Winter Special: Tips To Make Perfect Mooli Parathas

Not that we need any reason to binge on parathas, but they tend to become even more tempting in winters, don’t you feel? Watching that blob of butter slowly melting on the crispy parathas as you slowly tear into it, is a feeling indescribable. You would find various kinds of parathas in the country, some smooth, some flakey, some loaded, some ultra-crispy. All of these parathas have their loyal set of fan-following, but very few are synonymous with a particular season. Mooli paratha is that delicacy that makes winter mornings a little less groggy affair for us.  

Mooli or radish is a winter vegetable that, like carrot, is now available throughout the year. But in my house, my mother urges us to eat loads and loads of radish in winter. As Indians, we are no stranger to eating seasonal food, that is what the Ayurveda has advocated for years, which explains our zeal for mangoes and melons in summer, and a similar excitement for carrot, guavas and radish in winter. Radish is also one of the few winter veggies that you can eat raw. Just grate it, sprinkle some lemon juice and chaat masala and you have an instant salad that you can munch into anytime you wish. With the same grated mooli, you can also make some fresh mooli parathas. Sure, there are going to be many challenges, like the parathas can break due to overstuffing, or can get burnt because you are not sure whether the filling is cooked inside, but should all of that deter you from savouring hot and fresh mooli parathas? Not at all.  

1. The trick is to make sure your radish does not sog out the parathas. So, you add a tsp of salt to the grated radish and keep it aside for 15 minutes. Squeeze the water out of it nicely. Keep the strained liquid aside.
2. To ensure your radish does not seem undercooked from within, you can cook it before. You don’t have to do anything elaborate. Just temper cumin seeds in a non-stick pan, add the grated radish, green chillies, coriander leaves, salt, chilli powder, panch phoron, turmeric powder etc. Sautee for a minute or two on low-medium flame.  
3. After you do this, start kneading your dough, it should not be too soft or too tight. You can also use the strained liquid you reserved before.
4. Make sure you let your dough rest for 30 minutes before you use it.  
5. Divide the dough in equal portions, and start rolling small pooris.
6. On one poori, place the stuffing right in the centre, and on that place another poori, seal the edges. Now with the help of a rolling pin, roll it flat and even.  
7. Dust some flour if required to prevent the dough from sticking onto your belan.
8. Roast it on hot tawa, and cook on both sides until they are brown. Serve hot.