Besan Bread Toast/ Indian Style French Toast

 

Besan Toast

Besan toast is a very popular snack. Bread Besan Toast  is a nice alternative to French toast for those who do not eat egg. Perfect for busy mornings or for a lazy Sunday breakfast.

Preparation Time:     5 Minutes 

Cooking Time      :    15 Minutes

Recipe Category:       Snacks, Breakfast

Serves                      2 Nos.

Ingredients:

Besan/ Chickpea Flour                ½ Cup

Bread Slices                                4 Nos.

Finely Chopped Capsicums           2 Tablespoon

Finely Chopped Tomatoes             2 Tablespoon

Finely Chopped Green Chillies       1/2 Teaspoon

Red Chili Powder                          ¼ Teaspoon

Carom seeds (Ajwain/Omam)        ½ Teaspoon

Asafetida powder                          a Pinch

Salt                                             To Taste

Oil/ Butter                                    As required

Water                                          As Required

Method:

• Sift a cup of Besan (chickpea flour) to remove lumps.
• In a bowl add Besan and Ajwain, red pepper powder, cumin powder, asafetida and salt and mix well.
• Pour water little at a time and with a spoon or a whisk mix the Besan and make a smooth batter.
• In this batter add chopped capsicums, Tomatoes and Green chilies and Mix well.

• Heat a griddle until hot. Dip the bread in the batter and use your hands to spread the batter evenly on the bread
• Let the bread cook for 4 to 5 minutes, drizzle little oil around the bread pieces.
• With the spatula turn the bread pieces around and cook for 2 to 3 minutes then turn them around and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Toast the bread both sides, on a low flame until brown and crisp and toasted.
• Take  them off from the pan and place them on a plate over paper towel, so that extra oil  absorbed.
• Serve Besan Toast hot with coriander chutney, ketchup or the pickle of  your choice. 
•  

Notes:

• The choice of bread to be used depends upon you. You could choose whole wheat bread , flax seed bread, Multigrain bread etc.
• You can add finely chopped coriander leaves, grated carrots on it.

Besan Toast

Methi Chapatti/ Indian Bread with Fenugreek Leaves

Chapatti is the very best healthiest food... Making rotis is indeed an art, but certain ideas could make it better and healthy chapattis. Fenugreek leaves are known as Methi in India and this simple flatbread made using Fenugreek leaves is simple, nutritious and hearty. Fenugreek leaves is huge source in Iron and Vitamin K.

  

Health Benefits of Fenugreek Leaves

• ·               Traditional healers recommend that people suffering from digestive problems eat Methi leaves.
• ·               It also helps you lose weight and reduces dullness, dizziness and drowsiness.
• ·               In general, it is considered as good appetizer.
• ·               Methi leaves are considered very effective in combative diabetes.
• ·               It is regarded highly beneficial in the treatment of flatulence, indigestion and sluggish liver.
• ·               It heals mouth ulcers. An infusion of the leaves can be used as a gargle.
• ·               A very good food for blood formation for adolescent girls to pregnant mothers. Thus, prevents anemia. Fenugreek leaves are cooling
• ·               It's a great Tonic food- tone the tissues of the body

Source: Tarladalal

Ingredients:

Multi Flour Atta                            2 cups

Chopped Fenugreek Leaves          1 cup

Salt                                              To Taste

Sugar                                           ½ Tsp.

Ghee /oil                                      1 Tsp.

Water                                          as needed

Method:

•  Wash the fenugreek leaves. Chop it coarsely with a sharp knife on the chopping board.
• Boil some water; immerse the leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds and then plunge into cold water. Remove and strain it. Allow it to cool. Blanching helps in minimizing the cooking time for a particular dish and enhances the color and flavor making it more palatable.
• Take a big bowl, and Coat the base and sides of a utensil with ½ teaspoon of oil.
• Add wheat flour , chopped fenugreek leaves , sugar and salt.  Mix it well.
• Pour water little by little and knead this into a soft dough. Knead the dough for 1 minute.
• You may add extra flour if you feel the dough is too soft or sticky.
• Keep this aside for 15 min to half an hour.
• Divide the dough into equal - sized balls and then roll them out into thin chapattis using a rolling pin.
•  Heat a tawa or pan. Drop rolled-out dough on the tawa, which is well-heated.
• Sprinkle few drops of oil.  Spread it using a spatula. Wait for few minutes.
• Flip the half-cooked chapatti, when the color changes or a few bubbles appear on the top surface.
• Sprinkle few drops of oil. Slightly press the chapatti with a wooden chapatti press.
• Cook until both sides have golden brown spots. Remove from the tawa.
• Follow the same procedure for the rest of the balls.
• Now Methi Chappatti is ready to serve.
• Serve with any Masala curries Dhals.

