Puli Kuzhambhu

Puli Kuzhambhu is a traditional south TamilNadu curry which is prepared atleast once (may be twice or thrice) in a week in almost all the houses. This kuzhambhu can be of different varieties depending upon the veges added.

Ingredients

Choice of vegetable - Refer 'varieties section' below
Tamarind - 1 1/2 pods
Coconut - 1/4 of a whole coconut
Red chillies - 2
Cumin - 1/4 sp
Big onion - 1/2 (or) equivalent small onions
Coriander powder - 1 sp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 sp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 sp
Salt - To taste
Tomato - 1 / 2
Seasoning:
Oil - 3 sp
Mustard - 1/4 sp
Urad dhal - 1/4 sp
Onion - 2 sp
Curry leaves - 10 Nos.

Method

1. Grind coconut, red chillies and cumin to a fine paste along with necessary water.
2. To this, add big onion and grind to a fine paste.
3. Soak tamarind in hot water for 10 min and extract tamarind juice.
4. Cut the vegetable into big bite - sized pieces.
5. Transfer the diced veges to a pan and add water just to cover the veges and cook in a mediun heat. (Some veges need not be cooked at the beginning. They need to be added later. REFER - 'varieties')
6. When the veges are half cooked, add the grind masala, tamarind extract, the masala powders,salt and tomato (cut into four) along with necessary water to cook the masala.
7. If the veges are to be added later, add them once the kuzhambhu starts to boil.
8. When the kuzhambhu is 3/4th done, do the seasoning and add to the kuzhambhu.
9. Let this simmer for about 5 - 10 min in a low heat till the required consistency is reached.
10. Serve with white rice. Can also be taken with idli / dosa occasionally.

Varieties

Name of the Kuzhambhu	Basic vegetable / Ingredient	How to add	When to add	Special Ingredients / Conditions
Katharikai Puli Kuzhambhu	Brinjal - 3 Nos.	Cut into big pieces & add as such	In the beginning with water till half cooked	-
Urulaikilangu Puli Kuzhambhu	Potato - 2 Nos. medium sized	Cut into big pieces & add as such	In the beginning with water till half cooked	-
Vendaikkai Puli Kuzhambhu	Okra (Ladys finger) - 10 Nos.	Cut into big pieces, dry roast in low heat for 5 min & add	When Kuzhambhu starts to boil	-
Paagarkai Puli Kuzhambhu	Bittergourd - 1 No. medium sized	Cut into thin round slices & add as such	When Kuzhambhu starts to boil	-
Mochakottai Puli Kuzhambhu	Mochakottai - 1/2 cup	Soak in water overnight, pressure cook & add	When Kuzhambhu starts to boil	Do not overcook the mochakottai in the pressure cooker
Mochakottai Katharikai Puli Kuzhambhu	Mochakottai - 1/4 cup Brinjal – 1 No	Soak mochakottai in water overnight, pressure cook & add. Cut brinjal into big pieces & add as such	Add brinjal in the beginning with water till half cooked & Mochakottai when kuzhambhu starts to boil.	Do not overcook the mochakottai in the pressure cooker
Cauliflower Potato Puli Kuzhambhu	Cauliflower florets – 10 Nos. (big size) Potato – 1 No.	Cut into big pieces & add as such	Add potato in the beginning with water till half cooked & cauliflower when Kuzhambhu starts to boil	Grind 3 pods of garlic and ½ inch of ginger along with coconut masala. Reduce the tamarind to 1 pod only.

Urulaikilangu Puli Kuzhambhu

Vendaikkai Puli kuzhambhu

Cauliflower Potato Puli kuzhambhu

Vathal Kuzhambhu (vatha kuzhambhu)

Ingredients

Sunda vathal / Manathakkali vathal - 1/ 2 (handful)
Tamarind - 1 pod
Coconut - 1/8 of  a whole coconut
Red chillies - 2
Cumin (Jeera)  - 1/2 sp
Big onion - 1/2
Coriander powder - 3/4 sp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 sp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 sp
Salt - To taste
Tomato - 1
Seasoning:
Oil - 3 sp + optional 2 sp
Mustard - 1/4 sp
Urad dhal - 1/4 sp
Onion - 2 sp
Curry leaves - 10 Nos.

