Thapala Chekkalu / Sarva Pindi

Andhra's thapala chekklau are equivalent to Karnataka's version rice flour rottis and also go by the name sarva pindi in Telangana region. Thapala refers to 'thappela', the round bottomed vessels, mostly the brass ones once associated to traditional Indian kitchens. A thappela and not a griddle was the original choice to make these rice flour based flat breads and hence the name. We grew up eating rottis for breakfast on a regular basis and so I am quite familiar with the dish but what caught my attention when I saw this recipe on a cook show was the interesting add-ons to the basic version besides adding a healthy dose of chickpea flour. This version did not use onions or coconut but still was very delicious with peanuts adding a nice texture and flavor.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup chickpea flour / besan
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp. green chilli paste / 2 chopped green chillies or chili powder as needed
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. finely minced curry leaves
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1/4 cup toasted and skinned peanuts, slightly crushed
1/4 cup soaked chana dal / split chickpeas *
2 tbsp. hot oil
Luke warm water as needed. (I added about 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. water.)
Oil to make thapala chekkalu (I used canola oil.)
* Soak chana dal in enough water for 1 -2 hours or until they soften.

Method:
* Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl except water and the oil mentioned at the end, using your fingers. Add luke warm water as needed to form a firm dough.
* Divide the dough into four portions and roll each one into a ball. Work with one dough portion at a time and keep the rest covered.
* Pour a tsp. of oil in the center of a griddle / skillet and place the dough ball at the center of the griddle. Pat it using fingers till a thin, flat circle is formed. (It doesn't need to be super thin like tortillas.)  Thapala chekkalu can me made as big as the griddle size or smaller ones. Poke some holes randomly using index finger if you wish or just leave it out.
 
* Pour a tsp oil around the edges of the dough circle and over it. Cover with a lid and turn on the stove. Let it cook on a low - medium flame and flip it using a wide spatula when golden brown spots develop on the bottom side and the upper side doesn't look raw. It may take around 5 to 6 minutes. 
* Add half a tsp of oil around the edges again if needed. Cover it again and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the other side turns light brown too. Turn off the stove and remove the cooked chekka
* Repeat the above steps with the remaining dough portions, making sure that the griddle is cool each time before it is used. Wash the griddle with cold water after each use to quicken the cooling process or use 2 griddles to cook simultaneously.

This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Bookmarked Dishes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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