Green Roti - Spinach Broccoli Pistachio Roti - Green Chapati - Green Indian Flatbread

A very staple menu in most Indian household is Roti Sabji or Dal Chawal or combination of  both. Green Roti is a very healthy and nutritious twist to the the regular Indian roti/chapati. Instead of using only wheat flour and water to make rotis this one contains tons of green goodness like Spinach, broccoli and some pistachios, mint and coriander too. Spinach, broccoli and pistachios are all super rich in minerals and vitamins. Thus addition of these to roti's is a great way to ensure the intake of greens in your diet.  The recipe is as easy as puree,knead, roll, roast and you have these healthy yet tasty rotis ready. You can even make a thepla/paratha out of these by adding some chopped green onions while kneading the dough. You can serve these like regular chapati/roti as a side with any Indian Sabji (vegetable dish) or dal (lentil curry). I even love eating these with a side of pickle that my granny sent me. Yumm!!

I happened to try these Roti's for my toddler when she was going through phase where she would just want Roti/Chapati (yup no stuffed parathas too). Inorder to ensure she gets some dose of her veggies I thought of pureeing some veggies and adding to the dough. The combinations found in the process are endless but to begin with I will be sharing the Green Roti/Chapati Recipe today. 

Now to the recipe...

Ingredients: 

For green puree: (makes approximately 2 cups) :
2 cups packed spinach leaves (am using baby spinach)
1 cup broccoli florets
7-8 pistachios
1 clove of garlic
½ inch piece of ginger (peeled)
5-6 mint leaves
¼ cup coriander leaves
½ to 1 cup of water

For Green dough: 
1 cup Green puree from above
2 to 2 and ½ cups of whole wheat flour 
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
2 tablespoon of oil.
Some additional wheat flour for rolling the rotis
Some Butter/ghee (optional)

Method: 

Wash all the greens - spinach, broccoli, mint and coriander leaves and then add to the blender along with garlic, ginger, pistachios and ½ cup of water. blend until smooth. Use more water if required adding ¼ cup  or less at a time. This should give you approximately 2 cups of green puree. I like to use 1 cup at a time and freeze the other cup in a freezer safe zip-lock or container. 

Now to the 1 cup of green puree, add about 2 cups (or more as required) of flour , 1 tablespoon oil, salt pepper and lemon juice and knead into a smooth dough. Now add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and knead again to coat the dough with oil uniformly. Cover with a plastic wrap or plate & let the dough rest for about 15 to 30 mins. 

Give one final knead to the dough. It should be nice, soft and not sticky at all. Divide it into 8 equal balls. Heat a tava/griddle on medium heat. Dip one ball into the wheat flour and using a rolling pin roll it into a 6-7 inch diameter circle. Now place the rolled green roti on the heated tava/griddle. Once you start noticing small bubbles on the top, flip the roti. Now let the flipped side cook about 1-2 mins and then flip again to the first side. Let the first side cook completely and flip again roast the second side for about 30 seconds. Remove the roti on a plate and apply some butter or ghee spreading evenly. Make the remaining rotis in the same way.

Notes: 

• You could make this recipe without the addition of garlic too. Garlic adds a nice flavor but omitting it will not decrease the nutritional value of this recipe. 
• If you want to add a little heat (spice) add 1 to 2 green chillies while making the green puree. I usually avoid as my lil one is not so fond of spicy food yet. 
• The ratio for spinach, broccoli, mint & coriander leaves can be altered to taste. 
• I usually prefer to make small batch of the dough so I freeze 1 cup out of the 2 cups of green puree and use it when required. The green puree is good for about 3 months in freezer. If you plan to make the dough with all the puree then recommend finishing the dough within 2-3 days as it contains garlic. 
• When you want to use the frozen green puree simply defrost it or thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then use it to make the dough.
• I prefer to use the spinach and broccoli raw to retain their maximum nutrient value but you can also cook them and then puree. To cook, boil spinach and broccoli in 1 cup of water for about 1-2 mins and then puree it along with the boiled liquid to avoid loss of nutrients. 
• You can make these rotis as thick or thin as you like just like your regular roti/chapati.