Maida Parota, Potato and Peas Curry & Onion Salad

This is not any authentic dish of Mysore, but we all love it very much. A weekend dish I can say for us.  An awesome threesome combination. These days I am craving for all those dishes which we had stopped making for some unknown reason, perhaps we just forgot it! This is one among them. I remember very well how we eagerly looked forward for a weekend just to relish different dish! Now it is my son's turn and I see the same sparkle in his eyes. No wonder we say 'kaalachakra' what went past us is with our children now :D

Maida Parota :

Ingredients:

Maida/All Purpose Flour - 4 cups
Huli Mosaru/Sour yogurt - 1 cup
Salt
Water

Method :
1. Mix all of them to make a firm dough. Cover and keep for 3-4hrs.
2. Take a small ball size dough and roll it to make a 8cm circle. Apply oil. Be generous. Fold (Chinese fan fold) it to make a cigar. Fold the cigar to make a circle as shown the picture below. Apply oil to its surface and leave it in a container.
3. When you want to serve, flour the surface and roll these rounds to make 10cm diameter circle like chapathis. Fry them on a hot girdle/tava with oil and serve hot. Strictly serve hot, cold parathas taste no good!
4. These days we get frozen stuff, but home made ones taste much better than frozen parathas.

Peas, Potato, Tomato Curry

Dried Peas : 1/2 cup (soak for 8 hrs and pressure cook till soft)

Potato : 2 medium sized (boiled, peeled and cubed)

Tomato : 1 big or 2 small (chopped into small pieces)

Onion : 1 big (chopped into small pieces)

Redchilli powder : 1/2 tbsp

Coriander Powder : 1 tsp (toasted coriander powder)

Jeera Powder : 1/2 tsp (toasted jeera powder)

Cinnamon Powder : 1/4 tsp

Marathi Moggu Powder : 1/4 tsp

Black Pepper Powder : 1/4 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Heat oil in a pan. Add onion when oil is hot. When onions turn pink, add tomato and fry well. Add all the powders mentioned one by one. Fry for a min and add boiled peas, potato and water to make up the desired volume. Add salt and bring to boil.

If curry is too runny, add a tablespoon of rice flour and mix well and boil again. Taste and adjust flavors. Serve hot with hot parathas.

Onion Salad
White Onion : 1 (chopped into fine pieces)
Pepper Powder, Salt and Lemon Juice
Toss everything and serve. Simple yet tasty.

Edited to add

Sending this awesome threesome combination to Pari's The Combo Event at Foodelicious

Reader's Post - Menthya Hittu

Blogging has given me many friends, appreciation e-mails from reader's which encourage me to blog more and more. Many of you write to me asking whether or not they can send me their recipes to be published. The answer is YES, but I would definitely try them in my kitchen before I publish them on TOM. All recipes published on TOM are approved for their taste by my family members and I appreciate their co operation in this regard.

This recipe was sent by one of my Singapore reader and friend. Many thanks Ibbani for this healthy recipe. Menthya hittu is a medley of 4-5 different types of pulses flour. The resulting cocktail powder is a protein rich powder which is good for health. Here is how Ibbani makes menthya hittu ..

MENTHYA HITTU
P.S. Please use same cup for measuring all ingredients

Togaribele/Toordal/Kandipappu- 1 cup
Kadalebele/Chanadal/Shenagapappu- 1 cup
Hesarubele/Moongdal/Pesarapappu- 1 cup
Uddinabele/Dhuli urdadal/Minapappu - 1 cup
Menthekaalu/Methidana/Menthulu- 2 tsp
Jeerige/Jeera/Jilakara - 1tsp
Kempumenasinakayi/RedChillies - 5-7 (adjust according to your taste)
Hingu/Asafoetida- a big pinch
Harishina/Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Method :
Roast/fry all ingredients without oil on medium heat separately. Let them cool down.
Powder them and mix them well and store in a airtight container

Serving :
Serve with plain hot rice and ghee/clarified butter. Add little salt, mix and eat :) enjoy!!

- IBBANI &

Reader's Request-Seemantha/Bale Shastra/Valakappu

One of my reader, who lives in Australia emailed me requesting the procedures for Seemantha/Bale Shastra/Valakappu. My friends had arranged baby shower ceremony for me recently and pictures, rituals written down below were observed on that day. 

There can be elaborate celebrations followed as per family traditions and customs as mentioned here (click), here and here. Happy beginnings call for happy endings and probably this what we hope for when all the above traditions are observed. A would-be mother is blessed by all and wished her good luck for delivering the baby. Even in west when baby shower is celebrated it means 'showering the blessings to the mother-to-be' and wishing her luck. So East or West all customs share the same idea behind the ritual.

Some of the common procedures followed across the south Indian states for Seemantha/Bale Shastra/Valakappu..

Preparation before celebrating Seemantha/Bale Shastra/Valakappu :
1. Prepare (Make ;) )/Buy (easy)  all items that would-be mother likes to eat like chakkuli, Puri unde, kodubale, nippattu, sweets ....list can go on :D
2. Buy a saree (green), blouse piece, bangles (green colored), harishina (turmeric), Kumkuma (vermilion) and flowers. Optional items which may be given are hair clips, rubber bands, nail polish, Kadige/Kajal (eyeliner)etc
3. Any gift of choice.
4. Fruits 5 varieties
5. Add more varieties if you wish to give :)
6. A chair to sit and arathi plate filled with turmeric water

 A closeup at all the items that were arranged before arathi........

On the day of Seemantha/Bale Shastra/Valakappu :

The mother-to be dresses in the new saree, green bangles and jewelary

She is made to sit on the chair and married women give her harishina, kumkuma, flowers and bangles. Bangles are put on to her hand (..name valakappu or bale todisuva shastra is probably derived from this activity). It is said that it is auspicious for the baby to hear the tinkling sound of bangles that mother wears. By 28 weeks baby listens actively and also senses light. So 7th month is considered ideal for performing this activity.

Gifts, food items are filled in her lap (probably that is why it is called Godh Bharai in North Indian states)

Every member of the family and guests fill the lap with their gifts. 

Finally aarthi is given to the mother-to be :), last but not least guests are served delicious food just like this.......