Spinach Roti (chapati)

Spinach Roti (Chapati/Tortilla)

Looking at the vivid green colour, I bet you are wondering what these taste like.

They have a mild earthy flavour but not overwhelmingly like spinach (happy days for those who aren’t a fan of it).

This makes them great to eat with any of your favourite curries. The texture is that of a quintessential Gujarati rotli – thin and pillowy soft.

We have barely cooked the spinach to retain as much of the nutrients as possible – just a quick blanch.

I did not drain any water from cooking the spinach and added all of the goodness into the rotli.

We have used wholewheat atta (chapati flour) which has the highest fibre content. The whole grain of the wheat including the bran is used.

Difference between Spinach Roti and Spinach Paratha

These rotlis only have a little pinch of salt and spinach added to them. There are no extra spices or flavourings. Rotlis are soft and can be cooked directly on the flame.

Spinach Parathas are flavoured with both spinach puree and usually have an addition of green chillies. They are spicier and can be eaten alone or with food. They are coated with oil on cooking. Parathas are crispy and flaky.

We previously made Palak Paratha with a spiced paneer and pea stuffing. Palak Paneer and Mattar Paratha – as delicious and wholesome as they sound!

Inspired by those ideas, we made Farali Palak Poori – deep-fried Indian flatbreads with spinach. Pooris are smaller and have a tough, hard dough. They rise and have a flaky texture.

How to make Gluten-free Roti:

Can be made gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour such as farali flour, gram flour (besan) millet flour (bajri aata) maize flour (makke ka aata) sorghum flour (jowar aata) or rice flour (available in Indian groceries)

Tips on how to make soft chapatis:

1. Use fresh flour every time and do not add plain flour to bulk up the atta
2. Use lukewarm but never boiling water
3. Add the water gradually
4. Give yourself time to knead the dough well
5. Do not roll the roti dough with too much pressure
6. Refrain from coating the dough in too much dry flour when rolling out
7. Cook the rotis on medium flame, a low flame will make the rotis chewy
8. The most important one … PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT 🙂

Serving Suggestions

Aloo Matar – Vegan Potato and Spinach Curry

Aloo Gobi – Potato and Cauliflower Curry

Kobi Bateta – Potato and Cabbage Curry

Ideas for leftover rotis/chapatis

We made vaghareli rotli using leftover spinach roti. Just cut up the chapati in small pieces, sprinkle red chilli and turmeric powder.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, once they pop add roti pieces and mix well. If you wish, add a tiny amount of salt and sugar. Stir fry for a minute and serve with Masala Chai .

Also, you can use this spinach roti in making Mexican dishes such as quesadilla, tostadas or tortilla chips by baking it in the oven or air fryer.

Storage:

Fridge – Although we do not recommend storing spinach roti in the refrigerator as they will go hard, if you want to use these for a couple of days then store it in an airtight container and keep it the fridge for two days.

Freezer – either freeze the uncooked unrolled dough in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. When defrosting, leave to thaw naturally and knead the dough again with a little oil.

Or, roll out chapatis and stack the uncooked chapatis with a piece of butter/parchment paper between each chapati. Thaw then cook on a hot and non-stick crepe pan

Ingredients

1. Spinach – a big bag of fresh spinach is needed for this recipe.

2. Atta – we have used wholewheat chakki atta but you can also use wholemeal or brown chapati flour too.

3. Salt

4. Oil – use a flavourless oil such as sunflower oil

Can I use frozen spinach? Definitely, yes. First, thaw the spinach in a microwave then cook for a minute or so and make a puree.

