zucchini thalipeeth

When I think back to exactly when it was that I really became aware of foods other than what my mom made, the memory of a Gulmohur tree with flaming orange and red blooms, standing tall against the grey stone facade of a school comes to mind.  Our informal lunch room from fourth grade until we finished high school, and where our group of girls in beige uniforms and hair braided and tied in red ribbons headed when the lunch bell rang.  Under it’s shade, we gathered and told stories, argued and became friends again,  talked about the distant future and our dreams, and the immediate future and plans for seeing the latest Hindi movie.

Those times and that group was special.  We came from all over the country – Maharashtrian, Punjabi, Telugu, Sikh, Sindhi, Bohri, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil……can you imagine what lunch time was like?  A feast!  When we opened our lunch boxes, half our attention was on our friends boxes…curious to see what special things their moms had packed for them.  The tiffin boxes used to be passed around in the circle for everyone to get a small taste; with the unwritten rule that you took only a small bite 🙂 To this day, I have a signature dish to associate with each of my friends and the memories come with a tinge of sadness about a time that will never happen again, and also for some of the aunties who are no more.

This Maharashtrian flatbread made of a mix of grain and lentil flours was a specialty of my friend G.’s mom.  G. lived on a farm with a beautiful stone house and many days her lunch was chapati with some vegetable.  But on special days (for us!) her lunchbox would hold the beloved thalipeeth, made predominantly with bajra and spiced just right with green chillies, onions and coriander.  And I have never had one like that since or been able to replicate that flavor.

But I do love it and after years of simply thinking about it, decided to make it a few weeks back.  When I was looking for recipes, I noticed that there is a lot of leeway in terms of the grains used, the proportions and also some short-cuts.  Typically made with a mix of wheat, millet, sorghum, lentils and spices that are first dry-roasted and then made into flour either at home or sent to a mill, in Maharashtra, one can buy the mix called bhajani ready-made.  Not having that luxury, a quick inventory of the pantry led to pulling out some millet, brown rice and sorghum flours and the thalipeeth began to shape in my head.  I dry-roasted the flours first and then the lentils which I powdered in the spice jar of my blender.  And I deliberately left out the wheat, wanting these to be gluten-free.   I also used some zucchini along with the onions, green chillies and cilantro.

The technique for making these is simpler than that for rotis in a way, since these are patted into the round shape instead of rolling.  The trademark holes in the thalipeeth can either be made before putting them on the skillet or after.  I did it after and used the tip of a wooden ladle; making only one hole since these were fairly small in size.

These do taste best soon after they are off the skillet and although I haven’t used a lot of oil, adding a good amount leads to wonderfully crisp thalipeeth.  The sesame seeds are optional, I happen to love their delightful crunch and flavor!  Typically served with a spicy red chilli chutney called Thecha or a green one called Kharda which is really spicy, like “I need a gallon of water and a bar of chocolate” kind of spicy.  So please be cautious about the green one!

They are a great choice for a savory weekend breakfast and were a big hit with my teen.  Which means I shall be making them very often 🙂

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup jowar (Sorghum) flour

1 cup ragi (Finger Millet) flour*

1/2 cup chana dal (split bengal gram)

1/2 cup urad dal (Black lentils)

2 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

Dry roast the flours separately on a medium flame in a wide pan for 4-5 mins, stirring constantly.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Dry roast the chana dal using the same pan for about 5 mins on medium flame until it starts to change color slightly and gives a nice aroma.  Transfer to a plate.

Next, dry roast the urad dal and when it starts to turn very slightly beige, add the coriander and cumin seeds and roast for 2-3 mins more, stirring constantly.  Add it to the chana dal and let everything cool completely.

Powder the dal-spice mixture to a fine powder in the spice jar of a blender or a spice mill.  Add to flours and mix well.  Let it cool completely and transfer to an airtight container to store.

Makes 7 thalipeeth that are approx. 4 1/2 inches round

1 1/2 cups of the above mixture

1 zucchini, medium size (Should make 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups when grated)

1/2 cup onion, chopped fine

1 1/2 cups cilantro, chopped fine

1 thai green chili, chopped fine

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp canola, peanut or vegetable oil

salt to taste

sesame seeds for topping (optional)

canola, peanut or vegetable oil for cooking the thalipeeth

Wash and grate the zucchini using the large holes of a grater.  Transfer to a mixing bowl and add 1 1/2 tsp salt.  Keep aside for 1/2 hr.

After 1/2 hour, squeeze all the juice into a cup and save.

In a large mixing bowl, add 1 1/2 cups of the bhajani flour.  Then add the rest of the ingredients except the salt.  Toss it to mix well and slowly start adding the zucchini juice until you get a soft dough that is slightly sticky.  I got about 1/4 cup juice and ended up using all of it plus a little more water.  Add more salt now if needed.

Heat a skillet on medium flame (preferably cast-iron) and brush with a little oil.

Wet a clean muslin cloth/kitchen towel or grease a large ziploc bag.  Take a large golf-sized ball of dough and with wet hands, slowly start patting it into a small circle (approx.  4 1/2 inches).  Towards the end, sprinkle 1/2 tsp sesame seeds (if using) and finish making the circle. You can make a hole in the center now or when it is on the skillet.

Flip the thalipeeth onto your right hand and peel away the cloth or ziploc (It comes off easily)

Put the thalipeeth on the hot pan and poke a hole in the center (I use the back of a wooden ladle) pour about half a teaspoon of oil around the periphery and center hole.  You can also spread a few drops on top to prevent it from getting dry and cracked.

Cover and cook for 2-3 mins until you see the top no longer looks raw and the bottom is golden brown with a few dark brown spots.  Flip it over and cook on the other side, uncovered and add a few more drops of oil.  Cook until golden brown.

These taste best when they are right off the pan, wonderfully crisp on the surface with a soft inside and served with the red thecha and or the green kharda. And definitely with some yogurt or buttermilk on the side 🙂

6 Kashmiri red chillies

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp canola, peanut or vegetable oil

1/4 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp tamarind or lemon juice

salt to taste.

Soak the red chillies in warm water for a couple of hours.  Drain and grind to a coarse paste without any water.

Heat the oil in small pan and add the mustard seeds.  When they start to op, add the chilli-garlic paste and fry on  medium heat until the oil separates.  Add the salt and tamarind/lemon juice and turn off stove.  Cool completely.

12 green chillies

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp oil

salt

Heat oil in a pan.  Add the cumin seeds and a minute later, add the green chillies and garlic.  Fry until the skin on the chillies blister and the garlic turns light brown.  Add the salt and cilantro, stir for a minute and turn off the stove.

When it cools completely, pound it roughly with a mortar-pestle.

*  You can experiment with different flours instead of the Ragi…..Buckwheat would be a good option!