Sundavathal

Manathakkali vathal

Method

1. Grind coconut, red chillies, cumin to a fine paste adding necessary water.
2. To this, add onion and again grind to  a fine paste.
3. Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 min and extract the tamarind juice.
4. Add oil to a pan under medium heat.
5. Add either one of the vathal and fry it till it is well cooked w/o getting burnt. Keep aside.
6. To the same pan, add the additional oil (if required) and do the seasoning.
7. To this add the grind masala, tamarind extract, the masala powders, tomato and salt with necessary water.
8. When this starts to boil, add the vathal (roasted) and cook in a medium heat so that the vathal gets incorporated within the masala.
9. Simmer to get a thick consistency and the oil separates out.
10. Serve with white rice.

Sundavathal Kuzhambhu

Manathakkali vathal kuzhambhu

Note

1. The store - bought vathals will  usually be soaked in a mixture of buttermilk & salt and finally dried. So they will normally taste salty. Hence care needs to be taken while adding salt to the kuzhambhu.
2. Sunda vathal kuzhambhu may taste bitter. But these are good to be taken in the diet atleast once in two weeks for its medicinal properties.
3. The more quantity of vathal added, the more tastier the kuzhambhu will be.
4. Never crush the vathal to small pieces before adding. This is sure to spoil the kuzhambhu.
5. Even with little kuzhambhu, lots of rice can be eaten. So take utmost care with the quantity of coconut and tamarind.

Egg Curry (Muttai Kuzhambhu)

Ingredients

Eggs - 4

Coconut - 1/4 of  a whole coconut
Red chillies - 3
Cumin (jeera) - 1/4 sp
Fennel (perunjeera) - 1/4 sp
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 4 pods
Big onion - 1/4
Tamarind - 1 1/2 pods
Tomato - 1
Coriander powder - 1 sp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 sp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 sp
Salt - To taste
Seasoning:
Gingelly oil - 5 sp
Mustard - 1/4 sp
Urad dhal - 1/4 sp
Onion ( finely chopped) - 2 sp
Curry leaves - 10 Nos.

Method

1. Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 min and prepare tamarind extract.
2. Grind coconut, red chillies, cumin, fennel, ginger and garlic to a fine paste adding required water.
3. To this add the onion and again grind to make a paste.
4. Transfer the masala paste to a vessel adding sufficient water.
5. Add the tamarind extract, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and tomato.
6. Let this boil in a medium heat till the masala and masala powders are well cooked.
7. Keeping in a low heat, break open the egg shells and add the eggs to the curry one by one. This will give the original egg flavor to the curry.(OR) The eggs can also be boiled previously, removed from shells and can be added (if the smell of break - open egg is not preferred).
8. Allow the eggs to cook in the masala for 5 min.
9. Do the seasoning and add to the curry. Let this simmer for another 5 min to reach the required consistency.
10. Serve with white rice or with idli, dosa / bread varieties.

 Note

1. If raw eggs are added directly to the curry, they tend to dissolve so easily into the curry. Hence avoid frequent use of ladle / spoon in the vessel.
2. Slits can be made in the boiled eggs before adding, to enable the masalas to penetrate to the inside of the egg.
3. Egg curry w/ any indian bread variety is not tried so far (by me).

Pongal Sambhar

This sambhar tastes awesome with Venpongal.

Ingredients

To pressure cook:
Moong dhal - 1 (handful)
Big onion - 1/2 (medium sized) or equivalent small onions
Tomato - 1
Brinjal / Eggplant - 2 (medium sized)
Green chillies - 2
Turmeric - 1/4 sp

To dry roast & blend:
Fenugreek seeds (venthayam) - 1/4 sp
Coconut (cut into small pieces) - 3 sp
Hing - 1/4 sp
Coriander powder - 3/4 sp

Seasoning:
Oil - 3 sp
Mustard - 1/4 sp
Urad dhal - 1/4 sp
Red chilli - 1
Curry leaves - 10 Nos.

Salt - To taste
Coriander leaves - For garnishing

Method

1. Pressure cook the above mentioned ingredients and mash them with a "mathu" or the back of  a ladle.
2. Add the roasted & blend ingredients, with necessary water for the required final consistency.
3. Add required salt.
4. Do the seasoning and add to the pressure cooker.
5. Let this boil for about 10 min in a medium heat or until required consistency is reached.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves.
7. Serve with hot venpongal.

Note

1. This sambhar may appear tasteless during preparing. But when added to venpongal..... it tastes awesome... yummy.
2. This goes well only with venpongal and not with any other tiffin varieties like idli / dosa.

