Today's spice is : Ajwain Seeds!
I've got two nice little jars of ajwain seeds in my spice collection - one that I bought on a whim (what's new?) and one that someone gave me (yay!). And yet, I've never opened either of them until now. Ajwain seeds have some serious kick to them - spicy, but not really in a hot way - just a strong intensity. Sort of like the way mint clears your sinuses - it's strong, but not hot. They are similar to a super jacked-up cumin seed, and are (apparently) used pretty often in Indian cuisine. In a lot of Indian dishes, there are so many spices added that each flavor blends into the next. I wanted to really taste the Ajwain seeds in my maiden voyage... so I finally settled on a flat bread where they are one of the main spices.
This recipe involves cooking up some chana dal, seasoning it, and then cooking it down to an almost-crumbly mix. That tasty stuff goes in the middle of a whole wheat dough (rolled out about the size of a corn tortilla)...
I made these Stuffed Lentil Flat Breads (Ajwain Dal Paratha). Verdict? YUM FEST! Whenever I've been to India, I usually end up eating a lot of roti and paratha because they are very often vegan. And this recipe tasted so much like "the real thing" - they definitely fell into the "I can't believe *I* made this!" category. For me, the recipe made 8 breads with a whole lot extra filling, so I froze that and will probably make another batch soon. They make a really yummy and healthy little snack during the day.
This recipe involves cooking up some chana dal, seasoning it, and then cooking it down to an almost-crumbly mix. That tasty stuff goes in the middle of a whole wheat dough (rolled out about the size of a corn tortilla)...
then you pinch it shut...
Into a little dumpling! Next you take out your rolling pin and roll it flat! It totally worked and was not hard at all. I was stoked.
The final product is cooked on a griddle until speckled with brown on both sides. And is very delicious.
I bet they're amazing!
ReplyDeleteOh, they look so good. For a while, Josh was making roti and roti-like things non-stop... I miss that.
ReplyDeleteI always almost buy ajwain seeds at Indian groceries and never have! You've convinced me!
oooh! I bought ajwain seeds in Toronto and they've been sitting sadly in my cupboard since. I love making flatbreads!
ReplyDeletea yum fest, indeed! back in my glutenous days dan and i would make stuffed parathas. i miss them a lot. i might just have to take that stuffed flat bread recipe and make it gluten-free. gotta get me some ajwain seeds, too. w00t!
ReplyDeleteI'd like a west coast flat bread fest.
ReplyDeleteOoh yum, I like the idea of adding filling to flat bread, they're almost like Indian pupusas!
ReplyDeleteI cook Indian food fairly often and am surprised that I don't have ajwain in my pantry. Have made stuffed flatbreads once before and they were really nice but I think your recipe sounds even better. I'm bookmarking this and will be on the look out for ajwain at my Indian spice shop. Love your MoFo theme and can't believe I have missed it until now. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Amey! I have ajwain seed also, and I want to make these.
ReplyDeleteAaaaaahhhh, you had me at Indian food! Love love loooooooovvvvveeeee. And Penzey's Spices? This is a girl after my heart!
ReplyDeletewow- those look amazing! they kind of remind me of pupusas ;)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to make these!
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