Makkai Di Roti

Makkai Di Roti is a authentic Punjabi dish. It is quiet famous as a combination of Makkai di Roti and Sarso da saag. Well, getting Sarso Saag(mustard green leafs) in Hyderabad is bit difficult. But, yes getting Makkai ka aatta is bit easy. The first time, I had the wonderful combination of Punjabi cuisine is a popular Punjabi Restaurant in Bangalore. This weekend I tried making Makkai di Roti. Having different varieties of roti's & paratha's is something that my husband appreciates and I love experimenting for him. I had served this with corn and panneer gravy. Do give it a try.

Ingredients:-
•Cornmeal (makki ka atta) 1 1/2 cups
•Whole wheat flour (atta) optional 1/4 cup
•Salt to taste
•Unsalted butter as required

Method:- 
Add salt and whole-wheat flour to the cornmeal and mix well. Add warm water and knead to make a medium soft dough. Divide into eight equal portions and shape into balls. Pat each ball between dampened palms to make a roti of medium thickness. Alternatively, roll out each ball between the folds of a greased plastic sheet. Heat a tawa and place a roti on it. Cook on moderate heat till one side is half-done. Turn over and spread some white butter over the surface. Turn over and spread some more butter on the other side. Cook till both sides are golden brown. Serve hot with a dollop of white butter.

Bajra roti(pearl millet roti)

Hi Readers,

Bajra or pearl millet has high nutritious value and has many benefits.

Bajra is high in proteins with a good amount of amino acids

It is a good source of iron, which helps formation of hemoglobin in blood thus preventing anaemia.

It is a moderate source of vitamin B1, which is required for a healthy nervous system.

It is specially effective for bleeding piles, epilepsy, insomnia, impotency, high blood pressure, diabetes and tuberculosis.

It is easily digestible and has the lowest probability of causing allergic reactions.

Bajra, being gluten free, is a very good food choice for those suffering from celiac disease who cannot tolerate gluten.

It is highly effective and recommended for cases of severe constipation and stomach ulcers.

The presence of phytic acid and niacin in bajra helps in lowering the cholesterol.

Being rich in fiber content , bajra is good for diabetics, keeping the glucose levels normal.

Bajra Roti is common food of Rajasthan and Gujurat. And after knowing the many good qualities of this grain I am trying to accommodate this to my normal diet.

Ingredients :- 

3 cups Bajra flour

1 cup warm water

salt to taste

oil or ghee 

Method :- 

Bajra unlike Jowar has a bitter taste, so it needs special care while making roti's. The flour is not kneaded into batter at once, but the ladies knead flour for one Roti at a time and immediately make roti's. It tends to become bitter if you allow it to stay for a longer time. So, while kneading, take the flour in a large plate or flat bottomed bowl. Add little water in one side. Mix flour and knead to a small dough. Immediately give it a roti shape using hand. Or u might use the roller to make it into that shape but this dough is not sticky enough and tends to break so take special care. Heat a tawa and bake this bread it takes longer time as the roti's would be thicker than normal chapati. When brown spots appear on each sides, add oil or ghee spread all over and serve hot. This goes well with raw onion,green chili , garlic chutney and traditional baigan bharta or any traditional curry. 

I have added chopped onions, green chili to the batter before making roti's. This tends to weeken the bitter taste a little. I have served it with bottle gourd or lauki ki labji. 

Beetroot Paratha

Hi Readers,

Yesterday, I had made beetroot paratha for dinner. My mom used to make different paratha's just to ensure we eat the veggi when young. Its a good way to make paratha's and feed anyone who does not like that veggi.  My husband also likes to have different paratha's than having normal roti.

Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

2 beet root, peeled and grated

3 cups wheat flour

salt as per taste

water to knead

Note :- You can boil the beetroots and grate if you want. You can also add in amchur masala, ajwain or cumin seeds if you like.

Method :-

In bowl, take wheat flour, add beetroot, salt and water. Knead it into a dough of chapati consistency. Allow the dough to rest for 10 mins. Divide the dough into small parts. Roll these and heat a tawa. Add this paratha and cook in medium flame till brown spots appear on both sides. Add little oil and spread it all over the paratha and cook it for another 1 min. Turn each side to coat the oil and cook. Serve with any curry. I have served this with green peas and potato curry.

