Savory Fenugreek and Coriander Pancakes

I am passionate about savory Indian flat breads. They are a perfect accompaniment to curries and are easy to make too. They do require a bit of patience however because usually only one can be cooked in the skillet at a time. No matter. The effort is well worth it, and in this case the bread requires no kneading.

These pancakes feature fresh fenugreek leaves — also known as "methi" — an annual herb that I was lucky enough to get my hands on. It is commonly used in Indian cooking and that includes the seed and ground powder from the seed. Slightly sweet, with a hint of bitterness, it is well worth using the fresh herb, but if you can't find it — and this is sometimes a challenge — substitute about 3/4 cup dried fenugreek instead. Most Asian and Indian grocers carry the dried leaves, seeds and powder, and often the fresh leaves. These grocers will also carry chickpea flour and chapati (or "atta") flour, but for 1/2 cup of chapati flour you may substitute 1/3 cup sifted whole wheat flour and combine with enough pastry flour to make 1/2 cup.

Savory Fenugreek and Coriander Pancakes

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on May 20, 2015 Thin, soft Indian flat breads with a savory fenugreek and coriander flavor Print this recipe Masala paste: 4 to 6 green chilies (or fewer if preferred), seeded and chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 1-inch fresh ginger, finely sliced 1/4 teaspoon sea salt Pancake batter: 1 cup brown rice flour 1/2 cup chapati (atta) flour* 1/3 cup chickpea (besan) flour 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon asafetida 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste 2 teaspoons coconut sugar or brown sugar 2/3 cup whole fat yogurt 1 1/2 cups warm water, or as needed 1 2/3 cup fresh fenugreek leaves (methi), roughly chopped*   3 tablespoons ghee or sesame oil for frying, or as needed Instructions: *Substitutions: Substitute 1/2 cup chapati flour with 2 parts sifted whole wheat flour and 1 part pastry flour. Substitute fresh fenugreek leaves with 3/4 cup dried fenugreek leaves. For the paste, combine the chilies, garlic, ginger, salt and 1 teaspoon of water in a small blender to blend into a paste. Alternately, use a mortar and pestle. Whisk together the flours, cumin seeds, ground coriander, turmeric, paprika, asafetida, salt and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the yogurt, 1 cup of the water to start with, and the fenugreek leaves. Stir well to combine, adding more water until the batter is pourable but fairly thick. Line a plate with a large piece of foil. Heat a few teaspoons of ghee or oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. When hot, ladle about 1/2 cup of the batter into the hot pan and spread out in a circular fashion with the back of the ladle into a thin 7- or 8-inch round. Cover and let cook for a minute. With a spatula, gently flip the pancake and cook for another few minutes, until the bread is golden brown. Transfer the pancake to the plate, fold the foil over to cover, and repeat the process until all of the pancakes are cooked. Enjoy warm or reheat them in a 175° oven. They are best when served the same day that they are made. Makes about 10 pancakes

Other savory Indian breads to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Besan Roti
Fenugreek Roti
Chickpea Flour Pancakes (Pudla) with Crushed Peas, Ginger, Chilies and Cilantro
Mixed Lentil and Rice Indian Pancakes

Audio Accompaniment: Ben Harper

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Millet and Chickpea Flour Crêpes with Spinach

I've often noted that millet is an under-appreciated grain. And that's strange, because it has a unique and nutty texture that is a bit lighter than rice and a fine accompaniment to any meal requiring a grain side. In addition, it works well as part of a main entrée too.

A substantial meal accompaniment, chickpea flour, spinach, carrot and spice shine along with the millet in these Indian crêpes.

I served them up with a mushroom curry for dinner.

