LACCHA PARANTHA / WHOLE WHEAT LACCHA PARANTHA

Laccha parantha is a multi layered north Indian flat bread, is an epitome of cooking art which tells us how one can make delicious and tempting food from common unassuming ingredients by just deploying a new technique in its preparation. 

This layered parantha is also popular as kerala parotta in malabar region of kerala. This step by step photo recipe employs extremely easy and unique technique and provides detailed instructions to help you make perfectly layered parantha.

 In restaurants it's made by using maida/ wheat flour but here I replaced it with whole wheat flour to make it super healthy.


INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Atta (whole wheat flour)
2 tbsp suji / Rava (semolina)

1 tsp salt
1 tsp powdered sugar
1/3 cup melted ghee or butter
1/2 cup butter for brushing

METHOD
1. Mix together atta, suji, salt, sugar and ghee.

2. Using water knead soft dough. Cover and keep aside.

3. After 15 minutes again knead to get smooth and soft dough.

4. Take big ball from the dough. The ball you generally take for making paranthas.

5. Grease the surface on which you will roll the dough.

6. Place the ball and roll out as thin as possible. You can see the pic below how thin it is.

7. Apply generously melted butter.

8. Using sharp knife or pizza cutter start cutting into thin strips.

9. Now using knife bring together all the strips.

10. Roll the strips to make a ball.

11. Using rolling pin, with light hands and not putting much pressure roll it to make parantha.

12. This time don't roll the parantha thin it should be little thick like regular paranthas. Thin parantha will make it crispy and hard.

13. Keep it on hot tawa.

14. Cook half from one side.

15. Flip and cook completely . Apply ghee and cook exactly like regular paranthas.

16. Enjoy hot with shahi paneer, dal makhani, paneer butter masala, malai corn, kadai chicken.


Notes:
1. Don't use rolling board or chakla for rolling the ball as you won't be able to roll it big and thin.

2. I find pizza cutter much more comfortable to cut the strips. If you have one go for it.

3. While striping if dough stick and its not even don't worry just carry on as it doesn't matter.

4. It's very important to cut the strips very thin to get flaky laccha


Pictorial:

1. Mix together flour, suji, salt, sugar, ghee.

2. Using water knead soft dough. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes.

3. Brush the counter with oil or ghee.

4. Roll the dough as thin as possible.

5. Cut into very thin stripes.

6. Like this.












7. Apply generous amount of melted butter.

8. With the help of knife bring together all the strips.

9. Roll it into a ball.












10. All done. 

11. Dust some flour on the counter.

12. Keep the ball.












13. Roll it little thick like parantha.

14. On hot tawa.

15. Cook halfway.

16. Cook.

17. Flip and cook.

18. Apply ghee

19. Cook.












20. Look at the Laccha's.

20. Apply ghee on top.

21. Nice.... isn't it!!















22. Serve with dal makhani.















23. Can you see the flakes?

24. Now??

25. How about this.......

CHOCOLATE COOKIE / WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR CHOCOLATE COOKIE

These chocolate cookies are full of chocolate indulgence. Previously I made chocolate chip cookies with chewy and soft texture.

This time I tried making with melted dark chocolate. They taste super yum and have little crunchy and little soft texture. The best thing as always is it's made with whole wheat flour.
Do try and enjoy these tasty and easy to make chocolate cookies.


INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder


1/4 cup melted chocolate (I used Morde dark compound)
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1-2 tbsp milk if required

METHOD
1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking soda.

2. In a separate bowl, beat together sugar and butter till light and creamy. Add melted chocolate to it.

3. Add sifted flour. Mix well.


4. If the dough is too dry and you are not able to make dough add milk and combine. I didn't use milk.

5. Combine everything together.

6. Make balls, flatten it between your palm. Top with some chopped chocolate.

7. Bake in preheated oven at 170�C for 10 minutes.

8. Let it cool completely on rack.

9. Enjoy these whole wheat soft and chewy cookies with a glass of milk.

Pictorial:









1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder and soda.











2. Beat together sugar and butter till creamy and light.

3. Add melted chocolate.

4. Add in flour.










5. Mix well.

6. Combine to make a dough.

7. Make balls and flatten them between your palm.

8. Bake at 170�C for 10 minutes.

9. Enjoy with warm glass of milk.

10. Closer look.


















11. Do try!!

CHEESE MALAI KOFTA

Malai kofta is a popular as well as most sought after vegetarian Indian dish in restaurants. malai means cream and kofta are fried dumpling balls.  They are made up of mashed potatoes and paneer. This oval and crispy koftas are generally stuffed with dry-fruits but this time giving it a different touch with cheese filling. This cheese malai kfota makes it favorite among kids. 

