Sweet Potato Paratha / Sweet Potato Roti

I borrowed the idea for making these parathas from a good friend of mine. It is extremely simple to prepare and tastes wonderful with a lovely hint of sweetness mingling with the spices. And the best part - the mashed sweet potatoes in the dough help make very soft parathas.

Fenugreek-Cilantro-Mint Roti / Paratha

This is a small and flavorful variation of the regular methi paratha. I am not a huge fan of methi (fenugreek) because of its bitterness, but it's really good for you. So, just to change things up a little, I recently added a couple of other really flavorful herbs - coriander leaves and mint. They both (along with the spices added) flavor the paratha beautifully. The subtle aroma of mint works very well with the other flavors.

Garlic Roti

Strictly for those that appreciate the flavor and healing properties of garlic!

Garlic Naan is one of our favorite types of flat breads. Lazy enough to follow the procedure required to make a paratta, I decided to work around the protocol and try something easier. And the garlic roti was born.

Spiced raw garlic is ground to a paste and mixed with whole wheat flour to make a soft dough, which is then rolled out in the usual fashion to make rotis.

Mint Paratha with Paneer and Onion

Pudhina Parathas are Indian flat-breads made with layers of aromatic mint leaves and a light dusting of spices. This makes a truly fragrant and delicious paratha, especially if you enjoy minty flavors.

My cousin and I frequently exchange notes on what we are cooking just to inspire and motivate each other, especially on those days and evenings when we are looking for excuses to not cook ;). So, when she told me she was making pudhina parathas for dinner a few weeks back, I needed no more inspiration! I was so motivated that I got carried away and added paneer and onion as well. This is yet another simple and flavorful flat-bread!
 

Jowar Roti / Sorghum Flat-bread

Jowar/Sorghum is a type of millet. It is called Cholam / Solam in Tamil, and is a very commonly available cereal in villages. Jowar flour has a pleasant and mildly sweet taste to it, so it's also being used in baking circuits in the West. It's also gluten free, rich in protein, iron, calcium, fiber etc., making it a truly wonderful substitute for regular flour.

India (and South-Asia) grows plentiful amounts of a variety of millets. Before the allure of polished white rice, most families had a heavy intake of millets. Somehow, millets lost their appeal and came to be branded as a lowly, peasant food. It was not fashionable to say you had millet-based porridge for breakfast or that you ate some archaic sounding food.

Now, with the surge of popularity in quinoa as a nutritious substitute for grains like rice (and even wheat), there has been a resurgence in millet consumption in places like India where quinoa is sold at exorbitant prices! In the last couple of years, people have rediscovered their very own indigenous crops, millets, and grains that help the local economy and their health! Everything has come a full circle now, and it's become fashionable to use millets again :).

Anyway, regardless of all that, it's good news that people are taking millets more seriously. For example, jowar has been a staple for hundreds of thousands of hardworking agriculturalists in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Flat-breads made from jowar  (known as Jolada Roti) are even served in many restaurants in Bangalore, and that's how I know of these rotis.

The only slight hitch with regularly making jowar rotis is that it requires skill and experience. It's an art to make Jowar rotis paper thin and round by just beating and shaping the dough with the palm of your hand and fingers! This requires years of experience. So, over the years I have often given up on making these, because it used to be hard to get sorghum flour in stores here, and it was always intimidating to make these rotis without the use of a rolling pin! But, experience comes with practice, and you practice by repeatedly trying and not giving up :)

So, with that in mind, here's the simple recipe to make these rotis. I'm not an expert, so don't judge the shape of my rotis! :). You can even start by adding some sorghum flour to whole wheat flour to make rotis that can be rolled. 

Methi Thepla

Methi Thepla is a dish that comes from the state of Gujarat in India. It is a flat-bread made from fresh fenugreek leaves mixed with wheat flour and chickpea flour. It is healthy and flavorful, and a popular picnic/travel food. 

I have had theplas from my sweet Gujarati friend in school. Her mom used to generously pack extra theplas for her so that she could share them with us. And for us folks, thepla was a truly exotic dish! Anyway, those were fun times. 

