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.

BASIC GRIDDLE-FRIED BREADS

Steps:

• 1. Place the 2 cups flour in a mixing bowl, add 3/4 cup water or yogurt, and mix with your clean fingers in round circular motions, until it starts to gather. (Add 1 to 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, then gathering the ends together toward the center with your fingers. Push down the center, then repeat pressing the gathering a few times until you have a soft and pliable dough that does not stick to the fingers. Cover and let it rest at least 1 and up to 4 hours at room temperature. (This allows the wheat gluten to develop.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.3. 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.4. 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).5. 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.6. 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 LEAVENED BREADS

Steps:

• 1. In a small bowl, mix the yeast and sugar in the water and set aside until frothy, 5 to 7 minutes.2. Place the flour, salt, and black pepper in a food processor and process until mixed. With the motor running, slowly add the yeast mixture, then the yogurt, through the feeder tube until the flour gathers into a ball and the sides of the work bowl look clean, about 1 minute. (If the dough seems too sticky, add some more dry flour through the feeder tube.) Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl, and place in a warm draft-free spot until it doubles in volume, at least 4 and up to 12 hours.3. With lightly oiled hands, divide the dough equally into 8 to 10 balls and cover with foil to prevent drying. 4. Preheat a tava or griddle over medium-high heat until a sprinkling of flour immediately turns dark brown. Wipe off the flour and proceed. While the tava is heating, working with each ball separately, press into a flat disc in a bowl or pie tin with dry flour, and coat completely with flour. With a rolling pin, on a cutting board or any clean flat work surface, roll each disc into 6- to 7 -inch circles.5. Place the discs 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.6. 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.