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May 13, 2015

Veg Kothu Parotta Recipe - Kothu Parotta Recipe without egg

Kothu parotta recipe
கொத்து பரோட்டா / Kothu Parotta is one of the most popular street foods of Tamil nadu especially in Madurai that makes you drool. I know many fans are out there like me. Before my marriage, my dad used to buy veg kothu parotta from a nearby small hotel once in a month. Its completely a vegetarian version only with vegetables (without egg). My friend was recently telling me about the chilli parotta she had in Saravna bhavan hotel. I got so tempted and tried this recipe. Few months back when I shared Malabar parotta recipe, I thought of trying this recipe immediately and share here. But lazy me, din’t do it.

Yesterday I got a sudden craving to eat kothu parotta and bought ID brand mini parotta from a store nearby my house. I watched some videos in youtube like Madurai egg / Mutta parotta in Kairali channel and chicken, mutton kothu parotta recipes too. I prepared Vegetable Parotta Salna, the most important ingredient for making kothu parotta using my own recipe and made this Tamilnadu’s most popular street food successfully. You can also use leftover mixed veg kurma in place of salna. A glass of tea with this hot and spicy kothu parotta was my dinner yesterday. It was absolutely delicious and I enjoyed eating every spoon of it.

Friends, try this recipe immediately if you have left over salna or vegetable kurma with few store bought parotta in hand. You can try the same with left over chapathi too. Tastes simply great !! 
Ok, Lets see how to make veg kothu parotta at home easily.

Check out my Chilli parotta recipe here.

Kothu parotta recipe

Kothu parotta recipe


Kothu parotta recipe Kothu parotta recipe - Vegetarian version
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Dinner
Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 20 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

  • Parotta - 2 nos ( If big) I used 4 mini parotta
  • Parotta salna - as needed ( I used 1/2 cup)
  • Big onion- 1 no (finely chopped)
  • Tomato - 1 no ( finely chopped)
  • Green chilli - 1 no (-do-)
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Mint+coriander leaves - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
  • Red chilli powder - 1/2-1tsp ( adjust)
  • Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Ginger&garlic paste- 1/2 tsp ( Optional, I din't add)
  • Salt - as needed
  • Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
HOW TO MAKE VEG KOTHU PAROTTA - METHOD

  • Heat a dosa pan.Iron griddle works the best. Cook the parotta by adding a tsp of oil. Stack the cooked parotta and pat it sideward to get the layers. Chop them into small pieces roughly using your hands or a knife. I feel hands can do a better job. Set aside.
Kothu parotta recipe
  • In the same hot dosa pan, put the finely chopped onions and saute for few seconds. No need to add oil. Keep the flame medium and saute well.
Kothu parotta recipe
  • When it turns slightly transparent, add the finely chopped green chillies and tomato pieces. Mix well. Add curry leaves and cooking oil. Saute till tomato turns mushy.
Kothu parotta recipe
  • Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and pepper powder. Mix well and add salna. Stir for a second and put the chopped parotta pieces. Mix it really well. (If you don't find time to make salna, just replace it with a powder of 1 inch cinnamon, 1 cardamom, 2 cloves and 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder along with other spice powders. Add little water and make it wet. Then add parotta pieces). 
Kothu parotta recipe
  • Now take a dosa flipper & another ladle similar to dosa flipper OR you can use a tumbler and turn it upside down. Do the pounding with a rhyming sound(:)) until everything blends well and make a semi dry mixture. Add extra salna if you wish. Garnish with finely chopped coriander+mint leaves and if needed drizzle some lemon juice. Serve hot immediately to enjoy its best taste. Keep Onion raita as side dish if desired.
Kothu parotta recipe
Kothu parotta recipe

Enjoy !


Note

  • For variations, you can add finely chopped vegetables in Salna and make the same. I made plain salna.
  • Non-vegetarians can add scrambled eggs and mutton/chicken salna instead of veg salna to make mutta parotta and chicken kothu parotta.
Kothu-parotta-recipe

Try this yummy kothu parotta at home and enjoy with hot tea !
Kothu parotta recipe

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May 11, 2015

Hyderabadi Veg Biryani Recipe-Nawabi Veg biryani-Sunday Lunch Recipes 15

Hyderabad Veg biryani recipe
My biryani series won’t get a meaning without this India’s most popular Hyderabadi Nawab style Veg DUM biryani recipe. Few weeks back I had tasted this vegetable biryani in “Hyderabad biryani house” restaurant in Jayanagar 4th block. They serve with raita and a brinjal gravy. I loved that combo. I was thinking to give a try at home but was skeptical about the output. Finally my dream came true with the help of this youtube video. He had explained it so well even an amateur can make it easily. I made small changes in the actual recipe. I never thought this biryani is so easy to make with a delectable taste and flavor. This is one of the best biryani I have ever tried.

