Our very own 'The famous Malabar Parotta'

Hey friends, this recipe is from my younger daughter who is very interested in experimenting new dishes in her kitchen. She enjoys cooking and I appreciate her determination to keep trying out new dishes till she attains perfection. The credit of this recipe goes to her :):) Now, upto my younger daughter's recipe as narrated to me.

During my childhood days, I used to visit Kerala quite often during the  summer vacations. I cherish the numerous road trips along the Western Ghats travelling in Tata Sumo filled with the chit chat and the bantering of a group of cousins, all of us almost of the same age group. This was one of the last vacations before my marriage that I spent time with my folks there. Within the first couple of days after reaching Trivandrum, I made sure to stop by at my favourite roadside stall to savour the most amazingly freshly made parotta alongwith korma.  Usually, I would think that the side dish is the 'star' but this was one time when  the soft and flaky parotta was the 'star'.

Here is my first attempt at making the Parotta and korma. The vegetable korma that is coming up is my mother-in-law's recipe. I wanted to go the authentic way and pair it with Malabar parotta. Here is the recipe and this needs a little patience and the results are delicious and definitely worth it.

Maida (All purpose flour) - 2 cups

Milk - 1/4 cup

Oil - 1/4 cup

Water as needed.

Step 1: Mix in the maida and the warm milk and make it into a soft dough by adding just enough water. Work the dough for five minutes until it has a smooth texture.

Step 2:Apply oil to the entire surface of the dough. Cover it with a clean cloth and allow it to rest for ten minutes.

Step 3: Break the dough into balls of a big lemon.  Roll each ball and apply oil to the surface of the balls. Cover it again with a clean cloth and let it rest for five minutes.

Step 4: Flatten out the dough to the size of your palm. Apply oil uniformly to each of the flattened surface and let this rest for ten more minutes.

Step 5: Roll out the flattened dough very thinly (Almost like a tissue paper).

Step 6: Cut this diagonally and roll each section starting from the center.

Step 7:Twist the diagonal sections into concentric circles. Cover this concentric circles in a muslin cloth until you are ready to make the parottas.

Step 8: Flatten out the concentric circles to the size of your palm.

Step 9:Apply oil on the tava and cook the parottas on medium heat.

Step 10: Use your fingers to apply some pressure on the parottas to bring out the flakiness.

Yummy flaky parottas are ready to be served. Korma recipe to follow soon.

The ever eternal Pav Bhaji

This is the recipe one never gets tired of and it can never go wrong in any kitchen.  I personally feel that the small nuances enhances the taste of any particular dish.  And especially, this bhaji is incomplete without cauliflower, carrots,beans, capsicum and peas to name a few.  These veggies have to be present and cannot be substituted with anything else.  Again, the pav, if freshly baked, does wonders.

During my young days, we had different sources of acquiring butter. One was the traditional method where my mom used to accumulate cream and once a week, butter was churned in a mixer. There used to be a 'Nambisan butter' which used to top up the deficit of the home made. And special occasions like Pav bhaji calls for only Amul butter. Till today, for Pav to be toasted, I prefer Amul butter (although I get Danish Lurpak) and the slight crispiness and the brown crunchy taste is mind blowing. I prefer to make the bhaji simple and not very 'Masaladhar'.

Here goes my version
Ingredients:

Potatoes - 6 nos
Tomatoes - 2 big finely chopped
Carrots - 2 nos chopped
Onion - 1 big finely chopped
Capsicum - 1/2 cup chopped
Beans - 1/2 cup chopped
Peas - 1/4 cup
Cauliflower- 1/2 cauliflower into florets
Coriander leaves - 4 tbsp finely chopped
Ginger - 1 tsp finely chopped
Jeera - 1 tsp
Pav bhaji masala - 3 tsp (I used MDH Pav bhaji masala)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Lemon - 2 nos.
Amul Butter

Boil potatoes, peel and keep it aside.  Cook carrots, beans, cauliflower,capsicum and keep aside.  Boil peas separately.

In a kadai, add one tablespoon butter, add jeera and the finely chopped onions. Saute it well and then add finely chopped ginger, Pav bhaji masala, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and stir well till the masalas are blended and then add the finely chopped tomatoes and allow it to cook well.  Now, add the cooked potatoes,beans,carrots capsicum and cauliflower. Add salt and mash the veggies well.  Once it is mashed, add water to bring it to bhaji consistency.  Now add the boiled peas and mix well.  If the peas is boiled alongwith other veggies, it will be mashed and will not be visible.

Now garnish with very finely chopped coriander leaves and the bhaji is all set to hold hands with the mighty pav.  Squeeze the juice of two lemons or as per taste before serving.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is one thing more exasperating than a wife who can cook and won't, and  a wife who can't cook and will. ~Robert Frost