One Day At A Time

  Hey everyone! Hope all is well. Goldilocks weather in my part of the world. Not so rainy anymore.  Today, I am sharing a well known Indian flatbread - Naan. My simplified version with just three ingredients and salt. If you are trying to avoid unnecessary additives in store bought Naan, this post is for you. Do try this homemade Naan and let me know. And kneading the dough in a food processor makes it easier. Ingredients: All purpose flour/Maida - 2 cups Homemade Yogurt/Dahi - about 1 cup Baking Powder - 2 tsp Salt to taste How to make Easy Three Ingredient Naan: In a food processor jar, add flour, yogurt, baking powder and salt. Run the dough setting until mixed well. Add more yogurt or flour to get smooth, soft dough. Divide the dough into 8 dough balls. Roll each one as thin or thick you would like, dusting some flour.  Heat a cast iron pan and place the rolled naan. When small bubbles start popping, flip and roast for a few seconds. Finish cooking the Naan on direct...

Cheese and bread.... comforting and hearty! You can never go wrong with this duo. Well, my family loves Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Cheesy Quesadillas, Paneer Paratha. These are my go to meals for Sunday brunches or any special day. This weekend I made Paneer Pyaaz (Onion) Paratha. Melted butter on those golden brown parathas makes it totally irresistible. Ingredients: Paneer - 400 gm Onion - 1 big Durum Wheat Flour/Atta - 3 cups Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp Chat Masala - 1 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Green Chilies - 3 (finely chopped) Grated Ginger - 1 tsp Grated Garlic - 1 tsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Oil - 2 tbsp Butter or Oil for roasting How to make Paneer Onion Paratha: Start with the dough. In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour and little salt. Add little water, at a time and knead until the dough gets soft and smooth. Cover the dough with plastic food wrap and let it rest for 20 - 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Paneer pyaaz stuffing . Finely ...

Paratha is a great way to include some veggies in our everyday diet, especially when your little one does not eat something like creamy Avocado guacamole. The soft and moist avocado flesh makes the parathas very soft and flaky. What I love about this fruity flat-bread is its easy to make, its oil free and my kiddo loves it. Roll the paratha with some sautéed potatoes and your child will love it even more.

I am amazed at the variety of Indian breads one can make... Naan, Mooli Paratha, Roomali Roti, Lachha Paratha, Bhakri, Ragi Rotti, Tandoori Roti. For most weekday lunches, I generally make Phulka. I know, it becomes monotonous sometimes.  Today's special is North Indian whole wheat Lacha Paratha . These take a couple more minutes than regular roti, but can be made on a busy day. You don't need any fancy ingredients, just atta and ghee.  The same layered flat-bread when made with all purpose flour (maida) is known as Kerala Paratha .

Bhakri is a gluten free flatbread made of rice flour or jowar flour or finger millet flour or pearl millet flour. These are well known as Bhakri in Maharashtra and Rotti in Karnataka. One good thing about Bhakri is that these are oil free. Nutrition wise, you are eating whole grain complex carbohydrates. For a wholesome meal, pair it with a protein rich beans curry. Or a simple coconut chutney tastes great too. Ingredients: Nachni/Ragi/Finger Millet Flour - 1 cup Rice Flour/Tandlacha Peeth - 1/2 cup Water - 1 1/2 cups Salt How to make Nachni chi Bhakri: In a mixing bowl or a big plate, add nachni flour and rice flour. Add salt to taste and mix well. You can make bhakris with just nachni flour as well.  Add 2 cups of water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and add this boiling water to the bowl. Using a spoon, mix all the ingredients well. When it turns cold enough to handle, knead the dough well and divide into 5 balls. Sprinkle some rice flour ...

Zucchini is one of the local vegetables, I regularly use in our Indian meals. And parathas are our family favorites. Parathas are always a simple meal to plan and taste great with just achar and yogurt. If not yogurt, a Coconut Chutney goes well with any flatbread. Ingredients: Zucchini - 1 big Mini Bell Pepper (Red) - 1 Green Onions/Scallions - 6 Green Chili Paste - 1/2 tsp Jowar/Sorghum/Jola/Jwari Flour - 1/2 cup Besan/Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour - 1/2 cup Rice Flour - 1/2 cup Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 1/2 tsp Jaggery/Gud/Gul - 1 tsp Oil - 2 tsp Salt How to make Zucchini Paratha: Grate zucchini. Finely chop bell peppers and green onions. In a big mixing bowl, add zucchini, bell peppers and green onions. Now add green chili paste, sesame seeds, fresh ground black pepper, grated jaggery and salt. Mix all the ingredients well and set it aside for about 30 minutes. If jaggery is not available, use molasses or sugar. For so...

