Chana Daal Paratha - Bengal Gram Lentil Stuffed Paratha

Chana Dal is very nutritious and easy to digest. These little beans are a powerhouse of lean protein, fiber and iron. They're packed with nutrients, such as folic acid, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc.

Chana Dal also known as "chholar dal" comes from India , where it's appreciated a lot unlike the western countries. "Bengal Gram Lentil"  is the British English term for what we call "chana dal" in Hindi. It's glycemia index is also very good for blood sugar levels.

Chana Dal is very closely related to garbanzo beans, or chickpeas. The differences are that chana dal is younger, smaller, split, sweeter, and has a much lower glycemic index. But you can substitute chana dal for garbanzo beans in just about any recipe.

Chana dal is the split kernel of a variety of chickpea known as desi or bengal gram. It has a sweet and earthy flavor, and the cooked bean is about the size and shape of a corn kernel. Chana Dal is one of the many lentils used to make dal, the family of Indian lentil dishes that form the foundation of Indian cuisine.

Chana Dal makes a quick-cooking, exotic addition to dals, soups, curries, dips, pilafs, fritters, salads, casseroles, and rice or whole grain dishes. Toss them in a little olive oil and your favorite spices and roast them in the oven for a wonderfully tasty, healthy snack.

In Short:
Chana dal is high in fiber and helps to lower cholesterol.
It also has a very low glycemic index, which is important for those with diabetes.
Chana dal is a helpful source of zinc, folate, calcium and protein.
It is low in fat and most of it is polyunsaturated.
Chana dal is extremely delicious in taste, full of nutritious and can be digested easily.

So friends, why not make this lentil a must have food in our diet, when we know it's gonna make a difference. So this time I made Stuffed Paratha with Chana Dal. We had them with Raita, Salad and also some potato curry. Very filling and very healthy Lunch for us. It will be for you as well once you try your hands on these Parathas. let me know by dropping comment to the post, how they turn out for you and family. Until next time.......Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

For Stuffing:

Chana Daal / Split Bengal Gram         - 1 cup soaked overnight and boiled in 1 cup water
Carom Seeds/Ajwain                           - 1 tspoon
Asafetida                                              - 1 pinch
Garam Masala                                      - 1/4 tspoon
Salt                                                       - to taste
Red Chili powder                                 - 1/4 tspoon
Amchoor                                               - 1/2 tspoon
Fresh Coriander                                    - 1 tblspoon
Oil                                                         - 1 tspoon

For Crust/Outer Layer:

Whole-Wheat Flour                              - 2 cups
Garam Masala                                       - 1/4 tspoon
Salt                                                        - to taste
Red Chili powder                                  - 1/4 tspoon
Amchoor                                               - 1/2 tspoon
Oil                                                         - 1 tspoon + 3 tblspoon
Water                                                    - to knead the dough

Method:

First prepare the dough. Mix Flour, Powdered spices, and 1 tspoon oil in a big mixing bowl.
Knead it with the help of water and make a smooth pliable dough.

Keep the dough aside covered with a damp cloth.
Now on to the stuffing. In a small bowl, mix together the Chana Daal, Carom Seeds, Asafetida, Garam Masala, Salt, Amchoor and red chili powder.
In a heavy bottom Pan, add tspoon of oil and warm it.
Add the Daal mixture into the pan and mix well.
Mash it while mixing and stirring continuously.

Cook it until the moisture is gone and the lentil mixture starts to leave the pan and stick around your spatula.

Take the mixture out on a plate and let it cool down.
Now knead the dough again. Divide the dough into 6-8 pieces. Depending on the size of Paratha you like.
Roll and pat all of the dough pieces to 3 cm round by hand.
Place 1 tablespoon of filling on each dough piece and pinch them from all sides and seal them to form a ball again.

Roll the stuffed balls by hand and gently with the rolling pin roll that balls into a 6 in round circle to make stuffed parantha.

Heat a Griddle on medium heat.
Shallow fry the paratha on the griddle from both sides until golden brown and crunchy.

Repeat this process with all the Rolled Parathas.

Serve the Parathas with Raita/Yogurt Dip, Pickle, Curry and Salad.