Methi theplas are very similar to methi parathas except that theplas have chickpea flour, which brings in some protein to the flat-breads. 

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!

Gobi Paratha / Cauliflower Paratha

Gobi paratha is an Indian flat-bread made with a spiced cauliflower stuffing. It is a meal in itself, with the curried vegetable stuffed inside a hearty disc of flat-bread made with whole-wheat flour. The only painstaking part of this process is grating the cauliflower before it is fried/cooked with spices. If you have a food processor or a special automated gadget, then, please use it. Else, employ someone in the household :)

This is my favorite paratha! Simple, flavorful, and wholesome!

Ingredients (makes 10 medium-sized parathas):

The filling:

1. 2 cups worth grated cauliflower 
2. 1 tablespoon olive oil / vegetable oil
3. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds / jeera
4. 2 green chillies, finely chopped
5. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
6. 1 teaspoon coriander powder / dhania
7. 1 teaspoon curry powder or garam masala of your choice
8. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
9. 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparing the filling:

1. Heat oil in a skillet and add cumin seeds. Wait for it to sizzle. Add turmeric powder and green chillies and fry for a minute. 
2. Add cauliflower and fry on medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. The aim is not to cook the cauliflower, but to evaporate the moisture in it so that it is not soggy in the stuffing.
3. Add spices - coriander powder and garam masala and salt continue to fry for another 2 minutes until the cauliflower begins to roast and brown slightly and any moisture released from the addition of salt has evaporated. 
4. Remove from heat and mix cilantro. Let it cool. When cool, test if the filling is moist, if so squeeze out the moisture before stuffing.

The dough:

1. 2 cups whole-wheat flour / aata
2. 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil / sesame oil / vegetable oil / clarified butter (ghee)
3. 1 teaspoon salt
4. 3/4 cup (approximate) liquid at room temperature or slightly warm (use water/ yogurt / a mix of the two or whey - the liquid that drains from non-fermented cheeses like paneer or ricotta)

Preparation:

1. In a wide, flat-bottomed bowl/pan, mix flour, salt, and a tablespoon of oil. Slowly add the liquid and knead to form a soft dough with no dry cracks. If the dough looks wet, just keep kneading until the moisture is absorbed. If it continues to be sticky, sprinkle some flour. When the dough comes together, knead for 5 more minutes, and bring to a smooth ball. Smoothen the top with a teaspoon of oil, cover with a damp cloth/paper towel, close the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes. This allows the gluten to develop.
2. After 20 minutes, knead the soft dough for an additional 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some water if the dough looks dry. Make even sized lime-sized balls of dough.

Making the parathas:

1. Take a ball of the dough and roll it into a circle of 4 inches diameter (approximately). Lightly dust the board and the rolled out dough with some wheat flour to avoid sticking. Do not sprinkle too much flour - it will burn and make the parathas dry while cooking them.
2. Place up to 2 tablespoons of stuffing in the center of the rolled out dough and close it by bringing up the sides and twisting them together to make a pouch. Gently pat it to flatten into a thick disc and roll it into a circle of 5-6 inches of diameter or up to 1/4 inch thickness (parathass will be thicker than rotis). Sprinkle some wheat flour to aid the rolling. If the paratha tears a little and the stuffing pokes out, that's good! The crisped stuffing will taste better. But be gentle while rolling because you don't want huge tears that cause the filling to fall out and the paratha to lose shape.
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet (preferably) on medium heat. When it is hot, transfer the paratha onto it and cook on either sides by applying 1/4 teaspoon of oil (or more on each side) and pressing down gently on the paratha to help it cook evenly. Cook the paratha on both sides until there are golden brown spots. Transfer to a hot-pack or insulating container, or serve immediately.

Serve with pickle, spiced yogurt/raita, or plain yogurt. 

