Polya ki Chapatya? I prefer Fulkas!

* Disclaimer: This post is written for entertainment and not for any discussion, please treat it as such.

Years ago, I was sitting in the cafeteria, after a late shift and sharing my lunch ( in this case dinner) box with a friend. 

We were both super hungry and ate fast and talked fast too. As we were finishing I asked, "shevatchi chapati, you want?" ( last flat bread, you want?) and he just stopped eating... just stared at me, all wide eyed and shocked. I was surprised, I was not speaking with my mouth full, did not spit out a crumb, so what just happened? 

He  bent towards me and in a sibilant whisper said, "aga, chapati kay? apan POLI mhanto"(hey, we do not say chapati,  we say poli)

I tut-tutted and said, "eat... forget the distinction, same ingredients, different name".

That was about 8 years or so ago. I forgot about that incident until very recently.

Let me side track you all a bit. While I am not a big fan of TV serials, there are a few that I do watch and like. I do not subscribe to any Desi channels (what's the use? all we do is watch cartoons) and so I catch my share of Marathi TV Serials on apalimarathi.com.
It all started when my Mom told me (last year) about this nice family worthy serial, 'Eka lagnachi dusri goshta' and M and I were hooked!
And now, there is another serial I watch, ' Tuja majha jamena' which revolves around lives of typical 'Marathi- Brahman (ko'bra and de'bra)' families and there are scenarios (and digs) that many of us are familiar with.
It was in one of the serials that I came across the 'poli/ chapati' debate again.
It is a cultural thing. In a typical Marathi Brahmin home, the everyday humble flat bread is referred to as Poli and in a non-brahmin home it is chapati (poli is strictly- puranpoli), as you have guessed by now.
I put this question on my FB Page too. check it out!

I don't care what it is called, but I do have a preference. I like fulkas more than poli or chapati.
So what is the difference? Well, here are my 2 c. When I make a poli /chapati, I roll a bit of the dough into a small disc, brush with some oil and fold it into a triangle, dust with flour and roll into a round flat bread ( yep, roll the triangle into a round disc- and yes, it is possible, with a bit of practice) and roast it on a hot tawa, one can drizzle a few drops of oil while roasting the flat-bread or brush with home made ghee once it is done.

Whereas a fulka, is the simpler (and healthier) version, just roll a lime sized ball of dough into a round disc and roast on a hot tawa and then flame toast it. A slight variation in the cooking technique as compared to the regular poli / chapati.

The ingredients are the same, wheat flour, water, salt and oil- being optional, whether you make poli / chapati or a fulka.

Here is what you need:
* I have watched my Mother and Grandmother make these for so many years that I do not have exact measurement. The trick is to make a supple dough. Add water slowly and mix as you do. Knead, knead and knead some more, the dough should be soft and smooth ( like a baby's bottom)

(this proportion should make about 8-10 fulkas. This also depends on the size of the dough ball, I am giving an estimate)

2 Cups Wheat Flour ( I prefer Aashirwaad Brand)
Water
2 hefty pinches salt
A Drizzle of oil ( optional)

In a  mixing bowl add the wheat flour and salt and mix.
Slowly add water ( Make a well in the middle and add water) and mix flour and water to knead  the mix into a soft and pliable dough.

At first the dough is very sticky and seems un-manageable. Relax, and knead. The more you knead, the softer and smoother it will get. I dust my hands with flour and remove all the bits of dough clinging to my fingers and knead it into the big dough ball. No wastage.

Alternatively, use your food processor. Add the flour and salt and pulse. With the food processor still running, slowly add water.
This takes a bit of getting used to and getting the quantity of water right. I found that I do not estimate it well and end up using too much water and then  had to add flour, all in all ended up with twice and a bit more times the dough I wanted! but once you have the quantities in place,  it is a breeze to use !

Once the dough is ready, cover and keep it aside for at least 10-15 mins.

When you are ready to make fulkas, keep everything you need at hand.
The rolling pin ( latna) , Rolling board ( polpaat), Griddle (tawa), and if like me, you have a stove ( coil), you might want to buy 'fulka/ papad roaster' it is like a grill ( picture below). Wheat flour for dusting.

