August 30, 2013

Kai Murukku

Kai Murukku is a crunchy, hand-made south-Indian savory snack, primarily made with rice flour. Murukku is usually prepared for special occasions & festivals. Making murukku is a laborious process and the technicality of getting perfect swirls & crunchy texture comes only with practice.



Chow-Chow Karamani Kootu

Chayote, the most hated vegetable in our home, yet the most loved kootu! Black eyed peas & moong dal makes a healthy addition. Pairs up well with rice/roti.



August 26, 2013

Paneer Paratha

A popular Punjabi recipe and a delicious whole-wheat Indian flatbread stuffed with mildly spiced paneer / Indian cottage cheese. Simple to make and loved by kids makes it a perfect recipe for picnic & parties. Paneer parathas not only tastes good but also very filling. This doesn't need any elaborate side, but a simple raitha / pickle can do the trick for you!



August 23, 2013

Sevai with Bean Vermicelli

Sevai is the Tamil term for 'Rice Vermicelli/Noodles' and is one of the finest south-Indian traditional breakfast items. Plain sevai is recommended even for babies (more than 6 months) for it is steamed and made with less (or) no oil which translates to "healthy" and "easily digestible". For rest of the "hungry" us, there are lots of flavored sevai out there to try and believe me, every one of it is equally good & tasty in its own way!


There are lots of instant sevai that you can get in the market these days, but nothing can stand upto the flavor & taste of fresh home-made sevai. Making sevai at home is laborious, but worth it all. Preparation of sevai batter at home is very similar to making idli batter, just that sevai doesn't need any fermentation. It starts with soaking rice for 6-8 hrs followed by grinding the soaked rice into a thick batter (similar to idli batter). Then, the batter is steamed using a idli cooker and finally, the steamed batter is pressed into fine strands using a sevai press (sevai nazhi in Tamil). Working with sevai press is easy only when the steamed idli's are hot. Otherwise, be prepared to work your muscles.


Thinking about sevai, it takes me on a nostalgic journey to my school days, when preparing sevai in our home used to be a weekend affair. For me, watching the sevai nazhi work is more than a joy. It's such a fascination to see the long unbroken strands of noodles coming out of the sevai press and more so, slurping them up without breaking the strands later while eating. Suddenly, it all makes complete sense to see kids getting crazy over a bowl of noodles!!

My mom is a pro in making the softest & tastiest sevai ever and I adore all of her flavored sevai viz., coconut sevai, lemon sevai, sweet sevai made with sugar, curd/yogurt sevai. Plain instant sevai is good too, but you 'll definitely miss that home-made softness in the texture. If you ever have tasted home-made sevai, you 'll probably not appreciate the instant ones.


I recently bought bean/glass/cellophane noodles from costco and was thinking of various recipes where I could use them up! That 's when VJ suggested to make sevai with them. Nutritionally, these noodles are a good source of carbohydrates, have a low glycemic index and can help you meet some of your essential nutrients, but they are low in protein. These noodles are relatively tasteless, but absorb the flavor of whatever they are being cooked in. So, it worked pretty well in place of rice noodles and thus, my long-time craving for sevai finally got satisfied!! Good thing is that the cooked noodles didn't break and tasted good even after hours.


Basic Info
Complexity - Easy
Prep time - 10 mins
Cook time - 10 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients
For Coconut Sevai
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal (whole) - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 2 nos
Green chillies - 2 nos
Hing - a pinch
Moong dal - 1.5 tbsp (soaked in water for 30-45 mins)
Cashews - 4-5 nos (broken)
Grated Coconut - 1/3 cup
Coconut oil - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 small sprig

For Lemon Sevai
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal (whole) - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 2 nos
Green chillies - 2 nos
Hing - a pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Peanuts - 8-10 nos
Sesame oil - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - 1 small sprig
Lime juice - from 1 medium sized lime (or as required)

To make the Noodles
Lungkow Beans Vermicelli - 4 packets (approx 200 g)
NOTE: You could also use instant/home-made rice vermicelli in place of beans noodles.
Salt - to taste

Method
For Coconut Sevai
Heat coconut oil in a pan on medium flame. When hot, splutter mustard seeds. Add channa dal, urad dal, cashews & red chillies and fry until cashews/dal are golden brown. Add hing, green chillies, curry leaves and saute until fragrant. Add soaked moong dal and give it a quick stir. Add salt and mix well. Finally add grated coconut, sugar and mix well. Saute for few seconds until coconut gives a nice aroma and remove from heat. Set aside to cool.

