Palak Paratha, my first success at Parathas :)

I always used to wonder what is so great about continental breakfast, Why is it so popular in this part of the world...after all it is mostly just some kinda toast,jams,coffee or juice. I got my answers when I got married and had the full responsibility of a kitchen. Ah! good old bachelorhood..when you just need to wake up to the delicious aroma from kitchen, you even get to complain about mom's choice of breakfast and get away with it :)..Once I got married I started appreciating the easiness of continental breakfast..it is quick and not much effort..


Sigh! Good old days don't last forever!! Any-ways, recently I got up to a beautiful sunny day and toast was the last thing in my mind. I had this craving for something more substantial and something very Indian. Dosa and Idli batters take forever to make..so I came across this simple yet yummy recipe for a perfect breakfast solution. Parathas..not too much effort..and 1 or 2 parathas fills my tummy and keeps me going for hours! I was not too good at making parathas, but this is a simple recipe..and I can safely claim healthy too :D It took me just under half hour to make them. It is somewhat similar to the Methi paratha recipe I posted few days back. It might look the same, but palak and methi definitely have very distinct taste. Why dont you guys try out both and determine it yourself!

Palak (Spinach) Paratha

Ingredients:

1) Palak                               - 1 cup roughly chopped
2) Wheat flour                     - 2 cups
3) Rice flour                        - 2 tbsp
4) Cumin seeds                    - 1 tsp
5) Corriander powder         - 1 tsp
6) Red chili powder             - 1 to 2 tsp (accordingto your spice level)
7) Salt to taste
8) Ghee/melted butter/oil    - 2 tbsp
9) Water to make the dough
10) Ghee/melted butter/oil  - to spread over the paratha

Method:

1) Dry roast the Cumin seeds and roughly crush them using a rolling pin. Alternatively you can use Cumin powder if you have that.

2) Mix all the ingredients from 1 thru 8 (including the roasted cumin powder). You can chose between ghee, oil or melted butter. I prefer using ghee because of the flavour.

3) Sprinkle some water and knead the mixture into a soft dough, until the dough doesn't stick to your fingers.

4) Cover this with a moist cotton cloth and set aside for 10 to 15 mins.

5) Similar to how we make chapathis, just divide the dough into golf ball sized portions and roll them to make them smooth.

6) Dip the ball in some wheat flour and roll them into a thick circle. The Parathas are generally thicker than chapathis.

7) Heat a griddle, and when it is hot enough put a rolled out Paratha and let is cook for a min or till you see tiny bubbles rise on the surface of the Paratha.

8) Flip the Paratha and spread some melted butter/ghee/oil on the surface. flip again in a min and apply some ghee to this side as well.

9) Remove from heat  when both sides are golden brown.

Rolled out parathas

Cooked paratha with ghee

Store them wrapped up in a moist cloth and place it a hot pack to keep it fresh until you serve. Serve it warm with some thick curd and pickles. I have seen some people enjoy it with a dollop of salted butter...but even to a grease addict like me..lotza butter first thing in the morning is a big NO NO..but you are free to enjoy it however you like it.. :)
 

Palak paratha with cauliflower fry and lauki subji