Methi Paratha 2, (Fenugreek Leaves Stuffed)
Stuffed Methi Paratha
Mamta Gupta
This is another way of making methi paratha, a delicious flat bread from northern India. Freshly made, crisp methi parathas served with home made butter are one of my favourite breakfasts.
Makes 12-14.
Ingredients
500 gm. (3 1/2-4 cups) chapatti flour (keep a little aside on a plate, to use for dusting).
1 tsp. carom or ajwain seeds
For the filling
2 tbsp. oil
1 medium onion, very finely chopped (optional)
1 inch piece of ginger, very finely chopped
2 cups fresh methi leaves, chopped finely.
1/2 tsp. salt
300 ml. water approximately. Add a little more or a little less until you get a soft dough
Oil for pan frying
Instructions
Making the filling
Heat oil in a wok or karahi.
Add ginger, onions and fry until soft.
Add methi leaves, stir fry for a few seconds, cover and cook until soft. Turn heat to high and stir-fry until ALL water is evaporated. If methi leaves are soggy, it will be impossible to use them as a filling.
Allow to cool completely.
Making dough:
Place flour and carom seeds in a bowl, saving 2 heaped tablespoon of dry flour (or use extra), for dusting while rolling out parathas.
Add enough water, a little at a time, to make a soft dough. If you are new at making parathas, it is better to have a firm dough, which is easier to control while rolling out. Experienced Indian cooks prefer a little softer dough, which makes softer parathas.
Knead well and Leave to stand for 10 minutes or so. Knead briefly again.
Rolling out parathas:
Break dough into 10-12 portions and roll them into balls, using a little dry flour to dust. Keep them covered with a moist cloth.
There are 3 ways of making stuffed parathas. Picture 2 & 3 shows how to roll 1 ball out to 3 inches, place 1 spoon of stuffing in the middle and then pulling the edges over it to make a stuffed ball. Now roll is out into a 6-7 inch circle, using the dusting flour save earlier. Picture 4-5 show how to roll out a 6-7 inch circle, place a little stuffing in half the circle, fold the other half over it and then roll it out into a paratha using dusting flour. Third way of making stuffed parathas (no picture) is to divide the dough ball into 2 smaller balls, roll out each into 3-4 inch circle, spread out stuffing on top of one, covering it with the other circle, seal edges by pressing and then rolling out to 6-7 inch size, like before.
Parathas are rolled out one at a time. You roll the next one while previous one is cooking.
Cooking:
Heat a griddle or tava to medium hot.
Put the paratha on the hot griddle. Turn it over when it changes colour to semi-translucent and you can see a few blisters on the under-surface, picture 6.
Cook the other side same way and turn over again, Picture 7.
Brush a little oil on both surfaces. This can be done with a small ladle or a soup spoon.
Press it gently all over, using a flat spatula.
Cook until crisp...ish and nicely browned on both sides.
Serve hot with a pickle of your choice, and preferably home made Butter.
Notes
Parathas can be made in advance, stacked on top of each other and wrapped in Aluminium foil. They can be re-heated before serving, either individually on a griddle or in a microwave - place 4-5 parathas spread out on a plate and heat for 2-3 minutes on maximum power.
They freeze quite well but should be defrosted properly before re-heating.
You can cut parathas into wedges and serve as a snack.
You can use chopped up mooli leaves instead of methi leaves.
