Phulka Rotis | Fulkas - Indian Flat Bread

This was one post which I thought was not needed. With present day lifestyle rotis / chapatis have become a staple diet for many people . Earlier Rotis were staple to Northern Indian food as Rice was for South Indians,but off late its staple across most house holds..Requests from a lot of my friends came in asking how to make soft rotis and also about the puffing up.So I thought I should be posting the recipe for my friends.

Phulka Rotis are the oil free version of chapathi or Indian Flat bread  where the dough after rolling is first lightly toasted on a griddle / tawa and then cooked on an open flame which helps in Puffing up of the roti.  The moisture trapped inside the rolled Out dough tries to escape and enables the cooking  from inside. 

This puffing is known as "PHULNA " in Hindi and hence the name "Phulka Roti"

Resting Time for Dough : 20 mins
Cooking Time : 2 mins per roti
Serves : Makes about 8-10 rotis

Step by step video demonstration from kneading to preparation of Rotis

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour  + 1/4 cup dry flour for dusting
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp oil
1 cup water
Rolling Pin & Strong base for rolling the rotis

Method

Kneading the Dough

• Mix the salt and wheat flour in a mixing bowl.
• Knead the dough  by adding water little by little and continuing kneading until all the dry flour is used up and dough like mixture is formed.
• Now slowly keep kneading and stretching the dough with your palms until you find the dough to be a little light and soft in texture.
• If you find the dough dry and hard to stretch,just wet your palms with a little water and start kneading.
• This step of stretching and kneading the dough is very important as the GLUTEN present in the wheat flour will react and provide with the elasticity while rolling the rotis.
• As you keep kneading the dough,you can see that the texture of the dough transforms slowly and once it is done it will be a nice shiny soft ball of dough.
• Once the dough is ready,smear oil in your palms and coat the dough all over and keep it covered in cling wrap,muslin cloth or an air tight container for 15 -20 mins.
• This step again helps in providing  the elasticity and softness.

Making Rotis 

• Pinch out lemon sized balls from the dough
• Dust the balls with a little dry flour and start rolling it out into a round shape.
• Ensure that the edges are not thick and the round is evenly rolled out.
• Place the roti on a hot tawa and cook until light brown spots appear on lower side.
• Flip over and cook on the second side until brown spots appear.
• Now take the roti with the help of tongs and put on open flame .Now you can see the roti puffing up.
• In case you are working on an electric hot plate,then you get a grill on which you can place the rotis for puffing.
• Take it off the flame and serve hot with a little ghee smeared over it. (Skip for Vegan diet).
• Always store the rotis in a hot pack /casserole  soon after making them.

It is important to prevent the rotis become soggy and keep it dry and soft until you serve . Check the video below for tips & tricks . 

Notes:

• Too much dry flour for dusting tends to burn when cooking on tawa,so keep the usage as little as possible.
• Initially the shape may be a little weird but do not worry ,with practice you can master it.
• The puffing happens when the moisture gets released from the rotis,do not leave the roti on the tawa for a long time,then the rotis won't puff up.
• Keep the rotis covered in a foil or a thin muslin cloth to retain the softness.

Lachha Paratha / Whole wheat Flakey Flat Bread

We all love to order this Lachha Paratha when we dine out. But have you ever given a thought ,of making it at home? I have always wondered and stayed back even from the thought of experimenting it at home thinking it will be a complicated process to get the flaky layers. Must tell you,I was proven wrong when I made an attempt to make it at home. First time I tried and Viola!! it was great.. nice flaky paratha with mild crispness here and there.
Thanks to Sanjeev Kapoor's show on the television which motivated me to try this at home.I am sure you will also to try this recipe and enjoy the restaurant flavor in the comfort of your home.
I served this lachha paratha with a mix vegetable kurma ,but you can serve it with a choice of your favorite curry / gravy.

Preparation Time : 10-15 mins
Cooking Time : 4- 5 mins per paratha
Serves : makes about 8-9 parathas

Punjabi Baingan (Baigan) Bharta / Fire roasted Eggplant Gravy

Baingan Bharta , Baingan ka Bhurta or Baingan Da Bharta whatever you may call,all it means is a fire roasted mashed eggplant gravy with Indian spices.

A very popular dish in Northern India and a favorite in almost every house hold.There are different ways in which the Bhartha can be prepared. In Lucknow side ,they just fire roast the brinjal ,mash it up and flavor it with spices and mustard oil, something similar to Baba Ghanoush while the Punjabi style Baingan Bhartha is very different as it is cooked in onion tomato gravy after mashing up the roasted brinjal. 

To get the perfect taste of Punjabi style Bhartha ,the eggplant has to be grilled  over direct flame or  charcoal to infuse a smoky flavor into the gravy.  People do use microwave or other means to grill the eggplant but for me the stove top version seems the best way as I dont want to fall back on smoky flavor . The highlight of Punjabi baingan bartha is the rustic smoky flavor from the brinjal.

