Thalipeeth Recipe
Thalipeeth is a wonderful spicy snack of Maharashtra, often made for breakfast or to satisfy small hunger. The special flour needed to make it is called 'Thalipeeth bhajani' which is made using multiple grains. This flour can be prepared well in advance and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one year or more. Although this special flour is mostly prepared by grinding all the grains in a mill, to make it fine, it can also be done at home using a professional and heavy duty grinder.
When making thalipeeth, you may also add some vegetables like grated pumkin, carrots, bottle gourd, or fenugreek leaves (chopped). If adding pumpkin or gourd, you may grate and add, or you may cook these vegetables in a microwave, mash them, and then add. Also try adding roasted and peeled egg plant or brinjal.
Ingredients
- For 'thalipeeth bhajani' (Makes 10 cups 'bhajani')
- Jowar or sorghum grains - 2 cups
- Bajra or millet grains - 2 cups
- Wheat grain - 2/3 cup
- Rice - 2/3 cup
- Split chick pea lentil (Chana Dal) - 2/3 cup
- Black lentil (Urad dal) - 2/3 cup
- Coriander seeds - 1/2 cup
- For making Thalipeeth (Makes 3 medium size 'Thalipeeths')
- Thalipeeth bhajani - 1 & 1/2 cup
- Salt - To taste
- Red chili powder - To taste
- Goda masala/Kala masala - 1 tbsp
- Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
- Onion - 1 small or 1/2 cup chopped
- Cilantro/Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup chopped
- Vegetables of your choice (optional) - 1/2 cup cooked or grated
- Oil - 1 tbsp for the dough and more as needed
Instructions
For Thalipeeth Bhajani :
- Dry roast all the ingredients for 'bhajani' separately, as given in the steps below.
- Roast jowar, bajra, and wheat grains till a few of them start popping and puffing. As soon a few start popping out, turn off the heat.
- Roast the rice, chana dal, and urad dal, till pinkish.
- Roast the coriander seeds till a nice aroma is released; do not wait till they start becoming pinkish.
- Grind all the ingredients in a mill or a heavy duty grinder to make a fine powder or 'thalipeeth bhajani'.
Procedure for making thalipeeth:
- Mix all the ingredients for making the thalipeeth and use water to knead into a soft dough (Add 2 tsp oil when kneading the dough). For 1 & 1/2 cup 'bhajani', I used 1 cup of water. ( If the thalipeeth flour is not fresh, use warm water to knead the dough, for softer thalipeeth.)
- Line a rolling board with parchment paper.
- Take a small portion of the dough, about 5" big, and keep in the center of the board.
- Pat to spread on all sides with your fingers, to make it into a thin circle about 3-4 mm thick. Wet your fingers with water if the dough sticks to your hand when patting.
- Make a hole in the center and a few more all around the middle one.
- Heat a griddle and keep on medium heat and add 1/2 tsp oil all over the surface of the griddle.
- Transfer the patted thalipeeth to the hot griddle. (For transferring, cover the 'thalipeeth on the rolling board with your palm, lift the patted dough along with the parchment paper and flip on to your palm. Carefully peel off the parchment paper and transfer the thalipeeth on to the griddle.)
- Use the same parchment paper to repeat with the remaining dough.
- When roasting on the griddle, add a few drops of oil in the holes that were made on the 'thalipeeth'.
- Cover and allow to cook till the sizzling noise of the added oil stops, and the upper surface is dry and darker in color. By then the lower surface would also get cooked and get some brown spots. (You can also check the lower surface for spots by slightly lifting one edge.)
- Remove the cover and flip over to roast the other side till it gets some brown spots.
- Remove from the griddle and serve hot with butter, yogurt and any pickle.