To begin, make small (lime sized) balls of the dough and keep them in the mixing bowl.
Set the griddle on medium - high

Dredge one dough ball in flour and place it on the rolling board ( see picture below)

Applying even pressure, start rolling the dough. Dust with additional flour as required to keep the dough ball from sticking to the rolling board. Since the dough ball is small, the fulka will be  a small one, 5-6" only. Ideally, the fulka should be paper thin. This is not easily manageable in the initial attempts, but it gets easier with practice.

Carefully transfer the fulka on to the hot skillet. Cook on the first side for about 20 seconds, you will see the dough bubble up ever so slightly and the fulka will be dry on the slightly cooked side ( picture below). At this point, flip it over and cook the second side. Cook this, 2nd. side, well ( until warm brown  spots appear) 

At this point, when the second side is well cooked place it- the 20 second side cooked down- on the grill and let it puff up ( if that sounds confusing, check out the picture below)

Hang on, it still has capacity to balloon up!

THERE!  This is how you want your fulka! All puffed up and balloon like!

Remove from the grill / roaster and smear with ghee (calorie conscious people will tut-tut, but I assure you, that smidgen of ghee takes the fulka to a new high and also keeps it soft, longer) and serve with a vegetable side of our choice or even sweet.

* Notes:
Roll the flat bread using even and gentle pressure

Toast on medium high ( I use number 7 or 8 on my stove)

Adding salt to the flour is optional, but I always do, IMO, it enhances the taste.

I keep the fulkas wrapped in tissue paper, this absorbs the steam and keeps the fulkas soft, longer. Alternatively, use cheesecloth or an old but washed handkerchief.

To re-heat any left over fulkas, pat a tissue paper / handkerchief with water and make it damp. Place the fulkas in it and close on all sides and nuke it in the microwave for 20-25 seconds. 

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Scallion Parathas

To me, parathas, came in 2 varieties Plain or Stuffed (with potato), there wasn't anything else, the restaurant menu said so.
When we went to restaurants, my mother would opt for a plain paratha, my father liked plain tandoori roti and glutton that I was, I wanted butter Naan. I could never finish one and eventually I would grudgingly share 2 quartered pieces with them.

Then of course I graduated to stuffed paranthas and what a discovery that was! Good bye boring poli-bhaji! I wanted parathas and with Aloo stuffing ( that was the only one I knew). Of course now, thanks to a variety of restaurants  opening  in every nook of the city, we are exposed to cuisine from all corners of India and can sample so many varieties that can satisfy the taste buds and  also leave us wanting more.

While I love my Aloo, Gobhi, Paneer etc. parathas, every now and then, I  go on a fridge cleaning spree and finds small ziplocks of cut vegetables that I had quite forgotten or  something I had picked up at the Indian store meaning to try out a certain recipe but never got to it. does that happen to you, as well?

On such days, I mix and match ingredients to make my lunch / dinner as the case might be.
Last week, I got 3 bunches of scallions, meaning to try out some Asian inspired Noodles, Of course I  had every intention of trying  that recipe,  then I got caught up in routine activities around home and day to day cooking, used 2 bunches ( with  every intention of using the 3rd. bunch fr the noodles, or so I kept telling myself), which never happened  and that is how this recipe was born..

This is a forgiving recipe and you can eyeball the ingredients in the stuffing, within reason of course. 

I used Roti dough for the outer cover.

For the stuffing :

1 bunch Scallions, chopped ( whites and greens)

1/2 tsp. Red Chili powder ( more if you want it spicy)

1 tsp. Coriander powder

Hefty Pinch Kasuri Methi

Salt to taste

2 tsp finely chopped Cilantro

Set the griddle / tawa to heat on medium- medium high.

Mix all the ingredients ( except the salt)  for the stuffing and set aside.

Roll out a small ball of dough ( lemon sized ball of dough), spoon the stuffing in the middle, pull up the sides and seal to make a ball.**

Dust with flour and roll evenly into a circular shape.

Place on the ht griddle and drizzle with ghee/ oil, cook on both sides till golden brown with spots that are a shade darker.

