Zaiqa

Soft deep fried Pooris along with delicious spicy Cholay was my breakfast today, or call it a lazy weekend brunch.

There’s something about Poori’s that everyone loves. This breakfast is a favorite in my house. The prepared dough is rolled into a circular disc just like it is done for parathas or chapatis, but instead of being cooked on a hot griddle, they are deep fried till nicely puffed like a baloon.

I had posted the last time about the Palak Poori, in which spinach in added to the dough of poori for a different flavor. Today’s poori’s are plain poori’s, which people usually enjoy alongside a potato curry, or a chickpea curry called cholay. It is a classic Indian breakfast.

This recipe goes as a contribution to Anita of ‘A Mad Tea Party’ for holding this Party of Poori’s.

Poori – Deep Fried Puffed Bread
Makes: 14 pooris

Ingredients:

Durum Wheat Flour – 3 cups (or) 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flor + 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Canola oil – for deep frying
Lukewarm Water – about  1 1/2 cups

Golden deep fried puffed Pooris ready to be eaten

Method:

1. Add flour and salt in mixing bowl and mix. Add water a little at a time and mix to form a kneadable but stiff dough. Soft dough will absorb more oil while deep frying. Knead the stiff dough for 5-8 minutes until soft. Divide the dough into 3 parts. Roll each part into a cylinder. Cut/pinch each cylinder into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into smooth and even balls between palms of your hands. Cover the balls with a damp towel.
2. Roll out all the dough balls one by one on a lightly floured board to a circular disk (approx 12 cm diameter) and arrange them on a tray. Turn the disk several times to make even circles. Use as less flour as possible while rolling the pooris. Do not roll the poori’s too thin, or else they will not puff up like a baloon.
3. Heat approximately 2 inch of oil in a deep frying pan or kadai/wok. (Never use non-stick pan for deep frying). Drop a tiny ball of dough into the hot oil, if it rises quickly then the oil is ready to deep fry the pooris. Slip a rolled out poori into the hot oil, making sure it does not fold over. Using a slotted spoon gently press the poori in the centre into the oil while rotating it and spoon hot oil continually over the cooking poori. Within seconds it puffs and swells and turns into a lovely light golden color. Turn over and fry other side in the same way. When both sides are pale golden brown, remove to a paper lined tray and continue frying until all the pooris are cooked. Do not stack them. Stacking deflates the puffed up pooris and makes them soft. My hubbby likes soft pooris so I stack a few especially for him. Serve immediately while still hot along with Cholay. Pooris can be kept warm for a few minutes in 200°F oven if stood on their sides without crushing them. The pooris will deflate eventually if left uneaten, but they will still taste great. You can also use them as a great snack along with any curry of your choice for picnics and while travelling.

Cholay – Chickpeas in a spicy sauce

Ingredients:

Dried whole Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans/Kabuli Chana – 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Dry roasted Ground Cumin seed powder – 1 tsp
Dry roasted Ground Coriander seed powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Green chillies – 3, finely chopped
Tomatoes – 3, medium sized, finely chopped
Yellow Onion – 2, medium sized, chopped
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cilantro – 1 tbsp, for garnishing
MDH Chana Masala – 1 tsp
MDH Chaat masala – 1 tsp

Cholay – Chickpeas in a spicy sauce

Method:

1. Soak dried chick peas overnight in plenty of water.
2. Next day, drain the old water and add about 4 cups fresh water, 1 tsp salt and pressure cook until soft. Drain the chickpeas in a colander but reserve the liquid in a bowl.
3. In a heavy bottom pan, pour oil and add the onions, reserving a little amount for garnishing. Cook until they are lightly golden bown. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry along for a minute. Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, chana masala, chaat masala, green chillies, cumin powder, coriander powder and cook until the tomatoes are mushy and well cooked. Add the boiled chickpeas, 2 cups of the reserved water and mix well. Mash up a few of the chickpeas to impart a gravy consistency. Let it cook for 10 minutes and remove from heat. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and chopped onions. Serve along with poori or just as a snack.

Luv,
Mona

There’s one thing about pasta that I like a lot. It can be made in a thousand different ways changing the flavours with every ingredient you wish to add to it. While preparing pasta you can experiment a lot, with whatever you like, and it gets ready instantly for a delicious heartful meal.

This recipe which I make is loved by everyone in my home. You can substitute meat in this recipe with the same amount of chicken breast pieces, or omit both and make it a vegetarian pasta dish.

Serves : 4

Colourful Pasta

Ingredients:

Lamb/Veal meat – 110 gms, cubed into bite size pieces
Fusilli Pasta – 400 gms
Ripe Tomatoes – 2, large, chopped finely
Canned Tomato paste – 1 cup
Carrots – 2, washed peeled and sliced
Red capsicum – 1, large
Green beans/Binees – 1 cup, washed and chopped
Canned Black beans – 1 cup, drained and gently washed
Salt – to taste
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Garam masala – 2 tsp
Yellow Onion – 1, small, sliced
Canola Oil – 4 1/2 tbsp
Parmesan Cheese – 1 cup, Grated (optional)
Black Olives – 1 cup, sliced and deseeded (optional)

Method:

• Put a pressure cooker on heat and add half a tablespoon of oil to it. Add the washed and cubed lean meat pieces and stir until no longer red. Pour a little water and pressure cook till it becomes soft. You can even use some left over meat. Just shred it into bite size pieces. Remove the meat with all its juices to a bowl once done.
• Take a pan and add two teaspoon oil to it. Fry the cut carrots, capsicum, french beans individually for 3-4 minutes each and remove in an another bowl.
• In a sauce pan, add the remaining oil and put it on heat. Add the sliced onions to it and let them turn translucent. Add the finely chopped tomatoes and cover the lid for a few minutes till the tomatoes have become soft. Add the tomato paste and stir to mix. Add salt, chilli powder, garam masala and turmeric and stir again. Now add the meat pieces with all its juices to the tomato mixture and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Meanwhile cook Fusilli according to instructions and reserve half cup of the water in which the Fusilli was cooked. Drain and keep aside.
• Add the drained pasta with its reserved water, the drained black bean and the sautéed vegetables to the tomato mixture. Reduce the heat to medium low and let it cook uncovered for 5 more minutes.
• Serve immediately into individual plates sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and sliced olives on top.

Luv,
Mona

Tomatoes are rich in Lycopene. And a very important ingredient in an Indian kitchen.

Fresh Tomatoes

This One-Dish meal is healthy and nutritious, and a hit with kids. When you feel tired and do not feel like being in the kitchen for a long time, this recipe goes well, as it does not need any accompaniments, and you can prepare this in a jiffy. You will love it. Comfort food it is! Try it out, and enjoy.

Chatpata Tamatar Chawal – Spicy Tomato Rice
Serves: 5

Ingredients:

Rice – 4 cup
Tomato – 6 medium
Tomato paste – 2 tbsp
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Split Black gram/Urad Dal – 1 tbsp
Split Bengal gram/Chana Dal – 1 tbsp
Small Green chillies – 8, finely chopped
Red Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Yellow Onion – 4, medium
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Salt – To taste

Method:

1. If you have left over plain rice then you can use it or else cook the 4 cups rice with about 2 tsp salt and keep aside.
2. Slice green chilles, onions, and tomatoes finely.
3. Heat ghee in a pan and add split black gram and bengal gram along with onions, tomatoes, green chilles. Fry well stirring until the dal gets a reddish tinge. Add salt, tomato paste, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and stir well. Cook and let cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes are slightly mushy.
4. Remove in a large bowl and add cooked rice to it and mix it throughly and gently. Reheat it before you serve.

Luv,
Mona