Naan | No Yeast | Instant Naan | Chilli Garlic Naan | Naan on Tawa/Pan | Stovetop Method

Naan Bread and I are sure there are tons of recipes of it all over the internet and it must very confusing to decide which one to use. Well, to be honest it all depends on what your needs are. To elaborate the statement; do you want Naan to be without yeast or maida (all purpose flour). OR you want the naan to be cooked in oven or stovetop (gas/hob). OR you don’t have much time and you want an instant naan recipe. OR you want a healthy version let’s say whole wheat (chakki atta) naan.

So as mentioned, there are so many variations of naan recipes from the ingredients used to the method of cooking. I have made all kinds of naan at home but never shared the recipe, because there are so many kinds of recipes already on the internet. For me it all started when I shared this post of Dal Makhani and Garlic Naan on Instagram and people started asking for the recipe.

This naan is made from scratch and is yeast free (so no yeast) but I used yogurt (dahi/curd) instead and is made using half and half of all purpose flour (maida/plain flour) and whole wheat flour (our chapatti ata like Pillsbury or ashirwad). I wanted to keep the dinner as fuss free as possible so I made it on the pan/tawa and then roasted it on stovetop to give that tandoor or restaurant kind smokey taste and flavour.

Just by using this simple and basic naan dough recipe you can make so many variations of naan. Use chopped garlic to make garlic naan. Or green chillies to make chilli naan. Or both chilli and garlic to make Garlic Chilli Naan. You just need to brush some butter on the hot naan and there you have Butter Naan. Sometimes I also like to use mint and coriander leaves to get that restaurant style feel. Since naan is so widely popular all over the world now, I have seen Italian twist also given to naan by adding pesto, fresh or dried Italian herbs such as oregano, basil and chilli flakes.

What to eat with naan? I would say any paneer dishes goes really well with naan. But you can also pair it up with hummus and yogurt dips. Or like me, I love naan with Dal Makhni (I honestly don’t feel there is any better combo then this one.)

You can see the making of the naan in this video below.

Ingredients:

1 cup All Purpose Flour

¼ cup whole wheat flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sugar

Salt to taste

¼ cup Yogurt

A little less then ¼ cup water

1 tablespoon Oil

2 tablespoons Garlic chopped

1 tablespoon green chilli chopped

1 teaspoon mix of sesame seeds and onion seeds (kalonji and til)

Method:

In a mixing bowl mix; yogurt, salt, sugar, soda, whole wheat flour and all purpose flour. Mix all the dry ingredients well.

Add yogurt and start forming the dough. Start adding water little by little (you might not need to add all the water). The dough should be stretchy and soft. Cover and keep it aside for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a flat non-stick pan or skillet or tawa.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll it to ball shape of ball.

Start rolling the naan. Shape doesn’t matter; I rolled into oval cylindrical shape. Sprinkle onion seeds, sesame seeds, chopped garlic and green chilli on one side of the naan.

Place the naan with garlic side first on the tava. When you see the bubbles turn it over and cook the other side. Naan needs to be cooked on high heat. When the other side is also cooked properly; start roasting the naan on an open heat/flame on the stovetop. If you have gas burner then reduce the heat and cook the naan with the help of tong till you see brown spots. If you have induction or electric hob, then use a iron grill to roast the naan. (You must see the video above to understand what I mean).

Tips:

Rest the dough in the warm place. Do not put it in the fridge. The more you rest the better the naan will be.

For that authentic taste skip whole wheat flour and use only all purpose flour. 

Ajwain Massala Puri

So many festivals are around isn’t it? Last week we had Ganesh festival, before that Krishna Janmasthmi and before that Rakshabandhan. Festive spirits are in full swing in our home too. Those of you follow me on instagram would have seen my janmashthmi pooja pic- my way is to keep things simple.

Honestly, in India bringing Ganpati at home has become a status symbol. People show off their wealth in form of ganpati celebrations- how big the ganpati is; does it have any silver, gold or diamonds embellished on it? How much are they spending on prassad? So I was talking over the phone with my mom and she said that little kids of our neighbourhood have also welcomed Ganpati in our colony, its a small Ganpati statue that they got with their own pocket money and right from decoration to inviting people for sthapna and arti was done by those kids- isn’t it what festivals are about? Simple yet strong emotions and no show off.

