Griddle Fried Legume Breads Recipes

GRIDDLE-FRIED LEGUME BREADS

Steps:

• 1. Place all the ingredients except the dal in a medium bowl and mix well with your clean fingers. Add 2/3 cup dal and stir in round circular motions until it starts to gather into a dough. (Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more flour if the dough seems sticky, or some water if it seems to firm.)2. Knead for about a minute, pressing your knuckles lightly into the dough, spreading the dough outward, then gathering the ends together toward the center with your fingers. Push down the center, then repeat pressing and gathering a few times until you have a soft and pliable dough that does not stick to your fingers. If, while kneading, the dough sticks to your hands, put a little oil or water on them.3. Cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl and set aside at least 1 and up to 4 hours. (This allows the wheat gluten to develop.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.4. Preheat the tava or griddle over medium-high heat until a sprinkling of the flour immediately turns dark brown. Wipe off the flour and proceed. While the tava is heating, with lightly oiled hands divide the dough into 10 to 12 round balls (depending on the size of the parantha you like.) Cover with foil to prevent drying.5. Working with each ball of dough separately, place in bowl with the dry flour, flatten it with your fingertips, and coat well with the dry flour. Transfer to a cutting board or any other clean flat surface and, with a rolling pin, roll into a 6- to 7-inch circle of uniform thickness. (If the dough sticks to the rolling surface, dust with more flour.) Baste the top of the dough with ghee and fold into a triangle, square, or circle, as per the directions, Shaping Paranthas: To Make a Layered Triangle (see INFORMATION AND SPECIAL TECHNIQUES).6. Place the rolled parantha on the hot tava or griddle. Turn over when it is slightly cooked and dotted with tiny golden spots on the bottom, about 1 minute. When the other side is covered with larger brown dots, turn it over, and brush lightly with oil. Flip it over again and fry the oiled side about 30 seconds. Similarly, baste and fry the other side another 30 seconds. There should be a total of 4 turns.7. Remove from the griddle and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

GRIDDLE-FRIED OPO SQUASH BREADS

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix well with clean fingers. Add the squash, garlic, oil, and green chili peppers and mix with your fingers in round circular motions, until it starts to gather into a dough. (Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more flour if the dough seems sticky, or some water if it seems too firm.) 2. Knead for about a minute, pressing your knuckles lightly into the dough, spreading the dough outward, and gathering the ends together toward the center with your fingers. Push the center down and repeat pressing and gathering a few times until you have a soft and pliable dough that does not stick to your fingers. (If, while kneading, the dough sticks to your hands, put a little oil or water on them.)3. Cover and let rest at least 1 and up to 4 hours at room temperature. (This allows the gluten to develop.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.4. To make the breads, preheat the tava or griddle over medium-high heat until a sprinkling of the flour immediately turns dark brown. Wipe off the flour and proceed. While the tava is heating, with lightly oiled hands, divide the dough equally into 12 to 16 balls and cover with foil to prevent drying. 5. Working with each ball of dough separately, place in bowl with the dry flour, flatten it with your fingertips, and coat well with the dry flour. Transfer to a cutting board or any other clean flat surface and, with a rolling pin, roll into a 6- to 7-inch circle of uniform thickness. (If the dough sticks to the rolling surface, dust with more flour.) Baste the top of the dough with ghee and fold into a triangle, square, or circle, as per the directions, Shaping Paranthas: To Make a Layered Triangle (see INFORMATION AND SPECIAL TECHNIQUES).6. Place the rolled parantha on the hot tava or griddle. Turn over when it is slightly cooked and dotted with tiny golden spots on the bottom, about 1 minute. When the other side is covered with larger brown dots, turn it over, and brush lightly with oil. Flip it over again and fry the oiled side about 30 seconds. Similarly, baste and fry the other side another 30 seconds. There should be a total of 4 turns.7. Remove from the griddle and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.