A - Z Karnataka Recipe Series ~ X for 'X'Ploring Karnataka Cuisine with a Regional Thaali

These pictures were taken with a mobile phone and so they are not that crisp as they need to be but I assure you that festive meal was a delicious one. 😀 I decided to keep this post to the minimum basics as each regional cuisine from Karnataka deserves a post of it's own. Today's thaali is a typical one from the southern regions of Karnataka though many of the dishes are not region specific. The cuisine of Karnataka, one of the south Indian states of India is one of the oldest cuisines in India. It includes both both vegetarian and non vegetarian stuff but I am sticking to the vegetarian part. 

There are noticeable differences in the cuisine across the regions in the state. With a broad stroke, Karnataka cuisine can be classified region wise / community wise into the following.

1. North Karnataka Cuisine

2. South Karnataka cuisine

3. Malenadu Cuisine (Coorg / Kodagu which has it's own distinct cuisine also comes under the Malenadu region.)

4. Udupi Cuisine 

5. Konkani Cuisine - Includes Saraswat Cuisine, Navayath cuisine and Mangalore Catholic cuisine

Jowar and wheat are the common crops in the northern region where the area is semi arid with a hotter climate. In fact, jolada rotti / sorghum flour flatbreads are every day lunch in most homes of the northern region. They pat the jowar rotis thinner and bigger like wheat rotis just using hands. Ennegai, the stuffed eggplant gravy and the jowar roti is the popular combo from the region. Where as ragi and rice rule the southern region. Ragi muddhe / cooked finger millet ball is the predominant everyday meal in most of the rural and non brahmin homes and eaten with bassaru, upsaaru or non vegetarian side dishes. Kodava cuisine in the meanwhile revolves around rice which has a variety of rice based recipes ranging from breakfasts to desserts. Piegeon peas / toordal, moong, horse gram are the most commonly used legumes in the cuisine. Coconut is widely used in cooking in the coastal and the southern areas and the food is mostly mild.

The kodavas are predominantly non-vegetarians, a direct result of their geographical setting with no road access to other regions in the olden days. They were surrounded by forest with plenty of game to hunt and had a conducive climate to agriculture which led them to be a self sufficient community. Pandi curry is one of their iconic dishes which was prepared after a wild boar hunt. Some of the ingredients used in the Coorg cuisine are available only locally making the cuisine unique. The northern regional cuisine is predominantly vegetarian because of the large presence of Lingayats who are vegetarians while the Konkanis including most of the brahmins consume seafood because of the proximity to coastal region.

The famous south Indian breakfast masala dose has it's origin in the Udupi cuisine. The other popular dose from the state include neer dose, surnoli, uppu huli dose, Mysore masala dose, set dose and others. Rave idli, the popular creation of The MTR brand also belong to the state. Idlis steamed in various kinds of leaves is a traditional breakfast in the Udupi, Mangalore regions and there are plenty of idli variations in the state including sanna, horse gram idlis, pumpkin idlis etc. Mangalore buns and nuchinunde are popular breakfasts as well. Rotti is one more popular breakfast from the state including the ones made with rice flour, cooked rice, finger millet flour, and semolina. Nool puttu, kadambuttu, akki otti are some of the popular breakfasts from the Coorg region. 

Bisibele bhath, kayi saive anna, vangi bhath, puliyogare, menthya bhath are some of the famous rice dishes from the state. Bhatkali biryani, donne biryani are some of the non vegetarian rice dishes. Dishes made with avarekayi / field beans is popular in Bangalore area. Girmit, menasinakayi bajji, goli baje, aambode, Maddur vade, pathrode, nippattu, kodbale, mandakki are some of the famous snacks while chiroti, holige, kajjaya, laadu, halbai, chikklunde, Mysore pak, Dharwad peda, Belagavi kunda, karadantu, hayagreeva, kashi halwa, gasagase payasa are some of the famous sweet dishes from the state. Kuswar is the set of 22 different traditional Christmas goodies prepared by Mangalore Catholics. Condiments like shenga hindi (peanut powder), gurellu pudi (niger seeds powder), agase chutney pudi (flax seeds powder) and ranjaka made with red chillies pastes are some of the popular condiments from the northern parts of the state. 

