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Recipes | Missi Roti, Potato Kulchas and Panchmel Daal – Holding on to my Roots

21 January 2013 22 Comments

Recipes | Missi Roti, Potato Kulchas and Panchmel Daal

Like all the best families, we too have our share of family disagreements. Daughter likes plain flat breads (chapattis) while son prefers stuffed breads and if hubby likes Lachha parathas, its a big no-no for me. But there is something at home we all are one with…our good old Tandoor or grill, and anything cooked or baked in it is liked by one and all.

Crispy Missi Rotis (chickpea flour flat breads) and spicy Panchmel Daal (five lentils) is yet another popular combination of scrumptious foods from my hometown Rajasthan. People living in the desert areas cook this healthy, filling and delicious recipes during winter season when their body require more fuel in terms of protein and fat to combat the adverse cold conditions of harsh winter months.

Villagers in many places of Rajasthan still light their hearth by burning either wood or cow-dung to give them warmth from the cold waves and also to cook their meals on it.

My grand-mom used to cook these flat breads in a homemade ‘Chulha‘  lit with cow dung. And I still don’t remember eating the same with any accompaniments…it was just hot Missi Rotis and a big dollop of fresh white butter from our cows…those were the days.

Though the ingredients I use to make flat breads in a Tandoor or on griddle (tawa) are exactly the same, the food cooked in former gives a rustic feel to it. Strong smoky flavor and those dark brown patches, the very characteristic of  Tandoor cooking is what makes the food so appealing. The only drawback is that it has to be consumed immediately once cooked and out of Tandoor, as the food tend to become hard and chewy after it cools down.

The ratio of lentils in my Panchmel Daal which also means a combination of five lentils changes from time to time. I normally add more of black gram (whole urad daal) in the recipe which is sparingly used in my menu.

Recipes | Missi Roti, Potato Kulchas and Panchmel Daal

One of the favorite kitchen mates, my electric Tandoor, quite handy and eases my work of making perfect smoky Naans, Kulchas and other such stuffs in a jiffy.

1. Missi Rotis or Chickpea flour Flat Breads

Recipes | Missi Roti, Potato Kulchas and Panchmel Daal

Ingredients to go in for the Kulcha and Missi Rotis…

Ingredients;

  • 1/2 cup chickpea flour or besan
  • 1 ½ cup wholewheat four
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp. shredded mint leaves
  • 2 green chilies
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • Salt as desired

Spices;

  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp. red chilly powder
  • 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
  • Water for kneading
  • Oil for shallow frying

Recipes | Missi Roti, Potato Kulchas and Panchmel Daal

Method; Peel and shred onion finely, chop green chilies and dice garlic into fine pieces.

Take a large bowl and add all the ingredients except water and oil in it.

Mix all the ingredients well.

Keep sprinkling water to bring all the ingredients together till you get a soft dough.

Oil your palms and knead the dough for a few minutes. Cover and let it rest for about 15 minutes.

Recipes | Missi Roti, Potato Kulchas and Panchmel Daal

Heat a griddle or tawa on medium heat. Pinch small balls from the dough and shape them into perfect rounds.

Take a dough ball, flatten it and dust it with flour.

Roll each ball into a circle using a rolling pin, dust it again with flour if the flat bread sticks to the surface.

Recipes | Missi Roti, Potato Kulchas and Panchmel Daal

Use any of the methods given below to cook the flat bread;

1. Place the rolled flat bread or Missi Roti on the hot griddle and cook for a minute.Flip the flat bread and cook the other side for a minute till few brown spots appear on it.

2. You can also bake the bread in a pre heated oven at 220 °C for 7-8 minutes placed on a greased baking tray.

3. Alternatively pre heat a Tandoor (electric) for 10 minutes. Place the potato Kulcha and close the lid. Cook for 5-6 minutes, do not flip the Kulcha.

Take off the Missi Roti from the griddle or tandoor and spread a little fresh butter or ghee on it and serve hot with Daal Makhani, yogurt raita, pickle or chutney of your choice.