Ven Pongal

This recipe serves 2 - 3 people.

Ingredients

Raw Rice (Pacharisi) - 1/2 cup
Moong dhal (Pasi paruppu) - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 5 to 10 sp
Whole pepper - 1 1/2 sp
Cumin - 1/2 sp
Hing - 1/4 sp
Curry leaves - few (optional)
Water - 4 cups
Salt - To taste

Method

1. Wash rice & dhal together and keep aside.
2. In a pressure cooker over medium heat, add ghee.
3. When ghee is hot, add pepper, cumin, hing and curry leaves.
4. Once peppercorns start to burst, add water. (Take care not to burn yourself while adding water to hot ghee.)
5. Add washed rice and dhal along with the required salt.
6. Cook in a medium heat (for any number of whistles) till there is no water in the pressure cooker (may be 10 - 15 min).
7. Serve with Pongal sambhar / coconut chutney / vada.

Note

1. Never cook in a high heat since water tends to spill out during cooking (since we add more water to get mashy rice)
2. The dhal can be dry roasted before adding which gives an increased texture and aroma to the venpongal.

Chicken 65

Ingredients

Chicken pieces - 10 (big size w/ bones)
Red chilli powder - 2 sp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 sp (optional)
Chilli chicken 65 powder - 1 sp (optional)
Salt - To taste

Method

1. Wash the chicken pieces and place them in a bowl.
2. Add the other ingredients and mix well so that the masala spreads all over the chicken pieces.
3. Keep the bowl closed, in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 hrs (marination).
4. Deep fry in oil over medium heat until crisp and brown.
5. Serve hot with chicken curry / variety rice / sambhar or simply as an appetizer.

Note

1. Chicken w/ bones suits this recipe well. But chicken w/o bones can also be used.
2. The marinated chicken can be kept in the freezer (stays good for 2 -3 days) and can be fried whenever required.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients
Cauliflower (big) - 1 (separated into florets of uniform size)
Red Chilli powder - 1 sp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 sp
Sambhar powder - 2 sp
Oil - 3 sp
Corn flour / corn starch - 1 sp
Salt - To taste

Method

1. Separate the cauliflower into florets and let them rest in hot water for about 5 min just to kill any worms present.
2. Cut the florets into pieces, if required, so that they all are same in size so as to cook evenly.
3. Drain the water completely and keep aside.
4. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl along with the cauliflower florets.
5. Make sure the florets are completely coated with the masala.
6. Grease a cookie sheet with oil and arrange the florets in such a way they don't overlap.
7. An aluminium foil sheet can also be used for easy clean - up of the cookie sheet.
8. Bake in a 425 deg F oven for 20 - 25 min in the center rack.
9. When done, turn the oven to broil mode and let the florets stand for another 5 - 10 min so as to become crispy.
10. Serve as an appetizer or as a side with any variety rice / sambhar / paruppu kuzhambhu / dhal.

Arrangement of florets in cookie sheet

Note

1. Serve immediately, else it will turn soggy.
2. Will crispen up again, once placed in the oven in broil mode.
3. The cauliflower florets can be marinated & refrigerated the previous day itself.

Capsicum Masala Rice

Ingredients

Capsicum (Bellpepper) - 1/2 each of yellow, red & green
Mustard & urad dhal - 1/4 tbsp
Cumin - 1/2 tbsp
Red chillies - 2
Peanuts (Groundnuts)- 1/ 4 cup
Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 10 Nos.
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Basmathi Rice - 1 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 5 strands
Salt - To taste

Method

1. Wash and cook the basmathi rice with 2 1/4 cups of water and salt and keep aside.
2. Cut the capsicum to bite - size pieces.
3. Dry roast (w/o adding oil) mustard, urad dhal, cumin, peanuts, red chilli, coriander powder and curry leaves.
4. Allow it to cool and blend to a coarse powder in a blender / mixie.
5. In a large pan, add oil. To this add capsicum pieces and salt. Let this fry for 5 - 7 min in a medium heat.
6. Add the grind masala powder & garam masala and fry for another 2 min.
7. To this, add the cooked basmathi rice and mix well. Let this stand for another 2 min on a medium heat.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves.
9. Serve with egg masala / potato fry / raita.

Note

1. This rice looks awesome with three different colors of capsicum.
2. Can also be prepared w/ any one color of capsicum.