So with other festivals approaching like Navratri, Karva Chauth and Diwali I have began cleaning the house little by little each day. Rubbish removal is a big task, what to throw and what to keep is huge dilemma for Mr. Husband. But my funda is clear-anything that I haven’t worn or used in last two years should go to charity.

So talking about festivals, one of the most common and must have food is Puri and Aloo ki Subji. I have made Palak Puri before for diwali to give it a healthy twist. Today’s post is about Ajwain Massala Puri. Poori-signifies celebration and happiness in most of the India and no big event or occasion is complete without puris- be it on birthdays, anniversaries, parties or as a  prassad during festivals.

Dough of flour and salt is rolled out in small circles and then deep fried in oil. While deep frying, it puffs up like a round ball because moisture in the dough changes into steam which expands in all directions. Ajwain and massala puri is great even when served with hot cup of chai. These are great travel snack as well, it says well for 2-4 days and can be relished with just pickle as well.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup wheat flour

3-4 green chillies-finely chopped

1/2 inch ginger piece/adrak-grated

2 teaspoons carom seeds/ajwain

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi

Salt as per taste

Water as needed

Oil for frying + 2 tablespoons

Method:

Heat a pan and roast carom seeds till it becomes fragrant.

In a mixing bowl add flour, turmeric powder, salt, 2 tablespoons oil, carom seeds, green chillies and ginger. Mix and add water slowly to form the dough. Dough should be firm.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. After that, punch the dough for another 1 minute.

Heat oil in a kadai/wok. On a dusted work surface, make medium sized pooris, neither thin nor thick and fry them in hot oil. Drain the pooris on paper napkins to remove excess oil.

Notes:

The puri dough is tight compared to the dough for parathas or rotis.

You can also add sesame seeds (til) in the dough.

Serving suggestions:

Puris goes well with almost all dry curries.

To make the Punjabi thali serve it with paneer butter massala, aloo chole, dal makhani and green chilli pickle.

For rajasthani thali pair it with mangodi mutter, aloo pyaz ki subji, marwadi lehsun ki chutney and marwadi Bharwa Bhindi.

For gujarati thali, serve it with aloo tamatar nu shaak, gobi mutter, khamman dhokla and keri nu ras.

Whole Wheat Focaccia: Black Olive and Garlic Focaccia Bread: Italian Bread

Life without bread would be so boring. How would you eat your pasta with no garlic bread on side? How would you make sandwiches? What would you serve soups with? All you need is bread to complete your meal.

Lately I have been in the baking sphere. I made Garlic Rolls a few days back and then Herbs Garlic Focaccia two weeks later. Focaccia is one such bread that every novice and beginner baker must try. No bread making can get simpler than this. It is rustic, it is soft and it can be paired with anything-dips, chutneys, lasagna, and pasta or just as it is.

Olive oil is a must when making focaccia and NO there is no substitute for olive oil. A good aromatic olive oil will bring out the best focaccia bread.  Focaccia is an Italian bread and there are hundreds variations for the recipe but the basic bread or dough recipe remains the same. You can change the toppings as per your taste and mood ;-). You can have tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, caramelized onions, nuts and even fruits as toppings.

For a healthier twist I crafted Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread with Garlic and Olives. Garlic, olives, some herbs all sitting on the top of rustic bread is something so enticing and inviting; plus is it guilt free-bonus! If you want to learn and know more about yeast and its process click here. Once you master the art of yeast then baking bread is very easy peasy.

Whole Wheat Garlic Olive Focaccia can be served with basically anything. My favourite way is to dip it in with some olive oil. If you fancy a focaccia sandwich, slit the bread in between and stuff in pesto sauce and some vegetables-grill and enjoy.

