What I really look forward to in the winter months in Delhi is eating stuffed Parathas. You get various kinds of stuffed Parathas in the Parathe walli Gali which is Chandi Chowk, old Delhi, Paneer Parathas, aloo Parathas, Gobi parathas, and many more. This lane has a few small shops in a row selling only stuffed parathas, and they are always full. I prefer the homemade ones, especially the Mooli Parathas. The Daikon radish or Mooli has a distinctive taste and smell so you can make a lovely spicy paratha with it which is delicious just by itself or with some pickle and yogurt. The white carrot like root is used for the parathas. Making these parathas are a bit tricky but not difficult. I have tried to show you how to make it in this recipe with some photos which should be very helpful.
We first make a dough with Ata, (whole wheat flour), and keep it aside while we make the filling. The Mooli is grated finely and kept in a bowl mixed with a little salt. After about half an hour the water in the grated mooli is squeezed out, this has to be done otherwise when we add the spices to the mooli and then stuff the Ata the water in the mooli will seep into the ata and make it impossible to roll out the parathas. So it is absolutely essential to squeeze out the water from the mooli before adding the cumin, more salt and chili powder and chopped coriander leaves.
Next you divide the ata into equal portion, make each into a ball. Take one portion an flatten it a bit , put the mooli stuffing in the middle of the ata and close it. The Important thing is that you cannot keep the stuffed ata, you have to roll it out immediately and start toasting it on the Tava / Frying pan. Once it is slightly browned on both sides you can keep it aside while you make the others. So you have to work with one portion of dough at a time.To finish a paratha you put a teaspoon full of oil around the paratha, and flip it once or twice to make it nice and brown and little crisp. I usually make a stack of the toasted parathas without the oil, and fry them only when the person is ready to eat, this way the parathas are hot when serving.
Ingredients
For the Filling
Grated Mooli/ Daikon radish 1 & 1/2 cup
Salt 1 & 1/2 teaspoons
Chopped green chilies 1 teaspoon
Chopped Coriander leaves / dhania patta 1/4 cup
* Roasted Cumin powder/ bhuna jeera 1/2 teaspoon
Chili powder 1/4 teaspoon.
Carom seeds/ Ajwain 1/2 teaspoon
Grated Mooli
Spices to add to the grated mooli
For the Dough
Wholewheat flour / ata 1 cup
Carrom seeds / ajwain 1/4 teaspoon
water 1/2 cup
PLUS 1 cup oil for frying the Parathas
Method
1 To make the dough, put the Ata/ whole wheat Flour in a bowl or plate, add the carom seeds / Ajwain and mix well with your fingers.
2 Make a well in the center of the flour and add the water. Slowly mix the Ata and water to make a dough. Keep kneading till a smooth dough is formed. If it is too soggy add a spoon of Ata, and then knead well.
3 Put the dough in a bowl and keep it covered till your filling is ready. Later divide it into 8 equal portions.
4 Grate the mooli /daikon, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of salt and keep aside for 1/2 an hour to 1 hour
5 After that, squeeze out as much water as you can. I usually take a fist full of mooli and squeeze out the water, and keep it in another bowl.
6 To this sqqueezed out Mooli add, 1/2 teaspoon Bhuna Jeera/ roasted cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, the coriander leaves chopped, chopped green chilies, and the 1/2 teaspoon of carom seed/ajwain, and mix everything very well.
7 Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
8 Start heating a Frying pan or Tava, keep it on meium to low heat.
9 Take 1 portion and roll it out a little or just stretch it out into an oval shape.
10 Pick up about 1 tablespoon full of the filling and put it in the middle of the flattened dough.
11 Pick up all the corners and enclose the filling.
12 You need some dry ata/ flour to help roll the parathas. Take the stuffed portion and dip it in the dry flour and place it on the counter top or the chaki ( a round short table which we use to roll out Roti, parathas).
13 Roll out gently. You have to hold the rolling pin very lightly and the pressure should not be in the center but on the sides of the dough. If the pressure when rolling is more in the center the filling will come out.
14 Once it is about 6 inches in diameter, place it on a hot frying pan, keep the heat to medium.
15 Let it cook a minute then gently flip it to cook the other side. Be careful not to flip it too soon, then the paratha will break because the paratha is still soft.
16 The paratha should be toasted a little brown on both sides,
17 Now put a teaspoon full of oil or ghee around the paratha and fry a little, flip it over and add a teaspoon of oil on this side too. Fry till it is a bit crispy and brown on both sides.
Serve Hot with plain yogurt and pickle or a green chili. Some like to put a dollop of butter on top of the paratha.
Take portion of the dough, and stretch it gently to flatten it then put the tablespoon of the mooli and spices mixture in the middle .
Then gatther up all the dough and enclose the stuffing. Gently squeeze the dough together to seal it well.
Dip the stuffed dough in the dry ata, put it on the chaki/ board and flatten it gently with your fingers.
Now roll it out with a rolling pin to about 6 inches in diameter. Sprinkle dry ata liberally while rolling or it will stick to the chaki. You can make it smaller than 6 inches if it is difficult to roll.
Gently but quickly transfer the rolled out dough to the hot frying pan / tava.
After 2 minutes or so flip it over to toast the other side. Do not try to turn it if it is still soft, it will disintegrate.
The Paratha should look a bit like this, little brown patches on it. Flip it over once more to see if the other side is toasted too. (the Dough as well as the stuffing is dry now so at this stage you can keep it aside and fry with oil later if you wish)
Take a teaspoon full of oil and slowly pour it all around the paratha. It will fry in this oil for a couple of minutes, then flip it and do the same to this side too.
You turn the parathas once or twice more to see if the paratha is nicely fried, crispy and brown like this picture. Add more oil if the paratha looks dry.
Its now ready to serve.
*Bhuna Jeera or roasted Cumin seeds. Dry roast 2 tablespoons of Jeera / cumin seeds on a frying pan, till you get a lovely aroma of jeera / cumin, be careful not to burn it. Now cool the jeera / cumin seeds and grind it to a powder. Store in a dry clean bottle or container. This is used in many dishes so it is useful to have some ready.
NOTE:
Cauliflower parathas are made in a similar way. Just like in the case of Mooli you have to remove the water released from the cauliflower before mixing the spices to it to make the stuffing. So you grate the Cauliflower and then add a little salt and keep for an hour or so then squeeze out as much of the water as possible. Then add Chili powder, Bhuna jeera, salt, coriander leaves chopped, green chilies chopped, and salt. Mix everything well and the stuffing is ready.
