KOTHIMBIR PARANTHA

KOTHIMBIR PARANTHA

We love to have hot paranthas off the tawa, especially during the winter months. In this blog, I have a fairly large collection of recipes for paranthas of different types such as Aloo Parantha, Palak Parantha, and Gobhi Parantha, amongst others. For readers not familiar with Aloo, Palak, and Gobhi, these are Potatoes, Spinach, and Cauliflower respectively.

Today's recipe is for Kothimbir Parantha which I learnt from a Maharashtrian friend. In this, we use kothimbir ( the Marathi word for  Coriander Leaves /Cilantro). In Konkani, we call them Kothambari Pallo, in Hindi they are called Dhaniya Patha, and Kothambari Soppu in Kannada.

Apart from being aromatic, coriander leaves also have numerous health benefits as seen from this article in the Times of India.

I have served today's Kothimbir Paranthas with curds and store bought Priya Garlic Pickle.

Ingredients:

• Kothimbir (Coriander Leaves/Cilantro), 1 cup
• Atta (Wheat Flour), 2 cups + some for dusting 
• Jeera (Cumin) Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Adrak (Ginger), grated, 1 tsp
• Haldi (Turmeric) Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Green Chilles, finely chopped, 2
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tsp (for kneading the dough) + as required to make paranthas

Method:

Pluck the coriander leaves from their stems and wash them thoroughly.
Chop the coriander leaves and keep aside
In a large bowl, combine the atta, 1 tsp of oil, chopped coriander leaves, jeera powder, grated ginger, haldi and chilli powder, finely chopped green chilli and salt.
To this, add water, little by little and knead the mixture to form a soft dough
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow it to rest for about 20 minutes
Once again, knead the dough and divide it into equal portions and shape them into balls
Dip the balls in dry atta to make it easier to roll out the paranthas
Lightly press the ball and roll it into 6 " circles
Heat the tawa and once it gets hot place the parantha over the tawa. You will soon see the parantha will change colour and a few bubbles will appear on top
Flip the parantha and drizzle oil on top and sides and cook for a couple of minutes till the parantha is evenly cooked and golden brown on both sides
Serve hot with curds, pickle or chutney of your choice

MOOLI PARANTHA

MOOLI PARANTHA

I like to make paranthas quite often especially in the winter months, more so when there are so many types of paranthas that one can make. You will therefore find multiple recipes for paranthas in this blog, such as Oats Masala Parantha,  Spring Onion Parantha, and the ever popular Aloo Parantha.

Today's recipe is for Mooli Parantha made using radish which is called Mooli in Hindi. In Kannada and Konkani we call it Mulangi. This vegetable has numerous health benefits and is fairly easily available.

Broadly, there are two methods to make paranthas. In one method, you can roll out the chappati and place the stuffing in the centre, then draw the edges to the centre, roll it out dipping it in the dusting floor and finally cook the parantha.

In the other method, you can make two chapptis of the same size, keep the stuffing in the centre of one of them leaving space along the edges, cover it with another chappati and then seal the edges and cook the parantha.

For making Mooli Paranthas, I have today used the second method.

Do remember that the radish has moisture content  and gives off water when it is grated.

The quantities mentioned in the recipe yielded 3 mooli paranthas ( made with 6 chappatis and stuffing as explained in the Method).

Ingredients:

• Mooli (Radish), 250 gms
• Atta (Wheat Flour), 1 and 1/2 cups + some for dusting
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Amchur (Dry Mango Powder), 1/4 tsp
• Red Chili Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Ginger, grated, 1/2 inch
• Green Chilli, finely chopped, 1
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 2-3 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required for kneading the dough + for making paranthas

Method:

