In The Kitchen With Anita & Kumari

To say that Anita's kitchen is bustling with activity would be the gross understatement of the year. If she's not cooking, she's whipping up a delicious snack or her cook, Kumari, is busy prepping for the next meal. Fresh vegetables from the market jostle with fruits from her mother's garden on Anita's counters. There's some kind of green everywhere. And if she were writing this, she would not hesitate to add that that includes her compost pit, as well!

Green

We had plans of cooking together but there were so many things to do that I ended up watching and hastily taking many blurry pictures in her kitchen.

Anita in all shades of White Balance

I had a tough time taking pictures in her home - there is a confluence of incandescent, flourescent and blue light. It drove me nuts and explains her exasperation when I say White Balance! to her on all her pictures.

Kumari made besan parathas for us the day we left for Agra. This is a recipe from Anita's mother-in-law, the same lady whose goda masala recipe many of us now swear by. According to Anita, besan parathas were very popular in their home for breakfast.

She has trained Kumari well. So well that the woman can roll out perfectly round parathas from a triangle. Take a look.

Smear besan paste over half the rolled out paratha

sprinkle cilantro liberally

Press and pat it down

Add some more besan paste to half the semi-circle

fold over once more to make a triangle

it magically turns into a circle

A perfect besan paratha

Shy Kumari

Now that you have an idea of the technique, I think you're more than ready for the recipe.

Besan Paratha

besan

For the besan paste:

• 4 heaped tbsp besan
• 1 tsp ajwain or carom seeds
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup oil, approximately
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

For the dough:

• 2 cups atta (whole wheat flour)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm water, approximately
• 1/3 cup atta for dusting
• 1/3 cup oil for cooking the paratha

proof that I was not trained by Anita: mine are triangular

1. Place a cast-iron griddle to heat on medium-low.
2. Add oil and salt to the atta and knead using only as much water as required. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
3. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes, while you get the besan paste ready.
4. In a medium bowl, mix besan, ajwain, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
5. Slowly add oil until you get a thick spreadable paste. It should be thicker than pancake batter. (See pictures above for consistency of paste.)
6. Keep the chopped cilantro in another bowl.
7. Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces, roll each into a ball and flatten.
8. Roll each ball of dough into a circle that is about 4in in diameter.
9. Spread about 3/4 tsp of the besan paste onto half of the rolled out circle and fold over. Press and pat it down so that it sticks together. Wipe off any paste that oozes from the sides and make a mental note to add a little less paste the next time.
10. Spread less than 1/2 tsp besan paste onto half of the semi-circle and fold over into a triangle.
11. Dust with some atta and roll until the paratha is about 6-7in in diameter.
12. Brush off excess flour from the paratha and cook on the griddle on medium-high until the colour changes, about 30-40 seconds.
13. Flip the paratha over and quickly spread about 1/2 tsp oil on the paratha. Cook for about 30 seconds, flip it over and do the same to the other side. It may start puffing up at this point. That's a good thing!
14. Cook, flipping over as necessary, until the parathas has beautiful golden spots all over.
15. Serve hot with a chutney or pickle of your choice.

but really who cares about the shape when they are this flaky

Notes:

• Anita's mother-in-law stored leftover paste at room temperature and made dough as needed every morning.
• The size of each ball is twice the size I normally use for my stuffed parathas. Kumari used even larger balls of dough! My excuse is that my hands are small!

I encourage you to give this paratha a try at least once. The ajwain adds a great burst of flavor to each bite. And with each successive bite, your mind will — well, mine does — explode with the possibilities...mix some fresh fenugreek leaves into the cilantro, maybe some spinach, add some finely minced garlic...

It's always a huge treat to cook in someone else's kitchen or at least watch them cook. I learn new things all the time.

Thanks, Anita and Kumari, for letting me get in your way!

Update: I am sending this to Susan's My Legume Love Affair, hosted by Jaya.