Plachinda (Moldovan Breads With Cheese & Leafy Greens)#EatTheWorld

Plachinda is a round flat bread that is commonly stuffed with cheese. This flatbread is a stuffed bread what we call here in India a paratha. In this flatbread no yeast is used instead it is leavened with baking soda or baking powder. I have seen so many recipes on the internet some make it round and some make like a turnover. I have watched YouTube video's and decide to adapt one with which I can get ingredients readily available here. Most of the recipes use sorrel leaves as one of the ingredients and kefir to make this stuffed flatbread. But I couldn't find it in market as this is not the season for this leafy green here instead went with spinach and used buttermilk instead of kefir to make the dough.

Also subbed the all purpose flour with little freshly milled whole wheat flour to make it healthy.
Makes 4
Ingredients
For The Dough
1 Cup Kefir / Buttermilk
½ Tablespoon Olive oil
½ Tablespoon Caster Sugar
½ Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt
250 Grams All Purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
100 Grams Whole Wheat Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Baking powder
For The Filling
200 Grams Feta cheese - crumbled
200 Grams Homemade Cottage Cheese / Paneer - crumbled
50 Grams Sorrel or Spinach leaves - finely chopped
4 Spring Onions / Scallions - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Dill Leaves - finely chopped
½ Teaspoon Black pepper powder
¼ Cup Olive Oil - for frying
To Fry
¼ Cup Olive Oil
Method
For The Dough 

In a large kneading bowl add in ¾ cup buttermilk, oil, sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix together well with a fork.

Sift the flour with the baking powder & baking soda, then sift again into the buttermilk mixture and mix in start to incorporating to make a soft and smooth. If it’s still slightly sticky, incorporating more flour into it & if it is stiff then add the remaining buttermilk a little at a time to make a nice soft smooth dough. Take this on to lightly floured work surface and start to knead the dough till it should stop sticking to your hands and forms a soft smooth dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.
In the meantime Let's Make The Filling

Mix the feta, cottage cheese spinach, spring onions and dill together, making sure that the feta is finely crumbled. Divide this into 4 parts.

Divide the dough into 4 part. Flour the work surface really well and roll out each piece of dough, one by one, into a 20 cm (8 inch) diameter circle.

Moisten the surface of one dough circle with your finger tips with a little bit of oil and place one part of the filling on the center of the circle.

Next, take edges of the circle and fold it into the middle ( like a moneybag) pinching them to the top well. 

Then flatten it in the center. The dough should resemble a flattened moneybag.
Now flour the top lightly and gently flatten it with the rolling pin flouring the work surface till it form a thick circle 6" - 8" circle. The filling will be breaking at the edges but no worries this flatbread does taste so good.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling.

Heat the a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on medium low flame until hot and gently lower in each flatbread, one at a time. Fry for 2–2½ minutes on each side.

Enjoy these with ketchup!

Labels: Feta Cheese, Eat the World, Paratha, Scallions, Pan Fried, International Cuisine, Dill, Cottage Cheese, Moldova, Spinach, Stuffed Flatbreads, Breads

Check out all the wonderful Moldova recipes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Find out how to join Eat the World here and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!

• For Eat The World we are sharing recipes of Moldova

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Moldovan Roasted Eggplant Salad 
• Sneha's Recipe: Plachinda (Moldovan Breads With Cheese & Leafy Greens) 
•  Culinary Cam: Sarmale (Moldovan Cabbage Rolls) 
•  Amy's Cooking Adventures: Zeama (Moldovan Chicken Soup)

Hyderabadi Parathas#BreadBakers

Hyderabadi Paratha is a popular paratha recipe form Hyderabad which is also famous in all regions of India and also our neighboring country Pakistan.
For making this paratha it is very important that layers should be seen on the paratha when it cooked. Check my notes below to make really flaky and layered parathas.

Ingredients
2 Cups All Purpose Flour 
½ Cup Wheat flour
2 Teaspoon Level Salt
1 Tablespoon Heaped Sugar

Method

Sieve the wheat, salt and all purpose flour.

In a bowl add  the sieved flour and knead into a semi stiff dough with water keep covered with a damp towel for at least 30 minutes better still for  an hour.

