Palak paratha is a healthy and delicious unleavened bread that everyone loves! Serve these healthy spinach parathas with your favorite saucy curries or creamy raita for a satisfying breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any time snack.
Wash and rinse the spinach. Chop and discard any thick stalks.
Puree the spinach with mint leaves, ginger, garlic, green chilies, salt, cilantro and water into a fine paste.
Making the dough
Add 3 cups of wheat flour, carom seeds, spinach puree, and oil to a large bowl. Use your fingers to combine. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer as well.
Add water, one tablespoon at a time, and continue kneading until the dough comes together like a ball.
Add 1/4th teaspoon oil to the dough and knead till the oil is absorbed.
If the dough is sticky, sprinkle approximately 1 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 spinach rotis
Pull a small piece approximately the size of a golf ball from the dough. Place the piece between the palms of your hands and shape them into a ball.
Flatten the ball and cover both sides with flour.
Roll out the flattened ball into a circular shape (approximately 7-8 inches in diameter).
To make layered parathas (skip this section if you want to make only rotis)
Pull a small piece approximately the size of a golf ball from the dough. Place the piece between the palms of your hands and shape them into a ball. Flatten the ball and cover both sides with flour.
Roll out the flattened ball into a circular shape (approximately 6 inches in diameter).
Brush the surface of the rolled-out dough with ghee. Take 1/3 portion of the rolled dough from the left side and fold towards the middle. Now fold 1/3 portion from the left till the folds overlap slightly. Brush it with ghee.
Now fold the top and bottom portion of the rolled dough towards the middle creating a square.
Dip the square shaped paratha in flour and use the rolling pin to roll it evenly into a square shape paratha using as little pressure as possible.
To make triangle or circular layered parathas, follow the instructions in the plain paratha post.
Cooking paratha / roti
Heat a pan / tawa over medium-high heat.
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.
Place the paratha in the hot pan. Cook the paratha until small bumps form on the surface (approximately 1-2 minutes).
Flip the paratha onto the other side. Cook for 30-40 seconds or so until you see brown spots. Smear it with ghee and flip it.
Cook for 20-30 seconds, then brush the side facing up with ghee. Use a spatula to press down the paratha so that it evenly cooks.
Flip it and cook it for another 15-20 seconds while pressing the paratha down with the spatula.
Transfer the paratha to a plate. Repeat this process for the rest of the dough.
Serve it hot with dal, vegetable or chicken curry.
Notes
To fasten up the process, roll out the next paratha as one cooks in the pan.
Make sure to dust off the excess flour from the paratha before you cook it. This prevents the paratha from getting hard.
Before storing it in an air-tight container, let the paratha cool down for at least 5-6 minutes to avoid making it soggy.