A meal during functions is served on banana leaf where the dishes are served in a specific order and will contain many items. No one starts the meal until the ghee is served which is a signal that all the items have been served on the leaf except the rasam and yogurt which are served at the end. The everyday meal in a typical brahmin home contains rice, palya (curry), huli (sambhar), and mosaru / yogurt. There may be a uppinakayi / thokku - pickle / chutney and sandige (fried vadi) to perk up the meal. Thili saaru / rasam is optional. No snacks / sweets are served for everyday meals. My thaali was prepared during Navratri and contains the following items.

Sides

Uppu - Salt
Nimbekayi uppinakayi - Lemon pickle

Kosumabari - Cucumber salad

Thuppa - Ghee 

Sandige - Vadi

Mosaru - Yogurt

Curries

Thondekayi palya - Ivy gourd curry

Kosu batani palya - Cabbage and green peas curry

Dals

Thovve - Seasoned plain dal (I forgot to place it.)

Soppina saaru - Spinach dal

Avarekayi melogara - A spicy field beans gravy

Thili saaru - Rasam

Rice

Maavinakayi chitranna - Green mango rice

Vangi bhath - Spicy eggplant rice

Anna - Steamed rice

Snack & Sweets

Ambode - Split chickpeas fritters

Holige - Poli / Sweet stuffed bread

Gasagase payasa - Poppy seeds kheer

Gasagase payasa is one of the delicious and popular payasa / kheer from Karnataka that is prepared on festive days. The toasted raisins and cashews which is a trademark of south Indian style payasa is not usually added in the case of gasagase payasa and so, the kheer is somewhat plain looking, especially when sugar is added. However be assured that the looks are compensated with the fabulous taste here. Toasted cashews and raisins can be added at the end of preparation if preferred and sugar can be substituted with jaggery in the recipe. 

I have already posted the gasagase payasa recipe here. This is my mother's version where she doesn't add the tiny bit of rice that is common in this payasa preparation. If preferred 2 tsp. rice can be toasted and ground along with poppy seeds. The kheer is prepared usually with a ground mixture of poppy seeds, coconut, rice and a few nuts which is optional. The coconut is added for flavor and to increase the quantity of kheer to be honest as poppy seeds are expensive in India. And therefore one can add coconut as much as they prefer but don't go overboard since this is supposed to be poppy seeds payasa not coconut one. 3/4 to 1 cup of milk would be needed for each tbsp. of poppy seeds used. I wanted a very thick kheer and added only about 2 cups of milk for the following measurement but upto 3 cups of milk can be added here.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup poppy seeds

1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded coconut (I added a little over 1/4 cup.)

4 almonds + 4 cashews (My mother adds some raisins as well.)

Seeds from 1 cardamom

1 cup water 

2.5 cups milk 

1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

* Toast the poppy seeds lightly and keep aside.

* Thaw the coconut if using frozen stuff. 

* Grind the poppy seeds, nuts and cardamom seeds finely without adding any water. Then add coconut and water as needed to grind the mixture.

* Pour the mixture into a pan, preferably a non stick one. Clean the mixer jar with the remaining water and pour that as well into the pan. Add milk and start cooking on low medium flame. (Add more milk if needed as it slightly thickens after cooling.) Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring almost constantly. Lower the heat, add sugar and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. 

* Serve it warm.

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A - Z Karnataka Recipe Series ~ W for Watermelon Rind Dose / Kalingana Polo

I did not have to think much about the alphabet 'W' in this series as I was set on this watermelon rind dose recipe early on. I could not think even one recipe from Karnataka with a local name that starts with the letter 'W'. In fact I have saved this recipe for ages in the hopes of doing a Karnataka recipe series in the alphabetical order some day. Mysore pak, hitakida bele saaru, nuchinnunde, some of the classic recipes were not posted on my blog until this series for the same reason.

This watermelon rind pancakes called kalingana polo is a traditional recipe from Konkani households. Dosa, the popular south Indian breakfast is called dose (though-say) in Kannada whereas it is called polo in Konkani. It is one of those recipes which shows how our ancestors in the agrarian economy had been frugal and nothing went wasted in their kitchens. The white part of the watermelon rind which is usually tossed away after enjoying the fruit is used in these dose preparation. The white rind is crisp with a very mild flavor and is used in preparation of other dishes as well.

These dose are not instant and needs advance planning. The ingredients need to be soaked, ground and fermented overnight similar to regular dose. These are soft and spongy in texture like surnoli / set dose. One cannot even notice the watermelon flavor here. In fact one can hardly notice these dose being any different from the regular version except these being softer. The yummy dose go well with any spicy accompaniment like the regular dose.

