Onion Tomato Parathas

What can one do with wheat flour, onion and tomatoes? Make stuffed parathas of course. This filling came to be simply because I was out of other vegetables and it was raining too heavily for me to venture out and restock. Sometimes, necessity and laziness can produce wondrous results. Onion tomato parathas are proof!

You Need:

For the paratha:

• Atta – 2 cups
• Carom seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Water – to knead
• Olive oil – for cooking

For the stuffing:

• Onions – 3, finely chopped
• Tomato – 1, finely chopped
• Ginger – 1 teaspoon, grated
• Green chilies – 1 or 2, finely chopped
• Kasoori methi – 1 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
• Garam masala – a small pinch
• Salt – to taste
• Olive oil – 1 teaspoon

How To Make Onion Tomato Parathas:

1. Prepare the stuffing:

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add ginger, green chilies and onions. Cook for 5 minutes on medium-high flame, stirring regularly.

Add chopped tomatoes.

Stir in turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt.

Cook for another few minutes till the mixture turns dry. Before switching off the heat, mix kasoori methi and garam masala.

Keep aside to cool.

2. Prepare the paratha dough:

The paratha dough is made much the same way as for chapatis. Just mix the carom seeds with the dry atta before you begin kneading. Follow step A: Preparing the dough on that link, and let it stand for 15 mins.

Here’s a picture of balls of paratha dough with the onion-tomato masala mix for stuffing:

3. Stuff it:

Since the onion-tomato mix isn’t entirely dry as, say, the soya bean paratha mix, we don’t stuff it conventionally – the atta cover runs the risk of splitting while the paratha is being rolled out.  The wise way to deal with moist stuffing is to sandwich it between two atta sheets. Here’s how.

Take a small ball of atta about 2cm in diameter. Flatten it slightly between your palms, use a little dry powder to roll it into a thin disk of 6-inch diameter.

Repeat with another ball of atta.

Now spread a layer of the mixture into the rolled out atta, leaving the rim empty.

Take the atta sheet rolled out earlier and press it gently over the layered atta sheet, sealing the edges.

4. Cook it:

Put a wide non-stick pan on the fire and place the stuffed paratha on it. You can keep the flame high for the first two minutes and then set it to medium. When brown spots begin to form on the paratha, turn it around and spread a little oil . Use a spatula to gently press the paratha so that it browns evenly. Pay special attention to the edges.

Repeat the same on the other side.

Take the paratha off the fire and press a tissue paper to remove excess oil, if any.

To Serve:

Don’t do this by all means if you’re cutting down on processed food. But here’s a secret – onion tomato parathas taste great with cream cheese.

Notes:

Any other vegetable oil can be substituted for olive oil.

Looking for more stuffed paratha variations? Try peas parathas or Bihar-style sattu paratha.

Old pic: