Millet Flour Paratha With Fenugreek Or Lambsquarter Leaves (Guten Free)
Bajra-Methi or Bathua Paratha
Mamta Gupta
Bajra roti and paratha used to be eaten frequently in our house when I was growing up. It was one of my father's favourites. In UK, bajra or bajri flour is available from most Indian grocers. It is suitable for people who can not eat wheat for some reason, but check with your doctor first.
In India, it is cultivated and sold at markets as a recognised leaf vegetable.
Meth/fenugreek leaves are available from most Indian supermarkets in UK. Bathua or Lambsquarter or Pigweed grows wild in most countries including UK. I have seen it growing on the shores of River Olga, near Moscow. Next time you are out and about on your walks in the wild, keep and eye out for it. Pick it only where allowed and away from paths where dogs walk, for obvious reasons! I used to grow it in my garden for years. Now that I live in a flat, I grows it in a pot on my balcony. Pictures here show it made with Batthua/Lambsquarter leaves.
Edited June 2024
Makes 8-10.
Ingredients
2 cups bajra/millet flour
1 bunch methi/fenugreek leaves or Bathua/Lambsquarter leaves. You can use spinach leaves too.
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled
1/2 onion
1-2 green chillies, to taste
1 1/2 tsp. salt (to taste)
1 tsp. carom seeds or ajwain
Boiling water
1/2 cup millet flour for dusting, placed in a dinner size plate.
Oil for shallow frying
Instructions
Remove thick stalks of methi/bathua and wash the leaves. Allow the water to drain out fully by spreading the leaves out on a towel for a few hours.
Steam the leaves. I do this in a microwave steamer, takes only 3-5 minutes.
Peel and grate the ginger*.
Peel and chop onion finely*.
Chop the chillies finely*.
*I place all four, the steamed leaves, ginger, onion and green chillies in a food processor and chop them together.
Place millet flour in a heat resistant bowl, add the chopped methi/bathua leaves, ginger, chillies, salt, carom seeds and mix well.
Now add hot water slowly, a little by little, and mix well with a fork.
Wait a few minutes, until it is cool enough to handle and then knead to make a firm dough, adding more water/flour, if needed, to get a 'rolling out' consistency.
Keep aside for an hour or so.
Place a pan or 'Tava' on heat. I have a gas cooker.
Break dough off to make balls, one at a time, little larger than a golf ball. Roll each in dusting flour.
Roll out one ball at a time, with gentle pressure, into a 10-12 cm or 5 inch disc. It should not be too thin, approximately 3/4 mm thick.
Ease off the board gently, using a flat spatula if necessary (bajra tends to be a little sticky).
Place on a hot frying pan or tava. After about a minute or so, when it changes colour to a bit darker, turn over.
Smear a little oil on both sides, using a small ladle or karchi. Cook on both sides, turning over from time to time, until it has a few brown spots on both sides and it is crisp.
Cook all parathas in the same way.
Serve hot with yoghurt, pickles and chutney or as part of an Indian meal. They are best served straight off the griddle/tava, crisp and hot.
Notes
This paratha can be made without the methi/bathua leaves too.
To make roti, cook exactly the same way, but without oil. Last part of cooking the roties is easier directly on a gas flame, using tongs to flip over frequently. You can also cook them under a pre-heated grill.
If you are less experienced at making roties, you can roll out as follows: Split open a plastic sandwich bag. Place one oiled ball of dough on the centre of bottom layer of plastic. Cover with 2nd layer of plastic. Roll it out, through the plastic, into a 12 cm. circle. Peel the top plastic sheet off. Lift the bottom sheet with roti on it and gently peel roti off (it breaks easily). Place on a pre-heated tawa or griddle or a frying pan and cook as above.
