IMAGE: A Navratri upvaas thali. Photograph: Kind courtesy: Vivek3dartist/Wikimedia Commons
Even though a fasting meal, during Navratri, contains no wheat flour, no besan, no dal, no onion or garlic, it can have several interesting components that make for a tasty upvaas thali, like batata shaak/bhaji, thalipeeth, Sabudana Vada, Rajgira Sheera, Sabudana Khichdi, Rajgira Puris, samo with yoghurt, Jain-style Paneer Butter or Kuttu Parathas.
New Delhi-based Shilpi Mittal offers a recipe for Kuttu Parathas, made from buckwheat flour, with also small quantities of water chestnut flour and mashed potatoes.
Photograph: Kshamaya Daniel
Kuttu Parathas
Serves: 2 to 3
Ingredients
- 1 cup kuttu aatta or buckwheat flour
- ½ cup singhada aatta or water chestnut flour
- 2 medium-sized boiled potato, peeled, mashed
- 1 green chilly, finely chopped
- Black pepper powder to taste, about a pinch
- Sendha namak or rock salt to taste, about ½ tsp
- Water
- Ghee to fry the parathas
Method
- In a mixing bowl, combine the kuttu aatta, singhada aatta, mashed potatoes, chopped green chilly, black pepper, sendha namak.
Gradually add water and knead into a smooth dough.
The dough should be soft, but not sticky. - Take a small portion of the dough and roll it into a ball about 1½ inches in diameter.
Flatten slightly and using a rolling pin, roll it into a circle, about 6 inches in diameter. - Heat a tava or griddle over medium heat and once hot, place the rolled paratha on the tava.
Cook for about a minute until it puffs up in places in small bubbles, then flip it over.
Spread a little ghee on the cooked side and flip again.
Cook for another minute, pressing gently with a spatula until both sides are golden brown and crispy. - Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Serve hot with yoghurt and/or shaak.