Wash, peel and grate the radish.
To the grated radish, add coriander powder, amchur, red chilli powder, grated ginger, chopped green chili, chopped coriander leaves and salt. Mix well and keep aside for about 10 minutes.
Next, squeeze the grated radish and keep the juice aside.
This juice can be used while kneading the dough for the parantha.
Place the wheat flour in a large bowl, add 1 tsp of oil and a little salt. Add the mooli juice kept aside and the required water little by little to knead the dough. Make sure the dough is neither too stiff or too soft.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 20-25 minutes.
Grease your hands and knead the dough again till smooth.
Divide into equal portions.
Take one of the portions, dust it with atta, and roll it out to make a chappati.
Similarly, make another chappati with one more portion of the dough.
Lightly spread some oil on the chappati
Keep 2-3 tsp of the stuffing , made earlier, in the centre of the chappati and spread it evenly leaving 1/2 inch space along the edges
Place the other chappati on top and press it gently along the edges to seal both the chappatis
Roll the chappatis gently, without exerting too much pressure, to seal the stuffing
Spread some oil on the tawa and heat it. When it is hot place the rolled out parantha and let it cook
gently pressing the parantha with a ladle
Then flip the parantha and cook on the other side by drizzling some more oil
Once the paranthas are cooked, remove to a serving bowl
Serve hot with curds, pickle or curry of your choice.

ALOO PARANTHA

ALOO PARANTHA

Paranthas/parathas are Indian flat bread made of whole wheat flour (atta) with a stuffing of vegetables etc. We make paranthas fairly often. In North India, paranthas are often made for breakfast while as in the South we tend to have them for lunch or dinner. Paranthas are traditionally served with curds and pickles. We like to have them with chutney as well.

There are so many types of paranthas in which we use different kinds of stuffing. Here in this blog itself  you will find recipes for Oats Masala Parantha, Gobhi (Cauliflower) Parantha, and Spring Onion Parantha to mention a few.

Today's recipe is for Aloo Paranthas in which the stuffing is of boiled potatoes ("aloo" in Hindi) .

Tips to boil the potatoes: ( You can use either method )

# Place the potatoes in a vessel without water and keep this in a pressure cooker with water. This method of steam cooking helps to cook the potatoes with less absorption of water. When you directly boil the potatoes in water, they tend to absorb water which makes the stuffing too moist.

# Boil the potatoes the previous night in the usual way for use the next morning to make the stuffing less moist.

In this recipe, 1 and 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour dough yielded 9 balls which make 9 paranthas.
Also the 2 large potatoes with chopped onions etc yielded 9 balls of the stuffing. (See picture)
Needless to say, you can choose the size of the balls to make the stuffing and the dough.

Ingredients: 

• Large-sized Potatoes, 2,
• Atta (Whole Wheat Flour), 1 and 1/2 cups + 1/4 cup for dusting
• Medium-sized Onions, 2
• Fresh Coriander Leaves, chopped, 1 tbsp
• Green Chillies, chopped,2
• Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Chaat Masala, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Powder, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, for shallow frying

Method:

Wash and boil the potatoes. Once they are cooled, peel and mash them and keep aside.
Peel and finely chop the onions
Wash and finely chop the fresh coriander leaves and green chillies

For the stuffing that goes into the parantha:
In a bowl combine mashed potatoes, chopped onions, chopped coriander, chopped green chillies, red chilli powder, coriander powder, chaat masala, cumin powder and salt. Mix well.
Divide the stuffing into equal sized balls. Keep aside.

Mix the atta with salt and 3/4 cup of water to make a soft and pliable dough.
Rest the dough for 10-15 minutes
Divide the dough into equal portions shaped into balls

                                       Balls of the atta dough and the stuffng

Dust each of the balls of atta and roll them out into thick disks of about 3 " diameter
Place a ball of the stuffing at the centre of each disk
Seal the filling by pulling the edges of the rolled dough together to make a ball. Do the same for all the remaining balls.
Dip the balls in dry atta to make it easier to roll out the paranthas
Lightly press the ball on the sealed side and roll it into 6 " circles with this side on top
Heat the tawa and once it gets hot place the parantha over the tawa. You will soon see the parantha will change colour and a few bubbles will appear on top
Flip the parantha and drizzle oil on top and sides and cook for a couple of minutes till the parantha is evenly cooked and golden brown on both sides
Serve hot with curds, pickle and chutney of your choice

PANEER PARATHA

PANEER PARATHA

Whether you have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner, parathas ( also called paranthas) are tasty and filling. They can be served with curds as I have done today or with pickles, curries, or even ketchup. We make parathas very often so elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for many varieties of parathas, like for example Aloo and Pudhina Paranthas made with potatoes and mint, Gobhi Paranthas made with cauliflower, and the less common, Spring Onion Paranthas.

