Indian food recipes

Chilli Parotta 

Off late, I find myself making a lot of hot potch dishes especially with left overs be it fried rice or bread upma. Remember the Parotta recipe I posted last week? I had quite a few parottas sitting in the fridge that I put to good use by making Kothu Parotta and Chilli Parotta, both of which are popular street food fares of Tamil Nadu.

There are a few variations of restaurant style Chilli Parotta according to the region it is prepared. A very popular version involves cutting the flaky parottas into bite sized pieces, dipping them in a thin batter of spiced flour and cornflour and deep fried till crisp before being tossed in a coconut based gravy consisting of onions, caspicum and spices. There are no 'rules' to be followed for street food fare like Chilli Parotta recipe. It is versatile, in the sense one can add ingredients be it spices or sauces according to one's preference. A simple twist can transform the dish's texture and flavor profile and make it something special.

Chilli Parotta Recipe

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Main Ingredients: parotta

Ingredients

Left over parottas - 4 (you can use left over rotis and chapati)

Onion - 1, large, sliced ​​or quartered

Green Capsicum - 1, medium, sliced

Garlic - 3, finely minced

Ginger - 1/2 ", finely minced

Green chilies - 2, slit length wise

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Soy sauce - 1 1/2 tsps

Tomato sauce - 2 tbsps

Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Lemon juice - 1-2 tsps

Spring onion greens - for garnish, finely chopped

Fresh coriander - for garnish

Salt to taste

Oil - 2-3 tbsps

Method

Tear the parottas or chapatis into bite sized pieces or alternately cut them into strips using a knife. Set aside.

Heat a heavy bottomed vessel, add oil and once its hot, add the minced garlic and saute on high flame for a few seconds. Add the minced ginger, green chilies and onions and saute on high flame for 3 mts before adding the sliced ​​capsicum.

Saute on high flame for another 3 mts. Add red chili powder, garam masala powder, soy sauce, tomato sauce and salt to taste. Mix well. Saute on high for a mt, tossing the contents well so that they do not burn.

Add the shredded parotta and continue to roast on high flame, tossing the contents such that the spices and sauce coat well. Toss on high flame for a mt.

Finally add the lemon juice and mix. Turn off flame. Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with spring onion greens and coriander leaves and lemon juice

Tips

You can add a dash of black pepper powder to a spicy kick.
The same recipe can be made into chilli egg parotta. Lightly beat 2 eggs with a dash of salt and add this mixture after Step 2. Make a well in the center of the vessel and add the egg mixture and scramble it lightly. Cook for a mt and mix the contents well. Follow rest of the recipe.
Roasted cashew nuts can also be added.

Pesarapappu Bobbatlu

 

Ingredients

Maida - 1 1/2 cups

Moong dal - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Water as required

Salt to taste

Oil and ghee as required

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method

In a medium sized bowl, add maida, a tbsp of oil, 1/2 tsp salt and mix. Add enough water to make a very soft dough. Oil the dough well, place lid and set aside while you do the rest of the preparation.

Bring 2 liters of water to a boil, add moong dal and cook on medium flame till the dal turns soft yet holds shape. Once the dal is cooked, drain the water (use this strained water to make chapati dough or rasam). Mash the dal with the back of a ladle and set aside.

Take a stainless steel bowl, add the fine granulated sugar and the dal. Mix and cook on low flame. The sugar will melt, keep stirring till the dal becomes a thick mass and there is no moisture. This could take a good 15 mts. Add 1/4 tsp salt and cardamom powder and mix well. Turn off flame. Allow to cool. Make small lemon sized balls and set aside.

Pinch some dough (same size as the sweet dal balls) and place on a greased banana leaf or a plastic sheet.

Flatten it into a disc which is the size of your palm. Place a ball of the sweetened lentil mixture in the centre and draw the edges of the dough from all sides to cover the ball completely.

Gently flatten the ball carefully with your fingers to form a 6 "to 8" diamater flat circular bobattu. Do grease your fingers while flattening.

Heat a tava and place the flattened bobbatu on it. Roast on both sides till golden brown spot appear and very light grease with oil. Remove to a plate.

Prepare bobbatlu with rest of the dough and allow to come to room temperature.

At the time of serving, smear fresh desi ghee on top of each bobbatu and serve. They can be stored in an air tight container upto a week

Tips

Bobbatlu can be served either warm or at room temperature.

Chicken Salna

Chicken Salna also called as Chicken Chalna is the best side dish with South Indian style Parotta and vegetable salna for the vegetarians. You will find most road side stalls located in busy market areas and along the highways in Tamil Nadu serving Parotta with Chicken Salna. The mere sight of this famous street food makes you hungry and crave for a bite of the flaky layered parotta dunked into the aromatic chalna. It is a match made in heaven and I always look forward to eat it when I visit Tamil Nadu.

A fragrant watery chicken curry with a unique blend of freshly roasted spices like cumin, fennel seeds, pepper corns along with shallots, coconut and roasted chickpeas. One of the best chicken curry I have ever made and blogged is Chicken Salna. A must try recipe and I am sure that those who try it will add it to their recipe repertoire. Do give it try this festive season and it is best served with parotta and even biryani, appam or chapati

Chicken Salna Recipe

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Yield: 5
Main Ingredients: chicken

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 kg, cut into bite sized pieces, washed and drained

Onion - 2 large, finely chopped

Tomato - 1, medium, chopped (optional)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Red chili powder - 1 1/2 to 2 tsps (adjust)

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Oil - 4 tbsps

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander leaves - for garnish

Shallots - 5 (optional)

Green chilies - 2 (optional)

Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup

Roasted chick peas - 2 tbsps (dalia / putnala pappu) OR roasted peanuts OR cashew nuts - 6-7

Roast for 3-4 mts on low flame:

Cloves - 3

Cinnamon stick - 1/2 "

Cardamom - 1

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Black pepper corns - 1 tsp

Method

Grind the dry roasted ingredients along with the shallots, green chilis, roasted chickpeas and fresh coconut to a fine paste adding little water. Set aside.Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, once hot, add the chopped onions and curry leaves and saute for 7-8 mts or till they turn lightly brown. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 5 mts.Add the red chili powder and chicken pieces and mix. Cook on high flame for 4 mts, mixing once in a while.Reduce flame, place lid and cook for 15 mts. Add chopped tomatoes and cook with lid for 10 mts on medium flame, mixing once in a while.Add the ground spice paste and mix well. Cook on medium flame for 3 to 4 mts and add two cups of water and salt. Increase flame and bring to a boil. Now reduce flame, place lid and simmer till the chicken is done. Salna is a watery gravy dish so ensure there is enough liquid. Add more water if required.Once the chicken is cooked, turn off flame. Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.Serve with parotta, biryani, pulao, chapati, appam, dosa or naan

Tips

If you do not have roasted chickpeas, use peanuts or cashew nuts.
Another version of the salna calls for roasting 2 tbsps coriander seeds and 6-7 red chilis along with rest of the ingredients. In that case, green chilis and red chili powder can be omitted.
You can add cubed potatoes (2 medium sized potato) at step 4.
You can also roast fresh coconut along with other spices