Mooli Paratha or Radish Flatbreads

Parathas are very commonly made for breakfast in Northern India, specially Punjab. They make for an excellent meal, because they have vegetables and flour all rolled into one.

I have a particular soft spot for parathas and try making them with a variety of ingredients. I have experimented with different ways of making mooli parathas and this is my most favourite recipe.

Ingredients

• Radish (Mooli)- 1 cup
• Coriander, chopped- 3 tbsp
• Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
• Cumin (Jeera) powder- 1/4 tsp
• Coriander (Dhaniya) powder- 1/2 tsp
• Besan( chickpea flour)- 3 heaped tbsp
• Wholewheat Flour (Atta)- 1 1/2 cup
• Cumin seeds ( whole)- 1 tsp
• Salt- to taste

Method

1. Grate the radish on the thin side of the grater and put in a bowl that is large enough to knead the dough for the parathas.

2. Add salt, all the spice powders,coriander and cumin seeds to the grated radish and leave for at least 10 minutes. The salt helps draw out water from the radish and the coriander, so you will have a very wet mixture. I find that the flavours also blend very well, if you add the spices at this stage. Many people only add salt and then squeeze out the liquid that is drawn out. They then use this liquid instead of water while kneading the dough. I find my method much easier. Also when you throw out the vegetable juice, a lot of nutrition is lost with it. So leave it in, I say.

3. Add in the besan (chickpea flour). Mix well.

4. Add in the the whole wheat flour. Mix well. There is no need to add water to this dough. You will be surprised to see how much water the radish has released. A good idea is to add as much dry flour as the vegetables can absorb. You will get a rough and dry feeling dough. Add a couple of teaspoons of oil , knead it. Don’t try to get a smooth dough, because that is very hard to achieve at this stage.

5. Cover with a cling film or lid and leave for at least 20 minutes. You will be surprised to find a completely different texture, you now have a soft and wettish dough. Knead, add a little more whole wheat flour if you need. I don’t suppose you would need more than 1/4 cup. In any case, add the dry flour by the spoon, do not pour it in.

6. You might find it easier to roll out the parathas if you add more flour. Add as much as makes it easier for you. I find that adding the least amount of flour, keeps the proportion of taste and vegetables very high, otherwise it is like eating a spicy roti, you can’t detect the flavour of the vegetables at all.

7. It is tricky to knead the dough for parathas that have raw vegetables in them, because the dough keeps releasing water as long as it stands. Make small balls from the dough and when you flatten them to roll, you might have to dab a little more flour than usual for rolling them out, because the dough is so sticky.

8. Roll into a thin roti like disc.

9. Heat a flat pan or tawa and put the paratha on top.

10. Flip over in about a minute. You will find small brown spots .

10. Put oil on the top of the paratha and flip over. Apply oil on the other side and fry till you have brown spots on both sides and the paratha is cooked.

11. Serve hot with yoghurt, pickle and a hot cup of chai for breakfast, or of course during lunch or dinner!

You might also like:

Gobhi (Cauliflower) Paratha      Alu (Potato) Paratha     Carrot & Coriander Parathas

Peas & Paneer Paratha        Triangular Paratha             Cheese & Potato Paratha