Today's recipe is adapted from Paneer Paratha by Nisha Madhulika who I greatly admire, and uses paneer or cottage cheese as the stuffing. You can use either ghee or oil for making the parathas, I normally use regular cooking oil to avoid the use of ghee. The stuffed parathas are usually kept thick, with the thickness and size of the parathas depending on individual taste.

Ingredients:

• Atta (Wheat Flour), sieved, 300 gms + some for dusting the parathas while making them
• Paneer (Cottage Cheese), 100 gms
• Green Chillies, finely chopped, 1-2
• Ginger, grated, 1/2 " piece
• Coriander Leaves, chopped, 1 tbsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1/4 tsp or to taste
• Amchur (Dry Mango) Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Garam Masala, 1/8 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required to knead the dough, and to make the parathas

Method:

In a bowl, add the sieved atta, salt, and 1 tsp of oil and adding luke warm water little at a time knead the dough for the parathas. Keep the dough aside to rest for about 15-20 minutes

In another bowl, grate or crumble the paneer and mix together the paneer, green chillies, chopped coriander leaves, chilli powder, coriander powder, amchur powder, garam masalal and salt to prepare the stuffing for the parathas
Make a lemon sized ball of the dough that has been rested, dust it with atta and roll it into 3 " discs
In each of the discs, evenly spread 2 tsp of the paneer mixture, and fold the disc from the edges to the centre to enclose the stuffing
Once again dust it in the atta and roll it into 6" discs
Grease and heat a tawa and place a paratha on it, apply ghee/oil on both sides and on the corners of the paratha
Keep flipping the paratha till it gets nicely browned on both sides
Prepare all the parathas in the same manner with the remaining dough
Serve the hot parathas with a curry or chutney of your choice or with curds and pickles.

PALAKWALI MISSI ROTI

PALAKWALI MISSI ROTI

This form of Indian flat bread is popular in the northern States of Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. It gets its distinctive flavour from the spinach and spices used to make it. We had these palakwali missi rotis and found them to be delicious. A dish which is both tasty and healthy.

The original recipe for this "full of health" Palakwali Missi Roti is from Master Chef Vikas Khanna.I adapted this recipe by making a few modifications:

• I used dry mango powder (amchur powder) instead of dry pomegranate seeds
• In place of cayenne pepper, I used our usual red chilli powder
• I don't use olive oil much, so I used our regular cooking oil.

Ingredients:

• Wheat Flour (Atta), 1 cup
• Chick Pea Flour (Besan), 1 cup
• Salt, to taste 
• Fresh Spinach, finely chopped, 1 cup
• Carom seeds (Ajwain), 1 tsp
• Large Onion, chopped, 1
• Dry Mango Powder (Amchur Powder), 1 tbsp
• Chilli powder, 2 tsp
• Oil, 2 tbsp

Method:
In a large bowl, sift together both flours and salt
Add the spinach, ajwain, onion, dry mango powder, chilli powder and oil.
Mix well and make a soft dough. Set aside.
Divide the dough into equal parts and roll out into rotis.
When the tawa is hot, place the roti on the tawa and cook for about 3 minutes
Then flip the side and cook for another 3 minutes
Serve hot.

METHI THEPLAS

METHI THEPLAS

Theplas are a form of Indian bread famous in Gujarat. I learnt this during our stay there years ago. It was a popular item particularly when it had methi (fenugreek leaves) in it. That added to the taste and was an effective way to get the kids to eat some healthy greens!

Another advantage of these theplas is that they can easily last for 2-3 days. This made them an item of choice when one traveled. It is best eaten with chunda, (a mango preserve, always available in Gujarati households), pickles, or chutney.



Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour ( Atta), 2 cups
• Fenugreek (Methi) leaves, chopped, 1/2 cup
• Curds, 1 cup
• Turmeric powder (Haldi), 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp, or to taste
• Coriander powder, 1 tbsp
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• + Oil, to roast the theplas

Method:
Wash the methi leaves in several changes of water, and chop them
In a bowl, along with the atta, mix together the methi leaves, curds, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, oil, and salt
Knead all this to a soft dough (Use a little water, only if required)
Keep aside and let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes
Divide the dough into equal portions and make small round balls of the dough
Roll out each of these balls till they are about 5" in diameter
Heat the griddle and roast these theplas by smearing a little oil on both sides, till brown spots appear on the surface
Serve hot with either chunda, pickles, or chutney.
If being used for a journey and not eaten hot, wait for it to cool completely. Roll and pack the theplas.

