Hummus bi tahini / Chickpeas and tahini dip

HUMMUS BI TAHINI

Ingredients :
420 grams of canned cooked peas,
1 clove of garlic,
180 ml ( 3/4 cup) water,
1/2 cup lemon juice,
4 tbsp of tahini,
1/2 tsp paprika/chilli powder,
2 tbsp olive oil,
parsley sprigs and
pinch of salt.

Method:
In a blender or food processor blend the chickpeas (reserving 1 tbsp of chickpeas for garnish) with garlic and 1/4 cup water to a smooth paste.
Dissolve the tahini in the remaining water, add lemon juice and blend this with the chickpeas paste. The mixture should be thick and smooth. season with some salt. Pour this mixture into a serving dish and garnish with the reserved chickpeas, finely chopped parsley, chilli powder, and olive oil. Serve with barbecued chicken or with pita bread.

Little hearts / Palmiers

LITTLE HEARTS

Ingredients :

1 Puff pastry sheets and
1/4 cup fine sugar.

Method:
Thaw the puff pastry sheets. unfold the sheet and sprinkle some sugar on it and start rolling one side till you reach the middle of the sheet. Now fold (roll) the other side till the middle and bring one side on top of the other,like a book. Keep in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
Now cut them into 1 inch pieces and dip both the sides in some sugar and place them on a cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 220 C/ 425 F for 8 -10 minutes or until they get light brown in color.

Source : This recipe is adapted from Cham's Spice club. She has made the perfect little hearts I have ever seen. Actually she has made savory ones. But I opted to make these sweet ones for my 2 year old son, who calls it ''sugar cookies '' :)

Alu Paratha / Unleavened bread stuffed with potatoes

ALU PARATHA
-yields 6 parathas

Ingredients:
2 cups wheat flour,
3 potatoes-boiled, peeled and mashed,
1 onion-finely chopped,
1 green chilli-finely chopped,
2 tbsp cilantro-finely chopped,
1 tsp cumin powder,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp amchur/ dry mango powder(optional),
a pinch of black pepper powder,
2-3 tbsp of oil and
salt to taste.

Method:
In a bowl, take the wheat flour, add some salt and around 3/4 - 1 cup of water to make a soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for atleast 30 minutes. After around 30 minutes make medium sized balls of the dough and keep aside.
To the mashed potatoes, add chopped onions, cilantro/ coriander leaves, finely chopped green chillies, chilli powder, cumin powder, pepper powder, amchur powder and salt to taste. Mix well and make small golf size balls with the mixture.
On a floured surface, roll ball of dough into a round 5 inches in diameter. and keep 1 of the potato filling on the center and bring all edges together on the top and pinch the edges together to seal it tightly. This prevents the filling from coming out. Now roll the stuffed ball gently into a round of 7-8 inches in diameter.
Heat the tava/griddle on medium heat and cook the parathas on them, applying butter/ oil on both the sides. Cook both the sides till light brown in color . Cook remaining rounds in the same way and serve hot with yogurt / Indian pickle/ chutney .

This goes to Suchitra's WYF- Breakfast event.