I find summer to be the best time to prepare these dose when the watermelons are available in abundance. I freeze the white part of the rind after enjoying the fruit so that I can have access to it even during winters when the fruits are not found. Any cheap quality rice will work for dose recipe, if living in India. I use extra long grain rice for my dose which they sell in bulk at Sams / Costco stores. 

Ingredients:  (Yield - about 9 to 10 dose)

1 cup rice
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 cup puffed rice or flattened rice (I used puffed rice.)
1 heaped cup of white watermelon rind
1/4 cup fresh / frozen grated coconut 
Salt to taste
1/2 cup water
Oil to make dose

Prep work:
* Rinse rice, fenugreek seeds and flattened rice (poha) if using with water and drain. Soak them in water for at least 3 to 4 hours. If using puffed rice / murmura instead of flattened rice / poha then just rinse them before grinding the dose batter.
* Cut the red fruit from the watermelon and you will be left with the outer green skin and the white rind.

* Carefully remove the white part with a knife and discard the outer green part.

* Drain the water used to soak the rice or save about half a cup to grind the batter and drain the rest.

* Thaw if using frozen coconut. First grind together watermelon rind and coconut. Then add soaked rice and fenugreek seeds, rinsed puffed rice / flattened rice, coconut and salt. Grind into a thick and fine batter adding water as needed. (I used about half cup. You can use the water that was used in soaking the rice. If you live in a hot climate, salt can be added before making the dose instead.)

* Transfer the ground batter to a container, cover it and leave it in a warm place overnight to ferment. (I ground the batter the previous evening at around 4 pm and made dosas for the breakfast next morning. Basically I left it to ferment for about 15 hours.)
* The batter in this case won't rise dramatically but it will become thicker and porous and you can lightly smell the fermentation.

* Heat a tawa and pour a ladleful of batter at the center and don't spread it. 

* Add a tsp. of oil around the edges and COVER it with a lid. You will start to notice holes developing and when the dose appears dry  on the surface, flip it.

* Cook for few more seconds until the bottom side gets cooked as well and transfer the dose onto a plate using a spatula.

* Repeat the steps of dose making with the remaining batter.
* Serve them warm with a chutney any spicy accompaniment. Mine were served with vegetable saagu and chutney pudi.

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A - Z Karnataka Recipe Series ~ V for Vangi Bhath

So far in my 'A - Z' Karnataka Recipe Series,
Akki Halbai
Biscuit Roti
Congress Kadalekayi
Davanagere Benne Dose
Ellu Pajji

Field Beans / Avarekalu Payasa
Girmit
Hitakida Avarekalu Huli
Iyengar Bakery Style Masala Toast
Jolada Vade

Kumbalakayi Idli
Limbe Hannina Gojju
Mysore Pak
Nuchinunde
Oodhalina Bisibele Bhath

Panchakajjaya

Quinoa Oralu Chitranna
Rave Vangi Bhath
Sajjige Rotti
Thambittu Unde

Ukkarisida Rotti / Ubbu Rotti

Vangi bhath is a delicious eggplant rice preparation that originated in Karnataka. It is one of the popular vegetarian rice preparations in the state along with bisibele bhath, kayi sasive anna, puliyogare which are common festive dishes among the Brahmin community. All the four recipes have been already posted in my blog and check here for the links to those, if interested. I have posted a vangibhath version earlier which is frequently prepared and enjoyed at my home. In that version, eggplant and potato slices are fried which makes the dish extra special. Today's version is Karnataka style which is prepared slightly differently than that version.  

A second vangi bhath in the series was not part of my original plan. My camera needs some fixing and I have not been able to use it for the past few weeks. I had prepared this bhath for some reason a few weeks ago which came handy now and ended up being my 'V' dish instead of a Konkani dish I had planned earlier. 

