Ragi Chapathi's with Tofu Broccoli Masala

Ragi Chapathi

Ragi or finger millet is generally made as porridge and given for babies. It's not just good for babies,it's also healthy for adults since it's rich in amino acid methionine. Methionine helps produce a substance called lecithin, which reduces the cholesterol level in the body, protects the liver and kidney. It is also rich in calcium, protein and good amount of iron. Read more about ragi from here.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Makes about 8 to 10 chapthi's

Ingredients:
Whole meal flour- 1 cup
Ragi flour- 3/4 cup
Ajwain seeds- 1 tsp
Kasuri methi( dry) - 2 tsp crushed
Salt- 1 tsp
Honey- 1 tsp
Olive oil- 2 tsp
Water- to knead the dough( about 3/4 cup)

Ingredients:
Mix the flour, seeds, methi and salt together. Make a well in the center add the honey, oil and water to make a smooth dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Roll it out into 10 to 12 cm diameter circle.
 Heat a non stick pan to high. Cook the chapathi on both sides, until it bubbles and looks lightly brown on top.
You can also apply some oil on top at the end. Serve warm with veg or non veg curries.


Tofu Broccoli Masala

Tofu is nothing but made by coagulating soy milk, something which is very similar to paneer. Since it's made from soy milk, it's rich in calcium but also low in fat. Tofu is good for women who is in menopause since it's rich in calcium, it reduces the bone loss.
  Tofu also reduces the bad cholesterol in the body. There are many different varieties of tofu like silken, firm, dried etc.. Tofu can also be used in ice creams, milkshakes, cakes etc.
 For a very simple version, just crumble the tofu and make it like scrambled eggs or egg burji to have a simple and healthy brunch. Read more about tofu from here.
 I prepared this just like regular paneer butter masala, so you can also substitute with paneer and make this recipe.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:
Tofu- 100 g
Broccoli- 200 g( florets separated)
Onion- 1 medium sized
Tomato- 1 medium sized
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Garam masala- 3/4 tsp
Green chilli- 2
Dried Methi leaves- 1/2 tbsp crushed
Almonds- 5 to 6
Tomato ketchup or Tomato puree- 1/2 tbsp
Milk- 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Oil- 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Cube the tofu and toast in a pan with little oil on all sides. Keep them separately. Heat oil in a vessel, add the cumin seeds, gingergarlic paste. Then add the chopped onions and fry until they looks transparent. Then add the tomatoes and fry well until they become completely soft. Add the chilli powder, coriander powder and fry well. Then add about 1 cup of water to this mixture, add the almonds, green chilly, methi leaves and salt. Cover the vessel and cook in medium to low heat until the mixture starts boiling. Switch it off from the flame.
  Let the mixture cool down for a while, then blend it in a blender until looks smooth texture.
  Heat oil in the same vessel, add the ground mixture and allow it to boil in medium to low heat. Then add the tomato puree and let it boil for another 5 minutes.
  Meanwhile prepare the broccoli florets, separate it from the stalk and steam it for 5 minutes. Then wash immediately in cold water to stop cooking..
  Pour the milk to the boiling mixture and let it boil for another 2 minutes. Finally add the tofu, broccoli and garam masala. Cover the pan and keep it in low heat for 2 minutes. Switch it off and take it from heat. Check for the salt.
 Serve warm with roti's or pulav.

Both chapathi's and Tofu broccoli masala goes to my own event Eat Well Live Well, the Tofu broccoli masala goes to Only Green event hosted by Sara's corner originally started by Pari of Foodelicious.

Ragi Chapathi goes to CWS- Ajwain seeds hosted by Kavitha of seasoned and dressed, a event started by Priya's EasyN Tasty Recipes

Garlic and Coriander Naan

Naan bread is very popular among all the Indian Restaurants in the west . It's a classic North Indian or Pakistani Flat bread traditionally made in a Tandoori oven. This particular flavour of naan is also very popular, as garlic and coriander goes well with each other, this bread is a fantastic combination for a spicy curry. Since this is a very popular bread, I just want to have a few words about ghee, yes ghee also plays a small role in this soft flat bread.