Banana Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients

All purpose Flour / Maida - 1 cup (heaped)
Brown Sugar - 1/4 cup + 2 sp
Salt - 1/4 sp
Baking powder - 3/4 sp
Baking soda - a pinch
Butter (melted) - 1/4 cup (or) 1/2 stick
Egg - 1
Vanilla (Pure extract) - 1/2 sp
Ripe banana - 1
Strawberries - 1/2 cup (cut to small pieces)

Method

1. In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and mix them together.
2. In another bowl, mash well the banana with a fork or just by hand.
3. To this add the melted butter, egg, vanilla one by one and beat them.
4. Now add these wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix together.
5. Add the strawberries and mix so that the strawberries are coated well with the batter.
6. Transfer the contents to a muffin pan with the help of a scoop.
7. Bake for 20 - 25 min in the middle rack of a 350 deg preheated oven.

Muffins right from the oven

Note

1. Do not overmix the batter. The muffins will become hard.
2. W/o strawberries, these become simple banana muffins.
3. The batter should be little thicker than the idli batter consistency.
4. Never fill the batter more than 3/4 of the cups in the muffin pan.
5. This recipe makes about 8 muffins.

Chicken Varuval

Ingredients

Chicken - 1/2 kg (cut to bite - size pieces)
Gingelly oil - 3 sp
Big onion - 1 (medium)
Tomato - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/4 sp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 sp (if preferred)
Cinnamon - 1 (1 inch piece)
Cardomom - 2
Cloves - 5
Red chilli - 2
Ginger - 2 (1 inch piece)
Garlic - 6 pods (large)
Coriander powder - 3/4 sp
Cumin - 1/2 sp
Fennel (perunjeeragam) - 1/4 sp
Coconut - 1/8 of a whole coconut

Method

1. Wash chicken well and keep aside.
2. In a blender / mixie, grind the ingredients 'from cinnamon to coconut ' in the ingredients list, to a fine paste.
3. In a pressure cooker, add gingelly oil.
4. Add onion, curry leaves and deep fry at a medium heat.
5. Add tomatoes and fry them till mushy and oil starts separating out.
6. Add the blend mixture and fry for another 2 min.
7. Add the chicken pieces along with little water.
8. Cook for about 4 whistles in a low - med heat.
9. After releasing the steam, place cooker in a low heat.
10. Allow the contents to simmer to get a dry consistency.
11. Serve as appetizer or as a side.

 Note

1. Chicken pieces w/ bones suits this recipe well.

Chenna Masala

Ingredients
Channa Dhal - 2 (handful)
(soaked in water overnight & pressure cooked)
Big onion  - 1/ 2 (large)
Tomato - 1
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 4 pods
Mint leaves - 10 Nos.
Coriander leaves - Equivalent to mint leaves
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1/4 sp
Chenna masala powder - 1 1/2 sp
Chilli powder - 3/4 sp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 3 sp

Method

1. Cook channa dhal (konda kadalai) and keep aside along with the water used for cooking.
2. In a blender / mixie, add tomato, ginger, garlic, mint leaves, coriander leaves, cumin seeds and grind to a fine paste adding required water.
3. In a pan, add oil.
4. When oil is hot, add onion. Deep fry the onion.
5. Add the blend mixture and fry in a low - med flame till oil separates out.
6. Add chenna masala powder, chilli powder, salt and fry for another 2 min.
7. Add cooked channa dhal along with the water.
8. Add additional water if required.
9. Allow this to simmer till the required consistency is reached.
10. Serve with poori, chappati, naan, parotta and parathas.

Thakkali (Tomato) Chutney

This recipe serves 2 -3 people

Ingredients

Big onion - 1 (medium)
             (or)
Equivalent quantity of small (pearl) onions
Ripe Tomatoes - 3
Green Chilli - 2 (cut into two)
Coriander leaves - 1/2 of a handful
Mustard & Urad dhal - 1/4 sp
Oil - 3 sp
Water - as per required consistency

Procedure

1. In a wide bottomed pan, add oil.
2. When hot, add mustard and urad dhal. Allow it to splutter.
3. Add green chillies and fry till it starts to brown.
4. Add onions and deep fry in a medium heat.
5. Add tomatoes and fry till oil separates out.
6. Add coriander leaves & salt and fry for another 1 min.
7. Add water as per required final consistency and let this boil for 2 min.
8. Allow this to cool and blend a little coarsely or to a fine paste.
9. Serve with idli or dosa.

