Mixed Vegetable Paratha

This is a perfect recipe for the sumptuous brunch. Prepare stuffed paratha from the leftover cooked vegetables like potato, peas, beans, capsicum, cabbage etc from the previous meal. Just dry them in a frying pan to remove all the moisture before stuffing. Serve with butter and plain yogurt.

Ingredients:

To prepare dough:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• Warm water to knead

To prepare stuffing:

• Dried cooked vegetable
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger

To pan fry:

• Ghee (clarified butter) or cooking oil to pan-fry parathas

Method:

• Completely dry the vegetables in a frying pan on medium heat so that all the moisture is removed. Mix grated ginger and chopped coriander leaves. Divide stuffing mixture in equal sized portions and keep aside.
• Mix oil and salt in whole wheat flour and knead the flour into smooth dough using warm water; keep it aside for ½ hour.
• Divide the dough into 8-10 equal sized balls. Flour a clean surface and roll each ball out into an oblong chapati about 8" in length and 4-5” in width.

• Now with the help of thumb and first finger pinch the centre of chapati to form a dumble shaped structure.

• Place stuffing on one part of the dumble.

• And now fold the other over it.

• Press gently around the edges.

• Carefully roll out the stuffed circle into paratha, sprinkling whole-wheat flour on the surface, to avoid sticking of paratha with rolling pin.
• Heat a griddle (tawa) and place a paratha on the griddle. Flip the paratha when tiny bubbles rise on the surface. Drizzle a bit of ghee/oil on the top and spread well over the surface of the paratha. Flip the paratha again after few seconds and drizzle ghee on this surface too. The paratha is done when both sides are crispy and golden brown. Remove from the griddle and repeat with the other parathas until all are cooked.
• Serve with butter, plain yogurt and/or pickle.

Do You Know?

Gluten is the substance that gives dough its elasticity, strength, and makes the dough rise. Wheat has a high level of gluten. When baked goods are made with various types of non-gluten flour, wheat flour is often added so that the dough is able to rise effectively. Many types of flour milled from various grains, seeds, legumes, tubers, and nuts do not contain gluten.

Gluten forms only when liquid is added to flour causing a reaction of the insoluble proteinsgliadin and glutenin. Gliadin has the consistency of syrup when it is combined with water and glutenin becomes very rubbery. The combination of the two is what gives dough its sticky and elastic qualities.