As the name suggests, eggplants are the star of this dish and a good quality vangi bhath powder makes a difference in how the final dish turns out. MTR brand one is good if one has never tried the homemade version. The spice powder can be made in advance and it stays fresh for months even if not refrigerated. I usually make a big batch and use it to make quick rice preparations. The other combination of vegetables used in Karnataka to make rice dishes using vangi bhath powder are 

1. Fenugreek greens, potato and peas in menthya bhath

2. capsicum, potato and peas in capsicum bhath

3. Carrot, beans, potato, peas in tarkari bhath

Ingredients for the vangibhath powder:

1 tbsp. split chickpeas / chana dal

1 tbsp.  skinned black gram / urad dal
1/2 to 1 tbsp. coriander seeds  
2 cloves
2 one inch cinnamon pieces
2 tbsp. grated dry coconut
3 dried spicy variety red chillies 
3 Byadagi chillies for color

Vangi bhath powder preparation:
* Dry toast the split chickpeas and black gram until they start to turn reddish. Then add the remaining ingredients and sauté until the coriander seeds turn a shade darker.
* Remove from heat and cool the ingredients. Grind them to a fine powder. Store it in a bottle with a tight fitting lid if not using immediately.

Ingredients for vangi bhath:

1 cup sona masuri rice
3 - 4 tbsp. oil

2 tbsp. cashews
1 tsp. split chickpeas / chana dal
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
2 pinches of asafoetida powder
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder

6 baby eggplants, stalks removed and sliced thin lengthwise

1/4 tsp. jaggery powder or as needed

2 tbsp. tamarind water (not thick puree) *

3 tbsp. vangi bhath powder or as needed (recipe above)
Salt to taste

*  Soak a small ball of tamarind in water and squeeze the tamarind. Use the thin tamarind water and not the thick puree. If using thick puree, use less and as needed.

Directions for vangi bhath:
* Rinse and cook rice adding water as needed in a pressure cooker or rice cooker and keep it aside. Let it cool a bit. (I add about 1 and 3/4 cups of water to cook rice.)
* Heat oil in a kadai or a big non stick pot. Add the cashews and toast them till they turn golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and keep aside if you want them to be crunchy. Add split chick peas and mustard seeds to the same oil and sauté until the split chickpeas start turning reddish. Then add curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric and eggplant slices.

* Cover and cook until eggplants are done, not turning them mushy. (My eggplants took around eight minutes to cook.) 

* Add jaggery, tamarind water, vangi bhath powder as needed and salt to the pan and cook for 3 - 4 minutes.

* Then add the cooked rice and mix gently without mashing the eggplant pieces until all the rice is coated well with the spicy mixture

* Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Garnish with the toasted cashews and serve warm.

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Proso Millet - Moong Kheer

 

Here is a millet based sweet recipe keeping the 'Navaratri' theme in mind. It is a delicious and easy kheer / payasam prepared with proso millet and moong. I  initially pressure cooked the millet and moong in water to save time and then further cooked it in milk and sugar. The millet and moong can also be cooked in a sauce pan on low heat until the mixture  reaches a soft and creamy consistency. It can be cooked in milk without the addition of water to make it more richer. Jaggery can be substituted instead of sugar in the kheer. This yummy kheer is fit to offer as a naivedyam on festive days or enjoy as a simple dessert.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup proso millet
1/4 cup yellow moong
1 & 1/2 cups of milk

3/4 cup sugar or to taste

1/8 tsp. cardamom powder

1 tbsp. ghee

1 tbsp. cashews

1 tbsp. raisins

Directions:

* Rinse proso millet and moong and pressure cook adding 1 and 1/2 cups water, for 3 whistles.

* Transfer the cooked moong - millet mixture to a pan, preferably a non-stick one. Add milk and cook until a desired consistency is reached or for about 10 - 15 minutes, frequently stirring. Add sugar and cardamom and cook further until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the stove.

* Heat ghee in a small pan and add cashews and raisins. Toast until the cashews turn golden brown  and raisins turn plump. Remove from the heat and add them to the kheer.

* Serve the kheer warm or chilled.

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Navaratri Naivedya ~ Sihi Dose / Bellada Dose

Sihi dose / Bellada dose which literally means a sweet pancake or a jaggery pancake is a traditional recipe from Karnataka. These are prepared during Dasara / Navaratri, especially on 'Sarawathi Pooje' day to offer as neivedya. These dosas are made with a ground batter of rice, jaggery, coconut and cardamom. A tsp. or two of poppy seeds can also be used in the recipe. If using them, they are soaked along with rice and ground. There is also another version of sweet dosas in south India which is wheat flour based. These sihi dose are usually made smaller in size compared to the regular dose / dosas. They are not cloyingly sweet and so one can enjoy 2 or 3 dose with no problem. 

