Throwing out good, wholesome food feels like a crime but so does eating boring old chapatis and daal. There are some pretty fun things to do with chapati, daal and rice leftovers that might have you hoping for leftovers rather than dreading them.
Chapati Leftovers
Khakra
Simply cook the chapatis on a tava till they’re crisp. Some Marwari household keep adding to their box of khakras every day and these are great to have around to snack on. Fantastic with a little white butter spread on them and a little salt or sugar sprinkled on top. Another delicious way to use these khakras is to crush them roughly, add some chopped onions and your favorite mango pickle. Mix it all together for a spicy, crunchy, fun midnight snack.
Masala Chapati
Use chapati leftovers at breakfast by chopping them into bite size pieces or crumbling them and cooking them into an Poha or Upma style dish. Temper some mustard seeds and onion seeds, add a green chili and some chopped onion, a little ginger and garlic paste, turmeric, chili powder, salt, peanuts or grated coconut or lemon juice if you like, add the chapati and cook for around two minutes. Quick breakfast and so much better for the conscience than throwing the chapatis out.
Chapati Chips
Preheat your oven to 190°C. Grease a baking tray. Cut your chapati leftovers into triangles and lay them on the tray. Bake them till they’re crisp. Toss with some rock salt or some salt, cumin powder and chili powder.
Leftover Daal
Daal Parathas
Add some wholewheat flour to your daal along with turmeric, salt, chili powder, a little ajwain if you like, and knead it all into a semi-soft dough. Break the dough off into small balls and roll each one out into a circle, not too thin. Cook on a tava, spreading a little oil on each side while before flipping. These leftover daal parathas are fantastic with a little yogurt or even as a substitute for chapati.
Daal Dhokli
This is a Marwari dish that uses leftover daal and freshly rolled out bits of dough cooked in the daal. Knead some wholewheat flour with a little water, a little oil, some salt and some ajwain, into a tight dough. Roll it out into a thin chapati and cut into short, bite size strips. Heat your leftover daal, add some water, salt and spices if it has thickened. As the daal starts to bubble, drop the strips of dough into the pot. Cook for a few minutes till the flat bits of dough seem to be cooked and have a little bite to them. Serve with a little ghee on top and a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten up the dish.
Leftover Rice
Chamke hue Chawal
This dish could be called Indian fried rice. Temper some mustard seeds, a green chili, chopped onions, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, add some peas and carrots or beans if you like, some peanuts maybe, cook for a few minutes and add the leftover rice and stir through till their coated with the masala and a brilliant yellow.
Kheer
You can make your own version of this by adding whatever spices you like and as much or as little sugar as you like. Leftover rice, milk, sugar, some cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and some ghee go into a pot and cook for about 20 minutes. A comforting and quick dessert.
Thai Fried Rice
Heat some oil and saute some finely chopped garlic, some chilies. Add some fresh vegetables like onions, mushroom, beans, or broccoli and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add some soy sauce and a little jaggery or sugar and some basil leaves and stir in the rice. You can skip the jaggery and basil leaves and add some sesame oil for a slightly different flavored fried rice.
Enjoy your leftovers!