Actually when I made this biryani, painting work was going on in my house. In spite of the strong paint smell, the aroma of this biryani was wafting through our house and made us feel hungry. I am not kidding. Just try and see for yourself. You will absolutely love its flavor, taste and give a thumbs up for sure. I did not follow the authentic DUM method by sealing the kadai with wheat flour dough and putting charcoal over it. But still the result was very tasty. Ok, enough of hype, lets see how to make this Hyderabad vegetable biryani at home using DUM method with step by step pictures.

Last but not the least, Please don’t forget to leave your feedback in this page if you try this recipe. I will be more happy to know it.

Hyderabadi biryani recipe

Hyderabadi veg biryani recipe


Hyderabadi veg biryani recipe How to make awesome, flavourful Hyderabad Nawab style veg biryani at home.
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Lunch
Serves: Serves 3
Prep time: 30 Minutes
Cook time: 30 Minutes
Total time: 60 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup = 250 ml
  • Basmati rice - 1 cup ( I used India Gate)
  • Water - 4 cups
  • Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black stone flower - each 2 nos
  • Salt - as needed
  • Ghee - 1 tbsp
For Marination
  • Carrot - 1 no
  • Potato - 1 no
  • Cinnamon – 1 small piece
  • Cardamom – 1 nos
  • Cloves – 2 nos
  • Green chilli - 1 no ( Slitted, I din’t use)
  • Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp ( I used 8 garlic loves and 1.5 inch ginger)
  • Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp to 1 tsp
  • Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
  • Salt - as needed
  • Curd - 3 tbsp ( semi solid)
  • Lemon juice - 1/2 tbsp
  • Finely chopped mint+coriander leaves - a handful
  • Cooking oil - 3 tbsp ( Oil in which onions were fried)
  • Fried onions - 1 no ( sliced)
For toppings
  • Saffron soaked milk - 2 tbsp
  • Mint + coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
  • Fried onions - 1/2 no
METHOD

  • Wash and soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Wash and peel the skin of potato and carrot. Cut them into small cubes ( I chopped like the way served in Hyderabad biryani house). Set aside.  Slice onions. Soak Saffron threads in milk.
  • Heat oil and deep fry the onion slices. Fry till golden brown and remove in a plate. Do not burn them, Just fry carefully in medium flame. Remove half of the roasted onions and reserve it for garnishing.
Hyderabadi biryani recipe
Hyderabadi biryani recipe
  • In a non-stick kadai, take the chopped veggies. Add  cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Curd, Garam masala powder, Salt, half the fried onions, Lemon juice, Oil in which onions were fried, finely chopped mint + coriander leaves, mix well and check for taste. Let this mixture marinate for 30-45 minutes.
  • In the mean time, boil 4 cups of water in a wide bowl and add the drained, soaked basmati rice. In the water, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black stone flower, Bay leaf, 1 tbsp of ghee along with half the salt for rice.( Add salt carefully because we have added salt in veggie masala too)
Hyderabadi biryani recipe
Hyderabadi biryani recipe
  • Let the rice cook in medium flame for 20 minutes. By now rice will be cooked to 80%. Check whether the rice breaks but it should be firm in shape. Remove the rice alone and keep the water. Do not discard it.
Hyderabadi biryani recipe
  • Now layer the rice over the marinated masala mixture. Add the reserved rice cooked water all around the rice. I added around 5 tbsp of water. Please note the quantity of water may vary as per the water quantity retained in masala. So make sure you don’t add more water. It will make the rice mushy.
Hyderabadi biryani recipe
Hyderabadi biryani recipe
  • Add the saffron soaked milk and finely chopped mint+coriander leaves. Close the kadai with a tight lid or plate so that steam do not escape. Keep a weight over the plate. I kept a bowl with water. U can even place a stone if any.
Hyderabadi biryani recipe
  • Switch on the flame and turn it to very low. Let the biryani cook in very low flame for 20-25 minutes. No need to open in the middle. But make sure you don’t get burning smell. Your house will be completely covered with an awesome aroma of biryani when its cooked. Now remove the plate and fluff the rice with fork.
  • Garnish with the remaining fried onions and serve hot.
Enjoy with raita and brinjal gravy!

