Stuffed Paraathas...Chapaathi Dough, Cauliflower, Mooli And Little Gourd Stuffings- Part I

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I am writing these posts for the beginners...in cooking! So, let me start this post about 'Stuffed Paraathas' from the first step...preparing the dough!

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups of Wheat flour
2. 2 cups of water
3. 1/2 tsp. sugar
4. 1 1/2 tsp. salt
5. 2 tbs. cooking oil/refined oil

Method: 

Take 2 cups of water in a vessel or basin as shown in the picture.
Add sugar, salt and a tbs. of oil. 
Mix with hand.  Then add the wheat flour and start mixing slowly.  Mix well.  The dough should be soft to the hand.  Sprinkle more water or flour if needed and mix well. If you press it with a finger, it should go in softly and a mark should be there.  Take the remaining oil and apply all over the dough.  Cover and keep it aside for minimum one hour so that it becomes very soft and is able to pull it without breaking to cover the stuffing.

For Poori dough, you should use Ghee instead of oil! The dough should be stiff, not soft and should not soak for such a long time! 

Water, salt, sugar and oil for Chapaathi. 

Chapaathi dough is ready! Close with a lid and keep aside for half to one hour.

1. Cauliflower stuffed paraatha:

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup Cauliflower florets soaked in turmeric powder and salt water
for 15-20 mts. (to kill the worms which are found in this vegetable often...1/2 tsp. turmeric powder and 2 tsp. salt) and then cut into tiny pieces as shown in the picture.

2. 1 Small onion cut into tiny pieces
3. 3-4 Green chillies, cut into tiny pieces (according to taste!)
4. 1" Ginger, cut into tiny pieces
5. 3-4 pods of garlic, cut into tiny pieces
6. 1/4 cup cut pieces of capsicum.
7. Oil for using on the tava for cooking. (Keep half cup of oil with a tsp.of ghee in a cup for using while making chapaathis!)
8. 1/4 tsp. sugar
9. Salt to taste (1/2 tsp.)
10. 1 tsp. oil, 1 tsp. butter (butter to give taste!)
11. 1/2 tsp. Jeera/cumin seeds
12. 1 tsp. Red Chilli powder
13. 1/2 tsp. Garam masala powder  

 Method:

Keep all the ingredients ready nearby in small cups...at least until you become used to cooking!

First, microwave the cauliflower pieces for 2 mts. and keep aside.

Take a small pan. Medium flame. Pour a oil/butter. Add jeera. Let it flutter a bit.

Add the cut onion, green chillies, garlic and ginger pieces. Add butter, sugar and salt.  Fry for a minute or till the onion becomes transparent. Salt helps to bring onion get cooked faster!

Add the capsicum pieces. Add cauliflower pieces.  Mix well.  Add the other ingredients like chilli powder, garam masala etc. Mix well for a minute.  Taste it. Add salt if needed. Salt can be a bit on the high side since it will be covered by chapaathi dough. Mix again.  The stuffing is ready!

Take a double lemon sized ball of dough.  Roll well and press it into a cup shape using your fingers ... press in the middle with your thumb.  Place a tbs. of stuffing into it and stick/join the edges. No gaps should be there.  If you find any and if the dough is not enough to cover, take a bit more dough and repair the hole!

Now, roll it into chapaathi using some dry flour while rolling.  If the stuffing is visible a little, no problem.  See to it that the edges are not thick. Check in the picture.  Put it on a hot tava.  Medium flame. Turn it after a minute with a sharp edged ladle (dosai thiruppi, we call it!).  Cut them into four pieces or two pieces as per your wish.  You have to do this step when the chapaathi is still half cooked! Otherwise it would be difficult to cut evenly.  Press the edges if they are thick. Now, apply a tsp. of oil mixed with a little ghee (we keep this mixture in a small container always). After turning apply more  oil.  Let it become brown on both sides. We can't compromise on oil in paraathas!

Punjabis add just butter, a lot of butter, instead of oil/ghee mixture...so their paraathas are tastier.  I can't imagine using so much butter!  When the paraathas are ready keep them on a tissue paper or steel rings so that they don't become wet with steam.  Place a couple of tissues or cloth in the container in which you are planning to keep the paraathas.  Close it with cloth/tissue and then place the lid.  It will be hot for a long time.

This is the basic recipe for making paraathas.  After you do them 3-4 times, you will know to do the 'adjustments' and become an expert... You can stuff anything as per your imagination.  I have given some!

Cauliflower stuffed paraatha...Keep the vegetables ready like this. Cut the vegetables to the tiniest pieces!

Stuffing...

Close the mouth without any gap.  If gap is there, take some dough and close it, then it will be easy to roll into paraathas.

Paraatha is ready to cook! Turn this paratha after a minute and then slice into pieces if you want, with your ladle (dosai thiruppi!) immediately.  If you wait, it will be difficult to cut. Press the edges if they are thick.

Cauliflower paraatha is ready!

Mooli Stuffed Paraatha:

The basic method is the same as above.  Very tiny pieces of mooli/Radish/daikon)
are used instead of Cauliflower.  You can add some saambaar powder instead of normal chilli powder for variation.

Stuffing for Mooli stuffed paraatha

 Brinjal/Egg plant Stuffed Paraatha:

Tiny pieces of brinjal/egg plant is used here. Microwave as usual.  Follow the first method. Use Curry powder here instead of chilli powder and half tsp. of dri tam ( Tamarind powder) also to enhance the taste. It is OK if you don't have it too. Capsicum can be avoided.  Rest of the steps are same.

Brinjal stuffing is getting ready!

Stuffing for Brinjal stuffed paraatha

Kovakkai/Little gourd Stuffed Paraatha:

Cut the vegetable into tiny pieces, microwave and the rest of the steps are the same as in the first recipe.  The vegetable should be very tender and green.

This picture has not come out well, sorry! Kovakkai/little gourd paraatha Stuffing.

Kovakkai paratha

Tips: Always add a bit of salt while frying onions.  It makes the onion get cooked faster.

Adding a little sugar, blends the taste in the subji.

Stuffing should be a bit strong, with more chillies and salt because we will be covering it with chapaathi dough.  OK, not too salty too!!

Please try this and tell me if you find the steps easy to follow.  If you need any help/explanation also, write in the comment section.

This looks a bit elaborate because I want the new chefs (!), girl or boy, to find it easy to follow! All the best! Enjoy cooking and eating good, home-made food!

More paraathas in the next part! Here!