A Perfect Combo : Paneer Paratha and Kadai Chole

For one weekend dinner, I made this Paneer paratha and Kadai Chole. Together it was a yummy combo. Chole recipe I tried from Master Chef Sanjeev kapoor.

Paratha, is Indian flatbread made from a dough made of all -purpose flour or Wheat flour and pan-fried with oil. Parathas are also stuffed with vegetables, like Potato, cauliflower, radish, cabbage, spinach and all sorts of vegetables and herbs. Sometimes with Paneer(Indian cottage cheese) and sometimes in a combo like potato-paneer or spinach-paneer etc.

Paneer Paratha(Cottage cheese stuffed Indian flatbread)

This Paneer paratha I made with potato and paneer filling, seasoned with spices and herbs.

Ingredients :

For paratha dough
Whole wheat flour : 1 1/2 cup
Maida/all-purpose flour : 1/2 cup
Salt : 1 tsp.
Oil/ghee : 1 tblsp.
Dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi : 1 tblsp.(crushed)[it will give parathas a nice flavour]
Enough Warm water to make a soft dough
For the paneer filling :
Boiled and mashed Potato (boil 2 medium potatoes)
Grated and mashed paneer : 11/2 cup
Fresh coriander leaves : 1/2 cup(chopped)
Roasted cumin seed powder : 1 tblsp.
Red chilli powder : a pinch
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Chaat masala : 1/2 tsp.
Green chillies(chopped) : 1 tblsp.
Salt : 1 tsp.
Oil for pan frying parathas

Method :

• In a big bowl, mix two types of flour, add salt, oil and crushed fenugreek leaves. Slowly add warm water to make a soft dough. Make sure the dough isn’t too wet. If it gets too wet or sticky, add more flour. Keep aside while you make paneer filling.
• In a bowl, take all the ingredients for filling and mix everything well.
• How to stuff the paratha : Make small equal size balls form chapati dough. Keep a small bowl of wheat flour beside you. Take one ball at a time, dip in flour bowl and roll into 2" diameter. Place 1 tblsp. of paneer-potato filling in the center. Gather from all sides and roll into a small ball covering the filling properly.
• 2) Dip the ball again in flour bowl, flatted a it and then roll into round shape until paratha is 1/4 inch thick. Make other parathas like these. 
• Frying the parathas : Heat a tawa on medium heat. Place the rolled out paratha on tawa. Cook on medium heat till light brown spots appears on down side, then flip to the other side and wait until light brown spots appear on other side,too.
• Now drizzle 1/2 tblsp. oil from the outer area of paratha and quickly coat the oil to both side of paratha, this way you can use less oil, if needed add few drops of oil later. Now in medium heat, fry the parathas until golden brown.
• Make other parathas same way. you can stuff the parathas beforehand, keep them aside, then roll and fry the parathas one at a time. Always Serve immediately for best results. Cold Parathas don't taste as good as hot, warm and freshly made ones.

Kadai Chole (chickpeas cooked with chana masala in Kadai) : Recipe adapted from Master chef Sanjeev Kapoor
The speciality of this recipe is that it is cooked in an Iron kadai(lohe ki kadai) and the spices used in this recipe I found is something very different and interesting from usual chole recipe and the taste was out of this world. Try........

Ingredients :

Chick peas(kabuli chana) : 1 cup
Tea leaves : 1 tsp.
Dried gooseberry(amla) : 1-2
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp.
Onion : 1(large)
Ginger paste : 2 tblsp.
Garlic paste : 1 tblsp.
Tomatoes : 2(medium)
Green Chillies : 2(slitted)
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp.
Cumin powder : 2 tsp.
Coriander powder : 1 tblsp.
Garam Masala powder : 2 tsp.
Oil : 2-3 tblsp.
Salt to taste

Chana Masala :

Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp.
Pomegranate seeds(whole anardana) : 1 tblsp.(available in Indian stores)
Coriander seeds : 1 tsp.
Black peppercorns : 7-8
Kachri powder(Kachri is a wild variety of cucumbers) : 1/2 tsp.(I omitted this, as I didn't have)
whole dry red chillies : 1-2

Method :

• Wash and soak kabuli chana in three cups of water overnight or 4-5 hours in hot boiling water. For best results, soak overnight. Take chana in a pressure cooker along with three cups of water and salt. Tie up tea leaves and dried amla in a small piece of cloth[These two are added to the water to give the beans their unique black color] and add to chana. Pressure cook till soft. Discard the cloth. Do not discard the leftover liquid from cooked chana.
• Prepare chana masala by coarsely grinding all the ingredients together in a grinder. 
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in an iron kadai (lohe ki kadai) and add cumin seeds. When they begin to change colour, add onion and saute till pink. Add ginger and garlic pastes, powdered chana masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder and half of the cumin powder. 
• Add boiled chana with cooking liquid, salt, garam masala powder and let it cook for five to six minutes. If you don't have much liquid left, add about 2/3 cup of water. 
• In another pan, heat two tablespoons of oil, add slit green chillies, remaining cumin powder and tomatoes. Cook for a minute and transfer the mixture into the kadai. Stir and allow it to cook on low heat till almost dry. 
• Serve hot with parathas or naans or Bhature.