South indian paratha

keralaparathaor keralaparotta is a layered flaky flat bread that is popular across the whole of south india. it is a variation of the north indian lachcha or layered paratha. they are also called asmalabarparathas . i really have good memories of having these crisp and flaky breads during our vacations in south india. we would just have them plain with tea, dunking into the tea or with a nice coconut based vegetable korma or curry. the outer crisp and flaky edges giving way to the inner soft layers.. yum is the word. i still remember the hotel where we stayed once.. just in front of our window there was a restaurant and the cook making these kerala parottas one after the other. he was a master in his art of making these parathas with his hands he would flip them and back to the work surface stretching the dough without using the rolling pin. and not a single tear or break in the dough. at home we cannot make these parottas this way. the texture would be less flaky and crisp than the restaurant ones, but still good enough to try. generally these parathas are made from all purpose flour or maida. now using all purpose flour does give a great texture and flakiness to the parotta. however, in this keralaparatharecipe i have used 1:1 ratio of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour. you can make fully with all purpose flour or with whole wheat flour. however with whole wheat flour the texture and taste would be different as compared to the parotta made with all purpose flour. it would taste more like the north indian lachcha paratha. generally in the roadside eateries, they use dalda vanaspati (hydrogenated vegetable fat). for health reasons, i dont use dalda vanaspati. use a non aromatic and flavorless oil to make these parathas. you can even use butter or ghee. the more fat the more better it is . however, i have used only 2 tbsp oil for 2 cups of flour. you can increase the quantity to 4 to 5 tbsp oil too. the method is very easy and i have shown a step by step method which will make the preparation easy to understand. this keralaparathadoesnot use yeast . hot water is added while kneading which does make a difference to the texture of the parotta. this is also an eggless recipe of making these awesome flat breads. if you have to have these parathas, then make them at home. please dont buy the ready made ones. they are not good. i have tried them and they were bad. not even an inch close to the real thing.

i had made peas and potato korma to go with the parottas. you can serve kerala paratha with any vegetable curry or lentil curry. even the simple dal tastes sooo good with the parotta.

stepby stepkeralaparathaor parottabelow:

1: sieve both the flours with baking soda. make a well and add sugar, salt and oil.

2: add hot water.

3: since the water is hot, first mix the whole mixture with a wooden spoon. and then when the heat can be tolerated, knead the dough with your hands. make a smooth, soft and elastic dough.

4: cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

5: divide the dough into 7-8 balls.

6: dust the working surface with flour. roll each ball as thinly as possible with a rolling pin. you have to roll very thin. if the dough breaks or tears, continue to roll.

7: brush oil on the rolled dough on the entire surface.

8: hold the rolled dough from the top on both sides and pleat them till the bottom.

9: holding one end of the pleated dough, roll like a spiral and press the last edge on to the center.

10: prepare all the spiral balls this way and keep them covered with a moist cloth for 15-20 minutes before you start cooking them.

11: on a dusted work surface, roll each pleated ball into parathas of 4-5 inches. i actually made them larger about 7 inches.

12: heat a tava or a griddle. place the paratha on a hot tava and fry on both sides drizzled with some oil on top and the edges till they are crisp and browned. you will see the layers easily and they will be browned.

when serving, squish the parotta holding them between your palms so that the layers come up on the surface. serve these yummy keralaparathaor malabarparathaswith any indian vegetable or lentil curry.

sandesh recipe for durga pooja, how to make sandesh | durga pooja recipes
by DASSANA

22 sandeshis one of the most popular sweets made during durga pooja. making sandesh is not difficult and is an easy recipe and this step by step tutorial will help you further to make these delicious fudge at home. basically, sandeshis a sweetmoistfudge made from cottage cheese. for making them you have to first prepare the fresh paneer or cottage cheese. mash the paneer and then cook it with a mixture of sugar and jaggery. the cooking is important and if you over do it, the paneer becomes dense and rubbery. it took me a total of 9 minutes on a low flame to get the right texture and consistency in the sandesh. once you make them you will wonder, why you didnt make this delicious sweet before. since the actual preparation of sandesh is very simple and quick unlike making gulab jamun or rasogullas. like all popular indian sweets, sandesh is loved by many and is quite popular in west bengal. there are many variations of sandesh made for festive occasions. lets start with this easy version and soon i will share one more version of sandesh with you. since i had palm jaggery, i have used it in this recipe along with sugar. you can easily use sugar in the whole recipe. the color would be creamish then instead of brownish. however, palm jaggery gives a really nice rustic flavor and taste to the sandesh.

lets start stepby stepsandeshrecipefor durga pooja:

1. first begin with preparing the paneer or chenna. keep the milk to boil and then curdle it by adding lemon juice. in a a deep bowl lined with a muslin or thin cotton napkin, pour the curdled milk.

2. take the four corners of the muslin in your hands and gather all the curdled paneer together in the muslin. squeeze the whey.rinse the chenna with the muslin in running water very lightly. this is to remove the sourness of the lemon juice or vinegar from the paneer. place a

weight like a heavy bowl or a stone pestle on the muslin for max 1 hour. if in a hurry, then you can keep for 30 mins too. the paneer will be set by then.

3. take the paneer in a plate or a tray. knead and mash with the knuckles of your palms. gather the whole mixture at intervals and continue to knead till the mixture becomes smooth and soft. add jaggery and sugar and knead for 2-3 minutes again. the jaggery and sugar both will melt and release moisture in the mixture. you can also pulse the paneer with the sugar in a blender.

4. add this mixture to a thick bottomed non stick pan. with continuous stirring cook on a low flame for a total time of 9-10 minutes. after 2-3 minutes the mixture will come to have a smooth and molten consistency.

5. slowly slowly the moisture would begin to dry up and the mixture would start coming together. we do not want a dry sandesh mixture. the paneer should have some moistness and must not have a dense rubbery texture. also no oil or fat should be released from the sandesh mixture. you can see the consistency of the paneer that is required to make sandesh in the pic below.

6. let the mixture warm or cool. again knead the mixture with the knuckles of your palms like you did before. then take small portions and shape them into round flattened balls or a peda. with a toothpick or fork you can even make designs on the sandesh. press some pistachio or almond slices or raisins in the center. you can even use moulds to shape them.

7. servethe sandeshimmediately or refrigerate and then serve them. if not serving immediately then refrigerate them as they get spoiled if you keep them out at room temperature.

if you are looking for more sweets recipes then do check coconut ladoo, dry fruits ladoo, besan ladoo, rava kesari and kaddu halwa.