The little circles of dough rise before your very eyes for a magical cooking experience — and an even more spectacular eating experience.

It’s Indian comfort food in a nutshell and a must-learn recipe if you’re looking to expand your repertoire of Indian bread beyond that of roti, naan and paratha.

If you can make Poori that rises like a balloon in hot oil, you’re a legend.

How to serve Puffy Masala Poori

Tear them apart and scoop up your favourite curries, both with sauces and without. My favourite accompaniment for Poori is Koru Bateta nu Shaak (a Gujarati-style dry potato curry).

However, I wouldn’t say no to a serving of Seeroh (semolina halwa) either. A cup of masala chai is mandatory with Poori in my home. We don’t make them often but when we do, they disappear within moments.

How to make Puffy Masala Poori: Video Tutorial

The best dishes to serve with Poori

Anything! I come from a Gujarati home, so simple vegetable curries are our forte. Growing up, I ate Poori with potato curry, Undhiyu (a mixture of seasonal Indian vegetables like aubergine, papdi, lilva, valor and muthiya. This is a very popular wedding menu combination in the Gujarati community.

Channa Masala. Either kabuli channa — white chickpeas or kala channa — black chickpeas marry well with Poori. A stir-fried dish of cabbage, carrots, mustard seeds and chillies called Sambharo is a mainstay, too.

My mother has always had a soft spot for cauliflower and pea curry with Poori. I can confirm that this combination is also supremely delicious!

Why is Poori a popular wedding food?

The shelf life is longer than that of other Indian breads. Rotli (chapattis), naan and paratha become stale after an hour or so. Poori are deep fried by their very nature.

The oil acts as a barrier, preventing them from turning hard and chewy when there are hundreds of people to feed and multiple dishes to prepare. You could say they’re an Indian caterer’s golden nugget.

How to store homemade Puffy Masala Poori

Poori can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours. They’re great the next day with masala chai. I always serve leftover Masala Poori at room temperature. Reheating in the microwave can make them super greasy!

Puffy Masala Poori: A helpful guide for delicious Poori

How to make Puffy Masala Poori

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Puffy Masala Poori Recipe

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Puffy Masala Poori

Learn how to make puffy, crispy Masala Poori at home. This easy recipe is foolproof. Just follow the step-by-step video and enjoy your fresh Indian Poori with any curry. I love mine with Gujarati-style Bateta nu Shaak.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword bread

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 40 poori

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• Deep pot or wok for deep frying
• Perforated spoon or slotted spoon
• Rolling pin

Ingredients

• 500 g whole wheat chapatti flour (atta)
• 50 g chickpea flour (besan)
• 30 g coarse semolina
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 3 tbsp any flavourless cooking oil (I used rapeseed oil)
• 400 ml hot water
• Oil for deep frying

Instructions

To make the dough:

• In a large bowl, combine the chapatti flour, chickpea flour, semolina, turmeric, chilli powder, asafoetida and salt.
• Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the oil. Pour the water in and stir with a spoon until a shaggy dough is formed.
• Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, use your hands to knead into a ball.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead for 8 minutes. It should be firm, smooth and elastic. Don't worry if the dough appears sticky at first, just knead well for the full 8 minutes. You can add a teaspoon more oil at the end and knead briefly if the dough feels very sticky. It will become less sticky as it rests.
• Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Rest for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into small portions and roll each one into a smooth ball. You can brush them with a little oil to stop a skin forming on the outside. Cover any dough you're not working with with a damp tea towel – we don't want it to dry out as this could prevent the poori from rising. Each portion should be about the size of a ping pong ball, weighing around 16g if you're using a scale.
• Place a ball of dough onto a wooden rolling board or a clean work surface. You can grease the surface with a little oil but don't use flour as this will burn in the oil as it cooks, leaving your oil speckled with burnt flour. Use your fingertips to press the dough out to around 5cm in diameter.
• Heat the oil to 200°C/400°F.
• Roll out around 8 pooris whilst your oil is heating. I like to do them in batches like this if I'm making these on my own. If you have someone to help you, one person can roll whilst the other person does the frying. If you're not a quick roller, you can roll out fewer than eight as the surface of the poori shouldn't dry out.
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough from top to bottom once. Give the dough 1/4 turn (90°) and then repeat rolling from top to bottom. Continue to turn and roll the dough in this way until you have a circle around 8-10cm in diameter, 1.5mm thick. Strive for an even surface.
• Fry the poori in small batches, taking care not to overcrowd the oil otherwise the oil temperature may drop. The oil should be smoking hot when you fry them. Carefully press the surface of the poori with a perforated spoon and use it to pour oil over the top too. This should encourage the pooris to rise. Once risen, turn the poori quickly so it doesn't brown too much. Cook on the other side for a few seconds and then lift out of the oil, draining away excess oil.
• Place the poori on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
• Repeat the rolling and frying process for all the pooris.

Video

Notes

• Ensure the oil is at a smoking hot 200°C/400°F throughout the frying process.
• If you need some time to roll the pooris between frying, turn the temperature on the oil down. Bring it back to the correct temperature before frying the next batch.
• Don’t use flour when rolling pooris. The high heat of the oil will cause the excess flour to burn, leaving your oil speckled with burnt flour. Use oil to prevent the dough from sticking to your board and rolling pin, if necessary.
• Don’t be disheartened if the pooris don’t all rise. Strive for an even surface and ensure the oil temperature is high. It comes with practice.

Storing Poori

• Poori are best eaten hot.
• If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container lined with kitchen towel. Store at room temperature and eat within 24 hours.

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If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Paneer Kulcha

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What is a Kulcha?

If you’ve never experienced Kulcha, imagine if a soft, chewy Naan had a love child with melt-in-the-mouth Laccha Paratha. Hello beautiful baby Kulcha.

How to make Paneer Kulcha

Stick around and I will help demystify the layering process and teach you how to make Kulcha masala from scratch. But wait, that’s not all. You can also read my tips for how to achieve GOD-TIER flakiness and a charred finish, all without a tandoor.

What’s the difference between Kulcha, Naan and Paratha?

The world of Indian breads is complex, yet beautifully simple at the same time. For example, there’s grilled bread, roasted bread, shallow fried bread, deep fried bread, steamed bread, baked bread, bread cooked in a tandoor and so much more. Some Indian breads use leavening agents like baking powder, baking soda and sometimes yeast — the latter brought to India via the British Empire.

Indeed, you may wonder what the difference between a soft and chewy Naan or a flaky Laccha Paratha is, and how they become one in the form of Kulcha. After all, there seems to be a lot of crossover.

Here’s a simple breakdown of differences between these three North Indian breads

Naan: Soft and chewy. Made using either plain flour (maida) or wholewheat atta. Leavened. Not usually stuffed.
Paratha: Soft and flaky. Made using either plain flour (maida) or wholewheat atta. Unleavened. Stuff them or keep them plain.
Kulcha: Soft, flaky and chewy. Made using either plain flour (maida) or wholewheat atta. Leavened. Often stuffed.

