The world is going gaga over ancient grains, with celebrities like Angelina Jolie raving about its many health benefits. Grains like amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, finger millet, etc. have been getting the double thumbs up from dieticians and health experts alike. The funny thing is, while the West has just woken up to the many wonders of these grains, we Indians have been consuming ancient grains for centuries. Before rice and wheat took over, Indian staples included many of these amazing ancient grains like ragi, jowar and bajra.
A simple everyday recipe, the thalipeeth, prepared for breakfast in most Maharashtrian households, is made of a mixed ‘bhajni’ or flour. This bhajni comprises flours from multiple grains such as amaranth, ragi, jowar, bajra and rice. Recently, I went on a candida cleanse diet which calls for banning high-carb starches such as rice and wheat. I was carb-deprived and tired of munching on salads and egg whites, so I thought of making the thalipeeth with just two ingredients, both of which are good for you if you are on a low-carb diet. This recipe is a gluten-free version of the traditional thalipeeth and can be prepared like the regular ones.
Ingredients:
2 cups ragi or finger millet flour
3 cups rajgira or amaranth flour
salt
hot water
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
2 chopped green chillies
1 chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic chopped
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
2 clean banana leaves
Method:
In a clean bowl, sift both the flours with the salt and cumin powder. Add hot water, little by little, till the dough becomes slightly pliable. Add the chopped green chillis, onions and garlic to the mixture. Now make small balls out of the dough.
Oil the banana leaf thoroughly and place the dough ball. Now press the ball down between two pieces of the banana leaves till ball gets flattened into a round shape. Now heat oil in a pan. When it is sufficiently hot, drop the flattened thalipeeth into the pan. Add more oil and cook each side for five whole minutes. Fry the rest of the thalipeeth and serve piping hot with a spiced yoghurt dip.
Image source: Shutterstock
