Thalipeeth-Multi grain savory pancake

I decided to take a short break from posting toddler lunch ideas. No worries. I'll resume posting more quick & delicious lunch ideas for toddlers very soon. In the mean time, I wanted to add a post about thalipeeth, since many of you asked for more information.

Thalipeeth is traditionally made by dry roasting different whole grains and then grinding them together to give a wholesome flour mixture, bhajjani,  that is used to make the savory pancakes. Given that it is next to impossible to freshly grind flour here in Atlanta, the other alternative is to use flours and dry roast them on low flame for few minutes until aromatic.  Dry roasting the flours helps in digestion. So try not to skip this step. I highly recommend that you roast the flours individually before mixing them together. Each flour heats up and burns at different temperatures. If you roast all the flours together, chances are that the bhajjani will have a mild burnt taste. You can make a BIG batch of bhajjani, store in it an airtight container and use it over 6-8 months.The proportions listed below are not set in stone. You can add more or less of any flour of your choice. Generally, urad, besan and bajra flours are difficult for little tummies to digest and so they are in lesser amounts. For those who are skeptical about Nachani/finger millet flour, it is a nutrition powerhouse. Nachani Satva / Porridge made of nacahani, milk, ghee and jaggery is given to babies over 6 months because of its exceptionally high iron and calcium content. It also helps in healthy and gradual weight gain. For those with allergies, Nachani chi bhakri/flat bread is another great way to consume this super grain.

I make large quantity of the flour mixture, bhajjani,  once a year and then I use the mixture for making the  pancakes throughout the year. This saves me lot of time. 
Bhajjani
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup nachani or ragi (finger millet flour)
1/2 cup moong daal flour
1/4 cup besan ( chick pea flour)
1/4 urad flour
1/4 cup bajra flour ( millet flour)
1 tbsp rava ( cream of wheat)
2 tbsp of fresh roasted  cumin & coriander powder


Thalipeeth:
1 cup Bhajjani
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
Spinach leaves shredded -optional
1/2 tsp  turmeric
1/2 tsp Hungarian red pepper powder (or chilli powder for adults)
Pinch of garam masala
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:
1) Mix all the ingredients with water to make a soft dough.
2) Take 2-3  kitchen paper towels, bunch them together, soak them in water. Squeeze out excess water. Lay the wet towels out on a flat surface. Take a golf ball size dough, place it on the wet towels and usinng your fingers press the dough to form a circular flat shape ( like a thick roti). Make few holes in it.
3) Heat 1 tsp oil in a non stick pan.
4) Pick up the kitchen towel with the dough ( no it won't fall).Gently turn the wet towel upside down near the edge of the pan ( now you see why we soaked the paper towels first, they won't burn despite of touching the scorching hot sides of the pan). Cover and cook on both sides until crispy.

Thalipeeth is generally eaten hot with pat of butter ( yum!) or with yogurt. I like to have some koshimbir ( maharashtrian salsa) with it to make a balanced meal.

Easy Peasy Koshimbir:

1 cup coarsely chopped tomato

1/2 cup chopped onions ( Yes, we love onions)

1/2 chopped cilantro

green chillies-optional

salt

pinch of sugar

1 tbsp of ground peanut.

squeeze of lemon juice.

Mix and enjoy!