For Lemon Sevai
Heat sesame oil in a pan on medium flame. When hot, splutter mustard seeds. Add cumin seeds, channa dal, urad dal, peanuts & red chillies and fry until peanuts/dal are golden brown. Add hing, green chillies, curry leaves and saute until fragrant. Add turmeric powder and give it a mix and remove from heat. Set aside to cool.

To make the Noodles
Bring lots of water to boil. Add required salt, lungkow noodles and let it cook for 3-4 mins (or) until done. Stir occasionally. 


Drain and divide the cooked noodles into 2 equal parts. To one part, add the coconut flavored tempering and mix until everything combines. Adjust salt, if required.

To the other part, add the lemon flavored tempering and mix until everything combines. Adjust salt if required, add lime juice and mix well.

Enjoy it warm with your favorite chutney!



Events
Linking this to Gayathri's Cook Spot - Tribute to my mom - Special Event.

August 21, 2013

Capsicum Kurma

A very nice break from the usual onion/tomato based gravies. Roasted peanuts, sesame seeds along with capsicum gives this kurma a fresh & nice flavor. Capsicum Kurma is indeed a tasty break from the regular gravies and goes well with rice/roti.


August 19, 2013

Black Channa with Spinach

Do you always plan ahead the next day's menu? It sure brings me a sigh of relief, moment of triumph, smile of success, if I could plan the previous night itself. There also have been nights.. oh.. those terrible nights... when I wake up in the wee hours and start planning for the next day! And, if at all I miss the planning part, I will be taking my entire morning in just deciding what to cook.. arghhhh.... and that drives me nuts!

Well, if you are like me, you 'll know what I am talking about.


Especially, recipes like this that uses dry beans & pulses needs to be planned atleast 8-10 hrs ahead. Well, canned beans is an alternative option, but do you want yourself to be forced into "unhealthy" luxury of being lazy & forgetful?! And, that is one reason why I have stopped stocking up canned 'anything' in my pantry and is always full of raw & fresh ingredients. But remember, fresh, tasty & healthy food is only a step away.. if you could pre-plan & soak the pulses, it is as easy as opening the cupboard and taking the ready-made can of beans!!!

Basic Info
Complexity - Medium
Prep time - 8-10 hrs (includes soaking time)
Cook time - 45 mins
Serves - 3-4

Ingredients
Black channa - 1 cup
Onion - 1 no (medium sized, chopped into small pieces)
Spinach - 3 cups (roughly chopped)
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Red chilli powder - ½ tsp
Channa masala - ½ tsp (replace it with garam masala)
Water - ½ cup
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Roast & Grind
Garlic - 2 pods
Shallots - 6-8 nos (peeled & roughly chopped)
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Grated Coconut - 2 tsp (optional)
Dry red chillies - 1 no

Method
Wash and soak black channa in water for atleast 6 hours (overnight preferred). Drain and pressure cook channa with a tsp of salt & with 2 cups water for 2 whistles. Let it cool. Drain & reserve a cup of cooked water.

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and roast garlic, shallots and coriander seeds on medium heat until fragrant & golden brown. Let it cool and grind it into a smooth paste with coconut using as little water as possible. Set aside.

Now, heat the remaining oil in a sauce-pan. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Next, add red chilly powder, turmeric powder and channa masala. Sauté this well with onions for about 3-4 minutes or until raw smell from the powders are gone. 

