• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

My Cooking Journey logo

  • Home
  • Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
×

Home » Entree » Roti / Paratha » Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha - Flatbread stuffed with lentils

Published: Apr 25, 2014 · Modified: Apr 10, 2021 by Sandhya Ramakrishnan · This post may contain affiliate links

Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha - Flatbread stuffed with lentils

Jump to Recipe

Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha is a traditional stuffed flatbread from Rajasthan. It is very filling and flavorful that it can be paired with just a simple raita for a full meal.

Rajasthan Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha in a bowl


Rajasthan is a culturally rich state which reflects the ancient Indian way of life. By area, Rajasthan is the largest state in India and is known as the 'Land of Kings'. Jaipur is the largest city as well as the capital of Rajasthan.

Rajasthan, which is a state in the western region of India, comprises largely of Thar desert, which is also known as the Great Indian desert. Rajasthan borders Pakistan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab. Indus Valley Civilization, which is the world's oldest and first civilization was in parts of Rajasthan.

True to its name 'Land of Kings', Rajasthan exhibits a very rich and royal lifestyle. Culturally, the traditions reflects not only the ancient lifestyle but also brings across the royal living.

The cuisine of Rajasthan is based on its climatic conditions and is influenced by the war-like lifestyles of people living in the state. They have many recipes that could be consumed at room temperature without needing refrigeration.

The very hot temperatures in the region and also the scarcity of water and fresh greens reflect on the cuisine. The Marwari cuisine of Rajasthan is very well known for its rich vegetarian delicacies.

Thanks to a good friend and blogger, Manjula, I have had the privilege of cooking many Rajasthan (especially the Marwari) recipes. She is originally from the Marwar region and has many delicious authentic recipes in her space. Do check out my other recipes from the state here.

The recipe that I chose today, Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha, is a part of the regular meal in Rajasthan. This channa dal paratha was so flavorful and filling that all we needed on the side was some raita and a simple salad.

It originated from the Bikaner region of the state and hence carries the name in the recipe. Bikaner is a very popular region of the state which is famous for its many snacks and sweets.

Rajasthan Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha in a plate

My other recipes from Rajasthan -

  • Lapsi – A Rajasthan Special Dessert
  • Vegetable Jaipuri | Sabz Jaipuri - Mixed Vegetable Curry
  • Moong Dal Pakoda | Mung Dal Vada Recipe
  • Moong Dal Kachori And Atte Ka Sheera | Wheat Flour Halwa
Rajasthan Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha with chillies

Preparation time - 15 minutes plus about 4 hours to soak the dal
Cooking time - 30 minutes
Difficulty level - easy
Recipe Source - Nishamadhulika

Ingredients to make Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha - (makes about 12 large parathas)

For the dough -

  • Wheat flour - 2 ½ cups
  • Oil - 1 tbsp
  • Salt - to taste
  • Water - needed to make dough

For the filling -

  • Channa dal/Kadalai Paruppu/Bengal gram dal - ¾ cup
  • Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
  • Asafetida - ¼ tsp
  • Green chilies - 2 (finely minced)
  • Ginger - 1 tsp (grated)
  • Dhaniya Powder/Coriander powder - 1 tsp
  • Amchur powder/Dry Mango powder - 1 tsp
  • Garam masala - ½ tsp
  • Cilantro - 4 tbsp (chopped)
  • salt - to taste
  • oil - 1 tbsp plus more to cook the parathas
Rajasthan Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha served in a plate

Procedure to make Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha -

To make the dough -

  • Take the wheat flour in a wide bowl and add the salt and oil to it. Mix it well using your hands. Now add warm water slowly and combine to form a soft dough.
  • Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for at least half an hour.

To make the stuffing -

  • Soak the channa dal for 3-4 hours. Heat enough water to cook the dal and let it come to a boil. Now add the soaked dal to the boiling water and let it cook until the dal is soft and crumbles when pressed between fingers.
  • Drain the cooked dal in a colander for few minutes. Now grind the cooked dal to a fine mixture without adding any water to it.
Wash and soak the Channa Dal
  • In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil and add the cumin seeds to it. Let it fry for about 15 seconds and then add the asafetida and all the other dry masala powders and mix.
  • Now add the ground dal and enough salt and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the chopped cilantro leaves and mix.
  • Take it off the flame and let it cool down a bit before making the parathas.
Add the ingredients and cook

To make the parathas -

  • Divide the rested dough into 12 parts and form a ball. Dust the surface and the rolling pin with some flour and then roll the dough into a 4-5 inch circle.
  • Brush the surface with some oil and then place about 2 tbsp of stuffing in the center.
  • Bring the dough together and form a pouch. Seal the pouch and flatten it with your palm.
  • Now slowly roll out the stuffed dough to about 8 or 9 inch circle. Make sure you roll it out as thin as possible without tearing. Unlike other stuffed parathas, these roll out very well.
Seal the pouch and flatten it
  • Heat a tawa and then add the rolled out paratha. Cook on both sides adding oil liberally until they are golden brown. These parathas are generally cooked a shade darker than regular parathas.
Heat the pan cook the paratha
  • Repeat the same with the rest of the dough and filling and cook them.
  • Serve hot with pickle and curd or with some raita!
Serve the paratha with curd

