This recipe from Nidhi Verma – founder of the Meri Rasoi Indian cookery school based in London – is not only a great way of using leftover cooked dal but also a very nutritious and tasty bread. Enjoy it for breakfast served with yogurt and pickle.
SERVES 4 • Prep time: 15 minutes • Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 250g left-over cooked chana dal
- 280g Whole wheat or chapatti flour
- A handful of fresh, finely-chopped coriander – handful
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- 100ml water approx. (depending on consistency)
- Spices for rice
- 1 tsp carom seeds
- Salt – to taste
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil – 4 tbsp
Method
- To make the dough mix the flour, cooked lentils, coriander, green chillies, carom seeds, a little oil and salt together in a large bowl.
- First mix the lentils well with the dough and see if water is required. Add water gradually, kneading all the time with your hand (for 8-10 mins) to make the dough firm and smooth. Cover and leave to rest for at 10-15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into small to medium balls. Roll the balls in the palms of your hands. Dust the balls lightly with flour and roll into flat round circles using a board and rolling pin. Apply a little oil or ghee on this circle.
- Then roll it up lengthways, like a Swiss roll. Now holding one end start rolling inwards like a cinnamon roll.
- Flatten this round roll slightly with your fingers and lightly dust with flour. Roll again into a circle but make sure to not roll very thin.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat until it is quite hot. Place the rolled parathas onto the pan and turn up the heat slightly. You will see the paratha puffing up from the base on some sides. Flip the paratha and apply ghee on this side. Wait for the other side to puff up and flip again cooking until at least one side goes crisp. Serve hot with any lentil or vegetable dish.
Top tip: It’s best practice to let the dough rest so you can even make the dough in advance but make sure to bring to room temperature before cooking.