Exciting Lentils (dal parantha- Indian flat bread stuffed with lentils)

I was in mood for something special- not the same old boring dal and roti or dal and rice. So I am raking my brain and in hunt for something sizzling! I was surfing TV when I landed up on this cookery show where they made some spicy dal. Then suddenly it dawned on me, why not make the dal interesting by filling it in a roti and making dal parantha?? So, I took time to make some lovely paranthas- come, join me for a bite- won't ya??

What goes in?

For the filling-

1 cup Chana dal- soak it for an hour or two in water.

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 green chilli finely chopped

1 tsp Garlic and ginger paste

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

salt according to taste

Other minor ingredients required for filling- 1 onion chopped, 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves.

For the base-

wheat flour

water

salt

Preparation-

1. Knead the flour with salt and water to a smooth dough (add oil towards the end to make it silky). Set it aside (I used about 11/2 cups of flour, you can use as per your requirement).
2. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add cumin seeds. As the seeds begin to sputter add garlic-ginger paste, green chilli pieces. Cook for few seconds on a low flame.
3. Add garam masala, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt.
4. Rinse the lentils thoroughly in water and add them to the above cooking spices.
5. Add around one cup of water and pressure cook the lentils till they are soft and have absorbed all the water.
6. Once the lentils are soft and well cooked, gently smash them with a spoon.
7. Add the chopped onions and coriander leaves to the cooked lentils, mix them thoroughly and ensure it is a dry mixture and not sticky- our filling is ready!
8. Now, take a small ball of dough and flatten it with a rolling pin.
9. Add around 1 tbsp of filling in middle and fold it to a pouch (with filling in middle).
10. Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface to a medium sized round shape.
11. Cook the roti (both sides) on a frying pan with sufficient oil.
12. Serve hot with mango pickle and raita! Enjoy-

Cheesy Sandwich - Just grab n go....

Blend paneer, onion, coriander - stuff 'em on a bread and coat them with cheese to create this grab 'n' go sandwiches! Perfect quick-fix snack that tastes sumptuous. You can do a million variations of this sandwich- add more ingredients, add more spice, saute the filling with indian spices before stuffing in your sandwich. Choice is yours!

Here is my idea-

Ingredients- (for stuffing/filling)

cup of grated paneer
1 onion chopped super fine
coriander leaves, chopped finely (1/4 cup)
green chilli - 1 (chopped finely)
Salt according to taste
ground black pepper 1/4 tsp
olive oil to blend the ingredients (about a tsp)

Other details-

Brown bread slices, a griller or toaster, cheese of your choice- I used a cheese spread readily available in the market (brand amul) ** optional **

Preparation-

Mix all the ingredients (listed above under filling) in a bowl and keep the filling ready- Alternatively, you can saute the onions with paneer and coriander (with Indian spices) to get a magical taste. Since this is a grab and go sandwich, I used my ingredients raw. Spread the cheese on the brown bread slices and fill it up with the stuffing. Grill them till golden brown. Serve hot with spicy green chutney or chilli sauce.

Tip- Mozzarella cheese will taste the best with this sandwich. You can use a combination of parmesan and Mozzarella or just use a spread to make things easier.