Aloo Phudina Paratha

I really like the flavour of mint leaves! Be it soups, mocktails, subzis, breads.. or whatever! It just lends a beautiful flavour to the final dish.

I can talk about food for hours especially if the one I am talking to is a foodie like me! So one of such conversations led to my friend sharing this recipe with me as her office packed lunches!

Potatoes (Aloo) are a versatile base to experiment with different flavours. Although I had tried Aloo Phudina Paratha in a dhaaba in Amritsar a few years back I never made it at home! Theirs was mainly potatoes, mint, onions. Whereas mine was sans onions and with little methi leaves (fenugreek) instead.

I don't like potatoes much but with mint I had to try!

And hey! a quick fact: Mint aids digestion and has relaxing properties. So this is another reason why you should try this!

So here it is:

Serves: 3-4 Makes: 15 Parathas. Preparation Time: 15 mins. Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

For Filling:
350 gms Potatoes (6 medium sized), boiled
2 tbsp fenugreek/methi leaves, washed and chopped (optional)
1½ tbsp garlic (5 cloves), crushed (optional)
1 tbsp ginger, grated
¾ cup mint leaves, washed and chopped
1 tbsp green chilli paste
1 tsp Garam masala (optional)
1 tsp Kitchen magic masala (optional)
1 tsp Amchur (dry mango) powder
Salt as per taste
1 tsp oil
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)

For Dough:

2 cups sifted wheat flour
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp salt
Water as required

Some dry flour for dusting
Oil or Ghee (Clarified Butter) for roasting

Method:

1. Prepare the dough by mixing all the ingredients under 'For Dough' and knead into a soft dough. Cover it and let it sit.

2. Heat oil in a small and shallow pan, add jeera. Once it crackles, add the methi leaves. Stir and let it cook for about 1 min and put it off heat.

3. In another mixing bowl, mash the potatoes and add all the remaining ingredients along with the methi leaves and mix well. (I added the amchur after taking the picture! oops!)

4. Divide this mixture into equal sized balls.

5. Now, divide the dough into equal sized balls. Roll each ball into a flat bread/roti and place the stuffing. Close it like a dumpling and roll it  using some flour kept for dusting.

6. Dry roast it on a griddle, once light pink/brown spots appear change sides and roast using ghee or oil as preferred.

7. Serve hot with raita or flavoured curd! Enjoy!!

Notes & Tips:

1. For Jains:

Substitute the potatoes for raw bananas/plantain (2 -3 medium sized). Skip the garlic. Proceed as it is.

2. Alternatively, the fenugreek can be skipped completely. If doing so slightly increase the quantity of mint.

3. You may also sauté some onions with jeera (and or methi) and add to the filling.

Homemade Pesto with Fusilli

This time Mumbai felt like winter which made me crave for some pesto pasta! I made this quick and yummy pesto sauce at home.

I tried it at a few restaurants but it always lacked a certain taste. Although I did not use Parmesan cheese, it is definitely tasty and worth trying at home. Besides, it has olive oil, cheese and nuts which makes it quite a filling meal in itself. I paired with some colourful bell peppers to break the green monotony and make it more appealing. It went well with some black sliced olives too!

Makes: 1 cup Serves: 2 Preparation Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

For Pesto:
1 ½ cup basil leaves, washed, separated from stem
½ cup pine nuts or walnuts or both, slightly roasted
6-7 garlic cloves
2-3 tbsp fresh cream/malai
1 cheddar cheese cube (2")
4-5 generous tbsp olive oil.
Salt & pepper as per taste

Others:
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp colourful bellpeppers/capsicum, julienned
2 tbsp cheddar cheese
2 tbsp black olives, sliced

For Pasta
1 cup fusilli
Salt, Oil & Water as required


Method:

1. In a deep pan, bring about 3-4 cups water to boil. Add salt, oil and pasta and let it cook as per packet instructions stirring ocassionally.

2. In a mixer grinder/food processor, Mix in all the ingredients under 'For Pesto' except the olive oil. The olive oil should be poured in intervals and not all at once. Grind it into a coarse paste. If it feels dry, add more oil. Avoid using water as this has to be creamy. You may add milk if you feel its too dry.

Once blended, keep aside.

3. Chop the bell peppers & olives.

4. In another flat pan, heat the olive oil. Now add the bellpeppers and stir fry for about 2 mins. Now mix in the the pesto and let it all mix well with the bell peppers and infuse its flavour amongst each other. This should take about 2 mins. At this stage if you feel its too thick, you may add some fresh cream or milk.

4. By now, the pasta should be ready. So toss in the pasta and gently fold in the pesto sauce.

5. Serve hot with some grated cheese and slice olives. Also drizzle some olive oil!

Voilà! Its ready! Enjoy!!

Notes & Tips:

1. For Jains: Simply skip the garlic. You may add 1 tbsp ginger. Rest all remains the same!

2. Ideally the cheese to be used is Parmesan Reggiano aka Parmesan. If you get your hands on it, use that. about 2 -3 tbsp chopped parmesan. Use it for garnishing too!

3. Also, extra virgin olive oil is the best choice here, with more the better! I used normal Figaro Olive oil.

4. I used pine nuts and walnuts both in equal quantities.