‘You melt my heart like ghee on fresh hot paratha’
I love to try new gluten free Indian flatbread recipes, as roti and paratha are staples in Indian cuisine. The great aspect of Indian flatbread is that it is only made with a few ingredients and is also yeast free. This version uses ancient grains which gives a hearty dense and satisfying taste, as well as a nutrient dense flatbread containing iron, selenium, magnesium, calcium and protein. I like to eat them straight from the pan or with piping hot dal. Mr B likes them on their own, as does Baby B.
This recipe is from Divya Alter’s new book, ‘the Joy of balance’.
Ingredients
- ¾ buckwheat flour (1/4 cup for dusting)
- 1 cup amaranth flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. ghee/coconut oil
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Method
- In a medium bowl, mix the buckwheat, amaranth flour, salt and cilantro if using. Rub in the olive oil and then add in 2/3 cup warm water. Knead the ingredients together into a smooth and soft dough, c. 5 minutes
- Divide into 8 balls, cover with a damp kitchen towel
- Dust a smooth surface and rolling pin with flour and roll into a disc, c. 2 mm thick and 6 inches in diameter
- Preheat a cast iron pan and brush with ghee, place the paratha in the middle, lower the heat to medium low. Once the top and sides begin to bubble, brush with a little ghee and flip over with a spatula, cook the second side for another minute or two, brush the top and edges with ghee and gently flip to the original side cook for a few more seconds.
- Transfer to a basket and cover so they don’t dry out.