These parathas can be eaten by themselves. As an accompaniment, make a raita ( peel and grate a cucumber, add yogurt, salt to taste, sprinkle with black pepper powder and you are done - this is the-most-basic-raita- recipe and works well with the paratha). You can also pair it with Aloo Gobhi or Rajma. 

NOTES:

Add salt to the stuffing, just before making parathas. Salt will release water in the onions and make it difficult to roll. 

** If you find it difficult to to stuff the filling and seal to roll, make it easy, roll out 2 thin rounds/ tortillas/ rotis of the dough, spoon the mixture on one round, top  with the other, seal the ends  by pressing together, dust with flour and apply gentle pressure with the rolling pin to spread the filling evenly. 

These are best served right off the griddle.

I had the opportunity of writing another article for the New Indian Express and was published  over the weekend, please take a few minutes to read it. The Right measures get the dish right. Thank You.

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RCI - Bihar .... Dal-Puri

Sangeeta, our hostess for RCI this month has us travelling to Bihar! Luckily for me, I had a super shortcut!!! My friend S (I affectionately call her - Heroine!!) is from Bihar and is my sure-shot source for the regional recipes!

My very first attempt to secure a recipe was to contact her, I did not even bother browsing thru any sites!! And pat came her reply... though she did mention (with a sigh) that 'sattu ka atta' was the ingrdient she would have recommended, but since it is impossible to procure it here, she was sending me another simple and tasty recipe.. DAL -PURI.

After some back and forthing about the recipe details, where she mentioned that Dal-puri is eaten with pickle/ chutney/ yogurt , but the real thing is making 'Ali ki rasdar subzi' with it, so ofcourse I had to haunt her for that!!! Now heroine is smart! so in her reply, detailing the Alu ki subzi, she also sent me the recipe for a sweet, as a bonus!!
I also asked her if there was a special ocassion that this was made or a specific season? It seems that Dal-puri is usually prepared during Holi, but there are of course no set rules!

Now, I am a puri fan... but I don't usually indulge.. afterall, one has to 'weigh' the pros and cons before biting into these deep-fried goodies! But this is the festive season! time to shamelessly indulge ( after all those chaklis, karanji, laddu, shankarpalis, puris can squeeze in!!!)
After all a foodie can but say... eat and be merry, for tomorrow me may diet!!!

For the Dal -Puri:

Do the prep:

My measurement are sufficient just for 2 people ( and that too after a warning about ' keeping the oily stuff within limits')

For the Puri Stuffing:

1/2 cup Chana daal

One pinch Asafetida

1/8 tsp. Turmeric powder

1 Green chilli minced (+/- as per required heat)

1 tsp. Ginger-Garlic paste (I used the store brought, but fresh paste is a much better option)

1 Bay leaf/ Tej patta

1 whole Red Chilli

1/2 tsp Jeera / Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Garam Masala ( I added 1/4 tsp, M does not like the 'too strong' taste of GM)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp. Cilantro minced

1 tbsp Oil for tempering ( preferably mustard oil, but refined works just as well)

Making the stuffing:

In a wide pan boil the channa in adequate water with salt and turmeric powder. Ensure that the daal is cooked, but firm, we do NOT want a mush. Drain all the water. The daal should look dryish.

Grind the daal (do not use a blender) I used my handy chopper, to a fine crumble.

Heat oil in a kadhai/ wok, add cumin, asafetida, bay leaf and the whole red chilli. Next add the minced green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and the crumbled daal. Add salt as per taste, garam masala and cilantro. Mix well. The stuffing is now ready. Keep it aside to cool completely.

For the Puri Dough

Whole wheat flour ( roti atta)

1 tbsp Farina/ sooji/ rawa

A few pinches Salt

2 tbsp Hot Oil

Water to knead dough

Oil for deep frying

Mix all the ingredients and make a semi-stiff dough. the dough should not as stiff as puri dough and not as pliable as roti dough. . Cover and keep for 15 - 20 mins.

* It is not mandatory to add the farina, I added it for some crispiness. My friend also suggested that regular roti dough can be used just as well.

To make the puris:

From the stuffing, discard the red chilli and the bay leaf.

