Cabbage Parathas

Cabbage paratha is whole wheat flatbread stuffed with a spiced cabbage stuffing. Children who avoid veggies, this option of making parathas is really good as they like them and making them eat vegetables is also done 🙂

Instructions

Making Dough

• In a mixing bowl or pan take 2 heaped cups whole wheat flour, 2 teaspoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt or add as required. Add ½ cup water.
• Mix and then knead the dough. Add more water if required to make a smooth soft dough. 
• Cover and allow the dough to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Making Stuffing For Paratha

• Peel and remove the top skin from the cabbage (patta gobhi or band gobi). Rinse. Quarter the cabbage and blanch in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. 
• Then shred cabbage or chop it. I used 350 grams cabbage, which yielded 4 cups tightly packed shredded cabbage.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan or kadai. Splutter ½ teaspoon ajwain seeds (carom seeds). You can also use ½ teaspoon cumin seeds instead of ajwain seeds.
• Then add the shredded cabbage. Stir and mix very well.
• Season with salt as required.
• Cover the pan with a lid.
• Steam the shredded cabbage on a low flame till they turn translucent. This takes about 7 to 8 minutes on a low flame.
• Then add 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies, 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and ½ teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder).
• Mix the spice powders very well with the cabbage. Check the taste and add more salt, red chili powder or dry mango powder if required.
• Lastly add 2 tablespoons coriander leaves.
• Mix the coriander leaves very well with the rest of the spiced cabbage stuffing. Allow this stuffing to cool down at room temperature.

Assembling And Stuffing Cabbage Paratha

• Later pinch two small to medium sized balls from the dough. Then on a rolling board, dust some dry wheat flour on both sides of the balls.
• Roll them to about 4 to 5 inches diameter rounds . Try making both the rounds of the same size.
• On one of the rolled dough circle, place the cabbage stuffing in the center and keep about 1 inch empty space from the sides.
• Gently place the second circle on top. Press and seal the edges very well with your fingertips.
• Dust some flour on both sides of the stuffed cabbage paratha. Roll the paratha into a circle of about 7 to 8 inches in diameter or about the size of a normal roti or chapati.

Cooking Cabbage Paratha

• On a hot tava (skillet or griddle) place the rolled cabbage paratha. The tava should be hot and not at a low temperature. 
• Cooking cabbage paratha at a low flame will harden them. Parathas ideally are crisp as well as soft.
• When the base is partly cooked, then flip the paratha with the help of a spatula or tongs. Spread with a sppon some ghee or oil on the partly cooked part.
• Flip again and this time this side has to be cooked more than the previous side. You will see brown spots on the paratha.
• Spread some ghee or oil on this side too.
• Flip again once or twice till both the sides are cooked properly.
• You should see crisp brown spots on the paratha. 
• You can also press the paratha edges with a spatula or spoon so that they are fried well. Since at times, the paratha edges are not cooked well.
• Make all paratha this way and stack them in a roti basket or a casserole.
• While cooking the second paratha, if there are any burnt or browned wheat flour particles on the tawa then wipe them with a kitchen paper towel.
• Serve cabbage paratha for breakfast with a side accompaniment of lemon or mango pickle. You can also serve with some butter or curd.

Method :

Preparing dough:

1. In a mixing bowl or pan take 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 tsp oil, ¼ to ½ tsp salt or add as required. Add ⅔ cup water.

2. Mix and then knead the dough. Add more water if required to make a smooth soft dough. Cover and allow the dough to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preparing the stuffing

1. Peel and remove the top skin from the cabbage (patta gobhi or band gobi). Rinse and quarter the cabbage and blanch in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and then shred cabbage or chop it. I used 350 grams cabbage, which yielded 4 cups of tightly packed shredded cabbage.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan or kadai. Splutter ½ tsp ajwain seeds (carom seeds). You can also use ½ tsp cumin seeds instead of ajwain seeds.

3. Then add the shredded cabbage. Stir and mix very well.

4. Season with salt.

5. Cover the pan with a lid.

6. Steam the shredded cabbage on a low flame till they turn translucent. This takes about 7 to 8 minutes on a low flame. Do stir once or twice when the cabbage is cooking.

7. Then add 1 tsp finely chopped green chilies, 1 tsp finely chopped ginger, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder and ½ tsp amchur powder (dry mango powder).

8. Mix the spice powders very well with the cabbage. Check the taste and add more salt, red chili powder or dry mango powder if required.

9. Lastly add 2 tbsp coriander leaves.

10. Mix the coriander leaves very well with the rest of the spiced cabbage stuffing. Allow this stuffing to cool down at room temperature.

Stuffing cabbage paratha

1. Later pinch two small to medium sized balls from the dough. On a rolling board, dust some dry wheat flour on both sides of the balls.

2. Roll them to about 4 to 5 inches diameter rounds. Try making both the rounds of the same size.

3. On one of the rolled dough circle, place the cabbage stuffing in the center and keep about 1 inch empty space from the sides.

TIP 1: Don’t overstuff the paratha as then the stuffing might come out while rolling or roasting the paratha.

TIP 2: Don’t under stuff the paratha as then you won’t get the spiced cabbage flavor in the paratha. As you keep making parathas then with experience you will get to know what should be the right amount of stuffing to be used.

4. Gently place the second circle on top. Press and seal the edges very well with your fingertips.

5. Dust some flour on both sides of the stuffed paratha. Roll the paratha into a circle of about 7 to 8 inches in diameter or about the size of a normal roti or chapati. If there are a few small tears in the rolled paratha, then its fine.

Cooking cabbage paratha

1. On a hot tava/skillet/griddle place the rolled paratha. The tava should be hot and not at a low temperature. Cooking parathas at a low flame will harden them. Parathas ideally are crisp as well as soft.

2. When the base is partly cooked, flip the cabbage paratha with the help of tongs or a spatula. Then with a spoon spread some ghee or oil on the partly cooked part.

3. Flip again and this time this side has to be cooked more than the previous side. You will see brown spots on the patta gobhi paratha.

4. Spread some ghee or oil on this side too.

5. Flip again once or twice till both the sides are cooked properly.

6. You should see crisp brown spots on the stuffed cabbage paratha. You can also press the paratha edges with a spatula or spoon, so that they are fried well. Since at times, the paratha edges are not cooked well.

7. Make all paratha this way and stack them in a roti basket or a casserole. While cooking the second paratha, if there are any burnt or browned wheat flour particles on the tawa then you can wipe them with a kitchen paper towel.

8. Serve cabbage paratha for breakfast with a side accompaniment of lemon pickle or mango pickle. You can also serve with some butter or curd.