Paneer Kulcha: Commonly-asked questions

More Kulcha filling ideas

• Potatoes
• Onions
• Cauliflower
• Peas
• Cooked, mashed daal (dry)

How to serve Paneer Kulcha

These Kulchas are super wholesome. Indeed, you can eat them as they are for a main dish. You can pair them with your favourite Indian pickle, plain yoghurt or raita. For a heartier meal, you can serve Kulcha with Chole (channa masala) — a spicy chickpea curry.

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Paneer Kulcha

Learn how to make ultra-flaky Amritsari-style Paneer Kulcha with me. These flatbreads are famous in North India for their crispy layers of dough and delicious variety of fillings. My version is stuffed with soft paneer, onions, ginger, chillies and a blend of toasted spices. I grill each Kulcha over an open flame and finish the flaky breads with a pool of melting butter.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword bread, cheese, kulcha, naan, north indian, paneer, paratha

Prep Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 300 g plain flour all-purpose flour/maida
• 50 g plain yoghurt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 150 ml lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp oil I used sunflower

For laminating the dough:

• 50 g butter softened
• 25 g plain flour all-purpose flour/maida

For the filling:

• 225 g paneer grated or crumbled
• 2 tbsp coarse semolina or plain flour
• 75 g red onion finely chopped
• 2 green chillies finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
• 1 tsp amchur
• 1/4 tsp whole fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp kasoori methi
• 1/4 tsp ajwain
• 3/4 tsp salt

You will also need:

• Extra flour for rolling
• Extra oil for rolling
• 50 g fresh coriander finely chopped
• 1 tbsp kasoori methi
• Butter to serve

Instructions

To make the dough:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the yoghurt and water. Mix well to form a dough. Knead for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the oil and knead again for 7-8 minutes until smooth and soft. It’s okay if the dough feels slightly sticky. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

To make the paneer filling:

• Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, ajwain, fennel seeds and kasoori methi for 90 seconds, or until aromatic. They should turn a shade darker but not turn brown or black. Crush the spices in a pestle and mortar. Some coarse bits are fine but the majority should be well ground.
• In a large bowl, combine the paneer, semolina (or flour), onions, chillies, ginger, amchur, coriander leaves, salt and the ground spices. Use your hands to combine the filling ingredients well.
• Begin to squeeze the filling in your hands to mash it as if you were kneading dough. It’s ready when it feels quite smooth and holds its’ shape when you squeeze it together.
• Divide the filling into 6 equal portions (weighing about 60g each).

To laminate the Kulcha dough:

• Uncover the rested dough and give it a brief knead, about 30 seconds. Dust a large, clean work surface with some flour and begin to press the dough out into a large oval or rectangle, measuring about 20-25cm or 8-10 inches. You can use a rolling pin for this if you like.
• Spread the dough with 50g softened butter and sprinkle with 25g plain flour. Roll the dough up into a log, as though you were making cinnamon rolls. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions.
• Pinch the ends of the dough closed and pull them together the bottom of the dough to form a ball. The butter should now be enclosed inside. It’s okay if some butter leaks out too. This is a very forgiving recipe. Flatten the dough balls slightly.

To fill the Kulcha:

• Take one portion of dough and keep the rest covered with a damp tea towel. Begin to flatten the dough out to around 8cm-10cm in diameter, keeping the middle part slightly thicker than the edges.
• Place a portion of paneer filling on top and carefully bring the sides of the dough around to enclose the filling inside without pulling or tearing it. Pinch the dough together to fully enclose the filling inside. There should be no gaps or holes the filling could escape from during rolling. Repeat for the remaining dough and filling portions. Chill in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.

To roll out the Kulcha:

• Place a portion of filled dough a wooden board or clean work surface, drizzle with a small amount of oil.
• Next, use your fingers to pat the dough into a thick round disc, starting from the centre and working your way outwards. This will help distribute the filling evenly.
• You can continue to use your fingers to press the dough all over to form a round Kulcha. You can also use a rolling pin to roll the dough a little thinner. Stop once the Kulcha reaches 20cm (8-inches) in diameter. It should be around 1/2cm thick.
• Mix together coriander leaves with 60g fresh coriander leaves with 1 tbsp kasoori methi.
• Sprinkle the surface of the Kulcha with a pinch of the coriander and methi mixture. Now gently make indentations over the entire surface of the Kulcha using your fingertips (be gentle — we want craters not holes).

To cook the Kulcha:

• Heat a tawa or non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Gently and carefully lift the Kulcha and spread water over the bare base (not the side with coriander). Slap the Kulcha down on the preheated pan and cook over a medium-low heat for 90 seconds. Flip and cook the other side for 30-40 seconds or until golden all over.
• Optional step: For a tandoori flavour, use a pair of metal tongs to roast the cooked Kulcha over an open flame until beautifully charred.
• Remove from the heat and spread the Kulcha with butter. Serve hot.
• Repeat this process for the remaining 5 Kulcha. Serve them hot with your favourite pickle, plain yoghurt or raita.

Video

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I have the best memories of waking up to the smell of Theplas at my husband’s home. Whenever would visit, my father-in-law would wake up early to make them, along with crispy Bateta Vada and sweet chai. It was the best breakfast and something I miss dearly.

What are Thepla?

Thepla are traditionally bound into a soft dough which is then roasted on a hot tawa or frying pan. During the cooking process, the Thepla are brushed with oil to help them achieve a leopard-spotted finish all over the surface. It’s this oil that ensures the Thepla remain soft and delicious for days.

What should I serve Thepla with?

Thepla can be served a number of different ways; the most popular being with masala chai, potato curry (bateta nu shaak) or simply with your favourite achar and plain yoghurt. As they are a common breakfast or lunch dish, it’s not uncommon to enjoy them with sweet masala chai and nothing else.

How to make soft Thepla

The key thing to remember when making Soft Gujarati Thepla at home is that the dough must be soft. Unlike poori making, the Thepla dough needs to be bound with sufficient water and oil. Some cooks also add plain yoghurt (dahi) to the dough for added richness.

Tips for making the softest Gujarati Thepla

I like to use a combination of warm water and warm almond milk to bind my dough. This is not traditional but my way of ensuring my Thepla are super soft and delicious. Using almond milk also means these Thepla are vegan due to the lack of yoghurt used to bind the dough.

Another ingredient I like to add to help achieve this is chickpea flour. Once roasted, the chickpea flour also gives these Thepla an incredible toasty flavour.

Can I use dried methi to make Thepla?

Of course. However they will lack the beautiful green-speckled surface achieved when making them with fresh fenugreek leaves. While kasoori methi is fine to use, remember that the flavour is incredibly strong in comparison to fresh methi leaves so you will need to use much less of it.

I’d recommend using 1 tbsp dried methi in this recipe, ground finely between your palms. Remove any sharp, dried stalks as they will affect the way the Thepla roll. Reconstitute the methi in 1 tbsp hot water and allow to stand for 5 minutes before adding it to the dough. For a burst of green colour, you can also add a handful of freshly-chopped spinach leaves or fresh coriander leaves. Ensure any leaves are very finely chopped.