Author: Shweta Agrawal

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon rapid dry yeast

2 pinch sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon mixed dry herbs

4 cloves garlic roughly chopped

5 olives roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt (optional but recommended)

1. Method:
2. Heat water in microwave for 20 seconds. Dip the finger and check water, it should we warm. Mix sugar and yeast in water. Stir and keep aside for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes when you see bubbles on yeast mixture, add flour, salt and 1/2 teaspoon mixed herbs. Mix and knead the dough.
4. Mix 1/4 cup of oil in the dough. Keep kneading the dough till it is soft and springy.
5. Grease one large bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Put the dough in the bowl. Cover it with cling film and keep aside in warm surface for 45 minutes.
6. After 45 minutes the dough should have risen, beat the air out and knead the dough again. Flatten the dough on a grease pan in to any shape (I shaped in round in pizza pan). The thickness should be like a normal crust of pizza. Cover the dough with wet towel and keep in a warm place for 20 minutes.
7. After 20 minutes, poke holes (dimples) on the dough. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes. Till then preheat your oven at 190C.
8. Arrange chopped garlic and olives on focaccia evenly.
9. Prepare the oil. Mix black pepper and remaining dry herbs. Keep aside.
10. Pour this oil mixture on dimples of the dough. Spread the oil mixture evenly without punching the air. Sprinkle the sea salt.
11. Bake for 15-18 minutes. The bread should be golden brown on top.
12. Let the bread cool down before you cut and serve.

Notes:

You can make it even without garlic. Or use whole olives. I used canned black olives.

Keep your dough in a warm place. I always keep it in the oven. A friend of mine who lives in the hills covers the bowl with a blanket and keep it dark place-for her this trick works.
You have to use a good quality olive oil for a nice texture. I recommend Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Use active rapid dry yeast or also called as instant yeast. I used Allinson Easy Bake Yeast.

Mixed Italian herbs are easily available in any store. It is blend of oregano, thyme, rosemary and basil. I used McCormick Italian Seasoning. You can use any particular herb as well. Rosemary is the most popular one.

Cover the bread with cling film and store it a room temperature. It will be good for 2-3 days.

Serving suggestions:

Serve with burnt garlic pasta, pasta in red wine sauce, simple basic pasta.

Pair as side with tomatoes chutney, chilli hummus or roasted fennel cherry tomatoes.

Serve with roasted garlic soup, roasted butternut squash soup or indian garlic lentil soup.

Bell Peppers, Sweet Corn and Tomato Cheese Thin Crust Pizza: Whole Wheat Dough: Vegetarian Pizza

Pizza, popcorn, beer and movie- ah the best combination-ever!

Have you ever met someone who doesn’t like pizza? Me neither. How about these interesting pizza facts then?

• The average pizzeria uses roughly 55 pizza boxes per day.
• 36 percent of all pizza orders want their pizza topping pepperoni
• 94 percent of Americans eat pizza regularly.
• Cheese wasn't added to pizza until the late 1800s.
• The largest pizza in the world was made in 1990 at Norwood Hypermarket in South Africa. For the pizza, they used 500 kg of flour, 800 kg of cheese and 900 kg of tomato puree. The pizza was measured 37.4 meters, enough to secure an entrance in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest pizza ever.

And making pizza is so easy peasy if you have crust or base ready. Now do you remember two weeks back I posted this 100% whole wheat pizza dough recipe? I saved half of the dough in the freezer and this Sunday turned into quick thin crust pizza. Bell Peppers, Sweet Corn and Tomato Cheese Thin Crust Pizza is the best vegetarian pizza you will ever have. Ofcourse you need to be fond of thin crust, we both are huge suckers of thin crust pizza, I have also made thin crust New York Pizza before. Honestly, thick crust or normal crust pizza tastes like cooked dough to us;-)

I used red chill pesto as pizza sauce but you can use roasted garlic bell peppers sauce, roasted tomato chutney or even ketchup. For toppings I threw in some chopped chunks of capsicum, frozen corn and roundels of tomatoes. You can use any other veggies like zucchini, aubergine, onions, olives, jalapeno, peppers or even green leaves like spinach, basil or arugula. I opted for mix of mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese, but that again depends on your choice. You can choose blue cheese, feta cheese or even parmesan cheese. That’s what I looove about pizza. You can add in anything that your mind and heart needs at that time.  Pizza doesn’t ask silly questions, it just understands.

Ingredients:

1/2 of whole wheat pizza dough

2 tablespoons red chilli pesto sauce

1/4 cup chopped bell peppers

4 tablespoons sweet corn (I used frozen)

1 tomato chopped into rings

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder

1 tablespoon cornmeal (see notes)

Method:

Preheat the oven at 190C.

Sprinkle corn meal on the pizza pan or tray.

Roll out the dough into thin crust medium size. Transfer the rolled dough on the pan. Prick holes with fork.

Apply pizza sauce all over the base. I used chilli pesto sauce.