Note: This is very good food item for Diabetics and Ulcer patients.

My other Fenugreek Leaves Recipe:   Methi Thepla Roti

Ajwain Lacha Paratha

Ajwain also referred as bishop's weed is a well-known herb. Check out the wonders of one teaspoon of Ajwain on health and get relief from bad breath, migraine and much more.

Health Benefits

Ajwain

• Beat indigestion and flatulence
• Keeps the heart healthy
• Improves digestion when you’re pregnant or lactating
• Relieves cough and asthma:

Layers of soft parathas that can be enjoyed with any dish be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner!!!! This recipe employs extremely easy and unique technique and provides detailed instructions to help you make perfectly layered Paratha.

Learn  a crispy Paratha, tricky to make but very tasty.

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat flour         2 cups

Maida                            ½ cup

Olive Oil                        2 Tsp.

Ajwain(Bishop weed)     1 Tbsp.

Salt                              ½ Tsp.

Sugar                           ½ Tsp.

Water                           to bind dough

Cooking oil                   to bake and smear

  

Method:

• Take a big bowl. Add flours, ajwain, salt, 1 tsp of olive oil and sugar ,mix than slowly start adding the water until you have a nice soft dough, cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Divide into 4-6 balls. Dust the working surface with flour.
• Dip the balls into flour before you start rolling.

• Roll each ball as thinly as possible into a large round.

• Apply a ½ tsp of olive oil evenly on the top of round.
• Make a hole in the center, and start rolling with the help of your hands.

• It will end up in a big ring and break the ring and, apply a small amount of oil on its upper surface.

• Start making a coil it of from both side with the help of both hands.

• And place over each other and then flatten it after pressing by palm.

• Roll like a Swiss roll. Press a little with your fingers. Dip the it dry flour and roll it. Roll it out into a round of about 125 mm. (5") diameter.

• Heat a tava, place a paratha  on it and apply some oil on upper layer of the paratha.

• Flit it on again apply some oil on the top. Cook till the parathas are crisp and golden.

• Serve hot with Vegetable kurma and Dals.

Follow me on "Facebook", "Google+", "Pinterest" for daily updates. Leave me a comment on any queries regarding this recipe & I will be able to answer it for you as soon as possible.

Rumali Roti

A chef preparing Rumali roti.

Rumali Roti is a thin bread popular in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern part of India.. A large thin roti folded like a handkerchief or roomal, from which it get its name.  The roti is extremely thin. The roti is usually made with a combination of whole and white wheat flours and best cooked on top of an inverted Indian griddle (kadai).

Ingredients

All-purpose flour (Maida)            1 cup

Whole wheat flour                       1 cup

Oil                                               1 tbsp.

Salt                                          to taste

Water                                       for kneading                 

Method

• Take a mixing bowl and add Atta , Maida and salt. Make very soft dough like smooth elastic dough. Spray oil on it and cover and set aside for one hour in an airtight container.
• Knead again and, make small balls of the dough and roll it like thin Chapatti of about 12 inches diameter circle. ( roti should be almost translucent ).

• The dough should be rolled to a paper thin thickness (whatever practically can be achieved), You can use a little dry  rice flour to help you rolling it.
• The griddle (tawa) is to be kept inverted, convex side up, on the heat.
• Place the Rumali roti carefully over it and cook till done. Once the roti is placed the cooking takes seconds to complete because the roti is very thin.
• Rumali roti is served folded in half and then quarter.
• Serve with Dhal,Paneer Tikka Masala

Note:

• You can cook it over the tawa .The tawa should be in very hot. Place the Rumali roti carefully over it and cook till they puff up . Fold it like a handkerchief.
• Though best had hot, in case it is to be served later the rotis should be steamed or the container placed in an oven on medium heat for 5-minutes.