Ghee

My husband just bought some ghee, recently when he travelled to India. When I just opened the bottle of the ghee, it was so good, I just felt like having some nice Indian sweet but unfortunately he dint get any sweets this time.
Ghee is very popular in Indian cooking, not only in making sweets but also in other day to day dish. Ghee is also known as clarified butter. Ghee is not just made by melting the butter, but simmering the melted butter in a pan for a long time until the milk solids settle at the bottom and a clear layer forms at the top. Ghee doesn't have any hydrogenated fat so it's good for health too when take it in a moderate level.
The taste of a good Indian sweet depends upon the good quality of the ghee. Oh! I still could smell the aroma of home made ghee which my mom used to make.

Right now to the recipe, this recipe is from my favourite recipe book The Bread by Christine Ingram.
Ingredients:
Plain flour- 280 g
Warm water- 100 ml
Yogurt- 4 tbsp
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Garlic- 2 cloves
Coriander leaves- 2 stalk chopped
Nigella seeds or black onion seeds- 1 tsp
Dried yeast- 1 tsp
Salt- 1 tsp
Honey- 2 tsp
Method:
Sift the flour in a large bowl, add the yeast, nigella seeds, grated garlic, salt and mix well. Make a well in the center, add the yogurt, ghee, honey and warm water mix together to make a smooth dough.
Place the dough in a clean and oiled bowl, cover with a cling film. Allow it to rise for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Once doubled in size, knock the air back, add the chopped coriander leaves, knead it again. Divide the dough into 4 or 6 equal size balls. Cover the balls and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to high, place a baking sheet inside the oven. Roll out the balls by sprinkling some flour. Roll out into a oval shape, and stretch it in one side to make the naan shape.

Place the naan  2 at a time in the baking sheet and place it in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes until it puffs up. Then place it under the grill for 1 minute until it browns on top. Apply some melted butter on top before serving.
Serve the bread warm with some curries.
This recipe goes to CWS- Nigella seeds hosted by me started by Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes, Champa's Bake Off  event, Yeastspotting, Bookmarked  Recipes Tuesdays by Priya, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and to Heart n Soul.

Carrot and Paneer Parathas

Paneer is a Indian variety of cheese which can be easily made in home just by curdling the milk by adding some lemon juice to it. Paneer can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. The addition of paneer cubes to curries gives it a delicious flavour. Vegetarian curries made with paneer are rich and great vegetarian side dish.
  Initially i was planning to make some aloo paneer parathas, since i ran out of potatoes i just replaced aloo with carrot. The addition of paneer makes the parathas to stay softer for a longer time.
How to make home made paneer:

Ingredients:
Milk- 1/2 litre
Juice of 1 lemon
Method:
Boil the milk in a saucepan, when the milk boils and rise up, tilt and rotate the pan. Now slowly add the lemon juice at this stage, keep stirring with a spoon. You can see the milk starts curdling, when both the milk and water gets separated immediately take it off from heat.

 Pour the mixture through a muslin cloth and filter the water completely. Tightly wrap the cloth and place a heavy saucepan on top of it for more than 7 hours to squeeze the water completely.
After 7 hours  take the cloth and remove the cheese from it and start using for the recipes.
Carrot and Paneer Paratha:

Ingredients:
Atta flour- 2 cups
Sunflower oil- 1/2 tbsp
Yogurt- 2 tbsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Sugar- 1 tsp
Water- just enough to knead a dough( approximately 1/2 cup)
For the filling:
Carrot- 1 big sized grated finely
Paneer- 3/4 cup crumbled
Green chilli- 2 finely chopped
Coriander leaves- 1 tbsp  finely chopped
Salt to taste
Method:
Prepare the dough by mixing the flour,salt and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center add sunflower oil and yogurt. Add water little by little and knead it together to make a smooth dough. Cover the dough with a cling film and set it aside for 1 hour.
Prepare the filling by mixing together all the filling ingredients.

To make the parathas divide the dough into lemon size balls. Flatten it and place the filling inside , seal the edges and roll it form like a ball. Repeat the same with the remaining dough and filling. Roll out the balls with a rolling, while rolling apply few drops of oil on both sides this well help you to get smooth parathas or the filling might come out when you are rolling.
Heat a non stick pan and cook the parathas on both sides by applying oil. Serve the parathas warm with your favourite curries.
These parathas can be served for  iftar with some curries so this goes to my event Iftar Moments: Hijri 1431

This recipe also goes to the event Global Kadai Flat Bread hosted by Sandhya's kitchen originally started by Cilantro
This recipe also goes to Two For Tuesdays

This recipe also goes to the event Healing foods-Carrot  hosted by Veggie Platter originally started by Siri.

