Winter’s nearly over for us here in the North, and like all true-blue Delhiites, we threw caution into the winds while gorging on all kinds of delicious hot, crispy, and flaky parathas stuffed with cauliflower, white radish, potato, paneer, cabbage, dal, onion, green peas, minced meat, etc. With pickles and yogurt of course, and with dollops of white butter or ghee! No other way to really enjoy it, unless you put some kanji or beer into the equation at lunchtime and then waddle contentedly to bed for an afternoon siesta – sheer bliss!
Parathas are a staple of Punjabi folk, and they generally eat them every day by default. They are not prone to experimenting too much – sticking to the adage ‘if it’s already scrumptious, why change it?’ Now, I am married to a Punjabi, and in accordance with tradition, we do eat parathas. But only once in a while, and that too for brunch or lunch. And by now all of you know that I love to experiment. So, after going through the run-of-the-mill parathas, I started making some changes. Such fun!
Here are some recipes to start you off – then you’re on your own!
Bathua Paratha
Bathua is a leafy vegetable, grown in North India during the winter season. It is commonly known in English as pigweed, lamb’s quarter, or goosefoot. Its known as cheel bhaji in Gujarat, kaduoma in Kannada, chandanbetu in Bengali, pappukura in Telegu and paruppukkirai in Tamil.
2 cups bathua leaves
2 cups whole wheat flour (or 1 cup wheat and 1 cup gram flour)
½ +1/4 tsp salt
¼ tsp carrom seeds
4 green chilies, chopped
¼ cup yogurt
Oil or ghee for frying
Method:
- Wash bathua leaves, remove the thicker stems. Boil in a pan with ¼ tsp salt but without water for 5 minutes. Remove, roughly chop. Keep any residual cooking liquid.
- Make a dough of the flour, salt, yoghurt, cooking liquid, carrom seeds, green chillies and warm water, if necessary. Cover with a damp cloth and rest the dough for 15-20 minutes.
- Roll out one round of the dough, spread the bathua filling, cover with another round of dough, and cook the normal way using oil or ghee. Ghee always tastes better and make the paratha nice and crisp. Serve with pickles and yoghurt.
Easy Beetroot Paratha
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 large beetroot, grated
1 finely chopped green chili
1 tsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
¼ tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
Oil or ghee for frying
Method:
- Add all the ingredients into the flour, and then knead it into a soft dough with warm water. Divide the dough into balls of the paratha size you want. Fry with ghee or oil on both sides, till cooked and nice and crisp.
- Enjoy it with yoghurt and pickles.
Prawn Paratha
1 cup fresh deveined prawns
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 green chilies
1 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1/3 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp ginger+ garlic paste
Salt to taste
1/3 cup oil
Ghee to fry
Method:
- Make the dough the usual way, with warm water, a pinch of salt and a little oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
- In the meantime, grind the prawns and green chillies into a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Fry the onion in ghee till transparent. Add ginger+ garlic paste and stir. Now add the prawn-chilli paste, and stir fry for a few seconds. Add turmeric, garam masala and salt. Stir fry till the prawns are almost done. Add lime juice and mix well. Take the pan off the stove. Allow to cool.
- Roll out a ball of dough, spread the stuffing, fold it inwards and pinch it. Flip and roll it out again. Fry it on both sides, with ghee. Serve piping hot with pickle.
Cheese Omelette Paratha
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 eggs
½ cup of grated cheese – I use cheddar.
3 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped green chili
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Ghee for frying
Method:
- Use warm water and a bit of salt to make the paratha dough. Rest for 15 minutes. In the meantime, beat the eggs, add onion, cheese, green chilli, coriander and seasoning.
- Roll out two even sized ball of dough. Spread ghee on one, put the other on top and seal the edges. Cook both sides on a tawa, adding ghee. Once just cooked enough for the layers to separate, remove from tawa on to a plate and using a knife, gently pry the paratha open at one end, forming a pocket. Pour the egg mixture into the pocket, press edges together again and cook again, spreading the egg mixture with the help of a spatula. Cook with ghee till both sides are golden brown and crispy. Eat piping hot – seriously, can a breakfast get any better?
Jaggery Paratha
2 cups of whole wheat flour
½ cup of grated jaggery
Tiny pinch of salt
1 tsp crushed black pepper
2 tbsp of sesame seeds
1 tbsp of aniseeds
Ghee for frying
Method:
- Mix the dough with warm water till soft. Rest for 15 minutes. Mix the jaggery with the sesame seeds, aniseeds, pepper and salt. Roll out a ball of dough, sprinkle the mixture on it. Fold each side over into a square. Roll out again. Cook on a non-stick pan, turning every few minutes, adding ghee till the jaggery melts, the surface gets a brown sheen and the paratha becomes crispy. It will be very hot inside, so let it rest for a few minutes before devouring. The sweetness of the jaggery, the hit of black pepper, the aromatic flavour of aniseed and the nuttiness of the sesame all combine to give you a really unusual treat!
- These days many people opt to use multigrain flour, soy flour or oat flour instead of regular whole wheat flour. And you can do this effectively without the taste and texture changing too much. I’d advise you to start with smaller quantities of warm water when kneading the dough, so that you get a nice, smooth and soft texture. As for the stuffing – be bold and try a variety of meats, fish and all kinds of veggies! Got a leftover mutton curry? Remove the bones, shred the meat and dry the gravy, and you’re all set with a delicious paratha stuffing! Get the idea? Leftovers never looked this good before, right?
Have super fun while you cook!
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A homeschooled chef even before she joined Catering College in Bombay, Christine’s gastronomic journey started with mother and grandmother. Polished with a degree and 10 years of experience in the Hospitality industry, Christine’s love of food, drink and everything gastronomic has been sharpened and honed with travel across the world. Today, she shares the wealth of her foodie experience and adventures across the world with Travel and Food Network, so look forward to much more from Chrsitine!