Fig & Prune Tea/Loaf Cake

Ingredients:

Plain Flour/APF                   - 1 cup
Corn Flour                           - 2 tblspoon
Apple Sauce                         - 1 tblspoon
Banana Puree                       - 1/2 cup
Baking powder                    - 1 tspoon
Baking soda                         - 1/2 tspoon
Salt                                       - 1/4 tspoon
Flora Healthy Oil                 - 2 tblspoon
Demerara sugar                    - 2 tblspoon you can replace it with 4 tblspoon of sugar-free granules
Vanilla extract                      - 1 tspoon
Figs                                       - 6 chopped in chunks
Prunes                                   - 6 chopped in chunks
Nuts/Seeds                            - to decorate (I used almond slices)

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
Line a loaf pan grease-proof paper and spray some cooking/baking spray.
Chop and coat the figs & prunes in a tablespoon of flour, keep aside.
Take all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk it till mix well.
Take oil, sugar and banana puree in another bowl.
Whisk till the sugar dissolves. Add vanilla extract and apple sauce into it. Whisk again to mix it very well.
Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients bowl little by little folding all together.
Fold till all comes together, do not over-beat.
Add in the coated figs and prunes and fold in gently.
Pour the batter into loaf pan. Sprinkle choice of nuts/seeds to decorate.
Bake into preheated oven for 10 minutes after 10 minutes lower the temperature to 160 and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove it from the oven. Let it cool for 5 minutes in pan and then takeout and keep it to cool on cooling rack.
Slice the cake one the loaf cools down completely. We all loved eating a slice of it with our evening tea.

Wholewheat Cheese & Oregano Drop Cookies

Ingredients:

Whole-Wheat Flour                           - 2 cups
Demerara Sugar                                 - 1 tblspoon
Baking  Powder                                  - 2 tspoon
Baking Soda                                       - 1/4 tspoon
Salt                                                     - 3/4 tspoon
Black Pepper                                      - 1 tspoon ground
Cold Butter                                         - 1/4 cup
Grated Mozzarella                              - 1/2 cup
Oregano/Other dried herbs                 - 1 tblspoon if using freshly chopped herbs 1/4 cup
Milk                                                    -1 cup
Vinegar/Apple Cider                          -1/2 tspoon
Sour Cream                                         -1/2 cup

Method:

In a bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, black pepper and oregano.

Mix milk and vinegar in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.
The milk will be curdled and this is the buttermilk we will be using in the recipe.
Add butter to the dry ingredients.

Rub the butter with flour with finger tips. When the butter is broken and flour looks crumbled, stop rubbing.

Add grated cheese. Mix with a fork.

Add sour cream and mix with fork.

Now add buttermilk, mix well.

Gently mix with a fork. Stop mixing when the ingredients are combined, do not knead.

Using an ice cream scoop/measurement spoon scoop out the dough, for the equal portions, I made bigger ones for kids and smaller ones for myself.
Drop the portions on a lined and greased baking tray. Make sure to place them 2inch apart as they will spread and go big.
Sprinkle some, black/white sesame seeds or poppy seeds on top of each cookie dough.

Bake in a 230C preheated oven for 15-20 minutes according to the texture preferred.
Gently remove from the tray and serve hot with dips.

These are very good for serving in breakfast or as evening snack with Tea or Coffee.

These cookies can be made spicy and tangy by adding chili flakes and lemon juice or freshly chopped green chilies.

Mix Veggie Idli/Rice Cakes

Ingredients:

Fermented Idli batter                                 - 2 cups
Pureed Mix Veggies                                  - 1 cup
Salt                                                             - to taste
Red Chili                                                    - to taste


Method:

Wash and par-boiled mix veggies. I used Mushroom, Corn kernels, carrot, peas and beans.
Once boiled puree the veggies. Keep them aside.
Mix the Idli batter with pureed veggies.
Now add salt and red chili according to your taste.
Now scoop you idli batter on the idli tray and steam for 10-15 minutes depending on the steamer you are using.
Once steamed, take the Idlis out and serve with peanut chutney, saunth chutney or coriander chutney.

