Methi Khakhra

These 'not so perfectly shaped' khakhras hands down win 'the most time taking recipe' among the lot that I has ever tried cooking in my kitchen. Maybe because it was a regional preparation that I did not have any first hand reference to, I don't know. In the time I cooked these, I could have walked, to my local "Patel brothers' store, bought varieties of khakhra and came back home, twice. Even though the recipe tested my patience and time, the silver lining had been that the khakhras were thin and crisp. I think it is hard for beginners to replicate the machine made, commercially sold khakhras that come with a uniform hue through out.

Khakhras are thin, crisp crackers that are made with wheat flour, that are eaten along with tea in the mornings or as a snack both in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Khakhras are sold / made both in plain and flavorful versions like methi/fenugreek green, garlic, mint, and other innovative versions. The modern versions are made with other flours too. They were traditionally made with left over rotis. Or if starting from scratch, the dough prepared is the same as roti dough base, plain or flavors added and they are rolled super thin. They are lightly toasted once, allowed to cool down and again toasted until they turn crisp. It was mentioned in the recipe that I followed that all the lightly toasted rotis would be neatly stacked over one another on the tawa, pressing down applying pressure on the top one while the bottom ones gets crisp. The bottom one will get removed once it turns crisp and the process continues until all are turned into crisp khakhras. I don't think people nowadays have the patience to make these when they are easily available commercially. 

The concept of 'rotis to khakhras' has always been intriguing to me as a non-local and I have always wondered whether the commercially sold version can be replicated at home. If it can be then I marvel at the skilled expertise of those who can do so. We always keep stock of varieties of khakhras bought from store and so until now I never thought of going through the hassle of making them at home since they are easily accessible. While I was planning non fried and guilt-free Gujarati snacks for this week, I thought of giving them a try. The methi khakhras I tried were crispy and kinda tasted plain though they were fenugreek flavored. I know this was my first and last attempt at making khakhras but retrospectively the experience was not bad but it was time consuming and one needs to be in front of the stove constantly. Some of the tips I gathered along the way.

1. Roll the rotis very very thin. I could have easily rolled mine some more thinner but didn't realize at that time but my khakhras were thin anyway.
2. Cut the rolled out dough discs into perfect circles using a sharp rimmed plate. Everyone cannot roll uniformly sized, perfect circles. Mine looked fairly fine shaped when they were rotis but once they were toasted to khakhras, I could see the imperfect edges.
3. The locals use a khakhra press, a wooden disc with a handle to press the khakhras. In lieu of it, a potato masher / rolled kitchen towel works fine. I tried my athirasam / arisela press and after a while, it started to hurt holding the press in the same position. I used a rolled paper towel instead since I didn't want to stain my kitchen towel.
4. Khakhras are toasted on low flame. My first one took about 40 minutes to cook that way and there was not a single brown spot. And then I figured it out that khakhras can be made interchanging the heat setting from low to medium and vice versa, as required. I browned my last khakra at the center on purpose.
5. Use a tawa / low rimmed pan that is slightly concave which gives the khakhras their distinct shape. There is no need to worry if one doesn't own that kind of pan. Also place a pot or something on the khakhras when done to retain the depression at the center. (I did not do it. This is a tip from blogger friend, Vaishali which I noticed after I had made these.)

Recipe source: Here

Ingredients: (Yield - 6 khakra)
1/4 cup washed and roughly chopped fenugreek greens / methi
1 cup wheat flour / chapati atta + extra for dusting
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp. chili powder or green chili paste (adjust to taste)
2 tbsp. oil 
1 tsp. melted ghee / oil for greasing

Directions:
* Add fenugreek greens, flour, salt, turmeric powder, chili powder / green chili paste and 2 tbsp. oil to a mixing bowl.

* Mix the ingredients well with hand and add water in slow increments and make a soft, pliable dough like chapati / roti dough.

* Allow the batter to rest for about 30 minutes. Add about 1/2 tsp. oil and knead the dough for a minute until smooth. Divide the dough into 6 to 8 equal sized balls.

* Flatten a ball while keeping the other balls covered.

* Roll each ball into a circle, as thin as possible. (I easily could have rolled them even thinner as the recipe needed but somehow I did not.) Use flour if needed for dusting. 

* Roll out all the balls into circles and keep them aside. Mine were not sticking to each other and so I piled them. One can always spread them individually on a wide plate to avoid sticking. 

* Heat lightly a tawa or a lightly concave pan. Don't make it too hot. Place a rolled out disc on it.

* Our purpose is here not to make a roti and so, when it starts to dry and just bubbles start to from, flip it.

* Cook the other side as well until bubbles starts to form. There is no need to cook until you see the spots. 

* This is how we need it, lightly toasted without any spots. Finish toasting all the discs this way. This step doesn't take much time.

* Grease on both sides of the prepared rotis, with oil / ghee very lightly. Just very lightly. Let them cool.

* Now comes the part which demands some patience and time. Turning the rotis into crisp khakras. Start from a low flame and keep interchanging the heat between low and a little more higher setting as you keep cooking. Our goal here is not let the bubbles form and turn the soft roti real crisp. Place a partially cooked roti on the warm tawa and when ever you notice bubbles keep pressing them with a khakra press, kitchen towel or a potato masher, whatever works for you.

* Start pressing along the edges first and then keep going to center of the roti. Keep pressing down any bubble that starts to form.

* Flip and keep doing the same step as above.

* (In the middle of it, I realized a paper towel works best.) Pay attention to the heat and keep pressing until it turns crisp. (I took more than 30 minutes for the first one since I did it on the lowest flame possible on my gas stove, through out the process. When I got a hang of it, I realized I could increase the heat and can keep adjusting as needed. I made my first five khakhras patiently without a brown spot.)

