paneer paratha recipe

paneer paratha recipe

paneer paratha for kids lunch box

This is an easy and quick paneer paratha recipe that needs no stuffing. I rarely make stuffed parathas, since my kids are not very much interested in these and most of the times they discard the stuffing and eat up the layers with some other curry or chutney. It is merely a fun for them to mess up the plate & table. So most of my paratha recipes are not stuffed but the supposed stuffing goes with the flour while kneading. This way it is faster to make and I prefer these for their lunch box too. This is a high calorie paratha , may not be suitable for people on low calorie or low fat diet and best suited for kids breakfast or lunch box.  I pack this with mint chutney or capsicum chutney for my kid’s lunch box. I roll the paratha and foil the chutney separately so he just dips in the chutney and eats.

Note: Using Yogurt is optional, it must be used if you want to cut down the soaking time. Otherwise the parathas do not turn out good. I generally use yogurt and set aside for 15 mins and make the parathas. Sometimes I use pureed palak instead of yogurt, that too tastes good, but the dough needs a good soak for atleast 1 to 2 hrs.

paneer paratha for kids lunch box

Ingredients

1 cup of whole wheat flour

½ cup of crumbled soft paneer

½ to 1/3 cup yogurt (optional, I use to avoid the soaking time)

Water as needed

1/8 to ¼  tsp garam masala or ajwain or biryani masala or chat masala or pav bhaji masala (as needed, use to suit your taste)

Pinch of turmeric

fistful mint or coriander leaves (chopped)

1 to 2 green chilies minced or paste

salt as needed

1 tsps oil (I have never tried without using oil, you could try if you wish)

Method

1.   Mix well whole wheat flour, crumbled paneer, salt, turmeric, chilies, coriander leaves and masala powder of your choice.

2.   Add yogurt if using else water little by little and make a ball of this dough

3.   Knead this dough till you get smooth pliable dough, adding enough water

4.   Add the oil and knead again till the oil is absorbed. finally just add few more drops apply on to the ball and roll it in a moist cloth and set aside covered for atleast 15 mins if you have used yogurt or set aside for atleast 1 to 2 hrs if yogurt is not used

5.   when you are set to roll, make 8 to 9 equal sized balls, cover them with the moist cloth

6.   Flour the rolling area, before you roll a ball, dunk it in the flour, and begin to roll to a medium sized roundel.

7.   add few drops of oil and smear it around the roundel

8.   fold it to half, smear oil again,fold it to get a triangle

9.   Sprinkle some flour and roll it further evenly, do not make it too thin or too thick. Finish making all these one after the other and transfer them aside. do not stack them

 10.                Heat a pan on medium high,the flame must be as high as to reach the diameter of the paratha on the pan

11.                once hot, dust off the excess dry flour on the paratha, place it on the pan without any wrinkles, it begins to bubble up after few secs, add few drops of oil

12.                Flip it to the other side, press gently in the places not puffing up specially the edges, this helps to puff up.
13.                Fry till the roti is golden color on both the sides, set aside

14.                Clean the tawa with a kitchen tissue and transfer the next paratha. this way finish all the parathas. Stack the parathas one over the other to keep them soft. To get a flaky paratha, at the end fry on a low flame for few minutes.

Serve with chutney.

Note:

Do not fry the paratha on a low flame, they will become hard.
If you do not use yogurt, let the dough soak for atleast 1 to 2 hrs.