Whole Wheat Methi Thepla, a Gujarati Paratha is well known to many of us. Jowar Methi Thepla is not so famous as the wheat one, but its our family favorite.  Whenever I find a fresh Methi bunch, I know exactly what to cook. This paratha is more like a multi grain one.. you get to use a number of flours... corn flour, oats flour.  Skip wheat, oats and you have a nutritious gluten free bread . Ingredients: Fenugreek/Methi Leaves - about 4 cups Jowar/Sorghum/Jwari/Jola Flour - 1 cup Besan/Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour - 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour/Atta - 1/2 cup (optional) Yogurt/Curd/Dahi - 1/4 cup Ghee/Clarified Butter - 1 tbsp Shredded Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1 tbsp White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 1/2 tsp Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Green Chili Paste - 1 tsp Green Onions/Scallions - 5 Jaggery/Gud/Gul - 1 tsp Salt How to cook Jowar Methi Paratha: Heat a pan and dry roast the sesame seeds for about a minute, just until you get the roasted sesam...

There are some ingredients which I have not tasted yet or tried in my kitchen ..... quinoa, couscous, macadamia nuts. No particular reason. Maybe, in future, I might try and share some interesting recipes with you.  Yeast used to be one of those ingredients. I am not sure why, but I was quite apprehensive about using yeast. But not anymore. Here is a Vegan Tawa Naan bread, made of fiber rich whole wheat flour. Ingredients: Whole Wheat Flour/Atta - 1 cup + 2 tbsp Yeast - 1 tsp Warm Water - 1/2 cup Salt Oil How to cook Whole Wheat Tawa Naan: In a mixing bowl, add yeast and warm water. Stir with a spoon and set it aside for about 5 minutes. Add little salt and whole wheat flour. Add finely chopped or minced garlic, if you like Garlic Naan. Knead to form a soft dough. If the dough is too sticky, add few more tbsp of flour. Cover the bowl with a plastic food wrap. Let the dough rest in a warm place for 20 - 30 minutes or until the do...

Bhakri is a well known flatbread of Maharashtra, made either of Jowar (Jwari) flour or Rice flour. I like using a combination of both, which makes the bread soft and nutritious. Plus, this bread is oil free. In Karnataka, this rice flatbread is called as Akki Roti and jowar/sorghum flatbread as Jolada Roti .

When you hear the word Pav, you might be thinking of the mouthwatering dishes.... Pav Bhaji , Vada Pav ,  Misal Pav , Dabeli . For me, it brings back a childhood memory, Maska Pav. In case Maska sounds new to you, it is butter. Simple bread butter sprinkled with little sugar used to be one of my favorite breakfasts. Ingredients: All Purpose Flour/Maida - 3 cups Oil - 3 tbsp Sour Cream - 2 tbsp Sugar - 1 1/2 tbsp Lukewarm Milk - 1/4 cup Lukewarm Water - 1/4 cup Yeast - 2 1/4 tsp Salt - 1 tsp How to bake Indian Ladi Pav: In a small bowl, add lukewarm (not hot) water, sugar and yeast. Lukewarm water is ideal for the activation of yeast. Mix and set aside until it turns frothy, about 10 minutes. Rising of the yeast is the key step for soft bread. In a mixing bowl, add lukewarm milk, sour cream, oil and all purpose flour. To this add the yeast sugar mixture and mix. Knead well for about 5 minutes till the dough turns soft. Cover and let the dough rest for about 2 hours...

For our everyday meals, I cook Tawa Roti.  A whole wheat flatbread cooked on a griddle, also called as Chapati or Phulka .   Naan is a leavened, Tandoor (clay oven) cooked Indian flatbread, which we always order in a restaurant.  If you are looking for a yeast free Naan recipe, this Tawa Naan is perfect.. soft and fluffy.  Garlic Naan, Butter Naan are most loved versions of this soft flatbread recipe.