Roti

Roti is a simple and wholesome Indian flat-bread made with just wheat flour, salt, and a small amount of oil. It is a fundamental dish in most Indian house-holds. No meal is complete without either rice (in the South) or roti (regions other than South). Although this is such a staple, I had to learn over many years and many attempts to make palatable and decent rotis. This sure comes with practice, and the secret of its success lies in two things - the quality of the wheat flour and the quality of the kneaded dough. So, try to buy an Indian brand wheat flour / aata. If you have a kitchen gadget that kneads dough, please use it. The dough prepared from kitchen-aid stand mixers come out great and saves a lot of arm fatigue. For those of us that don't own such gadgets, just muster up all your anger and frustration and direct it onto the dough - stretch, pull, wring, punch, squeeze. You will feel much better after the exercise, and you will be rewarded with a comforting, wholesome bread! 

And your arm will get used to the exercise.

Ingredients (serves 2-4):

1. 2 cups whole wheat flour / aata
2. 1 teaspoon salt
3. 1/2 tablespoon olive oil / sesame oil (optional)
4. water / whey / yogurt / buttermilk as needed, at room temperature (usually 1/2 the volume of liquid for 1 part of the flour; So 1 cup of liquid for 2 cups)
5. a few teaspoons of clarified butter or coconut oil (optional)
6. 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil or olive oil

picture 2: three step process to cook puffy rotis without any oil; 1. Shows side A; 2. Shows side B; 3 and 4 show side A being puffed.

Preparation:

1. In a flat, wide rimmed plate (or a wide bowl), mix wheat flour / aata and salt. Drizzle sesame oil (if you like) and mix. 
2. Slowly start adding some whey (left over from drained paneer/ricotta or homemade yogurt), or diluted yogurt or buttermilk and knead the dough. Do not dump all the liquid at once, but don't skimp on liquid as well. Liquid is essential to form a soft dough. Slowly add as needed and knead. I add some whey/diluted yogurt at first and then towards the end of kneading, I sprinkle some water and bring the dough together. The wide/flat base of the plate helps to properly knead the dough by stretching it with the heel of your palm. In my experience, the protein in the whey/yogurt/buttermilk makes the rotis quite soft even if they are had the next day. Just make sure the liquid used is at room temperature or is slightly warm. Cold liquid dries out the dough. If you are wary of using whey/yogurt/buttermilk,  just use water.
3. Knead the dough well until it is smooth and pliable without any cracks. The dough should feel very soft - if you press it gently it should leave indentations that don't spring back. 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 rotis soft. A great work out for the arm muscles.
4. 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 cover with a lid. You want to give some time for the gluten to develop while making sure the dough stays soft and moist.
5. Heat a flat skillet on medium heat. I recommend using a cast-iron skillet, if possible. It retains heat much better and evenly cooks the rotis. 
6. While the skillet is heating, take out the rested-dough and knead again for a minute. Pinch out about a small lime-sized ball of the dough (or of a size you prefer) and roll it into an even and thin circle. 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 rotis will burn and make it a little dry when cooked.
7. When the skillet is hot (but not too hot), transfer the roti onto it and follow this 3 step process by referring to picture 2 above. If using a cast-iron skillet, reduce the heat to low (I keep it at heat level 2-3 out of 10 once the skillet is hot, else it burns the outside of the rotis):
1. Do not move around the roti. Just wait for it to bubble up ever so slightly (refer to step 1 in the above picture). 
2. Flip the roti. The flipped side (we will call it side B) should be barely cooked and should look like the picture in step 2 of the picture above. Wait for a few seconds until you see this side bubble up slightly from under. 
3. Flip the roti. Now the flipped side (we will call it side A) should be cooked - or almost cooked with brown spots. Refer to step 3 in the picture above. 
1. If you have a gas/open flame stove, just transfer the roti (without flipping it; make sure the barely cooked side, side B is at the bottom) from the skillet to the open flame and watch the roti puff up in a matter of seconds. Remove immediately before roti burns or catches into fire. Be very cautious.
2. Like me, if you don't have an open flame stove, then  worry not. With a small kitchen towel or a paper napkin, gently and carefully press down on the roti (starting specifically from the corners) and move it around until it puffs up as shown in step 4 in the picture. If there are any uncooked spots on side A, press down on it so that it comes into direct contact with the skillet and cooks. The roti will not puff up if it has any tears or if you press down too hard. Just press and guide the trapped air between the roti so that it puffs up. This should cook the bottom side, side B. Check if all parts of the roti are cooked and remove from skillet.
8. This step is optional. Smear a very little amount of ghee or coconut oil on top of the roti so that it stays soft for a longer period of time.  Raw coconut oil is being praised for its health benefits, so I usually use a very little amount (less than 1/4 teaspoon) to just moisten the roti. Repeat the process to make the remaining rotis.

