Top Ten Beach Reads is the theme this week at The Broke and The Bookish and my list is split into books I have read and books I want to read. I have spent time on beaches but not really much of it reading since I love water, love the ocean, the beaches as much as I love reading and going to the beach is not something we are able to do too often though we stay close enough to a whole lot of them on the California coast!
Books read earlier:

1. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie – this is definitely one of my favorite reads to recommend to people of all ages and it is poetry in prose..
2. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Varghese – What can I say? I fell in love with words and reading all over again with this book.
3. The Bridgertons by Julia Quinn – I know this is a series but this is perfect beach reading. Chick-lit, historical romance, comedy of errors – this series is all in one.
4. Great Short Stories of the World – Readers Digest edition –
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Books I want to read:

1. Anna and the French Kiss (Stephanie Perkins)
2. The Hunger Games
3. Paris in Love (Eloisa James)
4. The Giver (Lois Lowry)
5. Outliers (Malcolm Gladwell)

For Teaser Tuesday, from a book I am reading and reviewing:
“Her pierced earlobes drooped dramatically, grazing shoulders, stretched with decades of supporting clunky weights.”
– From ‘Lingering Tide’ by Latha Viswanathan

Kothu paratha – A favorite street food from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, this is originally a non-vegetarian dish. Owing to the popularity of the dish, a vegetarian version is also available in street side cafes in Tamil Nadu and regular restaurants featuring South Indian food around the world. Kothu paratha literally means minced paratha and the layered parathas are minced and used for this along with vegetables, eggs if you want. We recently decided to try it out at home and after looking at various recipes, this is the version we came up with at home and we love it. Having frozen layered in stores everywhere makes this a quick and easy yet satisfying and yummy dish.

What you need:
Frozen Malabar layered paratha – 4
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Capsicum/Green bell pepper – 1 chopped
Carrots – 2 shredded
Tomato – 2 chopped
Ginger – 1 inch chopped fine
Garlic (optional) – 2 cloves – mashed
Green chillies – 2 – finely chopped (you can reduce/increase according to your taste)
Frozen Peas – 1/4 cup
Coconut oil – 2 tbsps
Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Sounph (fennel seeds) – 1 tsp (optional)

Coriander leaves – to garnish

How to make it:
Cook the paratha according to the package instructions and chop it into pieces.
Heat the oil in a wok, add the fennel seeds. When it turns a little brown, add the onions, ginger, garlic and the green chilies.
Cook till the onions turn translucent and then add the bell pepper with the shredded carrots.
Cook for a few minutes and add all the powders.
When the bell pepper and carrots are 3/4 cooked, add the paratha pieces.
Mix well and stir fry it for about 5 to 8 minutes.
Serve with onion pachadi.

Alternatives and Tips:
You can toast the parathas in the toaster to get it crisp initially.
You can add gorbanzo beans in place of or in addition to the vegetables in this recipe.
You can use sambar powder/chana masala powder instead of the powders used here.
You can add shredded soya chunks/scrambled eggs.

 Virgin Coconut Oil, Gold Label – 1 quart
If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you