Ingredients

• Dough

• 500 gm. ( 3 1/2-4 cups) chapatti flour (keep a little aside on a plate, to use for dusting)

• 1 level tsp. ajwain or carom seeds

• 1 tsp. cooking oil

• A large pinch of salt

• 300 ml. water approximately. Add a little more or a little less until you get a soft dough

• Dal Filling

• 1/2 cup skinless chana dal (split Bengal gram dal)

• 1/4 cup toor/arhar/tuvar dal (pigeon-peas or split red gram)

• 1 cup water

• 1 tbsp. oil.

• 1 tbsp. chopped/grated ginger

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)

• 1 onion, peeled and chopped finely

• 1 green chilli chopped finely

• 1 tsp. Garam Masala

• 1 tsp. amchoor/dry mango powder or juice of 1/2 lime

• 1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves

• Flour for dusting during rolling out

• Oil for pan frying

Instructions

1. Make a well kneaded dough from dough ingredients. Keep aside covered with a damp cloth

2. Place dals, salt and 1 cup water in a pressure cooker and cook for 2 minutes under full pressure or in a pan until just done. You may need more water for cooking in a pan. There should be no water left. If there is, drain it off.

3. Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies, until they are beginning to turn brown.

4. Add cooked lentils along with the amchoor/lime juice and mix well.

5. Turn heat off, add coriander leaves, garam masala and mix. Keep aside.

6. Make 8-10 balls from the dough and roll out, one ball at a time, into a circle about 3inch or 7-8 am. diameter.

7. Place one tablespoonful of the filling mix in the centre. You may sprinkle some flour on top, but this is not necessary if your filling is quite dry.

8. Gather the edges up together in the centre and cut off any extra dough from top, see picture.make a ball again.

9. Press it down a bit into a slightly flat ball..

10. Dip in dusting flour and roll it out into a 6-7 inch or 16-17 cm. circle, dusting it on both side from time to time.

11. Put it on a heated griddle or tava.

12. Turn it over after a minute, when it changes colour slightly.

13. Brush with a layer of oil, using a small ladle/ large spoon.

14. Turn over and now brush oil on the other side. The paratha will develop several brown spots as it cooks.

15. Turn it a few times pressing all over with a ladle, until both side are evenly cooked. When ready, it should be crisp and light brown with dark brown spots all over.

16. Serve ihot, straigh from the pan, with yogurt or Raita and a Pickle of choice.

17. You can make the parathas in advance, stack them and keep them wrapped in aluminium foil. I use a thermal Indian Chapatti 'dabba' container for this.

Notes

• Any left over dals can be used to stuff parathas, but they must be dried first, dry enough to make a stuffing.