Tootak

This is a savoury recipe made from semolina dough and stuffed with cottage cheese and boiled potatoes. It may not be laden with meat, but nonetheless, it is worth a try for the sheer richness of its ingredients which include a combination of cashew nuts, garam masala and lemon juice.

ingredients

Semolina (rawa/suji) 1 cup Salt to taste Pure ghee 1/2 cup Khoya/mawa, grated 1/2 cup Milk 1/2 cup Saffron (kesar) few strands Rose water 1 tablespoon Oil 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon Black pepper powder 1 teaspoon Coriander powder 2 teaspoons Garam masala powder 1/4 teaspoon Cottage cheese (paneer), grated 200 grams Potato, boiled and mashed 1 Cashew nuts, chopped 20 Raisins 15 Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 2 tablespoons Lemon juice 1 tablespoon

Method
Mix together semolina, salt, ghee, khoya and milk and knead to a soft dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and rest for two to three hours. Knead the dough once again and rest for half an hour. Mix saffron in rose water.Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and once they begin to change color, add ginger and sauté till it turns a light brown. Add red chili powder, black pepper powder, coriander powder, salt and garam masala powder. Cook for two to three minutes. Add paneer, potatoes, cashew nuts and raisins. Mix and cook till completely dry. Sprinkle coriander leaves and lemon juice. Mix well. Divide into sixteen equal portions and set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400 F/ Gas Mark 6. Divide the dough into sixteen equal portions. Take one portion, spread it out into a katori shape with fingers, place one portion of the paneer-potato mixture, gather the edges and roll into a ball. Seal neatly, flatten slightly and shape into an oval. These are tootaks. Arrange them in a baking tray and rest for ten minutes. Brush the tootaks with saffron-rose water and bake in the preheated oven for ten minutes. Serve hot.