Meal Maker Gravy / Soya Ball Gravy

Soya balls are good source of protein and are very tasty.General names used are Soya, Soja and Soybean.
Soy contains about 38% protein of high nutritional quality, because the eight essential amino acids are present. Soya are becoming more popular because of their health promoting properties

INGREDIENTS

• Onion
• Tomato
• Green chillies
• Garlic or garlic paste
• Ginger or ginger paste
  
• Coconut or dessicated dry coconut
• Sombu / Saunf (Fennel)
• Cloves
• Bay leaf, curry leaves and coriander leaves
• Soya balls (buy ready made packs)
• Turmeric powder, chili powder, garam masala and salt to taste
• Aniseed star

PREPARATION

• Soak Soya balls in water for 2 to 3 minutes. Heat soya balls with water in a vessel for 10 to 15 mins. Remove from heat once the Soya balls and soft and is chewy.
• Cut onions and tomato (I chop them small).
• Slit 3 green chillies to half.
• If using grated coconut, soak it in little water and heat it using microwave for 15 to 30 seconds. (This makes it very easy to grind the dry dessicated coconut using mixie)

GRIND TOGETHER

• Coconut (if using grated or dry dessicated, follow last step shown in preparation prior to grinding)
• few green chillies
• Handful of Saunf OR Sombu OR Fennel seed (This gives a good taste and flavour to the gravy)
• 2 Aniseed stars.
• Water as needed

METHOD

1. Heat wok with oil (I normally use Olive Oil)
2. Add cloves and bay leaf.
3. Once cloves start to sputter add onion. Cook for few minutes till onion turns light yellow in colour.
   
4. Add tomato and cook for few minutes.
5. Add ginger and garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes.
6. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, salt, slit green chillies, garam masala and curry leaves and cook for few minutes.
7. Add the already cooked / microwaved Soya balls and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add the grind mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Add water as needed and cover the wok with lid and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
10. Make sure you check the texture of Soya ball while cooking the gravy.

Once cooked top the gravy with some coriander leaves, and your gravy is ready to be served.

Chilli Parota / Koththu Parota

Ingredients

* Parota (Either home page or buy frozen ones from Indian shops)
* 3 eggs (Optional)
* 1 large onion
* 1 tomato
* 3 green chilies
* 1 teaspoon red chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
* Garam masala as needed
* 2 tablespoons coriander
* 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

• Cook the flaky bread / frozen paratha on a flat griddle and cool it.
  
• Cut the paratha into small pieces. Use your hand and tear into small pieces like how we tear paper.
• Finely chop the onions, green chillies and tomato.
• Break the eggs and add little salt, beat it well (Optional)
• Heat oil in a wok over medium flame
• Add the chopped onions,green chillies
• Fry till onion turns slight brown in color and then add tomato and fry for a minute.
• Now mix in the beaten egg mixture and scramble it. Once it is scrambled add all the dry powders mentioned above. Add salt as needed and mix well.
• Add the shredded paratas, if required add a tsp of oil.
  
• Either turn cook them the normal way for few mins on the vessel (OR) optionally if you want to be a little ambitious, you may wish to use 2 laddle's (like the ones used to cook dosa with) and attack the parathas in such an action that you want to chop them into pieces. Please be careful not to ruin the vessel you are cooking in :-)
  

Garnish the kothu parata with chopped coriander and serve it hot.

You can also serve koththu paratha with onion raitha OR traditional south indian style kurma, which I will blog in coming days.