Note

1. Small onions increase taste compared to big onions.
2. The more the onion & tomatoes are fried, the more tastier the chutney will be.
3. Never add water while blending. This will sure change the taste of the chutney.

Simple Idli Sambhar

This recipe makes sambhar sufficient for 2 - 3 people

Ingredients

Toor Dhal - 2 (handful)
Big onion - 1 (large)
Tomato - 1
Garlic - 5 pods
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 sp
Green Chilli - 2 (cut into two)
Turmeric - 1/4 sp
Salt - To taste
Water - Sufficient to cook
Coriander leaves - To Garnish

For Seasoning:
Oil - 3 sp
Mustard - 1/4 sp
Urad dhal - 1/4 sp
Red Chilli - 1
Curry leaves - 10 Nos.

Procedure

1. In a pressure cooker, add all the ingredients except salt, coriander leaves and items for seasoning.
2. Add sufficient water to cover all the ingredients, so that after cooked, only very little water remains in the cooker, easy to mash.
3. Cook for 5 whistles in a low - med heat.
4. Mash the contents of the cooker with the back of a ladle/ spoon or "matthu"
5. Add required salt.
6. Add sufficient water for the required consistency.
7. Do the seasoning and add to the cooker contents.
8. Let this boil in a low - med heat for 5 min.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.
10. Goes well with Idli and dosa.

Note

1. Adding more water at the initial stage of cooking makes mashing very difficult.
2. This recipe includes very less ingredients but yield an awesome sambhar.

Masala Fish Fry

Ingredients

Fish pieces - 10 Nos.
Big onion (medium sized) - 1/4
Tomato - 1
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 4 large pods
Tamarind - 1/2 of a pod
Cumin seeds - 1/4 sp
Red chilli powder - 1 sp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 sp
Salt - To taste

Procedure

1. Add all the ingredients except fish pieces, in a blender / mixie and grind to a fine paste w/o adding water.
2. Mix with the fish pieces and marinate for 1 hr in the refrigerator (not the freezer)
3. Take a heavy bottomed pan, add sufficient oil at a medium heat. 
4. When the oil is hot enough, fry the pieces one by one,until both sides are done.
5. Place the masala, if in excess, on the fish pieces while deep frying.
6. Serve as such as an appetizer / with white rice & fish curry.

Note

1. This fish can be roasted on a skillet / dosa tawa with less oil.
2. The masala on the fish tend to brown while frying, which will also be tasty to eat.
3. Never mind, if the masala tend to spread in the oil while deep frying.

Pepper Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken - 1/2 kg (cut to small pieces)
Cinnamon (1 inch piece) - 1
Cardomom - 2
Cloves - 5
Big onion (chopped) - 1 (large)
Tomato (chopped) - 2 to 3
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Mint leaves - 10 Nos.
Coriander leaves - 1/4 of a handful
Pepper powder - 3 tbsp
Cumin powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/4 tbsp
Crushed pepper - 1/2 tbsp
Gingelly oil - 3 tbsp
Salt - To taste
water - As required

Procedure

1.Cut the chicken to bite size pieces, wash 3-4 times and keep aside.

 2.In a pressure cooker, add oil and when it is hot, add whole garam masala. Fry them well in oil.

 3.Add onions. Fry till the onions become light brown.

 4.Add chopped tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes become mushy.

 5.Add ginger garlic paste, mint leaves and coriander leaves and fry  in medium heat, till oil separates from the mixture.

 6.Add pepper powder, cumin powder, turmeric, garam masala and salt. Fry for 2 - 3 min w/o burning them.

 7.Add the chicken pieces and mix with all the masalas. Let this cook for 2 - 3 min.

 8.Add required water as per the required final consistency.

 9.Add the crushed pepper at this stage.

 10.Check for salt and pepper.

11.Close the pressure cooker and let it cook for 15 min in a low - med heat for 3 whistles.

 12.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

 13.Serve with white rice, idly, dosa, chappati, naan and parotta.

Note

1.Always use gingelly oil while preparing non- veg dishes. This will add an additional taste & aroma to the dish.

 2.Whole garam masala can be avoided and instead an additional 1/4 tbsp garam masala powder can be added.

 3.If the dish is required to be more spicy - hot, add additional pepper powder.

