Chapatti Or Roti WithTurmeric And Fenugreek Leaves
Peeli Roti With Methi
Rukmani Garg
This simple roti recipe is from my mother?s younger sister sister Rukmani mausi, may both rest in peace. Both of them shared a house (Kutiya) in Jwalapur. She was a great vegetarian cook. I learn something new from her every time visited them - Mamta.
Edited March 2023
Ingredients
2 cups chapatti flour (250 gm. approximately)
1/2 tsp. turmeric or haldi powder
1/2 tsp. carom or ajwain seeds
1 cup fresh fenugreek leaves or 2 tbsp. dry leaves (Kasoori methi). You can use spinach, bathua, spring onions greens, chives or rocket salad leaves in place of methi leaves.
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves (I have used frozen coriander leaves in these pictures.
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. oil
Luke warm water to make dough
2-3 tbsp. flour for dusting during rolling out
A little Ghee
Instructions
Place flour and all the ingredients in a bowl, except water. Add water little by little and prepare a soft dough. Experienced cook prefer soft?ish dough, which is a little more difficult to roll out, but makes softer roties. Keep aside for 10 minutes or so and then knead again to make it smooth. Do not over knead.
Heat tava or griddle.
Place dusting flour in a plate.
Make 8 balls from the dough.
Dip/dust one ball at a time ball into the dry flour covering all sides and roll out into 7 inch or 16-17cm circle with a rolling pin. It should be rolled from centre out, with a flicking movement of the wrists, so that the edges are thinner than the centre. This helps them to blow up during cooking. You will need to dip/dust it in dry flour, on both sides, a couple of time during this process.
Cooking:
Put the chapatti on hot griddle.
Turn it over when it becomes slightly translucent or you can see a few blisters on the surface.
Cook the other side same way.
Next step can be done either on a pan, or on a direct flame or in a grill. To cook on the pan, press it gently with a scrunched up kitchen towel, coaxing it to balloon up. Cook it pressing gently all over, until it is crisp. To cook on a flame, pick the chapatti with tongs, flip over and place directly on a medium flame, it will balloon up. Move it around continuously, or it will burn. It should be cooked evenly all over. To cook under a grill, place the roti under a pre-heated grill. As it balloons up, turn it over quickly and cook the other side. You have to watch it continuously, because it cooks very fast under a hot grill and can burn.
Coat with a thin film of ghee or butter (not for vegans).
If you are serving straight from the griddle, make the surfaces quite crisp and serve with a thin film of ghee on top. If you are serving later, stack them one on top of other*.
Serve hot with curries or dal.