Note
  • Add more red chilli powder for extra spicy taste. But we felt 1 tsp is enough and it was spicy too.
  • If you want to make this biryani for around 10 people, you can use 3 cups of rice and just increase the spices ( use 2.5 times quantity mentioned above). Check for taste and add more chilli powder, garam masala accordingly. I have not tried these measures. I am just giving with a rough calculation as one of my friends suggested me to add this point in all my biryani posts which would be helpful for people making biryani for parties and get together.

Make this awesome biryani for your guests and family in weekends. Have a delectable meal. 

Hyderabadi veg biryani
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May 9, 2015

Nungu Paal/Ice Apple Kheer-Nungu Recipes

Nungu recipes
In Summer season,i love to enjoy few things.One among them is eating Palm fruit/Ice apple(Taati Munjalu in Telugu,Nungu(நுங்கு) in Tamil,Tale Hannu or Taati ningu in Kannada,Tari in Hindi, Taal in Bengali, Pana Nangu in Malayalam,Munjal in Urdu, Lontar in Indonesian,Ton Taan in Thai, Tadfali in Gujarati, Targula in Konkani, Tadgola in Marathi, Myanmar and sometimes Ice-apple in British English especially by the immigrants living in India.(Source:Wikipedia).I love to eat Nungu as such more than making recipes with it.But recently,when i was talking with my friend Shalini,she told me to try Nungu kheer and tender coconut pudding recipes.This morning i tried this easy,no cook nungu paal recipe for the first time and we loved it a lot.It tastes the best only when serve chilled.My dad told me another interesting Nungu Sarbath recipe which is very popular in Tamil nadu.I will try to post that recipe soon.Now lets see how to make this easy nungu recipe.Enjoy this drink and feel cool in this summerCool
Nungu
Nungu juice

Nungu Paal/Ice apple kheer


Nungu Paal/Palm fruit kheer Easy,no cook Nungu paal recipe - One of the best coolant for summer
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Summer recipes
Serves: Serves 2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 5 Minutes
Total time: 15 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

  • Boiled milk - 1 cup
  • Nungu/Palm fruit - 3 nos
  • Sugar - 1 tbsp
  • Cardamom powder or rose essence - as needed
METHOD

  • Wash and peel the skin of nungu/Ice apples.Chop them into pieces.Reserve a handful of nungu pieces for garnishing.
Nungu recipes
  • Grind the remaining to a smooth paste adding sugar.
Nungu recipes
  • Take the boiled milk at room temperature ( Milk should not be hot).Mix the ground nungu paste with the milk,cardamom powder and check for sweetness.Add more sugar if needed.
Nungu recipes
  • Refrigerate for an hour.Garnish with the chopped nungu pieces and serve chilled.
Enjoy !


Note

  • You can replace nungu with tender coconut pieces.
  • For variations,u can add rose milk essence in milk instead of cardamom powder.It will look colourful and tasty too.
Have this refreshing drink and enjoy this summer Winking
Nungu paal
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May 8, 2015

White Paneer Korma Recipe - Paneer kurma - Paneer Recipes

Paneer korma recipe
Today I made this Paneer white kurma after seeing the recipe in a cookbook by Deepa sekar. She had given the title as”Paneer Pasanda” but I guess paneer pasanda recipe is different. This white gravy is very much related with Shahi paneer masala. So I named it as “Paneer white korma” after seeing its color. This gravy is of pucca North Indian style and not related to South Indian kurma in any way. There is neither tomato nor coconut used in this recipe. Boiled, cooked onions with milk makes the base for this white based gravy.So this korma has got a mild sweet taste which I loved it the most. Basically I like the combination of sweet and spice taste in gravies.So I loved this gravy to the core and I licked the kadai thoroughly before washing. This white kurma(vellai kurma) tastes the best with chapathi/Roti & Naan but not with rice.I packed it for Sendhil’s lunch box today and waiting for his feedback. Friends,if you like mildly sweetish gravies,do try this recipe.I am sure kids would enjoy this with chapathi.
Check out my restaurant style Paneer butter masala , Palak paneer recipe , Kadai paneer
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May 6, 2015

Mini Idli Sambar - Ghee Sambar Idli Recipe - Hotel Style 14 Idli Sambar

Mini idli sambar
Hello friends, Sorry I couldn’t post biryani recipes in my Sunday lunch series for the past two weeks. As l was having continuous trips to Salem, I couldn’t do it. I will come up with a yummy biryani this weekend for sure. Today’s post is a kids friendly breakfast recipe. Yes, it is hotel style mini idli sambar. It is popularly known as ghee sambar idli, 14 idly sambar in Tamil nadu. My friends here call it as Button idli sambar, Coin idli sambar etc etc by different names. This is my daughter’s favorite breakfast/dinner recipe. 