Millet and Chickpea Flour Crêpes with Spinach

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on January 20, 2015 Quick and easy, these soft thin savory Indian pancakes are made from a hearty millet, spinach and vegetable batter Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup chickpea flour (besan) 1 cup cooked millet or quinoa (1/3 cup dried) generous handful of fresh spinach leaves 1 1/2 tablespoons hemp or flax seeds 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon asafetida 1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional) 1 teaspoon baking powder juice from 1/2 small lemon (1 tablespoon) 2 cups water 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 shallot, finely chopped 1 to 2 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 small carrot, finely chopped sesame oil for frying Instructions: In a blender, combine the chickpea flour, millet or quinoa, spinach, hemp seeds, spices and asafetida, nutritional yeast if using, baking powder, lemon juice, water and salt. Blend until you have a smooth batter. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl and stir in the shallot, chilies and carrot. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and brush with a bit of oil. When hot, add about 1/2 cup of the batter with a ladle and quickly spread out to a thin 6-inch circle using the back of the ladle. Cook for about 5 minutes until the bottom is golden brown, then flip the crêpe and cook for another 4 minutes or the other side is golden brown. Remove from the pan. Repeat until all of the batter is used, keeping the cooked crêpes warm under foil wrap. Serve hot or warm with accompaniments of your choice. Makes 10 crêpes

Other Indian quick breads you may enjoy:
Fenugreek Leaf Dosa
Sri Lankan Coconut Roti
Makki Di Roti (Griddle Cooked Corn Bread)
Indian Rice Flour Pancakes

On the top of the reading stack: Food and Drink Magazine

Audio Accompaniment: 4 Years by Origami Sound

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Whole Wheat and Corn Paratha

Indian meals are always a special treat when served with homemade flat breads. One of my favorites are flaky and substantial parathas, a griddle-fried bread often made with whole wheat flour and folded over a few times during the kneading and rolling process to create a layered bread that puffs during frying. They tend to be somewhat rich, especially if you use ghee or butter, as they are brushed several times during rolling and drizzled with butter or oil while cooking. Sometimes they are stuffed with vegetables and chutneys. Whether stuffed or more basic, they are always delicious as a snack or meal accompaniment.

Whole Wheat and Corn Paratha

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on October 22, 2014 Delicious flaky Indian flat breads made with corn and whole wheat flour and seasoned with cumin, ajwain and chilies Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup corn flour 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon sea salt 2 teaspoons coconut sugar or brown sugar 2 to 3 fresh green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 teaspoon ajwain seeds 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 3 tablespoons sesame oil 3/4 to 1 cup warm water flour for dusting 1/2 cup melted ghee, butter or oil Instructions: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, sugar, chilies and ajwain and cumin seeds. Drizzle in the sesame oil and, using your hands, rub it into the dry ingredients until well blended. Gradually add the water until the everything comes together to form a fairly stiff dough. Knead in the bowl for about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a smooth ball, brush with a bit of oil, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and leave to rest for a few hours. Knead the dough a few times and divide into 10 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and transfer to a plate. Cover with a damp kitchen towel so they don't dry out. Flatten a ball of dough into a roughly 2-inch round patty, sprinkle with a bit of flour, and then transfer to a lightly floured board. Roll the dough out into a roughly 5 to 6 inch round, dusting with more flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Brush the round with some melted ghee, butter or oil, and then fold in half. Brush the half with a bit more ghee, butter or oil, and then fold into a quarter-circle. Dust with a bit of flour and roll out into a rough 5 to 6 inch triangular shape. Repeat with the rest of the breads, separating each paratha between sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Brush a skillet with a small amount of ghee, butter or oil, and heat over medium heat. When hot, transfer one of the breads to the pan. Fry for about a minute, and then drizzle the edges and top with a bit of ghee, butter or oil. Let cook for another few minutes, until golden brown. Flip the bread, drizzle a bit more ghee, butter or oil around the sides of the bread, and cook for another few minutes, until golden and puffy in spots. Transfer to a plate lined with foil, or a basket lined with clean kitchen towels, and cover. Repeat with the remaining parathas. Note: The dough will keep well for up to 24 hours before baking. Cover the kneaded dough in the bowl with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to use, taking it out an hour or two before frying. Makes 9 to 11 flat breads

Other savory Indian breads to try:
Chickpea Flour (Besan) Crêpes with Spinach
Parathas Stuffed with Sweet Potato and Potato
Mung Dal Chila Paneer Wraps
Fenugreek Chapatis

On the top of the reading stack: Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan

Audio Accompaniment: Adam Beyer

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Sri Lankan Coconut Roti

There's a new favorite curry accompaniment on the menu. I adore savory Indian breads and crêpes, and while most of the preparations are straightforward, many of the options are somewhat time consuming because of the frying time involved. This recipe comes together in hardly anytime at all and if you shape them into small units, a few will fit on the pan at the same time with only a few minutes required per side to cook the dough and brown them up.

