Paella (A Spanish Rice dish)

Paella is a traditional Spanish dish. Also know as Spanish rice. This authentic dish is so delicious. Original recipe includes chicken & rabbit, however I used chicken & Prawns only with tomato & other ingredients. It came out well & was a very tasty rice dish.

This is how I prepared it.

Ingredients (For 4 portions)

2 ½ cups Long grained  Rice  (parboiled is better)

About 100g chicken cleaned,cut into small pieces

100g prawns cleaned & removed shell

3 ripe tomatos chopped

1 onion sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 cloves

1 cardomom,

1 stick cinnamon

1 red paprika

Chicken stock

Salt to taste

Butter or oil to fry

Method

First wash rice,drain & keep aside

heat oil in a pan and when it is hot enough, add the chicken and fry unitl lightly browned. Then add prawns & cook

Then add onions & mix well.

Add tomato & mix & cook until you get a paste.At this time add paprika

Add rice & other spices on top of this & do not mix (if you use a rice cooker, transfer the mix to the cooker first & add rice on top of it)

Add chicken stock according to the correct amount of water to cook rice.Add some warm water to the stock to make the correct amount of water.

Cook the rice.

Before you serve it, mix the rice well digging the ingredients in bottom of the pan.

Original recipe of Paella has changed now & there are many varieties of Paella recipes.

And in my recipe,I didn’t add turmeric powder as mentioned in the recipe.

However this is how it came out

Halape / Halapa

Halape is a traditional Sri Lankan sweet which we use for tea time. The main ingredient is Ragi Flour(Kurakkan flour)

However when I prepare it I use both rice flour & kurakkan flour just to avoid the strong taste of Kurakkan flour although it is healthy.

In Sri Lanka we use ‘Kanda Leaves ‘ to wrap halape.However because I cannot find that leaves in the country where I live,Banana leaves are the substitute.So you cannot see the correct outer appearance of it as in Sri Lanka because I have used ‘Banana leaves’,but the taste inside is the same.

Here is the recipe


Ingredients (For 4 nos)


½ cup rice flour
½ cup Kurakkan flour (Ragi flour) (instead of both ragi & rice flour, you can use 1 cup Ragi Flour)
1 cup grated coconut
¼ cup honey (instead use 4 tsp sugar as a substitute,change the qty of sugar as per your taste)
Salt to taste
Method


Heat a pan & add grated coconut. Make it just warm & add honey or sugar & mix well. Remove from burner once the mix is brown in colour. Keep aside

In a bowl mix rice & ragi flour together.

Use some warm water into it & make dough.Add some salt to taste.

Spread kanda leaves or banana leaves on a table. (if you use banana leaves,keep it over a flame few minutes to reduce its moisture & cut into pieces of about 7’’ * 7 ‘’
Now take a small qty of the dough ,make it as a ball & spread over the leaf making a thin round shape pastry.

Put some from sugar/cocnut mixture on it & spread well.

Then fold it half & press the dough.
Continue the same process with remaining dough.

Steam for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked.
Serve & enjoy!!