Mooli Paratha / Radish Paratha

Every summer, we pour our love and efforts into cultivating a small vegetable patch in our yard. And every year, we try to grow at least two vegetables or fruits that we have never grown before. This year, one of those vegetables is radish, actually, baby radish. Baby radishes are a home gardener's ideal vegetable. It takes 21 days from seed to vegetable to harvest! And true to that number, in 22 days, my husband pulled out a bunch of baby radishes. This weekend, there were several bunches of radishes. They go perfectly with sandwiches and salads, because they require no cooking. But, just to do something different with them, I thought of making radish parathas.

Parathas are stuffed Indian flat breads. The stuffing is either literally stuffed into pockets of wheat flour dough that are rolled out flat, or they are mixed into the dough while kneading it. The vegetable of choice is usually grated, spiced, and then partially (or fully) cooked.

So why are the pictures of the paratha slightly green colored, you may wonder. That's because radish greens are palatable and nutritious, and they are cooked with lentils to make dals. They can also be added to the paratha dough to make it healthier, and of course, to ensure every last shred of the crop is put to good use!

Ingredients (makes 16 parathas):

1. 4 cups of wheat flour / aata
2. 2.5 cups of shredded or grated radishes / daikon 
3. 3 cups of radish greens / stems removed, just the leaves
4. 2 - 3 teaspoons salt, or as needed
5. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
6. 2 teaspoons dhania powder / coriander powder
7. 1 teaspoon cumin powder / jeera powder
8. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds / jeera
9. 1.5 teaspoons omam / ajwain / oregano seeds
10. 2 green chillies, chopped
11. 1/3 cup coriander leaves / cilantro, finely chopped
12. a few tablespoons vegetable oil
13. 2.5 tablespoons sesame oil
14. 2 tablespoons of yogurt

Preparation:

1. Once the radishes are grated, squeeze out the water from them (reserve the water). Add 1 teaspoon salt to the grated radishes and rest them on a colander that is set above a bowl. The radishes will release more water because of the salt. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes to collect as much water as possible. Then, squeeze out the remaining water from the radishes. As the radishes release water, they will shrink in volume.
2. Meanwhile, grind or pulse the radish leaves so that they are finely broken down. 
3. Heat 1.5 tablespoons of oil in a pan. When hot, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a couple of seconds. Add the green chillies and fry for another couple of seconds.
4. Add turmeric to the oil and mix for a couple of seconds. Then, add the grated radishes and fry for a minute. 
5. Add cumin powder and coriander powder and cook/fry with the radish for 2 minutes. 
6. Add the ground/pulsed radish greens and cook for 3 minutes or so, until the greens don't smell raw. 
7. Add coriander leaves and remove the stuffing from heat. Let it completely cool. 
8. When the stuffing is cool, knead the dough. In a wide bowl, add wheat flour, salt (as needed), and 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and mix in.  Add yogurt and gently mix. Now add the stuffing and mix in. Slowly add 1.25-1.5 cups of liquid (preferably the reserved liquid from the radishes) and knead the dough until it forms a soft and pliable dough with no cracks. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it sit for 20-30 minutes so that the gluten develops. After the dough is rested, add 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil and knead the dough a little more. 
9. Heat a tava or griddle (preferably cast iron). When hot, reduce the heat to medium (or low-medium) to make sure the parathas don't burn and cook unevenly.
10. Roll out lime-sized balls of dough into flat and thin discs. Cook the paratha on either sides by drizzling just a couple of drops of oil/ghee (as shown in the pictures)

Serve with dal, pickle, yogurt etc.