leftover dal paratha recipe with step by step photos – these chana dal methi parathas are made with chana dal and freshly chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves. however you can even use leftover chana dal.
methi is my all time favorite and it lends a beautiful flavor and taste to the parathas. so i have used methi but you can use any greens like spinach leaves and amaranth leaves. i have also shared punjabi chana dal paratha where boiled chana dal is stuffed in the parathas and it tastes awesome.
this chana dal methi paratha recipe is different from the gujarati version of methi thepla. it does not even taste like theplas. in fact the chana dal parathas taste better than theplas. it does not use besan (chick pea flour) and curd which are used in theplas.
i always use leftover cooked chana dal for this recipe. if you are making these for breakfast, you can knead the dough, the night before and keep it overnight in the refrigerator.
i don’t recommend using kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) as fresh methi leaves lends a unique taste to this dish which is not possible if you use kasoori methi. you can skip the methi leaves. its not necessary to add methi leaves. you can also check these methi paratha and palak paratha recipe.
serve chana dal methi paratha plain or with curd or pickle. a cup of hot masala chai will also go very well with it.
if you are looking for more paratha recipes then do check:
leftover dal paratha recipe
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup chana dal (bengal gram) OR 1/3 cup cooked chana dal
- 1 cup tightly packed methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) OR 40 grams methi, chopped (optional) - you can use any greens like spinach etc
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 to 2 pinches turmeric powder (haldi)
- ¼ teaspoon ajwain - OPTIONAL - (carom seeds/thymol seeds/oregano)
- ¼ teaspoon jeera - OPTIONAL - (cumin seeds)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger (adrak)
- 1 to 2 finely chopped green chili (hari mirch)
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta) OR 120 grams flour
- salt as required
- 1 to 2 teaspoon ghee or oil as required
- white butter or makhan
- water, if requied for kneading the dough
INSTRUCTIONS
preparation for leftover dal paratha
- soak ¼ cup of chana dal for 4 to 5 hours or over night.
- pressure cook the chana dal till soft and cooked. lightly mash the dal with the back of spoon. you can also use left over chana dal.
- knead the whole wheat flour with the chana dal, methi or any greens if using, salt, ghee, green chili, ginger, ajwain and jeera.
- also add turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder.
- add water if required. if using left over chana dal, you may not need to add the water if the leftover dal has enough water and is not dry. if the leftover dal dish is dry, then you will have to add water.
- begin to knead the dough. then add oil and continue to knead into a soft dough just like the dough for chapatis or parathas.
- on a dusted rolling board, take a big lemon sized ball of the dough. roll the dough ball with a rolling pin.
- with the rolling pin, roll out the parathas with approx 5-6 inch diameter.
making leftover dal paratha
- heat a flat griddle or tava. put the paratha on the griddle. when partly cooked on one side, flip the paratha.
- apply ghee on the partly cooked side. in the meantime the other side is getting cooked.
- now flip it again. now apply ghee on the other side. cook till the underside is crisp and browned. flip again and cook the second side till browned and crisp.
- while cooking press the edges of the parathas so that they don’t remain under cooked.
- serve dal parathas hot with homemade butter in a true punjabi style. this is how the parathas are devoured by the punjabis…. with lots and lots of butter or makhan as it called locally.
how to make leftover dal paratha
1. soak ¼ cup of chana dal for 4 to 5 hours or overnight. pressure cook the chana dal till soft and cooked.
2. lightly mash the dal with the back of the spoon. you can also use leftover chana dal.
3. in a big thali (parat) or vessel, add 1 cup of whole wheat flour, boiled and mashed chana dal, 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger and 1 finely chopped green chili. if using, greens like methi leaves then add 1 cup of methi leaves now (instead of methi leaves you can add any other greens like spinach leaves or amaranth leaves at this step or skip adding the greens as the addition of methi is optional).
4. next add ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds (optional), ¼ teaspoon ajwain (optional), 1 to 2 pinches of turmeric powder (haldi), ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder and salt as required.
5. add water if required and begin to knead the dough. if you are using leftover chana dal, then you may not need to add the water if the leftover dal has enough water and is not dry. if the leftover dal dish is dry, then you will have to add water.
6. knead for 2 to 3 minutes.
7. then add 1 to 2 teaspoon ghee or oil.
8. continue to knead into a soft dough just like the dough for chapatis or parathas.
9. on a dusted rolling board, take a big lemon sized ball of the dough. sprinkle some whole wheat flour.
10. roll the dough ball with a rolling pin (belan). with the rolling pin, roll out the parathas with approx 5-6 inch diameter.
11. heat a flat griddle or tava. put the paratha on the griddle.
12. partly cook the paratha on one side.
13. once partly cooked, then flip the paratha. apply ghee or oil on the partly cooked side. in the meantime, the other side is getting cooked.
14. now flip it again.
15. now apply ghee or oil on the other side.
16. cook till the this side is crisp and browned. flip again and cook the second side till browned and crisp. while cooking press the edges of the parathas so that they don’t remain under cooked.
17. serve chana dal parathas hot with homemade butter or curd or pickle in a true punjabi style.
thanx for this recipe…. this site is excellent…. well done…
Welcome NavuPiyu
What if do no have left over chana dal and using fresh? Do you have a specific preparation for the dal?
yes there is a specific way it is done when you make the parathas with fresh chana dal. in this the chana dal is cooked till soft and grains separate. add some green chilies and salt and some garam masala to this cooked dal mixture. now stuff the rotis with this mixture the way you would make aloo paratha. then fry the parathas. this is an excellent breakfast. i still have to post this recipe.
if you want you can also knead both the cooked chana dal and flour together with some onions, green chilies, garam masala powder, cumin or cumin powder and ajwain (optional) and salt. my cooking experience tells me it will be good.