If the roti doesn't puff up at all, or doesn't puff every single time (especially if you don't have an open flame stove), don't worry. Just make sure to cook it well on both sides and keep practicing. What matters is how palatable the texture is. Not all puffed rotis are softer and better than un-puffed ones. My rotis come in different sizes and shapes, and while they puff up most times, sometimes they don't, especially if they suspect I am having a bad day. The most important step is to knead the dough well. So knead, knead, and knead some more, and you should be good!

Serve rotis with any side dish of your choice!

Methi Roti / Methi Paratha

Methi leaves are fenugreek leaves. It is commonly available in India and is used a lot in our cooking. It is extremely rich in nutrition and is mildly bitter in taste. It's hard to find fresh methi leaves here, so I use dried methi leaves, called as kasuri methi. I add plenty of kasuri methi and some spices to wheat flour to prepare these rotis. I am honestly not sure if this should be called Methi Roti or Methi Paratha, because there isn't any stuffing in the dough. Different people call it by different names, so to quote Shakespeare - What's in a name?

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

1. 2 cups whole wheat flour / aata
2. 1/2 cup kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves (if using fresh methi leaves, cook them slightly before adding)
3. 1 teaspoon coriander powder
4. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds / jeera
5. 1 teaspoon ajwain / omam / oregano 
6. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
7. 1.5 tablespoons sesame oil / ghee (clarified butter)
8. 1 teaspoon salt
9. water / diluted yogurt / whey / buttermilk - as needed to form a soft dough (all at room temperature). 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. Usually, it is 1/2 the volume of the flour. So 1 cup of liquid for 2 cups of flour.
10. a few teaspoons olive or vegetable oil to cook the rotis.  

Preparation:

1. In a flat, wide rimmed plate (or a wide bowl), mix wheat flour / aata, salt, kasuri methi, coriander powder, jeera/cumin seeds, ajwain, and turmeric powder. Drizzle sesame oil and mix. 
2. Slowly start adding some whey (left over from drained paneer/ricotta or homemade yogurt), or diluted yogurt or buttermilk and knead the dough. Do not dump all the liquid at once. Slowly add as needed and knead. I add some whey/diluted yogurt at first and then towards the end of kneading, I sprinkle some water and bring the dough together. The wide/flat base of the plate helps to properly knead the dough by stretching it with the heel of your palm. In my experience, the protein in the whey/yogurt/buttermilk makes the rotis quite soft even if they are had the next day. Just make sure the liquid used is at room temperature or is slightly warm. Cold liquid dries out the dough. If you are wary of using whey/yogurt/buttermilk,  just use water.
3. 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 rotis soft. A great work out for the arm muscles.
4. 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 cover with a lid. You want to give some time for the gluten to develop while making sure the dough stays soft and moist.
5. 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. 
6. While the skillet is heating, take out the resting dough and knead again for a minute. Pinch out about a lime-sized ball of the dough and roll it into an even and thin circle of about 1/8 inch thickness or slightly thinner. 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 rotis will burn and make it a little dry when cooked.
7. When the skillet is hot (but not too hot), transfer the roti 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. If using a cast-iron skillet, reduce the heat to low after it is heated, because otherwise the outside of the rotis  will burn and the insides will remain raw. Also, make sure to gently keep pressing down on the rotis as they cook.
8. When cooked, transfer roti to a hot pack or serve immediately. Repeat the process to make the remaining rotis. 

Serve warm with yogurt (mixed with cumin powder & salt) or pickle or chutney or any vegetable side or dal.  

