Cornmeal Roti or Paratha (Indian Flatbread) with Urad Dal (Split Black Gram) and Fenugreek
Makka, Urad Dal and Kasuri Methi Roti / Paratha
I love cornmeal roties, parathas, especially when served with a Spinach or Mustard Leaves saag. This type of recipes are disappearing from modern day Indian cuisine, because younger generation find them harder to make. This is an easy version, using a Poori Press that most people have these days. Taco press will work just as well.
It is a wheat free bread.
This recipe is based on my late mother in-law Kiran Devi Gupta's popular Cornmeal & Urad Dal Kachauri - Deep Fried Indian Flat Bread recipe.
Edited August 2023
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups fine corn flour/cornmeal, not the fine corn starch that is used for making custard and sauces
- 1/2 cup skinless black gram or urad/urd/urid dal
- 2 tbsp. dry methi leaves (Kasoori methi)
- 1 1/2-2 inch piece ginger root, peeled and finely grated
- 1-2 green chillies (to taste). Use dry red chillies, coarsely ground, if you do not have fresh ones.
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds, coarsely ground (optional)
- A large pinch of asafoetida*.
- A little oil for rolling out and for pan frying parathas
- A plastic sandwich bag, with two sides slit open
- 1/2 cup oil for rolling out and making parathas.
- 1 Poori Press. You can roll them by hand also, see step
- No salt. Salt makes the dal dough runny
- * Asafoetida reduces the flatulent effect of lentils, beans and dals. That is why, it is always used in India to temper the dals, called giving a tarka to the dals.
Instructions
- Grind dal in a grinder, I use a coffee grinder.
- Place dal, and methi leaves in a small bowl and half a cup of hot water. Leave for a couple of hours for dal to soften.
- Place flour, ginger, chillies, asafoetida, ginger, ground fennel seeds, in a large bowl.
- Add ground dal and methi leaves mix and enough hot water, a little at a time, to make pliable dough. You will need to mix it with a spatula initially, unless you have asbestos hands like mine! The dough should not be too soft. Otherwise it will become impossible to lift up a rolled roti without breaking it. If it is too firm, it will crack while rolling.
- Cover and leave aside for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, split open a clean sandwich bag on two sides and open it out. Grease the inside surfaces lightly. You will need to do this between each roti/paratha. Plastic bag stops the roti from sticking to the poori press or your work surface, as you roll out each roti/paratha and makes it much easier to lift up.
- Grease your palms lightly and pick a small portion of dough to make a ball, slightly larger than a gold ball. Size is a personal choice.
- Place the ball between two layers of oiled plastic bag and then place it in the centre of the poori/taco press.
- Press gently to 5-6 inch diameter.
- Peel the top layer of plastic off gently. Then lift the roti/paratha, along with the base layer of the plastic, with your right hand. Turn it over onto the left palm and peel off the other layer of plastic.
- Slide it gently onto the pre-heated griddle or Tava. Turn it over with a flat spatula when it becomes slightly darker in colour.
- If you press it gently with a balled up kitchen towel, you can coax it into puffing up.
- For roti, you do not need to put any more oil. For paratha, coat both sides with a thin layer of oil as it cooks, using a small ladle.
- Turn it over a few times, until golden and crisp on both sides.
- Serve hot, with a spinach saag/dal or a vestibule curry of choice. You can also serve them snacks, with a pickle of choice and a steaming mug of tea. If making in advance, slightly under-cook and cool them out on a towel. Stack them to heat them individually on a flame or a few at a time, under a grill.
- You can also freeze them when cool.
Notes
- You can roll out roties/parathas with a rolling pin, using dry flour for dusting. Spinach leave may be used as a substitute to methi leaves.