The gravy doesn't use very heavy spices or spice mix and hence it is fairly easy to make and also tastes rustic. 

The outer skin of the grilled eggplant is peeled off and mashed cooked with cilantro,red chilli powder,onion turmeric,onions to a perfect gravy.

Serve with any Indian Flat bread like rotis / parathas , Naans / Kulchas.

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Grilling Time : 20-25 mins
Serves : 3-4

Notes 

• Jain version - skip ginger and onions 
• No Onion No Garlic version - skip the onions 

Ingredients
1 big egg plant / aubergine (Bhartha baingan) 
2 green chillies finely chopped
2 big tomatoes finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
fresh coriander chopped
pinch of turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp dhania/coriander powder
finely chopped ginger
salt
1 -2 tbsp oil

Method

• Apply a little oil all over the eggplant and grill on an open flame or over charcoal.
• If you are using an electric stove,place the eggplant on a grill stand on the electric hot place and grill
• Keep turning the eggplant over the flame for even grilling.
• The eggplant will slowly start shrinking and the outer peel of the egg plant will have a charred look,that is when the egg plant is totally done.
• Allow to cool for sometime and then peel of the outer and mash the eggplant thoroughly.
• In a heavy bottomed skillet/kadai,heat the oil and saute the onion until pink.
• Next add the chopped green chillies,tomatoes,
• chilli powder,coriander powder and saute well.Add salt as per taste.
• Pour about half a cup of water and cook well until the tomato forms the base of the gravy. You can see the oil ooze out as the gravy is cooking .
• Now add the mashed eggplant and mix well and cook for about 8-9 mins until the flavors are well incorporated.
• Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rotis / parathas.

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This post was published during my early days of blogging way back in 2013 and the pic quality wasn't so appealing.  Even though I make this recipe frequently, never got a chance to update the post with good pics . I am sure now (29 jan 2023,)the post looks appealing and attractive with new and fresh photos uploaded . Thanks to Renu for actively encouraging us fellow bloggers to be a part of Foodies_Redoingoldposts group which gives a good appeal to my old posts . 

Maa Ladoo | Pottukadalai urundai -Roasted Gram Laddu

If there is a very quick and a no hassle sweet that which is rich and tasty  ,then I must say it is this one . Maaladu ,Maa Ladoo , Pottu kadalai Urundai are all the different ways in which this melt in mouth sweet is known as .

Absolutely no worry about sugar syrup consistency or continuous stirring of ingredients as in case of normal sweets . Totally no cooking involved except for melting the clarified butter which can be done even in a microwave. 

For a beginner , this sweet will boost their confidence to try hands at other sweets as this ladoo will never disappoint you .

The ingredients are easily found in the pantry of every Indian household,so making this ladoo is a breeze when you have sudden sweet cravings.

We make this for Diwali , Navratri and Krishna janamashtami without fail in our home. 


Preparation Time : 5 mins
Cooking Time : Nil
Makes about 15 laddoos

Complexity - easy 

Bean Corn Quesedilla

Quesedilla is a native of Mexico made using Flour or Corn Tortilla. This recipe gets its name from Tortilla and Queso meaning Cheese in Spanish.

Tortillas are flat bread made from maize flour ,  APF , whole wheat or Multigrain. 

The tortilla is filled with various stuffing like beans,corn,spinach,chicken,meat etc.The primary filling being Cheese. The tortilla is then folded into half with the stuffing in it and is warmed until the cheese within melts.

I first tasted Quesedilla at a Mexican restaurant on one of our holidays in the US . The Quesedillas were a safe bet for a vegetarian like me as I had the choice of filling which I could select from to be put into my Quesedillas. 

Beans, corn, capsicum, tomatoes ,onions and cheese are anyway my favorites ,so I really loved enjoying this warm cheesy Quesedillas after a tiresome hike .It was a blessing for a hungry tummy .

I fell so much in love with the Quesedillas, that I wanted to replicate them at home and I really loved to put together Quesedillas with different fillings. 

Here,I make use of Red kidney Beans /rajma and boiled corn as stuffing along with chopped onion bellpeppers and tomatoes.I made use of ready made tortillas available in the market.But the tortillas can be made at home too. If you like a healthier version one can use the usual soft whole wheat roti that is made in the Indian homes and follow the same procedure.

Forward to 2025....

Now a days, most gourmet super stores in India have these tortillas on their racks in different variants like the whole wheat tortillas , spinach tortillas, multi grain tortillas and ofcourse the traditional flour tortillas.

I have been making Quesedillas even after my relocation to India, initially I used our regular rotis  as tortillas  to make them when ready made tortillas weren't easily available, but now occasionally,I do indulge into store bought tortillas especially the multi grain ones and enjoy our dinner.  I discovered these ready made tortillas in the open market a little before the  pandemic struck us .