Arrange all the veggies on the base. Sprinkle salt, pepper and oregano.

Top the veggies with cheese. Pinch or fold the sides such that it looks like crust.

Bake for 8 minutes at 190C. Reduce the temperature to 180C and bake again for 2 minutes. The cheese must have melted and turn bubbly.

Slice and serve.

Notes:

You can make normal thick crust pizza too. Bake it at 180C for 10 minutes and then 170C for 5 minutes.

Cornmeal is optional, it helps to give nice crispy texture to pizza crust. You can grease the baking pan with little olive oil and bake instead.

Serving suggestions:

Serve pizza with any drinks. See drinks menu for ideas.

Make a whole platter. Serve pizza with baked sweet potato wedges on the side with kiwi yogurt dip.

Garlic And Mixed Herbs Focaccia: Italian Bread

Baking bread at home, hell yeah!

The madness of proofing the yeast, kneading the dough, letting it to rise and finally baking-oh that experience, that fresh aroma, that happiness of home baking-all blissful.

If you have tried baking bread at home you will know what I am talking about. The whole process is tedious (at times) and time consuming but when you break the homemade bread and bite into it, you know all your efforts are well paid off.

Looking for more homemade breads? Check these out:

Potatoes Stuffed Buns

Garlic Rolls

Red Wine Walnut Bread

Whole Wheat Buns

I made Garlic and Mixed Herb Focaccia last Friday and shared this pic on Instagram. Some have asked for the recipe and my friends are already demanding to bake one for them :-). Olive oil is a must when making focaccia and no there is no substitute for olive oil. A good aromatic olive oil will bring out the best focaccia bread.  Focaccia is an Italian bread and there are hundreds variations for the recipe but the basic bread or dough recipe remains the same but you can change the toppings as per your taste and mood ;-). You can have tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, caramelized onions, nuts and even fruits as toppings.

Little about yeast:

To have a nice soft bread texture you need to have good quality yeast and proof it properly. I used Allison rapid yeast and I like it because it doesn’t smell weird. To work with yeast you need something sweet like sugar or honey and warm water. Hot water will kill the yeast and cold water will not activate the yeast. If like me, you don’t have a fancy thermometer to measure the right degree of water, here is the test you can do. Dip your finger in hot water and you should be able to tolerate the heat, anything more or less will not work-just warm is what you are looking for. Next add in yeast and sugar, stir and keep aside for 10 minutes. If you see bubbles and forth in the yeast mixture you are good to go, else try again.

Since I was pairing it with pasta in chilli pesto sauce, I chose to have Garlic, olive oil and lot of herb on top it. And I was so right, the garlic herb focaccia bread and spicy pasta is a pair made in heaven-period! This bread can be served with basically anything. You can serve it with pasta, lasagne or just dip in some olive oil. If you fancy a focaccia sandwich, slit the bread in between and stuff in pesto sauce and some vegetables-grill and enjoy.

Author: Shweta Agrawal

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour/maida

1 teaspoon rapid yeast

2 pinch sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon mixed dry herbs

5 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt (optional but recommended)

Method:

1. Heat water in microwave for 20 seconds. Dip the finger and check water, it should we warm. Mix sugar and yeast in water. Stir and keep aside for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes when you see bubbles on yeast mixture, add all purpose flour, salt and 1/2 teaspoon mixed herbs. Mix and knead the dough.
3. Mix 1/4 cup of oil in the dough. Keep kneading the dough till it is soft and springy.
4. Grease one large bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Put the dough in the bowl. Cover it with cling film and keep aside in warm surface for 45 minutes.
5. After 45 minutes the dough should have risen, beat the air out and knead the dough again. Flatten the dough on a grease pan in to any shape (I shaped in oval). The thickness should be like of a pizza. Cover the dough with wet towel and keep in a warm place for 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes, poke holes (dimples) on the dough. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes. Till then preheat your oven at 190C.
7. Prepare the oil. Peel the garlic cloves and chop it roughly. Mix black pepper and remaining dry herbs. Keep aside.
8. Pour this oil mixture on dimples of the dough. Spread the oil mixture evenly without punching the air. Sprinkle the sea salt.
9. Bake for 14 -15 minutes. The bread should be golden brown on top.
10. Let the bread cool down before you cut. Enjoy.

