Channa Dal Paratha

 We can literally make parathas or stuffed flat bread with anything. I was talking to my friend in India a couple days ago while she was making dinner. She said that she was making parathas with channa dal or Bengal gram. It sounded interesting. I thought it was like puran poli, but savory. I made it last night for dinner. I learned that this paratha is very popular in Bihar, and it is usually served with just yogurt or pickle or tomato choki (roasted tomato salsa). Thank you Richa for the recipe. This paratha is really filling and rich in protein.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon melted ghee

water to knead dough

1 teaspoon salt

ghee for making parathas

Ingredients for stuffing:

1 1/2 Cups channa dal

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon daniya-jeera powder (coriander-cumin)

1 teaspoon aamchur powder (dried mango)

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

salt to taste

Method: 

1. Soak channa dal for 4 hours. Boil soaked dal in water until cooked. You could pressure cook dal for couple whistles. Make sure that the dal does not become too mushy.

                                                           

2. Drain the cooked dal completely. Make sure there is no water in it. Transfer to a bowl.

                                                            

3. Add all the ingredients for stuffing. Mix well, mashing the dal. Keep aside.

                                            

4. While dal is boiling, take whole wheat flour in a large bowl. Add ghee, water and salt and knead to make a dough. Rub with oil. Cover and set aside while you prepare the filling.

                                                          

5. Divide dough into portions.

                                                           

6. Roll one portion of dough to a small circle, on a floured surface. 

                                              

Place a tablespoon of the filling in the center. Pull the edges over the filling to close. Pinch to seal.

                             

7. Place the filled dough back on the floured surface. Gently roll it out to paratha using a rolling pin. Make sure the the edges are even.

                                                              

8. Place the paratha on hot griddle (tava). Cook on both sides for a 2 minutes. Keep the heat on medium.

                                                       

9. Drizzle a teaspoon of ghee over the paratha. Gently press with a spatula and cook for a few seconds. Flip paratha over and drizzle ghee on the other side. Cook for a few seconds, until both sides are golden brown. 

                         

10. Transfer to a plate or hot case.

                                                         

11. Repeat process with remaining dough. Serve plain or with yogurt or raita or salsa.