Dal Parata

 

So everyone is talking about cutting down costs and sticking to eating simple food, I believe in using up leftovers rather than throwing them away.

I saw this dal paratha recipe by Chetna Makan. I had some leftover muguriha, local lentil curry, fished out all the curry leaves and whole spices, and used the dal  to make the paratha. The result was this delicious flatbread which went well with just raita or with a chicken curry. 

Recipe: Dal Paratha

Makes 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup atta flour*
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup leftover muguriha (local dal curry)
• about 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• ghee to brush on the cooked paratha
• a little warm water if needed

Directions:

Please make a note of the following instructions: 

1. Remove any curry leaves and pandan leaves, as well as whole spices, from the dal curry. Set them aside.

2. Sift 1 cup of atta flour and 1/2 cup of plain flour into a large bowl. Add salt and mix it in. Then add coriander leaves, ground cumin, chillies, and onion. Give it a stir.

3. Add the dal curry to the mixture and begin to combine all the ingredients. If the mixture looks too wet, add the remaining plain flour gradually. If it looks too dry, add a little water. The goal is to achieve a fairly smooth dough. Divide the dough into 6-8 balls, cover them with a damp cloth, and let them rest for about 30 minutes.

4. Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough into thin, flat bread.

5. Heat a tawa or frying pan. Once hot, set the heat to medium-high. Place a paratha on the pan and cook one side. Flip the paratha and brush some ghee on the cooked side. Flip it again and swirl it a little so the ghee spreads on the bottom half of the paratha. Remove the paratha to a plate. Repeat with the rest of the flatbread.

Enjoy these with a simple raita  or a chicken curry. I served this with chicken tikka masala  which I found here.

* You can use plain flour instead of atta flour.