The Indian Vegan Kitchen (34 page)

 

1. In a mixing bowl or food processor, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour. Gradually add water as you mix dough. (Depending on the type of flour, the amount of water needed may vary slightly.) Knead the dough for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes or longer.

2. Mix together chopped onion, cayenne pepper, green chiles, coriander, and
amchur
. Mix well and set aside. (Do not add salt here, as it will make the filling too wet.)

3. Place ½ cup flour for rolling in a shallow container.

4. Divide dough into 8 balls. Roll each ball with the palms of your hands in a circular motion until the dough is smooth. Press to flatten. Roll each flat ball in the flour.

5. Heat
tava
/iron griddle or a heavy fry pan on medium heat. Adjust heat as needed. If
tava
is too hot, the
paratha
will burn and stick to the
tava
, and if not hot enough, it will take a long time to cook and become dry.

6. Roll out each ball into an approximately 3-inch circle. Place about 2 tablespoons of the onion filling in the center and sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired. Gather the edges of the circle and join together. Crimp the edges tightly and flatten with the palm of your hand. Pick up the filled ball and roll again in the flour. Place the filled side down and roll out again to a 6-inch circle. (Use only the amount of flour you need to easily roll the dough. Excess flour on the griddle burns and creates smoke.)

7. Lightly oil the preheated griddle and wipe off the oil. Place one filled
paratha
on the griddle. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until bottom colors and
paratha
becomes firm and easy to pick up. Turn over with a flat spatula and cook until light brown spots appear on the underside. (While one is cooking, fill and roll the next one.)

8. Using a large soup or serving spoon, lightly oil the top of the
paratha
with
½
teaspoon oil. Turn over and oil the second side. Using the spoon or the spatula, press the
paratha
several times. This helps the
paratha
brown evenly. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

9. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container to serve later. When the
paratha
is hot, it is crunchy, but once cooled, the moisture from the onions will soften it. Enjoy them hot or cold.

NOTE:
Cooked
parathas
can be kept at room temperature for about 4 hours. If planning to serve later, refrigerate cooked
parathas
and enjoy cold or reheat on the griddle.
Parathas
can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw in refrigerator and reheat before serving.

 

1. In a mixing bowl or food processor, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour. Gradually add water as you mix dough. (Depending on the type of flour, the amount of water needed may vary slightly.) The dough should be soft and easy to roll into a ball. Knead the dough for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and elastic. Dough should resemble bread dough in consistency and smoothness. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes or longer.

2. Squeeze the grated daikon between your palms or place in a towel and twist, to remove the excess water. Discard the water. Place the squeezed daikon in a bowl. Mix in cayenne pepper, green chiles, coriander, and amchur. Mix well. Divide filling into 8 (¼ -cup) equal portions. Set aside.

3. Place ½ cup flour for rolling in a shallow container.

4. Divide dough into 16 small balls. Roll each ball with the palms of your hands in a circular motion until the dough is smooth. Press to flatten. Roll each flat ball in the dry flour.

5. You will need two dough balls for each
paratha
. Roll out each ball into a 3-inch circle. Place about ¼ cup of the filling on one circle, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the filling with salt. Place the second 3-inch circle on top of the filling. Press firmly your palm and seal the edges of the two circles together. Lift the filled circle, dust it with flour on both sides, and roll out to a 6-inch circle. (Use only the amount of flour you need to easily roll the dough. Excess flour on the griddle burns and creates smoke.)

6. Heat
tava
/iron griddle or a heavy fry pan on medium-high heat. Adjust heat as needed. If
tava
is too hot, the
paratha
will burn and stick to the
tava
, and if not hot enough, it will take a long time to cook and become dry.

7. Lightly oil the preheated griddle and wipe off excess. Place one filled
paratha
on the griddle. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until bottom colors and
paratha
becomes firm and easy to pick up. Turn over with a flat spatula and cook until light brown spots appear on the underside. (While one is cooking, fill and roll the next one.)

