Gobhi ke paranthe
Cauliflower Stuffed Parantha is a delicacy in itself. This winter special has become a dish for all seasons due to the easy availability of cauliflower around the year. But winter cauliflower is tastier and easier to cook. So, these paranthas taste best in winter as they are stuffed with raw cauliflower. Not to forget, winter makes everything taste better…
These paranthas can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A piping hot Gobhi ka parantha topped with a dollop of butter…..all you need is a bowl of fresh curd or a spoon full of your favourite pickle as an accompaniment.
They are a bit tricky to make as it is quite laborious to scrape (chop) the cauliflower correctly. Traditionally, cauliflower is scraped by hand to the right thickness so that the parantha has a good bite and you can taste the cauliflower distinctly. Grating the cauliflower florets or using a food processor/ chopper makes the job really easy and saves time. But I find the traditional method better as I love biting into the thin chunks of cauliflower while enjoying my paranthas. Also, if you grate the cauliflower there is a greater chance of the stuffing becoming soggy; cauliflower releases more water when grated.
For preparing the cauliflower, divide it into florets and wash thoroughly. Let it dry completely before chopping. If there is any water on the florets, dry it with a kitchen towel.
If using a food processor/chopper, put a few florets into the chopper and blitz till you get the right consistency. It will look like broken rice.
If using a grater, grate the florets and the stems. Discard the more fibrous ends of the florets as they are difficult to grate and chew. Using a grater with larger holes, if you like you like your paranthas to be crunchy.
If you are keen on chopping it the traditional way, pull-up your socks and get ready for the adventure. If you are right handed, hold a floret in your left hand and begin slicing/scraping the floret from the top. The slices should not be more than 1mm thick. As you chop, most slices will not hold together and fall apart. This is what gives the stuffing its unique texture. Keep slicing right till you reach the stem. Keep the stems aside. Once you are done with slicing all the florets, grate the stems. Discard the more fibrous ends as they are difficult to grate and chew.
Many people slightly cook the cauliflower stuffing before making the paranthas. This makes cauliflower lose its texture. Using the raw stuffing results in crispier and tastier paranthas. And this is how it is traditionally done in most Punjabi households.
Like in most stuffed paranthas, the key here is to stuff the parantha as much as you can. There should be more stuffing than the dough.
Let’s move on to the recipe.
Ingredients:
For the filling:
- Cauliflowers – 2 medium sized (about 1.5 kgs)
- Ginger – 4”-5” piece
- Amchoor (dry mango powder) – 2 tsp
- Jeera Powder – 1 Tbsp
- Dhaniya Powder – 1Tbsp
- Red chilli powder – 2 tsp (or to taste)
- Ajwain – 1 Tbsp
- Garam masala – 1.5 tsp
- Black salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)(optional)
- Salt – To taste
For the dough:
- Whole wheat flour – 1.5 – 2 cups
- Red chilli powder – 1 tsp (optional)
- Ajwain (carom seeds) – 2 tsp (optional)
- Salt – To taste
- Water – As required to knead a soft dough
- Oil/Ghee – 1 tsp, to finish the dough
- Oil/Ghee – To roast the paranthas
- Whole wheat flour – For dusting the paranthas while rolling
Method:
Kneading the dough:
- In a large bowl mix flour, red chilli powder and salt.
- Rub ajwain between your palms and add it to the flour.
- Gradually, add water and knead into a soft, pliable dough. If the dough is too hard, the paranthas will break while rolling.
- Add a tsp of oil/ghee and knead the dough for a few more seconds. This helps to smoothen the dough.
- Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for atleast 15-20 mintues.
Preparing the filling:
- Divide the cauliflower into florets. Thoroughly wash and chop as described above (grate, chop in a food processor or slice/scrape by hand using a knife).
- Peel ginger and grate it using a grater with smaller holes. You can chop it finely by hand if you prefer ginger bits,
- In a large mixing bowl, add chopped cauliflower, grated ginger, salt and all the masalas except ajwain.
- Rub ajwain between your palms and add it to the bowl.
- Mix everything well.
- The stuffing is ready.
Making the paranthas:
- Place a tawa/griddle on a low flame so that it’s hot enough to start cooking the paranthas by the time you’re done rolling.
- Make a small-apple-sized dough ball.
- Roll the dough ball in dry flour. Place it on a flat surface/ rolling board and roll it out into a circle of diameter 4”-5”. Do not roll it out too thin. It should be about 1.5mm-2mm thick
- Place ¾ th cup of filling on to the rolled circle. Use a quantity of filling that you are comfortable handling. But the more the filling the better
- Gather the edges and seal by pressing together.
- Pinch off the extra dough.
- Gently press the stuffed dough ball and roll it in dry flour.
- Place it on the rolling board/surface, sealed side up.
- Roll it with a rolling pin into a parantha of 6”- 7” diameter
- It is natural for the parantha to slightly tear in places while rolling.
- Be careful not to apply too much pressure while rolling as this will make the parantha break and the filling will pop out.
- Keep dusting the parantha while rolling to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin or board.
- Carefully, lift the parantha and transfer immediately on to the hot tawa/griddle. Tawa should be nicely hot but not smoking.
- DO NOT let the rolled out parantha sit on the rolling board/surface for long. The salt in the filling will make it release water and the parantha will get soggy. This will make it stick to the surface and it will become very difficult to lift it. Also, a soggy parantha might break while you try to transfer it on to the giddle.
- Let the parantha cook on one side for 30-40 seconds on medium heat.
- Run a flat spatula under the parantha to ensure that it is not stuck to the tawa. Carefully, flip it over.
- I prefer flipping it, for the first time, by hand as the parantha is still uncooked on one side. Using a pair of tongs or spatula for flipping, at this stage, might cause it to tear or break.
- Brush the parantha with a tsp of oil/ghee. Put a few drops of oil/ghee along the edges of the parantha.
- Cook for 30-40 seconds on this side as well and flip again.
- Brush the other side as well with a tsp of oil/ghee and put a few drops along the edges.
- You can adjust the quantity of oil/ghee to your liking. The paranthas can even be roasted without any oil/ghee at all.
- Roast the parantha on both sides to a pinkish golden colour.
- Serve with a blob of butter on top and fresh curd.
- You can also serve the parantha with a pickle or chutney of your choice.
Watch the recipe:
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