dal & lemon picke parathas

Hard to believe that I was away from the blog for almost four months!  There are the usual excuses – travels including a trip to India and other routine life busyness but perhaps most importantly, lurking beneath was a sense of not having anything new or interesting to say in this space, making weeks of not posting merge into months.  But after many sheets of crumpled paper thrown against the wall (figuratively speaking) and many second thoughts, I am just about ready to hit the publish button and hoping to end a dry spell 🙂

This almost magical trip to India had me checking more than one item off my bucket list; including a most memorable visit to Parathewali Gali in Old Delhi.  After many, many years of listening to stories and watching videos of the famous parathas being made and dreaming of visiting one day, I had to almost pinch myself to make sure it was real.  And the icing on the cake with a huge cherry on top was the company of my dear friend of many years, Deeba.  Incredibly talented and quite the authority on Old Delhi, she knew exactly where to go and what to do 🙂

So when a few hours after I landed in Delhi and a car ride followed by an e-rickshaw ride later, we were right in the heart of Chandni Chowk, I could barely contain my excitement.  The lanes and the crowds, the honking cars, the rickshaws almost touching, with the passengers looking at each other with such curiosity.  Such a contrast to transportation in many other cities where people would do everything possible to avoid eye contact!

And the Gali (lane) lived up to its name!  Narrow, with shops on either side and store fronts made up of a platform on which lay mounds of dough and vessels with compartments holding a mind-blowing variety of stuffings.  Karahis (woks) of oil/ghee turned dark with the loose flour used to roll the parathas were bubbling away in the front, filling the air with a most tantalising aroma and men were busy pinching off pieces of dough and deftly stuffing, rolling and frying the parathas to crispy goodness.  I wished desperately for a hundred eyes to capture every second….and as I was to discover later, maybe a couple more stomachs 🙂 Deeba knew exactly where the best parathas could be found and we were soon seated in the simple benches of the paratha shop.  While I got ready to order my favorites of Gobi (cauliflower) and Mooli (radish) parathas, I heard Deeba say “Nimbu” (lemon) when asked for her choice, which immediately piqued my curiosity.  Wouldn’t that be tart, I wondered as I reached for the napkin that Deeba pulled out of her bag and handed me.  The sectioned steel plates were placed in front of us and the signature sides of potato curry and pumpkin curry came along followed by the parathas……and I dug in!!  Spicy and so,so moreish.  I couldn’t quite decide whether to use the napkin to wipe my fingers or take it to my nose that was now dripping because of the spices 🙂  Then Deeba broke a large chunk of her Nimbu paratha and put it in my plate……one bite and I was hooked. Not tart like lemons, absolutely delicious and with the distinct flavor of a really good lemon pickle.

So predictably, soon after I got back, I immediately went about trying to recreate those Nimbu parathas   I added some leftover dal to the dough to balance the lemon pickle and I must say it really added to the flavor while giving the parathas a wonderfully flaky texture.

You could use any kind of cooked dal.  In case you are not using leftovers, do make sure to season the freshly made dal with cumin seeds, asafetida, salt, chopped tomatoes and chopped cilantro.  Also, make sure the dal is at room temperature and not hot when making the dough.

Those original parathas were deep-fried but I chose to cook them on the skillet.  I would highly recommend using ghee for these but of course, a neutral oil would work perfectly well.  I served it with some Aloo (potato) curry and Kaddoo (pumpkin) curry in order to stay true to the meal but these parathas would taste great with any curry and would be perfect for packing and taking on a trip too!

Dal & Lemon Pickle Parathas

Makes 12-14 parathas

Print Recipe

2 cups whole-wheat or multigrain flour
1 1/2 cups of thick cooked dal – leftover or fresh
salt to taste
a large pinch of turmeric
1 tbsp ghee or oil
extra water to knead dough
lemon or lime pickle, chopped fine
extra flour for dusting and rolling

Measure the flour into a large plate or mixing bowl.

Make a well in the center and add the dal, salt and oil/ghee.

Mix everything togther.  Add water if needed and make a soft but not sticky or tacky dough

Rest the dough for 20 mins and then divide into 12-14 portions.  Roll into balls and keep covered with a damp kitchen towel.

Heat a skillet on medium flame.  Take one ball and make a depression with the thumb.

Add about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of the minced lemon pickle and bring the dough together in a pinching motion to close the opening.

Roll into a smooth ball again, dust with flour and roll into a 4-5 inch circle.

Put it on the skillet.  Wait until you see bubbles on top and flip it over.  After a minute, add about 1/2 tsp oil/ghee around the periphery and flip it over.  Add a few drops of oil/ghee on top and cook until both sides are golden brown.  Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Repeat with the rest of the dough.

*  Reheat the leftover paratha on a skillet on the stove top instead of the microwave.