Pinto bean parathas

I'm beginning to wonder if I should call these "recipes" - they're so basic and samey in the making, especially if you're Indian and make/eat rotis/parathas/etc often. Still, the difference in flavour is obviously marked, different with every filling you choose to use (well, duh, I know).


I don't think I've used a beany filling before, so it's an opportunity to say I used a beany filling and, at the same time, increase the number of recipes on my blog by one. My aim this year is to reach 500 posts, and oh man, is it ever a slooooowwww process! I'm currently at 467, and it's high time I touched the 500 mark - especially as this blog has been going for close on 7 years!


(Actually, it will complete 7 years on the 17th of May - I just checked!). All compliments, congratulations and wah-bhai-wahs as well as encouragement to continue will be graciously and humbly accepted.)

So, the pinto bean filling - it came about simply because there was a small box of leftover cooked beans in the fridge. I just LOVE pinto beans - they're so creamy when cooked, the texture is just lovely. They're probably my most favourite bean, next to chickpeas which, ok, are not a bean really, I know... but you know what I mean, don't you?

Recipe for: Pinto bean parathas


Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp omam (ajwain/bishopsweed/carom seeds)
1/3 cup cooked pinto beans

1/2 tsp garam masala/pav bhaji masala or spice mix of choice
Water as required
Salt to taste
Pam spray/oil/butter/ghee as required


Method:
1. Put the flour and omam in a medium size bowl, make a well in the middle and add the yogurt. Mix it in, then make a soft dough using just as much water as required. Knead for 2-3 minutes, then cover the bowl and leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
2. Mash together the pinto beans, garam masala/pav bhaji masala and salt to taste. Reserve.

3. Pinch off a small lime-sized bit off the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured board.
4. Place a tablespoon of the pinto bean paste in the middle of the rolled out dough,

bring the edges in and make a ball, being careful to seal the filling inside fully. Then roll the ball out into a round paratha.

5. Heat a tava/pancake pan on medium high and place a paratha on it. Cook the paratha for about 30 seconds, then flip it over and spray it with Pam or spread a little butter/oil/ghee.

Turn it over again and do the same with the other side. Cook both sides until the paratha acquires golden brown spots. Continue the same way with the rest of the dough.
6. Serve hot with pickles and yogurt, or with any gravy curry, or even coconut chutney.


RECIPE FOR: PINTO BEAN PARATHAS

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 tsp omam (ajwain/bishopsweed/carom seeds)

1/3 cup cooked pinto beans

1/2 tsp garam masala/pav bhaji masala or spice mix of choice
Water as required
Salt to taste
Pam spray/oil/butter/ghee as required


Method:
1. Put the flour and omam in a medium size bowl, make a well in the middle and add the yogurt. Mix it in, then make a soft dough using just as much water as required. Knead for 2-3 minutes, then cover the bowl and leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
2. Mash together the pinto beans, garam masala/pav bhaji masala and salt to taste. Reserve.
3. Pinch off a small lime-sized bit off the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured board. 
4. Place a tablespoon of the pinto bean paste in the middle of the rolled out dough, bring the edges in and make a ball, being careful to seal the filling inside fully. Then roll the ball out into a round paratha. 
5. Heat a tava/pancake pan on medium high and place a paratha on it. Cook the paratha for about 30 seconds, then flip it over and spray it with Pam or spread a little butter/oil/ghee. Turn it over again and do the same with the other side. Cook both sides until the paratha acquires golden brown spots. Continue the same way with the rest of the dough. 
6. Serve hot with pickles and yogurt, or with any gravy curry or even chutney. 

Pea shoot parathas

I honestly didn’t know I was going to make pea shoot parathas until I grabbed a handful of pea shoots (left over from making a salad) and used them to make a paratha (which was actually only going to be a phulka until the pea shoots stuffed themselves into the equation, as it were).

So this is not a recipe so much as a way of recording the fact that I used pea shoots – raw, unadorned, not even so much as chopped – to make parathas. The only flavouring came from the omam seeds (bishopsweed/ajwain/carom) which I had added to the paratha dough. Basically I was trying to interfere as minimally as possible with the gentle flavour of the pea shoots. I ate the parathas with stir-fried cabbage as a side, and was quite pleased with the end result.

One note of warning, though – don’t roll out the parathas much in advance of cooking them, because the pea shoots will release enough moisture to make the uncooked parathas stick miserably to whatever you placed them on. Basically, just get a rhythm going where one paratha cooking on the hob while you’re rolling out the next.

