The art of making Phulka

What is special about this flat bread is it is made on a gas flame and allowed to raise/fluff up without yeast or baking powder.

Phulka/pulka is an exciting variety of Indian flat bread. What is special about this flat bread is it is made on a gas flame and allowed to raise/fluff up without yeast or baking powder. The procedure looks pretty simple, but get this- it ain’t as simple as it sounds or looks. To get the bread to rise, you need perfect dough, which is perfectly rolled out into a circle. When I mean perfect, I literally mean the dimensions. In case you miss out on even a small aspect it just wouldn’t raise when you put it on the gas flame. It takes a lot of practice to get this right and not many can master it overnight. Now here is the best part- Phulka/pulka is great in terms of nutrition. Made from whole wheat it contains minimal calories (probably around 70 cal/per bread) and it can be eaten with any curry/dal of your choice. It is a staple food in North India and down south; you will hardly find this variety of roti/bread.

The art of making Phulka/pulka

Recipe type: Main

Author: Suchitra Vaidyaram

A healthier staple food in North India, these roti’s can be dunked in any gravy to fill your stomach!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of wheat flour
• dash of salt
• water for kneading
• a tsp of oil

Instructions

1. In a big bowl, mix the flour with salt and with the help of water start kneading the flour. Ensure you take time to do this and you don’t hurry up with this process.
2. Don’t dump too much water and keep pouring water as when required to bring the flour to a dough consistency.
3. Keep kneading till you get good, soft dough.
4. Towards the end add a bit of oil to give it a glossy texture.
5. Once the dough is ready, place it in a container with lid and store it in fridge.
6. I have always found that when the dough gets to sit in the fridge for 5 to 7 hours it helps. I have never found success in using the dough immediately- it never fluffs up when put on flame.
7. Take a small ball of dough and flatten it with a rolling pin.
8. Ensure you roll it evenly. This step is crucial to the success of your roti getting fluffed up when you put on flame.
9. Once rolled out, place it on a hot pan and allow both the sides to cook.
10. You will notice that it starts to fluff up a bit.
11. Now place one side of the roti on a high gas flame and allow it to bloat like a balloon. It happens within a second.
12. With the help of tongs flip it to the other side.
13. Allow it to fluff up for a second time.
14. Don’t overdo and burn/char your roti.
15. It should be done within seconds and removed from flame within seconds.
16. Please be cautious when you are using the flame.

What's in a shape? Triangular rotis!

Seriously, who made the rules of cooking? Why follow a set of rules when you know you can do better? Cooking is an art and is dictated by taste buds and nothing else. When I started cooking, I used to be worried about the measure all the time. Am I putting more masala? Am I putting less spices? more salt? Is my roti geometrically round?? Practice and a bit of imagination is all you need to get it right. Now, if someone asks me how much salt should be used, I would have nothing to say- You just have a measure in your sub-consciousness and it will be tough to explain that to anyone. Enough bantering and lecturing on rules now! 

The other day, I finally chucked my regular round shape and created triangular shaped paranthas (roti's/stuffed indian flat bread). It turned out good and I just loved the new avatar of my roti's. Trust me, there is nothing fancy about the shapes and it is pretty easy to make. You don't have to worry about the precision of the triangle (some are hung up on the precision of the round shape, which won't be a problem with the triangular shape). Maybe, I will go overboard with my imagination and come up with star shaped roti's??? Just watch out for this space...

What do we need?

For the base-

Wheat flour

Water

Salt

For the filling-

Chopped coriander leaves (around a small cup)

Chopped green chillies (used about 3 green chillies)

Cumin seeds (around 1 tsp)

Salt (according to taste)

Preparation- 

Gently crush the cumin seeds and mix it with salt and chopped green chillies in a small cup. Keep the coriander leaves separately. Knead the flour with water and salt to a smooth and consistent dough. I used around 1 & 1/2 cups of flour. 

Method I followed-

Take a small ball of dough and flatten it to a round shape with rolling pin. Spread cumin seed mixture and coriander leaves on one portion of the round dough. Fold the other half over it so that it becomes a semi-circle. Gently fold the semicircle to a triangle. Now, gently flatten this triangle to a medium size keeping the shape intact. (I know it sounds super confusing, but you can get there if you fiddle around with the dough a bit)

Cook the roti (both sides) in a pan with oil/ghee/butter. Serve hot with Mango chutney/pickle and enjoy!!!

Another method- Mix coriander leaves, cumin seeds and green chillies to the flour and then knead the flour to a smooth & consistent dough. Now take a small ball of this dough and flatten it to a round shape. Fold it to a semi-circle. Gently fold this semicircle to a triangle. Flatten this triangle to a medium size keeping the shape intact.

