Cook in a Curry

Anything that’s deep fried can never be a bad thing….. Well at least not in my books. Light brown puffed up crisp deep fried puris, just hot off the oil are a thing of beauty. Bengalis serve a delicious Indian bread ‘luchis’ similiar to a puri but the flour base used differs making the texture of the bread slightly different as well.

The other deep fried delights that must be sampled in the Indian repertoire include bhaturas, parathas and kachoris. The list is endless and each of these equally lip smacking. I have eaten most of them and some of my best memories include scoffing little puris for breakfast; using it almost like a spoon to scoop up curries and some side veg. My family cook them during celebrations & auspicious occasions something I know a lot of people do. Cooked in batches and very large quantities; puris are usually smaller in size as compared to chapattis or naans and it’s because they are tiny that they get polished off quicker than you think!

The most commonly known Indian bread in the UK is usually Naan made with plain flour. Everyday bread in Indian households is more often than not made with wholemeal flour and for this recipe I have used wholemeal flour as well which is usually available in all Asian stores. You can swap this for plain flour if you like too. You could even add a few tablespoons of milk to the dough which makes for softer dough mix & lighter fluffier puris.

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Homemade naan bread is a great find and one that I bake often especially when I have friends around and need something fresh but easy to rustle up. Fresh from the oven, smeared with butter and topped with herbs or dried spices. It’s the perfect accompaniment for dunking in any Indian curry to be honest. I know a lot of people seem surprised when I say I cook my own naan. It’s easier than most people think. Give it a go I guarantee you’ll love it.

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Diwali is just around the corner and I’m swamped with work all this week and all the way through in the run up to Christmas too. But ever the optimist, I’m also getting the house ready for Diwali and of course making scrumptious meals for family and friends. I really want some parts of the celebration to be easy, saving on time yet delicious. The menu is looking good so far and one of the dishes will most certainly include my previous post of Chicken Curry. I am also making buttery crispy parathas but in all that; making Indian bread might take painstakingly longer than I think. Except the lovely team at Tilda were kind to send over some of their Steamed Basmati Rice for me to try in this dish. As the brand says, ‘By partly steaming uses a gentle yet effective method of cooking our Basmati rice, giving consumers a healthy product which they can “finish off” quickly and conveniently in the microwave or wok.”

And that’s exactly what I did, a couple of minutes in the microwave the rice was ready to use for my parathas. I really could not have asked for an easier way to have perfect long grain fluffy rice which even manages to hold its own within the bread. The steamed rice has a fantastic range and you can check them all out on their website. These packs are readily available in your nearest grocery stores. I must admit I do stock up on canned chickpeas and canned ready chopped tomatoes as my must have ‘busy day’ ingredients. These steamed rice packs have most certainly become a regular inclusion to that list. So thank you Tilda!

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Every aspect of Indian food has a variety and the bread department does not fail to impress in that aspect. I love a basic naan bread, chapatti or deep fried Puris/ bhaturas. But when I want bread to be the star of my meal and also just simply don’t have the time to cook both a curry and some bread; a theplas, parathas or even south indian style crepes like dosas make it special.
Though theplas are synonymous with Gujarati cuisine, they are eaten in most parts of the country. Most regions in India have their own version of it this style of bread.

I remember travelling as a young girl with my family in India and always found people carrying this as a snack on their journeys with some pickle and maybe a little dry veggie dish to go. One of the reasons this is usually a travel snack of choice in India is because unlike other breads it stays fresher longer. More so in the hot summer when you need food to last through long journeys. This bread can be eaten warm or cold.  The use of yoghurt makes the dough more paliable and yield softer theplas which stay soft even when they are served cold. I haven’t used any water which would be the way they make it in Gujarati households but if you feel you might need a little water to help with getting the dough together add a couple of tablespoons. Though yoghurt alone usually does the trick.

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