Chitrali ghalmandi
Ghalmandi from Chitral: thin griddle breads layered with crumbled cheese, onion, chilli and mountain herbs
In the Chitral valley in Pakistan's far north, where winters are long and dairy is plentiful, bread is often a meal in itself, and ghalmandi is one of the best loved: soft, thin wholewheat breads stacked with a filling of crumbled fresh cheese, onion, green chilli, coriander and mint, then cut into wedges and eaten warm with salty tea. It is made for guests and on cold evenings, and every household seasons the cheese its own way. Rolling the breads too thick is the common mistake; they turn heavy and the layers do not hold together, so roll them almost see-through. Chef's tip: brush each hot bread with ghee the moment it comes off the griddle and spread the cheese straight away, so the warmth softens the cheese and glues the stack together.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the breads
For the filling
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz wholewheat chapati flour (atta) and ½ tsp salt in a bowl and add ¾ cup warm water gradually, kneading until you have a soft, smooth dough that springs back slowly when poked. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: While it rests, mash 9 oz paneer or other crumbly fresh cheese with 3 tbsp thick plain yogurt, 1 onion, 2 green chillies, ⅔ oz fresh coriander, ⅓ oz fresh mint, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper into a soft, spreadable crumble. Taste for salt.
Step 3: Divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll each on a floured surface into a very thin round about 22 cm across; you should almost see the board through it.
Step 4: Heat a tawa or heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook a bread for about 40 seconds until bubbles rise, flip and cook 30–40 seconds more, until it has light brown spots and is cooked but still soft and floppy.
2 minStep 5: Lay the hot bread on a board, brush with a little 4 tbsp ghee and spread with about an eighth of the filling. Cook the next bread, lay it on top, brush with ghee and spread again. Keep stacking, finishing with a plain bread brushed with ghee.
14 minStep 6: Press the stack down gently with your palm, cut into 8 wedges with a sharp knife and serve warm, with tea or a bowl of soup.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chitrali ghalmandi take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of thick plain yogurt?
- Sour cream or buttermilk, same amount.
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