Gluten Free Flatbread and Dinner

I always envied those who had dietary restrictions. Not sure, why!

Last year when my doctors told me that I can’t have Gluten and some diary products (milk & yogurt) I was dancing in joy. I went to Whole Foods and came back with a car load of Gluten Free Products – Bread, Crackers, Pasta etc. But the real agony started after that.

Gluten Free products (mostly) are bland. I tried and tested 3 breads from Whole Foods and all of them taste awful. However, crackers and lentil pasta were winner. But I can’t live on rice and crackers – I need bread. So I decided to try Corn Tortilla. Have you ever tried Chicken Curry with Corn Tortilla? I did and it just does not taste right.

So I was searching for a Gluten Free Flatbread recipe that goes with my curries.

After speaking with 2016 Masterchef participant Anagha Godbole I realized that Gluten Free flat bread is quite simple actually. It does not require many fancy elements. So I decided to try Sorghum Flour Flatbread which is famously known as Jowar Bhakri.

I tried the recipe with Sweet White Sorghum Flour from Bob’s Red Mill. It did not work out. I worked for 4 hours, did 2 rounds of grocery shopping and cribbed a lot at Instagram. You can read all about that here.

Anyhow, I am stubborn. I did not give up after a failure. I went to store, bought Buckwheat Flour and made flatbread following Pure Vegetarian’s recipe. It was a gluten free success!!

So I decided to write down my steps and notes here so I can come back later and make them again. In this month, I also learnt restaurant style dal fry, aloo gobi & 5 ingredients chicken curry recipe from ma. I decided to write down because she mentioned – I am not teaching you again. (That was just mean)

Buckwheat Flatbread

Makes 10-12 flatbreads
This recipe can be made vegan. Please use water instead of milk and use vegetable oil instead of ghee.

2 cups buckwheat flour (organic)
1/2 cup milk or more
1 tablespoon ghee
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt, ground (Alternative : Kosher Salt)
1/4 teaspoon ground ajwain, optional
1/4 teaspoon paprika, optional

1. In a large mixing bowl mix buckwheat flour, milk and ghee. Knead until it forms a dough.
2. Divide the dough into balls and roll each ball into a flat disk. You can use rolling pin, tortilla press or hands to make them flat.
3. Heat a cast iron skillet (Alternative : Non Stick Skillet) at medium heat. Heat each flatbread until you see the edges start to brown. It will take take less than a minute. Flip and repeat the procedure for the other side.
4. Important: If you have a cooking mesh or gas oven you can do this step otherwise continue to cook the flatbread on the skillet by pressing it with a clean cloth in several places until it forms tiny air pockets.

If you have a gas burner, you can put the breads directly on fire. Otherwise, after step 3 put the flatbread on mace and let it cook until it becomes puffy. Remember to place the mace a inch from the heating source.

5. With metal tong transfer the bread into a cloth and wrap it gently until you make the rest. You should keep this bread wrapped in a clean tea towel inside a warm oven until you serve. If you decide to refrigerate, reheat the bread by wrapping them in wet paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.

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Two famous Indian curries (GF and V)

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Dal Fry Restaurant Style

2 cups yellow moong dal
1/2 cup green lentil
1/2 cup red lentil
4 cups or more water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ghee
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds,
1 whole dried red chile
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste or 1 1/2 -inch ginger grated & 4 garlics, crushed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground chile powder, adjust accordingly
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 green chile, chopped (adjust accordingly)
3 curry leaves
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1 teaspoon fenugreek leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon garam masala
Juice of 1 lemon
salt
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1. In a thick soup pot add yellow, red and green lentil. Add water and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and boil for 20 to 25 minutes or until lentils are cooked through.
2. In another big soup pot over high, heat oil and ghee. Add mustard seeds and cook it for a minute or less or until they splutter. Add whole cumin and red chile and cook it for 30 seconds or until they sizzle.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add red onion and cook until transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and cook it for a minute. Add turmeric, ground chile powder. Add chopped tomatoes, green chiles, curry leaves and asafoetida.
4. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until tomatoes are soft. Add the cooked lentil. Add crushed fenugreek leaves, lemon juice, garam masala.
5. Adjust the salt and take it aside.  Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with rice or flatbread.

Aloo Gobi Restaurant Style

I loosely followed this and that recipe

2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground chile powder
3 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and 1 inch size cubed
1 teaspoon whole cumin
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 green chile, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste or 1 1/2 -inch ginger grated & 4 garlics, crushed
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried mango powder (or chat masala)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the cauliflower florets, salt, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon red chile powder. Cover and cook until cauliflower florets are cooked through. It should not take more than 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, take it aside.
2. In the same non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat another 1 tablespoon oil. Add the potatoes, salt, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon red chile powder. Cover and cook until potatoes are cooked through. It should not take more than 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, take it aside.
3. In the same skillet, add rest (1/2 tablespoon) oil. Increase the heat to medium high. Add whole cumin and asafoetida. Cook it for a minute or until cumin starts to splatter. Add chopped onion and cook it for 3-4 minutes or until they start to change color. Lower the heat to medium-low and add tomatoes, green chile, ginger garlic paste and continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until tomatoes are cooked.
4. In a small bowl, add rest (1/2 teaspoon) ground turmeric, rest (1/2 teaspoon) ground chile powder, garam masala, ground coriander and dried mango powder. Add a little bit of water to make a thick paste. Add that to the tomato garlic onion mixture and cook it for 6 to 8 minutes or until you see oil is oozing out from the mixture.
5. Add fried cauliflower, potatoes, 1/4 cup water and crushed fenugreek leaves. With a wooden spatula mix it thoroughly and cover it. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until everything is cooked through.
6. Adjust the salt and take it aside.  Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with rice or flatbread.

Dry Chicken Curry (GF)

Serves 4

2 pounds bone-in chicken breast, cut into 1 inch size cubes
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste or 1 1/2 -inch ginger grated & 4 garlics, crushed
Salt
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 green chile, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red chile powder , adjust accordingly
1 teaspoon chicken masala or garam masala
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

1. In a mixing bowl, add chicken pieces, green yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, salt, 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil, red chile powder. Keep it aside for 30 minutes outside to overnight in refrigerator.
2. In a deep non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat rest (1 tablespoon) of the oil. Add green chile and cook it for less than a minute. Add marinated meat mixture and chicken masala. Gently mix everything with a wooden spatula. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook there for 20 – 25  minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Consistency will be semi thick to dry.
3. Take it off the heat, garnish with cilantro and serve warm with rice or flatbread.

{Chicken Masala can be found in Indian Stores or Amazon (link). Alternatively you can use Garam Masala. I am using Anisa Arif’s homemade Chicken Masala (link).}

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Two Flours I used.

1. Organic Buckwheat Flour – Bob’s Red Mill.
2. Brown Rice Flour – Bob’s Red Mill.