Pav Bread Recipe | Eggless Baking

Monsoons in India, hot Vada Pav with Garlic Chutney, Pav Bhaji with Green Chutney and chopped onions, and a piping hot cup of sweet sweet tea!! Ah well I can dream 😏!! And I can bake and cook and enjoy all that yummy food right here!! Last week I made Pav Bhaji - fresh Bhaji for the Pav and hot Pav Bread straight from the oven.

Poori Recipe | Puri Recipe | Indian Fry Bread

No festive meal in India is complete without Pooris. Poori or Puri is the much loved Indian Fry Bread. Made with atta or Indian Chappati flour, it is savored with festival favorites like Chole, Aloo Rassa, Raita, Rasedaar Gobhi, Paneer and the like. As a breakfast favorite, in the North of the country it is often eaten with sweet treats like Kheer, Amras, and Halwa.

Puran Poli | Flatbread with Cardamom Infused Sweet Lentil Filling

The first time I heard of Puran Poli was as a kid visiting a friend's home in Bombay! It was coming up to Holi and we had just popped in after an afternoon of skating. The home was replete with the aroma of ghee and cardamom and there was much bustle in the kitchen. On the dining table were large plates piled high with what looked liked parathas. But these parathas were sweetly fragrant, incredibly soft, and oozing with butter fat!!

Masala Methi Kanda Thepla | Seasoned Mixed Grain Flatbread

Thepla is just one on those eats that is not easily available in our neck of the woods. I do try and get a fresh batch of Thepla whenever I visit Chicago. However I have found of late that I am not satisfied with the quality of the theplas available both over the counter and frozen. Even our favourite mithai shop (indian Sweets Store) has disappointed. I did make theplas quite often some years back, but have not been able to do so in recent times as it can be a time consuming exercise. In fact, today is the first time I am making them again in a couple of years!!

Lachha Paratha | Flaky Pan Roasted Flatbread

I had wanted to make Lachha Parathas for ages. But I always put off the thought of making them thinking that the effort would be too much. I was sure that it would be cumbersome to get these parathas going, what with the rolling, re-rolling, and getting all those flaky bits right!! But I was wrong. It could not be simpler to make this incredibly festive, beautifully flaky flat breads together. I am so glad I tried these as they make a perfect substitute for puris or bhaturas.

My version here is a tad rich as I used milk to prepare the dough. I find that milk often makes for a softer dough for flat breads. But if you prefer warm water with a tablespoon of oil works just as well. We loved these with the Chana Masala | Spicy Chickpea Curry that I posted here last!

Ingredients:
3 cups atta (Chappati Flour)
1 cup + 2tbsp milk, warmed
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Oil, as needed

Method:

1. Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, sugar, and oil. Blend with a fork.
3. Pour this mix into the flour and salt mix.
4. Bring the ingredients together using a large wooden spoon.
5. When everything has come together, turn out onto the kitchen table and knead into a soft and pliable dough. Place this dough into a bowl, cover, and allow to rest for at least an hour.
6. Place a griddle on medium heat. Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into a bowl and keep a pastry brush handy.
7. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Take one part, keeping the rest covered.
8. Pat with oil, roll into a ball, then using a rolling pin, Roll this out into a thin 8-10 inch circle.
9. Brush with oil. Using a sharp knife, cut the rolled dough into horizontal strips about 1/2 inch wide.
10. Stack the strips one on top of the other! Then roll tightly to form a circle. Seal the edges by pinching them together.
11. Flatten this dough with the palm of your hand, then roll out into a circle of about 6-7 inches diameter, using a rolling pin.
12. Repeat for the remaining dough. 
13. Place one paratha onto the griddle. Cook on one side. Turn over. Cook on the other side.
14. Brush both sides with oil. Remove onto a plate lined with wax paper.
15. Repeat for the remaining pieces of dough.

Enjoy warm with your favorite curry, or dal. Lachha Parathas can be stored in the refrigerator for upto a week. Wrap tightly in wax paper, cover in a tea towel, and they will stay soft. To eat, warm on the griddle or microwave.

Vegan Substitute: Replace the milk in this recipe with warm water.

