As India prepares to become the global millet hub this year, awareness of these miracle grains is growing like nothing else. This month I received inquiries from people who thought millet was just a pro sensitive to gluten or people with gluten intolerance. I’ve always mentioned that millet is for everyone.
So far, 19 free webinars have ignited the fire that is just forming. Many of you want to include millet in your daily meals and what better way to start than a simple gluten free matar paratha (Gluten free spread filled with spicy green peas) was trending on Instagram like last week.
Now, making millet paratha is something you learn by doing and the 10 days of the millet protocol is the best time to try out some of the recipes for yourself. Here are some tips that may help you. Read the detailed recipe and watch the attached video.
Here are some key points you should know before you start rolling millet paratha (stuffed millet bread):
1. Always remember that when kneading gluten-free dough, you must always use fresh dough. The concept of keeping the dough in the fridge equals a bad tasting paratha if you are even able to roll stiffness.
2. If your flour is homemade, don’t forget to sift it. No matter how delicious the grainy millet paratha sounds, rolling out a nice paratha is still the dream of many beginners on this millet journey.
3. Don’t underestimate the power of measurement. It’s usually a 1:1 ratio of boiling water to millet flour, but be open to some last-minute adjustments for the perfect batter consistency.
4. Once the dough is formed, quickly move on to the rolling process for a fresher and softer paratha. Millets are rich in fiber. They absorb water faster than other grains such as whole wheat and rice. The dough will turn into a solid mass if it cannot be used immediately.
5. You can go green and ditch the parchment. Palms and fingers will do it beautifully, and you can also use a banana leaf.
Gluten-free spread filled with spicy green peas
Ingredients
(stuffing for 4 parathas)
· 2 tablespoons of mustard oil
· ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
· ½ cup finely chopped fresh peas
· ½ cup finely chopped fresh green garlic
· A few leaves of fresh coriander
· ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder
· ½ teaspoon of red chili pepper
· ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida
· Rock salt to taste
· 2 spoons gram flour (Besan)
Method
*To prepare the dough, I boiled 1 cup of water and added 1 cup of freshly ground and sifted sorghum flour to the water. You can use any millet flour and adjust the consistency accordingly.
*While the dough is resting, begin the filling. Heat mustard oil in a deep pan and add cumin seeds. When they pop, add finely chopped fresh peas (I used a regular chopper, you can mash the peas here), green garlic and coriander.
*Like mixture it starts to boil, add spices, asafoetida and gram flour. Let everything dry and add salt. Let the stuffing cool.
*You can choose to use parchment paper or leave it out entirely. As a beginner, parchment paper or banana leaf will help with 100% millet flour. As you practice more, you can refer back to the tips I just shared.
*Serve baked on both sides with one of the side dishes. In winter, I enjoy millet paratha with sindhi papad and lacto-fermented cucumbers. More on lacto-fermentation and millet sourdough paratha in the coming days.
One Line Bio:
Shalini Rajani is a millet coach, founder of Crazy Kadchi and conducts innovative millet cooking workshops and gluten free sourdough baking workshops for all age groups.
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