OATS MASALA PARANTHA

OATS MASALA PARANTHA

Yet another in the list of paranthas in this blog. In fact, this is the 9th variety. If you wish to see the others, the fastest way is to look for the label, "Rotis and Paranthas", and you will find them all there.

Today's variety is becoming very popular as people may more attention to their diet.  I am sure you will enjoy this one, as much as you would the others.

Ingredients:

• Oats, 1 cup
• Atta, wheatflour, 2 cups
• Onion, medium, finely chopped, 1
• Red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp or to taste
• Turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder, 1/2 tsp
• Amchur powder (dry mango powder), 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Water, as required
• Oil, as required for making the paranthas

Method:
In a bowl, mix together wheat flour, salt, with water as required and make a soft dough. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
Make the dough into equal parts and  roll out into small sized rotis.
In another bowl, mix together the oats, chopped onion, chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, amchur powder, a little salt, and chopped coriander leaves.
Add a little water to the above mixture and shape into small balls to make the filling for the paranthas
Place equal amounts of this oat masala mixture on each of the rolled out rotis
Next, pull the edges of the rotis and seal
Roll these out into paranthas of about 6" diameter
Heat the tawa on medium heat. Place the parantha over the tawa and cook it by putting a little oil till it becomes golden brown
Next, flip the parantha and cook the other side in the same manner

Serve hot with raitha and pickle of your choice.

GOBHI (CAULIFLOWER) PARANTHA

GOBHI ( CAULIFLOWER) PARANTHA

Following the other paranthas that have been put up on this blog, namely, Hare Pyaz Aur Aloo Parantha; Spring Onion Parantha; Palak Parantha and Methi Parantha, here's one more, this one made of Cauliflower ("Gobhi"in Hindi.)

This dish has been prepared based on a recipe from Manjula of  Manjula's Kitchen, a popular cooking site which I follow from time to time. Manjula has many videos on YouTube in which she explains her recipes in an easy to understand manner. I would heartily recommend her website.



Ingredients:

• Dough:
  • Atta, ( whole wheat flour) 2 cups
  • Water, 1 cup or as required
  • Salt,1 tsp, or to taste
• Filling:
  • Gobhi/Cauliflower, shredded, 4 cups
  • Ajwain (carom seeds) 1tsp
  • Jeera ( Cumin Seeds) 1/2 tsp
  • Green chillies, chopped, 1-2
  • Dhania, (Coriander leaves) 3 tbsp
  • Salt, 1 tsp or to taste
• For rolling:
  • 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
  • Oil to cook
  
  Method:
   
  Dough
  
• Knead the dough by mixing flour, salt and water together
• Keep aside for about 15-20 minutes

          Filling

• Wash, clean and grate the cauliflower 
  Mix the grated cauliflower with ajwain, cumin seeds, green chillies, dhania and salt 
  Squeeze as much water as possible from out of this mix for the filling
  

Making of parantha

1. Divide the dough and cauliflower filling into equal parts.
2. Roll the dough into 3" diameter circles. Place some of the filling in the center of each circle.
3. Seal the filling by pulling the edges of the rolled dough together to make a ball. Do the same for all the remaining balls.
4. Keep aside for at least two minutes before rolling. If you don’t wait long enough the cauliflower filling will seep through the edges when rolling the paranthas
5. Dip the balls in dry atta to make it easier to roll out the paranthas
6. Lightly press the ball on the sealed side and keep it on the topside when rolling. Roll the ball light handed into 6" circles.
7. Heat the tawa on medium heat. Place the paratha over the tawa. You will see the color change and the parantha will bubble in different places.
8. Turn the parantha over. It should now have golden-brown spots. Wait a few seconds and put a little oil over parantha and spread the oil on the topside. Flip the parantha and lightly press the puffed areas with a spatula.
9. Flip again and press with the spatula making sure the parantha is golden-brown on both sides 
10. Serve hot with curry of your choice or with pickle and raitha.

