Mirchi Ka Salan and Methi Paratha

 Avi loves these two dishes. Pleasant green and yet spicy! I have a weak stomach and don't dare indulging too much in the hot mirchis! You may use jalapenos,long and slender asian green chilies or banana peppers. My mirchi is of course jalapenos.

Mirchi Ka Salan

Ingredients:-
7-8 slit Jalapenos
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3 tbl spns of oil
caraway seeds /shah jeera
1 tsp of jaggery
Salt to taste
Water (as desired, I used around 1/2 cup of water)

For the paste:
2 tbl spns of coconut
1 inch ginger
5-6 pods  of garlic
1 medium sized onion (sauteed)
1 tsp of tamarind

For the powder:
1/3 cup of peanuts
1 tble spns of white sesame seeds
1 tbl spn of coriander seeds
2 cloves
1 tbl spn of cumin seeds
1/4 tsp of poppy seeds
2-3 large dry red chillies
1 inch of cinnamon stick

Method:
Dry roast the ingredients for making the power in a medium heat. Dry roast the poppy and sesame seeds separately. They rest you can roast together. Cool and grind all of them into a fine powder.
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan and saute the onions. Grind the onions with the other ingredients needed to make the paste into thick smooth paste.
Heat the rest of the oil in a pan. Add the caraway seeds and jalapenos. Fry well till all the sides of jalapenos get cooked sauteed well.
Add the paste, turmeric powder, salt, jaggery and powder along with 1/2 cup of water (according to the desired consistency).Cook well for 15 mins or until the oil separates out.

Methi Paratha:-

Ingredients:-
For Stuffing:-
1 cup of methi / fenugreek leaves washed and chopped finely
1/2 medium sized onion chopped very finely
2 green chillies finely chopped
1 tbl spns of besan/chickpea flour (thanks to Pari for the idea)
2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp of garam masala
1 tsp of red chilli powder (optional)
1/4 tsp amchur (dry mango) powder
1/4 tsp of anardana powder
1/2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds) powder
few chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste

For dough:-
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of milk
1 tbl spn of oil (optional)
enough water to knead

1-2 tsp of butter/olive oil for each paratha.

Method:-
Cook the methi leaves with 1/4 cup of water in the microwave  for 1-2 mins.
Saute the methi leaves and besan well till the raw smell of the besan goes away.
Mix the methi leaves, besan and the other ingredients for stuffing. Mix well. Keep aside.
Knead the flour with milk,oil and water to make a soft dough. rest the dough for 15 mins.
Take enough dough to roll between your palms to make a smooth ball (as big as a ping pong ball).
Roll this ball into a small circle (3 inches) with a rolling pin.
Place 1 tbl spn of stuffing in the center of the circle and cover the stuffing by closing the circle from all sides.
Roll this stuffed dough into a 1 1/2 inch thick paratha of 7-8 inches diameter. Dust the paratha with dry flour to avoid sticking on the rolling pin and rolling surface as you are rolling it out.
Cook on both sides using butter/olive oil on a tava (iron griddle) with 1 tsp of butter for each paratha.