Translate

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Palak Chappathi/ Spinach and Garlic Flat Bread

             Indian cuisine is as diverse as it's culture. Rice and roti (any indian flat bread) are staple foods of India. Chapathi is an unleavened flat bread /roti, made with whole wheat flour and cooked on a pre- heated flat pan. 
spinach and garlic chapathi
Soft, healthy and tasty!  
          I used spinach, garlic and whole wheat flour to make this nutritious and tasty chapathi.  
keerai chapathi
love the marble effect!!!
Ingredients:
2 cups        whole wheat flour
2 cloves      garlic 
1 small       green chilli (optional)
1 handful    baby spinach (20- 25 leaves)
1/2 cup       water
1/2 tsp        salt 
1 tbsp         oil (to grease the pan)
Method:
1. Finely chop the garlic and green chilli. Heat the water in a pan and add the spinach, garlic, green chilli and salt. Drain the water when the leaves starts to wilt, reserve the water.
2. Put the spinach mixture in a blender and pulse 
it one or two times (it should not become pulpy, the cooked torn leaves  gives the chapathi a nice marble effect).
3. Stir the spinach mixture and the remaining water with the flour, combine it well to make a soft dough, sprinkle additional flour if the dough becomes sticky.
spinach chapathi
4. Place the dough in a floured surface. Knead it by pressing the  hands firmly into the dough, pushing forward slightly. Repeat it till the dough becomes smooth. 
5. Cover the dough with a moist kitchen towel and set it aside for at least 2 hrs. 
palak chapathi
6. Divide the dough into (lime size) smooth balls. Slightly flatten a dough ball with hand and sprinkle some flour over it, (this prevents the dough from sticking to the surface).
pasalai keerai chapathi
marble!!! 
7. Roll the flattened ball into 5-6" disc with a rolling pin. 
 8. Heat (med) a flat pan/ tava and grease the surface with oil. Place the rolled out chappathi on the pan. Flip it over when small bubbles appear on the surface. 
palak ki roti
9. Flip it again after 2 or 3 mins, lower the heat. Dip a (crushed) paper towel in oil and gently press the chapathi's surface and around the edges to make it puff. 
spinach bread
10. Remove from heat and serve it with raitha or any kuruma. 
Suggested side dish for this chapathi: 
1.  Pepper Chicken
2.  Chicken in coconut gravy
3.  Tomato Sabzi/ Thakali kootu
4.  Chicken Kuruma
5.  Kadala Curry/ garbanzo bean curry