INDIAN RECIPES: restaurant style pudina paratha

restaurant style pudina paratha...

ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

for kneading dough:

½ cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves or 17 to 18 grams fresh mint leaves/pudina patta
2 cups whole wheat flour/atta, 240 grams
2 tsp oil or ghee or butter
½ to 1 tsp salt or add as per taste
⅔ cup water or add as required

for sprinkling:

½ cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves or 17 to 18 grams fresh mint leaves or 1 tbsp dry mint leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
½ tsp fennel seeds/saunf
1 dry red chili, broken and seeds removed (optional)
1 tbsp chaat masala

for roasting:

how to make the recipe:

prep:

begin with rinsing the mint leaves and keeping them aside. we will use 1 cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves of which half is added to the dough and the other half is added to the spice mix.

kneading dough:

then start with the dough preparation - in a mixing bowl or pan, take 2 cups whole wheat flour (240 grams), 2 tsp oil or ghee or butter and ½ to 1 tsp salt or add as per taste.
mix very well.
then add ½ cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves (finely chopped). again mix very well.
now add water in parts. initially you can add ⅓ to ½ cup water.
mix and begin to knead the dough.
add more water as required and knead to a smooth dough. overall i used ⅔ cup of water to knead the dough. depending on the quality of flour, you may need to add more or less water.
cover the dough and keep aside for 30 minutes.

preparing the spice mix:

in a pan, add ½ cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves.
on a low flame or sim with frequent stirs, roast the mint leaves. some mint leaves will darken, but continue to roast them till they turn crisp.
once the leaves are roasted and dried, then remove and keep aside.
in the same pan, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds and roast for half a minute on a low flame.
next add 1 dry red chili, broken and seeds removed. red chili is optional, but i do add for the bit of heat it provides in the parathas.
roast till the cumin seeds become fragrant. remove aside and add them in a dry grinder or a spice grinder.
when the cumin and fennel seeds become warm or cool down, add the dried mint leaves.
grind to a semi fine mix or a fine powder.
remove in a plate. also add 1 tbsp chaat masala.
mix both the spice blends very well. keep aside.

preparing parathas:

after 30 minutes, make medium sized balls of the dough.
take the dough ball on the rolling board and sprinkle some flour on both sides.
roll the ball to a large thin chapati of about 9 to 10 inches.
spread or brush some oil all over. sprinkle some flour evenly.
now sprinkle the spice mixture that we had prepared.
begin to fold from the edges like a fan with pleats.
fold towards the end and then roll tightly to a circle. press the loose end at the center downwards.
prepare the pleated roll balls like these and keep aside covered to rest for 12 to 15 minutes.
now take one pleated ball and dust some flour on both sides.
roll to a paratha of about 5 to 6 inches.
place the paratha on a hot tawa.
when you see the paratha puffing up at some places and is ¼th cooked then flip.
spread some oil or ghee on this side.
flip again and spread some oil or ghee on this side too.
flip a couple of times to get even roasting and cooking of the parathas.
press the edges with a spatula so that they are cooked well.
you can make these parathas more crisp by cooking for some more time.
remove and place the pudina paratha on a plate or tray. crush them between your palms taking care of the heat, so that the layers separate.
the pudina paratha is ready to be served now. make all pudina parathas this way. if you are unable to serve them immediately, then stack them in a casserole or a roti basket and serve them once you have made all the parathas. do not that these parathas have to be served hot or warm.