Urad dhal (black gram) Paratha

This is a quick and simple recipe that works very well as a weeknight dinner or as a lunch box recipe. You do not have to go to all the trouble of stuffing the filling and rolling them to make parathas. Cooked black urad dhal and spices is added along with the flour and made into a dough, making the work much easier. I made this recently when I ended up with lots of soaked urad dal for dhal makhani, a mistake which I often seem to make! So instead of making a huge batch of dhal makhani, I added some of the cooked dhal in the dough to make these delicious parathas. And, my favorite part of this recipe is that I do not have to make a side dish separately as the paratha by itself is spicy and delicious.

Ingredients:

• 21/2 cups atta/wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cooked black urad dhal
• 1/2 tsp kasuri methi
• 1/2 tsp ajwain/carom seeds
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp amchur powder
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt to taste
• water for kneeding

Method:

To cook the urad dal, soak them in water overnight and cook them in a pressure cooker, adding water to just immerse the dals. Cook for 4-5 whistles. You could cook them without a pressure cooker (using a normal pan) too, but it will take much longer to cook.

Mix all the ingredients mentioned above to make a soft pliable dough . Cover it and let it rest for 20-25 minutes. (When you add the dal, drain it and add it to the dough. The liquid from the dal can be used to make the dough in place of water)

Make balls from the dough and roll it in a floured surface. (Do not roll them very thin)

Cook the parathas in a hot tawa/pan on both sides using little oil/ghee until they are golden brown. Serve hot with raita and pickle of your choice.

Note:

You could substitute the urad dal with rajma /red kidney beans.

Make sure you cook the dhals well. You should be able to easily mash them.