Divide it into equal size balls and keep covered with a damp towel.

Take one ball roll it on a greased work surface into big slightly thick circle 

spread ghee nicely on the circle and sprinkle little flour on circle

then start roll this 

into a rope  

then take the rope tap it on the work surface  to stretch it into a longer rope  

roll it into a 

circle and 

then roll it lightly into a paratha. 

Heat a griddle or tawa on medium low flame and then place the paratha on it, when bubble appear on top then flip it

apply ghee on the this side and cook it brown spot appear on the bottom side and flip the paratha press it with a cloth and then apply ghee and flip this side and cook till both sides brown spot appear.

Take it on to clean towel and crush it lightly  with your hands to open the fold. 

Ready... 

Serve with any gravy dish, like vegetable or chicken curry/ korma along with sweet or spicy pickle.

My Notes

While making these Paratha the circle should be of medium thickness. If you make them more thick then more layers will be visible,  then there is a chance that the paratha will remain raw/uncooked from  inside.  To avoid this cook the paratha really very well on low medium flame  by pressing it with a cloth, so that it is not left uncooked from inside.

Labels: Paratha, Hyderabad, Flaky, Flatbread, Breads, Bread Bakers 

BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

. This month, the Bread Bakers are making Indian Flatbreads/Parathas, a theme chosen by Renu from Cook With Renu. And don’t forget to check out all the amazing Indian Flatbreads/Parathas done by our talented bakers.

• Aloo Paratha from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Bedmi Paratha from Ambrosia
• Gobi Paratha by Nam's Corner
• Hyderabadi Parathas from Sneha's Recipe
• Masala Paratha from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Roti from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pathiri - Gluten Free Rice Bread from The Schizo Chef
• Puran Poli from A Messy Kitchen
• Spicy Lamb Murtabak from Food Lust People Love
• Stuffed Bajra Paratha from Cook with Renu

Heavy Paratha

Heavy Paratha is made of whole wheat flour. It is a richer version of chapatti. Freshly cooked crisp paratha, eaten taking it off the griddle, is delicious! I wanted to make something different for breakfast.  Instead of having bread butter, I made this, which was even more filling and yet healthy.

This goes to BM week 3, day,  under the theme Indian Bread Baskets.

Ingredients

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Enough water to make soft dough

Butter as needed for folding and basting

Method

Making dough:

Place flour and salt in flat big thal or bowl, add water a little at a time as you knead it and make a soft dough. Leave to stand  covered with a moist cloth for 15 minutes or so. Knead briefly again.

How to shape the  square paratha. See step by step pic.

Break dough into 10-12 portions (size is your own choice) and roll them into balls. Keep covered with a moist cloth. 

Dust one ball with dry flour and roll it out to a round thick circle.

Brush the circle with butter

 and sprinkle little flour

Fold  one side.

Then the other side

 Apply butter lightly on both sides .

Sprinkle little flour , then  fold the Top side

The fold the bottom side  and now this become a square.  

In the meantime place a griddle or tava on low flame to heat. 

Roll out  this into a thick big square. It should be rolled from center outwards so that the edges are thinner than the center. You will need to dip it in dusting flour on both sides a couple of time during this process. Parathas should be thick (see pic).

Put the paratha on the hot griddle/tava .

Flip it over, after a minute and cook this side till brown dots appear and then again flip and cook this side the  same way.

Press paratha gently all over with a flat spatula or a cotton cloth, if you see any steam escaping, seal it by pressing it gently, making it balloon up. Brush a little butter on both surfaces. 

Next paratha can be rolled as this one is cooking.

 Serve hot with any curry or sabji of your choice.

We had this with a hot Cup of Tea.

 ah ah see the folds of the paratha.

My Notes :• 

Parathas can be made in advance. Do not brush the butter on it, stack them  on top of each other and wrap in Aluminium foil. They can be re-heated before serving by brushing little butter , either individually on a griddle.

They freeze quite well too, but should be defrosted properly before re-heating.


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49.

Labels : Breakfast, Blogging Marathon, Paratha, Indian