Like this recipe. Tried it. Leave me a comment below :)

All content, text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Paneer Bhara Pudina aur Kali Mirch ka Paratha | Mint and Crushed Black Pepper Flatbread

I made these delicious parathas last week for lunch. They are just yummy!! The combination of mint and paneer in a paratha reminds of Delhi summers when we enjoyed both in plenty. Eat these parathas warm with butter or enjoy them with plain yogurt. They also taste delicious cold and make a wonderful addition to any lunchbox!

Masala Dal Puri | Spicy Lentil Fry Bread

After a blistering couple of weeks, we are finally getting some much needed rain. As the summer heat melts away and the thunderstorms appear, the rain drenched ground has marked the return of my hibiscus!! I am so thrilled that taking care of this plant through our frozen winters is always well worth the treat. Year after year in come summer I am treated with beautiful red flowers. This year I am particularly grateful for it as I have not had the chance to plant my usual summer garden.

Masala Thalipeeth | Mixed Spice Flatbread

Its been really long since I made Thalipeeth at home and I was craving this delicious moist flatbread typical of Maharashtrian kitchens. Several years ago when I was in Pune for a holiday with my parents, I remember strolling down the local market looking for bargains. Hot, tired, and ready for a meal, we ventured into an old-styled eatery that served pure vegetarian food prepared in ghee.

It was just past the local lunch time and the bustle had died down as we entered. We ordered the traditional Thalipeeth which is made with a special flour called Bhajani flour and served with a pat of butter. Occasionally, a vegetable and chutney may accompany this spicy flatbread, and here it did.

At home, I generally make Sabudana (Sago) Thalipeeth, as Bhajani flour is not easy to come by, and I don't have a good mixie. I also like to mix it up and experiment, and make Thalipeeth with other ingredients that I have handy in the pantry.

Ingredients:
11/2 cup atta + more for rolling
1 cup rice, cooked
1/4 tsp zeera (cumin)
1/2 tsp dhania powder (coriander seed powder)
1/4 tsp haldi (turmeric)
1/2 tsp lal mirch (red chili powder)
1/2 tsp chaat masala
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil
Water as needed
Ghee as needed (clarified butter)

Method:

1. Sift the flour, masalas, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the rice and oil, rub together with your hands to blend into the flour mix.
3. Use enough water to make a soft dough.
4. Set aside for at least half an hour.
5. Divide the dough into equal parts, each about the size of a lemon, roll into a ball.
6. Place some flour on a work board, flatten one ball of dough onto it.
7. Sprinkle a little flour on the top. 
8. Now using you fingers, rotate the dough as you flatten it further until it is 1/6 " thick.
9. Repeat for all the dough. Heat a griddle. 
10. Reduce heat to medium-high, then place a prepared thalipeeth on it. Cook evenly on each side.
11. Apply ghee on both sides, then place in a warmed tea towel till ready to serve.
12. Repeat for all the thalipeeth.

This version is so yum, I made some extra for snacking on. Cool completely, wrap in wax paper, then foil and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Bring to room temperature or warm before eating. Great as travel food too.

Good to Know:

• Thalipeeth tastes great with a Chutney and Yogurt.
• Here we enjoyed it with Tomato Peanut Chutney: Ver 2.0.

Vegan Substitute: Substitute canola oil for ghee.

All content, text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007 - 2021. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Aloo-Paneer Parathas | Potato-Cottage Cheese Flatbread

Paneer or Indian style cottage cheese is both a delicious and low fat food. Its light and fluffy yet creamy texture combines well with potatoes, green chilies, and cilantro to make a lip-smacking filling for parathas. While I love parathas made with just paneer, blending it with potatoes and spices adds a whole new taste to the filling. I usually make these when we are travelling - they are so flavourful and healthy, and they make a wonderfully tasty replacement for sandwiches.

Hare Pyaaz aur Pudina ke Parathe | Spring Onion and Mint Flatbread

Its been a hectic few weeks out here. Writing load has been heavy though enjoyable and I've had little time for cooking. In the last two weeks, summer appears to have arrived in full force, though we are seeing a great number of summer storms too. The sunshine and rain has worked wonders for the plants which are blooming!! I will get some photos of my garden up in the next few posts.

