Potato and Spinach Whole-wheat Flatbread & Mango Shrikhand

I’ve been blogging for about four months now and I do so enjoy the varied experiences that I’ve encountered throughout this process.  I’ve met some incredible like-minded folks who also blog, learned tips and tricks from them, improved my photographic skills, formed friendships from around the world and have come together sharing a passion we all enjoy, in this case “Food”.  My blogging journey chronicles not only family favorites, but rather some tried and tested recipes that I’ve bookmarked along the way.  Some friends were over for dinner last week, and since they were vegetarian, I decided to consult my handy Fiesta Friday bookmarked recipes.   I found one in particular that I thought would go well with some of the other vegetarian dishes that I had prepared for the evening, so I set out to give it a try, and I must say I was pretty pleased with the results (see below).   

Potato and Spinach Wholewheat Flatbread or parathas as they are generally referred to on the Indian subcontinent, can be made plain or stuffed.  Today, I’m going to share a recipe with you that I tried from one of the other bloggers.  Anjana, runs a spectacular blog, click on her name to reach her link and have a  glimpse around her blogging world.  Here’s her recipe for stuffed parathas and how my own turned out. 🙂

Ingredients

• Oil – 3 tsp divided
• Spinach leaves – 1 cup chopped
• 1 large potato or 2 small ones
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp tumeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Water as needed

Method

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Saute the spinach leaves till they wilt slightly yet retain the color. Meanwhile boil the potatoes, peel and mash them. Let spinach and potatoes cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients together. Add the spinach and mashed potatoes and mix well to make a crumbly mixture. The vegetables will let out some water. Add 2 tsp oil and a little extra water till the dough comes together. Knead well for a couple of minutes to make a smooth dough ball. The dough should be soft and pliable. You must be able to sink your fingers comfortably as shown in the picture below. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 20-30 minutes.Divide the dough into 6-8 equal parts. Roll each portion into a smooth ball, flatten it slightly  on your palm and dust flour on both sides. Place on a flat surface and roll with a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thickness. If it sticks to the pin or the rolling surface, dust lightly with flour and roll. Use a light hand while rolling so as not to tear the dough.

Meanwhile heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. To cook a paratha, place the rolled dough on the skillet and flip it after a few seconds. Spread a few drops of oil over it, flip again and spread oil on the other side. Brown spots should start to appear on the paratha now, press lightly on it with a flat spatula, flip again and ensure both sides are evenly cooked. Since there is spinach in the dough, the parathas will be more greenish than brown. Once done, remove onto a plate or basket and keep warm by covering with a clean towel or foil. Repeat till all the dough is used up.

The next recipe that I will introduce today is actually quite new to me.  Mango Shrikhand is a very popular sweet based Indian yogurt dessert that is simple, yet so refreshingly satisfying after a spicy meal.  It is light, airy, summery and pleasing to the palate. Since mangoes are pretty abundant this time of year, I thought a dessert like this should definitely satisfy.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Greek yogurt
• 1 cup Mango puree
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (or more to suit your taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 2 tablespoons pistachios
• 1 fresh mango cut into cubes

Method

Strain the yogurt in the sieve and leave it overnight in the refrigerator to drain the water.  Beat the yogurt with a spatula.  To this add the powdered sugar and mango puree and mix well.  Add a few pistachios in the mix, but leave a bit for garnishing.

Chop up the mango making vertical and horizontal slits and scoop it up with a spoon for garnishing.  Serve it in a glass, pour some mango puree on top of the yougurt/mango mix and garnish with pistachios and mango cubes.  Hopping on over to Angie’s for Fiesta Friday.  Can’t wait to see what everybody has contributed to this online party, it’s always a great meeting place for like-minded folks.  I hear today’s party is being co-hosted by Dame Edna and Madge, an Aussie duo 🙂  G’day ladies!