Ingredients you’ll need to make Soft Gujarati Thepla

• Wholewheat chapati flour (roti atta)
• Fresh fenugreek leaves
• Chickpea flour
• Garlic
• Jaggery (gor) or brown sugar
• Sesame seeds
• Turmeric
• Chilli powder
• Salt
• Almond milk
• Water
• Oil

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Soft Gujarati Thepla

Thepla are a staple any-time-of-the-day flatbread in Indian homes. Fresh fenugreek leaves give them their signature bitter caramel flavour.

Course Breakfast, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword bread, chickpea flour, fenugreek leaves, flatbread, gujarati, methi

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 20 thepla

Ingredients

• 500 g wholewheat chapati flour I use Pilsbury Chakki Atta
• 75 g fresh fenugreek leaves very finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chickpea flour
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp jaggery
• 1 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 150 ml almond milk warm
• 275 ml hot water
• 3 tbsp oil + more for cooking

Instructions

• Mix together the chapati flour, chickpea flour, sesame seeds, garlic, chilli powder, methi leaves and salt.
• In a separate jug, stir together the hot water and jaggery until completely dissolved.
• Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the jaggery water and almond milk. Stir with a spoon to combine. Once cool enough to handle knead to form a smooth dough, about 5 minutes. Add the 3 tbsp oil and knead for a further 3-4 minutes. Cover with a damp tea towel and rest for 15-20 minutes.
• Make golf ball-sized pieces with the dough. Keep some flour on a plate for rolling.
• Get another plate lined with kitchen paper.
• Place a steel tawa or a frying pan over a medium heat. Leave it for 5 minutes.
• To start rolling, take a piece of dough and roll it between your palms, flattening it slightly. Dip each side in flour. Roll to about 6cm in diameter, place a pinch of flour in the centre and spread it around a little. Starting from the outermost edges, pinch the dough to the centre, covering the flour. Flatten with your palm. This will ensure the edges of the Thepla are perfectly smooth.
• Roll out into a large circle, about 20cm (8”) in diameter.
• Cook on the preheated tawa until bubbles appear on the surface (5 seconds), Spread a small amount of oil over the surface and then flip and cook until small brown spots appear on the base (20 seconds). Flip again and spread oil on the second side. Cook until larger brown spots (like what you see on a super ripe banana) appear on the surface. Transfer to a lined plate and repeat for the remaining Thepla.

Video

Notes

• To ensure the Thepla remain soft, keep them in an insulated container for up to 12 hours. If you’re eating the Theplas the next day, wrap them in foil and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave the stack for 30 seconds. Individual Theplas will only take 10 seconds.
• To freeze, place sheets of baking parchment between each one and wrap well in foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost before reheating.

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How to Make Aloo Paratha

Walk through the entire process for making Aloo Paratha with me. Watch me make the lightly-spiced potato filling, bind a soft but sturdy dough and roll them out so the filling doesn’t burst. Finally, join me as I cook them on the tawa until puffy, layered and beautifully golden on the outside.

How do you make parathas soft?

Use a combination of wholewheat atta, chickpea flour, oil and ample water. If you are familiar with making other types of Indian bread, check that your dough for Aloo Paratha is soft, like that which is used for making naan or roti. It should not be as hard as poori or samosa pastry. Knead it well and allow it to rest before you roll it. I like to add oil or ghee 2 minutes before the kneading process is complete. This final step ensures a smooth, soft dough every time. That really is it.

How do you make parathas that don’t tear?

Firstly, be sure your dough is soft and elastic. Does it spring back only very slowly when you press it? This is a good indication of well-made Paratha dough. Secondly, check your filling is dry enough to roll into a ball without falling apart. These are the foundations of fabulous Aloo Paratha.

Ultimately, the Aloo Paratha must be rolled gently and carefully, not straight down the middle, but in a circular motion, around the centre rather than straight over it. Once it reaches your desired size, the rolling pin can be used to even the surface out without causing cracks. Don’t be afraid to use your hands to pat it into shape either.

Why don’t you cook the filling first?

It’s not necessary. The potatoes are already cooked. Indeed, the potato filling is spread so thinly inside the entire surface of the Aloo Paratha that the spices will cook out in a matter of minutes.

Why do you add chickpea flour to the dough?

This is a homestyle trick canny grandmas use to give their Aloo Parathas that wholesome flavour and crispy texture. Ever wonder why you can never replicate grandma’s Aloo Paratha? This could well be the missing ingredient.

How to cook Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Flatbread)

Don’t boil the potatoes

Boiling the potatoes will make them absorb too much water. The filling should be slightly dry and able to form into a ball when rolled. Either microwave, steam or bake the potatoes until tender for a perfect texture. I prefer to microwave my potatoes. Do do this, pierce the skins and cook on high power for 8-10 minutes until soft.

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Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Flatbread)

Crispy, flaky Aloo Paratha are an emblem of soulful Indian home cooking. Almost every home has their own unique recipe and technique for making this delicious North Indian stuffed flatbread at home. Of all the stuffed breads India is famous for, Aloo Paratha is the one loved in every family kitchen.

Course Breakfast, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword bread, flatbread, north indian, paratha, potatoes, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 10 paratha

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 5 medium-sized potatoes (800g) steamed, microwaved or baked with their skins on until tender, cooled
• 1- inch piece ginger grated
• 1 green chilli finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp ajwain
• 1/4 tsp amchur
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

For the dough:

• 350 g wholewheat chapati atta
• 2 tbsp chickpea flour besan
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 260 ml warm water
• 1 tbsp oil

You will also need:

• 3 tbsp ghee or oil for spreading whilst cooking
• 4 tbsp additional wholewheat chapati atta for rolling out the paratha

Instructions

To make the dough:

• In a large bowl or thali, mix together the wholewheat atta (chapati flour), chickpea flour and salt. Make a well in the centre and gradually add the water. Use your hands to bring the mixture together. Once it starts looking like a shaggy mixture and more like a dough, knead for 1-2 minutes. Add the oil and continue to knead for a further 2 minutes until smooth and soft. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.

