We were eating spicy spare ribs and Vietnamese noodle salad. At a BBQ. In pouring rain. The conversation went from the dire summer weather and China’s human rights record to how early is early to eat a curry.
I told everyone about my grandmother’s famous parathas or shallow fried, stuffed flatbreads. In my childhood I ate these as breakfast. Post my fruit and green tea deskbound breakfasts in London, mid-day is the earliest I can face these now.
Next morning, the weather was equally rubbish. Half a bag of carrots and 4 small radishes were lying aimlessly in the fridge. And the sack of chappati flour in the cupboard was well by its best by date too.
Fancy that?
My love of kneading is well-documented. I rank it as one of my most hated activities, second only to standing in a blizzard on one leg. But the options were limited. And I didn’t fancy getting soaked again to top up the sorry contents of my fridge.
So I made gajar (carrot) parathas and mooli (radish) parathas for the first time. And I was pleasantly surprised with the results. It didn’t take long. The dough came off my nails fairly easily. And the parathas were as moreish and comforting as my nani’s.
Not just for rainy days then…
Feeds 2:
Carrot filling
- 2 small carrots
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- Quarter tsp chilli powder
- Salt to taste
Radish filling
- 4 small radishes
- Quarter inch ginger
- 1 green chilli
- 4 sprigs fresh coriander, chopped
- Salt to taste
Parathas
- 250 gm strong wholemeal or chapatti flour
- 4 tbsp Greek yogurt
- Hot water, as needed
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp oil
Heat the yogurt in a microwave for 30 seconds until warm. This helps break the four down. You can do this on the cooker also or just use room temperature yogurt. Traditionally, only water is used for kneading but my ageing chapatti flour could use the softening.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour and salt. Mix in the yogurt half at a time. Go in with your finger and mix well until the flour resembles biscuit crumbs. You want to keep breaking it down like this when you add the rest of the yogurt. Then add tiny bits of hot water, punching the dough with your knuckles on every side until you get a smooth dough that doesn’t stick to your fingers.
If it sticks to your fingers, you’ve added too much water so just chuck in a bit more flour. This part wasn’t problematic. Now keep kneading or punching the dough backwards and forwards for at least two minutes. The more you beat it, the softer it’ll be later.
Next, cover with a moist cloth (damp kitchen towel in my instance) and keep aside. Next, make the stuffing.
Grate the carrot and mix with the stuffing ingredients. Then cover and microwave or sauté for two minutes. Repeat the process in another bowl with the radish and ginger mix ingredients.
Finally, uncover the dough mix and in your palms shape it into a thick sausage and break into four equal parts. Sprinkle a flat chopping board with extra flour, then roll the dough lump into a ball, flatten and use a rolling pin to create a disc the size of a small tea saucer.
Spoon two teaspoons of the carrot mix into the centre and bring the ends together like a parcel to seal it. Then dip the parcel in the flour, flatten and roll out into a even half centimetre round shape. Don’t worry if the filling starts oozing out. This is the way it’s meant to be.
Now, put a flat tawa or frying pan to heat over a medium flame with the tablespoon of oil. When the oil is sizzling, place the rolled out bread on top and fry for two minutes on either side until dark brown sport appear. If the oil dries up, just add a tiny extra bit to the sides of the paratha.
While it’s cooking, get cracking with the next dough ball and repeat until you have four, devilishly soft, moreishly tasty parathas. Serve hot off the tawa with a large dollop of plain yogurt and some pickle.
18 Comments
Nice one! Wish I could roll round chapatis or parathas..Mine always look like the map of various countries, sometimes India sometimes the US
Any helpful hints for rolling round ones, Mallika?
Ah yes..I can’t wake up in the morning and start making parathas either. If someone makes them for me , I’ll surely eat though! Ever seen the old flick Angoor? Mooli parathas always remind me of that classic. Another fun thing for a rainy day! Both versions sounds tasty, I think I’ll give the mooli ones a shot soon.
LOL at your hatred for kneading! I can relate to you so well. But now I have discoved that if I sit on the floor while kneading, it gives me more power and also I see it a mini-toning for my tummy
Loved your stuffed parathas.
mooli parantha,,nd gajar paranta,.gonna try gajar parantha..pics look awesome…
until i got hold of pillsbury chakki atta, i too hated rolling the dough as it was not worth my time and energy
now patting and rolling and even stuffing the dough is my way of stress busting. aloo paratha is easier to stuff and roll compared to carrot or mooli, IMHO.
simple yet delicious. just bought one long mooli yest and planning to make some mooli ka paratha soon.
and u have done gr8 job here mallika
Ha! When Nigella gets all whimsical and earth-mother-y about kneading, I’m about as convinced as you are. For me, kneading comes second on my most-hated-activities list after piping. Fiddly fillings and frilly cakes? No way.
Stuffed parathas, though, might just be worth all that cursing…
Hi,
Parathas look gr8.
Sounds perfect for rainy day food! Yum!
hey, you make it sound so easy! i’m tempted to try it… perhaps in a week or so. just got back from hols, but the work/life is hectic at the mo.
hugz!
It looks yum. I never seem to get the filling evenly spread out, so I get thick bits of roti and thick bits stuffed with filling.
Ha ha - moorish indeed! Surely you meant moreish- they sound delish!
Thanks all. Smita - Ha ha just notice my proofing error. Amended so I don’t keep making an idiot of myself…
A good stuffed paratha is a work of genius and I’ve eaten a few in my time. But to hell with cooking them. Easier to let someone else slap them on the tandoor.
They look delicious…I’ve only tried making parathas once and they resembled a cracker. Must try again soon, and get this kneading thing down.
paranthas better be as plump and yummy as yours to be worth all that kneading
u make your nani proud
Wonderful paratha’s. Malika, please check my site an award awaits you.
Hi, I make this dish all the time with various stuffing. Heres a tip for easy dough making. Once you dough comes together do not knead. Put olive/cannola oil all over the dough ball. Put it in a bowl. Cover bowl with a towel. Let it sit ten minutes. Then put oil on your hands and lightly knead. Dough is perfect every time….its more easier to roll and texure awesome. As for stuffing roll out a ball. Flatten ball. Stuff the center. Pull all the edges together like a tear drop. Twist top of tear drop closed. Push twisted top back into ball. Place it in flour to dust it. Then roll out. Perefectly round and stuffed. Its too easy…
kay