Makes 10 parathas
Remember I talked about losing those extra pounds? Well those turned into extra, extra pounds to lose, after last week’s trip out of town. Weekends and trips out of town just melt my resolve to exercise portion control and eat healthy.
So I am doubly motivated to eat healthy this week. This paratha is a soft and luscious, ‘ meal in one’ that I urge you to try. It is a nutritious, satisfying, yummy and figure friendly meal. The leftovers taste fabulous for lunch the next day, so it is well worth the effort!
Dal is a major source of protein in the vegetarian diet. I used masoor dal (red lentils) for this recipe for two reasons. It cooks quicker than other dals and it tastes delicious. I used fresh methi leaves, which are leaves of the fenugreek plant. Fenugreek is commonly used in Indian cooking because of its many health benefits, especially according to Ayurveda. Controlling glucose levels in our body, is one of them. In India, fresh methi leaves are one of the bitter greens that are cooked regularly in many households. Usually whole wheat flour alone is used for parathas, but I added besan(chick pea flour) for its flavor and to boost the protein content. We all know the health benefits of flax seeds, turmeric, garlic and onion. Hot chili peppers are said to help with metabolism. So it is a bunch of healthy ingredients coming together for one delectable paratha.
I simply served this Dal Methi Paratha with fresh beets and avocado raita and store bought sweet and tangy chunda pickle. The soft and luscious parathas have won us over and are sure to be on the regular menu in our house.
Ingredients
To cook the dal-
- ½ cup masoor dal,(red lentils) washed and drained
- 2 cups water
- r½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- ½ small red onion, grated
- 1 green chili pepper, slit lengthwise
- salt to taste
Other ingredients-
- 1 cup chopped methi leaves. I wash and spin the leaves in a salad spinner before chopping.
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup besan (chick pea flour)
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground flax seed
- all purpose flour for dusting/rolling.
To make the Dal Methi Parathas-
- Cook the dal with the water, turmeric powder, garlic, onion, chili and salt. When the water comes to a boil, reduce heat and let the dal cook, covered, on low heat, about 12 to 14 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Remove the chili pepper and let the dal cool. Blend it well with a whisk.
- Add the chopped methi leaves and brown sugar. Combine well and add the flours and the flax seed meal and knead the dough. I did not need any more liquid or flour to make the dough. Also the salt content was just right for us. But the flours and liquid content of dal may vary so adjust accordingly and also check for salt.
- Set the dough aside for 25 to 30 minutes, so the flavors come together well and also the consistency of the dough is better for rolling.
- Divide the dough into 10 parts.
10 balls of dough ready to be rolled Roll each one on a flour dusted surface
Paratha rolled on a flour dusted surface and roast on a griddle on medium high heat. Turn and roast on the other side until the paratha is cooked, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
- Remove from heat and brush with a little melted ghee or extra virgin olive oil (optional)
- Serve with a raita like the beet and avocado raita , the festive corn raita, the piquant pineapple raita or the creamy cool onion raita.
Hope you enjoy this ‘guilt free’ meal as much as I did!
Love,
Sandhya
Great idea to add dal to Thepla/Methi Paratha, Sandhya.
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Aruna, I was very delighted with the taste and softness the dal added to the parathas. Of course great to add that protein too.. and I was happy it was a satisfying ‘meal in one’….did not have to cook more items for dinner:)
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this looks so great, but I don’t know where to get methi leaves
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Doreen, fresh Methi leaves are available in Indian stores or if you order them online, dried methi leaves called Kasuri methi is available. It is much more intense in flavor though so I would start off with 1 tablespoon first and see how you like the taste,
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great parathas!
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Thank you Lina!
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Looks delicious!
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Thanks Antonia!
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Interesting almost like Theplas. I just made the methi thepla, used yogurt. Besan, no sugar. Millet flour instead of the dal. Next time will try the dal. Thanks for sharing.
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I will try the millet flour next time too.
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Ooh yums! Recently I used chapatis wrapped with button mushrooms and egg, topped with thick plum soy sauce and sprinkle some coriander and I was in heaven. Looks like this could go with egg and some mild curries! Thanks for sharing Sandhya!
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Yes it definitely will! We also had them with chicken curry. Thank you so much for your kind words. Your chappati wrap sounds delicious!
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Healthy and yummy paratha
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Thank you so much!
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Paratha’s my favorite Indian bread. Even better that it’s nutritious. I am not a huge bread person, but after experiencing the whole new world of breads in India, I am turned 😉 Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks so much Jin. Yes the dal in the dough itself, makes it so much more nutritious.
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Perfect combination of dal and vegetable..
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Thanks so much Roopali! I like that they stay soft and pliable too, so I can use them as wraps the following day.
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If batter is made from
mashed socked Dal and used to make batter then it retains all the nutrients.try this next time
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Thanks. Hope you like it too.
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A great recipe with the goodness of dal and methi. Would love to make and cherish it as a breakfast with fresh curd.
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Thanks so much ! I love it with curd and pickle too.
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Great idea I am going to use my leftover dal that needs a makeover. I definitely do not want to waste it in this lockdown! Methi will be a problem but will get around it. Great way to clean the fridge too the girls love parathas.
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Thanks Archana. Yes certainly a good thing to use leftover dal. When I made them recently, I did not have fresh methi either. So I used kasuri methi.
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Your dal paratha looks super tempting. We make dal paratha with sukki dal that is whole but not mashed.
It’s a great idea to use leftovers of dal for making paranthas.
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Thanks so much Lata. I would love to try parathas with sukki dal as well.
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That is such a healthy, nutritious and delicious paratha. Love the addition of dal and methi leaves. Will have to try your recipe some time soon.
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Thanks Pavani. Hope you like it as much as we do.
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Dal and methi together in the paratha sounds sure delicious. Me being so lazy can make these whenever I would have leftover dal.
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Today I got methis and I am planning to make paratha as well. your recipe looks yummy and healthy!
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Thanks so much Uma. Hope you enjoyed the parathas.
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This makes a good option for breakfast or dinner, would love to try it sometime.
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Thanks so much Jayashree!
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We are a huge fan of these tasty and nutritious daal methi paratha. Such a delicious way to enjoy methi and daal.
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Thanks!
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These dal methi parathas look so filling and nutritious!!! An wholesome heaklthy meal!!!
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Thanks so much Priya!
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Dal methi paratha looks super delicious and healthy…A wholesome yummy meal!! Thanks for sharing 😊
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Thanks Padma!
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Sandhya, this dal paratha looks super tempting. Love the use of leftover dal for making paratha here. I can finish up with some pickle for sure 🙂
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I like them with pickle too Sasmita! Thanks dear!
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