Tomato Onion Parathas

Ingredients
1 recipe paratha dough (refer introduction)
1/2 cup tomato finely chopped
1 cup onions finely chopped
1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
salt to taste
oil to shallow fry

Method
Mix all ingredients, except dough and oil.
Take a lump of dough as per introduction.
Divide into 2 lumps. Roll both separately into thin chappatis.
Drain excess water from the mixture every now and then.
Spread some filling on the chappati, moisten the rim with water.
Press the other chappati over it, seal the rims together.
Shallow fry as per introduction.
Serve hot and crisp with butter or chutney.

Paneer Paratha

Ingredients
1 recipe paratha dough (refer introduction)
1 cup paneer crumbs
4-5 green chillies finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1 tsp. mint leaves finely chopped
salt to taste
2 tbsp. ghee
ghee or oil to shallow fry

Method
Roll dough to a large square.
Spread some ghee all over.
Fold in half. Spread ghee.
Fold in quarter. Spread ghee.
Roll again to full size. Repeat above procedure.
Roll into a tight swissroll. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Break off lumps and use as regular paratha dough.
Mix all filling ingredients.
Take a lump of dough.
Roll halfway. Spread some filling.
Make a tight swissroll. Twist to a spiral.
Press roll to full size.
Shallow fry. Serve hot with any gravy vegetable.

Spinach Parathas

Ingredients
1 recipe paratha dough (refer introduction)
1 cup spinach cleaned & finely chopped
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. chat masala
salt to taste
2 tbsp. plain flour
oil to shallow fry

Method
The spinach must be towel dried well or else the filling will ooze out and make rolling difficult.

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Roll a lump of dough as for paratha. Spread some spinach over it. Sprinkle some dry mixture all over.Make a tight swiss roll. Now twist into a coil. Press together and reroll to full size.Shallow fry as given in introduction.Serve hot.

Variation: Use chopped fenugreek leaves instead of spinach.

Introduction to Parathas

A corollary to the rotis and naan, a variety of parathas, I present this week, hoping
you will like the novel and traditional tastes alike.

Basic dough for the parathas is same, and the fillings and their methods change.

Though most paratha makers would use nothing less than maida for the dough, I
prefer to use wheat flour instead, since it is easier to digest. So feel free to interchange
the two flours as you like.

Basic paratha dough:
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tbsp. fat (oil or ghee)
salt to taste
water to knead

Method
Mix all ingredients except water. Add a little at a time and form a soft pliable dough.
Keep for 30 minutes before using.
Always keep covered with a moist cloth, and see that the cloth is kept moist.
One paratha requires a pingpong ball sized lump of dough. Henceforth in this
section 1 lump means this size.
For rolling, use dry flour as in phulka, etc., to roll easier. Dust the roti with dry flour
now and then.

General rule about filling the paratha:
Roll a thick roti about 4" diameter.
Place a tbsp. of filling at centre.
Brings the ends to the centre from 4 or 5 points.
Overlap ends so they do not leave an opening.
Press gently.
Dust with dry flour, proceed to roll to 6" diameter.

General rule about frying the parathas:
Heat a heavy griddle, place paratha on it.
Allow one side to cook have brown golden patches.
Turn repeat for other side. Drizzle some oil and flip.
Drizzle oil on other side. Sizzle till done.

Lachha Paratha (Layered Indian FlatBread)

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
Water to make dough
Salt to taste
1 cup ghee (clarified butter)

Method
Mix the flour and salt and knead into a soft dough with a little water at a time. The consistency should be such that the dough is pliable, yet not too hard, nor too watery. It might help to knead the dough with some warm water as that would help obtain a better and softer texture. Cover the dough and keep aside.

Divide the dough into equal-sized balls, and roll into a round over oval shape using a rolling pin and flat board. Now take a knife and cut to make long 1" wide strips. Layer all the strips on top of one another to form a stack. Then roll the entire stack from one end to the other, length-wise, just like you'd do in a jelly roll cake.

Flatten between the palms of your hands, grease with some ghee, then dip in some raw flour and roll it out again. Finish the paratha by rolling it into desired shape.

Heat a flat pan on a medium flame. Then cook the paratha on each side; remember to sprinkle some oil when flipping it over so it does not stick to the pan. Cook on both sides till it turns a light golden brown in color. The layers will start puffing up, and make sure you cook it on medium flame only, too high and it may get burnt, but stay uncooked from inside. The resulting paratha will be crisp and flaky, ready to serve with a curry of your choice!!

Egg Paratha

Ingredients
1/2 kg maida
salt to taste
1 egg for each paratha
1 tsp pepper powder
1 cup ghee or dalda

Method
1. Add maida salt ghee with little water kneed well
2. Roll into a paratha fry both sides with ghee
3. Add one egg to a paratha on top add little salt
4. Smash every thing with a spoon add pepper powder
5. Serve hot with gongura pachadi

Peas Parathas

Ingredients:

For Filling:
1 cup green peas, boiled
3 green chillies
1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
1” piece ginger, peeled, chopped
1 sprig mint leaves finely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried mango powder (amchoor)
1 tsp. cornflour
salt to taste

For Dough:
2 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 stalk curry leaves
3 green chillies
1 sprig mint leaves
salt to taste

Method:
1. Divide dough into 10 portions, make round balls. Divide filling into same number of
portions, keep aside.
2. Roll one portion of dough into a 4” thick chappati. Place one portion of filling in the centre.
3. Bring edges together over filling, and press down gently to seal.
4. Dust with a little flour, roll gently to form a 6” wide round. Heat a skillet, roast till brown
specks form, drizzle with a little oil.
5. Roast evenly till golden and crisp on both sides.Serve hot with chutney or tomato sauc

Mix Veggie Methi Paratha

Ingredients
2-3 cups wheat flour
1 carrot
1 onion
3" chunk bottle gourd
3 french beans
1 tbsp. peas
1 thin slice cabbage
1 cup fenugreek (methi) greens, cleaned
3-4 green chillies
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. sesame seeds
3-4 pinches asafetida powder
2 pinches soda bicarb or baking powder
1 tbsp. sour curds
Salt to taste
Very little oil to drizzle (optional)

Method
1. Chop fenugreek leaves finely, keep aside.
2. Put carrot, onion, gourd, cabbage, peas, chillies, beans in a vegetable chopper.
3. Chop to very fine pieces, add to chopped leaves.
4. Add all other ingredients, except oil and flour.
5. Add two cups flour, mix, and add more if required.
6. Knead to a not-too-soft dough, till all ingredients are well mixed.
7. Divide into 12-15 portions, depending on size of parathas required.
8. Make round balls of each portion.
9. Heat griddle, while rolling one parathas, using dry flour for dusting.
10. Roast on one side first, flip and brown other side.
11. Use a kitchen brush to add minimal oil to parathas on both sides.
12. Roast to golden, take off fire.
13. Repeat for remaining paratha dough.
14. Serve hot with mint or green chutney.

Mughlai Paratha

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
1/4 cup rava (semolina)
1 1/2 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 cup maida (all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup oil
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Mix the wheat flour, maida, rava with the oil, water, salt and knead into soft pliable dough.
2. Cover and keep aside for atleast 30 minutes.
3. Divide the dough equally into balls. Roll out each ball and apply oil on it, then pleat it and make a circular roll.
4. Press and roll out again into a bigger round. Place the paratha on a hot tava and roast on both sides.
5. Heat oil in a shallow pan and shallow fry this roasted paratha in it.
6. Serve hot with curd (yogurt) or any vegetable curry.