Chilke ki roti – Vintage punjabi cuisine

Chilke (husk) ki roti

This recipe is from my grandmother’s generation that believed in the motto “waste not want not” and uses the husk of lentils to lighten up the traditional roti. Following recipe serves two.

Preparing the lentil: Take a cup of green mung bean (split or whole). Rinse the beans and soak overnight. If using whole beans, prepare for the beans to sprout and let the bean sprout for a day or so which eases removal of husk. When the beans are ready, place the lentils in a large container and fill with water. Gently rub the lentils to loosen the skin. Collect up the skin that floats to the top. Squeeze the skin to drain all water and set aside. If making daal from the washed and de-skinned lentil, click here for one particular recipe. The sprouts can be served as a simple salad when mixed with salt, pepper and lime juice.

Prepare the roti: Follow the dough and stuffing protocol from my aloo paratha recipe here. Add a smidgen of salt, thinly sliced green chili and amchoor to the lentil skin and fluff up the skin gently. Divide the dough into 5 balls. Stuff 1/5th the skin in each roti, roll and cook on tawa. Serve hot with daal or raita. For a complete meal, serve sprout salad or cauliflower-pea dry vegetable as a side.

Here are photos from the cooking process: