Methi Bhaji and Methi Parathas

Methi Bhaji (Subji)-

This is a dry subji. We call it 'Methi chi peeth perleli bhaji' meaning methi subji with gram flour. I have always loved this item, so much so that whenever I visit my Dad in Mumbai, I always request the cook to make this bhaji the first day I arrive & then atleast once every week while I am there. Methi leaves have a slightly bitter taste and combining them with gram flour and jaggery in this subji wonderfully balances out all the flavors.

Luckily I found fresh methi at the Indian store this Friday, hence got 4 bunches (they were rather small) as I wanted to savor this bhaji and make the parathas too. Here's how I made the bhaji:

4 small bunches of methi leaves - after discarding the stems/roots, washing (very well as it tends to have some mud stuck between the leaves), and chopping in the food processor, it made about 2 cups. If fresh methi is not available, frozen can be used too.

3 tbsp oil (this veg. does need more oil than I normally use)

For the phodni/tadka - 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp hing, 1/2 tsp turmeric pwd.

1 tsp coriander pwd

1 tsp cumin pwd

2 tsp Maharashtrian Goda Masala

3 tbsp jaggery/gul

Salt to taste

1 cup gram flour

Heat half the oil. Add mustard seeds, when they splutter add cumin seeds, hing and halad. Immediately add the chopped methi leaves. Add about 1 cup of water. Cover & cook on medium high for 7-8 mins. Then go in the masalas - coriander pwd, cumin pwd, goda masala and the salt and gul. Stir well & let it cook for another 5 mins.  Give it another good stir. Then sprinkle the gram flour over the bhaji, mix very well, add the rest of the oil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for another 7-8 mins. so the flour gets steamed.

Thats it. The bhaji is ready. Before I go on to the parathas, let me warn you folks - we rarely have any bhaji left over to make the paratha stuffing. The methi leaves, though they seem like a big pile when cleaning, shrivel up when cooking. The addition of the gram flour does help increase the quantity of the bhaji, but rarely enough to have leftovers. Usually I get 2 bunches of methi leaves and the bhaji with that is good for 1 meal for 3 to 4 people. This time I wanted to have leftovers, hence bought 4 bunches.

Methi Parathas -

Really just an extension of the above dish. Like I mentioned earlier, this subji is fairly dry and as it cools, it becomes dry enough to use as a paratha stuffing, without fear of it oozing out. For the paratha dough, you need -

1 cup whole wheat flour

pinch of salt

water to knead to a soft pliable dough

few drops of oil

Mix the salt with the wheat flour, gradually add water to form dough. Drizzle a few drops of oil & knead some more. Leave it covered with a damp cloth for about 1/2 hr.

To make the parathas, divide the dough into 6 to 8 balls. Flatten each slightly. Cup in the palm & fill about 2 tsps of the methi bhaji. Bring the sides together & seal closed. Press between the palms. Stuff all the dough this way. Then roll out each into parathas dusting a little flour as needed. Roast on medium high tava on both sides using one or two drops of oil until golden brown spots appear. Enjoy hot or roll and pack in aluminium foil for lunchbox. My 5 yr old daughter likes this with boondi raita. I served it with a simple raita of red radishes and green onions in the above picture.

This Methi Subji and Methi Parathas are off to Redchillies Herb Mania Fenugreek event.

Updating this post to send it to the Fenugreek event at What's Cooking, this event was started by PJ.

Past event contributions

As I have mentioned earlier, in my non-blogger days I had participated in a few food blog events. I am posting all those contributions here in order to keep a track of them.


Bell Pepper Quesadilla & soup - Contributed to VoW-JFI -Bell Peppers event at Pooja's My Creative Ideas

Quesadilla, as you may know, is a part of the Mexican cuisine wherein veggies, cheese, meats etc. are stuffed between tortillas. The restaurant version is loaded with cheese, especially for a vegetarian like myself, this dish does not provide a balanced meal. Hence I started making it at home with more healthy options. Now we like the home-made version better and rarely have it in the restaurant. It is pretty easy to put together, hence a popular weeknight dinner in my home. I make several different types of fillings, for this event, it was the mixed bell peppers one. The accompanying soup is just an extension of this dish. Here's how I made it:

1 medium onion - chopped
1 each - green, red, yellow and orange bell pepper - chopped
1 15 oz. can of black beans - drained & rinsed
2 heaped tsp. cumin-coriander pwd.
Salt
2 tsp. oil

Heat the oil. Saute the onion till pink. Add the bell peppers. Saute 5-7 mins. Add the black beans, cumin-coriander pwd and salt. Mix well. Cook 2-3 mins. more. I like the smoky aroma that the mixture exudes at this point.

For making the quesadillas -

5 tortillas ( I used Mission brand Multi Grain tortillas)
Tabasco hot sauce
Shredded cheese ( I used Kraft Mexican style four cheese blend)

Fill half of each tortilla with 2-3 heaped tbsps of the mix. Drizzle few drops of Tabasco hot sauce per taste. Top with shredded cheese per taste. Fold each tortilla over into half. Roast on a skillet with 1-2 drops of oil until brown spots appear on both sides. I myself like it a bit charred, so I dry roast it on medium-high. Then cool it for a few seconds, cut into 2 or 4 wedges and serve.