Take a portion of the dough and roll out a disc (this puri has to be slightly bigger than the regular puri), spoon the mixture and close. Roll out a regular puri, just like you would roll a stuffed paratha! Deep fry in oil.

* care: Ensure that the stuffing is fine crumbled, otherwise roiling the puri will be difficult and will split in places and cause the stuffing to come out. Look at the picture below, there is a small split in the puri (rt. hand corner, bottom), the puri will puff up, but when you turn it , the stuffing may out. ( BBoy ! is it difficult to fry and take pictures at the same time!!)

This puri is a superb variation from the regular puri and is a delightful change. It pairs well with the Alu ki rasdar subzi and will pair well with pickles/ chutney or can be eaten as it is!! Great for lunch boxes and picnics too!

For the Alu ki rasdar subzi:

2 Potatoes (boiled/ cooked in a microwave)

1 Onion chopped

1-2 Green chillies chopped1 Bayleaf

1 Whole Red Chilli

1/2 tsp Cumin / jeera seeds

1/2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

2 med. size tomatoes

Cumin & corriander powder (1/2 tsp each)

Red chilli powder (optional)

1/8 tspTurmeric powder

1/2 tsp. Garam Masala

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Cilantro leaves for garnishing

First : boil the potatoes…let them cool, then break them unevenly into small sizes,u need not mash them.Set aside.
Heat oil in a kadhai.
Add cumin seeds…when it splutters add tej patta and the red chilli. Add green chilly…and onion…when the onion turns brown add the ginger garlic paste…cumin- corriander pwd, turmeric , red chilly pwd…sauté for a little while then add the chopped tomatoes…when they become soft and leave oil add in the potatoes and salt…sauté till the potatoes blend in with the masala….then add water…cover and cook for sometime…..when the gravy becomes thick…add garam masala!remove it from fire and garnish it with coriander leaves!
Voila its done!

Thank you Sangeeta for hosting RCI this month, which gave us another opprotunity to explore a different cuisine! And thank you , S, my Heroine for the recipes and for clarifying all my doubts and being patient with me!!!

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MBP- BREAD: Cheese Parathas.

I'm LATE... so what's new, huh? But I couldn't miss MBP!!! The darned right thumb delayed me! Anyway, now that we are firmly ensconced in our new apartment, which to my delight has a regular gas (like India) and NO Coil stove, I couldn't be happier! Food tastes better and cooks faster than the dreadful coil (M claims it is all my fancy... Men! I tell ya, they are weird!)

For MBP- BREAD I found so many varieties of Breads in our blogosphere, but I finally decided in favour of Cheese Parathas

Like Musical, parathas have always been my favourite type of bread too! Parathas hold a special place in my heart! They are a constant reminder to me of my BEST Friend who is from Delhi and the YUM! parathas I have eaten at home!

In fact, I still vividly recall my first instruction in making a paratha.. (it was not the stuffed variety) and inexperienced as I was in making Parathas, I rolled one all nice and round and .... thin! like a Fulka!! Oh boy!! did I feel like an ostrich? I sure did!!! Just wanted to bury my head in some soil and hang in there till eternity!

Around that time, I also learned that parathas need not be round (or as thin as fulkas!!) and when I found Musical's Recipe, after chuckling awhile, decided 'this' is it!

I followed her recipe, copy pasted in here for convenience, with a couple of variations...

Thanx Musical! Loved the parathas!!

MUSICAL'S RECIPE :

We need:

Whole wheat flour, water, a pinch of salt, ajwain and grated cheese of your favorite variety (i used five cheese Italian blend).Sift the flour, add salt, ajwain, knead into a smooth dough with water. The essence of any good Indian bread is a good dough, so knead, knead, knead :). The dough should be flexible. Set aside for a few minutes. Heat the tava/griddle and roll a nice chapati as shown in the picture. Heap some grated cheese and fold into a square (or a triangle if you like). Dust with some flour and roll this square. Fry it with lil' oil/ghee on the tava-the cheese melts and makes this ordinary bread into something extraordinary :).

Variations I made :

Used Mozzarella Cheese

Added 1/2 very finely chopped onion

Used Olive oil spray

..... My favourite smells in the kitchen....

