I love experimenting with different grains and flours. Jowar, Nagli/Ragi,Amaranth, Corn etc.. are pantry staples in my house. Most of the times,I use a blend of these grains for our day-to-day food in the form of khichdis, upmas,dosas.
One such multipurpose, wholesome flour mix is the ‘Thalipeeth Bhajani. This is a pantry staple in every Maharashtrian household.
Bhajani Thalipeeth basically is a quick flat bread made using this multigrain Bhajani mix along with chopped onions,sometimes some chopped fresh or leftover vegetables, fresh coriander, sesame seeds and spices.It is usually served for breakfast with fresh homemade Curd/Yogurt, homemade white butter and/or sweet lime pickle.
My Mom makes her own Thalipeeth Bhajani by roasting – Jowar, Bajra, wheat, Nagli,Rice,Gram dal,Urad dal and cumene , coriander seeds and then milling them together. Needless to say I get my Thalipeeth Bhajani mix readymade from her as and when I am out of stock :). Most supermarkets, grocery stores, health food shops now stock Thalipeeth flour, so it is easily available or see the Quick Mix version given below.
Another favourite item from the Maharashtrian cuisine is ‘Khamang Kakdi’ – cucumber salad tempered with spices and topped with crushed peanuts. I love to add Tomatoes and onion to my Khamang Kakdi.
Both these Classic Maharashtrian favourites, I have combined in a quick modern Appetizer Avatar- Mini Thalipeeth Tostadas, akin to the Mexican Tostadas.
It seems to be a long winded recipe but it uses simple day-to-day ingredients found in most Indian kitchens.With some advance preparation it can be easily put together in under 30 minutes.
I have used Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil for making my Mini Thalipeeth Tostadas.
“Fortune rice bran health oil has a key micronutrient called “oryzanol”, an antioxidant found only in the bran of rice. It helps reduce bad cholesterol,increase good cholesterol and keeps your heart healthy, making it a healthier choice.
Squalene is an organic compound naturally produced by human skin cells and is a natural moisturizer. Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil contains good amounts of it which prevent the ageing of skin.
Antioxidants improve health by fighting free radicals that harm the immune system. Fortune Rice Bran Health oil has natural antioxidants that help build strong immunity”.
“It is a myth that colourless or transparent oils are healthier than dark oils. FRBH is refined optimally to keep all the essential micronutrients intact. It has a darker appearance primarily due to Oryzanol.
It is enriched with a gamut of nutrients and is good for heart, immunity, skin and hormones. It is appropriate for people of all ages”
Here’s the recipe for myMini Thalipeeth Tostadas
Mini Thalipeeth Tostadas
- 2 Cups flour/Multigrain flour Thalipeeth *
- 1 tsp Ajwain seeds /Carom
- 2 tsp Sesame seeds
- xbd tsp red chilli Dry powder (or to taste)
- 2 tsp Rice Bran Fortune Health Oil
- 2 Tbsp coriander leaves chopped fresh
- xbc tsp garlic paste
- xbd tsp Asafoetida /hing
- as required water (~ xbe-1 cup) Warm
- 1 cucumber large peeled finely chopped
- 1 Tomato seeds large , removed & finely chopped
- xbd onion finely chopped
- 3 tsp peanuts roasted crushed
- 2 tsp coriander leaves chopped fresh
- xbd tsp brown sugar
- to taste Salt
- 2 tsp Rice Bran Fortune Health Oil
- xbd tsp mustard seeds
- xbd tsp seeds Cumene
- 5 - 6 Curry leaves
- xbd tsp Asafoetida powdered
- 1 - 2 green chillies chopped
- xbe cup Yogurt / curd thick
- 2 tsp mint leaves chopped
- 2 tsp coriander leaves chopped
- to taste Rock salt
- Preheat the oven to 170 deg C.
- Line a baking sheet with Parchment paper.
- Add the flour or flours to a mixing bowl.
- Add all the other ingredients except the water.Mix well.
- Slowly add the warm water and knead the flours into a stiff but pliable dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.
- Roll out into a thin layer. The layer should be as thin as possible while still workable.
- Cut rounds using a 3u201d cookie cutter/ sharp edge of a small steel Dabba.
- Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake till they turn golden around the edges - ~15-20 minutes. (Keep an eye on them after about 12 minutes as they burn easily.)
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Note: These can be made well in advance. Can be stored in an air tight container for about 2 weeks.
- Mix the cucumber, tomatoes, onions in a bowl.
- Add the crushed peanuts, salt,sugar and mix
- In a small Kadhai/pan add the oil.
- Once hot, add the mustard seeds.
- Once the mustard seeds crackle, add the cumene seeds, Asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies.
- Pour this over the Cucumber-tomato-onion mixture in the bowl.
- Add the chopped coriander and mix again.
- Note: The veggies can be chopped in advance but mix everything just before serving and use immediately
- In a small bowl mix together the Yogurt and the herbs.
- Season with Rock salt and mix well.
- To Assemble the Mini Thalipeeth Tostadas
- Keep the crispy Thalipeeth Tostadas on a large serving plate.
- Add 1xbd- 2 spoonfuls of the Koshimbir Topping.
- Top with a dollop of the herbed Yogurt
- Serve immediately
Other serving suggestions:
You can use Sweet Lime pickle along with the juice, or a coriander-mint chutney or the Marathi Red/Green Chilly Thecha instead of the herbed Yogurt
*Make your own multigrain Quick Thalipeeth flour mix: ½ cup Wheat flour+ ¼ cup Rice flour+ ¼ cup Ragi/Nagli flour+ ¼ cup Jowar flour+1/4 cup Bajra flour+ ¼ Besan/chickpea/Gram flour+ ¼ cup Urad Dal/Black lentil flour + ½ tsp roasted cumene powder+ ½ tsp coriander seed powder
This blogpost is in association with Fortune Foods as a part of their Desi Health Bites activity– The Hunt for the Best Rice Bran Oil Recipes. For more updates and healthy recipes using Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil, follow Fortune Foods on Facebook and on Twitter at @fortunefoods
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