Broccoli Paratha Recipe

About Broccoli Paratha

Broccoli Paratha is a delicious Indian flatbread stuffed with a filling made using fresh broccoli, potatoes, herbs, and spices. It has the goodness of broccoli and tastes delicious, too.

When my son was growing up, providing him with nutritious food was always at the forefront of my mind. Stuffed parathas are a great way to sneak in veggies that kids would otherwise not eat, and I relied heavily on them, too.

This broccoli, potato, and paneer paratha was one of my favorites to feed him, without him even knowing. Actually, this Pumpkin Broccoli Soup is, too. If your kids are picky eaters, too, try these recipes!

This paratha is super easy to make and an excellent breakfast, lunch, or dinner dish. It is also a great option for packing an office or school lunch box.

Some people saute the filling, but I personally prefer the raw taste of broccoli and other ingredients. If you wish, you can try sauteeing the filling.

Serve broccoli paratha with green chutney, rajasthani mango pickle, and plain yogurt or a raita for a yummy treat! You can serve it with any other chutney or pickle as well. It will taste great with green chili thecha too.

How To Make Broccoli Paratha

Make The Dough

Step 1: Mix the following ingredients in a large bowl using your clean fingertips. You can also use a parat (Indian utensil) to mix these ingredients.

• 2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Step 2: Add water (approx ½ cup) little by little and knead to make a soft dough.

The amount of water will depend on the quality of the flour. Do not add a large amount of water at once; otherwise, the dough may become sticky.

Step 3: Knead the dough using the heels of your hands until it becomes soft and smooth. This will take 3-4 minutes.

Note – You can also use a stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment to knead the dough.

Step 4: Cover the ready dough with a kitchen towel and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Make The Filling

Step 5: To prepare the filling, gather the necessary ingredients. Wash a small head of broccoli thoroughly and inspect it for any insects that may be hiding inside. Grate the broccoli using the medium hole of a box grater. You can also use a food processor to grate the broccoli. Just make sure it’s coarse and not pasty. We need 1 cup of grated broccoli.

Peel the boiled potatoes (2 small potatoes or 1 large potato) and let them cool for 3-4 hours. If the potatoes are not cooled, they will become mushy. Mash the cooled potatoes using a potato masher. There should be no lumps; otherwise, the paratha will tear when rolling.

Grate 150g of paneer using the medium-holed box grater.

Step 6: Add the following ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix well.

• mashed potatoes
• grated broccoli
• grated paneer
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon chopped green chili
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon carom seeds

Step 7: Check for salt and add more if needed. Mix well.

Assemble The Broccoli Paneer Paratha

Step 8: Knead the dough for 30-40 seconds and divide it into 6 equal portions.

Step 9: Roll each portion into small, round balls.

Take one dough ball and keep it on a clean surface.

Note: In India, we roll the bread on a wooden or marble round called a Chakla, but you can also use a clean kitchen counter.

Dust it with dry flour.

Note: Keep the remaining balls covered with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.

Step 10: Roll the dough using a rolling pin to make a 4-inch circle.

Step 11: Take 2 tablespoons of the filling and shape it into a round ball between your palms.

Keep the filling in the center of the rolled dough circle.

Step 12: Bring the ends of the circle together to form a smooth, rounded ball.

Step 13: Flatten the ball gently using your palms and rotate it in between your fingers to expand it a little

Return the stuffed dough to the rolling surface.

Step 14: Dust with more flour and gently roll the paratha into a 6-inch circle. Move from one side to the other while rolling. Keep rotating the paratha or the rolling board as you roll. The edges of the paratha should be thinner than the center.

Cook The Paratha

Step 15: Heat a tawa (flat griddle) over medium-high heat.

Step 16: Transfer the rolled paratha to the hot tawa and cook until brown spots appear on the lower side.

Do not transfer the paratha to cold tawa or very hot tawa. It should be medium hot.

Step 18: Flip using a flat spatula and cook on the other side as well.

Step 19: Apply 1-2 teaspoon ghee or oil on both sides and cook until the paratha is crispy and golden brown. Keep pressing with the back of the spatula while cooking the paratha.

Step 20: Serve the broccoli paratha hot, accompanied by pickles and yogurt.

Make all the parathas in the same manner.

Variations

Mix the grated broccoli, chopped onions, and spices with the flour, then knead the dough until smooth. Using this dough, make a thin, thepla-like or plain tawa paratha like broccoli paratha. This is a no-stuff version that tastes great, too. Knead a sightly tight dough in this version as the salted broccoli will release water and make the dough a little softer with time.

You can avoid adding potato and paneer and mix the grated broccoli with finely chopped ginger, onions, and everyday spices to make the stuffing mixture.

Stuff a combination of broccoli and cauliflower into the parathas.

Add some goda masala, sambar powder, or kanda lasun masala to the filling for a taste change.