Soft and bready, with coconut adding some richness and natural sweetness, the chilies add a bit of heat to complete the experience. Not only do they go well with legume mains and curried vegetable sides, they also make a fine breakfast alongside some chutney. Do consider doubling the batch — any leftover rotis will keep well for at least another day and can easily be reheated in a 180° oven wrapped in foil.

Sri Lankan Coconut Roti

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Sri Lankan Published on August 14, 2014 Simple, soft and bready Sri Lankan flat breads with a wonderful coconut and chili flavor — perfect for serving with curries or as a snack or breakfast with chutney Print this recipe Ingredients: 2 cups unbleached spelt or all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups fresh grated coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut 2 to 3 fresh green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 tablespoon coconut oil or sesame oil 1 teaspoon sea salt 2/3 cup warm water. or as needed Instructions: In a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut, chilies, oil and salt. Using your hands, work the oil into the mixture until well distributed. Gradually add water to the bowl until you have a soft dough that is not too sticky but moist enough to shape into a ball. Knead the dough in the bowl for about 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and pliable. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let sit for 1 hour or longer. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape into balls. Using the palms of your hands, press each ball into a small round that is roughly 1/4-inch thick. Keep the uncooked dough covered with the towel while you cook up batches of the roti so the dough doesn't dry out. Brush a cast-iron skillet or heavy non-stick skillet with a scant bit of oil and heat over medium-high heat. When hot, cook the rotis in batches until browned on both sides — about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Take care not to overcook otherwise the roti will be too hard and won't have a nice bready consistency. Keep warm in foil while you cook the remaining rotis. Makes 8 rotis

Other savory flatbreads you may enjoy:
Besan Roti
Chickpea Flour (Besan) Crêpes with Spinach
Indian Lentil and Rice Pancakes
Savory Rice and Urad Dal Pancakes (Dosas)

On the top of the reading stack: the newspaper

Audio Accompaniment: silence

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Mung Dal Chila Paneer Wraps

There is something so very comforting about cozy wraps of goodness. Most of the cuisines I am familiar with have traditional wrapped up delights and the cooks imagination adds extra flair to the plate. I went with an Indian theme for this meal as I often do, and made some Indian crêpes to serve with a quick and easy spicy paneer scramble.

I suppose this could be classified as "street food" but I've also enjoyed bites like this, especially when it comes from my kitchen. In fact, I made this meal, served along with some spinach rice, for my best friend Basil's birthday.

It's pure comfort food, and really rather easy to make up, though frying up the chila does take a bit of patience, even though they are straightforward to prepare.

Mung Dal Chila Paneer Wraps

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on December 16, 2013 Tangy and spicy scrambled paneer cheese and tomato served in a soft, savory and tasty mung dal and rice pancake Print this recipe Chila: 1 cup dried mung dal (split mung beans) 2 tablespoons basmati rice 1-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste small handful of dried fenugreek leaves (methi) 2 red or green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri or other chili powder 1/2 teaspoon asafetida pinch of cayenne ghee, butter or oil for frying Scrambled Paneer: 14 oz (400 g) paneer cheese, mashed or crumbled 1 tablespoon ghee, butter or oil 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 small onion, finely chopped 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped 2 to 3 red or green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri or other chili powder 1 medium tomato, finely chopped 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped 1 cup fresh or frozen peas juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons) Instructions: To make the chila, wash the mung dal and rice in a strainer until the water is no longer cloudy. Place in a bowl, cover with several inches of fresh water, and let stand for at least 4 hours at room temperature. Drain and transfer to a blender along with the ginger, cilantro or parsley, salt, fenugreek leaves, chilies, turmeric, chili powder, asafetida and cayenne. Process to a smooth batter, adding a little water as necessary, until the batter is thick but of a pouring consistency. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and brush with some ghee, butter or oil. When hot, ladle some of the batter onto the center of the pan, taking care to spread it out thinly with the bottom of the ladle so that it forms a pancake about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Reduce the heat slightly, drizzle some ghee or oil around the edge of the chila, and cook for 2 minutes until it begins to brown. Flip the pancake, cook for another minute or two, and flip again and cook for another minute. Keep warm in a 150° oven while you cook the remaining chila. For the paneer scramble, heat the ghee, butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and fry until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop — about 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in the onion and stir until softened. Now add the ginger, chilies and spices, and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomato and simmer until thickened. Stir in the peas and paneer cheese and cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes until the peas are tender the paneer is heated throughout. Stir in the lime juice and cook for another few minutes. To serve, spoon a few tablespoons or more of the paneer onto a chila, roll it or fold it, and serve alongside a piping hot bed of rice. Makes 6 chila