2..Potato Kulcha or Stuffed Flat Breads

Recipes | Missi Roti, Potato Kulchas and Panchmel Daal

Ingredients;

  • 1 ½ cup whole wheat four
  • 1/2 cup All purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp yogurt
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • Salt as desired
  • Water to knead the dough

Potato filling;

  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 green chilies
  • 1 tsp. red chilly powder
  • 1 tsp Anardana (dried pomegranate seeds, optional)
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • Salt as desired
  • A few mint leaves

Method; Kulchas; Take a large bowl and add both flours and salt in it. Mix it well.

Add yogurt, oil and milk in the flour and rub it with fingers to incorporate all the ingredients well.

Sprinkle water to bring all the ingredients together. Add little more water and make a soft dough.

Cover the dough with a moist cloth and let it stand for 10 minutes

Filling;  Boil or dry roast the potatoes. For dry roasting the potatoes, prick the potatoes with a fork several times and wrap them in aluminum foil.

Bake it in a pre heated oven for 30 minutes or grill them in a heated grill for 20 minutes.

Let the potatoes cool, peel and mash it.

Peel and shred onion finely. Chop green chilies.

Dry roast Anardana (dry pomegranate seeds) and cumin seeds for a few minutes in a pan and powder them coarsely.

Mix all the ingredients for the filling.

Potato Kulcha; Divide the dough into small balls. Take a dough ball, dust it with flour and flatten it slightly to make a small circle.

Take a small portion of potato filling (about 2 tbsp) and put it in the center of the flattened Kulcha. Pull all sides of the dough to cover it completely. Roll it into a ball again, dust with flour and roll it lightly using a rolling pin to make a large circle.

If you feel the potato mix it peeping out, just sprinkle a little flour and roll it again. Use any of the methods given below to cook the flat bread;

1. Heat a griddle and place the rolled out potato Kulcha on it. Cook for a minute. Flip the flat bread and cook the other side for a minute till few brown spots appear on it.

2. You can also bake the bread in a pre heated oven at 220 °C for 7-8 minutes placed on a greased baking tray.

3. Alternatively pre heat a Tandoor (electric) for 10 minutes. Place the potato Kulcha and close the lid. Cook for 5-6 minutes, do not flip the Kulcha.

Take out form the Tandoor and spread fresh butter or ghee and serve with hot with Daal Makhani, yogurt raita, pickle or chutney of your choice.

3. Panchmel Daal or Five Lentils

Recipes | Missi Roti, Potato Kulchas and Panchmel Daal

Ingredients;

  • 1/2 cup Black gram (urad daal)
  • 2 tbsp. Bengal gram (channa daal)
  • 2 tbsp. Green gram (moong daal)
  • 2 tbsp. Pigeon pea (toovar daal)
  • 2 tbsp. Red Lentils (masoor daal)
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 1 green chilly
  • 1’ ginger piece
  • 3 cups Water

Spices;

  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp. coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp. garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 2 cloves
  • Salt as desired

Method; Wash and soak all the lentils for 2 hours. Peel and dice onion, chop tomatoes roughly. Grind green chilly and ginger to a fine paste in a pestle and mortal.

Drain and boil the lentils with turmeric (haldi), tomatoes and onion in 3 cups of water for 3 whistle in a pressure cooker or till done in a normal vessel.

Let the lentil mix cool, mash the cooked lentils with a ladle lightly.

Heat a large pan or wok, add crackle cumin seeds and cloves. Add ginger and chilly paste, coriander powder, salt and sauté for a minute.

Pour cooked lentils in the pan, stir to mix all the ingredients well and let it simmer for a few minutes.

Recipes | Missi Roti, Potato Kulchas and Panchmel Daal

Take the cooked lentil off the flame and add garam masala, 1 tsp. lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with Indian flat breads, Naan, Kulchas or with plain rice.

I keep holding on to my roots by cooking foods from my hometown more often, though my children don’t relish the same but these are the moments I live for myself…and I cherish each one of it!

Notes;

  1. Flat breads cooked in Tandoor are crisp and slightly chewy than the griddle cooked flat breads.
  2. Normally onion is not added in Panchmel daal, but I like the flavor it gives in my recipe.
  3. Add a tsp. of lemon juice to the Panchmel daal (lentils).
  4. Add Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves in the lentil recipe in the end for a lovely aroma.
  5. Dry roasted (in grill or Tandoor) potatoes tastes smoky and gives a wonderful flavor and texture to the filling.
  6. I did not add any leavening agents )baking powder/soda/yeast to my Kulchas in this recipe, you may add a pinch of baking soda while kneading the dough t get softer Kulchas.
  7. You can try the following method if you don’t have a Tandoor at home to get similar smoky effect on your Kulchas as I do it for my Paneer stuffed Naans here.

