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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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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Bajra Aloo Roti

Bajra aka pearl millet, a healthy and gluten free grain has been grown in India for centuries. The grain is packed with nutrients, rich in fiber thus aiding in digestion and has a low glycemic index making it ideal for diabetics. However over the time, the grain somehow had been relegated to the status of rustic and rural food excepting a few states in India. Fortunately the millets are again slowly gaining popularity among the urban communities as well for their health benefits. Bajra is widely consumed in the Indian states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Maharashtra. I originally made these bajra aloo rotis for the state of Haryana but later realized that these are made in Rajasthan and Gujarat as well with variations.

These rotis are a variation to the regular bajra rotis aka pearl millet flatbreads made across the western parts of India, where bajra is widely consumed. Potato and spices are additional ingredients in this flatbread where the roti is made patting between palms and are slightly thicker than what I have made here. These are basically rustic and everyday kind breads where one doesn't need any fancy side dishes. Some butter, pickle or even plain yogurt would make an excellent accompaniment to these tasty rotis. I served them with pitla, a chickpea flour based side dish from Maharashtra which is called Bombayi chutney in Andhra.

I started slowly incorporating various millet flours into out diet a few years ago and now they have become pantry staples. I started my exploration by using them in thicker Karntaka style rottis. I make somewhat decent rotis now using bajra / pearl millet and jowar / sorghum flours though I need to yet master them. It took a lot of trial and errors since no one at back home use these flours though I learnt recently that my paternal grand mother used to cook millets regularly in place of rice when my father was a kid. One can easily incorporate various millet flours in everyday breakfast dishes like idli, dosa and rotis by starting with replacing a portion of rice / wheat flour by a millet. Similarly millets can replace rice in main dishes. One of the important things to remember regarding bajra flour is not to overstock it as the flour tends to get bitter if it sits for longer periods without getting used.

Experts and people with gluten issues can leave out the wheat flour from the recipe and make rotis, by patting them between palms or on a plastic sheet or a wet cloth and transferring them to the griddle.  However I prefer the version with an addition of wheat flour to it, which makes it comparatively easier to roll the rotis. 

Ingredients: (Yield - 10 rotis)

3/4 cup pearl millet / bajra flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour + extra for dusting
1/2 tsp. dry mango / amchur powder
Salt to taste
3 to 4 spicy green chillies or to taste, grated 
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 potato, peeled and boiled (I had about 3/4 cup mashed.)
About 1/2 cup warm water to knead
Oil to make rotis

Directions:
* Mash the potato well and keep aside. Don't throw away the water used to cook the potatoes and use instead in preparing the dough. Warm it if the water has come to room temperature.
* Combine flours, salt, dry mango powder in a mixing bowl. Next add the remaining ingredients except the water and oil. Mix the ingredients well using fingers. 

* Add warm water as needed to form a slightly firm dough and allow it to rest for 30 minutes to an hour. If the dough appears sticky, add some extra wheat flour and knead.

* Knead the dough once. Divide the dough into 10 portions and roll each one into a smooth ball and pat them into discs. Place them in the bowl and keep them covered while working on each ball at a time.
* Flour the disc generously and roll into a thin circle of about 5 to 6 inches in diameter. If rolling appears difficult, roll them between two sheets of plastic or parchment paper which makes it easier to roll.

* Heat a tawa / shallow pan / skillet. Pat away any excess dough from the rolled circle and place it at the center of the griddle.

* When small bubble start to form, flip and cook for about 20 to 30 seconds. 

* Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. oil around the edges and smear the back side of the spoon over the surface of the roti. Cook flipping once or twice in between, pressing the spatula all over the surface of the roti until brown spots appear on both sides.

* Repeat the steps of rolling and toasting the rotis with the remaining dough.

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Rajgira Thalipeeth / Upvaas Thalipeeth / Amaranth Flour Flatbread

Fasting during religious holidays, abstaining from certain or all food as a means to spiritual growth is common in many cultures around the world and Indians too are not an exception to this. Depending upon where you live in India, the word 'fasting' goes by the terms upavas, upavaasa, upavaasam and so on. As a south Indian, I have seen my mother and sometimes my father fasting a couple of times in a year like on a Vaikunta Ekadashi day or during Mahashivaratri. All my parents would have on a fasting day is a cup of coffee once or twice until they broke their fast in the evening after visiting a temple. My would prepare a simple meal like upma and sooji halwa or something along the lines of it to avoid rice. 

I have learnt over the years through friends and acquaintances from the other parts of India that they do fast on other occasions like Navratri for example, which is going on right now and have dietary restrictions set for the day. My Gujarati neighbor was once lamenting that his mother is always fasting in the name of one god or another. In fact, once during our initial days of acquaintance, she asked about my fasting rituals only to be left surprised to hear that I never fast. Hindus usually stick to a vegetarian diet during religious holidays and avoid stuff like onion and garlic. Some regions avoid the salt too and use rock salt instead. And folks mainly try to avoid the grains which they eat on a regular basis like wheat and rice. In south, they try to avoid rice since their usual meals are set around it and many will get through the day only consuming fruits and milk during the fasting period. They don't have any particular 'fasting diet' as North / Western or Central regions of India do which is called 'Vrat ka Khaana'. Buckwheat flour, Chestnut flour, Sago pearls, Amaranth flour, Dairy products are some of the ingredients around which a fasting diet is built. 
 
I have prepared these rajgira thalipeeth following this sabudana thalipeeth recipe and they qualify for the fasting diet. They remain soft once they cool down unlike the other thalipeeth/rotti versions and so they make a great lunch box option as well. These healthy and yummy thalipeeths are made with amaranth flour and are a great gluten free option. I made them spicier and did not need any accompaniments. However they can be had with a spicy pickle or something spicy that meets the dietary restrictions. 

Ingredients: (Yields 3 thalipeeth)
1 cup rajgira flour / amaranth flour
About 1/2 cup cooked and mashed potato 
2 tbsp. toasted, skinned and roughly crushed peanuts
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1 tsp. grated ginger
2 tbsp. finely minced cilantro
Rock salt / Sendha namak to taste (or salt if not fasting.)
Ghee / Oil to make thalipeeth

Method:
* Grease your palms and combine everything except the ghee / oil in a mixing bowl. Add a tsp. of oil and roll into a firm dough. There is no need to add any water since the moisture from the cooked potato would be enough to bring the mixture together. In case, if the mixture appears dry, add warm water in tsp. increments and work the dough.
 
* Divide the mixture into three portions and shape them into balls. Work with one ball at a time and keep the rest covered. Pour 1/2 tsp. of ghee / oil at the center of a shallow pan / griddle.
* Place one dough ball directly at the center of the pan. Wet your fingers with water and gently pat the ball into a thin circle. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. oil over and around the edges the thalipeeth and cover. 
Thalipeeth dough can also be shaped on a thick greased plastic sheet instead of doing it directly on the pan. Once shaped, the dough circle can be transferred to the griddle by placing the dough side on the plan and peeling the plastic sheet away from the pan.
* Switch on the stove and cook on medium flame until the bottom side turns golden brown. Flip and cook until the other side turns golden brown too.
* Repeat the process with the remaining dough balls.

 
This goes to Blogging marathon #69, under the theme 'Flatbreads'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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