Paneer Paratha, Cottage Cheese Stuffed Flat Bread

Ingredients:

For the outer covering, Paratha:

1/2 cup maida, all purpose flour  

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

salt and water to knead the dough

For the inner stuffing:  

100 gms Grated Paneer, cottage cheese

1 finely chopped medium onion

1 handful of Coriander leaves finely chopped 

1/2 inch, small piece of Ginger (grated) 

1 or 2 finely chopped green Chilies

1 tsp red chili powder 
1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp Ajwain, carom seed (optional) 

Butter / Oil for shallow frying as required

Step-by-step photos of paneer paratha

Instructions:   

• Make dough out of outer cover paratha ingredients as you would do for any paratha/roti.   

• In a bowl mix all the stuffing ingredients.  

• Make two medium size chapati, add the filling to the one chapati and cover it with the second one. Now roll it slightly. Cook on a pre-heated tawa (flat griddle plate).   

• Turn it and pour half tablespoon oil or butter.  

• Spread it on the paratha and shallow fry over low heat. Turn it and again pour oil or butter on the other side.  

• Cook on a low heat till golden brown.  

• Serve paneer paratha hot with yogurt (curd) and your favorite chutney or with pickle.  

Note:  Do not add salt to the filling before, as it will leave water. Add salt only at the time of preparation.

 

Mando, Mande, Mandige, Deep Fried Sweet

 Deep fired puris rolled in a sweet dry powder, Mando is a popular festival sweet prepared during Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali etc.  It is a typically Konkani festival sweet.

Ingredients:

1 cup maida or all purpose flour

2 tea spoon ghee
½ cup powdered sugar
1 table spoon sesame seeds (white til )
½ tea spoon cardamom powder
Oil for deep frying
Salt a pinch.

Instructions:

1. Make a stiff dough with flour, ghee , salt and water.
2. Take small balls of dough and roll it into medium sized chapatis (roll them into as thin as possible).
3. Wash sesame in water and drain. Roast them on a pan till sesame seeds pops up, do not burn them.
4. Mix sugar and cardamom with sesame and keep it aside.
5. Heat oil and deep fry the discs one by one. They should still remain white colored when fried. So don’t fry for long time. Just leave them in hot oil and immediately remove to enable folding later on. Small bubbles appear on the surface indicating they are cooked. If kept for a longer time, they become stiff and cannot be folded.
6. Spread the sugar mixture. It should be done when the fried discs are still hot, otherwise the sugar will not stick to them. Fold it into a triangle as shown above  spreading the sugar mixture on all the folds.
7. Store them in airtight container. They remain good for at least 15 days, if stored properly.

Nevri, Karanji, Karajikayi, Sweet Turn Overs

Nevri a popular Konkani festival sweet prepared specially during Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, and other festivals.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1 cup
Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 1/4 cup
Grated Coconut - 1 1/2 cups
Sugar - about 1/2 cup
Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 4 pods (seeds only)
Salt
Oil

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, semolina and salt. Mix and make a well in the center. Add 1 tbsp oil and mix again. Now add water and knead well to form a firm dough. Add little more oil and knead again to slightly soften the dough. Keep the dough covered for an hour or so.
2.  Grind the grated coconut using little water so that the coconut turns to a coarse powder, about a minute.
3. Heat about 1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter or oil and add the ground coconut. Saute for few minutes at low flame. Now add sugar and continue cooking till the coconut stuffing turns to a dry powder. Turn off the heat and add cardamom powder. You can add powdered dry nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews) and/or roasted sesame/til seeds as well to this stuffing. Let the stuffing cool. 
4. Divide the dough into equal sized small balls. Roll a ball into a very thin puri dusting some flour. Place 1 - 2 tsp coconut stuffing in the center. Apply little water or milk around the circular edge to ease the sealing of Karanji. Fold the puri half way to form a semicircle. Press the edges to seal it completely. I used a Shankarpali/Karanji cutter for a better shape. You can use a knife or pizza cutter as well.
5. Deep fry the stuffed Nevri/Karanji in enough oil to check. The outer dough layer must turn crisp. If not, roll it more thinner. Repeat the same for the leftover dough.
6. Crunchy and Sweet Nevri is ready.