Patta Gobhi aur Adrak ke Parathe | Cabbage-Ginger Flatbread

The other day I noticed that fresh local grown cabbage has arrived at our green grocers. I immediately picked up 2 pieces with tender leaves. The fresh cabbage grown locally - the one that has not seen the inside of a storage coolers has a great sweet taste and it is remarkably crisp. It is ideal for making soft parathas, as once grated it literally melts into the flour.

Hare Pyaaz ke Kulche | Flatbread with a Spring Onion Stuffing

Last week my brother asked me if I had a good recipe for naan!! Of course I did!! But then he asked me if it would be without yeast - some dear friends had requested him for a recipe of naan that could be made without yeast. That got me thinking, and I remembered the great kulchas we got in our school canteen in Delhi!! Chole and kulche was a staple on the menu.

Palak Ke Parathe | Spinach Flatbread

My earliest memories of parathas come from seeing them in my school lunch box. My Mum is a genius with dough, and when I was in school, and she would create the most amazing parathas, make rolls with them with vegetable filling, and place them in our lunch boxes. This always a made a very tasty, filling, and nutritious lunch, and needless to say - much in demand amongst my friends.

I like to think I am as experimentative as her as creating with new tastes and flavours is something I adore. The great thing about these spinach parathas, apart from the fact that they are delicious, is that they taste great hot or cold. They can be prepared in advance, wrapped in foil and served hot with lime pickle, sliced cucumbers and yogurt. And as they travel rather well, they can be cooled after cooking, and used to make rolls with whatever filling you fancy, foil wrapped individually for a nice healthy picnic lunch. Either way, they are yummy!!

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup spinach cooked
1/2 onion chopped fine
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green chillies, chopped fine
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
Ghee, as needed
Extra flour as needed



Method:

1. Sift together the flour, salt, chilli powder, and cumin seeds. Add the oil and rub into the flour with the palms of your hands.
2. Once the spinach has cooled, puree it.
3. Next add the onions, garlic, green chillies, and the pureed spinach to the flour mix, and using water if needed make into a semi-soft dough. Knead it for 2 minutes.
4. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into golf ball sized portions. Using the extra flour to dust the kneading board and roll out the dough into discs 4 inches in diameter.
6. Heat a non-stick griddle. Reduce the heat to medium, and place one paratha. Cook, then turn over and cook the other side.
7. Remove from the griddle, brush with ghee, and place in foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining dough.
8. Serve these nutritious parathas with yogurt and chutney.
   

These Spinach Parathas are my contribution to Joanna's Heart of the Matter HotM - Picnics!! Interestingly, Johanna of the food blog The Passionate Cook has chosen the theme of picnics for this month's WTSIM. I hope I can tempt at least some summer picnics with these Spinach Parathas!!

And as greens (yes greens!!) are my favourite foods, these parathas also go out to Easycrafts at Simple Indian Food for her wonderful event WYF - Colour in Food!

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2012. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Hara Dhania aur Lasun Parathe | Cilantro and Garlicky Flat Bread

Garlic is part of the onion family and is packed with antibiotic and antifungal properties, Vitamin B, minerals, and flavanoids! It is believed to have several health benefits and is believed to help prevent heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cancer, and even regulate blood sugar levels.

Garlic is used extensively in Indian foods. Its sharp, pungent taste adds much flavour and richness to vegetables, lentils, and curries. It is sometimes though rarely incorporated in Indian breads, and I have often wondered why this is the case. I love different kinds of rotis and parathas and am always experimenting with them. Here's my recipe of Lasun Parathas for Think Spice... Think Garlic!!


Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup wheat flour for rolling the bread
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
Salt, to taste
Water
Ghee/oil, as needed

Method:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients except the wheat flour for rolling. Add the garlic and cilantro to these ingredients and mix well using both hands. Knead the dough by adding the 1 tsp ghee and water as needed to these ingredients.
2. Divide the dough into equal-sized ball (size of a key lime). Roll each into a flat disc (paratha) around 3 inches in diameter.
3. Heat a griddle/frying pan, place one paratha on it. Cook both sides evenly on medium heat. When cooked, remove on a plate, smear with ghee, and keep warm in aluminium foil.
4. Make all the parathas in the same way.
5. Serve warm with your favourite vegetable or curry!
   
   All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2012. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.