How to make soft Spinach Roti

Bhaji rotis can be made in less than 40 minutes and prepared in three steps. First, make spinach puree , the Second step is to make a soft and pliable dough and the third step is to roll out and cook rotis. SPINACH PUREE

1. Add water in spinach.

2. Flash cook spinach.

3. Puree spinach and its cooking water.

4. Take atta in a mixing bowl or wide plate (part)

5. Add salt.

6. Add oil.

7. Add spinach puree little by little.

8. Knead to form a dough.

9. Cover the dough with the clean tea towel for 10-12 minutes.

ROLL OUT THE ROTI

11. Divide the dough into equal portions (lime size) and make balls.

12. Roll out the round chapatti by first dipping the one ball in dry flour, don’t make too thin or too thick roti.

13. Cook of the

Other Spinach recipes:

Punjabi Saag Paneer – restaurant style

Saag Aloo – restaurant style

Palak Poori

Spinach Daal/Dal

Palak Paneer in Instant Pot

Spinach Roti (Chapati)

Ingredients

• 300 g spinach*
• 500-600 g wholewheat flour
• 2 tbsp. oil
• Salt
• ¾ cup water

Instructions

• Add 3/4 cup of water in spinach.
• Just wilt the spinach and turn off the heat.
• Let it cool and grind in the grinder until smooth puree.
• Take flour in a bowl or plate, add salt and 1 tbsp.oil.
• Add spinach puree little by little and knead a soft pliable dough.
• Cover the dough with the clean kitchen tea towel and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Apply little oil on the dough and knead it again for a couple of minutes.
• Divide the dough into equal size portions and make balls.
• Dip one ball in dry flour and roll out the round chapati around 6-7″ diameter.
• Don’t roll out very thin chapati.
• Heat tawa or crepe pan on medium heat put rolled roti on it.
• Flip the roti on another side as soon as very tiny bubbles appear on the surface.
• Cook the other side for a few seconds, then finish off cooking direct on the flame.
• Apply little ghee if you want.
• Serve hot.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Spinach Roti (Chapati)

Ingredients

• 300 g spinach*
• 500-600 g wholewheat flour
• 2 tbsp. oil
• Salt
• ¾ cup water

Instructions

• Add 3/4 cup of water in spinach.
• Just wilt the spinach and turn off the heat.
• Let it cool and grind in the grinder until smooth puree.
• Take flour in a bowl or plate, add salt and 1 tbsp.oil.
• Add spinach puree little by little and knead a soft pliable dough.
• Cover the dough with the clean kitchen tea towel and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Apply little oil on the dough and knead it again for a couple of minutes.
• Divide the dough into equal size portions and make balls.
• Dip one ball in dry flour and roll out the round chapati around 6-7″ diameter.
• Don’t roll out very thin chapati.
• Heat tawa or crepe pan on medium heat put rolled roti on it.
• Flip the roti on another side as soon as very tiny bubbles appear on the surface.
• Cook the other side for a few seconds, then finish off cooking direct on the flame.
• Apply little ghee if you want.
• Serve hot.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Crumbly, nutty, and loaded with homemade ghee – just how I love my Besan Ladoo which are inspired by Halwai or Mithaiwalas. Elevate your festivities and celebrations with the most melt-in-mouth Besan ke Laddu which only needs a few easy ingredients like gram flour, ghee and sugar. For perfect ladoo, try this easy fail-proof recipe!

What are Besan Ladoo

Besan Ladoos are delicious Indian sweets made with main ingredients like gram flour (besan), ghee (clarified butter), white sugar and nuts such as almonds and pistachios.

They are then shaped into small balls. These ladoos have a distinct mouth texture in that they are grainy (danedar) but extremely melt-in-the-mouth.

They are not overly sweet unlike many Indian desserts and have an earthy and nutty flavor and nutty fragrance.

The perfect Besan Ladoos will not stick in your mouth or throat. They should not have a very shiny finish – this is the incorrect texture for besan ladoos.

I do not like to garnish the besan ladoos with anything and prefer to keep them plain.

Halwai Besan Ladoos

Halwai or Mithaiwala is the name given to people in India who make confectionary and sweets. Sweets made at home and sweets found in Mithai shops (Indian sweet shops) always seem to taste different.

I can’t put my finger on what it specifically is – maybe the cooking process, ingredients used but they just do.

My Mum has been making besan ke ladoo for the family since I was little and they are one of our favourite types of ladoos. When whole house fills with sweet aroma, we know we’re in for a treat.