Some more Mexican delicacies for you to try

• Mexican Bean Rice 
• Corn Capsicum Quesedillas 
• Pineapple Salsa
• Mango Salsa

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Preparation Time : 45 mins
Baking Time : 5-6 mins per tortilla
Serves : 1 tortilla = 1 quesadilla 

Ingredients

3-4  tortillas (Multigrain/plain/spinach) 
1/2 cup red beans / rajma - soaked for 6-8 hrs
1/3 cup of boiled sweet corn
2 tomatoes finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped (optional)

Finely chopped assorted bell pepper (green ,red and yellow)
fresh corriander chopped finely

2 green chillies finely chopped 
Mozzarella cheese
Lime juice from a lemon
2-3 bay leaves
salt
butter

Tomato sauce or Tabasco sauce (optional)  

Method

• Pressure cook the beans along with bay leaves,red chilli powder and some salt. The beans must be cooked until soft but they shouldn't get mushy.
• Boil the sweet corn until soft.
• Drain excess water from the beans and corn & let it cool.
• Do not add too much salt we are going to add the cheese.
• In a wide mixing bowl add the chopped bell peppers tomato,onions,finely chopped chillies ,fresh coriander/cilantro,salt and 2 tsp lemon juice. 
• Add some Mozzarella cheese and mix it well.
• Take 1 tortilla ,smear some tomato sauce ,spread some grated cheese and top it with the beans ,corn and bellpepper mix.
• Top it with cooked beans and then finally some more grated cheese and then fold the tortilla into half .
• Push the filling in tightly so that it doesn't spill out.
• Place the folded Quesedilla on a hot griddle/tawa and toast it evenlt until crisp on both sides . You can smear some butter for added taste and crispness.
• Cut as wedges and serve hot with chips and some salsa or guacamole. 

Notes

1. Lettuce,spinach,guacamole can also be used as a part of the filling.
2. I used a little tomato ketchup for added flavor and the mild sweetness.
3. You can also use chilli sauce or some hot sauce if you prefer to have spicy quesadilla.  

Kadalai Paruppu Sundal / Channa Dal Stir Fry

Sundal is a typical south Indian recipe made during the Holy Festival of Navratri.(9 days) . 

Each day a different variety of Sundal is made as an offering to God and then distributed amongst friends and relatives. 

Married Ladies and young girls are welcomed home and offered Thamboolam.(betel leaves , haldi , kumkum and some small gift ) in a goodie bag along with this sundal .

(Updated the post with new pics and information on 14/10/2020)

Navratri is dedicated to Goddess Durga , Laskhmi & Saraswati and spread across 9 days. Whole of India celebrates Navratri with full pomp and show in different ways . There is absolute positivity and cheerful vibrance in the air .

To know more about how Navaratri is celebrated in different parts of India, click here ...

Kadalai Paruppu Sundal and Lemon Rice are prepared as Prasad/Bhog on the 7th day of Navratri. 

There is no hard and fast rule that you have to make it on the same day, you can make it as per your convenience too.

Chick peas/Kabuli channa,Bengal gram/channa dhall dhall,split green peas,karamani/lobia/black eyed beans, peanut/groundnut are the commonly used lentils in the preparation of sundal.

Packed with proteins ,it provides the necessary protein intake based on a daily diet.

This particular sundal is a very healthy choice and quick to make and can be made when we run out of vegetables even on normal days .Serve hot with rotis or rice and some hot Tomato Rasam. A perfect tea time snack as well.

Health Benefits of any variety of DAL

• An excellent source of protein for  particularly for vegetarian diets. 
• Dal is typically around 25% protein by weight,
• Rich in the B vitamins thiamine and folic acid, several minerals, notably iron and zinc.

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Preparation Time : 2 hrs
Cooking Time : 20-25 mins  
Serves : 2-3

Jain Version : Skip the ginger  from the recipe and follow the rest as is.

Ingredients

1/2 cup channa dhall/bengal gram dhall/kadalai paruppu
2 tsp cooking oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2-3 green chillies chopped
pinch of asafoetida/hing
few curry leaves
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
fresh chopped cilantro
pinch of turmeric
salt to taste

Method

• Wash and soak the channa dhall for 2 hrs . This helps in faster and even cooking of the dhall.

• Add sufficient water and pressure cook the channa dal with turmeric and salt on medium flame for 1 whistle. Donot over cool, else the dal will become mushy .

• Let the pressure release normally.

• When you take a piece of cooked dhall between your finger and press , it must get pressed easily but should be holding the shape . The dhal must not get mushy , then we cannot make the sundal.

• If there is excess water , strain it and let the dhall cool for a while.

• In a kadai,heat the oil,splutter the mustard seeds,grated ginger,curry leaves,green chillies and asafoetida.

• Add the cooked dal and saute for 3-4 mins until dry. Adjust salt if needed.

• Garnish with freshly grated coconut and coriander.