Aloo Paratha

Aloo Paratha is another extremely popular Indian flat-bread. Anything that is stuffed with spiced potatoes is an instant hit (next to paneer, of course). The potato stuffing is simple to prepare ahead of time and store for a few days in the fridge. All that's required to make dinner is to knead and roll out the wheat flour dough, wrap it up with stuffing, roll and cook on a skillet. Simple and delicious meal. 

 Ingredients (serves 2-4):

1. 2 cups whole wheat flour / aata
2. 1 teaspoon ajwain / omam / oregano 
3. 1.5 teaspoons salt
4. 1 tablespoon oil
5. water/ diluted yogurt/buttermilk/whey - at room temperature as needed to make a smooth 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. Usually, it is 1 cup of liquid for 2 cups of flour (half the volume of flour)

Stuffing:

1. 2 potatoes, boiled, peeled, and gently mashed. Make sure the potatoes are as dry as possible so that it's easier to roll out the dough with the stuffing.
2. 1 onion, finely chopped
3. 1.5 tablespoons oil
4. 1 teaspoon jeera / cumin seeds
5. 2 green chillies, chopped
6. 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
7. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
8. 1.5 teaspoons vegetable sabzi masala / paav bhaaji masala
9. 1 teaspoon salt
10. 1/4 cup coriander leaves / cilantro, chopped (I didn't add any coriander leaves to the batch shown below)

Preparing the filling:

1. Heat oil in a pan. When hot, add jeera. When jeera begins to sizzle, add ginger, green chillies, and onion and saute until onion begins to brown slightly. 
2. Add turmeric powder and the crumbled potatoes and mix well. Fry for 5 minutes. 
3. Add garam masala and give a mix
4. Throw in coriander leaves and mix. Let filling cool.

Preparing the parathas:

1. 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.
• In a flat, wide rimmed plate (or a wide bowl), mix wheat flour / aata, salt and ajwain/omam seeds. Drizzle sesame oil and mix. Slowly add whey (left over from drained paneer/ricotta or homemade yogurt), or diluted yogurt or buttermilk or just water 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. 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, just 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.
2. 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. 
3. While the skillet is heating, take out the resting dough and knead again for a minute. Pinch out a big lime-sized ball (of about 2.5-3 inches diameter) of the dough and roll it into a circle of about 4-5 inches in diameter. 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 (or a little more) of the potato filling 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. 
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. When cooked, transfer paratha to a hot pack or serve immediately. Make all parathas using the above steps.

Serve with yogurt whisked with cumin powder and salt, or just pickle. 

Spinach Paratha / Spinach Roti

I like adding spinach and chard to a lot of things. According to me, they are the tastiest in the clique of green leafy vegetables. I add them to dhal, to adai, to smoothies, juices, and of course, to Indian flat-breads. I am not really sure if I should call it Spinach Paratha or just Spinach Roti, because traditionally, parathas are hardy flat-breads that have a stuffing of vegetables. But in this version, I just add ground spinach to wheat flour, toss in some spices and knead. No stuffing, just flavor and sneaked in greens. So, call it what you will, this is another healthy and hardy flat-bread that's simple, nutritious and tasty!

Ingredients (serves 2-4):

1. 2 cups whole wheat flour / aata
2. 1 - 1.5 cups spinach or 2-3 chard leaves
3. 1 teaspoon salt
4. 1 teaspoon garam masala
5. 1 teaspoon ajwain / oregano seeds / omam
6. room temperature water / diluted yogurt / buttermilk / water - just a sprinkle, as needed to make 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. Usually, you need 1/2 the volume of flour. So 1 cup of liquid for 2 cups of flour
7. 1 tablespoon sesame oil
8. a few teaspoons of vegetable oil to cook the parathas.

