ROTLI

ROTLI

I am posting this recipe for rotli otherwise known as roti or
chappatis.  The rotli is the most common bread prepared in the Indian
household.  This is consumed almost everyday and is made with just
flower, water and a little bit of oil.  Some people prefer to top their
rotli with ghee or butter, others not so.

In most household rotli
accompanies curries and daals and kids are often encouraged to have a
rotli with sliced banana, sugar or even condensed milk.  Rotli can be
eaten warm or cold, it can be fried, re-roasted or even shredded into
small bitesized bits that are then tempered with some mustard seeds and
masala. Rotlis are now also being used instead of the white flour wraps
to create healthier sandwiches and can form a part of all daily meals
from breakfast to dinner.

1 cup wheat flour

3 tab sp oil

1/2 cup warm water

ghee.

Makes 15 rotlis

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and knead the soft dough. Divide the dough in to 15 equal portions and roll in to small circles.Heat the griddle and cook on both the sides.  The application of ghee is optional.

MASALA THEPLA

Thepla is one of the most popular gujarati foods.  It is very often said that gujarati folk will never venture out for a day trip, or a lengthy car/train journey without carrying their thepla and athanu with them.  Thepla and athanu to a gujarati person is their bread and butter.  It is basically a spiced chappati that is shallow fried.   Thepla can be very basic with just turmeric, salt and a dash of paprika or they can be more adventerous like the masala thepla that I have made.  Garma garam thepla with chai is the best ever meal and a comfort food to most of us Gujarati folks.  Thepla are very versatile in that they can be eaten on their own (warm or cold), or with yoghurt, lassan ni chutney, athanu or shak (curry).  They store very well for a couple of days without refrigeration and hence they are taken as a handy meal on lengthy journeys.  One doesn’t need forks or knives to eat a theplu.  It can be rolled up into a cigar like tube and dunked in tea or coffee.

THEPLA

1 cup wheat flour

3 tab sp millet flour

2 tab sp gram flour

2 tab sp oil

1/3 cup water ( warm)

1/4 tea sp ginger paste

1 tea sp green chili paste

1/2 tea sp turmeric powder

1 tea sp salt

1 tab sp sesame seeds

1 tab sp fresh chopped funegreak

handful of chopped cilantro.

Makes 12 thepla.

Mix all the ingredients and knead into a soft dough.

-Make small balls like you do with the atta before rolling them.

-Roll out each portion thinly into a circle.

-Cook each thepla on both sides on a non-stick pan with very little oil until it appears a little brown.

Bateta shak dry ( SAFARI)

Bateta shak koru

4 medium size potatoes

5 tab sp oil

1 1/2 tea sp jeeru

pinch asafoetida

1 1/2 tea sp salt

3/4 tea sp turmeric powder

1 tea sp chili powder

2 tea sp dhana jeeru

cilantro.

cilantro

In Africa the koru batata nushak (or dry potato curry)  was something the Gujarati folks always carried on long journeys or on desi style picnics.

The shak and thepla combo was top of the list for any  day out as both could be eaten relatively neatly without sauce dripping everywhere and minimum use of cutlery disposable or otherwise. This shak was known as safari nu shak and is simply made with potatoes cut into thin wedges and cooked (stir fried mostly) with oil and spices.  The idea is not to add any water into the curry itself but either cook it partly in steam (by placing a plate of water on the pan in which you are cooking the shak or by stir frying it.  Nothing that makes to potato soggy eg: lemon juice, water, tomato is added.

So here is how:

Slice the potato into thin wedges

heat the oil in a pan and add the jeeru and asafoetida.

Add the potato wedges and then add the spices (not cilantro)

stir fry the potato wedges until the potatoes begin to crsip and cook.

If you feel that the stir frying wont entirely cook the potaoes, simply put a heat proof plate over the pan of potatoes and pour half a cup of water onto the plate.  let the potatoes cook in the steam for a few minutes until tender.

Uncover the pan and let the moisture evaporate – do not stir at this point otherwise the cooked potatoes will turn to mush.

Take the pan off the heat, garnish the shak with cilatntro and serve with thepla.

WADA

Wadas are probably my son Akash’s favourite food.  Made of rice and lentil flours these deep fried golden snacks are the perfect accompaniment to tea.

The mixture of the rice/lentil flour (readily available in most Indian stores) is mixed with sharp tangy yoghurt and left to marinate overnight.  Spices, garlic cilantro, chill paste and a tablespoon of oil are added to this firm paste and blended with a spoon or by hand (the texture is rather dough like).

The technique is unusual, as the mixture has to be divided in to about 40mm balls then patted and slightly flattened into discs on a damp tea towel.

Once the discs are flattened, they are deep fried until they reach a beautiful deep golden hue.  The deep frying process would also allow the wada to puff up, creating an air pocket which will then help keep these scumptious snacks soft when cooled.

Why don’t you give these a try but make sure you have a cup of masala chai ready for when bite into these delectable little wada.

Happy cooking folks 🙂

1 cup wada mix ( same as dhokra mix)

1 1/2 tea sp salt

3/4 turmeric powder

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 ts sp garlic paste

1 tea sp chili paste

cilantro

2 tab sp wheat flower 1 tab sp oil.

oil for deep frying.

Puran puri /Mithi Rotli

PURAN PURI / MITHI ROTLI

Puran puri is very popular in gujratis house holds.Its delicious sweet lentil fillings made with tuwer daal.Tastes good with kadhi and batetanu shak.

1 1/2 cup toower daal

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1/2 tea sp cardamom

pinch saffron

Boil the daal in the pressure cooker 3 whistles. When its done  Mix daal make a smooth paste add sugar and cook on a medium flame stirring continuously ,until daal thickens . Add saffron and cardamom and mix well. Let it cool and divide in to small portions. (makes appx 18)

Can also microwave for 5 minutes, mix well. Repeat the prosses again for 5 minutes and then 2 more minutes.

Makes 20 rotlis

ROTLI

1 1/2 cup wheat flour

4 tab sp oil

1/2 cup warm water (appx)

Bind the flour cover and keep on the side.

Roll out the dough in to a small round circle about 3 inches diameter.  Place the toover dal paste filling in the center and fold the edges of the disc to seal the filling.  Flatten the filled dough and roll in to small rotli. Roast on flat pan over a medium flame for app 15 seconds, turn and let cook  on the other side and press with cloth to puff the rotli.When its done take off the pan and apply ghee.