SPINACH & CABBAGE PARANTHA

SPINACH & CABBAGE PARANTHA

My husband and I are major fans of paranthas of different types and I make them very often. As you might know, elsewhere in this blog, in the past I have posted different types of paranthas such as:

1. Methi ( Fenugreek) Paranthas
2. Spring Onion Paranthas
3. Hare Pyaz Aur Aloo Ka Parantha
4. Palak (Spinach) Paranthas

I came across another interesting combination of veggies used in the making of a parantha in this YouTube video for Spinach and Cabbage Parantha by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. I have adapted this dish from this recipe.

This came out very well. I would urge you to try this out. It is very nutritious considering the spinach and cabbage used and the ajwain (carom seeds) gives it a flavour all of its own. We had this with curds and fresh pickles which was a great combination.

Ingredients:

• Spinach, (Palak) shredded, 1 bunch
• Cabbage, shredded, 1/4 of medium sized
• Atta, 2 cups
• Besan, 1/2 cup
• Red Chilly Powder, 1 tsp or to taste
• Green Chillies, finely chopped, 2
• Ajwain (Carrom Seeds), 1/4 tsp
• Milk, 1/4 cup
• Oil, as required
• Salt, to taste

Method:

Wash the spinach in several changes of water and shred it. Keep aside
Shred the cabbage leaves
Chop the green chillies
Mix the atta and besan in a large bowl
Add salt, red chilly powder, ajwain, green chillies and the shredded cabbage and spinach, along with 3 tsp of oil
Mix thoroughly
Add 3/4 cup of water to the 1/4 cup of milk, Add this to the atta mixture and knead to make a soft dough
Divide the dough into eight equal portions and roll out into fairly thick paranthas
Heat the tawa and when it is hot, place the rolled out parantha
Cook it adding as much oil as you require
Flip it to cook the other side, till both the sides are evenly done
Serve hot with curds and pickle

METHI ( FENUGREEK) PARANTHAS

METHI ( FENUGREEK) PARANTHAS


Paranthas are a kind of Indian flat bread made with whole wheat flour which we colloquially call, " Atta". The beauty of this dish is that we in India make so many types of paranthas based on different vegetables used as stuffing.

In earlier posts I have written about Hare Pyaz Aur Aloo Parantha ( Onion & Potato); Spring Onion Parantha; and Palak (Spinach) Parantha.

Today I add one more: using methi ( fenugreek) leaves. Methi has many health benefits known to us since ancient times. This article in Chef In You speaks of these and also has lovely pictures of the fresh methi leaves.



Ingredients:

• Atta (Whole wheat flour), 2 cups
• Fresh Methi ( fenugreek) leaves, chopped, 1 cup
• Onion, finely chopped, 1
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, for cooking

Method:
Take out the methi leaves from the stems and wash thoroughly in several changes of water
Chop the methi leaves and the onion

Mix the atta with the fresh chopped methi leaves, finely chopped onion, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt to a smooth dough, using 3/4 cups of water
Keep aside for 15-20 minutes
Make equal portions of the dough and roll them out to form paranthas of about 6" diameter
Heat the tawa and roast the parantha using a little oil for two minutes till golden brown
Flip and roast the other side as well
Serve hot with curds and pickle or any side dish of your choice

PALAK (SPINACH) PARANTHA

PALAK (SPINACH) PARANTHA

Today, I shall present another Parantha, this one made of palak or spinach.

Chappatis/Rotis/Paranthas. Those not familiar with Indian cooking and North Indian cuisine in particular might wonder what the differences are amongst these which are broadly and, may I say, blandly classified as "Indian bread" in the West. The uninitiated might find this article in Wiki of interest. Note the amazing varieties of paranthas that are made!

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for Hare Pyaz Aur Aloo Parantha and Spring Onion Parantha.

Palak, ( pronounced paa-lak) as spinach is popularly known in India, is rich in iron, calcium and antioxidants. It is a favourite in our cuisine. The fresh green palak is also a treat to the eye.


