Dhal roti

Ingredients

• • 1/2 cup channa dhal or split peas

  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

  • Salt

  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

  • 1-2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tbsp ghee, plus extra

  • 3 cups plain flour, plus extra

Method

• 1. Wash the dhal or split peas well until the water runs clear - about three rinses.

  2. Cook the dhal or split peas with the turmeric, 1/4 tsp salt and two cups of water until the dhal is cooked. You should be able to easily flatten a grain between your finger and thumb.

  3. Drain the cooked dhal or split peas and leave it sitting n the strainer while your prepare the dough. Don't discard the liquid - use it as 'stock' to make rasam.

  4. To make the dough, add a pinch of salt to the flour and rub in a tablespoon of ghee. Then add about a cup of tepid water and knead lightly to make a soft pliable dough. Roll the dough into a ball and rub a tiny bit of ghee on the dough, cover and set aside to rest for about 20 to 30 minutes.

  5. Grind the drained dhal or split peas to a fairly dry paste.

  6. Dry roast the cumin and grind to a powder and add it to the dhal mixture together with the garlic. Taste and adjust seasoning. Divide the mixture into 12 portions.

  7. Spread a large piece of greaseproof or waxed paper on your work bench. Place a clean tea towel on a plate and set aside.

  8. Lightly knead the dough and divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.

  9. Take a ball of dough and flatten it into a disc. Place this in the palm of one hand, cupping it slightly. Place a piece of the dhal mixture in the centre and draw the edges to the centre and pinch together to seal the dhal mixture into the dough. Flatten the dough very gently into a disk again and dust lightly with dry flour. Roll gently to form a circle about 16-18 cm in diametre. The trick is to not press down hard with the rolling pin and rotate and turn the dough over a few times as you roll.

  10. Place the rolled dough on the sheet of paper and repeat with the remaining dough and dhal mixture.

  11. Place a griddle or non-stick fry pan on a moderately high heat. Lightly grease it by dabbing some ghee on a piece of paper towel and wiping the surface of the griddle or fry pan with it. You only need to do this once, before you cook the first roti.

  12. Place the roti on the hot griddle and after a few seconds rotate it to ensure it's not sticking to the pan. When it starts to blister, turn it over. Rotate it as it cooks so that it blisters and cooks evenly. If you have the dough and temperature right, the roti will puff up. Turn it over and cook for a few seconds and remove from heat when cooked evenly on both sides about 2-3 minutes.

  13. Place on plate lined with a clean tea towel - this absorbs any steam from the rotis and prevents soggy bottom s.

Notes

• 1. I spread a large sheet of grease proof paper on which I place the rolled rotis. I wait until I have rolled out about 4 or 5 rotis before heating the griddle. This gives me a head start with the rolling. I can then continue rolling the remaining rotis and cook the rotis at the same time,

  2. Once the griddle is hot, turn the eat to moderate. I adjust the heat a few times during the cooking process. If the griddle gets too hot, the roti will stick to the pan and burn before it is properly cooked. If the heat is not high enough, the roti won't puff up and is likely to be hard.

  3. When I first started making this, I used to sandwich two small roti with the lentil mixture and then only roll it slightly to seal the edges. Then I discovered that the trick was to use a very light hand when rolling the stuffed ball of dough; and using a lighter pastry rolling pin instead of my roti rolling pin made a big difference.