all and make a soft dough with water. Keep it covered for 20-30 mins.
  
  
  
  
• Divide the dough into 12 balls and roll each one dusting atta into 3" roti.

• Cook each roti on a heated tawa or griddle both sides, then apply butter on both sides.
  
• Repeat this step with rest of the roti. And serve hot.

Makes 12 roti.

Soya patties

This deliciously prepared snack is very appealing to the taste buds. You can eat just like that or can use it in a burger. we all know Soya is healthy and protein rich too. But my family is not a big fan of it. so I always have to disguise it in something or the other. These patties you can totally bake it in your oven too. Bake these at 400 degree F for 20-25 mins. don't forget to flip these in between for even cooking.

Ingredients:

soya granules treated- 1 1/2 cup
Potato grated- 1/2 cup
Carrot grated- 1/4 cup
Onions chopped - 1/4 cup
Green chilli chopped - 2
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil to shallow fry

Method:

• Follow the package instruction to rehydrate the soya granules. Well the instruction goes like this.
• Add soya granules to the boiling salted water. Keep it for 10 mins.
• Drain the Soya granules and squeeze out excess water. then proceed with the recipe.
• In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients one after another. Mash it very well with your hand.
• You will probably not need any water because the moisture from the veggies and the treated soya will bind it well.
• Heat oil in a flat bottom pan, make 6-8 patties from the above made mixture depending upon the size you want.
• Now shallow fry both the sides till brown. (Note : I didn't use boiled potatoes here as it will absorb more oil while frying than the grated fresh potatoes.)
• Serve these patties hot like that or put it in between the buns to make burger.

Makes 6-8 patties.

SAATHAAN PARATHA

Saathaan, Saath ann means seven different kind of flours. Yes there is seven different kind of flours used in this paratha which makes it super healthy and nutritious as well.

INGREDIENTS:
Wheat flour - 1/2 cup
Oats flour - 1/4 cup
Bajra - 1/2 cup
Ragi - 1/2 cup
Corn atta -1/4 cup
Besan - 1/4 cup
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Spinach puréed - 1 cup ( you can use chopped too )
Ginger garlic paste -2 tbsp
Green chilli paste - 1 tbsp
Curd - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste.

METHOD:

• Sift all the flours and salt together.
• In a mixing bowl take all the ingredients and make a dough using water.
• Make small balls of the dough and roll out into thin circles.
• Grease the griddle and cook till done.
• Serve hot with pickle or chutney.

Makes 8-10 paratha.

ALOO PARATHA

Potato stuffed wheat flatbread. This stuffed paratha is a complete meal by itself. It's very popular in north India.

INGREDIENTS:
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Salt -1/2 tsp
Oil for shallow-frying
For filling:
Potatoes - 4 medium sized boiled, peeled
Green chilli (chopped) - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1 tbsp
Chaat masala - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder to taste
Salt to taste
METHOD:

• In a mixing bowl, take wheat flour, salt and make a soft dough with water. Keep it aside.
• For filling: grate the boiled potatoes. You can certainly mash it if you want to. I grate them to give uniform texture. Mix grated potatoes with green chilli and rest of the ingredients for filling.
• Now divide the dough and the filling into 8 portions. Roll a portion of dough slightly.
• Stuff one portion of filling and fold to seal the filling. Roll it again into 6" disc by dusting flour.
• Repeat this process for the rest of the portions.
• Then heat tawa or griddle and shallow fry each paratha with 2tbsp oil on both sides.
• Serve it hot with yoghurt and pickle.

Makes 8 parathas.

PANEER KULCHA

            These are traditionally baked in tandoor but you can always bake in the even but cook them on tawa. I usually make these with homemade paneer. This is one of the way I give my 4 year old paneer as he hates milk products.

INGREDIENTS:
FOR DOUGH:
Refined flour (maida) - 2 cups
Soda bicarbonate - 1 pinch
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
milk - 1/2 cups
yogurt - 1 tbsp
oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Butter - 3-4 tbsp
FOR FILLING:
Paneer grated - 100 gms
Onions finely chopped - 1 medium sized
Coriander leaves - few springs
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

METHOD:

• Take all the dry ingredients for the dough in a mixing bowl then add the wet ingredients except butter one by one.
• Add water if needed and knead into a soft dough. Apply oil. cover it with damp cloth for at least 1 hour.
• Heat pan with little oil then fry onions till translucent.
• In a bowl mix grated paneer, fried onions,and rest all the filling ingredients.
• Divide the dough into 4 small balls. take one and flatten it, place 1/4 th of the filling in the center.Then fold the dough over to make a ball.
• Flour the surface and roll the ball carefully, remember don't try to make it thin because the stuffing will come out otherwise.
• Do the same with rest of the balls. Then tawa fry these like paratha with butter.
• Serve hot with raita.

Makes 4 kulcha