Pulka Chapatti

"Pulka" is a chapatti or roti variety without much ghee or oil cooked on stove’s flame directly. It is healthy.

Ingredients: 

Wheat flour                       2 cups.

Salt                                 1/4 tsp.

Water                              ½ cup to 1 cup

Oil                                   1 tsp 

Method:

• Take a bowl; add wheat flour, salt, and mix 1 cup of water with it. Mix 1 tsp of oil and make soft dough. Keep it aside for 1 hour.
• Make even sized balls. Flatten and roll out into medium sized chapattis on a lightly floured board.
• Heat the griddle and put chapatti on top. When small bubbles appear on top, turn over immediately.
• Roast till light brown underneath. Turn over to direct flame. (or use a wire mesh on top of the stove)
• When it puffs up, remove from fire.  If you  like apply little ghee  on one side of chapatti.

NOTE:

*Do not heat the tava on high flame.
*Do not add oil or ghee to the tava. *Heat on low flame always.

Naan (Indian Flat Bread)

Naan is Indian flat bread, traditionally cooked in clay oven or tandoor. This recipe, I made it  in regular griddle.

Ingredients:

All-purpose Flour (Maida)           – 2 cups

Baking Powder                            ½ tsp

Baking soda                                ½ tsp

Salt                                            ½ tsp

Sugar                                         2tsp

Yogurt                                       ¼ cup

Milk                                            2 tbsp

Luke warm water                     ½ cup

Ghee                                       1 tbsp

Maida                                       for rolling naans.

Method:

• Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
• Add milk, Luke warm water and yogurt into the flour and knead well into medium soft.
• Apply a little oil and keep it under wet cloth for 2 hours. After 2 hours take the dough and again knead for three to four minutes.
• Make equal sized balls. Apply a little oil. Make a round flat shape. Pick in hand and pat to give it a round shape four inches diameter.  Stretch it from one side to give a triangular shape (tear shape)
• Place it on the hot cast iron plate or tawa and cook on one side for a minute.  Flip it over and cook the other side. Reduce heat and cook on both sides on low heat till brown.
•  Take Naan out of the griddle and brush lightly with clear butter or ghee.
• Suggested Side dishes: Chenna Masala, Shahi Paneer and Navratan Kurma

Batura

Here I have not used yeast to make the dough. This is simple one, but you will get same batura taste.

Ingredients:

Maida (All Purpose flour)               1 ½ cup

Wheat flour                                   ½ cup

Semolina Rava                               ¼ cup

Baking soda                                   1 tsp

Curd or Plain yogurt                       ½ cup

Water                                            1/4 cup

Sugar                                            2 tsp

Salt                                               to taste

Oil                                                 For frying

 Method:

• Mix all ingredients and knead to smooth dough.  
• Spray oil over the dough and keep aside for 3 hours, covering with a thin cloth.
• Punch down the dough, knead for a minute and divide into 10 equal portions.
• With a rolling pin, quickly roll out each ball into a 5-6 inch round.
• Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry the rolled bread, turning once until puffed, cooked and lightly browned and drain the bread and transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
• Serve immediately with Chloe.(see the link).

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients for filling:

 potatoes                                   6-7 (boiled and mashed)

Green chillies -                           3 no (minced)

Cilantro leaves chopped –            1 tbsp

Lemon juice –                             1 tbsp

Salt –                                       To taste

Ingredients for the dough:

 Wheat flour –                            1 cup

All-purpose flour –                      ½ cup

Salt –                                       to taste

Oil or ghee –                              1 tbsp

Hot water –                              ¾ cup – 1 cup

Method

• Heat the oil, fry green chillies. Add all other filling ingredients in it. Mix well. Divide the filling into equal parts.  Keep aside.
• Mix flour and salt together. Rub in the oil. Add enough water to form stiff dough. Knead until you have smooth dough. Divide into equal parts.
• Roll out for 4” round. Place of the filling on the round and make a smooth ball.
• Roll out gently into big round. Be careful that no filling comes out.
• Roll out all the parathas in a similar manner.
• Heat a griddle over medium heat. Place a parathas in it and cook for 1 minute, until brown spots appear. Turn and cook the other side. Add 2 tsp of ghee and cook for about 1 minute until golden brown.
• Make all the parathas in the same way.
• Serve hot.