I almost always make this accompanying easy soup with the quesadillas. Take about 3 to 4 tbsps. of the above mix. Add 3 to 4 tbsps of any store-brand salsa and about 2 to 3 cups of vegetable broth or water. Mix and simmer until heated thru. To serve, pour in a bowl & top with few crushed tortilla chips.

Tricolor salad - Contributed to Theme of the Week - Saffron, White & Green event at Pooja's My Creative Ideas

For the Independence Day 2008 event, I sent her a tri-color salad. The basic idea was from a recipe I had copied down a while back. I think it is from a cookbook by Nita Mehta, but I'm not 100% sure of that. Anyway, I did change it based on what I had on hand.

Its a pretty simple dish. Here's how I made it.

2 medium carrots - grated fine
1 c. macaroni - boiled with a little salt
2 tbsp. rajma - I used the canned variety
1 small green bell pepper - chopped fine
few sprigs of cilantro
1 green pepper - deseeded & chopped fine
3 cups plain yogurt
1 tsp chaat masala
Salt, sugar & Pepper to taste

Tie the yogurt in a fine muslin cloth & hang it to drip for 2 hrs. (The whey can be collected in a bowl & used for kneading roti dough.) To this creamy yogurt, add the chaat masala, salt, sugar & pepper to taste. Divide into 3 equal portions. Mix the grated carrots into one portion, boiled macaroni into the second and the chopped peppers & cilantro into the third.

Arrange the three layers in order to resemble our tiranga. Dig a hole in the center of the macaroni layer & fill with rajma beans for the chakra.

Soy Pulav - Contributed to JFI - Soya event at Sia's Monsoon Spice

1 cup basmati rice - washed & drained
1 small onion - chopped
1 cup soy granules - soaked in warm salted water for 10 mins., then drained
1 cup frozen peas & carrots
1 small tomato - chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger - garlic paste
2 tbsp yogurt
2 tsp cumin-coriander pwd
1 tsp red chilli pwd.
1 tsp garam masala pwd.
Few mint leaves & springs of cilantro
1 tbsp oil
2 tsp salt

Heat the oil. Add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the onion. Saute for 2-3 mins on medium high. Then add the ginger - garlic paste. Again saute a bit, add tomatoes & the frozen peas & carrots. Mix the masala powders, chopped mint & cilantro in the yogurt and add to the veggies. Give it a stir. Then add the rice and soy granules. Add about 2 cups water & salt. Bring to a quick boil on high, then reduce to medium low. Cover with a tight lid & cook for about 15 mins until rice is done.

Methi rice & Curd rice - Contributed to Rice Varieties Event at EC's Simple Indian Food

Methi Rice (Menthesoppu Anna learnt from my maternal aunt) -

1 cup rice - I used basmati and cooked it in the pressure cooker. Then cooled it by spreading on a plate.
2 bunches methi - The methi bunches I found in the Indian store that day were pretty small, hence I used 2. Wash and chop these.
For tempering - 2 tsp oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, turmeric, udad dal.
1 tblsp. jaggery
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp dhana - jira pwd.
2 tsp sambar pwd. (home - made or store - bought)
Salt

Heat the oil. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds, then hing, turmeric, udad dal.Fry for a min. Add the chopped methi leaves. Add about 1/2 c. water, jaggery, tamarind paste, dhana - jira pwd., sambar pwd. and salt. Cover and cook for 10 mins. Then add to the rice, mix well. Let this sit for 1/2 hr so the rice absorbs the flavors.

Curd rice (Also my maternal aunt's speciality) -

1 cup rice - I used basmati and cooked it in the pressure cooker. Then cooled it by spreading on a plate.
Heat 2 tsp oil. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds, then 2 broken dry red chillies, 4-5 curry leaves, 1/2 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp udad dal. Fry for a min. Pour this on the rice. Add the yogurt, salt and sugar to taste. I also added some buttermilk to thin it out a bit. Add some fresh shredded coconut. Mix and refigerate until ready to enjoy. This is a lifesaver on a hot day.

Dal Palak Roti and Tofu Roti - Contributed to Roti Mela at Cooking 4 All Seasons

Dal Palak Roti

Tofu Roti

Dal Palak Roti -

This combines the goodness of lentils and spinach to make the everyday roti more flavorful. I made the dough using 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup pressure-cooked moong & tur dals, 1/2 cup palak puree, salt, 1 tsp dhana-jira pwd, 1/4 tsp red chilli pwd, 1/4 tsp amchoor pwd. Spices can ofcourse be adjusted to taste. No/very little water is needed to form the dough. Then I rolled out the rotis and roasted on the skillet with a drop of oil on each side. This made 7 rotis. I served this with chanya-chi-amti (brown chana curry).

Tofu Roti -

I got this idea from a friend who, during her pregnancy, would add tofu while kneading her roti dough. For this roti I used 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 12oz. packet firm tofu (drained), 4 tbsps kasuri methi, salt, sugar, dhana-jira pwd, red chilli pwd. Made a soft pliable dough (again - no/very less water in required). Rolled out and roasted the rotis with a drop of oil on each side. This was served with red chard & potato subji and cucumber-onion-tomato raita.

