Baked Methi Puris (Baked Whole Wheat Mini Flatbreads)

This week, Indians will celebrate Diwali, our biggest festival of the year.  It is a special day devoted to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi - the Goddess of Wealth. And for all those who think of wealth only in terms of 'benjamins', this festival celebrates the Goddess as a provider of wealth in many forms : Knowledge, intelligence, strength, valor, beauty, victory, fame, ambition, morality, wealth, food, bliss, happiness, health and progeny.

 

Diwali is a time for tradition and celebration, a time for prayer and hope, a time to go back home, a time for family and friends, a time for lamps and fireworks and of course, a time for good food!! And Indians love their food. Food is about sharing, love, abundance, tradition and definitely not for the weight-watchers. And for all the sweet that is made for such times, there is the savoury too. Because, thats what Indian food is all about.. balance!!

 

And yet amidst all the bonhomie and madness, balance is the last thing on your mind. And everyone knows how tough it is to shed holiday weight gain. So, lately a number of Indians have tried to make healthier versions of their favourite sweets and snacks without compromising on taste.

 

The oven does not find a place in traditional, Indian cuisine. Yet increasingly, as a lot of us have become more health-conscious, we use the oven as a way to achieve the same results with a lot less oil. So, today I attempted to make a baked version of these puris, a popular savoury snack, that would otherwise be deep-fried.

The recipe is courtesy, one of India's best-selling, most popular cookbook authors, Tarla Dalal. Before the Internet and the food blogs, her books, largely focussed on Indian cuisine and catered to India's vast vegetarian population. And at a time when the world was not such a small place as it is now, she introduced Indians to global cuisine, even if it was a vegetarian, Indianised version!!

These puris are made from whole wheat and flavoured with a few powdered spices and methi (fenugreek) leaves. And the best part, there is only a teaspoon of oil. To serve, I paired it with some coriander chutney.

 

The results were as I hoped they would be. The puris were crispy, spicy and just the thing needed to counter the avalanche of sweets during this time. And no, you do not miss that they are not deep-fried. And it hardly takes any time to make them, making them a perfect tea-time snack, all-year round.

Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Diwali. May this festival of lights brighten up every part of your life with joy and happiness!!!

** Over the next two weeks, I will have sporadic Internet access and will respond to your mails with a lag or when I get back home!!
 

Baked Methi Puris (Baked Whole Wheat Mini Flatbreads)

Recipe courtesy : Tarla Dalal

Makes 20 (3'-inch diameter) puris.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour (atta)
• 1/2 cup chopped fenugreek leaves (methi)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp oil
• salt, to taste ( I used approx. 3/4 tsp salt)
• 5 tablespoons water
• oil, for greasing the baking tray

 

Cooking Directions:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C.
• Combine all the ingredients and knead into a firm dough using as much water as required. To make puris crisp, the dough should be really firm.
• Roll out the dough and then, with something like a cookie cutter, shape and form 3-inch circles. You should get approximately 20.
• Place on a greased baking tray and prick all over using a fork.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the puris are golden brown, turning them around once 
• Store in an airtight container