Semolina Red Cabbage Parathas

I sleep well, Touch Wood! I sleep at the drop of a hat, have had no serious issues unless the boys roam around the home or peep into my room to hug me when they feel like it or I see light way past 2 am from their rooms when they are home. It does affect me...that is... when they are home on their brief stints. I am getting used to all that as the years progress...keeping in mind that they have friends from other time zones whom they would be chatting or gaming with...Sigh!!! Our midnights when we were young is probably their wee hours in the morning.

My issue is whether they are getting sufficient sleep and rest for their eyes and brains. Geez! They've grown up so fast...considered full grown men legal enough to marry (GULP!) I have to check myself every time and weigh my words as I frame them that it should not sound like a typical clichéd 'motherly nag' It's very different in our Indian culture to let go of our children no matter how overgrown their beards and chest hair are and how much they start resembling their father in their intonation, physique and kindred hearts.

So back to my slumber...Yeah! I make it a point to draw the curtains before I go to bed. Just skipped it last night which resulted in all that natural light streaming into my room and cuddling my face and literally pulling me out of bed. And that's how I was up and about in the wee hours today. In the distance I could hear "Suprabhatam" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suprabhatam) in progress. Not a follower of anything religious and man-made...but it is a nostalgic wake-up call as it reminds me of my hometown and the temples near by.

Whenever I stay up late or wake up too early, then the stomach growls and the hunger pangs have to be quelled. I think all of us go through this! Wracked my head on how to go about the day by keeping things healthy yet with an Inconsistent and Oomph factor. I almost made my favourite Upma (salt mango tree-will link the post herewith) but then I took this serious U-Turn  and decided not to and ended up preparing lovely parathas with it.

 I kept a cup of water to boil, into that water I added adequate salt and a dash of oil, If you have Carom Seeds (ajwain) you may add that; I didn't have stock so I shredded a bit of ginger and kept it at hand to knead into the dough later. I like ginger with Semolina! As the water boils, I added in the same amount of Semolina (water and semolina in equal amounts) and with a wooden spatula or any spoon that is sturdy I clumped it together in the vessel. Once it cooled down, I clumped it further and kneaded it on my work surface with well oiled palms and into this went the shredded ginger, a tsp. of dry Kasuri Methi leaves (fenugreek) and sneaked in the obvious -Red Cabbage (Why oh Why is it called Red when the colour is Purple?) and a bit more salt.

 By dusting the kitchen counter top or your roti board/slab with some whole wheat flour (I found a new Oats + Wheat flour) and found it ideal to help flatten out the individual balls. Pinch out small lemon size balls and prepare the parathas like so. If they stick to the work surface, dust it well or keep a steel spatula at hand or a bench scraper to help wriggle it off the surface and onto the griddle.

 To be on the safer side, try to flatten them out three at a time and then cook them over the tawa/griddle or flatten and prepare them simultaneously and stay close to the tawa as you flatten them.

 As a variation you may use chopped spinach which adds to all the health packed in this roti and ideal for kids' lunch boxes. Of course it is best to have them piping hot.

 As that semolina/rawa toasts on the hot griddle it enhances the flavour of this paratha. When you play around with Semolina bread recipes you will understand that aroma! When you cook on your own, all your senses especially your sight, smell and taste are literally on steroids!!!

 Do add oil/ghee liberally on both sides when you flip them especially if they are being prepared for your children but do refrain or tone down that liberty you take in your case or while preparing for any elderly kith or kin. It will seem dry, but who cares ?Prepare and keep them warm wrapped in a kitchen towel in one of those casseroles/hot packs. Have these with you spicy red chutneys or a bit of dosa podi  notoriously known as "Gun Powder"

I made a typical Malayali Chamandhi/Chutney with that beautiful tempering of finely sliced shallots and curry leaves in coconut oil. Did I just trash all that health with that bit of coconut oil tempering? I think I just did...You can take the Malayali outta the land of Coconuts but you cannot take the coconut oil based food outta the Malayali. Cheers!

Now I am all bright- eyed and bushy-tailed... The onset of the monsoons has just lashed out! Need to find some reasons to step out today to enjoy those rains in Kerala.

The link to an old post :- 'Salt Mango Tree' is here http://potsnpans-peanuts.blogspot.in/2012/04/uppumavuppuma.html