The festive display of dolls and figurines arranged in tiers is a special feature of Dasara in south Indian regions. I am not sure about other places but it was a custom during olden days where I grew up that kids would visit homes in their neighborhoods, even strangers' during the time to see this arrangement. The kids usually got a simple treat from each home they visited. Some would prepare these dose in mini sizes and give them out to the kids who visited their homes.

Ingredients: (Yield around 16 dose)

1 cup rice
3/4 to 1 cup fresh / frozen shredded coconut 

3/4 tp 1 cup jaggery (depending upon the sweetness of jaggery.)
2 cardamom pods

Ghee to make dose

Prep work:

* Rinse and soak rice in water for about 2 or 3 hours. Drain the water after soaking period.

* Thaw if using frozen coconut by heating it in a microwave for about a minute.

* The jaggery can be directly used in the recipe if it is clean. If the jaggery has any impurities, add a little water and heat it. Turn off the stove and run the jaggery water through a strainer and collect the clean liquid. (Brown sugar can be substituted for jaggery.)

* Powder the cardamom seeds finely and keep aside.

Directions:

* Add the drained rice, coconut, jaggery or the jaggery water and cardamom powder to a mixer / grinder. Grind the mixture finely to a pancake batter consistency, adding little water if needed.

* Heat a pan and pour a ladleful of batter and spread it a little to keep it slightly on a thicker side. (One can make it thinly as regular dosas if preferred but they are usually made in a smaller size.) Pour 1/4 tsp. ghee around the edges and cook until the surface is no longer wet looking. Flip and add another 1/4 tsp. ghee around the edges if preferred. Cook until the other side cooks as well. Remove it and repeat the steps to make more dose with the remaining batter.

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Navaratri Naivedyam ~ Milk Rava Kesari

Semolina halwa is a delicious sweet dish prepared across India. It is popular enough to be a festive treat or a part of religious offerings and quick enough to whip up as a treat to satiate one's sweet tooth or to serve as a part of the breakfast meal. In fact, rava kesari is one of the naivedyams offered to Goddess on the sixth day of Dasara / Navratri. 

It is one of the easiest dishes to try if venturing into Indian sweet making. It is called sooji ka halwa / sheera in the north while the south Indian twist to this dish is the addition of orange food color where it is called rava kesari or kesari bhath, kesari referring to the orange color. 

Semolina is toasted in a generous amount of ghee and then cooked in water and sugar usually. My version today is made with milk which makes it richer. For a vegan version, milk can be replaced by water and the raisins and cashews can be toasted in a little oil or can be directly added to the boiling water, without toasting. The orange food color is optional as well. I have made a small portion here but the recipe can be easily doubled or mulitiplied. 

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. ghee (Add more if preferred)
1 tsp. each, raisins and cashews
1/4 cup semolina
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. milk
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
Few drops of orange food color
1/4 cup sugar (Add 1 tbsp. more if sweeter version preferred.)

Directions:

* Pour milk into a pan and bring it to a boil on low flame, stirring occasionally. Add cardamom and food color if using to the hot milk and stir.

* Meanwhile, heat ghee in a pan and add cashews and raisins. Toast until cashews turn golden brown and raisins are plump. Remove the raisins and cashews with a slotted spoon onto a plate and keep them aside.

* Add semolina to the same ghee pan. Toast on medium flame continuously stirring until it starts to change color slightly and the aroma starts coming, about 3 - 4 minutes. 

*  Lower the heat setting to minimum and add the toasted semolina to the milk pan, continuously stirring the mixture while doing so to avoid any lumps from forming. Cover and cook until semolina is done.

* Next stir in sugar and cook until all the sugar is absorbed by the mixture. Add the toasted cashews and raisins to it and mix well.

* Serve it warm.

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Khichdi Muthia

Muthia are popular dumplings from the Gujarat region that are enjoyed both as a snack and as an addition to side dishes such as  undhiyu. The word 'muthia' is a reference to the way the snack is made, where the dough is shaped into oval dumplings, molding the dough in one's fist. The dough is also fashioned into cylindrical rolls, which are then steamed and sliced. They can either eaten as it is or pan fried with a tempering of mustard seeds and white sesame seeds using a little oil which leave the outer side of muthias slightly brown and crispy. These healthy bites make a fine accompaniment to your evening tea / coffee or can be eaten as a light meal too. They go well with a spicy or sweet chutney.

