Cabbage Parathas ~ Indian Flatbreads With Spicy Cabbage Stuffing

Parathas are one of the popular unleavened flatbreads from the Indian subcontinent. They can be prepared either plain or with a savory stuffing and today's recipe falls under the latter category. There are several versions of stuffed parathas that are traditional and popular. Aloo paratha - the spicy potato bread and gobi paratha - the spicy cauliflower bread for example are those kind of parathas. Over the years, many variety of vegetable preparations are being used as a filling for the stuffed flatbreads. These cabbage parathas though not traditional are delicious. 

Preparation of stuffed flatbreads may sound hard for a novice with limited culinary skills. However if one can manage to roll out circles from dough, stuffed parathas are manageable. The link I have provided at the end of the post to aloo parathas may prove helpful in that regard. And one more point to remember is that the filling / stuffing that is going to be used should be prepared always on a drier side. Also if the stuffing used is prepared on a spicier side, no additional side dishes are required for these kind of stuffed parathas. Only plain yogurt and some pickle would be enough.

Ingredients for parathas:
1.5 cups whole wheat flour + extra for dusting
2 tsp. oil
1/4 tsp. salt
Oil / ghee to toast parathas

Ingredients for the stuffing:
1 tbsp. oil 
1 tsp. cumin seeds
3 cups finely chopped cabbage
2 finely minced green chillies or red chili powder to taste
Salt to taste
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 tsp. coriander powder
3/4 tsp. amchur powder / dry mango powder

Preparation of dough:
* Combine wheat flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add water in small increments and prepare a soft, pliable dough. (I added about 3/4 cup minus 2 tbsp. water.)
* Next add oil and knead the dough for a couple of minutes. Cover and allow it to rest anywhere between 30 minutes to a couple of hours.  
(You can proceed with the below recipe to make parathas at this point or refrigerate it to use the dough within a day or two. If refrigerating, bring the dough to room temperature before rolling out the parathas. Or to quicken the process, cover the dough and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 20 - 30 seconds depending upon the quantity. The refrigerated dough would be ready to work with, in a jiffy this way.)

Preparing the stuffing:
* Heat oil in  a wok / pan and add cumin seeds. When cumin seeds start to brown add green chillies if using and saute for 30 seconds. * Next add shredded cabbage, turmeric powder and salt to the pan. Stir with a spatula uniformly, cover and cook on low flame until cabbage is cooked. 
* Now add chili powder (only if green chillies were not used earlier), amchur powder, cumin and coriander powders to the pan and mix well. Cook for a minute or so and turn off the stove. 
* If by any chance the cabbage has released more water, then cook on medium flame stirring continuosly until all the water evaporates and the mixture appears dry. Otherwise when one tries to stuff the curry and roll the parathas, the water would ooze and it would be a mess.

Preparing the parathas:
* Divide the dough into about 8 portions and roll them smoothly between your palms to shape them into balls.
* Work with one dough ball at a time and keep the rest covered. 
* Roll a dough ball into 3 - 4 inch disc and place about 2 tbsp. of filling, depending upon how comfortable you are with the rolling part. Place the stuffing at the center of the disc, leaving the edges free. 
* Bring the edges together so that there are no gaps and the stuffing is inside intact.
* Press it into a disc taking care that there are no gaps anywhere so that the stuffing wouldn't spill out while rolling. 
* Roll the disc carefully into a 5 to 6 inch thin circle, dusting with flour if necessary. Take care not to break it or let the filling coming out. Repeat the steps of paratha making with the remaining dough.
* Heat iron griddle or a shallow, non stick pan and place the rolled out paratha.

 * Toast the parathas, brushing generously with oil / ghee, until both sides are cooked well and brown spots appear.
* Repeat the steps of rolling and toasting the parathas with the remaining dough balls and the stuffing. Serve them hot with yogurt and a spicy pickle. 

Check my aloo paratha post here for detailed instructions and another simple method for stuffing and rolling out the parathas.


This goes to Blogging marathon #86, under the theme 'Stuffed flatbreads'. Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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Beetroot Parathas / Spicy Stuffed Beetroot Flatbreads

My second one in the 'Flatbreads' series this week is going to be these Indian style spicy flatbreads with a beetroot stuffing. Potato, radish, cauliflower, lentils or paneer (milk based Indian cheese) are the most commonly used ingredients to stuff the unleavened Indian breads called parathas / paranthas. These parathas with a spicy stuffing do not need any other side dishes to go with and are served with a pat of butter, yogurt and a hot pickle if needed. Beetroot filling though not a conventional one, offers a healthy alternative and these parathas are one more way to include the iron and folic acid rich root vegetable in the diet.