To make the filling:

• Peel the cooked and cooled potatoes. Grate them into a bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients for the filling and use clean hands to mash everything together. The mixture should hold its shape when rolled into a ball. Divide the mixture into 10 large balls.
• Next, divide the dough into 10 balls, about the same size as the potato filling. Cover again.
• Pre-heat the tawa or frying pan.
• Roll or pat the dough out to about 8cm in diameter. Place a portion of potato filling on top and pinch the dough together to fully enclose it inside. There should be no gaps or holes the filling could escape from during rolling.
• Working on a bed of additional wholewheat atta, gently use your middle three fingers (palm-side down) to pat the dough into a thick round disc, starting from the centre and working your way outwards. This will help distribute the filling evenly.
• Now, place the disc on a rolling board or clean work surface and use a rolling pin to gently roll the Aloo Paratha in a circular motion, between the centre and edges, but not too much over them. You can use your hands to turn it as you roll. Once it reaches the desired size, carefully roll up and down a few times to even out the surface. The Aloo Paratha is now ready to be cooked.
• Slap the paratha down onto a preheated tawa and cook over a medium heat for 30-40 seconds. Flip it over with a spatula and apply a small amount of oil all over the surface of the paratha. Allow this side to cook for a minute before flipping it over and applying oil on the second side. Well rolled Aloo Paratha should puff up slightly. Once it is golden brown all over, remove from the tawa. Keep warm on a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Repeat for the remaining parathas.
• Serve hot with your favourite pickle, plain yoghurt and/or masala chai.

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The flavour of these buttermilk naans is slightly tangy and so delicious with a slick of salty butter. Use them to scoop up your favourite curries, or dunk them in daal for a a comforting meal — you won’t believe they aren’t from a restaurant!

How to make restaurant-style naan at home

What would you say if I told you that you can make them without a tandoor, and have them on the table in under 40 minutes? If you love the flavours of sourdough bread, you will go wild for these delicious Indian restaurant-style naans. They’re quick, easy and require no yeast or time for raising. Simply mix the ingredients, knead the dough, rest it for a short time and then roll and cook.

The shape of the naan doesn’t have to be perfect either. In fact, I think that the more rustic and imperfect the edges, the better they look.

What makes this Quick Buttermilk Naan recipe so special?

The revolutionary thing about this naan recipe is the cooking method. You don’t need to switch on the oven or grill. They are made on a tawa on the gas cooker. The only requirement is that the pan is not a non-stick one and the cooker has an open flame. This method won’t work on an electric cooker or induction hob. If you don’t have a traditional Indian tawa, a cast iron frying pan or skillet is ideal.

How to cook naan without a tandoor

Lets face it, a home tandoor is nothing more than a pipe dream for the average Indian home cook, myself included. Luckily, there’s a quick and inexpensive way to give naans a beautifully-blistered surface without a tandoor.

Simply heat up a tawa until smoking hot, wet the surface of the naan with water and place it water-side down on the tawa. It will begin to puff slightly. After 20 seconds, grab the pan handle (wearing a heatproof glove if the pan doesn’t have a wooden handle) and flip it upside down to cook the surface directly over the open flame.

Water is the magic ingredient!

The water you sprinkle on the base ensures the naan remains stuck to the pan so you can turn the pan upside down without it falling off. The surface will begin to char and puff, leaving the naan perfectly cooked in 25-30 seconds.

A note on flavouring naan

This is a basic recipe for plain butter naan. If you would like to flavour your naan, there are lots of delicious options open to you. A popular choice and personal favourite of mine is garlic naan, whereby the cooked naan is brushed with a mixture of melted butter and fried garlic. You can also add chopped coriander leaves to the butter emulsion if you like.

Another option is to make chilli naan, also known as “bullet naan” in many Indian restaurants. To make chilli naan, melt the butter in a pan and add chopped chillies. Allow to sizzle for a moment before using this butter to brush the entire surface of the naan.

Kulcha

Then there’s the world of kulcha or stuffed naan. To make Kulcha, are layer up naan dough like paratha and stuff them with a spicy filling. I will write a separate post on these because the possible variations are extensive and utterly deserve of their own deep dive.

Ingredients you’ll need to make Quick Buttermilk Naan

• Plain flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Sugar
• Any flavourless oil of your choice
• Buttermilk

Step-by-step: how to make Quick Buttermilk Naan

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Quick Buttermilk Naan

Make lip-licking naans that are thin, tender and chewy, with perfectly-puffy blisters, just like in Indian restaurants. The flavour of these buttermilk naans is slightly tangy and so delicious with a slick of salty butter. Use them to scoop up your favourite curries, or dunk them in daal for a a comforting meal — you won’t believe they aren’t from a restaurant!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword bread, naan, north indian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• Cast iron, steel or aluminium frying pan (not a non-stick pan), about 25cm in diameter
• Stand mixer with dough hook attachment (optional, you can also make these by hand)

Ingredients

• 400 g plain flour plus more for rolling out
• 300 ml buttermilk
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder not baking soda
• 100 ml flavourless oil
• 1 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds) optional
• Water for sprinkling on the surface of the naan
• Butter for spreading on the cooked naan melted

Instructions

For the naan dough:

• In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and optional kalonji seeds. Give it a quick stir and then add the oil and buttermilk. Mix to form a wet, shaggy dough.
• Now, either by hand or using the dough hook attachment of your stand mixer, knead the dough until soft and smooth. This will take 6-7 minutes by hand or 3 minutes in the stand mixer running at medium speed. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or tea towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

To roll the naan:

• Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and roll into balls.
• Heat the frying pan or tawa over a medium heat. It should be scorching hot. It's a good idea to open a window at this point.
• On a very lightly floured surface, roll one of the dough portions into a round-ish shape. It doesn't have to be perfectly round. You could also roll it into an oblong or teardrop shape. The choice is yours. The most important thing is that the surface is of an even thickness so it all cooks evenly. Aim for a thickness of about 1/2 cm.
• Use your fingers to sprinkle and lightly spread water on the entire surface of the naan. Be gentle, you don't want to tear the naan or rub it in.

To cook the naan:

• Carefully, using two hands, pick the naan up and place it water-side down on the hot pan. It will sizzle and bubbles will quickly begin to appear on the naan. Allow to cook for 15-20 seconds.
• Using a heatproof glove, grab the pan handle and carefully tip it upside down to cook the uncooked side directly over the open flame. It will take 20-25 seconds to puff up and blister.
• Remove the naan from the head and use a metal spatula to carefully unstick and lift the naan from the pan. It should come away fairly easily and be nice and charred on the bottom. Wrap it in a dry tea towel to keep warm while you roll and cook the rest of the naans. Keep them together, wrapped in the tea towel until you're ready to serve.
• Brush the naans with melted butter before serving.

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If you like these, you will love this recipe for Soft Spinach Roti (Chapati).

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The post Quick Buttermilk Naan appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Every bit of colour in these Soft Spinach Roti (chapati) comes from the fresh spinach leaves, so there’s not a drop of food colour in sight. Serve them hot from the pan as they are, or slather them with butter.

Fold them in half, roll into cigars or use them as wraps. Either way, they’re perfect with spicy curries or your favourite sandwich fillings. I like my chapatis small and soft, not big, chewy and dry like tandoori rotis. This is because I grew up in a Gujarati home. Gujaratis adore tender, melt-in-the mouth chapatis. Our way of making chapatis (we call them rotli) is different to how they’re made in other parts of India. If you prefer tandoori-style rotis, reduce the amount of oil in the recipe by half and use warm water instead of hot water to bind the dough.

Roll the Soft Spinach Roti a little bigger and cook as per the recipe below for chewier, restaurant-style rotis.

What are chapatis?

