Description
This Gujarati style stuffed paneer paratha is soft on the inside, golden on the outside, except with her twist of adding in a big handful of green garlic. It’s genuinely so simple to make but it’s got so much flavor you don’t even need anything on the side.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 2½ cups whole wheat atta flour
- ¾ – 1 cup warm water
- Large pinch of salt
- 1 tsp oil
For the Filling
- 200–250 g paneer, shredded
- ⅔ cup frozen green garlic, finely chopped (or substitute a bunch of scallions + 4 cloves garlic)
- A handful of cilantro, finely chopped
- A small bunch of mint, finely chopped
- 8–12 green chilies (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ white onion, finely chopped
Instructions
- Form your dough : Add the atta to a bowl with 1 tsp oil and a big pinch of salt. Mix, then pour in the warm water a little at a time, mixing as you go, until it comes together into a dough. Knead for 2–3 minutes. It should not be too wet or sticky. (MY TEST : press your thumb into the dough & if it leaves a clean mark without sticking to your hands, you’re good.)
- Let the dough rest : Cover the dough with a damp paper towel and let it rest for at least 20–30 minutes. Don’t skip this because resting lets the dough fully hydrate, and that’s the single biggest reason you’ll get a soft paneer paratha that rolls out without cracking. Use this time to make your filling.
- Chili Garlic Paste : Add the green chilies and green garlic (or scallions + garlic) to a blender and pulse a few times so it’s still chunky and not fully a paste.
- Make the filling : In a bowl, combine the shredded paneer with the chili–green garlic mixture you just made, cilantro, mint, salt, cumin powder, black pepper, onion, garam masala, and coriander powder. Mix well and taste it. You can adjust this to how you like it, so feel free to add more of any of the spices or salt, this is just a starting point! (NOTE : If you plan to make the filling ahead don’t add your chopped onion to the mixture until RIGHT before your rolls the parathas out)
- Once the dough has rested, divide it into balls. Keep a small bowl of dry atta nearby for dusting, roll each portion into a smooth ball, and return them to the bowl, covered, so they don’t dry out.
- Dust your surface with atta to prevent sticking. Flatten a ball, coat both sides in flour, and roll it out — go forward and back a few times, rotate 90°, and roll again. Keep rotating and rolling until you have a circle about 6 inches wide.
- Place a large spoonful of filling in the center. Bring the edges of the circle up and over the filling, gathering them at the top, and pinch them together so the filling is fully sealed inside so no filling peeking out. Pinch off any excess dough at the top. Flatten the stuffed ball gently, dust both sides with flour, and press with your palm to spread the filling evenly.
- Carefully roll the stuffed disc back out into a 5–6 inch circle (or larger, if you like thinner parathas). Roll gently and evenly so the filling doesn’t burst through. This is the key to a paneer paratha not breaking.
- Heat a pan until hot, then lay the paratha on it. Cook for 2–3 minutes, drizzle a little oil or ghee on top, then flip. Cook the other side for 2–3 minutes, add a touch more ghee or oil, and cook until you see light golden-brown spots on both sides.
- Cuisine: Indian