Considered as the most important meal of the day, breakfast is the meal consumed in the morning after a night’s sleep. It is the amalgamation of two words literally meaning breaking (break) the fast undertaken during sleep (fast).
Carbohydrates are an important source of nutrition in most breakfast preparations all over the world, and the same holds true even for Indian breakfasts. It is a vital element in the dish preparation. Another important attribute to the dish origin is the climatic condition of the region and the easy availability of ingredients. Through the article we will be covering the most popular breakfast dishes all across India.
Paratha
One of the most staple and popular breakfast dishes in the Northern part of India. A flat bread made of wheat dough and shallow fried on a pan, it is generally eaten with pickle or butter or chutney (coconut based dip) or a bowl of yogurt. The humble plain paratha has evolved and is made now with various stuffing’s such as potato, paneer (cottage cheese), onion, radish, mixed vegetables, peas and many more mouthwatering combinations. Below is the recipe for two of India’s most popular types of Parathas.
Preparation of Aloo (Potato) Paratha
Prep Time for Dough: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 4 minutes per paratha
Ingredients for Aloo (Potato) Paratha:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 to 2 tsp oil or ghee
- 1 tsp salt or as required
- Water as required for kneading the dough
- Oil or ghee for roasting, as required
- 3-4 medium size potatoes
- 1-2 green chillies
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp dry mango powder
Preparing the Dough
- Add 2 cups of whole wheat flour in a bowl.
- Add 2 tsp oil or ghee(clarified butter) to the whole wheat flour
- Add ½ tsp of salt
- Knead the mixture into a soft dough using water.
- Add oil/ghee (clarified butter) to the dough and continue kneading.
- Once the dough is prepared, keep aside for five minutes.
Preparing Aloo (Potato) Stuffing
- Boil/Steam the potatoes in a pressure cooker or steamer.
- Peel the skin of the potatoes.
- Mash the potato with a masher, ensure there are no lumps of potatoes or small pieces.
- Add the chopped green chillies, garam masala powder, red chili powder, dry mango powder and salt in the above mentioned quantities to the mashed potatoes.
- Combine the ingredients together gently ensuring the potato mixture blends well with the added ingredients.
- The potato stuffing is now ready.
Making the Aloo (Potato) Paratha
- Take a small portion of the dough, about a medium sized ball.
- Slightly dust a board with dry wheat flour
- Flatten the dough on the board with a rolling pin to about 5-6 inches in diameter.
- Take a spoon full of the potato stuffing and place it in the center of the flat dough, ensure about 2 to 2.5 inches of the dough is empty from all sides.
- Start pleating the paratha from the edge and close the dough into a stuffed ball.
- Make sure the pleats joined together is stable. Ensure there are no gaps, gaps will result in the stuffing to fall out while rolling.
- Flatten the stuffed ball and roll to smoothen out the small piece of dough.
- Generously apply ghee on the flattened dough and fold it into half.
- Dry the dough slightly by using wheat flour
- Roll the triangle shaped dough and flatten it to around 5-6 inches diameter.
- Heat a pan, for 2 minutes at medium heat.
- Smear oil on the pan, so that the paratha does not stick to the pan.
- Place the paratha on the pan, once it is slightly cooked spread some oil/ghee on the surface of the paratha.
- Flip the paratha and let the other side cook, apply oil/ghee to the other side if the paratha is found to be dry.
- Keep flipping the paratha every 30 seconds to ensure it is evenly cooked.
- Roast the paratha till golden brown spots appear on both the sides.
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Preparation of Paneer (Cottage Cheese) Paratha
Prep Time for Dough: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 4 minutes per paratha
Ingredients for Paneer (Cottage Cheese) Paratha:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 to 2 tsp oil or ghee
- ½ tsp salt or as required
- Water as required for kneading the dough
- Oil or ghee for roasting, as required
- 250 gms Paneer(Cottage Cheese)
- 1-2 green chilly
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp dry mango powder
Preparing the Dough
- Add 2 cups of whole wheat flour in a bowl.
- Add 2 tsp oil or ghee(clarified butter) to the whole wheat flour
- Add ½ tsp of salt
- Knead the mixture into a soft dough using water.
- Add oil/ghee (clarified butter) to the dough and continue kneading.
- Once the dough is prepared, keep aside for five minutes.
Preparing Paneer (Cottage Cheese) Stuffing
- Grate 250 grams of paneer.
- Add the chopped green chilies, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, dry mango powder and salt in the above mentioned quantities to the mashed potatoes.
- Combine the ingredients together gently ensuring the paneer mixture blends well with the added ingredients.
- The paneer stuffing is now ready.
Making the Paneer (Cottage Cheese Paratha)
- Take a small portion of the dough, about a medium sized ball.
- Slightly dust a board with dry wheat flour
- Flatten the dough on the board with a rolling pin to about 5-6 inches in diameter.
- Take a spoon full of the paneer stuffing and place it in the center of the flat dough, ensure about 2 to 2.5 inches of the dough is empty from all sides.
- Start pleating the paratha from the edge and close the dough into a stuffed ball.
- Make sure the pleats joined together is stable. Ensure there are no gaps; gaps will result in the stuffing to fall out while rolling.
- Flatten the stuffed ball and roll to smoothen out the small piece of dough.
- Generously apply ghee on the flattened dough and fold it into half.
- Dry the dough slightly by using wheat flour
- Roll the triangle shaped dough and flatten it to around 5-6 inches diameter.
- Heat a pan, for 2 minutes at medium heat.
- Smear oil on the pan, so that the paratha does not stick to the pan.
- Place the paratha on the pan, once it is slightly cooked spread some oil/ghee on the surface of the paratha.
- Flip the paratha and let the other side cook, apply oil/ghee to the other side if the paratha is found to be dry.
- Keep flipping the paratha every 30 seconds to ensure it is evenly cooked.
- Roast the paratha till golden brown spots appear on both the sides.