Add chopped spinach and saute until the leaves are wilted. To this, add the ground paste, give it a good mix and cook for a min. Then, add channa, 1/2 cup of reserved water and mix well. Adjust salt and let the gravy come to a boil. Add more water if required.

Switch off the heat and keep it covered until ready to serve. The gravy thickens as the curry cools.

Serve warm with rice/roti.



Notes
- Sending this off to Made with Love Mondays!

August 15, 2013

Corn Pulao

Whenever I go to costco, I love to elaborately browse their produce section for the choices of vegetables & fruits that they have to offer, without compromising on freshness & quality! The only downside though is that it always comes in bulk quantity with an expiry attached! Tomatoes, avocados, oranges, strawberries, spinach, pepper, cucumber, corn, apples, melons... Oh!! You can see me going round & round the produce section just like a kid in a candy store. My hands will start to itch, if I see any veggies/fruits with atleast couple of weeks (or more) of shelf life. 

If I buy corn, I either roast them in the oven (or) microwave with spices to make 'corn in a cup' (or) use them up in mexican recipes (or) add them to salad. One of my recent findings is corn pulao and all of us at home absolutely love this simple & easy pulao.


This is a very simple one-pot rice meal of corn cooked with milk. The taste & flavor of garlic, pepper along with the other spices is truly appetizing. This recipe is on the milder side, but you can add more pepper / green chillies to make it spicy. With some raita on the side, even my little one loves to finish this pulao in no-time.


Basic Info
Recipe Source - Rak's Kitchen
Complexity - Simple
Prep time - 30 mins (includes soaking time)
Cook time - 30 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1.25 cups
Corn - 1.25 cups (about 2 corns)
Green chilli - 2 nos (slit vertically)
Mint leaves - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Cilantro - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Milk - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1.5 tbsp
Ghee - 1.5 tbsp

Whole Spices
Bay leaf - 1 no
Cardamom - 2 cloves
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 2 nos

To Grind
Garlic - 3 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch
Pepper corns - 1 tsp
Cashews - 7-8 nos

Method
Wash and soak basmati rice for atleast 20 mins.

Use a mixer and grind all the ingredients under 'To Grind' into a fine paste. Use 1-2 tsp of water, only if necessary.

In a thick bottomed sauce-pan, heat 1.5 tbsp of oil. When hot, fry all the ingredients under 'Whole Spices' until fragrant. Add green chilli and saute for few seconds. Next, add the ground paste and saute until the raw smell of garlic is gone.

Add corn, salt and cook for 2-3 mins. Add drained rice and saute for another 2 mins.

Add milk, water, mint leaves, cilantro and give it a good mix. Let everything come to a boil on medium heat. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 - 15 mins. Switch off the stove and keep it covered for another 15 mins.

Fluff it up and serve warm with raita.

August 14, 2013

Whole Yellow Peas Curry

A gratifying, heart-warming curry made with whole yellow peas.


Cooked yellow peas has a mild, natural flavor & aroma by itself. Also, the spices (whole masala) that we add to the recipe help transform these lentils into a tasty, satisfying curry. Perfect and comforting accompaniment for rice/roti.

Note: Yellow peas has a tendency to mash up if you pressure cook it for long time / for more than 2 whistles. So, keep an eye on that!


Health Benefits
Yellow peas, a small but nutritionally mighty member of the legume family, is a very good source of fiber that helps in managing cholesterol and blood-sugar disorders. Their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. High in protein, iron, vitamin, minerals and more - all with virtually no fat!!


Basic Info
Complexity - Medium
Prep time - 6-8 hrs (includes soaking time)
Cook time - 30 - 45 mins
Serves - 3-4

Ingredients
Whole yellow peas - 1 cup (heaped)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Vegetables
Onion - 1 no (Medium sized, chopped finely)
Green chillies - 2 nos (slit vertically)
Ginger - 1 inch (grated)
Potatoes - 3 nos (chopped into 1 inch cubes)
Tomatoes - 2 nos (chopped into small pieces)

Whole Masala
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf - 1 no
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 2 nos
Cardamom - 1 no

Spice powder
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Channa masala - 1 tsp (replace it with garam masala)

Garnish
Mint leaves - 1/2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Cilantro - 1/2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Lime juice - from 1 small lime

Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method
Wash and soak yellow peas in cold water for 6-8 hours, preferably overnight until it doubles in volume.