Softer and smaller than your average Punjabi or Pakistani chapatis (commonly known as Roti), these Gujarati-style spinach chapatis have oil in the dough. They are also cooked on a super-hot steel or iron tawa (pan), leaving them delicious and toasty. I don’t cook my chapatis over an open flame because they’re so soft, they’d just break. However, many people do choose to cook their chapatis this way. They still puff up like hot air balloons as they cook, don’t worry.

If you’re planning on cooking rotis over an open flame, pop a trivet or wire rack over the flame for stability first. Only cook the roti over the open flame upon the third flip (the first two turns should still be on the tawa). Use tongs to remove it from the flame and be very careful of the hot steam inside the rotis.

How to make great chapatis

The gold standard for me has to be a round roti that’s double layered from rising that happens during cooking. If your chapati has been rolled evenly, it will puff up upon the third flip on the tawa (or over the open flame). This is important because chapatis are inherently an unleavened bread so the rising all comes from the rolling technique. It’s certainly an art. The surface of the roti should be leopard-spotted and the texture soft.

How do I make my rotis rise?

Make sure the dough is soft and smooth. I use a combination of oil and hot water for my dough. This allows for easier rolling. My mother showed me an amazing trick to create a double layer. It’s done by rolling a piece of dough to a couple of inches in diameter, sprinkling over some flour and then pinching to close before rolling the roti. The roti rises perfectly because of the pocket created by the flour and folding. Find the full instructions in the recipe below.

How do I roll round rotis?

Round chapatis were something I was utterly fascinated by as a child. The first thing I ever ‘cooked’ were raggedy, uneven rotlis using my mini rotli-making set my masi bought me when I was five. I’d peer over our cooker wide-eyed at the hot air balloon show my mum told me was happening. The suspense that built up as they rose from flatbreads to footballs was inexplicably exciting for a little girl obsessed with eating. I would roll out the same piece of dough over and over again and by the end of it, my poor dad would have to eat the splat-shaped biscuit thing I had presented him with such pride. He’d tell me it was delicious that and I was getting better and better.

Thanks Dad.

My point is that practice makes perfect so start off with a simple recipe that yields a soft dough like the one I’m sharing below. Use extra flour to dust your board enough so that the dough doesn’t stick but not so much that the surface becomes chalky. Roll and spin if you can. But if not, roll and turn the roti dough 90•degrees before rolling again. After six or seven turns you’ll have something round-ish. Strive for an even surface. The perfect round shape will come with practice.

What’s the best pan for making rotis?

A traditional Indian tawa made from steel or iron are the best pans for making rotis. Non-stick frying pans aren’t ideal because they don’t get hot enough. A non-stick pan will still work, but the smoky flavour won’t be as pronounced (I think this is the key to good chapatis). Get a tawa from your nearest Indian cookware store. Larger Indian grocery stores may also stock them. You could also buy one online. What’s the best flour for making rotis? Wholewheat chapati flour, also known as “atta”. It’s pale brown in colour and slightly gritty in texture, depending on how finely milled you like it. Most brands offer 2-3 different mills ranging from fine white to medium and brown. You can even buy newer styles such as multigrain and gluten-free chapati atta in the shops now.

How to make delicious Soft Spinach Roti (chapati)

Step 1

First, make the dough using chapati flour, oil and hot water. I add the blended spinach to the dough in my recipe here but you can also omit for plain rotis. Stir with a spoon and when cool enough to handle, knead the dough until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Portion the dough into small balls and cover with a damp tea towel. Heat up the tawa for a good 5 minutes. Roll the dough on a clean work surface or chapati board (chakli/patlo).

Step 3

Use some extra chapati flour to stop it from sticking. First roll to a few inches in diameter, sprinkle the dough with a pinch of flour, spread and then pinch the dough to close. Press with your palm to flatten and seal.

Step 4

Turn the dough over so it’s seal-side down and roll the roti to 17cm (7-inches) in diameter. Dust off any excess flour and slap the roti on to the hit tawa. As soon as small bubbles appear on the surface, flip it using a metal spatula (tavitho).

Step 5

Cook on the other side for 30 seconds until it looks evenly leopard spotted. Flip again.

Step 6

You can transfer to a trivet over an open flame at this point if you like or continue cooking it on the tawa. I cook the chapati on the tawa the whole time because it’s easier and just as delicious. This third side is the rising side. Cook for 20 seconds or so.

Step 7

Don’t worry if it doesn’t rise the first few times. It will come with practice. Once patchy charred marks appear, the roti is done.

Step 8

Remove from the tawa and stack with the dark patchy side (from the third rise) facing upwards. Spread with butter if you like.

Step 9

Repeat for the remaining dough balls.

How to serve Soft Spinach Roti (Chapati)

Serve the Soft Spinach Roti (chapati) with your favourite curry. You could also use them as wraps and fill with your favourite sandwich fillings. I love them filled with succulent tandoori paneer pieces.

For plain chapatis, try my Gujarati Rotli recipe.

How do I store Soft Spinach Roti (chapati)?

I avoid refrigeration when it comes to rotis, it dries them out and they go stale pretty quickly. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 24 hours. Alternatively, you can freeze them well wrapped in an airtight container with pieces of baking parchment between each roti. Defrost at room temperature and reheat on a hot tawa.

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Soft Spinach Roti

Can you believe the dough for these Soft Spinach Chapatis is enriched with a whole bag of spinach? Popeye would be proud! Pack a healthy portion of leafy greens into your meal with this easy recipe the whole family will love.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword bread, chapati, flatbread, roti, spinach, vegan

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• Steel or iron tawa
• Rolling pin
• Clean work surface or chapati board
• Metal spatula (tavitho)
• Blender

Ingredients

• 500 g chapatti flour plus more for rolling
• 260 g spinach leaves washed
• 80 ml sunflower oil
• 260 ml water

Instructions

• Place the water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the spinach and cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes until wilted. Allow to cool to hot but not boiling.
• Transfer the spinach to a blender and purée until smooth. Open carefully to allow steam to escape.
• Add the flour to a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
• Pour the oil into the well and top up with the blended spinach water.
• Use a spoon to mix the dough. Use your hands to bring the dough together until shaggy. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft.
• Make small golf ball-sized pieces with the dough. Keep some flour on a plate for rolling.
• Line another plate with kitchen paper and keep some butter handy.
• Place the tawa (steel or irohot plate or a frying pan on a medium heat. Leave it for 5 minutes so it’s very hot.
• Get your rolling board and rolling pin ready. Keep a wet sponge under the board so it doesn’t move.
• To start rolling, take a piece of dough and roll it between your palms, flattening it slightly. Dip each side in flour.
• Roll it once up and down with the rolling pin and then take a pinch of flour. Place it in the middle of the dough and then use your index fingers and thumb to pinch it closed, starting from the outer edges. This step isn’t something everyone traditionally does but is what my mum taught me for soft rotli that rise.
• Next, flatten the dough using your palm and again, dip each side in flour. Now, begin rolling the dough in a circular motion, teasing the dough to move around with your rolling. If you can’t do this, pick the roti up with one hand and move it around yourself. The aim is to create a perfectly round, even surface and a flatbread that’s around 2mm in thickness and 6-7-inches in diameter.
• Place the roti on the cast iron hotplate and cook until little bubbles appear on the surface – around 10 seconds. Flip it.
• Cook it on the second side until small, even brown spots appear all over the bottom of the rotli – around 30 seconds. Flip it.
• Now, this is the rising side. Don’t worry if your rotis don’t rise the first few times you try it. It comes with practice. They’ll still taste delicious. Cook until darker, less evenly-spread patches appear on the bottom. Around 15-20 seconds. Flip it and place it this side up on your kitchen paper-lined plate. Butter it.
• Repeat this process for all of your roti until you have a beautiful, buttery stack.