I love the earthy flavor of beets and usually prefer to retain it in a dish by not overly masking it in spices. These parathas are no exception and only ginger and chili powder add the heat factor here. I sometimes tend to add garam masala but not particular about it in these parathas. A dash of ground coriander and cumin or amchur may be an interesting addition too though I prefer to keep the filling simple as mentioned above. I had made them spicy and so, a cup of yogurt was all I needed to enjoy them.

Ingredients: (Yield 6 parathas)
1 cup wheat flour / atta + extra for dusting
1 peeled and grated beetroot (about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. red chili powder (or as per taste)
1/4 tsp. garam masala (optional)
Salt & oil as needed

Method:
* Combine wheat flour and 1/4 tsp. salt in a mixing bowl. Add water and mix working with your fingers to for a firm, pliable dough. (6 to 7 tbsp. water would be needed for this quantity flour.) Add a tsp. of oil and knead the dough for a minute or two. Cover and leave the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes. I usually leave the dough to rest for about two hours as I don't knead.
* Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing for parathas. Heat 2 tsp. of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to brown, add the grated beetroot and salt. Mix with a spatula, cover and cook on low flame until the beet gratings are cooked. Add chili powder and any other seasonings if using and mix well. Cook for a minute more and turn off the stove. Let this stuffing come to room temperature before preparing the parathas.
* Knead the dough again for few seconds and divide it into 6 or 12 portions depending upon which method mentioned below you are going to use to roll out the stuffed parathas. Roll each dough portion into a smooth ball. Work on one portion at a time and keep the remaining covered. 
* There are two ways to stuff and roll the parathas. The first method requires some amount of expertise to stuff and roll without spilling. In this case, a dough ball is rolled into a circle and the stuffing is placed at the center. Then the edges are brought together encasing the stuffing in a disc form and rolled again. 
The second method is the easiest one where you roll out two dough circles for each paratha. Spoon out the stuffing over one circle, place another circle over it, join the edges and then roll them together. Check my aloo paratha post for a detailed explanation with pictures. 
* Heat an iron griddle or a shallow, non stick pan and place the rolled out paratha. Toast the paratha, brushing generously with oil until both sides are cooked well and brown spots appear.
* Repeat the steps of rolling and toasting the parathas with the remaining dough balls and the stuffing. Serve them hot with yogurt and a spicy pickle.
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #69, under the theme 'Flatbreads'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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Pudina Paratha

For this week's blogging marathon, I am going with the theme 'One menu card - 3 different courses' and I picked Puranmal menu card from the given choices. I am going with 'Pudina Parathas' on Day 1.

These parathas can impress anyone with their looks alone. The flecks of emerald 'mint' and the prominent layers are absolutely appealing. These are made 'lachha paratha' style, resulting in flaky, flavorful parathas. They make a great meal with minimal efforts since they don't need any side dishes as such. We enjoyed them with just plain yogurt and a pickle. 

Ingredients: (Yields 5 parathas)

1 cup atta / wheat flour + extra for dusting

Salt to taste

1 cup tightly packed mint/pudina leaves or 1/2 cup packed mint leaves + about 1 tbsp. mint powder

1/2 tsp chaat masala

2 tbsp. butter

Oil to make parathas

Method:

* Wash and finely chop about 1/2 cup of pudina leaves. 

* Combine flour, salt and chopped pudina leaves in a mixing bowl. Add sufficient water to make a firm, pliable dough. Cover and let the dough rest for about an hour or so.

* In the mean while, wash and pat dry the remaining 1/2 cup mint leaves. Toast them on low flame until they turn crispy. Cool and grind them fine. Ignore this step if using mint powder.

* Mix mint powder and chaat masala in a bowl and keep aside.

* Divide the dough into 5 portions and roll them into balls. Work with one dough ball each time and keep the rest covered.

* Roll one ball into thin circle of about 6 inches, dusting with flour if necessary. Smear with butter and sprinkle some chaat masala - mint powder mixture all over it.

* Now comes the pleating part. Start from the upper end of the disc. Fold the disc into pleats using your hands, as shown below.

* Just pinch at the edges after folding the disc like a fan, if it is not done so already while pleating .

* Then twist the pleated disc into a tight roll.

* Again roll it into a thin circle of about 6 inches diameter. Dust it with flour if necessary.

* Heat a tawa / shallow frying pan. Fry one roti at a time on medium heat. Place the rolled disc onto the hot griddle. Toast for about a minute. Small bubbles start to appear on the surface. Then flip it to the other side using a spatula. Add 1/2 tsp oil around the edges and spread around 1/4 tsp oil on the surface. Toast the other side too. Keep moving around and pressing the roti a little with the spatula for uniform toasting including the edges. Flip the roti one more time if required. Properly toasted roti / parathas have small brown spots all over it. Remove the roti and keep it covered. Repeat the steps with the remaining dough balls.

* Serve them with a spicy curry or some pickle and yogurt.

Check what other marathoners are cooking during this marathon.

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