- Daal (Varan) and Basmati Rice and the lingering smell of an incense stick ( something one encounters in a typical Maharashtrian Brahmin kitchen!!)!!

- Tadkas (tempering) (with or without ginger-garlic paste)!!

-Cake baking in the oven!! ( I am going to try my hand at baking proper bread soon, so I'm sure that will be another to this list!

Thank You , Coffee, for this wonderful theme and Okaying my late entry!!

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P is for PALAK PURI

Here I am .. in time this time too ! for 'P' of Indian Veges @ Nupur's One Hot Stove !!

Every once in a while I go and pig out on oily stuff! Oh Stuff those 'too much fat' 'too many calories' talk.. The bounce off me easily!!

I like to keep in shape.. the nice round shape I am in!

So to treat myself I made puri! with a slight change.. I made Palak Puri! Happily enough I had just this half bunch of spinach in the fridge... fat lot of good that was for making Alu Palak.... wouldn't feed a chicken.. but then... do chicken feed on palak!!??!! hmm...

Anyway... so Palak Puri it was!!

This deep fried goody holds a special place in every body's heart (or so I imagine). We always had Puri on a festival day (Ganesh Utsav, Diwali or when we had guests over for dinner) which was eaten with plain potato vegetable (maybe I'll post this later!!) or with a sweet, like Basundi.. heavenly!!

Or Mum would make masala puri when I had my school picnic, which was an instant hit and the first item to be cleaned up!

For the Puri, I basically used approximates.

~2cups Wheat Flour (Atta)

1/2 bunch of Palak / Spinach

2 tsp Farina/ rava / Sooji

1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

4-5 sprigs Cilantro

1/2 Serrano Chilly (just to give it a hint of heat)

Water to bind to a dough

Blanch the Spinach and Drain the excess water

Grind spinach, chilly, cilantro to a paste

Mix the paste in the Flour, add the Farina, Salt (the farina makes them crisp)

Bind to a dough (should be stiffer than the normal Roti Dough)

Cover and keep aside for 15 mins

In the meantime, heat oil in a kadhai/ wok

Take small marble size and roll it to a puri

Deep fry in oil.

I served the puri with Alu subzi, and Beet Raita (canned beet (1 tin), chopped into cubes and mixed with plain yogurt, salt and 1/2 tsp of MDH~Raita Mix)

The puris taste great as they are, without any accompaniment, so personally i enjoyed them with Raita and as they are.

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JFI GREENS - Methi Parathas in a hurry! and Daal Palak with Parathas.

This is a late post (methi parathas) .. I wanted to send it in for Nupur's A-Z of Veges... but things have been a bit hectic for me. Couple of weeks ago, I landed a full time job.. and I am still kinda getting the rythym of things. Apart from that my laptop is giving me a lot of trouble so I was off this track a bit..

I guess this entry can now go in for JFI GREENS along with another one I had planned.

Methi seeds have their own special place in our kitchens and are used for tempering in daals, dahi kadhi as well as in many vegetables, pickles and curries. As widely as it is used in the kitchen this herb has its use in the medicinal world too. Methi seeds soaked overnight and ground to a paste can be applied to hair to get rid of dandruff and is also a good conditioner. People suffering from arthritis and diabetes also benefit from consuming Methi

Methi has a bitter taste and a strong characteristic smell, that was the one reason my Mother used to be careful in just picking leaves off the stalk. In CA,I do substitute Kasuri Methi (dried methi leaves) for lack of fresh, inviting looking methi . Kasuri methi too has the same strong characteristic smell of fresh methi (if not stronger!). The only annoying thing is sometimes getting a bit of a hard stalk in the mouth... but that is not much of an issue!!

Coming to blogging.... though I am enjoying everything at office enormously, I do miss blogging the most! I have a bunch of pictures ready, but I haven't uploaded them to the laptop! Now that I am a bit strained for time (at least until I set a routine), I am also looking at 'quick fix' meals to carry in the lunch box for me and M. For one such quick fix, I made Methi Parathas. these are very flavorful and can be eaten by themselves with or without any accompaniment.... a bit of mango pickle is always welcome, though!!

For this version of Methi Paratha I have used Kasuri Methi. The taste was not compromised on at all, but if you have fresh, tender leaves... USE 'EM!!

