Gujarati Methi Thepla (Flat-bread)

Thepla is a Indian flat bread just like roti, but spiced up and flavored with herbs or greens. This bread can be eaten as it is for snacking or served with simple dal or pickle for dinner. It also stores well for 3-4 days at room temperature. The addition of yogurt not only makes the bread softer, it also brings down the heat from the spices. Next time i would like to add minced green chili and garam masala to my theplas. Feel free to add your favorite spices and enjoy'em warm. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Chapathi Flour

1 tbsp Canola Oil

1/2 cup Plain Yogurt

1 tbsp dried Fenugreek Leaves

2 tbsp fresh Cilantro (minced)

1 1/2 tsp minced Garlic

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

3/4 tsp Salt

2-3 tbsp warm Water

 How to:

• In a big bowl with whole wheat flour, pour oil and mix well with your hands to incorporate the oil into the flour.

• In another bowl, add the yogurt, and mix together the fenugreek leaves, cilantro, garlic, turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin powder and salt.

• Now pour the yogurt mixture to the flour and start kneading gently. Slowly add water 1 tbsp at a time and knead to bring the dough together.

• Prepare a smooth and well-hydrated dough, smear oil on top, cover it with plastic wrap and let rest for 20-30 mins.

• Take a lime-size dough dusted with flour and flatten the dough with a press or rolling pin, meanwhile heat the tawa/griddle.

• Place the flattened dough on the hot griddle (smear oil if you want to) and gently press with the back of the spatula. 

• Let cook for a couple of mins and flip the bread and cook for another min, until you see golden brown spots on the bread.

• Serve hot with pickle or thokku. Store'em in a thermal food container until ready to eat.

Potato Masala Bread Loaf

Breads and potatoes, who doesn't like'em? It was a big hit yesterday. This potato stuffed bread loaf was our dinner last night. It was really easy and fun to prepare.  Thanks to showmethecurry.com for sharing such a fabulous recipe. The original recipe calls for paneer, but i didn't have it handy so i used potatoes. The spice mixture with extra heat from the green chilies was simply perfect. Maybe next time i would do a different stuffing and experiment by adding some whole wheat flour to the dough. This is a keeper for sure. Well, here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

For Dough:

3 cups All Purpose Flour (maida) 

1 cup Luke Warm Water

1 1/2tsp Rapid Rise Yeast

1 1/2tsp Salt

1tsp Sugar

1/3cup Olive Oil

 

How to:

• In a bowl with warm water, add the yeast, sugar, salt followed by olive oil and mix well.

• In another big bowl with the all purpose flour, pour the yeast mixture and start kneading as the dough pulls from the sides.

•  Knead it for 6-8 mins dusting with flour if sticky, until you get a soft and smooth dough.

For stuffing:

3 Potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed) (1 1/2cups)

2 Green chilli (finely chopped)

2tbsp Cilantro (finely chopped)

1/4tsp Turmeric powder

1/2tsp Red Chilli powder

1/2tsp Garam masala powder

3/4tsp Amchur powder

1/8tsp Salt

• Add all the ingredients to the mashed potato, mix gently and keep aside. 

Rolling and Stuffing:

• Place the dough on a flat surface and roll the dough into a rectangle with a rolling pin.

• Spread the potato stuffing evenly over the dough and gently press'em.

• Start rolling tightly from one side and make a log out of it.

Rising and Baking:

• Spray oil on to a shallow 9x13 baking pan and place the rolled dough at the center of the pan with the seam side down.

• Cover the dough and let rest for an hour, until doubled.

• With a serrated knife, make slits diagonally on top of the risen dough.

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, then reduce it to 425 degrees and bake for 25-30 mins. (I baked exactly for 25 mins.)

• Allow the bread to sit on the counter for 5 mins before moving to a cooling rack.

• Let cool for 30 mins on the rack before you slice'em.

• Serve the bread with your favorite sauce.

• Store the leftover bread by wrapping'em with plastic and put it in a ziploc bag.

Whole Wheat Chicken-Feta Pizza (From Scratch) with Spinach-Mushroom Salad

Don't turn your back on this whole wheat pizza because it didn't taste like cardboard, for sure. The crust is prepared from a mix of wheat flour and APF. Also, i have added few dried herbs to the flour to make the crust even more flavorful. These days everybody is trying to sneak in some healthy stuff into their favorite dishes and one such dish is my pizza. For topping, use the real cheese, but in moderation and skip the low-fat ones. This way, you will feel full and satisfied and also escape from cravings. My next pizza will be 'all WWF, no APF'. I guess so...

Ingredients:

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 cups All purpose flour (Maida), divided

1 1/2 cups Warm Water

1 tbsp Active Dry Yeast

1/2tsp Italian Seasoning (optional)

1/2tsp Pizza Seasoning (optional)

1tbsp Olive oil, more for greasing 

1tsp Sugar

1tsp Salt

How to:

Dough:

• Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water and let sit for 10 mins, until foamy.

• In a big bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, 1 cup APF, seasonings and salt.

• Add the olive oil to the flour mixture and mix it well.

• Now pour the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and mix until dough starts to come together.

• Transfer the dough to a floured flat surface and start kneading by slowly adding the remaining 1/2 cup APF and prepare a smooth dough. Knead for 10 mins.

• Now transfer the kneaded dough to a clean oiled bowl, wrap it with a kitchen towel and place it inside the microwave oven. (Do not switch on the oven.)

• Let it rest for an hour, until doubled.

• Once doubled, gently knead the dough for a min getting the air out of the dough.
• Divide the dough into equal halves and let rest for another 45 mins in the same warm place.

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a cookie sheet/ baking pan.
• Transfer one dough ball onto the greased sheet/pan, gently press with your hands to make desired shape of equal thickness. (You can make 2 thin crust pizzas.)

Toppings:

Pizza Sauce (see the recipe here)

1/2 small Green Bell Pepper (thinly sliced)

1/2 small Red Onion (thinly sliced)

1/2 cup Shredded chicken (already cooked)

1/4 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

2 Fresh Mozzarella balls (sliced and cubed)

Baking:

• Spread the sauce over the dough leaving 1/2 to 1 inch from the sides.

• Top it with pepper, onion, chicken the cheeses.

• Bake for 18 mins, until the crust is golden brown and the cheeses are all melted.

• Slice it up and devour. 

Spinach-Mushroom Salad:

Ingredients:

2 handfuls Fresh Baby Spinach

2 White Button Mushrooms (thinly sliced)

1/4 Red onion (thinly sliced)

1tbsp Crumbled Feta Cheese

1tbsp Olive Oil

1tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

1tsp low sodium Soy Sauce

1/4tsp Ground Black Pepper

How to:

• Toss together the spinach, mushroom, red onion and feta.

• In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce and black pepper.

• Pour the dressing over the spinach and mushroom and give it a gentle mix.

• Serve as a side with pizza.