A paratha (Hindi: पराठा) is an Indian flat-bread that originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Punjab. It is one of the most popular unleavened flat-breads in Indian cuisine, Pakistani cuisine and Bengali cuisine and is made by pan frying whole-wheat flour on a tava (griddle). Parathas are usually stuffed with vegetables such as boiled potatoes, leaf vegetables, radishes or cauliflower and/or paneer (South Asian cheese). A paratha (especially a stuffed one) can be eaten simply with a blob of butter spread on top or chutney, a spicy sauce made from yogurt and fresh herbs, but it is best served with pickles and yogurt, or thick spicy curries of meat and vegetables. Some people prefer to roll up the paratha into a tube and eat it with tea, often dipping the paratha into the tea.
The paratha can be round, heptagonal, square or triangular. In the former, the stuffing is mixed with the kneaded flour and the paratha is prepared as roti is, but in the latter two, the peda (ball of kneaded flour) is flattened into a circle, the stuffing is kept in the middle and the flatbread is closed around the stuffing like an envelope.
Ingredients:
For Dough
* 3 cups Chapati/ Duram Wheat Flour (available at local Indian Grocer)
* 2 tablespoon vegetable shortening/oil or butter
* 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
* 1.5 cup plain yogurt
* You will also need some extra flour + rice flour to flour the rolling surface.
* Water to kneed the dough
Method to make the dough:
* Mix all of the above ingredients and make dough to roll-able consistency
* Kneed the dough for 2-3 min.
* Set aside covered with wet cloth.
Ingredients for filling:
* 1 (14 oz) cube of Paneer (or two cups fresh paneer)
* 1 bunch of cilantro leaves
* 2 Serrano peppers
* 1" piece of ginger
* 5 medium boiled and peeled potatoes
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
* 1 teaspoon mango powder
* 1 teaspoon ground crush black pepper
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* Salt to taste
* You will need about 1 cup melted butter or vegetable shortening in a cup to drizzle onto each parathas while cooking them on the tava/griddle.
Method to make the filling:
* In a food processor grind ginger, Serrano pepper, cilantro leaves along with Paneer.
* Mash boil potatoes along with above mixture.
* Add all the spices and salt.
* Mix well until everything in nicely incorporated.
* Make golf ball or ping pong size of balls and set aside.
Method to make paratha:
* Divide the dough in same size balls as that of filling.
* Take some flour and rice flour (one cup each) and mix well this is to flour the surface and the balls so they can be rolled easily.
* Roll each ball in to 5" circle and place the filling in the center.
* Fold the rolled circle on to filling, seal it and roll the stuffed ball in flour again.
* Roll it very gently to desired shape (I keep it simple and just roll them in round shape) and size. (Be careful while rolling so the filling does not come out)
* In the mean time heat tava (griddle) on med high heat
* When the tava/griddle is nicely heated, place the stuffed, rolled paratha on to the griddle, cook one side for about 1-2 min,
* Flip it over and spread 1 teaspoon of vegetable shortening or butter on up side.
* Turn it with spatula cook for 1 min and again pour the vegetable shortening on the other side.
* Cook on a low heat until both sides are golden brown or to desired crispiness.
* Serve the paratha hot with Yogurt or Boondi or Cucumber Raita (recipes on this blog) or and your favorite chutney or pickle.
Hints:
You may add one chopped onion to the filling for variation.
You can just make Paneer Paratha without potatoes or just potato Paratha without Paneer the same way.
You may substitute potatoes with grated cauliflower for variation.
You can adjust amount of spices according your taste.
Recipe by Surekha
Photographs by Surekha.
Paratha description source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paratha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License
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