Generally I make idli sambar for dinner more than breakfast. I follow my hotel idli sambar recipe with some modifications for making mini idli sambar. Most of the people make this sambar in a simple way just by adding sambar powder and tamarind. But I always make it using freshly ground sambar masala and tomatoes (without tamarind and vegetables). 

My friend Shalini suggested me to use raw onions and coriander leaves along with ghee for topping which adds great taste to this recipe. You can drink/eat this sambar with raw onions as such even without mini idlis. This combination tastes soo good. Last year I conducted a small party at my home for Raksha’s birthday.

On that day, I made mini idli sambarvermicelli pulao and curd rice along with corn cheese balls chips ice cream and gulab jamun. This mini idli sambar was a super hit among my friends and kids. Everybody asked for second serving and the whole sambar bowl got emptied quickly. I was thinking to share this recipe in my blog for long time. But I couldn’t. At last I made it yesterday just for blogging sake. It came out really well. Sendhil liked it a lot. 

For parties, you can make it in bulk quantity easily if you have mini idli stand with 3 plates and you can serve them hot anytime by reheating the sambar. 

Friends, do try this kids favorite ghee sambar idli during this vacation and take the credits from your family members. Lets see how to make this mini idli sambar recipe in detail.
Ghee sambar idli recipe

Mini idli sambar recipe


Mini idli sambar recipe How to make  hotel style 14 idli sambar/ghee sambar idli recipe.
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Breakfast
Serves:  2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
For idli
  • Idli dosa batter - 2 cups
  • Rice flour -1.5 tsp( optional)
  • Water & salt - add only if needed
  • Oil - to grease
  • Ghee - to serve
For sambar
  • Toor dal - 1/2 cup
  • Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
  • Hing/Asafetida – 2 pinches
  • Cooking oil - few drops
  • Ripe tomatoes - 3 nos ( Do not chop)
To roast & grind
  • Cooking oil - 1 tsp
  • Dhania/Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
  • Chana dal - 1 tbsp
  • Red chillies - 2 nos
  • Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
  • Grated coconut - 2 tbsp ( 2 small finger size pieces)
To saute in oil
  • Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Hing - few pinches
  • Small onions - 10 nos
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Salt & water - as needed
  • Jaggery – a small piece
For topping
  • Coriander leaves - for topping
  • Finely chopped big onion - 1 no ( for topping)
  • Ghee - few tsp to drizzle on top
HOW TO MAKE MINI IDLI SAMBAR - METHOD

  • Pressure cook toor dal adding turmeric powder, hing, whole ripe tomatoes( I don’t chop tomatoes because dal may not turn mushy) and a drop of cooking oil. 
  • Cook for one whistle in very low flame adding 2 cups of water (If you wish, You can add drumstick and other vegetables in a bowl and cook separately inside the cooker). Remove the lid and mash the dal with tomatoes using a whisk.
Mini idli sambar recipe
  • Peel and chop onions. Heat oil in a kadai and roast all the ingredients given under “to roast and grind” in medium flame till the dals turn golden. Make sure u don’t burn the dhania seeds. Lastly add the coconut , mix well and switch off the flame.
  •  If using pieces of coconut, just add it at the beginning and roast it along with dals. Grind everything to a fine powder and set aside. Mix this powder with the cooked & mashed dal.
Mini idli sambar recipe
  • In the same kadai, heat oil and temper mustard, jeera. Saute small onions, curry leaves. Add a cup of water, sambar powder, required salt, jaggery, turmeric powder, hing and cook the onions well.
Mini idli sambar recipe
  • Add the cooked dal + ground masala powder mixture to the sambar and add 1/2 cup of water to adjust the consistency. Boil well for few minutes till you get a nice aroma.
  • Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Transfer the sambar to a vessel and add 2 tsp of ghee. Keep it closed and give a standing time of 30 minutes to 1 hour for all the taste to blend well.
Mini idli sambar recipe
  • To make mini idlis, take 1 cup of idli batter and add 1 tsp of rice flour if you want to thicken the batter. Mix well . Grease the mini idli stand with oil and spoon the batter in each hole. Steam in idli pot for 10 minutes till they are done. Keep it in a hot box/ Casserole till serving.
  • While serving, reheat the sambar. Take a small bowl and pour 2 ladleful of sambar. Put the idlis, add few tsp of ghee, finely chopped coriander leaves, onions and serve hot.
Mini idli sambar recipe

Enjoy !
Note
  • I have not used vegetables here. If you wish to add some veggies, take the chopped carrot, drumstick, potato in a small bowl and pressure cook with dal by keeping the bowl inside the cooker.
  • You can also saute the finely chopped tomatoes along with onions instead of pressure cooking with dal.
  • Adding jaggery gives a nice sweet taste to sambar. U can replace the jaggery by adding few pumpkin pieces to add natural sweetness.
  • If you want to make this sambar in a simple way without grinding masala, add 1 tsp of sambar powder and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder while cooking onions.


