Moong Dal Paratha

Moong dal paratha is a favorite at home. Especially for travel, it is convenient to carry. This one is mom-in-law’s recipe. It involves preparing a moong dal filling. Then, the masala is stuffed and rolled out as parathas. It can also be made as puris/pooris. The masala can be prepared and stored for about a week.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour: 2 cups

Oil for making parathas

For the moong dal filling:

Moong/Mung dal (Green gram skinned and split): 1 cup

Green Chillies: 6-7

Ginger: 1 cm piece

Mustard seeds: 1.2 teaspoon

Cloves (Laung): 4-5

Red chilly powder: ¼ teaspoon

Garam masala powder: ¼ teaspoon

Coriander (dhania) powder: a pinch

Turmeric (haldi) powder: ¼ teaspoon

Chickpea flour (besan): about 2 teaspoons

Cooking oil: 1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Method:

1. For the dough, knead the wheat flour with the required amount of water – you may use around a cup of water. Make the dough a soft pliable one. You may use warm water for better results.
2. Cover the dough with a tissue/cloth and set aside for about 20-30 minutes.
3. Wash and cook moong dal in about 1.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker for about 4 whistles or till the dal is cooked but separate (not mushy). Turn off the heat and wait for the steam pressure to be released by the cooker.
4. 1. In the meanwhile, chop the green chillies and ginger finely.
   2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed non-stick vessel. When well-heated, add the mustard seeds and fry till they pop.
   3. Then, crush and add the cloves. Sauté for a few seconds.
   4. Add and fry the chopped green chillies and ginger for a minute.
   5. Now, add the moong dal and sauté for a couple of minutes till slightly dry.
   6. Mix in the chickpea flour, spice powders, salt to taste. Ensure no lumps of the powders are left and mix the masala well.
   7. Continue to roast covered with stirring at regular intervals – till the chickpea flour is cooked (about 8-10 minutes). If the mixture sticks to the bottom of the vessel, sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of water.
   8. Turn off the heat when done and let the masala rest in the vessel and cool down. This helps the flavors set in. In case the mixture sticks a bit to the vessel, it is released when the filling cools down.
   9. When well-cooled, crumble the masala like a chutney powder. This filling is ready – it can be stored refrigerated and made into parathas whenever you want
   10. 1. To make parathas, divide the dough into balls – about the size of a large lemon.
       2. Take a ball and roll out to a 3 inch disc. Place a spoonful of the moong filling.
       3. Bring the edges together to completely cover the filling. The edges should overlap slightly to seal the masala.
       4. Gently flatten the filled ball. Dust with flour and roll out to a flat disc of about 5-6 inches. Take care that the stuffing does not burst out – the masala has mustard seeds – this may tear the dough a little, but that’s okay – just try to roll out the paratha gently to minimize the tears.
       5. Heat a tava (griddle). Roast the paratha on medium heat till done on both the sides. Grease the paratha with a little oil while cooking.
       6. Make all parathas this way.
       7. Parathas are ready to be served and enjoyed . These parathas taste great with curd and pickle.