Thalipeeth is a typical Maharashtrian specialty and one of my all time favorite comfort foods. It is a savory type of flatbread similar to a thick pancake with a wonderful crunchy texture.

This particular recipe uses jowar (sorghum flour) which can be found in any Indian grocery or health food store. If you do not have jowar flour, you can use rice flour instead. So for this particular recipe, just use a total of 2 cups of rice flour. Traditionally, tavsoli/thalipeeth is only cooked on one side – but we all like it super crunchy so I flip it & let it cook on both sides.

Thalipeeth can be eaten anytime of the day; for breakfast, lunch, brunch, snack or even as a light meal.


THALIPEETH (Savory Maharashtrian Skillet Flatbread)

Ingredients:

1½ cups rice flour
½ cup sorghum flour (jowar)
1 medium size onion, finely diced
1-2 small green Thai chilies, finely chopped (to taste)
¼ tsp ground cumin powder
pinch of asafetida
salt, to taste
¼+ cup milk, use as needed
oil, vegetable of canola oil
freshly minced cilantro leaves

METHOD:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice and sorghum flours. Then add the ground cumin powder, asafetida and salt. Stir to combine the dry ingredients and then add the green chilies, cilantro leaves and diced onion. Next, add enough milk to create a dough (similar to a pizza dough), it should come together easily to form a nice round ball. The dough can be divided into 4 roughly equal portions. Roll into small round balls and set aside until needed.

The easiest way to do this is to actually make the thalipeeth in the same pan you will be using to cook it. I prefer using a cast iron tawa or flat top griddle, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. A good frying pan will also work well. If it’s the non-stick variety, even better.

Lightly oil the pan and add a portion of the dough (one ball) to the center of the pan. Using your fingers, press the dough out into a flat circle approximately ¼” in thickness. Then make a small dime size hole in each quadrant to allow for even cooking.

Place the pan with the formed thalipeeth on a medium high flame, cover and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes until lightly browned. Flip and cook for just a few minutes on the other side. Serve with a small dollop of butter or yogurt, along with your favorite Indian pickles and chutneys.


VARIATIONS:

I often add a freshly grated zucchini to the thalipeeth dough; it adds a wonderful flavor and is great way to get your kids to eat their vegetables. Grated carrots or finely shredded cabbage are also wonderful additions to this recipe. Simply add about 1 cup or so of finely grated zucchini, carrot or cabbage to the dough. A combination of these vegetables is also delicious.