If you are using boiled beetroot, then it will cook in less time. But, finely grated beetroot can be added directly and would give same taste. 

Poori

Hi Readers,

From my childhood, I liked almost all deep fried foods. So, poori was no doubt one of my favorite dish. My brother used to be health conscious when we both were on school. I would ask Mom to prepare Poori and he on other hand would suggest simple phulka. Sometimes, especially on festive days, Mom would make Poori and dum aloo.

Now, things have changed, even I do not make Poori often, except on occasions, that too hardly once or twice in a year. This time on Navami I had made Poori. This is simple thing but yes people do get into problem when Poori does not come out the way it should be, instead it becomes Papad, crunchy and flat. So, here is a recipe and tips that would make good Poori. This post is meant for beginners.

Ingredients :- 

1 cup whole wheat flour

About 250 ml oil for deep frying

water to knead

salt as per taste.

Method :-

Put flour in a bowl, add about 1 tbsp oil and salt . Mix this oil with the flour so that lumps do not form. Now, add water and form soft dough like chapati dough. Divide it into small parts are roll it using oil and rolling pin. (Note:- For rolling chapati we use flour for dusting, for Poori it is oil so that when you deep fry that do not leave behind flour in oil)

Heat a thick bottomed deep frying pan and add rest of the oil. When oil is heated but not too hot, add Poori. When it starts to come up in oil, using a spatula put little hot oil from above it so that it forms round and properly expands. Turn each sides and remove when it is cooked. Serve hot with any side dish. Dum-aloo, Chana masla, chickpea masla and matar paneer  goes well with this. In south India, Poori is served with Sagu ( south indian style mix veg). 

Rajira ka Paratha( Amaranth flour )

Hi,

Yesterday, I had prepared yet another variety if Paratha on Maha Saptami. The Rajgira otherwise known as Amaranth flour. This flour is light compared to Buckwheat flour and is also derived from a fruit of plant. Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients :- 

1 Cup Amaranth/Rajgira flour

sendha namak/salt as per taste

1 boiled & peeled potato

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1 tbsp chopped green chili

1 tbsp lemon juice

little water

1 tbsp oil

Method :- 

Mash the boiled potato, add flour, salt, chopped green chili, coriander leaves, lemon juice and mix well and form dough just like chapati dough. Heat a tawa/griddle. Divide the dough into four equal parts and roll each part into a thin paratha. Bake this in the griddle. Turn each sides and cook till light brown spots appear on each side. Add little oil and spread it over it, turn each side cook for 1 more minute. Remove and serve with chuttney or raita.

Singhare ka paratha(water chestnut flour paratha)

Hi Readers,

Here goes my next recipe to relish this festive season. Singhara ka atta is made of singhara/water chestnut which is proven to have lower blood pressure and is rich in flavonoids. Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients :-
 1 cup singhare ka atta
    1 large potato boiled, peeled and mashed
    1 green chili
sendha namak/salt as per taste
chopped coriander leaves 1 tbsp
oil to cook

Method :-
Mix all ingredients in Singhare ka atta, add water to make dough just like Chapati dough. Divide it into 4 parts.Heat a tawa. Using your hand try to flatten that dough ball into paratha shape or you can roll it using rolling pin and add to tawa. turn each side and cook over medium flame, till brown spots appear on both sides. Now add little oil and turn both sides. Remove and serve hot with curd and chutney.

Sabudana Thalipeeth

Hi Readers,

Thalipeeth is a Maharastrian dish and this one is made with Sabu dana/Tapoica balls. This contains potato and sabu dana as main ingredents. Lets now have a look at the recipe.

Ingredients

•Sago (sabudana) 1 cup

•Kuttu ka atta/Buckwheat flour 1/4 cup

•Potatoes,boiled and grated 2 large

•Green chillies,chopped 2-3

•Fresh coriander leaves,chopped 2 tablespoons

•Salt/Sendha namak to taste

•Roasted peanuts,crushed 1/2 cup

•Pure ghee 4-5 teaspoons

Method

Wash and drain sabudana, sprinkle a little water and keep it covered for forty-five minutes. Loosen the sabudana grains and transfer into a bowl. Add potatoes, green chillies, coriander leaves, salt and crushed peanuts,kuttu ka atta and knead well. Heat a tawa. With wet hands take a portion of the sabudana mixture and spread it on the tawa as thinly as possible. Make a few holes and put some ghee in the holes and also around the thalipeeth. Flip over when the underside is light golden and cook till the other side is cooked equally golden. Serve hot with any chutney of your choice. 