Notes:

Keep your dough in a warm place. I always keep it in the oven. A friend of mine who lives in hills cover the bowl with blanket and keep it dark place-for her this trick works.
You have to use a good quality olive oil for a nice texture. I recommend Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  

Use active rapid yeast or also called as instant yeast. I used Allinson Easy Bake Yeast.

Mixed Italian herbs are easily available in any store. It is blend of oregano, thyme, rosemary and basil. I used McCormick Italian Seasoning.

You can use any particular herb as well. Rosemary is the most popular one.

Cover the bread with cling film and store it a room temperature. It will be good for 2-3 days.

Serving suggestions:

Serve with burnt garlic pasta, pasta in red wine sauce, simple basic pasta.

Pair as side with tomatoes chutney, chilli hummus or roasted fennel cherry tomatoes.

Serve with roasted garlic soup, roasted butternut squash soup or indian garlic lentil soup.

Red Wine Walnut Bread, No Knead Bread

How was the weekend ladies? What did you do? We had friends at our place and so it was lot of fun. Lot of chit chats, games, football match and yes food. How do you decide what to serve your guest? For me it always depends on the weather. When it is raining I would probably go for some mixed daal pakoras (mixed lentils fried balls) or spicy pav bhaji (spicy vegetable mashed curry served with bread). This weekend sun was crisp and shining without a little haze of rain, so the menu had to be simple, cold and not fried. After lot of discussion with Mr. Husband I decided to serve orange lemonade in drinks, spinach muthiya with green chutney as mains and chocolate brownies with ice creams in desserts. For starters I decided to bake bread. 

Who will not like the recipes that is not elaborate, doesn't have tons of steps to follow? Well I am that kind of a person who tries to stay far from complicated recipes. Bread is one such product that needs lot of preparation, too many ingredients and an expensive kitchen aid. So no knead bread is what I am always looking to bake at home. I looked for recipes depending on the ingredients available in the kitchen and then I discovered one amazing RED WINE WALNUT BREAD recipe. My world stopped-my heart, tummy and soul just wanted to make it. I did make lot of changes to the original recipes and it turned out to be absolutely fine, if you want original recipe, click here.

Now, imagine- soft bread with hard crust, crunchy walnut bits and hint of red wine-sounds exciting right?? Oh yes red wine walnut bread is beautifully pink inside and brown outside and those of you who don’t like red wine don’t worry the final taste is so mild and subtle that you won’t even notice.  We were left with crumbs, the bread finished in one go. I served it with fennel roasted cherry tomatoes like bruschetta and everyone loved it. You go ahead serve with roasted tomatoes chutney, chocolate spread or as a side with tomato garlic soup. Who said making bread is technical and complex-try this may be you change your mind (like me)

Ingredients:

200g all purpose flour and little to dust
100g strong whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 sachet active yeast
1 glass red wine (125ml), plus water to make total 200ml
50g whole walnuts, plus 100g coarsely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Lightly mix the flours, salt and yeast in a bowl.

In a blender, blend wine, water and the whole walnuts and the oil until smooth, then pour into the flour. Add the chopped walnuts and stir briskly to make a soft, sticky dough. Cover and leave for 10 minutes.

Rub a spoonful of oil on the work surface and a bit on your hands. Remove the dough and knead on the oiled surface for 10-15 seconds. Return to the bowl, cover again, and leave for another 10 minutes. Finally, repeat the light knead, put the dough back in the bowl and leave for 45 minutes, or until almost doubled in height.

Lightly flour the work surface and roll the dough to desired shape.  I made into triangle with some walnut bits in the centre.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour and. And Bake for 40 minutes until the bread pulls away from the baking tray. Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a rack.

Notes:

Make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature.

You can use any red wine. I used Codici Negroamaro Puglia, italian red wine from waitrose

Use pecan, pine nuts or almonds instead of walnuts if you wish.

Serving ideas:

Serve with butter, nuttella, hummus or chutney of your choice.

Make a sandwich with any filling using the slices.

Serve as a side with soup.

Sending this to Made With Love Mondays

Lemon Pound Cake- Lemony, Tangy And Refreshing

There is nothing better than freshly baked cake. When I bake, I just love how the home fills with the fragrance. The weather in London is improving and we are finally getting some sunny days. Thus I opted to make use of lemons, Lemons are my favourite in summers, the colour, the taste, and the aroma all completely beats the heat. I attempted to make Lemon pound cake yesterday and I totally enjoyed the Lemony flavour and the zing that lemon zest leaves. 

