Stovetop Pitas Stuffed With Baked Beans and Cabbage

Whenever I've made baked beans for bread at home from scratch, I've used rajma. But I've always liked the kind of beans they use in the canned version but didn't know what they were called. A few weeks ago I found these dried, small, white beans called butter beans at Nilgiris and they looked quite yum. So I picked them up and last week I decided to cook them. Well it turns out they were the exact beans I'd been looking for! It pays to experiment :)

My poor oven's sick :( Whenever I turn it on the power trips at home. The poor thing held on till I'd finished baking that big batch of walnut chocolate chip cookies (2 weekends ago) and then went *phut*. Need to get her fixed. So until then for my bread I'm making do with stovetop pitas. Fortunately they turn out just as yum :)

The procedure is pretty much the same as regular pita bread. You mix the dough using the Basic Bun Recipe But after the dough has risen and been punched down, you pinch off balls and tap or roll them flat, like pizza. Then you have to heat your skillet oh a high flame, place the pitas and cover and cook on both sides. Covering the skillet will make the pockets form better.

The filling is simple....

For the beans...

Quick soak the beans and pressure cook them.
Add salt and spices (your choice, I just added my Asian Super Spicy Chilli Paste) and boil for a few minutes.
Scoop a ladle full of the cooked beans and grind into a smooth paste adding a little water if required.
Put the paste back in with the cooked beans and boil for a couple more minutes.
Turn off the heat and add a big splash of ketchup.
Mix and keep aside.

For the cabbage...

Chop cabbage and microwave for 7-10 minutes.
Heat wok/frying pan and add a couple of spoons of oil.
Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
Add sliced green chillies and curry leaves and stir for a few seconds.
Put in the cabbage and stir fry on medium flame for a few minutes.
Add salt and stir fry for a minute more.
Turn off flame.
Squeeze fresh lime juice and mix.

Now all you have to do is quarter the pitas. Gently open out the pockets (use a knife to slice and form a pocket of required). Fill a bit of the bean mixture, top with the cabbage. Enjoy! :)



Hmm these pictures have turned out a tad too nice! I feel like having munching onsome sort of stuffed pitas again tonight :D
*runs off to go mix the dough*