Pressure cook soaked peas with turmeric powder and a tsp of salt in 4 cups of water for 1-2 whistles and let it cool. Drain and reserve about a cup of cooked water.

In a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. When hot, fry all the items under "whole masala".

Add onion, ginger, green chilli and saute until onion turns translucent. Add potatoes, salt (remember that we have pressure cooked peas with salt, so add salt only for potatoes here) & all the ingredients under "spice powder" and give it a good mix. Cover and cook for 5-7 mins until all the potatoes are cooked & done (but not mushy). Add tomatoes, mix well and cook for another 5 mins until the raw smell of tomatoes are gone. 

Finally, add the cooked lentils, mix well, adjust salt and let it cook together for 2-3 mins. Add water/cooked water (if required) to adjust it to the required consistency. Add lime juice and mix well.

Garnish with mint leaves, cilantro, and serve it hot with rotis/rice.


August 12, 2013

Paneer & Mixed-Veg Paratha

When it comes to stuffed parathas, it had always been a big 'No' from my daughter and a even bigger 'No' from VJ. But with time, things are changing. These days, VJ & kids, including my little one loves these kind of parathas. After all, who could resist these soft & yummy parathas, that too with cold cucumber raita on the side. Especially, my daughter who is always on the run, finds it really easy to gobble up a paratha or two in no-time between her breaks!!

As I was blog-hopping for new recipes, I stumbled upon a mouth-watering recipe for capsicum & cheese paratha here with over-the-top pictures. I sure have bookmarked it for later, but settled down with Paneer & Mixed-Veg paratha for now. Thanks to the blogging world, without which I never would have dared to attempt these recipes.

Loaded with paneer & veggie goodness, this is a great recipe for lunch box and picnic. If you could make the stuffing ahead, making these paratha's for breakfast is just a breeze.


Basic Info
Complexity - Medium
Prep time - 30 mins (includes pressure cooking vegetables)
Cook time - 1 hr
Serves - 10 parathas

Ingredients
For the dough
Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Water & Salt - as needed

For the stuffing
Potatoes - 2 nos (medium sized)
Peas - 1/4 cup (fresh/frozen)
Beetroot - 1 no (medium sized)
Carrot - 1 no (medium sized)
Paneer - 1/2 cup (grated/crumbled)
Green chillies - 1 no (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1 inch (grated)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
MTR Channa masala - 1 tsp (replace with garam masala)
Onion - 1 no (small, chopped finely)
Cilantro - 2 tbsp (packed)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method
How to prepare the stuffing
Pressure cook potatoes & peas, beetroot & carrot in separate compartments for 3-4 whistles. Let it cool until all the pressure is released. Mash up potatoes & peas, grate beetroot & carrot and set them aside.

In a pan, heat 2 tsp of oil. When hot, crackle cumin seeds. Add onion, green chillies, grated ginger and saute until onion turns translucent. Add grated beetroot & carrot, mashed potatoes & peas and mix well. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, channa masala and mix well and let it cook until the raw smell of the spice powders are gone.

Remove from heat. Finally, add crumbled paneer, cilantro and mix well. Adjust salt, if required. Let it cool completely. When stuffing is cool & ready, make 8-10 balls out of it.


For making Parathas
Mix flour, salt with enough water and knead for about 15 mins until it forms a soft & smooth dough. Set it aside for 30 mins. Make 8-10 balls out of the dough.

Using a rolling pin, spread out the dough for about 3 inches in diameter. Place a ball of stuffing in the centre and carefully cover the stuffing from all the sides and seal it on the top. Now, you will have a ball of dough with stuffing in the centre. Dust the ball in wheat flour and carefully roll it out as thinly as possible without tearing the dough.