Once, when I was young, my parents bought us Besan Ladoos from a mithai shop in London. I loved the taste of them so much that I still remember them vividly to this day. For quite some time it became my favorite sweets. They were really crumbly and loaded with big pieces of nuts.

Halwais put a little yellow colouring into their ladoos to get that perfect golden look. At home, we don’t add it.

Along with sweets like Kesar Gulab Jamun and Best Semolina Gujiya , Besan Ladoos are also made on special occasions and Indian festivals such as Diwali – the festival of light.

The gorgeous golden brown color of these sweet balls makes them perfect for this day. Cover the ladoos in silver or gold edible foil tin for festive cheers.

Of course, you don’t need an excuse to make ladoos, so often, these will be made in Indian homes in the winter months as a sweet treat.

I love how Indian mithais are works of art and are so colourful. Almost decorated like a bride! The smell and aroma that comes from making homemade ladoos is hard to beat and decorating them is so much fun. The best part undoubtedly is eating them!

We love making Gujarati style Churma Ladoos , (atta ladoo) Coconut Ladoo , Mango Badam Coconut Ladoo , Rava Ladoo and many more!

Tips for the Best Besan Ladoo

• Raw besan has a bitter taste so to get the perfect flavour, you must take your time roasting the flour.
• For best results and delicious ladoos, use good quality ghee and quantity of ghee
• Keep roasting until the besan becomes aromatic – that is the indication that it is ready to use
• The flour can burn easily and go brown so you have to stir continuously.
• Add the sugar at the end so it doesn’t melt and release extra moisture.
• To avoid raw taste in recipe of besan ladoo, stick to given roasting time
• We have powdered the sugar as granulated sugar will release moisture and loosen the mixture.
• Don’t forget to sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water, this procedure makes ladoo grainy or danedar just like halwai style.
• If your ladoos are not binding then:
• You may have either too much or too little ghee.
• If you have too much ghee in your besan ladoo mixture, then dry roast more fine gram flour separately and add to the mixture and shape
• If there is too little ghee, then add a tablespoon of ghee at a time. You’ll need extra ghee if it is shop-bought.
• The most commonly used nuts are almonds and pistachios. You can also add brazil nuts, cashews or other nuts to your preference. I like to keep the nut pieces quite large for more texture.

Can I make Coarse Gram Flour at home

Good news is that yes, coarse gram flour can be made easily at home.

1. Take 1 cup chana dal and wash it under running clean water.

2 . Pat dry with the clean tea towel.

3 . Dry roast on low heat until all the moisture dries up and lentils are roasted, but not changed colour.

4. Let it cool completely, then grind it using a coffee grinder.

5. Don’t go for fine powder but just coarsely, then sieve it so very big pieces can be removed

How to get powdered sugar at home

Take white granulated sugar and blend in a high-speed blender. Spice or coffee grinders work really well.

For the recipe, use the same weight of granulated to powdered sugar.

Storage:

Store in an airtight container in a single layer and keep them at room temperature.

These ladoo have a long shelf life and stays fresh for more than 2-3 weeks.

Do not store in the refrigerator or freezer.

🍬Ingredients and Substitutes

Here are key ingredients besan laddu recipe that are easily available in Indian grocery stores. Step by step pictures and exact measurements are in the recipe card

1. Besan flour – also known as chickpea flour. For the crumbly Punjabi or North Indian style Ladoo, use coarse gram flour, known as Besan Ka Mota Aata or Ladoo Besan here in the UK. If coarse flour is not available, you can use normal fine besan and add fine semolina for the similar texture of coarse gram flour.

2. Ghee – The backbone of this recipe, all the flavours and textures depends on this ingredient. If possible use homemade desi ghee. Of course, you can use shopbought ghee too if pressing for time. Vegans use vegan butter and coconut oil.

3. Plain flour – Secret ingredient used by halwais and mithaiwalas. All-purpose flour makes ladoos crumbly and reduces the slight bitterness and stickiness of the besan.

