Paratha

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Plain Paratha

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Serves: 2

Layered whole wheat flour flat bread
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat or chapatti flour, see Note.
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons olive or canola oil, for dough
  • Water as needed
  • ½ cup or more all purpose flour, for dusting
  • ½ cup or more canola oil, for brushing and semi frying
Directions
  1. Put chapatti or whole wheat flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add salt and 2 teaspoons of oil and mix it with hands. Gradually add water while mixing and kneading until it makes soft and smooth dough. Cover the dough with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes to one hour.
  2. Pour 1 teaspoon oil on top of the dough and knead it few times until smooth. Divide the dough into 6 to 7 golf ball size balls.
  3. Put about half a cup of all-purpose flour into a flat dish. Roll a ball of dough into flour and flatten it on a smooth cutting board (wooden or marble). Dip the flatten dough circle into flour again on both sides. First roll out a biscuit size small circle, about 3 inches in diameter. Brush the circle with oil on top side and dip the oiled side into flour. Fold the circle in half. Again brush the top side with oil and dip into flour. Fold the half circle again to make a triangle shape. Dip the triangle into flour on both sides and start rolling on cutting board with a rolling pin. Make about six inch triangle (paratha), dusting with flour if the dough starts sticking to the board.
  4. Heat a griddle or a flat non-stick pan on a medium heat. Transfer the paratha on to heated pan. Let the first side cook for 30 seconds to 40 seconds or until small bubbles appear on surface and flip to the other side. Let the other side cook for same amount of time. Pour about one teaspoon of oil on the top surface of paratha and flip. Cook the paratha by pressing with a spatula on top surface for 30 seconds and flip. Cook the other side same way. Remove from the heat. Repeat the process with all the remaining dough balls.
Notes
You can buy chapatti flour from Indian grocery stores.

 

 

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Stuffed Paratha

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Cook time: 

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Serves: 4

Ingredients
For Dough:
  • 2 cups chapatti or whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
  • Water as needed
For making paratha:
  • ½ cup or more all-purpose flour, for dusting
  • ⅓ cup or more canola oil, for semi frying
For potato stuffed paratha:
  • 2 medium sized russet potatoes, boiled and mashed
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano, finely minced
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons sugar or to taste
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
For cabbage stuffed paratha:
  • ¼ of whole medium sized cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ¼ teaspoon asafetida
For red cabbage, carrot and tofu paratha:
  • ¼ of whole medium sized red cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 small carrot, finely shredded
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
  • 4 to 5 scallions, finely chopped
  • ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
  • ½ package of extra firm tofu
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Put chapatti or whole wheat flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add salt and 2 tablespoons oil and mix it with hands. Gradually add water and knead until it makes soft and smooth dough. Cover the dough with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes to one hour.
  2. Pour 1 teaspoon oil on top of the dough and knead it few times until smooth. Divide the dough into 14 to 15 golf ball size balls.
  3. For potato stuffed paratha: Combine mashed potatoes along with rest of ingredients into a medium size mixing bowl. Divide mashed potatoes into 14 to 15 golf ball size balls.
  4. For cabbage stuffed paratha: Combined spices and salt into a small mixing bowl. Roughly divide shredded cabbage into 4 equal parts. Transfer one part of shredded cabbage to small mixing bowl. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of spice rub on top and mix with cabbage. This will make about 4 parathas. Once you ran out of seasoned cabbage, repeat the process to season next part of cabbage. It’s best to season cabbage in small parts so that it does not become too soggy.
  5. For red cabbage, carrot and tofu stuffed paratha: Remove excess water from tofu by placing between two baking sheets and weighing down with heavy objects for 10-15 minutes. Cut tofu roughly into small pieces and transfer to food processor bowl. Pulse 7 to 8 times until tofu is crumbled and stays to gather. Transfer to large mixing bowl and combine with rest of ingredients of red cabbage, carrot and tofu paratha.
  6. To make paratha, put about half a cup of all-purpose flour into a flat dish. Roll the ball of dough into flour and flatten it on a smooth cutting board (wooden or marble). Dip the flatten dough into flour again on both sides. First roll out a biscuit size (about 3 inch in diameter) small circle. For both cabbage stuffed paratha, scoop cabbage with small ice cream scoop, packing tightly. Drop scooped cabbage in the middle of small circle. For potato stuffed paratha, put one ball of spiced mashed potatoes in the middle. Gradually make folds around the edges to cover vegetables. Pinch the folds together, twist the dough on top and press the dough down so that it makes small circle. Dip the circle into flour on both sides .Roll out into a circle about 6 inches in diameter, dusting with flour if the dough starts sticking to the board. If some stuffing comes out or dough breaks, it’s fine.
  7. Heat a griddle or a flat non-stick pan on a medium heat. Transfer the paratha on to heated pan. Let the first side cook for 30 seconds to 40 seconds or until small bubbles appear on surface and flip to the other side. Let the other side cook for same amount of time. Pour about one teaspoon of oil on the top surface of paratha and flip. Cook the paratha by pressing with a spatula on top surface for 30 seconds and flip. Cook the other side same way. Remove from the heat. Repeat the process with all the remaining dough balls and filling.
  8. Serve warm stuffed parathas with curry or cilantro and/or tomato chutney.
Notes
Stuffed paratha can also be made with variety of vegetables other than potatoes and cabbage like shredded carrots, shredded daikon, mashed cauliflower, mashed green peas, etc.

 
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Scallion Paratha

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

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Serves: 4

I make these paratha in place of scallion pancakes to go with Asian food.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat or chapatti flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt or taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil, for dough
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 scallions, finely sliced
  • Water as needed
  • ½ cup or more all-purpose flour, for dusting
  • ½ cup or more canola or vegetable oil, for brushing and semi frying
Directions
  1. Put chapatti or whole wheat flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper, scallions, 2 teaspoons of oil and sesame oil and mix it with hands. Gradually add water while mixing and kneading until it makes soft and smooth dough. Cover the dough with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes to one hour.
  2. Pour 1 teaspoon oil on top of the dough and knead it few times until smooth. Divide the dough into 6 to 7 golf ball size balls.
  3. Put about half a cup of all-purpose flour into a flat dish. Roll a ball of dough into flour and flatten it on a smooth cutting board (wooden or marble). Dip the flatten dough circle into flour again on both sides. First roll out a biscuit size small circle, about 3 inches in diameter. Brush the circle with oil on top side and dip the oiled side into flour. Fold the circle in half. Again brush the top side with oil and dip into flour. Fold the half circle again to make a triangle shape. Dip the triangle into flour on both sides and start rolling on cutting board with a rolling pin. Make about six inch triangle (paratha), dusting with flour if the dough starts sticking to the board.
  4. Heat a griddle or a flat non-stick pan on a medium heat. Transfer the paratha on to heated pan. Let the first side cook for 30 seconds to 40 seconds or until small bubbles appear on surface and flip to the other side. Let the other side cook for same amount of time. Pour about one teaspoon of oil on the top surface of paratha and flip. Cook the paratha by pressing with a spatula on top surface for 30 seconds and flip. Cook the other side same way. Remove from the heat. Repeat the process with all the remaining dough balls.