You can even try this different version of kofta during together  and parties. 

I make many varieties of koftas like regular malai kofta, spinach paneer kofta, and paneer stuffed kofta. You can find the recipes of these koftas by simply clicking on the respective name.

INGREDIENTS
For kofta:
1 cup boiled and grated potato
1 cup boiled and grated paneer


1/2 cup grated or sliced cubed cheese
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 TSP coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
1 TSP cumin powder (jeera powder)
1/2 tsp dry mango powder (amchur powder)
Salt and red chili to taste

For gravy:
pinch of grated nutmeg (jaiphal)
1 roughly crushed mace (Javitri)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera powder)
1/2 inch cinnamon stick (dalchini)
8-10 cashews (kaju)
1 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
1 tsp cumin powder (jeera powder)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi powder)
red chili to taste
1 cup roughly chopped onion
2 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
1/2 inch roughly chopped ginger
8-10 finely chopped garlic pods
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup fresh cream
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp roasted and crushed kasuri meethi


METHOD:

FOR KOFTAS:

1. Grate boiled potatoes or mash it. Grate or mash paneer.

2. Add all the ingredients mentioned under Kofta. Mash it well.

3. Using your hands give it Kofta shape. You can make both oval and round shape depending on your preference.

4. Take a dough dough in your palm, spread it flat and keep grated or sliced cheese cube. Cover it by giving round or oval shape. For melting cheese, add grated cheese in filling and for solid cheese put sliced cube.

5. I took out a small amount to check the binding, before frying koftas, drop the little ball to check if it's not breaking, in case, it breaks or slits add 1 more teaspoon of cornflour.

6. Keep it in fridge without covering for 10-15 minutes or till you prepare gravy.

7. Roll the ball in cornflour, dust the excess flour and deep fry in hot flame. Keep in absorbent paper. Add in gravy just before serving.



 FOR GRAVY:
1. Heat some ghee or oil in pan, add grated jaiphal, crushed javitri, 1/2 inch cinnamon stick and jeera. Saute for a minute.

2. Add chopped onions and let it turn brown. When onions are halfway brown add ginger-garlic paste.

3.  Add roughly chopped tomatoes and handful of cashews and tomato sauce. Add little water if tomatoes are not juicy. I didn't add water as tomatoes were too juicy. Cover with lid and let it cook on low flame till cashews and tomatoes are soft and tender and all the water is absorbed.

4. Open the lid once water is absorbed let it come down to room temperature and grind to make a fine paste.

5. Using same pan, add some ghee, add coriander powder, jeera powder and red chili powder. Saute add little water and add puree.

6. Mix well and saute puree for 5-10 minutes. Add around half a cup of water or more if required to get thick flowing consistency. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

7. Add sugar, cream and roasted crushed kasuri meethi. Mix well.

8. Turn off the flame and keep aside and add koftas just before serving.



Pictorial:











1. Grate potato and paneer, add all the ingredients mentioned under kofta. Mix well.













2. Keep it in fridge for 15-20 minutes or till you make gravy.

 









3. Take out from the fridge, take a big scoop of it, roll it flat keeping the center thick and edges little thin.












4. Place grated or sliced cube. 

 









5. Roll it in desired shape.

 









6.  Perfectly done.












7. Roll in cornflour. 












8. Deep fry in hot oil. Make sure oil is hot.

 









8. Soft and brown koftas are ready.












9. Look at this cheesy gooey inside. For melting cheese, add grated cheese in filling and for solid cheese put sliced cube. Keep koftas aside.



FOR GRAVY:











1. In pan, add ghee or oil, drop in cumin seeds, javitri, jaiphal, and dalchini.













2. Add onions and saute till golden in colour.

3. When onions are halfway brown add ginger-garlic paste. Saute till onions are little more brown.

4. Add roughly chopped tomatoes. 

5. Tomato sauce and cashews.

6. Cover with lid and cook till tomatoes and cashews are soft. If required add little water.

7. Water is completely absorbed and cashews and tomatoes are cooked. Let it cool down and turn into fine paste.

8.  Using same pan, add some more ghee, saute coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric and chili powder.

9. Add 1/4 cup water, cook for a minute.

10. Add puree. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

11. Add sugar.

 12. Cream. I used fresh cream (malai).

13. Some water to get right consistency gravy.












14. Finally add roasted crushed kasuri meethi. Mix well and turn off the flame. Gravy is ready.

15. Just before serving pour hot gravy over kofta.

16. Serve hot!