Ingredients:

• Atta, 4 cups 
• Palak, (Spinach) finely chopped, 2 cups
• Ajwain (Carom Seeds) 1 tsp
• Jeera (Cumin seeds) 1 tsp
• Dhania ( Coriander leaves) finely chopped, 2 tbsp
• Onion, finely chopped, 1
• Green chillies, finely chopped 2
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required

Method:

Take out the palak leaves and discard the stems
Wash the palak leaves thoroughly 
Wash the dhania leaves thoroughly

Dry roast ajwain and jeera. Cool for a few minutes
Blend the two to a fine powder in a mixer. Keep aside.

Make a fine paste of onion, spinach, coriander leaves and green chillies in a mixer using very little water

In a bowl, mix together the atta, salt, and oil with the ajwain-jeera powder and the palak paste
Knead to a soft dough using a little water and keep aside for 15-20 minutes
Next, make small balls of the dough and roll them into paranthas of about 6" diameter
Heat a tawa and cook each of the paranthas, using a little oil till golden brown on both sides
Serve hot with fresh curds (dahi) and pickle

SPRING ONION PARANTHA

SPRING ONION PARANTHA

I have used the spelling "paranthas" as I believe this is the way the word is pronounced in the Punjab from where this originated. It is also spelt as "paratha". The word comes from "parat" and "atta" which means layers of cooked dough.

It is common to have paranthas stuffed with vegetables of different kinds, perhaps the most common being potatoes or cauliflower. Today's recipe is for one which is not so common as a stuffing, which is spring onions using both the whites and greens.




Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Flour ( Atta) 2 cups + some for dusting 
• Spring Onions, finely chopped, 1/2 cup
• Gram Flour ( Besan) 2 tbsp
• Red Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Powder, 1 tsp
• Asafoetida, 1/4 tsp 
• Moong Dhal 1/2 cup - soaked for 1 hour and then drained
• Salt, to taste
• Oil/Ghee, as required for roasting the paranthas

Method:

Mix the whole wheat flour along with a little salt and the required amount of water to make a soft dough.
Divide the dough into equal portions and keep aside

In a vessel, cook the soaked moong dal in adequate water with a little salt for about 6-8 minutes
stirring from time to time
Once the moong dal is cooked, drain the excess water and allow it to cool and mash the dal gently
To this, add the finely chopped spring onion, besan, chilli powder, cumin  powder, asafoetida and a little salt and mix well
This forms the stuffing for the paranthas
Divide the stuffing in equal portions and keep aside

Roll out the dough by dusting with some atta to form circular discs
In the centre of each of these discs, place one portion of the stuffing prepared
Gather the edges of the disc and bring them together to envelop the stuffing
Again roll them out to form the paranthas by dusting them in whole wheat flour

Heat a tawa and roast each of the paranthas, adding oil/ghee as required, till they are golden brown on both sides
Serve with any curry of your choice or with curds and pickle.

HARE PYAZ AUR ALOO KA PARANTHA

HARE PYAZ AUR ALOO KA PARANTHA

Parantha made of potatoes and spring onions.

How do you describe a parantha? Especially to someone who may never have seen one? I guess you in the  West would call them Indian flatbread. What is naan? And roti? And parantha? The best way out is to use pictures. I saw this delightful collection of pictures by Neelu Sharma on Pinterest. As you will see there is an amazing variety out there.

Today, I present to you a parantha- Hare Pyaz Aur Aloo Ka Parantha- which is commonly made in North India. This has a stuffing of both potatoes and spring onions.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes, boiled and mashed, 2
• Spring Onions green chopped 5-6
• Whole wheat flour - atta 1 1/2 cups
• Green chillies, chopped 2
• Carom Seeds ( Ajwain)  1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Fresh Coriander Leaves, chopped 2 tbsp
• Yogurt 1/4 cup
• Oil 2 tbsp
• Ghee as required

Method:

Take the atta in a bowl. Add spring onions with green chillies, carom seeds, salt, potatoes, red chilli powder, coriander leaves, yogurt and enough water. Knead all this into a dough.  Apply oil, cover and set aside for 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Roll the balls in dry flour and keep aside for 5 minutes. Roll out into paranthas with medium thickness.

Heat a tawa and place a parantha on it. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes. Turn and apply ghee on the cooked side. Turn once more and apply ghee on the other side. Cook till both sides turn a golden brown.

Serve hot with curds and pickles.