Adding greens to Poori dough makes me think I am eating healthy. Less guilt! If you like fried bread, try this Indian Poori made of Dill leaves. Dill in English, Shepu in Marathi and Sabasgi Soppu in Kannada. Ingredients: Dill/Shepu/Sabasgi - about 2 cups (chopped) Wheat Flour - about 2 cups Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder/Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp Salt Oil How to cook Shepu Poori: Roughly chop dill leaves. Crush the cumin seeds in a mortar pestle to a coarse powder. In a mixing bowl, add chopped dill, cumin, black pepper powder, red chili powder, turmeric, sugar and salt to taste. Mix well. Add 1 cup wheat flour and start kneading. Now add the other 1 cup wheat flour in small amounts. Add 1 - 2 tbsp water if required. Add 1 tsp oil and knead well to form a firm dough.  Puri dough is generally firm than chapati dough, since puris are deep fried. If the dough is too...

Palak Paneer is an Indian entree which needs no introduction.  Today's recipe has the same ingredients - Spinach/Palak and Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese, but in the form of a stuffed Paratha. Ingredients: Chopped Spinach/Palak - 1 1/2 cups Wheat Flour - about 1 1/4 cups Carom Seeds/Ajwain - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp Jaggery or Sugar - 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese - about 1 cup Fennel Seeds/Saunf - 1/2 tsp Anardana/Pomegranate Powder - 1/2 tsp Green Chilli Paste - 1/2 tsp Chat Masala - 1/4 tsp Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Butter or Ghee/Clarified Butter or Oil Salt Method: 1. Wash spinach leaves well and medium chop the leaves.  Grate or mash paneer and finely chop cilantro.  2. Spinach/Palak Dough : In a mixing bowl, add chopped spinach, carom seeds, turmeric, jaggery, red chilli powder and little salt.  Mix all the ingredients well.  Now add wheat flour an...

Every recipe brings back some good old memories. As a child, I used to assist my Mom in her kitchen. Mom used to assign some recipes to me.. Lemonade, Chai, Shikran, Aamras and all the easy stuff. Being Moms's sous chef was total fun with a sense of accomplishment. Here is the easy Aamras Puri which kids love and is perfect for entertaining guests too. Ingredients: Mangoes/Aam - 4 medium Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 1 pod Wheat Flour - 4 cups Brown Sugar or Sugar - 1 tsp Salt Oil How to make Aamras Puri: Wash and peel the mangoes. Dice the mango flesh and discard the mango seed. Blend the mango flesh with about 1/2 tsp brown sugar to a smooth puree. You can add a little milk too.  Crush the cardamom seeds in a mortar pestle to a fine powder. Pour the mango puree in a bowl and sprinkle cardamom powder on top. Making Puris : In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour, 1/2 tsp brown sugar and little salt. Add water and knead to form a firm dough, not as soft as chapati ...

North Indian carrot stuffed wheat bread.  Ingredients: Wheat Flour - 3 cups Grated Baby Carrots - 2 cups Green Chillies - 5 Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Garlic - 4 big cloves Coriander/Dhania Seeds - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Butter or Oil Salt Method: 1. In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour, little salt.  Add water and knead into a soft dough.  Add 1 tbsp oil and knead again.  Keep the dough covered for 20 - 30 minutes. 2. Finely chop green chillies, garlic and cilantro leaves.  Grind the coriander seeds to a coarse powder. 3. Carrot Stuffing: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan.  Add cumin and garlic.  Saute for a minute and add grated carrots.  Saute till carrots are cooked.  Add coriander powder, garam masala, salt and chopped cilantro.  Saute for 2 more minutes.  Let the stuffing cool. 4. Make round balls of the wheat dough.  Roll each ball big enough (4 - 5 inches diame...