Heat a griddle and when hot, place the rolled out paratha on the griddle and let it cook for 30 secs. Flip it to the other side, and let it cook for 30-45 secs until brown spots appear. Flip again and cook for 30 more secs. Smear a dab of ghee on top and store it in a covered container (or) a hot-box.

Serve warm with raitha/pickle.


Tips
- Stuffing has to be properly spiced & salted for the parathas to come out tasty.
- You can use any vegetables that you like (or) is available. Shredded Cauliflower/Cabbage is a great addition too. But, if you are using one of these, do not pressure cook. Instead, cook it in the pan along with other vegetables. You will need about 2 cups of cooked stuffing.
- Do not add tomatoes as it will make the stuffing runny. But if you insist, you have to cook longer until the tomatoes lets all its water out and comes to a pasty consistency.

Cucumber Raita

One of the famous Indian condiments whose primary purpose is to cool & cleanse the palate between heavily spiced dishes. Perfect accompaniment for paratha / biriyani or anything spicy!

Don't miss to check out my "Variations" section at the end!


Basic Info
Complexity - Simple
Prep time - 5 mins
Cook time - 5 mins
Serves - 1 cup of raita

Ingredients
English Cucumber - 1 no (medium sized)
Yogurt - 1 cup
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Cilantro - to garnish
Salt - to taste

Method
Wash and peel the cucumber. Using a grater, grate the cucumber and keep it aside.

Take yogurt in a bowl and using a regular whisk, whisk until smooth & creamy. Add grated cucumber, cumin powder/salt and mix well.

Garnish with cilantro and cucumber raita is ready to be served.



Variations
- Cubed cucumbers also works well with this recipe (instead of grating).
- You can also add finely chopped onion (1/2 no) to make cucumber-onion raita.
- Instead of cilantro, you can also add chopped mint leaves for that extra zing in the flavor.
- Replace cumin powder with 1/2 tsp of hing for a different flavor.
- You can also add finely chopped green chillies / red chilli powder to spice it up.
- Replace regular yogurt with greek yogurt for added nutritional value.
- Temper it with 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds (in a tsp of oil) for south-Indian touch.

Home-made Paneer

Home-made paneer is fresh and definitely tasty! I had to make some paneer for my Paneer & Mixed-Veg Paratha at home. Paneer is one of the simplest & easiest recipes to be made at home and works out really cheap. Also, fresh paneer lends great flavor to all the recipes in which it is used!



I just made about 1/2 cup of paneer with 2 cups of milk. I wanted paneer to be soft & crumbly and so, I let it set for just 30 mins. I was all happy & done in an hour's time. Paneer blended so well with the stuffing and was very delicious too!

Note to self: Make fresh paneer for paneer parathas someday! Oh.. what a relish it would be to enjoy!!



Basic Info
Complexity - Simple
Prep time - NA
Cook time - 1 hr
Serves - 1/2 cup (crumbled paneer)

Ingredients
Full cream milk - 2 cups
Lime juice - from 1 medium sized juicy lime
Strainer

Method
In a thick bottomed vessel, bring milk to a boil. After a boil, remove from heat and add lime juice. Keep stirring until all the curd separates from whey.

Strain the curd using a strainer and wash it really well. Wash it 4 to 5 times under running water, so that the paneer doesn't taste sour from lime juice.

Use a cheese cloth and press out all the excess water. Place the cheese cloth (tightly covering the paneer) on a wide plate, place another plate on top of the cheese cloth and then, a heavy object (of about 2-4 pounds) on top to balance. Leave this arrangement undisturbed for atleast couple of hours to get thick paneer. Tips: If you leave it for shorter time (about 20-30 mins), paneer will be soft & crumbly.

This helps paneer to press out till the last drop of water and also helps to set as a block. Cut the block of paneer into small pieces of 1 inch each.

Refrigerate until use.


Tips
- When boiling milk, stir in between so that the milk doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.
- Boil milk on low to medium heat.
- Use up all the paneer within 5 days, as paneer has a very short shelf-life.
- The qualtity & quanity of paneer depends on how creamy the milk is.

