Paneer Ke Parathe (Cottage Cheese stuffed Indian Bread)

Here's a dish for the Paneer lovers, a super delicious yummy "Paneer Parantha". Famous in every North Indian household, Paranthas have a special place in every South Indian's heart too....:)Out of all the stuffings, I like Paneer stuffed Paranthas the most, Simple to make, looks perfect when cooked & tastes yummy when you put it in your mouth. My dinner tonight was PKP and I was so desperate to post the recipe tonight and share the picture of my yummy parantha with you all, that I sacrificed my sleep for a little while. Its eleven in the night & my husband is snoring next to me....Well, you won't get a sleep with the snores anyway!! ;)

For the Dough:

• 3 cups wheat flour (plus some for dusting)
• 1 tbsp ghee (clarified buter)
• pinch of salt
• enough water to make a dough

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, salt and ghee and rub everything with your hand. Then add enough water to it to make a stiff, smooth dough. Cover and keep aside.

For the Stuffing:

• 2 cups grated paneer (indian cottage cheese)
• 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds, optional)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (put either ajwain or cumin seeds, subject to availability)
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp chat masala
• 2-3 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 1 cup coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Take a mixing bowl & combine all the above ingredients together. Mix well with your hands & keep aside.
2. Heat a Tawa or a flat skillet on medium heat. While its getting hot, divide the dough into lemon sized balls. Take a ball of dough and dust it in a little flour and flatten it round till it is a little more than a size of your palm.
3. Put two spoonful of the paneer mixture on the middle of the rolled roti.
4. Now close the roti with their sides pulled to the middle and press it well so that it does not open while its cooking.
5. Dust the stuffed ball again in the flour & start making a round flat thin rotis as you normally make. The Paranthas can be thick or thin. I like my paranthas thin & little crispy.
6. Place the flattened parantha on the hot tawa & let it cook well for 30 seconds on one side. Flip it to the other side and give another 30 seconds to cook on the other side. Brush some ghee (clarified butter) on both the sides of he paranthas.
7. Take it out if you think that the paranthas are well cooked on both the sides. Repeat the stes for the rest of the dough balls.
8. Serve hot with a cup of thick yoghurt & some tangy pickle.....:)