Dussehra, or Vijayadashmi, is a sacred festival symbolizing the victory of good over evil and an opportunity to share joy with loved ones. On this day, it is customary to gather as a whole family for a shared meal. Often, people opt to order food from restaurants, but this can lead to stomach discomfort and a diminished festive mood.
If you want to delight your relatives with something very tasty, sattvic, and comparable to dishes from expensive cafes, the ideal option is a combination of crispy flatbreads stuffed with lentil paste and a rich, creamy cheese curry. When fluffy flatbreads filled with spicy lentil stuffing are served with a tender cheese sauce, all guests invariably admire the dish. A simple instruction for preparing this treat is provided below.
For the lentil stuffed flatbreads:
Requires 1 cup of lentil paste (soaked and cooked for 3-4 hours), 2 cups of wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds and asafoetida, 1/2 teaspoon of fennel powder and garam masala, 2 green chilies and 1 inch of ginger (chopped), salt to taste, and oil/ghee for frying.
For the Paneer Cheese Curry:
You need 250 grams of cheese (cut into cubes), paste from 3 tomatoes, 1 inch of ginger and 2 green chilies, paste from 10-12 cashews (soaked in water for 15 minutes and ground), 1/2 cup of freshly whipped yogurt or cream, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 2 cloves, 1 small cardamom and 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon of coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili, 1/2 teaspoon of dried mint and garam masala, 2 tablespoons of clarified butter or oil, salt to taste.
Secret to the lentil paste stuffing: Grind the cooked lentil paste in a blender until coarsely textured, without adding water. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan and sauté cumin, asafoetida, ginger, green chili, fennel powder, garam masala, and salt together with the ground lentil paste for 2-3 minutes. (Sautéing the lentil paste prevents the flatbreads from tearing during frying).
Technique for kneading and rolling the dough for the flatbreads: Mix the wheat flour with a small amount of salt and 1 tablespoon of fat (moin), then knead a sufficiently firm dough. Roll the dough ball into a cup shape, fill it with 1 teaspoon of cold lentil paste filling, and seal it. Gently roll out the flatbread and fry it in medium-high hot oil until golden and puffy.
Preparing the rich cheese curry: Heat the clarified butter in a pot. Sauté the whole spices (cumin, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf). Then add the tomato and ginger paste, along with dry spices (turmeric, chili, coriander), and simmer until the oil separates. After that, stir in the cashew paste and whipped yogurt, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot water and bring to a boil. Then add the cheese cubes, dried mint, and salt, and simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and garam masala.
Serve the hot, fluffy flatbreads with the rich and creamy cheese curry to enjoy lunch on Dussehra!