Onion and Cheese Paratha

Think of eating Parathas on a cold winter morning, or a rainy day, with lots of butter on it and enjoying a hot cup of chaay alongside (Indian tea)…hmmm mouthwatering isn’t it? Parathas are my favourite and I love eating them any day! I am sure most of you have eaten the Paneer Paratha (Indian cheese bread). But have you tried making Parathas using grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese? I did that recently and loved it completely! Here’s the step by step recipe…

Some Facts - A paratha/parantha is an Indian flat-bread that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the most popular unleavened flat-breads in Indian cuisine, Pakistani cuisine and Bengali cuisine and is made by pan frying whole-wheat dough on a tava or a flat pan. The paratha dough usually contains ghee or cooking oil which is also layered on the freshly prepared paratha. Parathas are usually stuffed with vegetables such as boiled potatoes, leaf vegetables, radishes or cauliflower and/or paneer (South Asian cheese). A paratha (especially a stuffed one) can be eaten simply with a blob of butter spread on top, with chutney, with pickles and yogurt, or with meat or vegetable curries. Some roll the paratha into a tube and eat it with tea.

Ingredients (for the dough)

2 cup whole wheat flour (makes 8-10 medium sized parathas)

Water to knead the dough

Salt to taste

Any type of oil/ghee for greasing

For the stuffing

1 finely chopped Onion

Grated Cheddar/Mozzarella cheese

1 green chili, chopped

Pinch of red chilli powder (optional)

Salt to taste

Freshly chopped coriander

Cooking Method for the dough

1. In a container add 2 cups of whole wheat flour.  Add salt according to taste.

2. Now adding water slowly, knead the flour to make a dough.  Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes.

3. Place the dough in a greased container and leave it aside for 15-20 minutes.

Final Preparation

1. To prepare the stuffing - Take a bowl and mix together grated cheese, chopped onion, salt, green chili , red chilli powder (optional) and chopped coriander.

2. Now, take small portion of the dough and make a round ball using your palms.

3. Press the ball gently and apply some dry flour on both sides. Now roll it into a 1-2 inch round circle. Apply some oil on it.

4. Now, place some stuffing on it and seal it folding all sides.

5. Press the sealed dough and again put some dry flour on both sides.

6. Now roll again into a 6-7 inch round circle. Apply dry flour when needed while rolling.

7. Take the rolled dough and place on a hot tava/flat pan. Turn it upside down after 30 seconds and apply oil/ghee. Repeat the procedure on the other side and pan fry until golden brown.

8. Remove the paratha from the pan, cut into quarters and serve hot with butter or yogurt.