Missi roti

The flat breads from Punjab (NW India) are very popular all over India. And one such staple bread from the Punjabi kitchen is Missi roti. It is made from three kinds of flour blend, the earthy chickpea flour, the rustic atta, and the fine maida. Spiced up with chilies, spicy carom seeds, pungent asafetida, and fragrant kasoori methi leaves, the roti is simple and yet a delicate play of aromas and flavors. A dollop of fresh butter on top seals the deal.

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes 6 roti)

1/2cup besan (Chickpea flour)

1/4cup atta (Coarse flour)

1/4cup maida (Plain flour)

1tbsp Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)

2-3 finely chopped green chilies

1/4sp turmeric powder

1/2sp chat masala

1sp ghee

1 pinch salt

Warm water

Butter

Dry spices:

1/4sp ajwain (Carom seeds)

1/4sp cumin

1/2sp coriander

1ping asefoetida

METHOD:

1.      Roast the dry spices and coarsely grind them.

2.      In a large bowl, mix the flours, and all the spices with a pinch of salt. Add the ghee and rub it in the flour. Mix well.

3.      Make a whole in the middle and gradually add the warm water. Knead into a smooth tight dough. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes under a covered cloth.

4.      When rested, knead the dough again for a couple of minutes. Divide into 6 equal portions and make them into balls.

5.      Heat a griddle or tawa on medium-high heat.

6.      Roll one dough ball at a time into a roti, each flat 7-8 inch circle. Dust with more flour while rolling to prevent from sticking if necessary.

7.      Simultaneously bake each roti on the hot griddle. Bake one side for a minute. Flip over and smear the side with butter. Flip over again after a minute and smear the other side with butter. Bake both sides until rustic brown spots appear on them. Remove from the griddle and keep covered wrapped under a cloth. Bake all the rotis similarly.

8.      Serve with daal or pickles.

NOTE:

Roll and bake the rotis simultaneously, rolling them beforehand can make them dry.

To make the rotis tastier and softer, add a dollop of butter while storing them under the cloth.

Panchmel dal

Panchmel dal is a staple from Rajasthan (Western India) that celebrates the exquisite mingle of five different kinds of lentils in a simple and flavorful dish. Panch meaning five and mel meaning mix thus is the mixture of five staple Indian lentils – masoor (red lintils), moong (green gram), chola (Bengal gram), toor (pigeon peas), urad (black lentils). Tomato and ginger are add to the flavors, whereas the tamarind and dried mango powder play with the taste buds giving a hint of tartness. The perfect balance of salt-sugar –chili seals the deal. For quite a while I was planning to make this and had finally put it in the list of ‘to cook’ for the festive seasons. It was only after that the whole menu for the festive days was planned that I realized I had placed the Panchmel dal for the 5^th day of the festive fortnight! As I washed the lentils and covered them with water for soaking, the aromas of each lentil blended into this tempting earthy smell. I was excited and looking forward to the harmony of flavors it that the lentil medley would create. A simple and colorful play of delicate rustic flavors it was, and a great beginning of the Durga puja.

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 6)

1/3cup cholar dal (split Bengal gram or chana dal)
1/3cup toor dal (split pigeon pea)
1/3cup moong dal (split green gram)
1/3cup urad dal (split black lentils)

1/3cup whole masoor (split red lentils)
1tbsp whole moong (whole green gram)

1/2sp turmeric powder

1/2sp chili powder

1sp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala

1tbsp ginger paste

3 green chilies – paste

1 tomato – chopped

2sp amchur (dried mango powder)
4tbsp tamarind pulp
3tbsp ghee
salt, sugar

Dry spices:

3 cloves

1 cinnamon stick
2 bayleaves
1sp cumin seeds
2 dried red chilies broken

1 pinch of asafetida

 

METHOD:

1.      Wash the lentils well and soak them in three cups of water for around two hours. Boil them in the same water with salt and a pinch turmeric powder until done.

2.      Mix the chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala with 3 tbsp of water and mix well to make the masala paste.

3.      Heat the ghee in a pan and add dry spices. When they crackle, add ginger and chili paste and the masala paste. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.

4.      Add chopped tomatoes and cook till the spices leave oil on sides.

5.      Add the cooked lentils, amchur, tamarind pulp and salt, sugar and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and the consistency of the lentils before serving.

Paneer aur anjeer ki sabji (Paneer with dried figs in yogurt sauce)

The Sunday newspaper comes with interesting culinary articles in the supplementary section. These articles are about particular cuisines, new trends in culinary world, particular ingredients and so on. A place to get interesting ideas. And this is where I got the concept of this particular dish, from a article talking about typical cuisine of the Marwari sect of India. The idea of combining paneer, yogurt, chili, and sweet dried figs sounded very unusual and interesting. Even while cooking I was not sure of the outcome. There was not really any harmony of flavors at the initial tastings. And then slowly everything blended well and the dish was a harmony of sweet-tart-hot flavor with the chunks of creamy paneer. An unusually interesting dish it is to serve with rice.

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 2)

100g paneer

100g dried figs

1 pinch asafetida powder

1 pinch cumin powder

Oil

Coriander leaves – garnish

Yogurt mix:

180g yogurt

1sp red chili powder

1 pinch turmeric powder

Salt

METHOD:

1.      Fry the paneer cubes until golden brown. Put them in salted hot water for a couple of minutes and take them out.

2.      Cut the dried figs in halves and blanch them.

3.      Mix well all the ingredients of the yogurt mix.

4.      Heat oil in a wok. Temper the oil with asafetida and cumin powder.

5.      Add the yogurt mixture and 1/4 cup of water.

6.      Simmer for a while. Add the paneer and dried figs.

7.      Simmer for 3-4 minutes more.

8.      Serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves.