Gahat Chapathi - Aloo Tamatar ka Jhol - Utharanchal Cuisine

Utharanchal now known as Utharkhand is also called the 'Land of the Lords' due to the presence of a large number of Hindu Temples.This state is known for its natural beauty.

This state has been in existence from the pre historic times and there are evidences to support this.The two holi rivers- Ganges and Yamuna originate in this land.

This state is one of the major tourist spots with the Himalayas, ancient temples, beautiful forests,national parks, hill stations, etc.

The traditional dishes of this state are simple and very nutritious.At the same time,they are simple to prepare and also tastes good too.

Vegetarian and non vegetarian foods are equally relished.The staple however is rice.They use nutritious ingredients like horse gram, ragi/figerillet flour, moong dal etc in their daily diet.

So today's recipe features a roti that is made with ragi flour with a horse gram stuffing and I have served this with a simple potato cooked in a tomato based gravy...

For the Gahat Chapathi:

I used:
Adapted from here

For the filling:

Horse gram / Kulith - 1/2 cup
Ajwain seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil-1/2 teaspoon

Soak the horsegram for at least 5-6 hours / overnight.Drain the water and add 1 1/2 cups of water and pressure cook till done. Drain the excess water [and use it in soups / rasam].

Puree the cooked dal. Heat oil in a pan and add the ajwain seeds. After a few seconds, add the mashed dal and salt. If the mixture is too dry add a little water. Mix well and cook for a few minutes till the mixture is dry yet has some moisture.

Roll out into small balls and keep aside.

For the chapati:

Wheat flour- 1 cup
Ragi/Finger millet flour- 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

In a bowl, take all the ingredients and mix well.Add water little by little and knead to a smooth dough.Cover and keep for 15 minutes. Pinch out a golf ball sized dough and flatten it lightly. Place a ball of filling in the centre and bring the edges together. Gently roll out into chapathi.Cook on a hot griddle till brown spots appear on both sides.

Serve with a side dish of your choice.

It may seem like an ordinary Chapathi,but once you take a peek inside, you can see the horsegram/ gahat stuffing....

Aloo Tamatar ka Jhol

I used:

Potato-1 large,cubed\
Tomato-2,chopped
Onion-1,finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Red chili powder- 1 teaspoon
Garam masala-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil-1 tablespoon

Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. When the cumin crackles, add the onion and the ginger garlic paste and saute till translucent. Put in the tomato and cook till soft.

Add the turmeric powder,chili powder, garam masala and mix well. Add a cup of water and the potato cubes. Cover and cook till the potato is soft.Stir in between and add water if needed.

Serve garnished with coriander leaves

Behind the scene:

This was probably the third or fourth dish that I cooked for this series .The chapathi was quite filling and a bit different when compared to other stuffed parathas. The Aloo tamatar ka jhol was a good combo fort his chapathi.

All enjoyed both the dishes and I personally felt the potato could have been cut a bit smaller. Will do it the next time I make it....