* Repeat the process with the remaining rotis. Store them in an airtight container once they cool down.
* Serve them with tea and pickle / methia masala.

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Bajra - Methi Rotis / Methi Dhebra / Indian, Millet Flour Flatbreads

 
Here are some millet flour based flatbreads as part of the 'healthy lunches' I am posting this week. These are inspired from the western state of India, Gujarat and can be converted to a gluten free version if wheat flour is left out from the recipe. These wholesome rotis are spicy on their own and do not need any side dish as such but a spicy pickle and some cool yogurt would make great accompaniments. Dhebras can be made two ways. The first one where wheat flour is completely eliminated, shaped into smaller and thicker discs and are deep fried. The second method is where they are rolled out into thin rotis like I did and are cooked with little oil. The deep fried dhebra make a great evening snack while the thinner version makes a great addition to lunch or dinner menu.

Ingredients: (Yield 8 - 9 dhebra)
About 2 cups firmly packed fresh fenugreek greens / methi leaves 
1 or 2 green chillies
1 tsp. grated ginger 
1 and 1/2 cups millet flour / bajra flour 
1/2 cup wheat flour (optional)  + extra for dusting
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. red chili powder
2 pinches of asafoetida
1 tbsp. white sesame seeds
1/4 cup yogurt
Oil for toasting dhebras

Method:

* Coarsely chop the fenugreek greens and finely chop green chillies.

* Combine flours, turmeric, salt, chili powder, asafoetida and sesame seeds in a mixing bowl. Next add fenugreek greens, green chillies, ginger and yogurt to the bowl and mix well.

* Add water in small increments and form a firm but a pliable dough. Cover and rest the dough for about 10 to 15 minutes.

* Grease your palms with oil and divide the dough into 8 or 10 portions and shape each ball into a disc between palms. Work with one dough portion at a time and keep the rest covered.

* There are two ways to proceed after this step. Method one involves rolling out the dough balls into thin circles and toasting them on a hot skillet. Method two involves directly placing the dough ball on an unheated, oiled tawa / flat pan, shaping it and then toasting. I am giving below both methods though I don't follow the rolling method. I find the second method convenient and easier since the millet dough tends to be on the stickier side. 

 

Method 1: 

* Heat a skillet on medium flame.

* Roll out each portion into a thin circle of about 5 - 6 inches diameter, dusting with flour if necessary.

* Place the rolled out disc on the hot skillet. Flip it when you notice bubbles on top. Apply oil on the surface after about 10 seconds and then flip it again. Continue  to cook gently pressing it with a spatula until brown spots appear on the bottom side. 

* Apply a little oil over the top side, flip it and cook until the bottom side now develops brown spots. 

* Remove the dhebra and cook the remaining dhebras following the same steps.

* Keep the cooked dhebras covered until serving.

Method 2:
* Pour a tsp. of oil at the center of an unheated tawa / skillet / flat pan. Place a portion of the dough at the center and shape it into a thin circle using fingertips. Turn on the stove and cook on medium flame until there are brown spots on the bottom side, . Brush some oil over the top side and flip it. Cook until the bottom side develops brown spots. Remove the dhebra once it is cooked on both sides.
* Let the skillet cool down a bit before cooking the next one since the dough can not be shaped on a hot skillet. To cut down the waiting time, the skillet can be washed in cold water or two skillets can be used instead. 

This post goes to Blogging marathon #77 under the theme "Healthy Lunches". Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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Spicy Paneer - Methi Toast

This paneer - methi is a favorite of mine to use for toasts and as a filling for sandwiches. The addition of methi leaves / fenugreek greens add a great flavor to this paneer based dish though it can be left out if you don't have them. Paneer, the Indian cheese gives a delicious base to the dish besides adding the protein factor. I usually go with freshly made paneer at home so that I can go with a softer version than the hard and crumbled paneer. This way, the paneer gets assimilated into the curry and can be spread easily.
 
Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
4 bread slices (I used whole wheat bread.)
2 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 pinches of turmeric powder
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup roughly chopped methi / fenugreek greens
1/4 cup soft paneer / Indian variety cheese
Salt to taste
Red chili powder to taste 
 
Method:
* Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to turn brown, add onions and saute them until they turn translucent.  Next add tomatoes, methi leaves, turmeric and salt. Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy. Next add paneer and chili powder to the pan. Mix well and cook for about 30 seconds and turn off the stove.
* Meanwhile, toast the bread slices. Spread the paneer - methi curry on the toasted slices and enjoy. 


This goes to Blogging marathon #76, under the theme 'Toasts'. Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.
 

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Makai Methi Kebab

These kebabs make a guilt free and delicious evening snack. These are pan fried instead of deep frying and using a non stick tawa would help to ensure that only a little amount of oil is used in the preparation. This low calorie treat is easy to make and can be served with ketchup or green and sweet chutney or any other sauce you may prefer.

 Source: Tarla Dalal
Ingredients: (Yield 8 kebabs)
1 cup makai / corn kernels (I used frozen.)
1/2 cup boiled, peeled and mashed potato
1/2 cup methi / fresh fenugreek greens
2 tbsp. cilantro leaves
1 tsp. chopped green chili
2 tbsp. rice flour
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. oil
 
Method:
* Cook corn kernels in microwave for a minute or two adding a tbsp. of water. Drain and coarsely pulse them in a food processor.
* Wash and roughly chop the fenugreek greens.
* Now combine all ingredients except oil in a mixing bowl. Divide the mixture into 8 portions and pat them into discs.
* Place them on a large non stick pan and shallow fry them using the oil until they turn golden brown on both sides.

 
This goes to Blogging marathon #70, under the theme 'Cooking on a Tawa'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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