Vegetable Makeover: Stuffed Parathas

Almost every family has a few fussy eaters...both children and adults. And I have found that many of them do not recognize the flavor of a particular vegetable when it is served under disguise: as a soup or as a stuffing in parathas. Even though a vegetable may not taste appealing on its own, once it gets hidden in a paratha, it magically becomes delicious. Also, when you think of parathas you automatically think of aaloo (potato), gobi (cauliflower), and paneer (cottage cheese) parathas that are commonly available in most Indian restaurants. You need to think outside the box to come up with paratha fillings of your own, in order to make your families eat their veggies. So the vegetable getting a makeover today is the bottle gourd or opo squash, as it is known in the US of A.

Ingredients

For Chappathi Dough

Aata (whole wheat flour) – 1 ½ cups (approx.)

Water – ¾ cup (approx.)

Salt – ½ tsp

For Stuffing

Grated squash – 1 heaped cup

Salt – 1 tsp+to taste

Chili powder – ½ tsp

Turmeic powder – a pinch

Ajwain (carom seeds) – a pinch (optional)

Method

Cut the squash and remove the core (seeds and soft flesh). 

Grate the squash, sprinkle a teaspoon of salt on it and keep aside for about 10 minutes. This helps extract all the excess water from the vegetable.

Heat a pan on medium heat. Squeeze out all the water from the squash and add to the pan. Do not throw the water away. 

Stir in the chili powder, turmeric, ajwain and the required amount of salt and allow it to cook for about 4-5 minutes or until dry.   Remove from the heat and keep ready.

Knead together the flour and salt while adding water little by little. Here’s a tip: use the water extracted from the squash so that you don’t waste its nutrients. Make sure the dough is neither too sticky nor too dry.

Before you start rolling out the parathas, remember to heat your griddle on medium heat and keep it ready.

Roll the dough into balls of the same size.

While using a little bit of flour for dusting, roll the ball into a small disc.

Hold the disc like a cup, between your thumb and index finger, fill about a tablespoon of stuffing, bring the edges together and seal. Dust with more flour and roll out into parathas of desired size.

Cook the parathas on the hot griddle until they are cooked through and get a few black spots on the surface.

Remove from the griddle and serve hot with a simple onion raita and pickle.

For a richer taste, add a dash of ghee or butter on the hot paratha and enjoy. Bon Appétit. 

Note: Please remember to squeeze out the water from the squash before making the dough…else you will have to drink it up…like I did. No regrets though, it was yummy.

           For another interesting recipe made with bottle gourd, visit Bottle Gourd (Lauki) Raitha, Bottle Gourd and Carrot Kofta Curry. 
For more paratha varieties, visit
Muli Paratha, Palak Paneer Stuffed Paratha, Methi Paratha and Bell Peppers & Soya Sabzi

Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies

It was during one of my visits to the Williams-Sonoma Cooking demos that I walked by Paradise Bakery. It was the only store open in the huge food court, and there was long line. That was no surprise, especially with the aroma of freshly baked goodies wafting in the air.

I decided to check out their ware on my way out. An hour and a half later, I walked past and there was still a long line. This made me even more curious, and I joined the queue. As I neared the counter, I kept peeking at their display to find out what all they had. There were about 10 varieties of cookies and a few breakfast pastries. There was also the smell of freshly brewed coffee to complement the goodies. It was finally my turn and after taking a few moments to decide, I ordered one coconut-chocolate chip cookie and one white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Both were fresh, warm and oh so inviting. But I decided to wait until I got home to indulge in the goodness…you see, I did not want to end up eating both the cookies and leaving only crumbs for my husband!

Fast forward 30 minutes, I was home and taking my first bite of the coconut cookie…bliss!!!

Ingredients (Makes 2 dozen)
Wheat flour – 1 cup

All-purpose flour – 1 cup
Olive oil – 3/4^th cup
Light brown sugar – 1 ¼ cups
Baking Powder – ½ tsp
Milk – 6 tbsps

Toasted coconut – 1 cup

Chocolate chips – ½ cup

Method
In a pan placed on low to medium heat, toast the coconut until it turns light brown. Remember to keep stirring at regular intervals to avoid burning.

Add all the ingredients, except milk, to a bowl and mix well. Slowly add the milk and knead to soft dough. Refrigerate it for 20 minutes. As the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet/baking tray with parchment paper or foil (takes the hassle out of cleaning burnt on stuff).

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out into balls. Flatten with your palms, place on a lined sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them though; the cookies might get done faster in your oven. 

Don’t worry if they feel soft when just out of the oven, they will harden a bit as they cool.

Even though these weren’t as sinfully delicious as the ones from the bakery (considering the fact that these don’t have butter), they were still really really good. Bon Appétit.

NOTE:

• I used frozen grated coconut but dried coconut flakes would be a better option.
• You can make it with all-purpose flour only too. But making it with whole wheat alone may not give it the desired texture.
• If you like crunchier cookies, leave them in the warm oven for a few minutes longer.