Other Stuffed Parathas

  • Sweet Potato Paratha Recipe
  • Gobhi Paratha – Cauliflower Stuffed Paratha
  • Stuffed Methi Paratha - Stuffed Fenugreek Leaves Parata
  • Aloo Methi Paratha / Parathas with Potatoes and Fenugreek leaves

 If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | twitter

Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha in a plate

Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha – Flatbread stuffed with lentils

Bikaneri Channa Dal Paratha is a traditional stuffed flatbread from Rajasthan. It is very filling and flavorful that it can be paired with just a simple raita for a full meal.
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entree, Quick and Easy, Roti / Paratha
Cuisine: Indian, Rajasthan
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 12 Large parathas
Calories: 158kcal
Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

  • pan
  • Grinder
  • spatula
  • bowl

Ingredients

For the dough -

  • 2 ½ cups Wheat flour
  • 1 tbsp Oil
  • to taste Salt
  • Water needed to make the dough

For the filling -

  • ¾ cup Channa dal/Kadalai Paruppu/Bengal gram dal
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp Asafetida
  • 2 Green chilies finely minced
  • 1 tsp Ginger grated
  • 1 tsp Dhaniya Powder/Coriander powder
  • 1 tsp Amchur powder/Dry Mango powder
  • ½ tsp Garam masala
  • 4 tbsp Cilantro chopped
  • to taste salt
  • 1 tbsp oil plus more to cook the parathas

Instructions

To make the dough -

  • Take the wheat flour in a wide bowl and add the salt and oil to it. Mix it well using your hands. Now add warm water slowly and combine to form soft dough.
  • Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for at least half an hour.

To make the stuffing -

  • Soak the channa dal for 3-4 hours. Heat enough water to cook the dal and let it come to a boil. Now add the soaked dal to the boiling water and let it cook until the dal is soft and crumbles when pressed between fingers.
  • Drain the cooked dal in a colander for few minutes. Now grind the cooked dal to a fine mixture without adding any water to it.
  • In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil and add the cumin seeds to it. Let it fry for about 15 seconds and then add the asafetida and all the other dry masala powders and mix.
  • Now add the ground dal and enough salt and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the chopped cilantro leaves and mix.
  • Take it off the flame and let it cool down a bit before making the parathas.

To make the parathas -

  • Divide the rested dough into 12 parts and form a ball. Dust the surface and the rolling pin with some flour and then roll the dough into a 4-5 inch circle.
  • Brush the surface with some oil and then place about 2 tbsp of stuffing in the center.
  • Bring the dough together and form a pouch. Seal the pouch and flatten it with your palm.
  • Now slowly roll out the stuffed dough to about an 8 or 9-inch circle. Make sure you roll it out as thin as possible without tearing. Unlike other stuffed parathas, these roll out very well.
  • Heat a tawa and then add the rolled out paratha. Cook on both sides adding oil liberally until they are golden brown. These parathas are generally cooked a shade darker than regular parathas.
  • Repeat the same with the rest of the dough and filling and cook them.
  • Serve hot with pickle and curd or with some raita!

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!
Post Views: 602
Previous Post: « Punjabi Chole | Channa Masala
Next Post: Sel Roti | Crispy Fried Sweet Bread From Sikkim »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Sandhya

I am Sandhya Ramakrishnan, author, recipe developer and photographer in this journey! 'My Cooking Journey' is all about family friendly Vegetarian and Vegan recipes from around the World with focus on Indian cuisine.

Learn More about me →

Popular Posts

  • Gozleme | Turkish Spinach and Feta Flatbread
  • Air Fryer Arancini | Italian Rice Balls
  • Aish Baladi | Vegan Egyptian Flatbread
  • Saag Aloo | Vegan Spinach And Potato Curry
  • Boulanee Katchalu | Afghani Bolani | Stuffed Flatbread
  • Xian Bing | Chinese Stuffed Pancake - Vegetarian
  • Norwegian Crisp Bread | Knekkebrød
  • Spicy Roasted Makhana | Roasted Foxnut

Street Foods

  • Koshari | Kushari - Egyptian Street Food
  • Esquites | Creamy Mexican Street Corn Salad
  • Churumuri | Beach Style Masala Pori
  • Indo Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice

Sign Up for Newsletter

Copyright © 2021 · MyCookingJourney LLC
Privacy Policy

Sign Up to Newsletter

We'll keep you in the loop with our latest news and new content that we add at MyCookingJourney.com.

Enjoy the journey with us and share it with your family and friends!