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-

Carrot-paneer stuffed roti (parantha)

Carrot works great with paneer and onions. I accidentally stumbled on this combination and boy am I glad to have found it! The stuffing requires grated carrots, crumbled paneer with finely chopped onions and spices. You can be creative with the stuffing and it tastes great with raita/pickle.

What goes in?

For the stuffing-

Grated carrots- 1 cup
Finely chopped onions- 1/2 cup
Crumbled paneer- 1/2 cup
Dry roasted cumin seeds (1 tsp)- gently crushed
Black pepper- crushed 1/2 tsp
Oil
Salt according to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)

For the base-


1 1/2 cup wheat flour
water for kneading
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp salt

Preparation- 

• Knead the flour with salt and water to a smooth dough (add oil towards the end). Set it aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix grated carrot, paneer, onion, and the rest of the spices mentioned above. 
• Toss the filling well with oil and ensure it is a dry mixture and not soggy.  Some people tend to saute carrots and onion before mixing with spices for filling. But I tend to use it raw (the carrot flavor comes out really well, if used raw).
• Once the filling is done, rest is easy!
• Take a small ball of dough and flatten it with a rolling pin.
• Add around 1 tbsp of filling in middle and fold it to a pouch (with filling in middle).
• Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface to a medium sized round shape.
• Cook the roti (both sides) on a frying pan with sufficient oil.
• Serve hot with mango chutney/pickle.

Chilli naan with spicy paneer butter masala

Such a comforting food- naan with paneer gravy. Makes you forget all your worries and simply indulge in the exotic flavorful spices. Most of the people I know love paneer (cottage cheese)- You will love it more when it comes in a rich, spicy tomato gravy- dunk the coriander and chilli naan in this gravy and enjoy an exquisite taste of flavors!

Chilli & Coriander naan-

Ingredients-

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

warm water to knead the dough 

1 1/2 tbsp yoghurt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of baking soda

1 tsp yeast

chopped coriander leaves (1 cup)

finely chopped green chilli pieces (about a tsp) 

Preparation- 

• Dissolve yeast in a small cup of warm water with sugar. Set it aside for five minutes (allow it to froth)
• In a large bowl, mix salt, baking soda and flour. 
• Add yoghurt and start mixing the dough with the help of yeast water. 
• Add warm water and work on the dough for 5 to 10 minutes- Knead till it becomes soft and elastic.
• Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Put it in a warm place and allow the dough to double in size (should take an hour)
• Once the dough has risen, knead it gently for few minutes on a lightly floured surface.
• Divide the dough into medium sized balls.
• Take one dough ball and flatten it to a small circle- sprinkle coriander and chilli pieces in middle and fold the dough into a pouch (with filling in middle).
• Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface into a teardrop shape or oval shape.
• Work on the rest of the dough in a similar fashion and place it on a baking tray.
• Brush it lightly with butter and pop them in a pre-heated oven for baking.
• Bake till it is puffy and golden brown in color (@200 degree celsius)

Paneer Butter Masala- (restaurant style)

Ingredients-

250 gms paneer (cut into cubes)

Butter (for cooking)

** Tip- You can fry paneer before mixing it with the gravy. Normally, I use it raw.
If your store paneer is hard and rubbery, chop them in cubes and put them in hot water for a couple of minutes, allow it to soften- then use them in cooking.

For the gravy-

Bay leaf-1

Clove-1

Cinnamon stick -1 (about one inch)

Broken dried red chilli pieces-1

Coriander seeds crushed (1 tbsp)

Chopped tomatoes (3)

One medium sized onion (chopped)

Crushed and chopped garlic - 1 tsp

Grated ginger - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Fresh cream- 1 tbsp

Kasoori methi leaves crushed (1/2 tsp)

Preparation- 

Heat 3 tbsp butter in a frying pan. Add bay leaf, clove, cinnamon, red chilli pieces and crushed coriander seeds. Fry them for a minute. Add onions, garlic and ginger. Saute them for few seconds. Add tomatoes with red chilli powder and coriander powder. Cook the ingredients till oil leaves the masala. Puree the mixture. Heat about a tbsp of butter in another pan. Add the pureed mixture and cook for a couple of minutes. Add paneer pieces and salt. Add a cup of water and cook the paneer on a low flame for 5-8 minutes. Add kasoori methi and cook the paneer mixture for couple of minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the cream. Serve hot with naan!

Messy & tasty affair...My Zuchinni paranthas/Indian flat bread/roti!

Oh my, I have to blog about my messy kitchen- Yesterday, I tried my hand with something new and the dish was fantastic, came out really good- but the mess I created took double my cooking time. Before creating anything new, I worry about what kind of mess it will create in my cute lil' kitchen. LOL! I know, people worry about the process of creating a new dish and I worry about how long will it take me to clean. I have shades of Monica geller in me (remember the character from Friends serial???)- which means I have this compulsive disorder to clean up immediately or my mind simply preys on the mess. It is a simple parantha or stuffed Indian flat bread dish- trick is the stuffing - once you get it correct then life is simple. I have never tried out zucchini filling and yesterday was my first time. It is a watery veggie and you have to literally squeeze it dry and use it for filling- You grate the zucchini, mix it with salt, squeeze the water from it and mix it with spices for a sumptuous filling. Sounds fun eh? Trust me, it tastes wonderful in a parantha! Worth all my effort :)

Ingredients-

For filling-

1 zucchini (grated)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin powder (fry cumin seeds in a pan without oil and then grind it)

Powdered dry kasoori methi leaves (fenugreek leaves)

1 green chilli chopped finely

coriander leaves (about a handful) chopped finely

1 onion chopped finely

For the base

1 cup wheat flour

water to mix

1 tsp oil 

1/2 tsp salt

Preparation-

Knead the flour with salt & water to a smooth dough (add oil towards the end).  Set it aside. For the filling, grate zucchini and mix salt. With your hands make a ball and squeeze out the water from zucchini. It should be dry with no trace of water. Once the water is squeezed out put it in a dry mixing bowl and mix onions, green chillies, coriander leaves and rest of the spices mentioned above (cumin powder, fenugreek leaves). Toss it well and ensure it is a dry mixture and not soggy. Some people tend to saute zucchini with onions before mixing it with spices but I tend to use it raw. If you get the filling right, rest is easy. Take a small ball of dough and flatten it with a rolling pin. Add around 1 tbsp of filling in middle and fold it to a pouch (with filling in middle). Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface to a medium sized round shape. Fry it to golden brown on both sides and serve hot with mango chutney/pickle!

Onion 'n' coriander Naan

Get the dough right, flatten it with stuffing inside and pop it in the oven- sounds simple, eh? Well, those are the steps for getting a good home baked naan! Traditionally, naan is prepared in a tandoor (a clay oven which uses charcoal/wood). With the help of yeast, baking soda and yoghurt you can get a good texture to your naan while baking at home. When served hot with a butter coating, it absolutely tastes divine.

What do we need for the dough?

2 cups all purpose flour

warm water

2 1/2 tbsp yoghurt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

pinch of baking soda

1 tsp yeast

Filling ingredients-

1 big onion chopped finely

a good bunch of coriander leaves (finely chopped)

3 big cloves of garlic (crushed and chopped)

chopped green chilli pieces (used 1 green chilli)

salt according to taste

How did I make it?

For the dough, we need to activate our yeast first by mixing warm water, sugar and yeast in a small cup. Allow the yeast to froth up and leave it for five minutes. In a large bowl, mix salt, baking soda and flour. Add yoghurt and start mixing the dough with the help of yeast water. You have to work on the dough for 5 to 10 minutes- Knead till it becomes a soft, smooth dough (use a bit of oil to get a glossy texture). Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover it with a cloth. Put it in a warm place and allow the dough to double in size (should take an hour and a half).

For the filling, mix all the above ingredients and toss them well with a bit of oil. You can saute the onions and garlic, if you want. I like to use them raw for the flavors to come out well in the naan.

Once you have the dough and filling ready, preheat your oven to 200 degree celsius. Equally divide the dough into medium sized balls. On a lightly floured surface, flatten your dough to a small circle. Place about a tbsp of filling in the middle and seal the ball into a pouch. Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface into a teardrop shape or oval shape. Brush it lightly with oil and put them in the oven for baking. Bake it till it becomes puffy and golden brown in color! Before serving, gently coat the naan with butter for a great taste...Enjoy!

cottage cheese and onion stuffed roti!

Gloomy sunday afternoon always demands spicy food! Cottage cheese, onions, spices stuffed in a flat bread and fried to golden brown- top this with spicy pickle and yoghurt on the side. Now that's what I call a belly filling dish :)

Ingredients (for stuffing)

1 cup grated cottage cheese
1 onion chopped finely
coriander leaves chopped finely
2 green chillies (chopped)
salt (according to taste)
garam masala (1/2 tsp)
coriander powder (1/4 tsp)
Kasoori methi leaves (1 tsp)- fenugreek leaves
2 garlic cloves (chopped finely)

Ingredients (for the base)


Wheat flour (11/2 cup)
water
salt

Preparation


Knead the flour to a smooth dough with the help of water and set it aside. In a bowl mix all the stuffing ingredients with a liberal dose of oil. Take a ball of dough and flatten it to a small circle. Add the filling in the middle and fold the sides to make it into a small pouch. Flatten this small pouch to a medium sized circle. Fry this in a pan to golden brown on both sides. Serve with yoghurt and pickle. Enjoy!

Finally some aloo parantha (Rotis stuffed with potato filling)

There is always one dish which is done by everyone belonging to a particular region/country. I consider Aloo parantha (rotis stuffed with potato filling) as one of the popular dishes in Northern India. I was intending on making this dish and blogging about it some months ago- never had the opportunity with so much going on in my head :)- I had a friend coming home for lunch and the request from the friend was simple- Aloo parantha. Finally, I had a go at my favorite dish, which turned out pretty sumptuous. It is really simple to make and can be prepared at a short notice with minimal ingredients!

Ingredients for the stuffing-

One big onion- chopped finely
2 boiled and mashed potatoes (medium sized)
Coriander leaves- chopped finely (about a handful)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp corriander powder
chilli flakes or paprika powder (1/4 tsp)
Salt (according to taste)
Oil to mix all the ingredients mentioned above.

Ingredients for the Base-

Wheat flour (2 cups)
salt
water to mix

Preparation-

The base is pretty simple- You have to knead the flour with salt to a fine and smooth dough. There are two ways to actually go about your filling- you can sauté the potatoes and onions with the spices mentioned above in a wok and then use it to stuff the roti's. The other way (which I follow) is to just mix all the ingredients in a bowl without cooking and use it for stuffing. Once you have the base and the filling ready all you need to do is take a ball of wheat and flatten it to a small round. Fill around 1 to 2 spoons of the filling in the middle. Fold the roti with the filling in middle so that it appears as a small pouch. Flatten this pouch with a rolling pin to a medium sized round shape.

Fry the parantha in a hot pan till both sides are golden brown. Serve with chutney/pickle and enjoy!

Tofu n corn stuffed roti

Cooking is therapeutic...After a long day at the office, you just need to unwind- I pity people, who think cooking is a waste of time. My kitchen is my world and I simply love trying out new combinations just for the fun of it. One such combination is the tofu and sweet corn stuffed parantha/roti (Indian flat bread). Got to admit, I loved this combo and if you are looking for something different, then this is worth a shot!

What do we need? 


For stuffing-

• crumbled tofu (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup canned sweet corn
• salt
• garam masala (1/2 tsp)
• chilli powder (1/4 tsp)
• oil for mixing
• chopped corriander leaves
• chopped green chillies (optional)

For base/making rotis-

• wheat flour 
• water
• salt 

How did I put together?

In a bowl, mix wheat flour, water and salt. Knead it to a smooth dough and keep it aside. Use oil to make the dough silky and smooth. Combine all the ingredients listed above for filling. Just ensure that the filling is not soggy or too greasy otherwise it becomes difficult when you make the rotis. Take a small ball of dough and flatten it with a rolling pin. Place around 2 spoons of filling in the middle. Fold the sides with the filling in middle so that it appears as a small pouch. Flatten this pouch to a round shape- 

Need visual description?

In a pan, fry the paranthas till golden brown on both sides. Serve hot with pickle/sauce.

Stuffed spinach roti!

The dark clouds threatened rain and my stomach was rumbling with hunger pangs- Me gazing the pitter patter of rain drops thought- why not cook something different and spicy? I did not have much time as my television enticed me to the usual drama...I tried out this stuffed spinach roti and took me flat 30 minutes to make them. Rushed to my favorite couch and enjoyed my usual dose of drama junk with piping hot roti's and pickle-

Ingredients-

Wheat flour, spinach, salt for the base

Crumpled tofu/cottage cheese(paneer), finely chopped onions, crushed and chopped garlic, dash of pepper, chopped green chillies, garam masala/curry powder, salt according to taste for the filling.

Preparation-

The spinach has to be washed and boiled in water till they soften. Grind it to a fine paste. In a big bowl mix wheat flour (2 cups), spinach paste (about 1 cup) and salt till they become a smooth dough- the trick is avoid mixing water to make the dough. With the help of spinach paste knead the wheat flour to a smooth dough (if need be use oil to knead the dough).

For the stuffing- In a bowl mix the crumpled tofu/paneer, chopped onions, garlic, chillies, pepper and spices. I used the garam masala to bring in some flavor (you can choose to omit the spices). 

You can add in your own creativity for the filling like ginger, chopped corriander leaves, mashed potatoes...

Cooking- Take a small ball of dough in your fist and flatten it with a rolling pin. Take about two spoons of filling and place it in middle of the flattened dough. Fold the sides with the filling in middle so that it appears as a small pouch.  

                       

Flatten this pouch again with the rolling pin using a bit of flour so that it does not stick to the surface. Cook this roti in a shallow frying pan with oil till they become golden brown on both sides. Enjoy it with yoghurt and pickle!