Thalipeeth

The flour is roasted before it is ground, and it has legumes and spices in it already.

Vegan.

Ingredients

• 100 g rice
• 100 g jowar, sorghum
• 80 g bajra, pearl millet
• 60 g wheat
• 60 g chana dal
• 40 g urad dal
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 30 g coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 green chillies, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons oil, for cooking

Method

1. THE FLOUR IS ROASTED BEFORE IT IS GROUND, AND IT HAS LEGUMES AND SPICES IN IT ALREADY. Its article names the flour and then its contents: the flour is called BHAJANEE and it is PREPARED FROM ROASTED GRAINS, LEGUMES AND SPICES -- rice, wheat, bajra and jowar; chana and urad; and MOST COMMONLY CORIANDER AND CUMIN SEEDS. So the spices are in the flour rather than in the dough, and the flour is a thing you make in advance and keep. That is why a thalipeeth tastes roasted and nutty all through, which no dough seasoned at the last minute can manage.
2. EVERY COMPONENT IS ROASTED SEPARATELY. They take different times -- the dals longest, the spices shortest. Roasted together, the coriander seed burns before the chana dal has coloured.
3. IT IS GROUND COARSE, NOT FINE. Bhajanee is a gritty flour and that is the texture of the bread.
4. THE WET INGREDIENTS GO IN AT THE LAST MINUTE. Its article says that WHEN PREPARING THE DOUGH, other ingredients such as ONION, FRESH CORIANDER, other vegetables and spices are added. Onion in a standing dough weeps and the dough goes slack.
5. IT IS PATTED OUT BY HAND, NOT ROLLED. Directly onto the hot pan or onto greased paper, pressed thin with wet fingers. A coarse multigrain dough with onion in it will not survive a rolling pin.
6. HOLES ARE MADE IN IT WITH A FINGER. Four or five, right through. Oil goes into the holes and the middle cooks at the same rate as the edge.
7. IT COOKS COVERED FIRST, THEN UNCOVERED. Three minutes under a lid to steam it through, then uncovered on both sides to crisp.
8. THERE IS A FASTING VERSION AND ITS ARTICLE NAMES THE FLOURS. Tapioca and amaranth instead of bhajanee, for Hindu fasting days -- a different bread entirely.
9. ITS ARTICLE IS PARTICULAR ABOUT WHAT GOES WITH IT. Butter, PREFERABLY MADE FROM WATER BUFFALO MILK, or ghee, or yoghurt.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes