Garbanzo (Kabuli chana) Parathas with Keema

"At the table with good friends and family, you do not get old."
(~Italian Proverb)

There's much truth to this saying....provided the family is not one that keeps it's eyes glued to the food and the mouth only opens to stuff in a morsel or ask for more, or worse complain about the food! Trust me I've been at both kinds of tables, and know the difference...the latter makes one not only old but dour as well. Thankfully I spent most of my life around the former kind and survived the latter, and continue to do so, without any damage done!! And all this is said in good humour. I believe to each his own: attitudes at the table, eating habits, and humour!

Well, to come back to our table here today. It's kabuli chana parathas with keema. I had a vegetarian at my table so there's a simple no hassle vegetarian option too. I had some white chick peas (kabuli chana) boiled in salt water and stored in the refrigerator. Since it wasn't enough to make a dish for four good eaters, I decided to use it as a stuffing in parathas. A bit of keema, stuffed capsicums (bell peppers) and yogurt on the side and we had ourselves an easy delicious meal with a change from the usual.
You could do this with left over chana masala, or pindi chana, or simple chana sabzi. It would be easier as you would just have to drain out any excess liquid, if there is any, and mash the chana and you're ready!

Ingredients
For stuffing

Atta (harina integral).................................as required
Kabuli chana (white chick peas)................as required, boiled and mashed well
Potato.........................................................1 or two boiled small ones, or as required
Onion..........................................................1 tsp, chopped very small, per cup of mashed chana
Red chilli pwdr...........................................acc to taste
Green coriander.........................................little, chopped fine
Ginger (optional)......................................a pinch of finely grated per cup of mash
Roasted cumin(ground).............................a pinch or two for a chana mash for 8 medium size parathas
Coriander pwdr.........................................a pinch or two for the whole amount of chana (optional)
Aamchur (dry mango pwdr)......................acc to taste (optional)
Ground anardana (pomegranate seeds)...only if you aren't using aamchur. (use acc to taste)
Turmeric...................................................a pinch (optional)
Salt acc to taste
Oil

To make parathas

Add salt, acc to taste, to the flour. Knead into a smooth, soft dough.

Mash the chana well. Mash the potatoes well, add to the chana. Now put in the dry spices, onion and coriander.

If the chana was boiled in saline water, check for salt and add more accordingly.

Make desired size balls from dough and using some dry flour to dust the surface, roll out into 6 inch roundels.

Lightly brush oil and spoon in some of the spiced chana mixture in the centre.

Gather up the sides and pinch the top. Flatten, and roll out evenly.

Heat a tava (flat pan) to medium heat and put the rolled out paratha.

When the top turns a darker colour, turn over and after a few seconds turn over again and spread some oil on the paratha. Now turn the oiled side down.

Brush some oil on the other side too. Turn over and cook to get a nicely done paratha.

Serve hot with keema.

For Keema

Chicken mince.................................as required

Onion..............................................1-1 n 1/2 tsps per 100 gms, chopped small

Ginger............................................1/2 tsp, chopped very fine or grated per 100gms

Garlic............................................1 clove, chopped fine or minced per 100 gms

Green chilli...................................acc to taste, chopped very small

Tomato..........................................1/2 small one, deseeded and skinned (per 100gms)

Coriander pwdr............................1/2 level tsp per 100gms

Cumin pwdr..................................1/5 tsp per 100gms

Turmeric.......................................a pinch (100 gms)

Red chili (optional)......................as required

Green cardamom.........................1, seeds only (per100gms) grind in a mortar

Pepper corns...............................5,(per 100gms) grind in mortar. Do not use ready made pepper powder

Green bell pepper.......................2 slices (per 100gms)

Red bell pepper..........................2 slices (per 100 gms)

Green coriander........................a little, chopped fine

EVOO

Heat Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a non stick pan.

Add chopped onions. Stir fry until they start to brown at the edges. Lower heat to medium.

Add the ginger, garlic, green chilli. Stir for a few seconds.

Now lower heat to simmer, put in the tomato. Stir around. Add salt, cover and allow tomato to soften.

Put in the ground pepper-cardamom powder, red chilli, turmeric, coriander, cumin.

Stir to meld the masalas.

Add the mince. Mix well into the masala.

Continue to 'bhuno' on low heat. When the mince has browned a bit and dried out, with a little oil separated in the pan, add a bit of water, according to how you want your mince.

Raise heat to medium, cover and cook to desired consistency of gravy: dryish/ mildly wet/swimming in gravy.

Add a dry vegetable as a side dish. A fresh salad, and some curd.

 I used plain curd with a sprinkle of roasted cumin pwdr, salt and a wee bit of sugar and red chili. And only slices of cucumber with lemon, salt and pepper as a salad.

Serve with hot garbanzo parathas.

For the non-vegetarian

For a vegetarian

Garbanzo paratha

Stuffed green bell peppers. I used a potato-spice mash as filling.

Raita:  I made a 'boondi' raita. Raita basically is yogurt with any vegetable or fruit added and a sprinkle of roasted cumin pwdr, salt, sugar (optional) red chili, and black salt (purely optional)

Salad: purple cabbage, olives, kiwi, cucumber, carrots, and a squeeze of lemon, some salt and a sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil. I kept it light. You can add any salad dressing you want to any selection of preferred items for your salad. 

Bon appetit!