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22 Comments »

  • Shashank Shekhar said:

    WOW you made me so happy today…I love this typical Indian dish… my mom would love to see this preparation 🙂

  • Pinky said:

    Love Love the pics….Your blog is very good sanjeeta, i always visit this site whenever i am on lookout for a new recipe to try and have tried quiet many of your recipes.

  • Deepa said:

    Have been eyeing to buy an electric tandoor and here you are tempting me with the pictures..Panchmel dal also looks inviting

  • Charul @ Tadka Masala said:

    Your pics always make me drool and inspire also at the same time. I hope to click like you some day! 🙂

  • Priya said:

    Omg, loving that electric tandoor, is it too heavy? else i’l ask my mom who is rite now in India to get me one before she leaves.

    Roti,kulchas and dal, cant ask more..Wonderful dishes;

  • sanjeeta kk said:

    @Priya, The Tandoor weighs about 6 Kgs.

  • dassana said:

    i am coming to your home 😉 love the roti platter and panchmel dal is an all time favorite.

  • Helen from the UK said:

    Oh WOW, so glad you have posted this recipe as Missi Roti is my favourite bread I always order at my local Indian Restaurant. I’ve always wanted to have a go myself and now I can and also accompany them with a wonderful looking Daal too. Thanks so much too for your delicious photos to tempt us all to get cooking.
    Equipment envy with your electric tandoor too 🙂

  • mjskit said:

    Cow dung? Really? Hum – interesting. 🙂 Well, you can make flatbreads for me anytime. I love them and need to make them more often! Love all of your flatbreads!!Both of these look especially good with all the wonderful seasoning. The mint is a surprise but I would think it gives them a refreshing finish. An electric tandoor? Never heard of it nor seen one. Being as you make so many flatbreads I can see that it’s a great kitchen aid! How fun!

  • Sandhya said:

    Beautiful clicks! Love the recipes and the electric tandoor looks really good. I have to research on that…Thanks for sharing!

  • Helene Dsouza I Masala Herb said:

    I have never tried the Panch daal or the stuffed roti or the missi rotis. You have a proper electric Tandoor!! I want one like that. Love your pictures Sanjeeta.

  • Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen said:

    I’ve never seen an electric Tandoor. All those flat breads sound pretty amazing!

  • aparna said:

    never seen the electronic platter ! i love this dal 🙂 wll surely try

  • chinmayie @ love food eat said:

    Such lovely kulchas and the dal looks mouthwatering.

  • Nami | Just One Cookbook said:

    Wow! I had never seen an electric Tandoor! It seems like everyone’s dream to have that! Your pictures made me VERY hungry at 11:30pm.. 🙂 Wish I can jump in and join you!

  • foodwanderings said:

    Love this holding to your roots post Sanjeeta and the recipes are mouthwatering. Funny my mom had to juggle between six kids likes and dislikes.

  • Kelly Senyei (Just a Taste) said:

    What an amazing roundup of recipes, especially the Stuffed Flat Breads! Can’t wait to try making them!

  • Kankana said:

    I never tried making missi roti at home but these looks so good and perfectly done. And that tandoor is a fun gadget!

  • Sumita said:

    Missi Rotis are my absolute favourite!! So also Panchranga Dal…thanks for the mouthwateriness :))

  • subharekha said:

    love ur site! been here lots but never commented (selfish on my part considering that i try most of ur baking bites even without an oven! )
    going to try this daal today dat too experiment with guests at home for a party!
    ur mint orange juice recipe is in the fridge! jus wish me luck that things shld come out gud 🙂
    thanks again 🙂

  • saruchi said:

    How do you clean electric tandoor tray

  • sanjeeta kk said:

    @Saruchi, The tray in my Tandoor can be removed from the gadget. You can unplug the Tandoor and wipe the tray with a moist sponge or use a silpat baking tray over the Tandoor tray to avoid spilling food on it.

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