GOBI PARATA (Cauliflower Stuffed Chapati or Roti)

Gobi is indeed a very yum vegetable & I simply love it, personally. What I love the most about cauliflower is the aroma (सौंदी सौंदी खुशबू) that it releases when fried in oil.



Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm........................... That's very tempting. I love gobi, in any kinda preparation. Be it the typical gobi bhoonjiya, gravy or the gobi stuffed parata.

All the hard work involved is with the cleaning of cauliflower. We avoid eating gobi anywhere outside only because of the "cleaning procedure", that does not satisfy us.

I still remember, as children & adolescents we all ate 'gobi manchurian' a lot, at those road side stalls & even other food joints. That was one thing we all made a point to have, when we binged outside, with friends. But as we left those days behind us & entered "Grihasthashram" (MARRIED LIFE), we became more responsible towards our near 'N' dear one's. We always tend to check & re-check, for the good of our family.

One such department that women excel in, is that of the kitchen. My mom, would only be satisfied with my cleaning of the gobi. {Generally everything, but particularly gobi}. The gobi we got then was full of unwanted stuffs like tiny insects, worms & even their web like homes, unlike now. I would carefully look into it & go through the flowerettes one by one & stamp them "CLEAN".
And moreover my eyes are quite sharp & has no power issues till date ;-). God bless them..............

Hence my inspection & dicision is always considered final for any kind of double checks. And we always make it a point that if it has to be gobi for food , then it would only be, my home or mom's.

OK. Now that's quite an appreciation. So what I started off with was the difficult part of preparing gobi. Rest is fine & easy going. Let's proceed with the Gobi Parata.

The STUFFING

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1, medium
Garlic Cloves - 3-4, finely chopped
Onion - 1, medium, finely chopped
Green Chilli - 2-3, finely chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to Taste
Kitchen King Masala - 1 tsp
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander Leaves - 2-3 twigs, finely chopped

Method:

Clean the cauliflower flowerettes well & soak in water, to which you add 1 tsp salt & 1 tsp turmeric powder. Leave for 10 minutes & then wash thoroughly.

Grate the washed flowerettes completely.



Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel or wok. Now add chopped garlic & fry for a minute.



Now add chopped green chilli & fry for a minute or two. Then add chopped onions & fry further till translucent.



Add the grated cauliflower & add all the masalas & fry for 10-12 minutes or till the cauliflower looks cooked & releases its beautiful aroma.



Then add the chopped coriander leaves & saute for a minute. Remove from fire & let it cool a bit to avoid burning hands while preparing the paratas.



The DOUGH

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour (atta) - 2 cups
Water - As required to make a thick dough
Ajwain (Carom Seeds or Oma) & Mangrela(Black Sesame Seeds) - Optional
Salt as per taste (optional)

Method:

In an open mouthed big bowl mix the atta with required amount of water to make a smooth thick dough.

PS. The dough is kneaded slightly thicker, than that would normally be kneaded for chapati or rotis. Mainly because if the dough is very soft, it would not be able to withstand the stuffing while you roll them. Parathas would tear. Hence the thicker dough.



Keep the dough aside, covered, & allow it to settle for half an hour.

The PARATA

Method:

Make small balls of the dough. Dust some flour onto it so to avoid the flour sticking onto your hands. Prepare small cups out of it to hold the stuffing. Stuff a spoon full of cauliflower stuffing or according to the size & thickness of the cup. Fill the cup & turn it around to cover the cup & finally seal it.

Now roll the ball with a rolling pin to a fine roti.

Heat a tawa or a wide mouthed pan & place the rolled paratha on it. Let a side get cooked. Once it is done turn over to let the other side cook. Meanwhile smear the side facing you with oil & turn over again. Now let the oil on the other side get cooked & smear the dry cooked side with a spoon of oil. Now tossing & turning, cook both the sides well & remove from the tawa.



Serve the hot paratas with any dippings of your choice. Be it curd, pickle or any other gravy.