Coconut - ricotta burfi - Contributed to AFAM - Coconut at Tasty Palettes

1.5 cups dry shredded coconut
Part skim ricotta cheese - 15 oz. tub
1.5 cups milk - mava powder
1.75 cups sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Cook the ricotta cheese in a large non-stick frying pan on medium heat for about 8 mins., stirring frequently to avoid burning/sticking. At this point it loses most of its moisture and becomes like khoya (mava). Add the milk - mava powder. Mix well and cook another 5 mins. Add the sugar, mix well. The mixture will become liquidy again. Cook another 10 mins., stirring often. Add the coconut, mix and cook another 5 mins. Mixture will be quite thick at this time. Pour on to a greased thali. Pat down with a spatula. Let it cool completely. Then cut into desired shapes. Enjoy right away like I did or refrigerate!

Scrambled Tofu & Couscous Upma with Edamame beans - Contributed to Express Breakfasts Event at The Singing Chef

Scrambled Tofu

Couscous Upma with Edamame beans

Scrambled tofu -

Heat 2 tsps olive oil, add 1 tsp jeera seeds, then 1 small chopped onion and 1 chopped green chilli. Fry this for a few mins. In the meanwhile, drain 1 14 oz. packet of firm tofu and roughly chop it. Add this to the onions, increas the heat to high and saute the tofu for about 5 - 7 mins till all the water that the tofu leaves dries up.Then add turmeric, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Couscous upma with edamame beans -

Soak 1 cup dry couscous in warm salted water for 5 mins. In the meanwhile, heat 2 tsp oil in a non-stick fry pan, temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing. Then add 1 small chopped onion, 2 dry red chillies (broken), handful of broken cashew pieces. Next go in about 2 cups of frozen edamame beans (soy beans) and few tblsps of water. Cover and cook this for about 5 mins. Then mix in the soaked couscous, salt, sugar and lemon juice. Garnish with fresh shredded coconut and chopped coriander.

Chilli Paneer Sandwich - Contributed to the Sandwich Event at Food-n-More

The basic idea for this sandwich is from a cookbook by Nita Mehta. I had noted down this recipe from my friend a while back, can't recall the name of the book. It is called Chilli Paneer Footlong in that book.

For my sandwich, I did make quite a few modifications (for the ingredients I had on hand). Here's how I made it.

4 slices of 12-grain bread (store brand)
Butter
Shredded mozarella cheese
1 spring onion - chopped

For the tomato spread -
1 large clove of garlic - chopped
2 tomatoes - chopped
1 tbsp regular ketchup
1 tbsp Maggi Hot & Sweet Ketchup
1/2 tsp ova/ajwain
1/4 tsp Degi mirchi pwd
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt, pepper

For the chilli paneer -
1 cup paneer cubes (Store-bought paneer, cut into small cubes)
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Degi mirchi pwd
Salt, pepper

I marinated the paneer cubes in the above mix for about 1/2 hr, then shallow fried them in 2 tbsp olive oil.

Prepped the tomato spread by heating oil, adding garlic, frying till light brown, then adding all the other ingredients and cooking few mins.

To prep the sandwich, I butterred the slice lightly & grilled in on my grilling pan, then laid on some of the tomato spread, topped with the paneer, shredded cheese & finally garnished with some spring onion slices. I left it open-faced & served a simple salad of greens, cucumber & shredded carrots on the side.

BTW, I relaced the tomato spread with pizza sauce for my 4-yr old daughter, who loves paneer, but has not yet gotten used to the heat in our food. She loved her mini pizza!

Palak Paratha with Potato stuffing

I had made this for the WBB - Combi Breakfasts event hosted by Latha of Masala Magic.

These are palak parathas stuffed with shredded potatoes, slathered with hummus & served with fresh squeezed orange juice and ofcourse, chai. From all I've read & heard, I believe this combination provides the body with a good dose of complete proteins, complex carbs, iron, calcium, vitamins A, C & E, folic acid & antioxidants. I also love that with a little planning, this can be put together fairly quickly. Here's how I made them:

For the paratha dough:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup palak puree
1 tsp salt
2 tsp coriander-cumin pwd.
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd.

Knead together to form a soft, pliable dough. This can be made the previous night and refrigerated. It should be taken out atleast 1/2 hr before use.

For the stuffing:

2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp salt
2 tsp coriander-cumin pwd
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd

Heat the oil, add cumin seeds, when they sizzle add the ginger paste. Saute 2 mins, add the hash browns, salt & masalas. Saute on medium heat till the potatoes are done (about 10 mins). Cool to room temperature before use.

To proceed - Divide the dough into 10 -12 equal portions, flatten each slightly, then cup it in your palm & stuff with about 2 tbsp of the potato mix. Seal the edges together & roll into a paratha. Roast both sides on a hot skillet, either with or without a few drops of oil. Then slather the parathas with hummus (I used store-bought), roll up & serve with juice and tea on the side.