Also sending this recipe to the Letz Relishh event by Tasty Appetite.

Beet Cumin Pitta

Home baked bread with vegetables ,i simply love those combinations. Trying out different breads with different vegetables is really exciting. Particularly when you have fuzzy eater kids ,you have to hide the vegetables like this.

This recipe is for the event  CWS-Cumin Seeds started by Priya, a very creative cook,everytime when i check out her blog for recipes,it's always with surprises,i really admire at her cooking skills.This month's proud host is Sara of Sara's corner a blog full of yummy recipes.To check out the details for CWS-CuminSeeds event click here.
Beet cumin pitta is a similar recipe to my previous post wholemeal pitta,the only variation is i have used beetroot puree and cumin seeds.
Ingredients:
Unbleached white bread flour-350g
Warm water-180 ml
Olive oil-1 tbsp
Honey-2 tsp
Dried Yeast-1 tsp
Cumin seeds-1 tsp
Salt-1 tsp
Beetroot puree-2 tbsp( 1 small beetroot cooked and pureed)
Method:
Combine flour,yeast,salt and cumin seeds together and mix well. Make a well in the center,add oil,honey,beetroot puree and warm water knead it together to make a smooth dough.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface,knead it well for 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a clean and oiled bowl,cover the bowl with a cling film,leave it in a warm place and allow it to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Take the dough,punch the air back.Divide the dough into 6 to 10 rounds,cover it and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.Meanwhile preheat the oven to 230 degree celsius.Take the balls and roll it out into oval shape ,cover the dough and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Place the pitta's in the hot baking sheet 2 to 3 at a time and cook for 2 minutes or until puffed up.
Serve warm with curries and salad.

Whole meal Pitta Bread

If you have never tried fresh home baked naan or pita breads,you are missing out something  in your life. There is nothing else to beat the taste of  fresh and  straight from the oven bread.
Recipe adated from the book Bread by Christine Ingram.
Sorry guys in my earlier post ,the measurement for water was wrong,i'm extremely sorry about that.Now i have corrected it so you can follow this recipe.

Makes 6 to 10 pittas
Ingredients:
Wholemeal flour-100g
White Bread flour-250g
Dried yeast-1 tsp
Olive oil-1 tbsp
Warm water-210 ml
Honey-2 tsp
Salt-1 tsp
Method:
Combine flour,salt and yeast together. Make a well in the center add oil,honey and water, knead it together to make a smooth dough. Transfer to the work surface,knead it again for 5 minutes. Place the dough in a oiled bowl. Cover it with a cling film,leave it in a warm place and allow it to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
Take the dough,punch the air back,divide the dough into 6 to 10 balls,shape it into smooth balls, cover and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 230 degree celsius. Take the dough,roll each ball into oval shape.Cover it and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.Place the pittas in the hot baking sheet 2 or 3 at a time,cook for 2 minutes or until puffed,it doesn't have to look brown on top. Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve the bread warm with curries and salad.
Note:
If the pitta's doesn't puff up,don't worry ,take it out after 2 minutes. It will be still soft and nice to eat.

Garlic and Kale Naan

Naan is a Indian bread cooked in hot tandoori oven,even people in the west love these bread with curries.This recipe is for the event Yasmeen's Healthnut Challenge 5, Crucial Cruciferious.

Ingredients:

Unbleached White Bread Flour-280 gm(You can make it wholemeal by adding half wholemeal and half white flour)

Dried Yeast-1 tsp

Warm water-100 ml

Clear Honey-2 tsp

Plain Yogurt-60 ml

Melted ghee or butter-1 tbsp

1 garlic clove finely chopped

1 tbsp of finely chopped kale leaves

Method:

Mix all the ingredients other than the kale leaves to make it into a smooth dough, knead well in a floured surface. Keep it in a clean and oiled bowl, cover it with a cling film, leave it in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

When dough is doubled, take the dough and punch the air back, add the finely chopped kale leaves to the dough and mix it well.

Divide the dough into four equal balls , cover and leave in the room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to the maximum.Take the balls and flatten it with a rolling pin and stretch along one side to make it look like a naan, Cover with cling film and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes.

Place the naan in the hot baking sheet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until puffed up.Turn it on the other side and leave it for 1 minute.Remove the baking sheet and place it under the hort grill for few seconds to brown on top.

Brush the naan with melted ghee or butter.