Fusion Meal- Pita Bread with Dhaba-Style Chicken Keema

Today's world is a world of fusion. Fusion music, fusion fashion, and so on. So I thought why not Fusion meal. The original plan was to serve dhaba-style chicken keema with hot phulkas. However, while surfing the internet, I came across this very interesting yet easy pita bread recipe and I immediately got onto the job (given the fact that I had an open sachet of instant dry yeast and I did not want it to go waste). So here is the dual recipe for both pita bread and the chicken keema.

Ingredients

For the Pita Bread (makes 8 breads)

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat flour (you may make it 1 cup by reducing the quantity for APF)

1 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup warm water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried parsley 

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp olive/vegetable oil

For the Chicken Keema

500 gms minced chicken

1 bay leaf

3-4 green cardamom

2 cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 big onion, chopped

2 big tomatoes, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch piece ginger, chopped

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp each of turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder

A pinch of hing

1/2 tsp sugar

2-3 chillies, chopped

Salt to taste

1 egg

2 tbsp oil

A handful of chopped coriander

A handful of fried onions for garnishing

Directions

Start with preparing for the pita dough. For that, put the sugar in warm water and add yeast and let it stand for ten minutes. A creamy froth should appear. Meanwhile, mix all the dry ingredients with the flour and then add the oil and the yeast mix and knead a smooth but non-sticky dough. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and continue kneading for 5-10 minutes. Transfer the dough back to the working bowl and cover and keep it in a warm place for 1.5 hours (microwave is a good place to keep).

We can now start with the keema. Heat oil in a skillet. Splutter the cumin seeds and add the bay leaf, cardamom, and cloves. Next, add the chopped onions and fry till translucent. Add the tomatoes, the chopped chillies, ginger, and garlic and fry till the tomatoes are mushy. To this, add the bell pepper and fry till it is deglazed. Add all the dry spices together with the hing, salt, and sugar. Fry for another 3-5 minutes on high flame till it starts leaving oil. Now add the minced chicken and the milk and fry for 10 minutes until the masala and the chicken get well incorporated. Simmer the heat and cover cook for 10-15 more minutes or till the chicken is done and there are oil droplets (or fat) appearing on top. Now, beat the egg in a bowl and slowly add it to the chicken while stirring continuously. Continue stirring till the egg is mixed well and cooked. Finish by adding some chopped coriander and remove from heat. Add some fried onions before serving to enhance the taste.

                                       

By now, the pita bread has risen nicely. Take the dough on a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Pull out 8 balls of equal size from the dough and with the help of a rolling pin, roll out uniform circles of 7-8 inch diameter. Ensure that your circles aren't too thick or too thin and are uniform in breadth (just like in the case of pooris). This will help the pita bread to rise uniformly in the oven. Cover the rolled oyt circles with a kitchen towel and keep for 10-15 minutes to rise further. 

Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven at 230 degree celsius. Line the wire rack (or grilling rack) with a cookie sheet and arrange the pita breads 3-4 at a time. Bake them in the pre-heated oven for 5-7 minutes till they puff up and have slight golden spots on the exterior. The second batch will cook faster, so be a little alert. Remove the pita breads from the oven and immediately put them in a brown paper bag (you can also use a thick newspaper) and wrap it tightly and let it cool until just warm. This is a crucial step as it will ensure super soft pitas. You can now cut the puffed pitas into half and give a filling of the chicken keema that you just prepared or have it whole.