Ingredients: Wheat Flour - 4 cups Collard Greens - 300 gm Black Peppercorn/Miri - about 8 Fennel Seeds/Saunf - 1 tsp Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tsp Garlic - 2 big cloves Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Salt Oil How to cook Indian Poori with Collard Greens: Steam/Blanch the collard green leaves with about 2 tbsp water till they wilt. Let them cool. Grind the blanched collard greens, ginger, garlic, fennel, peppercorn, salt to a fine puree. In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour, sesame seeds and the collard greens puree. Knead into a soft, firm dough. Add about 1 tsp oil and knead the dough well. Let the (covered) dough rest for about 30 minutes. Make small lemon size balls of the dough and roll each one into round puris (5 - 6 inch diameter) either dusting some wheat flour or using oil. Deep fry these puris and serve Collard Greens Puri with ketchup or a curry.

Ingredients: Baby Spinach Leaves/Palak - about 150 gm Wheat Flour - 2 cups Gram Flour/Chickpea Flour/Besan - 1/2 cup Ginger - an inch piece Garlic - 5 big cloves Green Chilies - 5 White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds/Dhania  - 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp Black Peppercorn - about 5 Salt Oil How to cook Indian Spinach Poori: Steam/Blanch the spinach leaves with about 2 tbsp water till they wilt. Let them cool. Grind the blanched spinach, green chilies, ginger, garlic, black peppercorn, coriander seeds, cumin seeds to a fine puree. In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour, gram flour, salt and sesame seeds. Mix the dry ingredients. Now add the spinach puree and knead into a soft, firm dough. Add about 1 tsp oil and knead the dough again. Let the (covered) dough rest for about 30 minutes. Make small lemon size balls of the dough and roll each one into round puris ( 5 - 6 inch diameter) either dusting some wheat flour or using oil. Al...

Ingredients: Wheat Flour - 6 cups Boiled Potatoes (Russet) - 3 big Mint/Pudina Leaves - about 1/2 cup Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Green Chillies - 6 Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp Butter or Oil Salt Method: 1. In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour, little salt and knead into a soft dough with water.  Keep the dough covered for about 2 hours, minimum 30 minutes. 2. Finely chop coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chillies. 3. Stuffing : Grate or mash the boiled and peeled potatoes.  Add salt, cumin, chopped cilantro, mint and green chillies to the mashed potatoes.  Mix well and make round balls (about 2 tbsp) of the stuffing. 4. Make round balls of the wheat dough and roll each one big enough (4 - 5 inches diameter) to hold the stuffing. 5. Place the stuffing in the centre and gather the edges into a round ball.  Let the stuffed balls rest for a couple of minutes.  Roll the stuffed balls dusting little flour as thin as roti or...

Ingredients: Wheat Flour - 5 cups Boiled Potatoes - 2 big Green Peas - 1 1/2 cup Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Kasoori Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves - 2 tbsp Coriander/Dhania Seeds - 1 tbsp Fennel/Saunf Seeds - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp Black Peppercorns - 5 Turmeri/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Aamchur or Chat Masala - 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp Butter or Oil Salt Method: 1. In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour, little salt and knead into a soft dough with water.  Keep the dough covered for about 2 hours, minimum 30 minutes. 2. Grind kasoori methi, coriander, fennel, cumin, black peppercorns to a fine powder.  Grate the ginger.  Mash or grate the boiled and peeled potatoes. 3. Heat about 2 tsp oil in a pan and add grated ginger.  After few seconds, add green peas.  Saute for 8 - 10 minutes at low flame or till the peas are cooked.  Add ground powder, turmeric, chat masala, cayenne pepper, salt and saute for ab...

Tikhat Mitachi Puri is a Marathi fried bread recipe.  A savory tea time snack which can also be served as a part of festive meal. Ingredients: All Purpose Flour/Maida - 4 cups Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 1/4 cup Cayenne Pepper/Red Chilli Powder (Tikhat) - 1 1/2 tbsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp Salt (Mith) Oil Method: 1. In a mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, semolina, cayenne pepper, sugar and salt.  Mix all the ingredients.  Add water and knead into a soft pliable dough.  Add 1 tsp oil and knead well.  Keep the dough covered for about 30 minutes.  You can also add cumin (jeera) powder or carom seeds (ajwain) powder while kneading. 2. Make small lemon sized balls and roll each one into round puris (5 - 6 inches diameter) either dusting some flour or with oil. 3. Deep fry these puris and serve it as a tea time snack or as brunch with a curry.