Spinach GramFlour Cake / Palak Dhokla

Ingredients:

For Dhokla:
Gram Flour                                                   - 1 cup
Spinach                                                         - 1 cup finely chopped and blanched
Yogurt                                                           - 1/4 cup
Ginger                                                           - 1 tspoon grated
Green Chilies                                                - 2 finely chopped
Lemon Juice                                                 - 1 tblspoon
Eno Fruit Salt                                               - 1 tspoon
Salt                                                               - to taste
Oil                                                                - 1 tblspoon

For Tempering:
Oil                                                                - 1 tblspoon
Mustard Seeds                                             - 1 tspoon
Green Chili                                                  - 4-5 slit into 4
Curry Leaves                                               - 5-6 chopped
Asafetida                                                     - 1 pinch
water                                                           - 3 tblspoon

Method:

Blanch or steam the spinach leaves along with stalk. Allow it to cool.
Once cooled finely chop them .
In a wide bowl add in the gram flour, chopped spinach, yogurt and oil. Mix well.
Add a little water at a time to make the thick dropping batter. The batter should be of dropping consistency, not very runny.
Now add in salt, sugar (if using) and lemon juice and mix well avoiding any lumps in the batter.
Now leave the batter rest for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile grease a steamer plates and keep ready. Prepare the steamer with water and keep aside.
Once the batter has rested, mix in the fruit salt and mix well with the whisk. Do not beat it very much.
Just mix until the fruit salt is combined well into the batter, and its starts to get fluffy.
Immediately pour the batter in the greased plates and place it into the steamer for steaming.
Steam on high in the steamer for around 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.
Remove the steamed spinach/palak Dhokla's from the steamer and allow it cool for 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a Tadka/Small pan; add asafetida, mustard seeds,  curry leaves and allow them to crackle.
Add in the slit green chilies as well. Let them get brown.
Turn off the heat and gradually add the 3 tablespoons of water to the tempering.
Take care as the  oil will start spluttering. Adding water is necessary as it helps in keeping the Dhokla soft and moist.
Drizzle this seasoning on top of the Palak Dhokla.  Cut the Dhokla into desired pieces.
Serve Dhokla warm with choice of dips. I serve them with green mint and coriander chutney.

Lemon, Nutmeg & Poppy Muffins

Ingredients:

Plain Flour/APF                        - 1 cup
Corn Flour                                 - 2 tblspoon
Ground Nuts                              - 2 tblspoon
Poppy Seeds                              - 1 tblspoon
Nutmeg Powder                         - 1 tspoon
Baking powder                          - 1/2 tspoon
Baking soda                               - 1/2 tspoon
Salt                                             - 1/4 tspoon
Flora Healthy Oil                       - 1/3 cup
Demerara sugar                          - 3/4 cup
Yogurt                                        - 1/4 cup
Milk                                           - 1/3 cup
Lemon juice                               - 1/4 cup
Pure Lemon extract                    - 1 tspoon

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
Line a muffin tray with muffin cups and spray it light cooking spray.
Take all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.Whisk it till mix well.

Take oil and sugar in another bowl.

Whisk and It will be sand like texture. Because we have less fat compared to sugar quantity.
Then add in yogurt, milk, nutmeg, juice and lemon extract.

Beat it well.
Add dry ingredients to wet.

Whisk till all comes together.

Add in the Ground Nuts and Poppy Seeds and mix it in gently. Do not overbeat your batter.

Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups.
Bake into preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or till toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove it from the oven. Let them cool into the pan for 5 minutes.

After 5-6 minutes remove cupcakes from tray and put on to cooling rack and let them cool completely.

Mix Lentil & Rice Flour Chilla

Ingredients : 

Lentil Paste                       - 5 tblspoon (5 lentil mixed soaked and grinded to smooth paste)
Rice Flour                         - 3 tblspoon (fine flour, soaked in 2 tblspoon water)
Coriander                          - 2 tblspoon chopped
Green Chili                       - 2 grinded with lentils
Salt                                    - to taste
Amchoor                           - 1 tspoon
Oil                                     - 2 tblspoon


Method:

Wash and soak Toor, Moong, Masoor, Chana and Urad daal over night.
Soak the rice flour 15 minutes before making chillas in 2 tblspoon.
Wash again and grind to smooth paste , add the green chilies while grinding the lentils.
In a mixing bowl, add lentil paste and soaked rice flour together with salt, amchoor and freshly chopped coriander.
Mix this paste well. Add water to make it in pouring consistency, not too runny like Dosa batter, make it like uttapam batter.
Heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat.
With a drop of oil grease the griddle/pan. spread a ladle full of batter gently on the griddle.
Let it cook, few drops of oil around the edges of the chilla. Flip it over once sides starts to get golden.
Cook it from both sides.
Keep the flame to medium if the key for non-sticky chillas. If the heat

will be high they will burn and stick to griddle.
Enjoy the chillas with choice of chutney.