Spinach Chappathi / Spinach Paratha / Palak Paratha / Green Chappathi

Spinach Chappathi / Spinach Paratha / Palak Paratha / Green Chappathi

 

School is getting started and my mind is thinking of various school lunch options, healthy dinners for the kids. Whole bag of spinach was sitting in the refrigerator and I decided to make some different variety out of it. Though Palak Paneer is our all time favourite, spinach paratha won my mind. With a tangy, spicy side dish, its a very good combination for dinner. I made Black eye beans masala in a tangy,spicy tomato gravy which makes the dinner more colourful.

Ingredients

 

For Grinding :

Spinach Leaves - 3 Cups

Green Chili - 1 Medium

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

For the Dough :

Wheat Flour - 4 Cups

Sugar - 1 Pinch

Salt - To Taste

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Ajwain Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Thick Curd - 1 tbsp

Grounded Paste - Add fully.

Water - Little as required for making the paratha dough.

Oil - As required.

 

 

 

Method 

• Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly and steam cook them along with green chili and cumin seeds in the kadai / pan with the lid on. No need to add water. When it gets cooked and reduced in size, grind them in a mixer grinder smoothly with no water added. Keep the green paste ready.
• In a big mixing bowl, add all the other ingredients for making the dough and the green paste too and make a smooth paste. Knead the dough well with little oil to make it more softer. Keep it aside for few minutes.
• Heat the frying pan on medium flame. Take a small ball of the paratha dough and spread the ball into a thin round paratta.
• Fry them uniformly on the heated frying pan on both sides. Apply little ghee on its top while serving for kids.
• An excellent healthy paratha for breakfast, colourful lunch for kids and delicious dinner along with a good side dish. Can be eaten at all times and loved by all ages.

 

Tips / Variations

• While kneading the dough, care should be taken while adding water. Green paste and curd should be added first while making the dough and then water should be added slowly till you get a desired consistency.
• I prefer not to add so many powders while making the dough as I wish to retain its original flavour and make it more simpler.

HOW TO MAKE Sorakkai Paratha / Dhoodhi Paratha / Lauki Paratha

Sorakkai Paratha / Dhoodhi Paratha / Lauki Paratha



Garam Dhoodhi parathas with a side of Methi Kadi and some onion

Bottle gourd which is called as "Dhoodhi" or "Lauki" in Hindi and "Sorakkai" in Tamil and "Sorakaya " in Telugu, has more water content, fills the stomach and easy for digestion. As it has very less calories, its ideal for weight reduction too. We can make Dal, Payasam / Kheer, Kootu, etc using this vegetable. But when i first tasted this Dhoodhi Paratha few years before, I liked it very much. This paratha was first introduced by a Gujarati aunty who helped us in our kitchen after my delivery. Till today, I have been following many of her recipes in my kitchen and the dishes always remind me of her cooking, taste and kindness..

Ingredients

Bottle gourd / Sorakkai - 1 Medium

Wheat Flour - 5 cups

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - To Taste

Green Chillies - 2 Medium

Omum / Ajwain Seeds - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1.5 tsp

Coriander Powder - 3-4 tsp

Fennel Seeds/Sombhu - 2 tsp ( crushed into powder ).

Method

• Peel the skin of the Bottle Gourd and grate them carefully.
• Knead the dough by mixing all the ingredients as mentioned above without adding water. Make sure that the paratha dough is bit tight and its always better to prepare the paratha dough few minutes before making the Parathas.
• Make lemon size ball and spread it into a big round using a chapati roller. While making the paratha, if required just flip the sides with wheat flour or maida flour which in turn makes the process easier.
• Cook the parathas on a heated kadai/pan on both sides. Apply little ghee or oil over the parathas after its done and serve hot with any of your favourite side dish.
• Generally we love to have a side of Kadi and some tangy tomato pickle on its side at our home. Trust me, parathas taste very good with a side of Kadi or raita.

Tips/Variations 

• If the peeled skin of the Bottle Gourd is thin and fresh, preserve those for making a very tasty pachidi/thogayal.
• Instead of using coriander powder, crush the coriander seeds and fennel seeds / somfu coarsely and add that freshly grounded powder while making the dough. This fresh powder gives an unique taste to the Parathas for sure. ( As told by my friend ).