Kuttu ke atte/Buckwheat Paratha

Hi Readers,

Kuttu ke atte is used during Navaratri to make paratha, poori etc for the feast during Navaratri. Buckwheat flour is rich in Flavonoid Rutin which improves immunity.  So, grab a few of these paratha's and poori this season.

Ingredients :-

1 cup Kuttu ka atta/buckwheat flour

1 large size potato boiled

1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped

sendhe ka namak or salt as per taste

little water to make dough if necessary.

2 tbsp oil

Method :-

 Mix all ingredients except the oil to make a dough. Divide it into 4 equal parts. Heat a tava/griddle. Spread this ball directly on tava using your hand or you can roll them similar to normal roti or chapati using a little buckwheat flour for dusting. When griddle is warm, put this on it and let it cook till tiny brown spots appear on one side, turn to other side and cook similarly. Then add about 1/2 tbsp oil and turn both sides to equally grease both sides. Remove and serve hot. 

Jowar Masala Rotla (white millet Indian flat bread)

Hi Readers,

In my school days, we had a story in English literature in 6th standard as far as I remember, that had a little child taking millet's chapati from his grand mom when he visited wood to collect fire wood. I was really curious as to what is millet's. When I asked my parent, they explained that Ragi ( Mandia as we call in Odia) is one of the millet. Millet has Jowar (white millet) and Bajra ( Pearl millet) and Ragi (finger millet) in its category. My mom sometimes used to prepare Ragi that we used mix with curd and sugar and have as breakfast. But, I had never really tasted the Chapati out of it.

When I came to Bangalore, I had many wonderful dishes made of Ragi (Ragi balls, ragi dosha, Ragi chapati and Ragi Paratha). I started liking it, specially Ragi Masala chapati or paratha. Now, my craze was to taste the other millets. In my near by grocer store, I saw all these flours and my desire increased to make them and taste them. Thanks to internet, I got wonderful Rotla recipe from Gujurat. I tried this with Jowar flour, and the taste was really good. Now, its not always, plain wheat fulka's for dinner everyday or the same variation of paratha's. I now prepare different millet's Roti for dinner occasionally. The taste of Jowar Rotla is quiet similar to Akki roti (Rice flour roti) from Karnataka.

Jowar or white millet or Sorghum is rich source of dietary fiber, iron, phosphorous and thiamine. So, its good to include these in millet's in our meals.

I hope I haven't bored you with my experiment and curiosity so far. Lets now move to the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Jowar/sorghum flour

1/4 cup wheat flour(handful and optional)

3/4 cup grated cucumber

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

2 tsp green chili paste

1 tbsp white sesame seeds

1/4 cup chopped coriander

1 tsp cumin seeds

salt to taste

Method:

Take a wide bowl and mix Jowar flour,wheat flour and salt.

Add grated bottle gourd,chopped onions,green chili paste,coriander,cumin seeds,sesame seeds and mix well until the mixture is completely moistened by the water from cucumber and onions.

Now add some warm(to medium heat) water if required and mix well until you get the dough similar to the roti dough and rest the dough for 10-15 mins.You can even use it immediate if required.

Take a handful of dough and make it into round balls of Orange size.

Smear the Rotti tawa(Non-stick/normal dosa pan) with little bit of oil all over the tawa and place the rotti dough in center and press it gently with hands and spread into a thin layer by rotating the pan and by immersing the hand in a bowl of water in between which helps in patting the dough evenly and smoothly on the tawa. If you are not comfortable, you can roll it similar to roti. Make it as thin as possible.do not bother if small gaps are there,that makes the rotti even crispier.