1 cup Wheat Flour
1 tbsp. Besan
1 tbsp. Rice Flour
1/4 tsp. Turmeric
1/2 tbsp. Ginger - Garlic Paste
2 Green chillies minced (or if you prefer , grind them with the ginger-garlic)
1 bunch Methi Leaves
Salt to taste
Oil / ghee

Wash and chop the methi leaves (not necessary if using kasuri methi)
Mix the wheat flour, besan and rice flour
Add the turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, green chilly, salt, methi leaves
Bind into a dough.
Cover and keep for 15 mins..
Roll out parathas
Heat a griddle and roast the parathas drizzling oil / ghee around the corners (or use oil spray)
Serve with pickle / yogurt

My second entry is DAAL PALAK and Paratha

My motive in making daal palak was simple... daal and vegetable rolled into one! What with work and home (dishes... laundry, clearing the humongous mess) and a whopper of a migraine attack, I felt a bit overwhelmed and after shoving tablets down the throat and crankily croaking at the husband about how, now was the time for all good men to come to the aid ... rally around dear!! .. I behaved sort of like one expiring all over the carpet...

Later , revived and almost as fresh as a daisy, I steam-rolled in to the kitchen to appease the growing and gnawing hunger pangs.

I largely modelled my Daal Palak on Asha's recipe. The outcome was a delightful accompaniment to rice and parathas. But the mistake I made (and lesson learnt!) was in not using a lot more spinach! I had just one bunch of Spinach and I thought that would do! Well, there is always the next time!I also used normal Tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes. Forgot to add the sugar.... nevertheless, as I mentioned earlier... the end result was delightful!



For the Parathas

2 cups wheat flour

2-3 pinches salt

Water

Oil

Ghee / Butter

Combine the flour and salt, add enought water to make a smooth dough.

Make equal portions of the dough.

Take one portion, roll out to a thick roti, apply oil on the inside and fold over, forming a semi-circle. Brush with oil and fold again, now forming a triangle.

Dust with wheat flour and roll in to a triangle (keeping it a little thick)

Shallow fry (I use the word 'fry' because I sed a tad more butter when roasting htese parathas) on a hot griddle, until brown spots appear on the paratha and it puffs up.

Serve with daal palak

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KOKI

Early mornings sometimes begin with a groan on my side! Getting up.. well.. no option there!! but getting the Hubby to wake up (on time) for work is ... well.. what can I say??... how he loves to cling on (and on... and on..) to those 'last 5 minutes' of sleep! Making tea, cooking and packing his lunchbox and the 'tata' are the busiest moments of my day..the rest of it seems like a week end!!
After the 'busy hour' when tranquility has made its temporary nest in my home,I start my 'cleaning up' the 'unbelievable mess 2 people can make in just a short span of a few hours'. This done and having taken up loads of time (also leaving me wondering how fast it is to mess it up!!)I saunter into the kitchen, to clean up there. On some days that I feel I need to rearrange things a bit, I usually eat lunch at the time when people have their cup of tea, at such times I prefer something quick. I usually fall back on making a paratha. M is not really a roti person. Give him his daal-rice and he is content, but I like rotis , parathas, so today after cleaning up, arranging, re- arranging stuff I made Koki for my lunch and as an evening snack for M, when he comes home, famished, after work.

Koki, is a paratha made by Sindhis (a community in India), this is a great addition to lunch boxes. It can be eaten just as it is, or with yogurt or sauce or pickles. Apart from that it is easy to make!

All you need is:

2 cups Wheat flour (atta)
3 tbsp. Oil
1 Onion grated
2 Green chillies finely chopped (+/- to taste)
2 tbsp. Grated Raw mango OR 1 tbsp. Anardana powder (pomegranate seeds powdered)
1 tbsp. Sesame
1 tbsp.chopped Cilantro
1 pinch turmeric
Salt to taste
1 tsp Red chilly powder (+/- to taste)
Ghee/ Butter

Mix all the ingredients from Wheat Flour to red chilly pwd. and bind into a smooth dough.
Roll out parathas and shallow fry in ghee / butter.
There now, that's all that there is to it!!

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