Paneer parathas are a delicious and popular Indian whole wheat flatbread stuffed with paneer (Indian cottage cheese), spices, and herbs. Serve hot with a raita or curry of your choice.
What is the food for your soul? While there are several possible responses. Having a paratha with a bowl of curd is my idea of heaven.
Paratha is a quintessential Indian breakfast that is both satisfying and scrumptious. Although I'll always adore the traditional plain paratha recipe, I'd like to try several others as well. For example, aloo paratha, palak paratha, mooli paratha, and more alternatives abound, leaving me puzzled. But if I had to pick one, it would have to be paneer paratha since it is my favorite stuffed paratha recipe.
Jump to:
What Is Paneer Paratha?
A paneer paratha is a wheat-based flatbread packed with paneer, or Indian cottage cheese, spices, and herbs. They are crisp on the outside yet quite mushy on the inside. You can pair it up with a bowl of curd, chutney, or even tangy pickles, the choice is yours!
Why You’ll Love Paneer Paratha?
- Paneer (Cottage Cheese) is high in protein and is loaded with essential nutrients.
- Paneer Paratha is a very quick and easy lunch or breakfast recipe.
- In addition to being a great source of vitamin D, selenium, and manganese, it is also a significant source of dietary fiber.
- It is a lunch-box-friendly recipe.
Ingredients
How To Make Paneer Paratha
Knead The Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, salt, and oil. Gradually add water and knead to form a smooth dough.
Smear some oil on the top. Cover and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
Make Paneer Stuffing
To make the paneer filling, use either homemade or store-bought paneer. Grate the paneer using a box grater for even-sized paneer. You can also crumble it into small pieces.
Then add onions, ginger, green chilies, coriander leaves, red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, amchur powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Mix everything well. Ps: If you are making it for kids, you can reduce the spice level.
Assemble And Roll
Now, take a tiny amount of the dough, and roll them in your palms to make them even. Then dust some flour on the dough ball, and roll it out into a small disc.
Stuff it with the 2-3 tablespoons of paneer filling in the circle's center, and remember not to over-fill.
Then bring the ends together, seal them, and pinch off the excess dough.
Next, using your fingers, gently press the sealed part to evenly distribute the filling.
Dust the stuffed dough ball with flour on both sides and roll gently to make a 7-8 inch diameter paratha. Ensure that the edges are of uniform thickness, neither too thick nor too thin.
Cook the Parathas
Heat a tawa or skillet over medium heat. Place the paratha on the tawa and cook it for 1-2 minutes until small bubbles appear on the surface.
Then, flip the paratha and spread some ghee (or oil) on the surface. Continue cooking the other side and apply ghee again.
Flip, and press lightly using a spatula and cook until both sides turn golden brown spots and no more raw doughy parts.
How To Serve?
Cut the paratha into two halves and top it with a dollop of butter. Pair it up with a bowl of curd or raita, chutney, or a pickle of your own choice! And tada, your quintessential North Indian meal is ready to be relished!
Tips To Make Paneer Ka Paratha
- Use fresh and soft paneer: Use homemade paneer for the best results. If using store-bought ones, make sure it's fresh and soft; otherwise, they will not blend well with spices and other ingredients.
- Grate the paneer: Grating the paneer, can help it to mix well with the other ingredients.
- Keep the dough soft and smooth: You won't be able to roll the paratha if your dough is stiff and tight. It would also be challenging to roll the paratha if it is excessively soft and sticky. To enjoy the fantastic flavor and texture of the paratha, keep the dough at a medium softness.
- Size of the dough portion = stuffing: This one is really important to consider while making the paratha. Both the dough ball and the filling portion must be almost the same size. This way, each bite has an equal quantity of dough and filling. After stuffing, seal the dough, making sure there are no air bubbles. During rolling the paratha, the air pockets will burst, and the paratha will then begin to split or shatter.
- Roll out the parathas evenly: Roll out the parathas evenly, so they cook evenly on both sides.
Variations
There are many variations of paneer paratha.
- Add veggies: Some may like to enhance their nutritional value by adding veggies like mashed potatoes, spinach leaves, shredded radishes, carrots, and more.
- Add spices & herbs: Enhance the taste of the parathas by adding more spices and herbs like mint.
- Pickles: You can add some remaining pickles to make achari paneer paratha.
- Cheese: Add grated cheese to the paneer filling mixture for rich and yummy parathas.
How To Store Paneer Paratha?
Fridge: You can store the cooked paneer parathas in an airtight container or wrap them in parchment paper/aluminum foil for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Freezer: First, cook each paratha halfway and let them cool down completely. Then, pack them separately in freezer bags, and stack them on top of each other with a piece of butter paper between each layer to prevent sticking. Name and date them on the packaging. Remove the butter paper from the parathas when ready to eat. This way, parathas can be stored for up to a month.
Reheat: You can reheat them in the microwave or on the griddle until they are heated through. If frozen, thaw the parathas in the refrigerator overnight and heat them on the tawa/skillet for 1-2 minutes on each side until they turn warm and crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Paneer digests slowly since it contains a lot of protein and little carbohydrates. But, you may use ragi flour instead of whole wheat flour if you're on a diet to lose weight.
The paneer paratha is made of whole wheat flour, filled with paneer, and seasoned to perfection, and you can even add vegetables like onion or cabbage for extra crunch and taste.
Also check my Kids Lunch Box Series Posts
Paneer Paratha + Cucumber + Fruits
More Paneer Recipes
More Paratha Recipes
- Avocado Paratha
- Makhana (Lotus Seed) Paratha
- Lauki (Bottle Gourd) Paratha
- Chole Paratha
- Zucchini Carrot Paratha
- Ajwain Paratha
- Methi Paratha
If you’ve tried this healthy paneer paratha recipe or any other recipe on Indianveggiedelight, then don’t forget to rate the recipe. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see the latest recipes!
Paneer Paratha
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ¾ -1 cup water for kneading the dough
For the Paneer Filling/Stuffing
- 2 cups paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) (about 200 grams)
- 2-3 tablespoons onion finely chopped
- 1-2 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1-2 green chilies finely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons coriander leaves
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon amchur powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- salt to taste
- ghee for roasting parathas
Instructions
Knead the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, salt, and oil. Gradually add water and knead to form a smooth dough.Smear some oil on the top. Cover and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
Make Paneer Stuffing
- To make the paneer filling, use either homemade or store-bought paneer. Grate the paneer using a box grater for even-sized paneer. You can also crumble it into small pieces.Then add onions, ginger, green chilies, coriander leaves, red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, amchur powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Mix everything well. Ps: If you are making it for kids, you can reduce the spice level.
Assemble And Roll
- Now, take a tiny amount of the dough, and roll them in your palms to make them even. Then dust some flour on the dough ball, and roll it out into a small disc.
- Stuff it with the 2-3 tablespoons of paneer filling in the circle's center, and remember not to over-fill.
- Then bring the ends together, seal them, and pinch off the excess dough.Next, using your fingers, gently press the sealed part to evenly distribute the filling.
- Dust the stuffed dough ball with flour on both sides and roll gently to make a 7-8 inch diameter paratha. Ensure that the edges are of uniform thickness, neither too thick nor too thin.
Cook the Parathas
- Heat a tawa or skillet over medium heat. Place the paratha on the tawa and cook it for 1-2 minutes until small bubbles appear on the surface.
- Then, flip the paratha and spread some ghee (or oil) on the surface. Continue cooking the other side and apply ghee again.
- Flip, and press lightly using a spatula and cook until both sides turn golden brown spots and no more raw doughy parts.
Leave a Reply