More paneer delights you are sure to enjoy:
Paneer Mushroom Masala
Mung Bean Paneer
Paneer Tikka Pizza on Naan Bread
Spicy Carrot Soup with Ginger and Paneer Cubes

On the top of the reading stack: "The Outsider" by Albert Camus

Audio Accompaniment: graceful silence

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Sweet Potato Roti

Indian flatbreads often make their appearance on my dinner table and truly I could eat them everyday, anytime of day. They are perfect for breakfast or brunch with some chutney and they're an ideal accompaniment to curries — as I eat a lot of dal and vegetable curries, it's no wonder I crave savory breads such as these roti as often as I do. In this case, I wanted a wrap for some spicy jerk chickpeas and with the sweet potato filling in these flatbreads, the combination was perfect. Rotis are not only enjoyed in India and throughout Asia, but are also popular in the Caribbean. To my delight, the roti rolled up perfectly without breaking apart. Feel free to add more spice to the breads if you want to heat things up further.

As with most unleavened savory Indian crêpes and flatbreads, these are really easy to make but the process is more seamless if you have a helper in the kitchen while frying up the breads. The rotis didn't take long at all to brown up and by the time I got another rolled out and ready for the pan, I would have been running a short marathon in the kitchen to keep up the pace. But a helper is not necessary, as you can roll out a few ahead of time or remove the pan from the heat briefly if you start to fall behind. Do keep the dough and any rolled out rounds covered with a clean kitchen towel so they don't dry out.

Sweet Potato Roti

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on May 29, 2013 Simple, moist, soft and delicious lightly seasoned Indian flat breads made with sweet potatoes — perfect for serving with spicy Indian curries Print this recipe Ingredients: 2 medium or 1 large sweet potato (about 1 lb or 450 g) 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup spelt or unbleached white flour 2/3 teaspoon ground cumin a few pinches of dried red chili flakes 1/2 teaspoon sea salt sesame or olive oil as needed hot water as needed Instructions: Begin by cooking the sweet potatoes. Boil in a large pot of water for 20 or 30 minutes until tender or roast in a 425° oven for 40 to 50 minutes until fork tender. Let the potatoes sit until they are cool enough to handle and then peel off the skins. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potato. Add the flours, ground cumin, dried red chili flakes and salt to the bowl along with a drizzle of oil. Lightly oil your hands, then gather the dough and gently work with it until you have a soft yet firm dough that forms into a smooth ball. The dough should be soft but not too moist and sticky. Add a few teaspoons of hot water as needed or more flour. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel to keep moist. Alternately, you can make the dough in a food processor. Purée the sweet potato, then add the flours, ground cumin, dried red chili flakes and salt as well as a drizzle of oil and hot water. Transfer to a bowl and knead for a minute or two with lightly oiled hands until the dough holds together as per the instructions above. Lightly oil clean hands again and divide the dough equally into 14 to 16 small portions and shape into balls. Again, keep covered so the dough does not dry out. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into a thin 6-inch circle. Sprinkle with more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. When hot, add a circle of dough and cook the bread for a minute or two until small golden brown spots begin to form. Flip and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate lined with foil wrap, cover, and repeat for the rest of the breads. They are best served warm but they can be made ahead of time and reheated in the foil in a 250° oven. Makes 16 rotis

Other Indian flatbreads you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Besan Roti
Fenugreek Dosa
Fenugreek Chapatis
Paratha Stuffed with Sweet Potato and Potato

On the top of the reading stack: Chekhov

Audio Accompaniment: Robert Rich

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