<p>Nothing can beat a wholesome plate of parathas, served with a dollop of butter and a side of pickles and curd, on a rainy day. Whether had for breakfast, lunch or dinner, this one-tawa meal is filling, nutritious and packed with flavour.<br /><br />Parathas can be prepared with just wheat or multigrain flour, and paired with value additions like chopped greens, grated vegetables, toasted or crushed nuts and a plethora of condiments. Rama Gokul gives some must-try paratha recipes that can ease your cooking woes.<br /><br />GREEN GRAM DAL PARATHA<br />Ingredients: Half a cup of green gram dal or moong; 2 cups of wheat flour; 1 tsp of cumin seeds; 2 green chillies; a handful of coriander leaves; 1 tbsp of grated coconut; salt to taste and oil for shallow frying.<br /><br />Method: Pressure cook the dal in half a cup of water till soft and mash it in a bowl while it is still hot. Now add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and knead a soft dough, without adding much water. Make lemon-sized balls of the dough and roll out thick parathas. Place these on a tawa, and cook on both sides with a tsp of oil around. Serve with coriander chutney, pickle or tomato sauce.<br /><br />PUMPKIN PARATHA<br />Ingredients: Two cups of red pumpkin (grated); 2 cups of wheat flour; 1 tsp of sesame seeds; 2 green chillies; a handful of coriander leaves; salt to taste and oil for shallow frying.<br /><br />Method: Mix all the ingredients except the wheat flour in a bowl. Add the flour gradually and knead into a soft dough. Do not add water as there is enough moisture in the grated pumpkin. Roll out the parathas and shallow fry them on a tawa. Serve with coriander and mint chutney. <br />Note: You can substitute the pumpkin with chow-chow, bottle-gourd or radish.<br /><br />SPROUTS PARATHA<br />Ingredients: A cup of sprouted moong; 2 cups of wheat flour; a tbsp of besan; ½ tsp of poppy seeds or khus khus; 1 tbsp of grated coconut (optional); 2 green chillies; a handful of coriander leaves (chopped); salt to taste and oil for shallow frying.<br /><br />Method: Grind the sprouts once to crush them completely. Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixture and knead into a soft dough with a sprinkling of water. Roll out the parathas and cook them on a tawa in oil. Serve with mint chutney and curd.<br /><br />Note: Moong can be replaced with sprouted fenugreek or methi.<br /><br />LEAFY VEG PARATHA<br />Ingredients: Two cups of chopped greens (methi/drumstick/palak/coriander); a cup of wheat flour; half cup each of besan and green gram flour; ¼ cup of ragi flour; one onion (finely chopped); ¼ tsp of ajwain; 2 tbsps of grated carrot; 2 green chillies; salt to taste and oil for shallow frying.<br /><br />Method: Heat a tbsp of oil and sauté the onion till they turn translucent. Add the chopped greens and sauté them for a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and make a soft dough. Roll out the parathas and cook them on a tawa. Serve with plain curds or any kind of pickle or chutney.<br />Note: Dill leaves, radish tops or mint leaves can also be used.<br /><br />SWEET PARATHA<br />Ingredients: One and a half cups of wheat flour; ¼ cup of roasted bengal gram flour; 1 tbsp of maida, 2 tsps of poppy seeds; 2 tbsps of grated coconut; ¾ cup of jaggery powder or syrup; 1 tbsp of cashew powder; ½ tsp of cardamom powder and ghee for shallow frying.<br /><br />Method: Mix all the ingredients well and knead a soft dough. Use water for the dough if you are using jaggery powder. Roll out the parathas and cook them on a hot tawa with a tsp of ghee. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee on top.<br /><br />Note: You can use date paste, finely chopped dates or raisins for the sweet paratha.</p>
<p>Nothing can beat a wholesome plate of parathas, served with a dollop of butter and a side of pickles and curd, on a rainy day. Whether had for breakfast, lunch or dinner, this one-tawa meal is filling, nutritious and packed with flavour.<br /><br />Parathas can be prepared with just wheat or multigrain flour, and paired with value additions like chopped greens, grated vegetables, toasted or crushed nuts and a plethora of condiments. Rama Gokul gives some must-try paratha recipes that can ease your cooking woes.<br /><br />GREEN GRAM DAL PARATHA<br />Ingredients: Half a cup of green gram dal or moong; 2 cups of wheat flour; 1 tsp of cumin seeds; 2 green chillies; a handful of coriander leaves; 1 tbsp of grated coconut; salt to taste and oil for shallow frying.<br /><br />Method: Pressure cook the dal in half a cup of water till soft and mash it in a bowl while it is still hot. Now add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and knead a soft dough, without adding much water. Make lemon-sized balls of the dough and roll out thick parathas. Place these on a tawa, and cook on both sides with a tsp of oil around. Serve with coriander chutney, pickle or tomato sauce.<br /><br />PUMPKIN PARATHA<br />Ingredients: Two cups of red pumpkin (grated); 2 cups of wheat flour; 1 tsp of sesame seeds; 2 green chillies; a handful of coriander leaves; salt to taste and oil for shallow frying.<br /><br />Method: Mix all the ingredients except the wheat flour in a bowl. Add the flour gradually and knead into a soft dough. Do not add water as there is enough moisture in the grated pumpkin. Roll out the parathas and shallow fry them on a tawa. Serve with coriander and mint chutney. <br />Note: You can substitute the pumpkin with chow-chow, bottle-gourd or radish.<br /><br />SPROUTS PARATHA<br />Ingredients: A cup of sprouted moong; 2 cups of wheat flour; a tbsp of besan; ½ tsp of poppy seeds or khus khus; 1 tbsp of grated coconut (optional); 2 green chillies; a handful of coriander leaves (chopped); salt to taste and oil for shallow frying.<br /><br />Method: Grind the sprouts once to crush them completely. Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixture and knead into a soft dough with a sprinkling of water. Roll out the parathas and cook them on a tawa in oil. Serve with mint chutney and curd.<br /><br />Note: Moong can be replaced with sprouted fenugreek or methi.<br /><br />LEAFY VEG PARATHA<br />Ingredients: Two cups of chopped greens (methi/drumstick/palak/coriander); a cup of wheat flour; half cup each of besan and green gram flour; ¼ cup of ragi flour; one onion (finely chopped); ¼ tsp of ajwain; 2 tbsps of grated carrot; 2 green chillies; salt to taste and oil for shallow frying.<br /><br />Method: Heat a tbsp of oil and sauté the onion till they turn translucent. Add the chopped greens and sauté them for a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and make a soft dough. Roll out the parathas and cook them on a tawa. Serve with plain curds or any kind of pickle or chutney.<br />Note: Dill leaves, radish tops or mint leaves can also be used.<br /><br />SWEET PARATHA<br />Ingredients: One and a half cups of wheat flour; ¼ cup of roasted bengal gram flour; 1 tbsp of maida, 2 tsps of poppy seeds; 2 tbsps of grated coconut; ¾ cup of jaggery powder or syrup; 1 tbsp of cashew powder; ½ tsp of cardamom powder and ghee for shallow frying.<br /><br />Method: Mix all the ingredients well and knead a soft dough. Use water for the dough if you are using jaggery powder. Roll out the parathas and cook them on a hot tawa with a tsp of ghee. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee on top.<br /><br />Note: You can use date paste, finely chopped dates or raisins for the sweet paratha.</p>