The original recipe included the use of 4 eggs but I had only 2 eggs, so I replaced it with ½ cup of yoghurt and it turned out to be absolutely fine. The crust was golden brown while inside it was very lemony and soft. I took some at the Hyde Park picnic and we totally enjoyed its taste.

Ingredients:

2 cups self raising flour

1 ½ cups softened butter

2 cups castor sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup yogurt/curd

2 medium size eggs

1 lemon zest

Juice from one lemon

Method:

Grease one pound bread mould and keep it ready.

Preheat the oven at 180 C or 160 C (If using fan oven) for 10-12 minutes.

Cream together butter, lemon zest and sugar till it becomes soft and turns in pale yellow colour.

Beat in it yoghurt and mix well for 2 minutes.

Crack one egg and mix in the butter mixture slowly for 2 minutes. Mix another egg and beats for 5 minutes.

Sieve the flour and baking powder. And mix slowly 2 tablespoons at a time in the butter mixture. Keep repeating till the whole flour is incorporated.

Finally add the lime juice and give quick mix.

Bake for 50 minutes or till the skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean

Notes:

Always use the ingredients at the room temperature.

Baking time may differ from oven to oven, however if the cake turns golden in colour and is still under cooked than cover it with baking paper and then bake.

Taste:Lemony, zingy and soft.

Linking this for Event by Archana's Kitchen - Summer Fiesta

Lauki Theplas, Indian Flat Bread With Bottle Gourd

Theplas make me a bit nostalgic; it reminds me of long train journeys in India. Thepla is one food that most of the Indian families take with them when they are travelling to some long distance for one reason that they stay longer and do not spoil easily.

Theplas are very easy to cook and also has many adaptations. Theplas can be made with mixed vegetables, methi, carrot, beetroot and almost anything. One among the lot which is very common and healthy is Lockey thepla. Lauki also called as ghiya, dhudhi and bottle gourd is low in fat and cholesterol yet high in dietary fibre. It contains 96% water. It is excellent for light, low-cal diets, as well as for small children, people with digestive problems, diabetics and convalescents. You can use lauki to make so many things. I made lauki kofta curry and not to forget lauki muffins. It is such a versatile vegetable and also high in nutrition.

If you have never made theplas before you might need to judge your dough very well. The dough should be soft but not very soft too. You also need to keep an eye on the amount of water you take to knead the dough. Lauki itself has lot of water and thus little sprinkles of water will be fine (nothing more than that). Moving to the recipe.

Ingredients

3 cups wheat flour (atta)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

According to taste, salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)

1/2 teaspoon ajwain (carom) seeds

1 teaspoon white sesame seeds (til)

6 green chilis, or according to taste, ground into a paste

1/2 teaspoon ginger paste (adrak)

1/2 teaspoon garlic paste (lehsuni)

1 cup grated lauki (bottle gourd)

3 tablespoons yogurt (dahi)

1/4 cup or more, chopped cilantro/dhaniya

A small bowl of water

Method

Place all ingredients except the water in a large bowl. Knead for about 1 minute. Sprinkle a little water and knead till dough is no longer sticky and has formed a soft ball. (Remember: You may need to use a little more or less water depending on how ‘watery’ your lauki or bottle gourd is).

Set the dough aside for 10 minutes. Then roll out 20 pedas or ball from them.

Place a ball of dough on a flat surface. Using a rolling pin, roll it out like you would a chapati. Sprinkle flour on the thepla as when needed so it doesn't stick.

Heat a heavy skillet, griddle or tava. Place the rolled out thepla on it. Cook till brown spots appear on one side. Turn the thepla over, pour 1/4 teaspoon oil around it and let it cook till golden on both sides.

Repeat for all the dough.

Notes:

Use any other grated vegetable like carrot, beetroot, radish, methi leaves to make other flavours of thepla.

You can omit the use oil, simply use a napkin to roast the thepla. Remember no use of oil will not make the theplas last longer.

Serving Ideas:

There are so many ways to serve it with.. It can be eaten plain or serve with chutney, raita, any side dish or  pickle. This is perfect for breakfast; in fact for any time meal.

Tatse:

Spicy, soft and healthy