Healthy Green Peas and Paneer Paratha

2013-12-16

Cuisine: Indian
Course: Mains
Skill Level: Intermediate
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Yield : 4-5
Servings : 10
Prep Time : 15m
Cook Time : 20m
Ready In : 35m

Stuffed Parathas are my number one choice for lunchboxes and since I love parathas myself, they make an often appearance in my kitchen.

If planned ahead, it is the easiest way to pack a nutritious meal with all the ingredients- carb, proteins and vitamins all rolled into one .

I generally have some dough and some stuffing made ahead, sitting in the fridge- if I am organised. I like to think I am, well, at least in spurts 🙂

So this morning I made some peas and paneer parathas for my son’s lunchbox.

I had originally just planned to make peas parathas, so I had the peas mixture ready, but then the packet of paneer sitting in the fridge kept saying- use me , use me!

So I did. I even threw in a handful of coriander for good measure.

If I ever learned to plan or stick to rules!

As I made them, the smell wafted through the rooms and upstairs and brought my son down to the kitchen faster than ever.

It made me made me so hungry, it was almost frustrating to make all of them without eating any straight away.

They looked lovely too, the bits of green peas poking through the paratha, the monotony of the green broken by the bits of the grated paneer.

The very of them sight made my son say ‘ Oh Mimi, thanks for making such a yummy lunch for me today’.

So yes, I rolled them up in foil as I often do and popped them into his lunch box.

Try it, this recipe is a keeper.

Ingredients

Peas- 2 cups

Green chilli- 1 – 2 ( optional)

Ginger- 2 tsp

Amchur( dry mango) powder- 1/2 tsp

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Salt as required

Oil- for frying parathas.

Paneer, finely grated- equal n volume to the peas mixture.

Method

For the Peas mixture

Boil or microwave the peas. I prefer to microwave them because they retain the colour. Cook until soft and easily crushable. Drain all the water.

Pop into a food processor along with all the spices except coriander. It is ok to even add coriander, but sometimes it makes the mixture more watery. Also, I like to see the occasional leaf pop out of the stuffing, It just makes everything so much more colourful.

Mash to a soft consistency without too many bits. If you don’t have a food processor, just boil and mash as you would otherwise.

Grate the paneer and chop the coriander.

I like to add as much paneer as the peas, but that is completely upto you. I just feel that a bit of protein stretches the meal a bit further into the day.

At school, a hungry little boy is not the happiest little worker. Methinks.

Add a bit of salt or chaat masala to the paneer and mix it in with the peas mixture and the coriander.

While making stuffed parathas, it is important to remember that the dough should not be too tight, a bit on the looser side, because the stuffing is soft as well. It just makes it that much easier to roll out.

Make equal portions . Roll out each dough ball into a small disc. I like to make the stuffing and the dough ball the same size. It does make it a bit had to roll out, but you get therre with practice.

Also don’t forget, there is more per bite- more taste and more vegs 🙂

Pinch the side and pull to the centre. Pinch together. Pinch off the excess dough at the top.

Flatten gently and roll out.

Heat a tawa, and cook the parathas on both sides till it gets golden brown spots. Apply oil on both sides to keep it soft.

But if on a low fat diet, completely omit this.

Serve hot.

Best eaten with yoghurt, pickle or just on its own.

Roll up and enjoy.

Serve hot!