Pour little oil over it and cover it with a lid and place it on fire on medium flame.Let it cook for 2 mins.Keep an eye on it to check in b whether it is done or not.Once you see the red patches started forming increase the flame and cook it.Try to rotate the tawa in order to get an evenly roasted rotti. No need to turn it on the other side.

Serve this right off from the flame and on to the plate with a dollop of fresh white butter and some Thokku(smashed pickle type generally made up of either mango or tomato) and masala dahi. Here, I have served with Potala Rasa. 

Paneer Paratha

Hi Readers,

Here is Paneer Paratha recipe for you. In my household, paratha does not go alone. My husband likes to have any kind of sukhi (dry or stir-fried) curry with it. So, I have presented this with french beans and potato curry. As such Paratha goes well with raita/curd and some pickle.

For The Dough

3/4 cup all purpose flour (maida)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)

2 tsp oil

salt to taste

To Be Mixed Into A Stuffing

1 1/2 cups grated paneer (cottage cheese)

2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

1 tsp finely chopped green chillies

few cashew-nuts roasted and broken into pieces

few kis-mis

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp dried mango powder (amchur)

1/4 tbsp ajwain(carom seeds)

salt to taste

Other Ingredients

whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)

ghee for cooking

Method 

For the dough

Combine all the ingredients and knead into a soft, smooth dough using enough water.

Divide the dough into 5 equal portions. Keep aside.

How to proceed

Divide the stuffing into 5 equal portions. Keep aside.

Roll out one portion of the dough into a circle of 75 mm. (3") diameter using whole wheat flour for rolling.

Place one portion of the stuffing in the center of the circle. Bring together all the sides in the center and seal tightly.

Roll out again into a square of 125 mm. (5") using whole wheat flour.

Cook on a hot tava (griddle), using a little oil, until both sides are golden brown.

Repeat with the remaining dough and stuffing to make 4 more parathas.

Serve hot.

Methi paratha

Hi Readers,

Now, its time for some yummy methi ke parathe with green chutney.

Ingredients:-
6 cups Wheat Flour
1 cup Besan
1 tspn. Cumin seeds
Salt as per taste
1/2 tspn. Turmeric Powder
2 tspn. Chilli Powder
2 bunch of fresh green Methi Leaves
1 bunch of Coriander Leaves

Method;-
Cut methi leaves and coriander leaves into small pieces.
Crush the cumin seeds and keep aside
Take a wide mouthed container, put wheat flour, besan, salt (as per taste), turmeric powder, chilli powder, crushed cumin seeds, cut methi leaves, coriander leaves and mix well. Put water in the mixture and make it a dough.
Convert the dough into small size balls enough to roll like chapatis.
Roll each ball like chapatis and put on the pre-heated pan on the stove. When one side becomes brown, flip on the other side.
When both sides are done apply ghee on both sides
Your hot-hot methi parathas are ready. Serve hot with green mint chutney.

Besan & Methi Paratha

Hi Readers,

This yet another experiment of mine with Paratha. I tried to blend the taste of Besan and Methi to make this innovative Paratha.

Ingredients :- 1- 2 cup wheat flour
2- 1/2 cup besan or chickpea flour
3- Methi leafs
4- 1 teaspoon ajwain
5- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
5- 1/2 teaspoon chat masala
6- pinch of turmeric
7- pinch of salt

Method :- Take all the ingredients and knead into a soft dough. Divide the dough into small portions and make flat round Indian breads as shown in picture below.

Heat a pan. and cook the breads till they are done. Add little oil to grease both the sides and then remove from flame. Serve hot.

Gajar , methi and pyaj Paratha

Hi Readers,

This is a typical paratha that I have come about. This is my own innovation in paratha making. I hope you too would like this.

Ingredients :- 1- wheat flour - 100 gm
2- turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
3- 1 carrot shredded
4- 1 onion chopped
5- Methi chopped
3- 1 teaspoon ajwain
4- 1 teaspoon kalaunji
5- pinch of asafoetida
6- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
7- pinch of chat masala
8- salt
9- Oil or ghee for paratha

Method :- Knead the dough with all the ingredients and make a good dough for paratha.Divide the dough into small portions and make thin paratha's as shown in pic.

Heat a pan and cook the paratha, when its done add oil or ghee and remove from flame and serve hot with tomato chutney.