Notes

• I avoid refrigeration when it comes to rotis, it dries them out and they go stale pretty quickly. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 24 hours.
• Alternatively, you can freeze them well wrapped in an airtight container with pieces of baking parchment between each roti. Defrost at room temperature and reheat on a hot tawa.

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It’s my most favourite smell in the whole world because it represents my childhood, my family and every moment (both happy and sad) in our home.

Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli) – our daily bread

As far as day-to-day cooking goes, chapati (also called roti or rotli) are the glue that sticks everything on the Indian dinner table together. It scoops up curry and daal, pickle and everything in between.

Chapatis are everyday staple and without them, a weeknight meal would be incomplete. I’ve known Gujarati folks who won’t touch their dinner unless there are hot, freshly-made rotli on the table.

What are the different types of Roti?

In Indian cuisine, Chapati come in many different forms. Each region will have a take on it and that take will differ from village to village and home to home. There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to making chapati – it’s all down to personal choice.

Naming also varies depending on local language and dialect. You can find rotis from South Asia to Malaysia and Africa to the Caribbean.

A handful of different names for this unleavened flatbread (from around the world)

• Chapati (or chapatti)
• Roti
• Phulka
• Rotli
• Safati
• Shabaati
• Roshi

… and so many more

Phulka

Typically, Phulka (soft, thin, risen chapati) are most common in Gujarati homes. This is the style I grew up eating. We call them Rotli at home.

Softer and smaller than your average North Indian-style (tandoor cooked) roti (the kind you get in most Anglo-Indian restaurants), these Phulka have oil in the dough and are cooked on a super-hot steel pan (called a tawa or lodhi). So delicious and toasty!

I don’t often cook my rotli over an open flame because they’re so soft, they’d just break. They still puff up like hot air balloons as they cook on the lodhi.

Memories of my mother’s Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli)

They are something I was utterly fascinated by as a child. The first thing I ever ‘cooked’ were raggedy, uneven rotlis using my mini rotli-making set my aunty bought me when I was five.

Other recipes you might like:

• Soft Spinach Roti recipe
• Paneer Kulcha recipe
• Buttermilk Naan recipe
• Thepla recipe
• Masala Poori recipe
• Aloo Paratha recipe

From flatbreads to footballs

I’d peer over our cooker wide-eyed at the hot air balloon show my mum told me was happening. The suspense that built up as they rose from flatbreads to footballs was inexplicably exciting for a little girl obsessed with cooking.

I would roll out the same piece of dough over and over again and by the end of it, my poor dad would have to eat the splat-shaped biscuit thing. It would be presented it to him with such pride. Of course, he’d tell me it was delicious that and I was mastering it. I wasn’t.

Thanks Dad.

How I make Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli) at home

There’s a certain routine to making rotli you wouldn’t dare mess with. Ask any Indian cook; once their routine is set in its ways, you’d be a fool to question it.

Everything from the patlo (board), to the velan (thin Indian rolling pin) and the tavitho (steel utensil used to flip the rotli), to the number of times the rotli is actually flipped, a cook’s rotli routine is sacred.

Making rotli at someone else’s house is literally the worst. “They never rise, the thickness of the velan is all wrong and the lodhi never gets hot enough”, etc, etc, etc. Of course, when it’s you having to explain your flat-as-a-pancake rotlis, all these excuses are valid.

Can Roti be frozen?

I recommend freezing roti after you have rolled them. Place between sheets of parchment paper or food-grade acetate to prevent sticking. Stack the roti one on top of the other and ensure you place a new sheet between each one.

Wrap tightly in foil and freeze. Cook from frozen, do not defrost.

Should I add butter or ghee to my chapati?

Everyone has their preferences on whether or not they add butter. I do because life is better with butter.

One of my favourite ways of eating rotli is straight off the lodhi, slathered with garlic butter and rolled into a cigar. This is what my Nanabapu (grandad) would do for my mum when she was little and something she then did for our my brother and I too.

How to roll round Roti

Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli)

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Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli)

How to make soft and round roti. Indian chapati or roti recipe with step-by-step photos. Amazing with curry and lighter than naan or paratha.

Equipment

• Tawa (steel or anodised aluminium work best). If this isn’t available, a cast iron frying pan will do. Roti won’t brown very well on non-stick pans and may turn hard or brittle.
• Rolling pin
• Rolling board or clean work surface

Ingredients

• 500 g wholewheat chapatti flour atta, plus more for rolling
• 80 ml any cooking oil vegetable, corn, rapeseed, sunflower etc
• 300 ml boiling water or enough to make a soft dough

Instructions

• Add the flour to a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour the oil into the well and top up with the boiling water.
• Use a spoon to mix the dough until it’s cool enough to handle. Use your hands to bring the dough together. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and soft.
• Make small ping pong ball-sized pieces with the dough. Keep some flour on a plate for rolling.
• Get another plate lined with kitchen paper and keep your butter or ghee handy.
• Pre-heat a tawa over medium heat. I use steel but anodised aluminium is great too. Leave it for 5 minutes.
• Get your rolling board and rolling pin ready. Keep a wet tea towel under the board so it doesn’t move around while you roll.
• To start rolling, take a piece of dough and roll it between your palms, flattening it slightly. Dip each side in flour.
• Roll it once up and down with the rolling pin and then take a pinch of flour. Place it in the middle of the dough and then use your index fingers and thumb to pinch it closed, starting from the outer edges. This step isn’t something everyone traditionally does but is what my mum taught me for soft roti that rise beautifully.
• Next, flatten the dough using your palm and again, dip each side in flour. Now, begin rolling the dough in a circular motion, teasing the dough to move around with your rolling. If you can’t do this, pick the roti up with one hand and move it around yourself. The aim is to create a perfectly round, even surface and a flatbread that’s around 2mm in thickness and 6-7-inches in diameter.
• Place the roti on the tawa and cook until little bubbles appear on the surface – around 10 seconds. Flip it.
• Cook it on the second side until small, even brown spots appear all over the bottom of the roti – around 30 seconds. Flip it again.
• Now, this is the rising side. Don’t worry if your rotis don’t rise the first few times you try it. It comes with practice. They’ll still taste delicious. Cook until darker, less evenly-spread patches appear on the bottom. Around 15-20 seconds. Flip it and place it this side up on your kitchen paper-lined plate. Spread with butter or ghee.
• Repeat this process for all of your rotli until you have a perfect stack. You can keep them warm in an insulated container or lidded casserole dish lined with kitchen paper.

