Paneer Paratha
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Paneer paratha – This Indian bread stuffed with crumbled cottage cheese makes for a filling breakfast and serves as a great lunch box option too. Bonus: it freezes as well – perfect for busy mornings!
If you have never made parathas in your life then this paneer paratha recipe is a great place to start. The reason being that the paneer stuffing used in this paratha is a lot easier to handle compared to say an Aloo paratha (bread stuffed with potatoes).
What is the difference between a roti and paratha?
Though both parathas and rotis are made from whole wheat flour, the difference lies in how they are rolled and cooked.
The key differences being
- Parathas are thicker than rotis as they are always either layered or stuffed whereas rotis are not. For example, plain parathas are rolled then layered with ghee or oil and then folded and rolled again. This process is repeated a couple of times resulting in layered bread. Stuffed parathas can be made two ways –
- Place stuffing such as mashed potatoes, onions, carrot, radish between two circular discs of the same size. Seal the edges and then roll into a circular shape.
- Alternatively, place the stuffing in the center of a circular disc about 4 inches in diameter. Grab the edges and pleat them and bring them together in the center. Pinch them together to seal them and flatten them using your palm. Dust both side of the flour with dough and roll it into a circle.
- Rotis are typically not cooked in oil or ghee while parathas are shallow fried.
Tips for a perfect paneer paratha
- No moisture in the stuffing – If using frozen paneer, let it thaw completely. Use a paper towel to absorb any moisture before grating it. You can use a food processor to grate the paneer or a box grater.
- Smooth texture of the stuffing – Run your fingers in the grated paneer to make sure there are no chunks of paneer in the mixture. Crush it with your fingers if needed to crumble it completely.
- Once you have combined the seasonings with paneer, do a taste test. Adjust salt and spice as needed.
- Don’t forget to add salt to the dough.
- Finely chop both the coriander leaves and the green chilies to prevent tearing of the paratha while you are rolling it out.
- If the paratha is sticking to the base as you are rolling, it is likely because
- The dough is sticky – Fix the dough by adding a teaspoon of flour at a time and kneading it. Repeat this process until the dough is not sticky.
- Leftover dough on the base – Scrape the base and clean off any leftover bits.
How to make Paneer paratha
Step 1 – Make the dough –
- Combine wheat flour, salt, a tablespoon of oil, carom seeds with 1 cup of water and start kneading. Add remaining water in small increments and continue to knead till the dough comes together as a ball.
- Add the remaining oil to the dough and knead till the oil is absorbed.
- If the dough is sticky, sprinkle approximately 1/4 teaspoon wheat flour (or more if needed) on the dough and knead again to form a dough that is not sticky. The dough should be supple and soft.
- Cover the dough and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
Step 2 – Make the stuffing – Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing – paneer, black salt, garam masala, coriander leaves, jeera, green chilies, dry mango powder, and salt till they are well combined.
Step 3 – Rolling out the parathas – Divide dough into twelve equal portions and roll into balls. Flatten the ball and cover both sides with flour.
Step 4 – Roll into a circular disc about 4 inches in diameter
Step 5 – Place two tablespoonfuls of the stuffing in the center.
Step 6 – Grab the edges and pleat them and bring them together in the center.
Step 7 – Pinch them together to seal them and flatten them using your palm.
Step 8 – Flatten the ball and cover both sides with flour.
Step 9 – Use your rolling pin to roll into a flat, round shape. Do this delicately – dusting flour as needed to help with this process.
Step 10 – Dust off excess flour from the paratha by placing it on your palm of one hand and then flip it on the palm of your other hand. Repeat this process 3-4 times.
Step 11 – Cook the paratha – Place a tawa/frying pan on gas on medium heat. Once heated, carefully place the paratha on the tawa. Cook until small bubbles form on the top. Turn it over and cook the other side.
Step 12 – Flip the paratha and add a teaspoon of ghee to the pan and cook on both sides for about 15 seconds each. Use a spatula to press the edges to ensure the sides are cooked through. Serve hot with yogurt, raita or pickle.
Storing and serving suggestions
- Serve the paneer paratha with yogurt, raita or pickle.
- Store them in a casserole to keep warm for a couple of hours.
- Freezing instructions –
- To freeze the parathas, wait for them to completely cool.
- Stack the parathas always separated by parchment paper which is equivalent to the size of the paratha. This makes it easier to separate them after thawing.
- Put in them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag.
- Thawing instructions – To thaw leave it in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for about 30 minutes. I usually microwave them for a minute and heat them on the tawa for a minute or two till it is uniformly heated.
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Paneer Paratha
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 1-3/4 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds ajwain
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
Paneer stuffing
- 400 grams 14 oz Paneer (cottage cheese), grated [see note]
- 1 teaspoon black salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon jeera cumin seeds
- 2 green chilies finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon dry mango powder amchur
- ½ teaspoon salt salt to taste
- ¼ cup ghee for frying
Instructions
Make the dough
- Combine wheat flour, salt, a tablespoon of oil, carom seeds with 1 cup of water and start kneading. Add remaining water in small increments and continue to knead till the dough comes together as a ball.
- Add the remaining oil to the dough and knead till the oil is absorbed.
- If the dough is sticky, sprinkle approximately 1/4 teaspoon wheat flour (or more if needed) on the dough and knead again to form a dough that is not sticky. The dough should be supple and soft.
- Cover the dough and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
Make the stuffing
- Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing - paneer, black salt, garam masala, coriander leaves, jeera, green chilies, dry mango powder, and salt till they are well combined.
Rolling out the parathas
- Divide dough into twelve equal portions and roll into balls. Flatten the ball and cover both sides with flour.
- Roll into a circular disc about 4 inches in diameter.
- Place two tablespoonfuls of the stuffing in the center.
- Grab the edges and pleat them and bring them together in the center.
- Pinch them together to seal them and flatten them using your palm.
- Flatten the ball and cover both sides with flour.
- Use your rolling pin to roll into a flat, round shape. Do this delicately - dusting flour as needed to help with this process.
- Dust off excess flour from the paratha by placing it on your palm of one hand and then flip it on the palm of your other hand. Repeat this process 3-4 times.
Cooking the paratha
- Place a tawa/frying pan on gas on medium heat. Once heated, carefully place the paratha on the tawa.
- Cook until small bubbles form on the top. Turn it over and cook the other side.
- Flip the paratha and add a teaspoon of ghee to the pan and cook on both sides for about 15 seconds each.
- Serve hot with yogurt or raita.
Notes
- You can either use a box grater or a food processor to grate the paneer. Make sure you dab off any moisture from the paneer before grating using a paper towel.
- If using store bought paneer, I would recommend using Haldiram's paneer for best results.
Disclaimer: Approximate nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and can vary depending on the exact ingredients/brands used. If you have health issues, please work with a registered dietician or nutritionist.