Purslane leaves paratha are easy to make a nutritious flatbread that you can serve with some curd and pickle.
For the longest time, I was using purslane leaves believing them to be methi leaves until I got my hands on actual methi leaves. I laughed so much at my ignorance! But this can happen to anyone, right?
This flatbread is similar to my methi paratha recipe but here we cook the purslane leaves with some spices to get bring out the flavour.
What is Purslane?
Purslane area green, leafy succulent that are safe to eat raw or cooked. They are grown easily anywhere and so, can be foraged. Both the leaves and stems are edible. They are known to have high vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron content.
A low-calorie but rich in nutrients makes it a nutrient-dense cheap food but not marketed well enough to call it a superfood! By all accounts, purslane is a nutritional powerhouse.
In India and Pakistan, Purslane is called as Kulfa or Qulfa. In arabic, purslane is called Bakleh.
How does Purslane taste?
The leaves are moisture-rich and have a tart, almost lemony tang with a peppery taste like arugula.
What do you do with Purslane?
You can do pretty much everything that you do with any other leafy vegetables, stir fry, raw salads, pestos, curries, etc. There are plenty of Indian and Pakistani recipes on the internet. Google 'Kulfa recipes' and be amazed at the delicious pairings!
Once I learnt that these are not methi leaves, I checked with a few of my North Indian and Pakistani friends in Yanbu town and learnt that Kulfa or Qulfa is a major part of their cuisine. They use these leaves in dal and gosht curries too. Purslane is used in Arabic cuisine too.
Ingredients for Kulfa Paratha
- onion
- cumin seeds
- garlic cloves
- green chillies
- turmeric powder
- Purslane leaves (stems not required for this recipe)
- whole wheat flour
- water for dough
- ghee or butter
How to make Kulfa Paratha?
This Kulfa paratha recipe does not require stuffing and rolling expertise. All you need to do is cook a spicy masala and add it to the flour, knead, roll, and roast - done. How easy is that?
Kulfa leaves pair so well with garlic and onions with all those spice powders making this paratha a stand-alone dish and does not need any accompaniment. Just some yoghurt to wash down the heat! 😋
📖 Recipe
Purslane Leaves Flatbread | Kulfa Paratha
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium-sized onion finely diced
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves grated
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 green chillies
- 2 cups purslane leaves rinsed
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala optional
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- salt to taste
- water (for dough)
- ghee
Instructions
- Heat oil in a shallow pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the chopped onions, grated garlic, and green chillies and fry until the garlic starts to brown and the onions become golden.2 teaspoons oil, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 medium-sized onion, 4 to 5 garlic cloves, 2 green chillies
- Add turmeric powder and sauté for a few seconds. Add the kulfa (purslane) leaves along with the chaat masala. Add salt only after tasting, as the chaat masala has salt. Saute and cook the leaves over medium flame until wilted and with reduced moisture.½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 cups purslane leaves, ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- Switch off and transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
- Once cooled, add them to the bowl of whole wheat flour and start rubbing the mixture together between your palms.2 cups whole wheat flour, salt to taste
- Start adding a little water at a time to bring the dough together and knead to a slightly sticky dough. You can grease your hands with oil while kneading or use more flour if it gets too sticky.water
- Divide the dough into equal-sized balls and keep them covered all time.
- Heat a tawa and roll out each dough ball into a flat paratha. Place it on the hot tawa and cook both sides with ghee or butter. Serve hot with curd and pickles.ghee
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