How to serve Roti

Serve hot with your favourite curry, daal, sambhar, chutney or pickle. I love them with this Melt-in-the-Mouth Burnt Aubergine and Spinach Curry.

It’s not imperative they rise – they will still taste great! Most importantly, keep practising. It’s so worth it.

If you like this Roti, you’ll love my recipe for Thepla

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The post Roti Recipe – Softest Ever Chapati (Rotli) appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Instead, it’s packed with a spicy vegetable samosa stuffing. If you’re craving those ever-popular Indian snacks, but want something a little out of the box for your next party, this is the recipe for you.

Pull-Apart Samosa Bread: Made to share!

Rustle up two trays, put them into the middle of the table and watch them disappear in the blink of an eye.

You can serve them hot, as they are or with individual pots of garlic butter for each guest. Either way, I promise everyone will be smiling with a belly full of samosa goodness by the end of the evening.

Easy samosa filling recipe

I’ve kept the filling really simple because hey, you’re making your own bread here.

The filling is packed with flavour, yet doesn’t take away from the fact that the real big deal here is the soft, fluffy bread that’s more of a dinner roll than it is any other kind of bread.

The addition of milk and butter ensure it’s cotton-soft and the perfect, pillowy pocket for the spicy vegetable filling.

What kind of vegetables can I add to this Pull-Apart Samosa Bread?

You can add any vegetables you like here – just make sure you chop them up really finely and cook them until they’re just right beforehand. This is because the filling literally takes seven minutes to cook so they won’t be in the pan too long.

How to make Pull-Apart Samosa Bread

I’ve written a step-by-step method below but it’s much easier to understand the way the bread is formed from the video.

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Pull-Apart Samosa Bread

My Pull-Apart Samosa Bread is packed with spicy vegetable samosa filling. If you’re craving those ever-popular Indian snacks, but want something a little out of the box for your next party, this is the recipe for you.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword bread, party food, potatoes, samosas

Prep Time 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 600 g floury potatoes peeled, diced and boiled
• 350 g finely-chopped mixed vegetables I used peas, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 medium onion chopped finely
• 2 large green chillies chopped finely
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ginger minced (optional)
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped finely

For the dough:

• 600 g strong white bread flour
• 14 g fast-action dried yeast 2 sachets
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 100 g butter melted
• 180 ml warm milk
• 130 ml warm water
• Extra butter to brush the rolls

Instructions

• To make the filling, heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Allow to sizzle a little before adding in the onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the chillies, turmeric, ginger (if using) and salt. Stir briefly before adding the potatoes and vegetables. Mix thoroughly.
• Next, add in the lemon juice, garam masala and coriander. Stir and cook for a few moments before turning off the heat.
• To make the dough, take a large bowl and mix together the butter, milk, water, salt and sugar. Stir to combine. Little by little, add the flour until you’ve used up half of it. At this stage the mixture will be cool enough to add the yeast. Adding the yeast any earlier might kill the yeast. You want it to be warm and cosy for the yeast to do its thing.
• Finish adding all the flour and when it begins to come together, turn the dough out onto a clean surface.
• Knead the dough for 10 minutes to work that gluten. It might be a bit sticky at first but keep going. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, you can do it in there – it’ll take half the time.
• Take a large, greased bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with a damp towel or cling film and allow to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. Luckily for me it was a really hot day so I didn’t need to take a trip to the airing cupboard where my dough usually hangs out – I just left it on the counter top.
• When the bread has doubled in size, knock it back and give it a knead. You’ll feel all the little air bubbles popping and that’s good and will ensure your bread rises evenly in the oven.
• Butter two 25cm baking dishes and set it aside.
• Take half the dough and roll it out on a floured work surface until it’s around 2mm in thickness. Using a round cookie cutter approx. 6cm in diameter, cut rounds of the dough.
• Take the cooled filling and place around a teaspoon of it into the middle of one of the dough rounds. Using your thumb, fold the middle up and bring the sides to meet in the middle, almost like you’re making an open wonton or tortellini.
• Place into the buttered baking dish – start with the outside edge and repeat for the rest of the discs. The amount you will need depends on the size of your dish. My recipe made two 25cm pull-apart loaves. Repeat for the remaining dough and filling.
• Brush the bread with melted butter and bake in a pre-heated oven at 160C for 45 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and brush with more butter before serving.

Video

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If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for The Best Vegetable Samosas!

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The post Pull-Apart Samosa Bread appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

If you’re looking for a flatbread with big, bold flavours, you’ve come to the right place. The traditional Thepla of my childhood are unstuffed and served spread with butter or ghee. Paired with Sukha Bateta nu Shaak (dry potato and cashew curry), it’s family comfort food at its best.

My memories of eating Thepla made by the expert hands of my mum are ones I still treasure today. They would be smoking hot off the tawa, rolled up like a cigar and dripping with golden butter – and first thing in the morning too. Thepla are the ultimate breakfast bread and waking up to the smell of them toasting on a hot pan outweigh the feeling of hitting snooze on Sunday morning. Trust me.

Packed with the smoky, slightly-bitter caramel notes of fresh fenugreek leaves, these turmeric-hued discs of fluffy bread are one of the most iconic recipes of Gujarat. Traditional Thepla are as I said, eaten with potato curry, masala chai, pickles and chutneys.

Here, I’ve combined the beauty of fluffy potatoes and fenugreek leaf-studded bread to create Aloo Stuffed Thepla. Yeah, it’s a little unconventional incorporating the potato element into the bread itself, but since when was sticking to the rules any fun?

So WTF is fenugreek? They look like coriander but bury your nose in a bunch of fresh fenugreek and you’ll instantly know they are in a league of their own. Not dissimilar to the deep burnt sugar flavours of Marmite, fresh fenugreek leaves are one of those ingredients you’ll either love or hate. They have a slightly bitter caramel taste and I find that fans of dark chocolate tend to love fenugreek too.

It’s important to know that fresh fenugreek leaves and fenugreek seeds aren’t interchangeable. The seeds have a deeply nutty aroma and the flavour is bitter in the same way great coffee and cacao beans are bitter. They lend amazing complexity to Indian recipes in very different ways so remember not to substitute one for the other. It would be like subbing coriander seeds for fresh coriander. Not a great idea.

Kasuri or Kasoori methi are dried fenugreek leaves and indeed, can be used in place of fresh fenugreek. The flavour is much more concentrated in the same way any dried ingredient is stronger in flavour compared to the fresh counterpart. Added to rich, makhani sauces, it’s an absolute game changer. To release the full aromas, simply rub it between your palms and add towards the end of cooking or to finish a dish.

