Thalipeeth ~ Maharashtrian Multigrain Flour Flatbreads

 

Thalipeeth are instant flatbreads made with multigrain flour and spices combined. These savory flatbreads are a famous breakfast from the state of Maharashtra and are also made in northern parts of Karnataka. Thalipeeth are in fact similar to Karnataka rottis which are made using one particular flour instead of using a mix. This flatbread can be eaten for any meal of the day and one can attach all the positive tags to it - healthy, filling, nutritious, wholesome, tasty and guilt-free. They can be even made gluten free by leaving out the whole wheat flour from the recipe and replacing it with any other flour. They don't need any side dishes to go with but they can be served with Maharasthrian spicy condiment thecha, any spicy pickle, butter or yogurt.

Maharashtrians keep a 'bhajani' mix handy to make thalipeeth which is a combination of flours that are individually toasted and stored for later use. The combination of flours used in a bhajani varies from kitchen to kitchen and any combination of four to five flours lying in an Indian pantry would work in a thalipeeth recipe. Finger-millet flour, ground oats, urad dal flour are some of the other options one can include in a thalipeeth. There are other versions, sabudana thaipeeth and rajgira thalipeeth which meet the dietary restrictions of a 'vrat' / fasting food. I had included thalipeeth in my breakfast platter from western India. I did not toast any of the flours here as the mix was meant to be used immediately. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sorghum flour (jowar ka atta)

1/2 cup pearl millet flour (bajre ka atta)

1/2 cup rice flour (chawal ka atta)

1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan)

1/4 cup wheat flour (gehun ka atta)

1 tbsp. white sesame seeds

1 tsp. carom seeds / ajwain

Salt to taste

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin powder

1 tsp. coriander powder

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 cup finely minced onions

1/4 cup minced coriander leaves

1 tsp. finely minced green chillies

1 tsp. grated ginger

2 tsp. oil + extra oil for toasting

Directions:

* Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add onion, coriander leaves, green chillies and ginger to the bowl. 

* Combine all the ingredients once more. 

* Add water in parts and knead into a soft dough. Add oil at the end and knead again to combine.

* (I made the thalipeeth as I make our rottis, directly patting over the pan.) Pour 1 tsp. of oil at the center of a shallow pan / tawa and place a small portion (bigger than an orange) of the dough over it, Pat it into a thin circle and make 3 or 4 holes or a hole at the center. Pour 1/4 tsp. oil around the edges and at the holes. 

Or

The dough can be patted on a wet cloth / parchment paper into a circle and transferred to a hot, greased pan / tawa.

* Place the pan on the stove, cover it with a lid and cook on medium flame. Cook it until bottom side turns golden brown with brown spots all over and flip. Continue to cook until the other side browns as well. Remove it with a spatula.

 

* Using two pans simultaneously while making thalippeth saves time. If patting the dough directly on a pan as I did, then either wait until the pan cools down or wash it under cold water before making the next thalipeeth.

* Repeat the steps with the remaining dough and make thalipeeth.

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