Recipe Ideas using Paneer
- Capsicum Paneer Paratha
- Matar Paneer Gravy
- Paneer Pakoda
- Paneer Tikka Masala
- Veggie & Paneer Jalfrezi
- Tandoori Paneer Tikka Pizza
- Tandoori Paneer Tikka
Paneer & Mixed-Veg Paratha
Paneer paratha

August 10, 2013

Cabbage Kootu

This mildly spiced kootu/gravy can be paired with rice/roti. If you want to really spice it up, add one or two dry red chillies while making the masala (refer to the recipe below).


I served it mild alongside beetroot parathas and our whole family loved the combo!


Basic Info
Complexity - Medium
Prep time - 15 mins
Cook time - 20 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients
Cabbage - 2.5 cups (packed, shredded/finely chopped)
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Water - 2 cups
Oil -1 tsp
Hing - 1 small piece / 1/2 tsp
Whole peppercorns - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilli - 1 no (adjust to your preferred spice level / skip)
Whole urad dal - 1.5 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coconut - 1-2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method
Bring about 2 cups of water to boil in a deep saucepan. Add moong dal, turmeric powder and stir well. Let the dal cook on medium heat until soft, but not mushy. It will take about 6-8 mins. Now, add cabbage and let it cook completely for about 8 mins. Add more water if necessary.

In the meanwhile, heat a tsp of oil in a small pan. Add hing, whole pepper corns, dry red chilli, whole urad dal, cumin seeds and fry until urad dal turns golden brown. Let it cool and grind it into a thick & smooth paste along with fresh coconut (use as less water as possible).

After the cabbage gets cooked, add this ground paste, salt and mix well. Let it come to a boil and remove from heat.

Serve hot with roti/rice.

Beetroot Paratha

A novel, playful recipe, will be adored by kids in particular, for its bright color! Beetroot gives paratha a mild sweet flavor which is balanced by red chilli powder/green chillies. Ajwain seeds gives paratha a nice punch, but do not add too much of ajwain as it will be over-powering.

I made cabbage kootu for the side and we loved the combo! You can also serve these parathas with any dry curry or with a simple raitha!


Basic Info
Complexity - Medium
Prep time - 10 mins
Cook time - 20 mins
Serves - 8 nos

Ingredients
Whole wheat flour - 2 cups + 1/4 cup for dusting
Beetroot - 2 nos (medium sized, fine-grated)
Water - 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup (as needed)
Green chilli - 1 no (deseeded, finely chopped)
Cilantro - a handful (finely chopped)
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain seeds - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt - to taste
Ghee - as required

Method
Take whole wheat flour, grated beetroot, green chilli, cilantro, red chilli powder, ajwain seeds, salt in a big bowl and combine well. Now, gradually add water (tbsp by tbsp) and mix until everything comes together in the form of a dough.

Knead for about 15-20 mins until the dough becomes soft & smooth. Let it rest for atleast 20 mins.

Heat a griddle on medium-high.

While the griddle is getting heated, divide the dough into 8 equal parts and roll them into smooth balls. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough as thinly as possible. Transfer it to the griddle and cook on both sides. Smear a little ghee on top of the paratha, transfer to a container/thermos and cover immediately, so that the steam keeps the parathas soft.

Serve warm with raitha / curry of your choice.



Notes
- Kneading the dough for 20 mins followed by resting it for another 20 mins is essential to make softer parathas.
- Roll out the dough as thin as possible for softer parathas.
- Before cooking the paratha, make sure griddle is hot enough. To test, splash few drops of water on the griddle and should hear it sizzling right away.
- While rolling out the parathas, remember to not dust the dough too much as it tends to make them dry.
- Place the rolled out dough on the griddle. In 30 secs, flip it over to the other side and let it cook until it starts to bubble up. Now, flip over & let it cook for 30 secs. In about 2 mins, the paratha should be cooked. If you leave the dough on the griddle for longer time, you 'll only get harder parathas.