Daal Paratha ~ Lentil Flatbread (with leftover daal!)

It’s been sometime since I participated in the Shh Cooking Secretly Challenge, I guess. When was the last time? My last post was this delicious dessert way back in July. Then vacation and hangover came into play and finally I gave myself in to make it up for this month’s challenge. The theme for the month was “Breakfast” and I was paired with Mayuriji for the secret ingredients.

As we all know, breakfast IS most important meal of the day. If you don’t eat well then, you may have a haphazard day to follow. I am not somebody who has a heavy breakfast but I ensure to eat something good enough to keep my energy levels on for the whole day. I have already shared a few breakfast ideas that I resort to on the blog. So when Mayuriji gave me my ingredients as wholewheat flour and methi (fenugreek), I was a bit bumped. Even on weekends, I don’t make anything that will take my time. The combination of these ingredients means that most probably it should be a flatbread. I have time and again mentioned how lousy I am with making my chapathis. It is a combination of laziness and lack of time. Most of the weekends, I end up getting up late, even if I go off to sleep with the resolute of wanting to wake up early, but I have to resort to my normal shortcuts – read kichari, gothambu or scrambled eggs for our breakfast. If I don’t make anything, then the kids will point fingers at the dabba of coco pops, which I try to limit once a week for them.

OK, coming back to the topic – wholewheat flour and methi. My mind was playing all types of games, as to what I should be trying. My hands were itching to make some methi theplas, which is a Gujrati style flatbread. That was when I was reminded about these delicious parathas I had prepared for an early dinner just three days before Mayuriji gave me the challenge ingredients. I actually couldn’t hide my excitement when I wrote to her if I could use kasuri methi, and she replied back saying, any methi was fine! I dance at every opportunity when my challenge posts get connected to my already burgeoning drafts, giving me a chance to sneak them in! 🙂 What more chance for these parathas to appear quite early on the blog! 😉

Even though I made these for dinner, these make awesome breakfast too, especially if you have leftover dal from the previous night’s and nobody is ready to have it. It always happens at my place – I am always the one who eats old food. 😕 What other way of making use of the leftover and nobody will even know what went into it, especially if you have a bunch of people who are not bothered to peak into the kitchen while something is being cooked, unless it smells really good. 😀

All you need to do is mix your daal curry with all your ingredients into a nice pliable dough, bail it and cook it, to serve it nice and warm. The daal gives an amazing color to the dough, as you can see from above. Diverting from the topic a little – that glass bowl in which I do my dough is as old as when umma came here for the first time, as well as the wooden bailing roll, as old as almost 37 years old. 🙂 My ammayi (D’s sister) and umma used to stay together in a villa, and once the children came in and they went separate ways, these both were among the stuff she picked up for herself. She used most of the stuff till my parents went back to India for good – they would never throw off anything unless and until it becomes really unusable, right? 🙂 While shifting base two years ago, I threw most of the stuff, much to umma’s irritation but kept these both plus a smaller glass bowl, which is of the same color. I sincerely hope I don’t break those bowls considering how buttery my fingers are. 😕

Coming back to the parathas, I have cooked them in minimal ghee so you can see my parathas are not glossy. 😀 While storing them in a hot pot, make sure to line the bottom and sides with a kitchen towel, and once all are done, wrap them with the towel and close the lid. This will ensure that the parathas remain soft. You can adjust your spice levels, even add or delete some as per your requirements, but do take care since the daal curry will already be having some level of spice. I just served them with my mattamma’s garlic pickle and Burani Raita and our meal was done! Totally delicious and filling… Before I go off to the recipe, do check out what Mayuriji made with the secret ingredients I gave her…

5 from 2 votes

Daal Paratha ~ Lentil Flatbread (with leftover daal!)

Course Flatbread

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 1 cup leftover dal curry
• 2 cups wholewheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi crushed
• 4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2 + 1 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste
• Warm water as required
• Ghee for roasting

Instructions

• If there are chunks in your curry, blitz till smooth. Pour into a bowl.
• Add in all the other ingredients from flours to coriander leaves, 2 tbsp of oil and salt and mix all well.
• Add water slowly by slowly as required and knead into a soft dough.
• Coat with the remaining oil and allow the dough to rest, covered with a towel for around 15 to 30 minutes.
• Divide into 12 equal balls. Roll them into rounds.
• Heat a plat fry pan till done, drizzle with some ghee. Cook both the sides till done, drizzling some ghee as required.
• Keep stored in a lined hotpot till done.

Notes

I used around 1/4 cup of water. If your dal is watery, you may need even more less water. In case the dough becomes sticky, add more flour to adjust.