heenie's food blog

Now we are talking! As previously discussed in older posts, breakfast has always been a difficult meal of the day for gluten restrictions for me at least. Alhamdulillah I have been able to make gluten free bread quite successfully and all recipes are shared here on the blog as well (one is lined up to be posted soon) but when it comes to roti, naan and paratha, it is still a steep learning for me. There has been progress but to make it to the blog, there is simply no room for error… It needs to be perfect. Period. Personally I try to dodge making roti/ paratha/ naan when ever I can and prefer not to invest much time kneading, resting, shaping and rolling (it is extremely hot here too, so no judgement please) and to have a recipe that by pass every step and jumps from whisking to cooking within two minutes without compromising taste, texture and appearance is like a prayer that has been answered.

It is an effortless batter. Mix just four ingredients that includes salt and water too and you are good to go. No resting, no proofing or chilling. It goes from the bowl to the frying pan and this is the only crucial stage when you need to pay attention, keep an eye on the paratha in the pan while you do oiling and flipping and rotating of the paratha to get the best possible outcome. In general cooking is already all about focus. If there is anything on the stove with flame on, it would require your undivided attention like a baby. On a random note, some “grown up babies” fall in this category too.

See when you cook it right it would be not only look pretty but also maintain it’s crunch, elasticity and shape well. Timing is everything while cooking anything and starches and flours are no exception. It may sound a little too much at first but eventually it becomes a reflex. Which side stay on the heated side for how long? When to flip? When to oil? How to oil? It may sound like way too much for a mere paratha but as I said it is all practice and developing a habit and soon these actions and reactions become automatic.

And now khageena. It is actually an omelet, with desi touch and it is cooked like a scrambled egg. There are different ways of making khageena too but of course, the easiest and simplest one will be shared today. There is egg, onion, tomato, green chillies with spices. This is a very common form of egg served in restaurants and cafes for breakfast and brunch. A perfect combo for a golden crisp paratha. Have it with lassi and chai to round off a weekend special breakfast/brunch.

Here is a glimpse of how well this paratha will wrap around anything and give it a soft and tender hug. See the layers of paratha? This isn’t like a crepe or ultra thin pancake. It has dimensions and it has a proper shape and structure. It is a paratha of substance and character.

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GLUTEN FREE BATTER PARATHA

A no knead, no shape and no roll paratha with perfect taste, texture and appearance.

 Course Breakfast

 Cuisine Pakistani

 Keyword batter paratha, easy paratha, gluten free batter paratha, gluten free breakfast, gluten free brunch, gluten free paratha, no knead paratha, paratha

 Prep Time 2 minutes

 Cook Time 5 minutes

 Author Heenie

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole egg
• ½ tsp salt (optional)
• 1 cup gluten free bread flour
• 1 cup water
• oil or ghee for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium bowl lightly beat an egg.
2. Add in salt and gluten free bread flour.
3. Whisk and pour in water in a steady stream while mixing.
4. Whisk well so there are no lumps.
5. Heat a dry, non greased frying pan over medium low flame. (I used a 6″ non stick frying pan)
6. Pour about ⅓ cup of batter (or more if using a bigger pan) and spread evenly with the back of a spoon.
7. It will set uniformly in about 10-15 seconds. Carefully flip it.
8. Lightly grease the top side with oil or ghee. Apply only on the paratha and do not pour on the pan.
9. Move/rotate the paratha very gently with a spatula a couple of time with a span of 15-20 seconds. Flip it after 30-40 seconds. This time greased side with face down.
10. Keep moving and rotating the paratha after every 10-15 seconds to make sure it is getting cooked evenly throughout.
11. Grease the second side of the paratha with oil or ghee (do not pour on the pan) while keep moving the paratha so that the side facing down gets evenly golden. Lift slightly to check if it cooked enough.
12. Flip the second side (greased) while the first side should be looking as golden as shown in the picture.
13. Cook the second side completely while moving and rotating after every 10-15 seconds. Remove from the pan when the second side is done.
14. Repeat the process to make about 4-5 parathas, depending on the size of the pan.

RECIPE NOTES

Do not make this batter ahead. 

Do not refrigerate the batter.

Prepare batter only when you plan to make parathas. 

Gluten free flours are of different blends and usually do not become as golden brown as wheat parathas.

Bread flour that I used already had gum in it. Make sure the blend you use have it too otherwise add one third of a teaspoon of xanthan gum to the batter.

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KHAGEENA (PAKISTANI STYLE OMELET)

Spice up regular omelet/ scrambled eggs with desi seasoning for a scrumptious breakfast and hearty meal.

 Course Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

 Cuisine Pakistani

 Keyword Desi omelet, gluten free breakfast, Pakistani style omelet, Pakistani style scrambled egg

 Prep Time 2 minutes

 Cook Time 3 minutes

 Servings 1

 Author Heenie

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole egg
• 2 tsp finely chopped onion
• 1 tsp finely chopped tomato
• chopped green chilli as required
• ⅓ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper powder
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp garam masala powder
• 2½ tbsp oil for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine egg with chopped onion, tomato and green chillies. Add seasonings to the bowl as well and gently beat to mix everything together.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan over low medium flame. Pour the egg mix in to the pan and tilt the pan to coat it well with the egg mixture.
3. Let it cook for about a minute while it slightly sets and then break it into pieces with a spatula.
4. Keep stirring the mix with a spatula to cook evenly and to break any big pieces.
5. Serve immediately.

RECIPE NOTES

Adjust spices as you like.

Suggested proportions are for one egg/ one serving. 

Once cooked, serve immediately.