As soon as I wake up each morning, my Punjabi household smells of garam garam aloo parathas. Paratha, for those untouched by the phenomenon, are a type of Indian flatbread. In India, you will find a host of parathas being prepared for breakfast. There are plain ones, stuffed ones like aloo, gobhi, mooli and what not. These parathas are usually made from wheat flour and rolled out into a circular shape before being tossed onto a tawa. While in the English countries, a loaf of bread is commonly placed at the breakfast table, mornings in most North Indian homes start with fresh parathas, topped with melted butter and sometimes, with a side of curd.
Each region has their own special kind of parathas that they enjoy for breakfast. Gahat ka parathas are a famous treat from the hills of Uttarakhand. The horse gram flour, which is easily found in the area, is used for making these flatbreads. In Bihar, sattu is a highly consumed ingredient. From drinks to food, sattu is added to everything. Did you know that sattu is a superfood which is great for summers? It is so refreshing and relaxing that it works perfectly well to keep you hydrated during the hot season. The same sattu is used to make the Bihari parathas for breakfast too. The flour is usually a fine powder of ground barley or chana.
However, most of the times, when you’re on your diet, your dietician or nutritionist would tell you to avoid parathas. It is believed that they are rich in carbs and fats and hence, make losing weight a slower process. Then we found a fusion paratha, that is not only tasty but healthy too. The flatbread is made from a special kind of flour which is healthy and stuffed with all sorts of things which are nothing short of experimental. Never tried a fusion paratha before?
You can easily make it at home using jowar ka atta (sorghum). Firstly, knead a dough of jowar along with water. Keep it aside and chop some vegetables. Take bell peppers and spring onions and finely chop them. Grate some cheese too. Prepare a ginger and green chilli paste by grinding the two together. Start making the paratha but taking a small portion of the dough and rolling it into a circular shape. Spread the green chilli-ginger paste on it and spread some bell peppers and spring onions. Sprinkle some sweet corn on top of it and fold it again. Roll it out once more with the help of a rolling pin and toss it on a tawa.
Flip it to the other side so it cooks well on both sides. Take it out and slice it into smaller triangles. Garnish with some oregano and grated cheese. Serve with a side of tomato ketchup.
Full of veggies and nutrition, this delicious fusion paratha almost reminds us of pizza. If you’ve liked the idea too, why not try the recipe for breakfast today?