There’s not a type of bread I don’t love but recently I’ve developed a huge passion for breads with a punch of flavour rather than bread being secondary to another main dish. In this recipe, the Aloo Stuffed Thepla are the star of their very own show, perhaps accompanied by a selection of chutneys, achaars, plain yoghurt and chai.

Find out exactly how to prepare these step-by-step in my first YouTube video below. Let me know what you think.

Aloo Stuffed Thepla
Makes 18-20

Ingredients

For the filling:
1kg floury potatoes such as Maris Piper, peeled, boiled and mashed until really smooth
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
2-3 chillies, chopped
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder) or 2 tbsp lemon juice
80g frozen peas, defrosted and pulsed in a food processor until coarsely crushed
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped coriander, optional

For the dough:
550g chapatti flour
2 tsp turmeric
5 tbsp chopped fresh fenugreek leaves (if you’re using kasoori methi, use just under 1 tbsp)
1 ½ tsp salt
100ml sunflower oil
320ml hot water

125g melted butter or ghee

Method

1. First, make the filling. Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Allow them to sizzle slightly, then add in the ginger, garlic and chillies. Cook for a minute. Next, add in the peas, potatoes, garam masala, amchur, salt and coriander if using. Mix well and cook until heated through. Set aside to cool.

2. To make the dough, place the chapatti flour in a large bowl or tray. Mix in the salt, turmeric and chopped fenugreek. Make a well in the middle and add the oil. Pour in the water and stir until cool enough to handle. Go in with your hands and knead for 4-5 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough.

3. Divide the dough into golf ball-sized rounds and roll between your palms until smooth.

4. Do the same for the filling but take slightly more than the size of the dough.

5. Roll the dough to about 3-4” in diameter and place the potato ball on top. Using your thumbs and forefingers, pinch the dough closed around the filling, starting in the middle and working your way outwards. The filling wrapped in dough should be fully enclosed with no gaps or holes.

6. Flatten the ball using the palm of your hand. Dust with flour on both sides and flip over. You will need to roll the smooth side.

7. Begin rolling the dough, turning gently as you do. Ensure it is even all over and dust with more flour if necessary. Try to aim for 1/2cm in thickness.

8. Cook in a dry, non-stick frying pan, turning once and spreading the dry-cooked side with some butter or ghee. Flip and repeat. The underside should be golden in a few moments, flip again and cook on the next side until golden.

9. Repeat until you’ve used up all of the dough and filling.

So, as if by magic, you’re now a paratha extraordinaire and well on your way to rustling up some bread to accompany your favourite Indian dishes. Enjoy making these Stuffed Aloo Thepla and once you get the hang of rolling, remember to have fun creating your own fillings and flavours.

These are in-freakin’-sane with Gor Keri (sweet mango pickle with fennel seeds). You can buy it ready made or make your own. I’ll share my recipe soon.

Love Sanjana

The post Aloo Stuffed Thepla appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Two of my favourite things in the world are naan and pizza. I love them in all shapes and forms from classic peshwari naan to hybrid naan pizzas – especially when they involve cheese, green veggies and lashings of garlic. I’ll be honest, getting home from a long day at work and sitting down to a naan pizza made with shop-bought garlic and coriander naan and leftover paneer butter masala is one of the most incredible dinners ever! Don’t believe me? Try it yourself.

Here’s a simple recipe that celebrates my love of naan and pizza in an easy-to-eat fashion. My recipe for naan pockets uses crumbled paneer and crushed peas as a stuffing for the deliciously-light and buttery naan envelopes. They’re folded into the classic teardrop shape, brushed with a mixture of butter and turmeric, sprinkled with kalonji seeds, and then baked in a hot oven until golden.

If you’re not a fan of paneer, these are also great with a filling of grated broccoli and spinach, steamed sweet potato, and cauliflower and green chilli cooked in the exact same way as I do the paneer and peas filling.

To serve, slice the pockets in half and serve with a bowl of my spicy pizza dip which is infused with a touch of garam masala, green chillies and ground coriander.

These are the perfect party nibbles, starters for an Indian meal and a sure-fire hit with kids. I even love them for dinner, served with both the spicy pizza dip and a cooling cucumber raita.

Stuffed Naan Pockets with Spicy Pizza Dip
Makes 18-20 mini pockets

Ingredients

For the naan dough:
310g strong white bread flour
7g fast-action dried yeast
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)
1 small clove garlic
1 tbsp plain yoghurt
2 tbsp sunflower oil
135ml warm water

For the peas and paneer stuffing:
250g shop-bought paneer, cubed
130g frozen peas, thawed
1 clove garlic
2 green chillies
1 inch piece ginger, peeled
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp ground black pepper
Salt to taste
1 tbsp crème fraiche
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped finely
2 tbsp sunflower oil

To brush the pockets:
Melted butter
¼ tsp turmeric
Kalonji seeds

For the spicy pizza dip:
2 large tomatoes
1 tbsp concentrated tomato paste
1 clove garlic
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Method
First, make the naan dough. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt kalonji seeds and garlic. In a separate jug, whisk together the warm water, yeast, sugar, oil and yoghurt. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid. Bring together using a spoon and then your hands. Knead for 10 minutes. The mixture may seem stick at first, but keep kneading and it’ll come together. Grease the bowl with come oil, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend together all the ingredients for the spicy pizza dip in a food processor. Add the mixture to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes.

To make the stuffing: in a food processor, blend the garlic, chillies and ginger. Remove and set aside. Next, pulse the peas a few times until coarsely chopped. Remove and set aside. Repeat the same process with the paneer. Bring the peas and paneer mixture together in a bowl. Heat a saucepan and add the oil. Sauté cumin seeds and the garlic, ginger and chilli mixture until aromatic. Add the peas and paneer mixture, black pepper, salt, crème fraiche and coriander and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 190°C and line a few baking trays with greaseproof paper and spritz with non-stick cooking spray.

To fold the pockets: take the risen naan dough and knock out all of the air. Take a ping pong ball-sized amount and roll into a ball. Use and rolling pin to roll into 3-inch in diameter round. Don’t add any extra flour – the oil in the dough should stop it from sticking too much. Take a tablespoon full of the cooled stuffing mix and place into the middle of the dough. Starting with the top and bottom of the dough, pull the dough around the filling, pinching the dough to seal until you get to the outer edges. Ensure the dough is well sealed without any cracks by pinching it all together until smooth.

Roll the dough gently until around 3 inches in diameter. Then use your hands to gently pull the top of the dough into a teardrop shape. Place the other side up on the greased and lined baking tray and repeat for the rest of the pockets.

Use a sharp knife to make small holes (not all the way through) in the naan pockets. Melt the butter and whisk in the turmeric – this will give them a lovely golden colour. Brush the pockets generously with the butter mixture and sprinkle on the kalonji seeds.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden all over.

Serve hot from the oven with the warm spicy pizza dip.

Love Sanjana

The post Stuffed Naan Pockets with Spicy Pizza Dip appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.