Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. During the COVID19 lockdown, I found myself craving Thalipeeth but having no Bhajani—the mixed grain flour used to make this Maharashtrian flatbread—at home. However, I had the individual grain flours and so I made a quickfix version using them.
Thalipeeth Bhajani is a flour that includes a variety of grains and lentils such as jowar, bajra, rice, wheat, chana dal, moong dal and more. There are also spices such as cumin and coriander seeds included in the flour. Each ingredient is individual slow-roasted and all of them are then ground together to make a flour. This flour can be stored for quite a few months and is very useful in making a quick nutritious and delicious meal.
I made my Thalipeeth by mixing together equal measures of rice, wheat, jowar, bajra, nachni (ragi), and besan flours. I added some coriander powder and roasted cumin powder as well to this makeshift Bhajani. The result was a pretty authentic tasting, crisp Thalipeeth that just needed some dahi and green chilli pickle on the side.
If you like such spiced rotis or parathas, do try my recipes for Sindhi Koki, Telangana Sarva Pindi, Marwari Chana aur Pyaaz ke Parathe, and Kangra Beduan Roti.
Recipe for Thalipeeth with Various Grain Flours
Thalipeeth: A Multigrain Roti From Maharashtra
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Rice Flour
- 1/4 Cup Wheat Flour
- 1/4 Cup Bajra Flour
- 1/4 Cup Jowar Flour
- 1/4 Cup Besan
- 1/4 Cup Ragi (Nachni) Flour
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 1 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
- 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Coriander
- 2 tsp Finely Chopped Green Chillies
- Salt to Taste
- Oil for Roasting
Instructions
- Mix together the various flours, dry spices, onion, green chillies, coriander, and salt.
- Slowly add a little water at a time and make a firm but soft dough.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts.
- Roll each portion into a ball.
- Add about 1/4 tsp oil and grease the surface of a cool tava. If the tava is hot, the dough will stick to the surface and you will not be able to shape the Thalipeeth. Alternatively, you can shape the Thalipeeth on a banana leaf, plastic sheet or silicone mat, and then transfer it to the tava.
- Place one portion of the dough in the middle of the tava.
- Using damp or oiled fingers, press the dough to shape it into a thick roti about 5"in diameter.
- Using a knife make cuts on the surface. This is needed for the Thalipeeth to cook. You can also make small holes using your index finger.
- Heat the tava over a medium flame.
- Add a few drops of il along the edges of the Thalipeeth and on the holes/cuts on the surface.
- Cook covered for 3-4 minutes. The surface will start to dry out and the side touching the tava will start to brown.
- Flip the Thalipeeth over. If you so wish, you can drizzle a few drops on the surface of the Thalipeeth before flipping it. I did not.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve Thalipeeth immediately with white butter, dahi and/or green chilli pickle.
- To make the next Thalipeeth, let the tava cool till it is just warm. You can take it off the heat and then sprinkle some water on the surface.
How to Make Thalipeeth with Various Flours
- Making the Dough
- To a largish plate, add jowar, bajra, rice, wheat, ragi, and besan flours.
- Mix well so that the flours are well-integrated.
- Next, add onion, green chillies, coriander, red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, and salt.
- Mix well.
- Now, gradually add a little water at a time, and knead the dough till it is firm yet soft. We want to be able to pat the dough into a thick roti without cracks or without it becoming mushy.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball.
- To a largish plate, add jowar, bajra, rice, wheat, ragi, and besan flours.
- Shaping the Thalipeeth
- Add about 1/4 tsp oil and grease the surface of a cool tava.
- If the tava is hot, the dough will stick to the surface and you will not be able to shape the Thalipeeth.
- In between making individual Thalipeeth, let the tava cool a bit by taking it off the heat and sprinkling some water on it. You can also use two tavas.
- You can also shape the Thalipeeth separately on a greased plastic sheet or banana leaf and then transfer it to the Tava.
- Place one portion of the dough in the middle of the tava.
- Wet or oil your fingers, and then press the dough ball to shape it into a thick roti about 5″in diameter.
- For the Thalipeeth to cook evenly, make small cuts in it using a knife or then small holes using your index finger. This helps the heat get through all over and cook the dough through and through.
- Now place the Tava on the burner and heat it over a medium flame.
- Drizzle a few drops of oil along the edges of the Thalipeeth and on the holes/cuts on the surface.
- Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. The side facing up will start to dry out and while the side touching the tava will start to brown. Use a spatula to lift the thalipeeth and check if the underside is cooked.
- Now flip the Thalipeeth over and cook for 2 minutes. If you so wish, you can drizzle a few drops on the surface of the Thalipeeth just before flipping it. I did not do this.
- Add about 1/4 tsp oil and grease the surface of a cool tava.
- Serve Thalipeeth immediately with white butter, dahi and/or green chilli pickle.
Yum! This is a favorite food of ours.