If you don’t like the thought of the unseasoned pea-shoot filling, feel free to use whatever seasoning/masala takes your fancy – just make sure that it’s as dry as possible.

I’d recommend chopping the pea shoots, because it will make it easier to roll out the parathas with the filling. I didn’t get around to chopping mine because I hadn’t given any thought beforehand to using them in the first place!

Recipe for: Pea shoot parathas

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp carom seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup pea shoots, chopped
water as required
Pam spray/butter/ghee/oil to cook the parathas
Extra flour for dusting

Method:
1. Combine the flour, carom seeds and salt, and make a pliant, soft dough using as much water as required. Let the dough rest covered for 30 minutes.
2. Pinch a lemon-sized piece of dough and roll it into a ball, then flatten it between your palms. Roll it out on a lightly floured board into a small circle, using more flour to dust the dough as required to stop it from sticking.

3. Place 2 tablespoons of chopped pea shoots in the centre of the dough, then fold to enclose the filling.

Lightly flatten the dough, then roll out into a circle that's about 6cm across and 1/4 cm thick.

4. Place the paratha on a medium hot tava/pancake pan and let it cook for 30 seconds or so.

Flip it over and grease the top, then turn it over again after 30 seconds and grease that side as well.

Let the paratha cook until both sides acquire golden spots and are cooked. Keep warm in a cloth-lined container while you make the rest of the parathas. Serve them warm with any curry.

RECIPE: PEA SHOOT PARATHAS
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp carom seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup pea shoots, chopped
water as required
Pam spray/butter/ghee/oil to cook the parathas
Extra flour for dusting


Method:
1. Combine the flour, carom seeds and salt, and make a pliant, soft dough using as much water as required. Let the dough rest covered for 30 minutes.
 2. Pinch a lemon-sized piece of dough and roll it into a ball, then flatten it between your palms. Roll it out on a lightly floured board into a small circle, using more flour to dust the dough as required to stop it from sticking.
 3. Place 2 tablespoons of the chopped pea shoots in the centre of the dough, then fold  to enclose the filling. Lightly flatten the dough, then roll out into a circle that's about 6cm across and 1/4 cm thick.
 4. Place the paratha on a medium hot tava/pancake pan and let it cook for 30 seconds or so. Flip it over and grease the top, then turn it over again after 30 seconds and grease that side as well. Let the paratha cook until both sides acquire golden spots and are cooked. Keep warm in a cloth-lined container while you make the rest of the parathas in the same way. Serve the parathas warm with any curry.

Avocado phulkas

It’s been a long time since my last post. (If I were to count the number of times that I started a post with the previous sentence, I probably would need to make use of the fingers and toes of my friends and family in order to sum it up!)

The reason is that my mother was here for the last month or so, and I happily quit the kitchen – partly because it was convenient, and partly because there would not really have been any way to prevent her from cooking and cleaning, what with me being away at work from 9 to 5. Besides, it's been a while since I've had the comfort and pleasure of amma's cooking!

Anyway, I made these phulkas at least two months ago, and the post has been hanging fire ever since. It’s not going to be new for many people, because it’s possibly been a few years since the whole use-mashed-avocado-to-make-chapati-dough sensation arose and died down. I like to think that I’m like one of those marathon runners who lag way behind everybody all through the event and limp in alone a few hours/days/weeks/months/years later, and then get applauded for at least finishing the darned thing - although I doubt there will be any applause coming my way in this instance. However, if you do wish to congratulate me, I will be happy to accept any commendation. I’m not too proud for that.

The only other thing I wish to say that is unrelated to this post is that I will probably be taking it slow – or rather, taking it slower – with this blog in the coming months for personal reasons. I do still have 2-3 recipes that I want to post, but beyond that… well, hopefully 2012 will see in a more committed and enthusiastic me.

So, about the avocado effect – the chapatti dough was soft and could be rolled out beautifully thin, and the phulkas stayed soft for longer than they normally do with me. Very nice, as you all probably know already.

Recipe for:   Avocado phulkas

Ingredients:


1 large ripe avocado

4 cups wholewheat chapati flour
salt to taste
water as required
1 tbsp omam/ajwain/carom seeds


Method:


1. Scoop out the avocado flesh, discarding the skin and seed, and mash it smooth.

2. Put the mashed avocado in a large mixing bowl and add the flour, ajwain/carom seeds, and salt to taste. Using water as required, slowly mix the flour and avocado to make an elastic, smooth dough. It shouldn't be sticky.

Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a lime, and roll it out into an even, thin circle, sprinkling extra flour if it looks like sticking to the rolling pin, and turning it over as required.

4. Place the rolled out dough on a hot tava, letting it cook for 30 seconds or so, then flip it over and let that side cook.

5. At this point you can use a phulka "mesh" to cook the phulka directly over the open flame, letting it puff up, then flipping it over to cook the other side.

If you're unfamiliar with this method, you can cook the phulka on the tava itself by gently pressing down on the dough with a clean, bunched up tea towel till the phulka acquires brown spots.
6. Serve hot with dal and a vegetable curry.

RECIPE: AVOCADO PHULKAS

Ingredients:

1 large ripe avocado
4 cups wholewheat chapati flour
salt to taste
water as required
1 tbsp omam/ajwain/carom seeds

Method:

1. Scoop out the avocado flesh, discarding the skin and seed, and mash it smooth.
2. Put the mashed avocado in a large mixing bowl and add the flour, ajwain/carom seeds, and salt to taste. Using water as required, slowly mix the flour and avocado to make an elastic, smooth dough. It shouldn't be sticky.
Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a lime, and roll it out into an even, thin circle, sprinkling extra flour if it looks like sticking to the rolling pin, and turning it over as required.
4. Place the rolled out dough on a hot tava, letting it cook for 30 seconds or so, then flip it over and let that side cook.
5. At this point you can use a phulka "mesh" to cook the phulka directly over the open flame, letting it puff up, then flipping it over to cook the other side.
If you're unfamiliar with this method, you can cook the phulka on the tava itself by gently pressing down on the dough with a clean, bunched up tea towel till the phulka acquires brown spots.
6. Serve hot with dal and a vegetable curry.

Spring onion and carom seed (ajwain/omam) chapaties

I like making chapaties with spring onions because you get their lovely delicate flavour and you can still have a romantic evening without worrying about allium breath. Not that I had a romantic evening when I made these yesterday – I was by myself because Pete’s in Scotland on work… or so he says. Personally I think it’s because he wanted to take the new love of his life – a Range Rover Sport Supercharged – on a long journey, hoping to find a Porsche or Ferrari en route that would be willing to take him on. Not that I was bothered. I mean, if you had a choice between spring onion chapaties and a road trip in a supercharged Range Rover, which would you go for, huh? The spring onion chapaties, right? Right?
*sighhhhhhhhhhhhhh* Still - the chapaties are very yummy. Just not as exciting as the road trip.

Recipe for: Spring onion and carom seed (ajwain/omam) chapaties

Ingredients:

3 cups wholewheat flour
5-6 spring onions, green and white parts chopped fine

1/2 tsp Kitchen King or other garam masala
1 tsp carom seeds/ajwain/omam
Milk as required
Salt to taste (optional)

Method:

1. Put the flour, garam masala and ajwain/carom seeds along with salt to taste in a large bowl and mix well.

Then add the chopped spring onions and stir them in.

2. Make a well in the centre and add milk, a little at a time.

3. Stir the milk into the flour mix until it comes together, then knead into a pliable but fairly stiff dough.

4. Pinch off lemon-sized pieces of dough and roll them into chapaties, using more flour to dust the chapaties and stop them sticking.
5. Cook the chapaties one by one on a tava, spraying each side with Pam, occasionally pressing down lightly with a spatula to let them acquire golden brown spots.

6. Keep warm in a cloth-lined tin and serve hot with dal and any curry.


RECIPE: SPRING ONION AND AJWAIN/CAROM SEED/OMAM CHAPATIES

Ingredients:
3 cups wholewheat flour
5-6 spring onions, green and white parts chopped fine
1/2 tsp Kitchen King or other garam masala
1 tsp carom seeds/ajwain/omam
Milk as required
Salt to taste (optional)

Method:
1. Put the flour, garam masala and ajwain/carom seeds along with salt to taste in a large bowl and mix well.
Then add the chopped spring onions and stir them in.
2. Make a well in the centre and add milk, a little at a time.
3. Stir the milk into the flour mix until it comes together, then knead into a pliable but fairly stiff dough.
4. Pinch off lemon-sized pieces of dough and roll them into chapaties, using more flour to dust the chapaties and stop them sticking.
5. Cook the chapaties one by one on a tava, spraying each side with Pam, occasionally pressing down lightly with a spatula to let them acquire golden brown spots.
6. Keep warm in a cloth-lined tin and serve hot with dal and any curry.