Paneer Paratha

I have been pretty unproductive lately. So sluggish and completely bored. Too many questions and no answers. Sigh…

Any of you feeling the same ? These days the world around you may be a bit overwhelming and lots of time you may wonder just like me – WHY? These days the WHYs are only increasing for me. And so I decide to shift my thoughts to my favourite food – Paneer !

I have quite a few Punjabi friends and I completely love their food. Believe me, there is never a dull moment when they are around. I remember one of my friend’s family had a dairy business. Owing to which many a times, I had the opportunity to taste the homemade malai paneer – so incredibly soft and rich.

It immediately takes your attention from the calories and you start focusing ONLY on the taste. 😂😀

This time with paneer, I decided to prepare a rich, flavourful and of course ghee-laden paneer paratha for my family. I served it alongside Punjabi Chole (restaurant style). And when the aroma of the desi ghee on the hot parathas, began going around the house, I got to see a joy on their faces, which was AMAZING AS ALWAYS 😊😊

Yes, it left me smiling as well. That’s what good food does.

Paneer is Indian cottage cheese and the malai paneer (malai is cream in Hindi) is made out of full-fat milk. It is the fat content in the milk that makes the paneer so rich and gives it the melt-in-the-mouth texture.

It is better to knead the dough with a little ghee or oil, keeps it soft and moist.. And then leave it to rest for atleast 30 minutes before you start rolling the parathas.

If you have made fresh paneer at home then use the whey to knead the dough. It is both nutritious and keeps the dough soft, lending the parathas a nice flavour.

Ingredients:
For the dough
2 to 2.25 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup water or add as required
1 teaspoon Ghee or oil
½ teaspoon salt or add as required

For paneer stuffing
200 gms Paneer (cottage cheese)
1 or 2 green chilies finely chopped
½ teaspoon red chili powder
½ tsp turmeric
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
½ tsp chaat masala
½ tsp freshly chopped coriander leaves
¾ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder) or add as per your taste
½ teaspoon salt or add as required
Ghee or oil as required for roasting parathas

Method :

• Take whole wheat flour, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp ghee (or oil) in a mixing bowl
• Pour about ½ cup water and begin to knead. Add more water if required and knead to a smooth soft dough.

• Cover and allow the dough to rest for around 30 minutes.
• For the stuffing : Grate the paneer and in the rest of the ingredients.
• Add 1 or 2 finely chopped green chilies, 1/2 tsp dry mango powder, 1/2 tsp punjabi
• Mix everything well.
• Then make small balls of the dough.
• Roll each ball to a small circle and place the stuffing in it and cover the dough pressing the edges to seal them.
• Carefully roll the paratha using enough dry flour. Ensure the filling is secure and not breaking out of the dough.
• Heat a tava and then place the rolled paratha on it. The tava should be hot.
• Flip when one side is partly cooked.
• Apply ghee on this side with a spoon. Turn over and flip.
• The parathas need to be cooked nice and brown on each side.
• Then take them out and apply some butter /ghee and make the rest following the same method.
• Serve hot with chutney / curd / pickle /