Preparation: 

1. Grind the spinach with 2 tablespoons or as little water as needed to make a  paste.
2. In a flat, wide rimmed plate (or a wide bowl), mix wheat flour / aata, salt, garam masala and ajwain. Drizzle sesame oil and mix. 
3. Add the ground spinach and slowly work it into the dough and begin to knead the dough. The wide/flat base of the plate helps to properly knead the dough by stretching it with the heel of your palm. If the dough is still dry after adding the spinach paste and it hasn't come together, add/sprinkle some whey (left over from drained paneer/ricotta or homemade yogurt), or diluted yogurt or buttermilk and continue to knead the dough. Do not dump all the liquid at once. Slowly add as needed and knead.  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. Just make sure the liquid used is at room temperature or is slightly warm. Cold liquid dries out the dough. If you are wary of using whey/yogurt/buttermilk,  just use water.
4. 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.
5. 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 cover with a lid. You want to give some time for the gluten to develop while making sure the dough stays soft and moist.
6. 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. 
7. While the skillet is heating, take out the resting dough and knead again for a minute. Pinch out about a lime-sized ball of the dough and roll it into an even and thin circle of about 1/8 inch thickness or slightly thinner. 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.
8. 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 spinach and the paratha without burning the outsides. 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.
9. When cooked, transfer paratha to a hot pack or serve immediately. Repeat the process to make the remaining parathas. 

Serve with dhal/lentils, yogurt, chutney, pickle, or curry.

Dal Paratha

Dal Parathas are Indian flat-breads made from whole wheat flour, cooked dhal (lentils/moong dhal) and some spices. This is an ingenious and healthy way to use up left over dhal and add a nutritious boost to the flat-bread. The left over dhal adds protein to the parathas, and if it has any vegetables, it increases the flavor and nutrient quotient even more. So, it is really a balanced and healthy dish.

I came to know of dal parathas through my Punjabi roommate. The first time I saw her adding cooked lentils to knead the wheat flour, I was amazed. I thought she was adding it to make the dough soft (which coincidentally, it does), but when I realized how yummy and healthy the resulting paratha was, I embraced this recipe with all my heart.

Parathas with cabbage curry and cilantro thogayal

Ingredients (serves 2-4):

1. 1.5  whole wheat flour / Aata
2. 1/2 cup cooked dhal - made from toor dhal or moong dhal (left over is perfect); try to remove as much liquid from the dhal before adding; if the dhal has any vegetables in it, even better!
3. 1/2 onion, finely chopped
4. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
5. 1 teaspoon cumin powder / jeera powder
6. 1 teaspoon coriander powder
7. 1 tablespoon kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves
8. 1 teaspoon ajwain / omam / oregano
9. 1 teaspoon salt (the cooked, left over dal might already have salt)
10. 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves / cilantro
11. 1 tablespoon sesame oil
12. a few teaspoons olive oil/ vegetable oil to cook the parathas
13. Water/diluted yogurt/buttermilk/whey - just a sprinkle, as needed to make a soft dough (all at room temperature). 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 would need 1/2 the volume of flour. So 1 cup of liquid for 2 cups of flour.

Preparation:

1. In a flat, wide rimmed plate (or a wide bowl), mix wheat flour / aata, salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, kasuri methi, ajwain, and chopped coriander leaves. Drizzle sesame oil and mix. The wide/flat base of the plate helps to properly knead the dough by stretching it with the heel of your palm. Although the dhal will already contain some of the spices, I  just like to add a little more extra.
2. Add the cooked dhal and slowly work it into the dough and begin to knead the dough. If the dough is still dry after the addition of dhal and it hasn't come together, add/sprinkle some whey (left over from drained paneer/ricotta or homemade yogurt), or diluted yogurt or buttermilk and continue to knead the dough. Do not dump all the liquid at once. Slowly add as needed and knead.  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. Just make sure the liquid used is at room temperature or is slightly warm. Cold liquid dries out the dough. If you are wary of using whey/yogurt/buttermilk,  just use water.
3. 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.
4. 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 cover with a lid.You want to give some time for the gluten to develop while making sure the dough stays soft and moist.
5. 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. 
6. While the skillet is heating, take out the resting dough and knead again for a minute. Pinch out about a lime-sized ball of the dough and roll it into an even and thin circle of about 1/8 inch thickness. Parathas will be slightly thicker than rotis. 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.
7. 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.
8. When cooked, transfer paratha to a hot pack or serve immediately. Repeat the process to make the remaining parathas.

Serve with stir-fried vegetables, pickle, chutney, or yogurt. 

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!