Sweet Moong Dal Halwa Poli (Roti stuffed with sweet Moong Dal Halwa)

This recipe was a result of my brainstorming to contribute to the #dishfromdish contest! I had made Moong Dal Halwa for Dassera as you can see in my previous post. Since I am really busy at work these days and don't get lot of time to cook, I had to come up with this creation to participate during busy work week :) No wonder they say that 'Necessity is the mother of invention'. It was definitely a smashing success at our dinner table. Especially with my husband who loves sweets!!

So here is the recipe.

Ingredients: Whole wheat flour - 1 cup, Maida - 2 tsp, salt - 1/8th tsp, oil - 2 tsp, water - as needed for making dough, Moong Dal Halwa - click to see the recipe in my previous post, ghee - as needed.

Method: Take whole wheat flour in a mixing bowl, add maida, oil, salt and water and make dough. Let it rest for 2-3 hours. After that make small balls and roll out the dough into small flats and stuff each flat with Moong Dal Halwa and then roll them to make Poli. 

Heat Tawa and roast both sides till well cooked. Smear ghee on the Poli and serve. Enjoy the healthy, protein packed, lip-smacking Moong Dal Halwa Sweet Poli!!

Till my next post, take care everyone! #staysafe

Aloo Paratha (Spiced Potato filling stuffed flatbread)

Aloo paratha is a classic Punjabi dish that needs no introduction. It is an Indian flatbread with spiced potato stuffing inside it. It tastes heavenly. One bite and you will be hooked forever. Even though it is a traditional Punjabi dish, it is made in almost all regions in India. Who doesn't love potatoes, right??!! You can follow this recipe and try it out for yourself:

Ingredients: For the dough: 2 cups wheat flour, 1 tsp maida flour (to give elasticity to the dough), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder. For Stuffing: Potatoes - 4-5 boiled and mashed, turmeric powder - 1 tsp, chilli powder - 1 tsp, coriander powder - 1 tsp, ginger garlic paste, green chillies and cilantro crushed - 2 tsp (optional), 1/2 tsp dried mango powder, salt to taste.

Method: Mix all the ingredients for the dough and set it aside for at least 2-3 hours. For the filling: Boil and mash 4-5 potatoes. Mix all the stuffing ingredients and make small balls and set aside. Take the dough and make small balls (slightly bigger than the stuffing balls) and set aside. Roll one dough ball to disc shape and fill in the stuffing ball. Seal the stuffing inside the dough dip it in loose wheat flour and roll the paratha. After that fry it on hot tava and add ghee or olive oil or butter as per your preference while roasting. Make sure to roast on medium flame so that the paratha does not burn.

Enjoy with raita, ketchup, pickle, chutney or any condiment of your choice. In this picture, I have served it with boondi raita and ginger-orange chutney.

Till my next post, take care everyone!!

Dhapate (Maharashtrian Wholegrain Multi-flour Flatbread or paratha - Healthy and spicy)

'Dhapate' is a typical Marathi word. It literally means 'beating'. Dhapate are typically made not by the traditional rolling method but by gently patting (beating) the dough into a flat roti shape - hence the name :) They are made by mixing various whole grain flours and that's what makes them super healthy - full of fiber and tasty. Dhapate are somewhat like Thalipeeth except thinner like paratha. They taste awesome and are easy to make.

Ingredients: Whole wheat flour - 1 cup, Jowar flour - 1/2 cup, Bajra flour - 1/2 cup, Besan (Chickpea flour) - 1/4 cup, Onion - 1 medium finely chopped, Green chillies - 1-2, Cumin seeds/ powder - 1 tsp, Ajwain/(Owa)/ Caraway seeds - 1/2 tsp, Garlic - 6-8 pods crushed, Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp (optional), Cilantro - 3-4 tbsp finely chopped, Sesame seeds/flax seeds - 2-3 tsp, oil - 2-3 tsp tsp knead,  Salt - as per taste.


Method: Coarsely grind green chilies and garlic in a mixer. Chop the onion finely or coarsely grind in mixer too. Combine flours, onion, coarsely ground green chili/ garlic, cumin seeds or powder, red chili powder (optional), cilantro and salt in a mixing bowl. Add 2-3 tsp oil and just enough water to mix and knead the flour into a soft dough. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes. Divide the dough into equal size pieces. Take a plastic sheet and gently pat the dough pieces into discs. Put some sesame seeds or flax seeds on top and gently pat them down into the Dhapata.  Gently remove the dhapata from plastic sheet and transfer and cook them on hot griddle/ tawa. Make sure to thoroughly cook by adding a few drops of oil on both sides till light golden in color.

Serve with Spicy Garlic/Peanut chutney. Enjoy this unique Maharashtrian delicacy!! 

Till my next post everyone, take care!!

Tikhat Mitha chya Poorya (Maharashtrian Masala Pooris)

Recently, Socal was going through a bad patch of weather along with the rest of the globe. To overcome the rainy day blues, I decided to make my all time favorite snack....... Tikhat Mithachya Poorya. Mom used to add Owa/Ajwain to these pooris and we were in 7th heaven whenever she made them. The ajwain gives a very unique flavor to the pooris. These pooris are also popular picnic or overnight trip food amongst Maharashtrians. 'Tikhat' means red chilly powder and 'mith' means salt, so the loosely translated, it means hot and savory pooris :)

To make them, take 2 cups wheat flour, add 1 tbsp besan (gramflour), 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilly powder, 1 tsp ajwain/owa, 1 tsp sesame seeds, 2 tsp chopped cilantro and salt to taste. After this add "mohan" ie heat about 3 tsp oil in a pan and pour it on the flour. This helps pooris to puff up. Knead the dough with some water. It should not be too soft or too firm. Keep it covered for 1/2 hour and then roll out little discs and deep fry them in hot oil. Serve with any pickle of your choice. Do try them out.

Thank god I thought of clicking the pictures before I called my kiddos over for snack time; because they finished all of them in exactly 5 mins :))

Sending this as an entry for two events:
Seasoned and Dressed's: Cooking with Seeds Event originally started by Priya and also to Tickling Palates: Deep Fried Snack Event.

Methi Banana Paratha

 My mother is a person who does not like to waste things. So whenever we had bananas left over at the end of the week, she used them very creatively by making these parathas!! 
To make them, mash 1 banana very finely, add 1/2 cup of finely chopped methi leaves, 1 tsp sugar (optional), a pinch of salt, 1 tsp oil and 1 heaped cup of whole wheat flour. Start kneading it all together. Normally you will not need any water, the moisture from the bananas is enough to form the dough, but if you do need additional moisture, add very little water/milk to make the dough. Let it rest for 10-15 mins. After that heat a flat pan/tava and roll out the parathas and cook them on both sides. Put a bit of ghee (preferred)/oil when each side and cook for an additional minute.  They taste best with homemade ghee!! 
BTW, Friends, it looks like I am going to be busy for quite sometime, so will post recipes/visit ur blogs as and when I get time :)) Take care everyone!

 I am sending this as an entry to Spicy Lounge's CoL- LeftoverDelicacies Event.