4. Oil – Vegetable oil is added so that when you are cooling the mixture, the ghee does not completely solidify the mixture but keeps it loose to work with. (another secret ingredient used by halwai)

5. Sugar – For particular this recipe you’ll need powdered sugar NOT ICING SUGAR as we are adding in the last stage once the roasted flour is totally cooled down. You may use castor sugar or boora or tagar. You can make fine caster sugar by pulsing granulated sugar in the grinder. Vegans use vegan sugar or maple or agave syrup works well too.

6. Nuts – I love my besan ladoo full of nuts and love to use almonds, cashews, pistachio and brazil nuts. We did not roast or fried nuts, just ground it in the grinder.

7. Green Cardamom – ground cardamom or cardamom powder for flavours and for help to digest these rich ladoos, do not miss adding these. We crushed it with dry fruits ( mixed nuts).

For besan le ladu, we do not need milk solids (khoya or mawa)

📝How to make the best Besan Ladoo

Following these steps combined with the tips above should get you perfect Besan Ladoos.

On medium flame heat ghee in a kadai or heavy bottom pan and add oil.

Keep heat low and add sifted besan, and mix well. The mixture will be in smooth paste consistancy.

Now add plain flour (maida) and mix everything using a spatula.

keep roasting on medium to low flame for 25-30 minutes or until lightly changed color of the besan and nutty aroma starts wafting.

very important step, sprinkle a tablespoon of water in the mixture to get crumbly and grainy ladoos. Turn off the heat after a minute or so but keep stirring the mixture for another 5 minutes.

Add crushed nuts, mix and leave it to cool completely.

When the mixture cools down totally, add powdered sugar, boora or agar.

Mix well and leave it aside for another 15-20 minutes.

Take a small amount of besan mixture in palm of your hands, press it in your palm and roll round ladoos, besan ladoo doesn’t have to be in perfect round shapes. At this stage ladoos will be little shiny as the heat of your palm will melt the ghee.

Tasty ladoos are ready to store and devour.

Other coarse gram flour recipes

Mohanthal

Magas Stuffed Magas Ladoo Homemade Dakor Gota Mix Dakor Na Gota Methi-Corn Bhajiya

Besan Ladoo

Equipment

• Heavy base kadai or heavy bottom pan
• Spatula
• Grinder

Ingredients

• 170 gram gram flour coarse -besan ka mota aata or ladoo flour
• 80 gram plain flour – maida
• 140 gram ghee
• 15 ml flavourless oil
• 225 gram powdered sugar
• 100 gram nuts almonds-pistachio-cashews- crushed
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder

Instructions

• Add 140 gram ghee in a pan, once started melting add 15 ml flavourless oil 140 gram ghee, 15 ml flavourless oil
• Mix.
• Add 170 gram gram flour and 80 gram plain flour 170 gram gram flour, 80 gram plain flour
• Keep the heat low and roast the flour, keep stirring all the time.
• You’ll see flour turning into a slightly darker colour and roasting aroma will starts after 10-12 minutes of roasting the flour.
• Keep roasting the flour, you’ll be able to see ghee bubbling up and the wafting sweet aroma will get stronger and stronger.
• Halfway through roasting the flour sprinkle 1 teaspoon of water.
• After 25-30 minutes the flour will be much darker in colour and the bubbles will disappear from the pan.The mixture will look like soft paste.
• Turn off the heat, but keep stirring the flour so it doesn’t burn or stick on the base of the pan or kadai.
• Let the rosted mixture cool completely at the room temperature.
• Add 100 gram nuts and mix well, the mixture should go to drier but still, you should be able to shape the ladoo. 100 gram nuts
• Once the besan mixture is cooled or touchable add 225 gram powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon cardamom powder mix well. 225 gram powdered sugar
• Mix well.
• Take little amount of mixture into your palm and roll into small balls.
• Perfect and scrumptious besan ladoos are ready.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Note – This recipe originally posted on 19th of September 2012, since we have updated the post with newer images and content.