Peckish for parathas

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While rice and roti are the staple carbohydrates of India, the paratha is reserved for special occasions or weekends.

Kheema Paratha / Mughlai Paratha

Though originating in the badshahi kitchens in the 16th century in Delhi, Bengal is perhaps one of the few places one can still order the Mughlai paratha and there are century-old eateries all over Kolkata catering to the needs of Bengalis for this kheema-stuffed square paratha that’s fried with an egg.

gredients
For the dough:
500 gm atta (wheat flour)
1 cup milk
Warm water
Salt

For the kheema filling:
500 gm kheema
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp chilli powder
Salt
Cooking oil
3 eggs

Method
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the onions. Lower the heat to medium once they are translucent and add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and chilli powder with a couple of tbsps of water. Cook till the water evaporates and add the kheema. Fry till the oil separates. Add one cup of water, salt to taste and cover and cook for 20 minutes on a low flame. Remove the cover, add garam masala and cook till all the water evaporates. It is important that the kheema is totally dry and absolutely no water remains behind.
For the dough:
In a large bowl, mix the flour and ½ tsp of salt. Add the milk slowly and knead. Once the milk is finished, add water. Knead to make a soft, smooth dough. Wet your fingers slightly and run it over the dough to moisten it. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.
Whisk the eggs with salt to taste and keep aside.
Divide the dough into equal-sized balls and press them with your palms to make discs. On a floured surface, roll a ball out into roughly 4-inch circle. Put a heaped tablespoon of kheema in the centre and fold the edges up to completely cover and seal the dough. Pinch the folds to shut.
Very gently flatten the dough and start rolling it out as far as it will go without the kheema bursting out. Once all the parathas are rolled (keep them on a surface dusted with flour so they don’t stick) heat a tawa or a griddle on a medium flame till hot. Put a paratha and cook each side till small bubbles appear on it similar to a roti. Grease the top surface with a little oil and flip. Repeat on the other side. Now brush the top surface with some egg and flip, repeat on the other side. Once the egg on both sides is cooked, remove from griddle.
Note: You can use one egg for every paratha if you are feeling decadent. Once the paratha is cooked, take it off the heat and add one beaten egg on the griddle like an omelette. Place the paratha on the egg and cook till it is done. Flip the paratha and gently fold in the sides so it roughly resembles a square with the egg-side inside the fold.

Pickle paratha

The pickle paratha is a great off-shoot of the traditional paratha. Rajasthani households often make these when they go on long train journeys as they are fastidious about eating outside food. And since the pickle is already inside the paratha, you don’t have to worry about a pickle oil spill.

Ingredients
250 gm atta (wheat flour)
1 tbsp besan
1 tbsp oil
50 gm ghee
Readymade mango pickle

Method
Mix the besan into the atta and rub in the oil. Add water and knead into a soft dough. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Divide the dough into balls. Take one ball and roll into a small circle on a surface dusted with flour. Take a little pickle and spread it on half of the circle. Fold the other half of the circle over it and fold it again to get a triangular shape. Roll the triangle out with smooth outward strokes. Shallow fry the paratha over medium heat.
Note: You can substitute the mango pickle with any other pickle.