 4.The more the onion, tomatoes are fried, the more tastier will be the dish.

 5.Lesser the water for a thick gravy and more the water for a watery dish.

Rava Dosa

Ingredients
Rava / Sooji – 1 1/2 cup

Rice Flour – 1 cup

Maida – 1/2 cup

Cumin Seeds – 1/2 sp

Pepper Powder – 1/2 sp

Salt – 1/4 sp or to taste

Ginger  - 1 inch piece finely chopped

Green Chilli – 2 (finely chopped)

Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup (optional)

Curry leaves – 10 Nos. (chopped)

Coriander leaves – little (chopped)

Water – 2 to 3 cups

Onion – 2 (medium sized, finely chopped)

Procedure

1. Mix all the dry ingredients except onion in a bowl.
2. Add water to get a very watery batter.
3. Heat the dosa tawa at medium – high and spread a handful of onion on it.
4. Sprinkle the batter over the onions simply with hand in a thin fashion so that holes can be seen on the surface.
5. Spread a spoonful of oil on the top. Let this cook for  about 2 min.
6. Now flip the dosa and cook the other side for another 2 – 3 min or until it becomes very crispy.
7. Serve with coconut / coriander / mint chutney . It also tastes excellent w/o any chutney.

     

                        

Note

1. The batter can be prepared immediately before dosa preparation. No pre- planning required.
2. The batter can be kept for 1 – 2 hrs so that the rava absorbs some water and loses its raw smell. Extra water if required, can be added at the time of dosa preparation.
3. Never flip the dosa until it is brown at the bottom to avoid the dosa splitting into pieces.
4. The more crispier the dosa, the more tastier it will be.

Homemade Parotta

Ingredients

Maida Flour - 2 & 1/2 cups
Salt  -  1/4 sp or to taste
Egg - 1 (only if prefered)
Milk (Boiled & cooled) - 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup
Vegetable oil / Refined oil - As required

Procedure

1. In a wide bowl, add maida and salt. Mix them well.

2. Break in the egg and mix together.

3. Add 1/2 cup of milk and get a soft dough. If required, add little milk or 2 spoons of oil

4. If the dough becomes a little watery, sprinkle little maida.

5. Knead the dough well adding required oil (may be on the counter-top for about 5 - 10 min)

6. Apply oil on the dough and cover it with a wet cloth. Let this rest for 4 - 5 hrs.

7. After 4 hrs, knead the dough again using little oil for another 5 min.

8. Divide the dough into 10 / 11 small sized balls.

9. Spread oil very generously on the counter top.Place a small ball and roll it with a rolling pin.

10. Roll it as thin as possible so that it become transparent and the counter top can be seen through it.(The dough may tear while rolling but never mind.)

11. Apply 2 spoons of oil on the rolled dough. Lift a corner with fingers so that it forms a folded pattern.

12. Roll from one end to the other. Apply oil on top and keep aside covered with a wet cloth.

13. Repeat the same for the remaining dough balls.

14. Place a dosa tawa on medium - high heat and apply a little oil.

15. Take a rolled out dough and gently press it with fingers until it is thin.

16. Lift and place it on the hot tawa. Apply oil on top.

17. When the bottom side is well cooked with brown spots on it, flip and cook the other side.

18. When the parottas are hot, take some 5 nos. on countertop and beat them from the sides to separate

the layers.

19. Serve hot with chicken Kurma / Mutton Curry / Vegetable Kurma

Note

1. Though Maida and All purpose flour mean the same, always use maida for parottas.

2. Vegetarians can avoid egg and simply use milk or just water. But they need to knead more to get a soft dough.

3. The more oil we use ,the better the parottas we get.

4. The more we knead, the tastier the parottas will be.

5.After applying oil on the rolled dough ball, little maida can be sprinkled to avoid the layers sticking to each other.

6. The rolled dough can be folded into layers by means of alternate foldings like that of saree pleets.

7. The tawa must be very hot. Never use electric griddles even at the maximum temperature.

8. While transferring to the tawa, transfer as such from the countertop. Do not change the top side to the bottom and vice - versa.

9. Do not flip the parotta often while cooking. May be twice and not more.
10. Chilli parotta or kothu parotta can be made from these parottas.

Tip

Guys normally  have more power & strength than girls. Thats why I always ask my hubby to knead the dough. Its just a simple help.This is a great secret for those excellent parottas.