Muthia fall under 'healthy' recipe category since little or no oil is used to make them. There are variations in the muthia recipe, depending upon the vegetables and the flour base used. Today's version is a recipe that uses any left over khichdi which makes it a perfect recycle recipe. Extra khichdi from the lunch is transformed into a enjoyable, guilt free evening snack. I had used some left over pongal for these crispy, delicious muthia. Khichdi which is not too  watery is preferable or the quantity of the flours need to be adjusted accordingly to form a firm dough. 

Below are the links for some of the muthias I have posted.

Doodhi muthia / Lauki muthia

Methi muthia

Methi muthia (Baked version)

Ingredients for muthia:
1.5 cup khichdi
1.5 cup chick pea flour / besan
3/4 cup semolina / sooji
1/4 cup wheat flour / atta
Salt to taste
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
2 pinches of asafoetida powder
1 cup chopped spinach (I used frozen spinach after thawing.)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. oil
Ingredients for tempering:
2 - 3 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. sesame seeds

1 sprig of curry leaves
Ingredients to garnish:
Minced cilantro 

 Directions:
* Add all the ingredients mentioned under 'muthia' to a bowl.

* Knead the mixture to a firm dough. If the mixture appears loose, add extra flour. 

* Add water to a steamer or a cooker base and let it come to a boil.  

* Grease a steamer tray or a high rimmed plate. Grease your palms and divide the mixture to 2 or 3 equal portions. Shape each portion into a cylindrical roll of one diameter. Place them on the greased steamer plate / plate. 

* Or they can be shaped into small, oval dumplings with a fist. 

* Close the lid and if using cooker base, don't use the whistle for the lid. Steam them until a tooth pick inserted at the center comes out clean, about 20 - 22 minutes. Below are the steamed muthia in log and dumpling forms.

 

*  Let them cool a bit and then transfer them onto a cutting board and cut into about 1/2 inch thick slices.

* Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and sesame seeds. If you prefer, add one or two sliced green chilis as well. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves and muthia pieces. (I add the tadka later if sautéing the muthia pieces to golden brown.)

* One can just toss them for a couple of minutes and turn off the stove. Or the muthia can be sautéed until they turn slightly brown and crisp on the edges, by flipping them gently. Turn off the stove and garnish with cilantro if preferred. 

* Serve them hot with chutney or ketchup. 

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Besani Koki

Kokis are traditional flatbreads from Sindhi cuisine and are made with wheat flour. Here are a couple of versions I have already posted, spicy koki and koki. This besani koki is another version, obviously prepared using besan / chickpea flour. These kokis are spicier and are made with a combination of chickpea flour and wheat flour. The addition of chickpea flour makes these kokis nutritious and protein loaded. 

I have tried a few times another version from Vaishali's blog where kokis are made with chickpea flour alone which are tastier as well and is a gluten free version. I usually pat them into thicker rotis, directly on the pan as I can not roll them. I find even rolling the kokis that I am a posting today a bit difficult. The dough tends to stick to the rolling board while rolling because of the chickpea flour addition. Rolling them between two greased sheets of parchment takes care of the problem. Besani kokis are made thicker than regular rotis and can be served with a preferred curry, dal pickle, yogurt or even plain if kokis are on a spicier side.

Ingredients: (Yield 6 kokis)

For the dough:
1 cup chickpea flour / besan

1 cup wheat flour

1/8 tsp. turmeric powder

Salt to taste 
1 tsp. carom seeds / ajwain
1 onion,  finely minced

2 green chilies, finely chopped
A handful of cilantro, minced
2 tbsp. melted ghee / oil

For toasting koki:

Ghee / Oil as needed

Directions:
* Add all the ingredients mentioned under 'dough' list to a bowl and mix well to combine. 

* Add water as needed to prepare a stiff dough. (I added about 6 tbsp. water.).

* Divide the dough into 6 portions and roll them into smooth balls. 

* Lightly grease a parchment paper and place it on the rolling board or any work surface that is being used. Place the dough ball at center and cover it with another parchment sheet. Roll the ball gently between the parchment sheets into a thick circle of about 4 - 5 inches diameter. 

* Remove the top parchment sheet and gently score it with a knife, not going all the way through or prick it with a fork all over.

* Heat a griddle or a pan on medium heat. Transfer the rolled circle onto the pan, lifting away the parchment sheet.

* Toast it brushing with little ghee / oil, until brown spots appear on both sides, flipping intermittently once or twice.

* Repeat the steps with the remaining dough balls and serve them warm with your choice of side dish.

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