Try this yummy mini idli sambar for your kids during this vacation and make them happy.
Mini idli sambar recipe
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May 2, 2015

Maavadu Oorugai Recipe | Vadu Mangai Pickle | Baby Mango Pickle

Maavadu urugai recipe
Basically I am a big fan of pickle recipes right from my Childhood. I need to have at least one pickle variety for my curd rice.I don’t mind about the oil, salt and preservatives in it. My appa is just the same like me. He can eat even paruppu sadamlemon ricerasam rice and other rice recipes with pickle as side dish.

Even though we like all the pickles, Vadu manga urugai / Baby mango pickle is our family favourite. My mom doesn’t make pickles on her own getting afraid of fungus formation. So my dad used to tell a brahmin(yer)paati nearby our house to make this pickle for us. We used to store it for an year and relish it with curd rice.And now after marriage, I became very happy when I saw my MIL making pickles at home. She is an expert in making many pickle varieties like onion, garlic, Raw mango, Nellikai, Naarthangai etc etc.

This year, I bought baby mangoes in Bangalore and tried this pickle by myself following my MIL’s recipe. I was very happy and completely satisfied with the result. Thanks a ton Aunty for teaching me this easy and yummy maavadu pickle. I thank her everyday when I eat this pickle with a plateful of curd rice. Don’t hesitate to try this baby mango pickle even if you are a beginner. Just follow the recipe, you will get it right. Lets see how to make maavadu/Vadu mangai pickle at home with stepwise pictures.

Check out my other pickle recipes here

How to make maavadu pickle

Maavadu Oorugai/Baby mango pickle


Maavadu urugai/Baby mango pickle How to make Maavadu Oorugai/Baby mango pickle at home
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Pickles
Serves: 5 cups
Prep time:  10 Minutes
Cook time: 7 days
Total time: 7 days 10 min


INGREDIENTS

  • Baby mangoes/Vadu mangai- 5 cups ( heaped)
  • Red chillies - 35 nos ( use 40 nos for more spice)
  • Methi seeds - 2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1.5 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
  • Hing/Asafetida - 1 tsp
  • Rock salt/Crystal salt - as needed
  • Castor oil – 2 tbsp
To temper
  • Gingely oil - 2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
HOW TO MAKE MAAVADU OORUGAI RECIPE - METHOD

  • Remove the stalk/Kaambu of baby mangoes if they are very big. Ignore this step if the stalk is small. Wash them well and spread it in a towel . Pat it dry.T ake the baby mangoes in a porcelain bowl (Peengaan jaadi) or glass bowl as other vessels may react.
Maavadu pickle
Maavadu urugai recipe
  • Now apply oil all over the baby mangoes. In a kadai, dry roast the methi seeds till golden brown in medium flame. In a mixie jar take the mustard seeds, roasted methi seeds, red chillies, turmeric powder, Hing and rock salt. Powder them nicely. Now add water and make a smooth paste.
Maavadu pickle
Maavadu urugai recipe
  • Add this paste to the baby mangoes and coat it well. Mix with a ladle and not with your hands. Now add water till the mangoes immerse well. Make sure water is not more. Mix well with a ladle. Check for salt and add more if needed.
How to make maavadu urugai
  • Cover the bowl with a cotton cloth and keep it under the sun for a day. Mix well once or twice in the middle. Remove and keep it closed over night. Repeat the same procedure for 5-7 days. Baby mangoes will start to shrink and soak well. Enjoy with curd rice.
You can eat the mangoes in the second day itself. But it needs at least a week to ten days to enjoy its best flavor and taste.

Enjoy !


Note

  • Some version calls for roasting the chillies along with methi seeds and hing. But my MIL always add it raw. So I too follow her method.
  • Adjust the quantity of red chillies as per your taste.
  • U can also replace red chillies with chilli powder. Use Kashmiri chilli powder for best color.
  • Mustard seeds gives a nice flavor to this pickle. So don’t skip it. But do not add more as it may give a bitter taste. 
  • This pickle tastes the best only after a week. So let it dry under sun. Do this patiently.
Check out my other pickle recipes here .

How to make maavadu urugai

Try this pickle in this mango season and relish it all through the year. 
Maavadu pickle
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