Paneer Paratha

Rotis and Parathas are varieties of Indian flat breads prepared from whole wheat flour. Parathas are usually spiced with vegetables and other flavorings, while roti is just simple, wholesome bread. Over the last 8+ years, ever since I have been "out" on my own, I have tried, and tried, and tried some more to make decent rotis and Parathas. Somehow, most South-Indians lack the roti-making "gene"! My mom's and grandma's rotis have always been incredibly soft and great, but I have witnessed the roti or chapathi making process as an intense labor of dedicated love. They would sweat and slave over them, rolling and folding and re-rolling the dough and going through (what looked like) a complicated assembly line, that it all seemed so daunting. So, chapathis were not commonplace dinner items while I was growing up. They would feature once or twice a week, and a whole slot of time would be dedicated to making them. In contrast, my friends and their moms from the Northern regions of India nonchalantly generate perfect rotis in a matter of minutes, without any fuss. I had always wanted to glean that wisdom. So, thanks to my patient Punjabi roommates and other Bihari, Punjabi friends that I have pestered over the years with my questions and incessant observations, I have gotten somewhere. 

As always, experts leave out the key, essential steps and ingredients while relating recipes to you. Not because they don't want to share, but because the knowledge is so ingrained and so intuitive to them, it is hard for them to verbalize all of it, or even realize that you would miss on something very obvious (to them). So, this post is detailed because I have attempted to put down every single step that mattered to me. 

I will be posting a series of paratha recipes that I made over the past year/months. Sorry if they are repetitive, I am just recording all of the recipes in case I get dementia in later years (highly probable) and I won't be able to pass all of this on to any potential grand kid, who is likely to inherit the same gene.

I'm starting with everyone's favorite, especially in our household - Paneer Parathas. Grated and spiced paneer is stuffed into wheat dough, rolled out and cooked. People will excuse any flaws in your parathas as long as they can get to paneer! I am not sure if my Punjabi friends would completely approve of my version of their sacred paratha, but it somehow works for me!

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1. 2 cups whole wheat flour / aata
2. 1 cup grated paneer
3. 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (unlike my clunky shards of onions poking from the parathas)
4. 1 teaspoon minced ginger
5. 2 green chillies, chopped
6. 1 teaspoon garam masala
7. 1/4 cup coriander leaves / cilantro, finely chopped
8. 1 tablespoon sesame oil
9. 1.5 teaspoons salt
10.  diluted yogurt / buttermilk / whey / water - at room temperature, as needed to form a soft dough. It's hard to give an exact measurement, because it really depends on the flour, the temperature & the humidity of the place and the quality of liquid used. But usually, you need 1 cup of liquid for 2 cups of flour (1/2 the volume of the flour)
11. a few teaspoons vegetable oil / olive oil

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix together: grated paneer, onion, ginger, green chillies, garam masala and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
2. Knead the dough: This is a deceptively "simple" step. In my experience, this is what makes or breaks the texture and overall success of Indian flat breads. So, after many experiments over the years, here's what works for me:
• In a flat, wide rimmed plate (or a wide bowl), mix wheat flour / aata, salt, and chopped coriander leaves. Drizzle sesame oil and mix. Slowly add whey (left over from drained paneer/ricotta or homemade yogurt), or diluted yogurt or buttermilk and start kneading the dough. Do not dump all the liquid at once. Slowly add as needed and knead. The wide/flat base of the plate helps to properly knead the dough by stretching it with the heel of your palm. I usually add as much diluted yogurt/whey as possible in the beginning of kneading the dough, and then sprinkle some water as needed to moisten and bring the dough together towards the end. In my experience, the protein in the whey/yogurt/buttermilk makes the parathas and rotis quite soft even if they are had the next day. Since I usually make dinner and next day's lunch together, whey/yogurt has been especially beneficial to  me. Just make sure the yogurt or whey or buttermilk or water is at room temperature or is slightly warm. Cold liquid dries out the dough. If you are wary of using just whey/yogurt/buttermilk, add a small quantity of it and then use water.
• Knead the dough well until it is smooth and pliable without any cracks. The dough should feel like play-doh. If the dough is sticky, just sprinkle some more flour and knead. If it is dry, sprinkle some water and knead. The more you knead, the better. After the dough comes together,  knead for at least 5-10 more minutes by stretching and pulling the dough.This helps to develop the gluten in the flour, which in turn makes the parathas soft. A great work out for the arm muscles.
• Now, rest the dough for about 20-30 minutes. Drizzle half a teaspoon of oil on top of the kneaded dough, cover it with a damp cloth/paper towel and place a lid on top.You want to give some time for the gluten to develop while making sure the dough stays soft and moist.
3. Heat a flat skillet on medium heat. I recommend using a cast-iron skillet, if possible. It retains heat much better and evenly cooks parathas and rotis. 
4. While the skillet is heating, take out the resting dough and knead again for a minute. Pinch out a big lime-sized ball of the dough and roll it into a circle of about 4-5 inches in diameter that's not too thin, and slightly thick. If it's rolled out too thin, the stuffing will spill and the dough will tear easily. Sprinkle some wheat flour on the dough being rolled out, if it sticks to the board. Do not over flour the dough, because the excess flour sticking to the parathas will burn and make the parathas a little dry when cooked. Take 2 heaping tablespoons of the paneer filling (prepared in step 1) and place it in the center of the circle. Lift the sides of the circle, bring them together and twist the top to cover the filling and make a sort of purse. Pinch out any excess dough on the top and pat the filled ball of dough to make a disc. 
5. Flour the disc (if and as needed) and roll it out gently until you make an even circle or any other shape. Gently keep rolling into a bigger circle until the filling and dough can be stretched without too much tearing or spilling. Some tears in the dough are common, so don't worry. Plus the exposed filling cooks and crisps beautifully. Parathas will be slightly thicker than rotis.
6. When the skillet is hot (but not too hot), transfer the parantha onto it and gently press down so that it cooks evenly. Cook both sides with a smidgen of oil (up to 1/4 to one teaspoon) until golden brown spots form and the dough looks cooked. I'm sorry you can't get away from using any oil in parathas. It is needed to cook the inside and outside without burning the paratha. If using a cast-iron skillet, reduce the heat to low after it is heated, because otherwise the outside of the parathas will burn and the insides will remain raw. Also, make sure to gently keep pressing down on the parathas as they cook.
7. When cooked, transfer paratha to a hot pack or serve immediately. Make all parathas using the above steps. 

The steps might look daunting, but it's not that hard or complicated. I have just put down all the details that have eluded me in the past. And it's all a matter of practice and more practice! If someone like me can make parathas, so can you.

Serve parathas with pickle, chutney, or yogurt. Enjoy!