Methi Paneer ke Parathe/ Fenugreek n cottage cheese stuffed flatbread

Come winters and in punjabi home such as ours, the breakfast quintessentially consists of stuffed parathas served with buttermilk or curd or even a large steaming cup of tea. 

Ahhh.... the perfect warm cuddle!! 

My very popular Aloo paratha or Potato stuffed flatbreads are testament to the popularity of how such a humble and simple meal can blow your mind. 

So the other day, I was trying to think of a new combination to try to stuff my parathas with. And here's what I came up with!! Now, firstly, these parathas are packed with so much nutrition; secondly, though they look like skinny sister of the real parathas, they are bursting with flavour and last but not the least, the texture of these parathas will want you to keep 'em coming...Also, a hearty breakfast like this and a hot cuppa chai to go with it and you're set for the day! 

And before I forget, do not, I repeat do not skimp on topping the parathas with butter. I prefer home made butter in the winters but please feel free to use store bought butter as well. But do not miss out on butter. The Paratha makin committee treats it as a serious offense!! Trust me, butter makes everything better. 

So, butter- yes! Okay?! 

On to the recipe! 

Serves: 2

Complexity: **

Time taken: 20 mins

You'll need

1 cup grated paneer (cottage cheese, use ricotta or haloumi instead of paneer if you want to)

1 1/2 cup fresh fenugreek leaves coarsely chopped

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 tsp carom seed (ajwain) powder

1 tsp roasted cumin powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder

salt to taste (around 1 tsp) 

1 tsp raw mango powder (amchur)

1/2 tsp garam masala

handful coriander leaves

whole wheat dough

oil for drizzling

whole lotta love

Method

Have your dough kneaded n rested for 30 mins or more before you start making the parathas. (refer note below)*

Meanwhile lets make the stuffing. Take a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the fenugreek leaves to it

The finely chopped onions

Grate the cottage cheese over it. 

Now for the spices, I went in first with the red chili

Then the salt

carom seed powder

Cumin powder (dry roast the cumin to enhance the flavour multifolds)

Raw mango powder to add that perfect earthy tangy punch of flavour. You could also use pomegranate seeds but this powder works better for me.

Sprinkle in some coriander leaves... oh how pretty that green is!!! 

Top it off with garam masala. 

Give it all a good mix so the spices are evenly distributed. 

To make the parathas, take a golf sized ball of dough. Roll it out till its about 4" wide in diameter. Spoon over the stuffing over it. I usually go for 4 tbsp of stuffing for each paratha which gives me enough for 4 parathas. 

Now fold over the extra dough from the sides to make a little pouch like so. 

Dust over some flour and roll out the paratha again till its about 6-7" in diameter. Make sure it doesn't tear or the stuffing will start falling out. 

Have your griddle heating on a medium flame for a couple minutes before you place the rolled out paratha very gently on it. Keep turning the paratha once every minute, after you've turned it twice, brush it with oil and cook so the outside becomes crispy. The cottage cheese will have melted inside and will have become almost buttery....mmmmmmm.... Take off the paratha from the griddle. Immediately add that dollop of butter we talked about earlier. Thats your love right there! 

I quartered my parathas before serving.... don't they look ridiculously good?! 

The butter melting so sinfully on the crispy-yet-melt-in-your-mouth-soft-parathas....Its going to be a staple in my kitchen for sure! Indulge!! 

*Note: Making the dough 

Since I have demonstrated making the dough earlier, I am not repeating the entire process here again. Just take 1 1/2 cups of wheat flour and keep adding 2/3rd cup of water gradually till you form a firm-ish dough. Keep kneading for 5-7 minutes atleast so as to activate the gluten.