8. Using a large soup or serving spoon, lightly oil the top of the
paratha
with
½
teaspoon oil. Turn it over and oil the second side. Using the spoon or the spatula, press the
paratha
several times. This helps the
paratha
brown evenly. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

9. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and spinach. (Do not make this dough in a food processor.) Make a well in the center of the flour. Gradually add water as you mix dough. (Depending on the type of flour and the moisture in spinach, the amount of water needed may vary slightly.) The dough should be soft and easy to roll into a ball. Knead the dough for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes or longer.

2. Place ½ cup flour for rolling in a shallow container.

3. Heat
tava
/iron griddle or a heavy fry pan on medium-high heat. Adjust heat as needed. If
tava
is too hot, the
paratha
will burn and stick to the
tava
, and if not hot enough, it will take a long time to cook and become dry.

4. Divide dough into 8 balls. Roll each ball with the palms of your hands in a circular motion until the dough is smooth. Press to flatten. Roll each flattened ball in the flour. Roll out each ball into a 3-inch circle. Brush the top of the circle with oil. Fold in half and press lightly. Brush the top of the half circle with oil and fold in half again, making a triangle. Pick up the triangle and roll in flour. Roll the triangle into a 6-inch triangle, dusting with flour as needed. (Use only the amount of flour you need to easily roll the bread. Excess flour on the griddle burns and creates smoke.)

5. Lightly oil the preheated griddle and wipe off excess. Pick up the triangle, dust off extra flour, and place on the heated griddle. Cook for 1 minute until bottom colors and
paratha
becomes firm and easy to pick up. Turn
paratha
over and cook until light brown spots appear on the underside, about 1 minute.

6. Using a large spoon, lightly oil the top of the
paratha
with
½
teaspoon oil. Turn over and oil the other side. Using the large spoon or spatula, press the
paratha
in a circular motion. It will puff in some places. Cook until light brown on both sides. The longer you cook it, the crispier it will become. If you’re going to eat it right away, make it crispy. But if you’re going to eat them later, keep them soft; the crispy ones will become dry.

7. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container to serve later. Enjoy the
parathas
plain, with or without Indian pickles, or serve them with any curry dish.

NOTE:
Cooked
parathas
can be kept at room temperature for about 8 hours. If planning to serve later, refrigerate
parathas
and enjoy cold or reheat on the griddle.
Parathas
can also be frozen; thaw in refrigerator and reheat before serving.

1. In a mixing bowl or food processor, combine flour, salt, and ajwain, if using. Make a well in the center of the flour. Gradually add water as you mix dough. (Depending on the type of flour, the amount of water needed may vary slightly.) Knead the dough for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and elastic. Dough is slightly harder than roti dough in consistency. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes or longer.

2. Lightly oil your hands. Divide the dough into 20 balls. Roll each ball between the palms of your hands in a circular motion until smooth. Press to flatten.

3. Heat 3 inches oil in a
karahi
/wok or skillet on high heat. Oil is ready when a little bit of batter dropped in the oil rises to the top right away (about 400ºF).

4. On a lightly oiled surface, roll out each ball to a 3-inch circle. (If you are frying alone, roll out all the
puris
and place between towels to prevent drying. If you have help in frying, one person can roll the
puris
and the other one can fry.

5. Carefully drop one
puri
at a time into the hot oil. Using a large flat frying spatula, turn the
puri
as it rises to the top. Lightly press with the spatula and it will puff into a ball. Turn the
puri
again and lightly brown both sides.

6. Drain the
puri
on the side of the
karahi
and place on several layers of paper towels. Continue frying one at a time, making sure the oil is hot.

7. Serve immediately as puffed breads or store in an airtight container. As the
puri
cools, it will deflate. While they are still slightly warm, place them in an airtight container. Or stack them on top of each other and wrap them in aluminum foil.

NOTE:
If the
puris
are at room temperature, it is best not to warm them since they can dry out quickly. Serve them with hot curry instead. If refrigerated, place the
puris
,
stacked and tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, in a preheated 350ºF oven for 10 minutes. Do not overheat the
puris
, as they will become dry.