Scallion Parathas

To me, parathas, came in 2 varieties Plain or Stuffed (with potato), there wasn't anything else, the restaurant menu said so.
When we went to restaurants, my mother would opt for a plain paratha, my father liked plain tandoori roti and glutton that I was, I wanted butter Naan. I could never finish one and eventually I would grudgingly share 2 quartered pieces with them.

Then of course I graduated to stuffed paranthas and what a discovery that was! Good bye boring poli-bhaji! I wanted parathas and with Aloo stuffing ( that was the only one I knew). Of course now, thanks to a variety of restaurants  opening  in every nook of the city, we are exposed to cuisine from all corners of India and can sample so many varieties that can satisfy the taste buds and  also leave us wanting more.

While I love my Aloo, Gobhi, Paneer etc. parathas, every now and then, I  go on a fridge cleaning spree and finds small ziplocks of cut vegetables that I had quite forgotten or  something I had picked up at the Indian store meaning to try out a certain recipe but never got to it. does that happen to you, as well?

On such days, I mix and match ingredients to make my lunch / dinner as the case might be.
Last week, I got 3 bunches of scallions, meaning to try out some Asian inspired Noodles, Of course I  had every intention of trying  that recipe,  then I got caught up in routine activities around home and day to day cooking, used 2 bunches ( with  every intention of using the 3rd. bunch fr the noodles, or so I kept telling myself), which never happened  and that is how this recipe was born..

This is a forgiving recipe and you can eyeball the ingredients in the stuffing, within reason of course. 

I used Roti dough for the outer cover.

For the stuffing :

1 bunch Scallions, chopped ( whites and greens)

1/2 tsp. Red Chili powder ( more if you want it spicy)

1 tsp. Coriander powder

Hefty Pinch Kasuri Methi

Salt to taste

2 tsp finely chopped Cilantro

Set the griddle / tawa to heat on medium- medium high.

Mix all the ingredients ( except the salt)  for the stuffing and set aside.

Roll out a small ball of dough ( lemon sized ball of dough), spoon the stuffing in the middle, pull up the sides and seal to make a ball.**

Dust with flour and roll evenly into a circular shape.

Place on the ht griddle and drizzle with ghee/ oil, cook on both sides till golden brown with spots that are a shade darker.

These parathas can be eaten by themselves. As an accompaniment, make a raita ( peel and grate a cucumber, add yogurt, salt to taste, sprinkle with black pepper powder and you are done - this is the-most-basic-raita- recipe and works well with the paratha). You can also pair it with Aloo Gobhi or Rajma. 

NOTES:

Add salt to the stuffing, just before making parathas. Salt will release water in the onions and make it difficult to roll. 

** If you find it difficult to to stuff the filling and seal to roll, make it easy, roll out 2 thin rounds/ tortillas/ rotis of the dough, spoon the mixture on one round, top  with the other, seal the ends  by pressing together, dust with flour and apply gentle pressure with the rolling pin to spread the filling evenly. 

These are best served right off the griddle.

I had the opportunity of writing another article for the New Indian Express and was published  over the weekend, please take a few minutes to read it. The Right measures get the dish right. Thank You.

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