This Indian flatbread has a green spinach-enriched dough, a spicy black bean and cheese filling and 20g protein per serving if you pair them with cottage cheese. A delicious, wholesome breakfast, lunch or dinner. I enjoy mine with either cottage cheese or Greek yoghurt, red onion, chilli and Indian pickle.
What is paratha?
Paratha is a world-famous flatbread from the Indian subcontinent. It comes in many different flavours and textures. Some are plain and flaky, whilst others are stuffed with various fillings from potatoes, to radish. This style of flatbread is enjoyed throughout India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and beyond.
Flaky flatbreads around the world
Many countries have a version of delicious, flaky flatbread similar to paratha. Malaysia’s roti canai is similar to Indian paratha, as are the Chinese scallion pancakes called cong you bing. Msemmen, the North African semolina flatbread also have a flaky, layered texture. What’s typically referred to as roti in parts of the Caribbean is prepared in a similar way to paratha. It’s also known as ‘buss up shot’, a name which nods to the action of clapping the cooked bread in your hands to reveal the flaky layers. Indian paratha are typically made with whole wheat flour (atta), water, salt, and often ghee or oil. The dough is rolled out, sometimes layered and sometimes stuffed with various fillings, and then cooked on a tawa (griddle) until golden brown and flaky. Here I’ll share my recipe for Spinach and Black Bean Paratha. They have a crispy spinach dough and spicy black bean and cheese filling reminiscent of a vegetarian Mexican quesadilla.
What to serve with stuffed paratha
Unlike plain paratha (laccha paratha), stuffed paratha generally aren’t eaten with curry or daal, since the spicy filling is already inside. Stuffed paratha are therefore usually enjoyed with achaar (pickle), a salad of raw onions and chillies and plain yoghurt or tea. This is a mouth watering and nostalgic breakfast or brunch that’ll set you up nicely for the day!
How to make vegan Spinach and Black Bean Paratha
It’s super easy to veganize this Spinach and Black Bean Paratha recipe. Simply replace the cheese with your favourite vegan cheese or omit the cheese altogether.
More Indian paratha recipes
Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Flatbread) Punjabi Mooli Paratha (Radish-Stuffed Flatbread) Saffron Paratha Paneer Kulcha
How to freeze paratha
To freeze, cook all of the paratha as per the recipe directions. Allow to cool and then stack the flatbreads, placing a piece of baking parchment between each one. Wrap the stack in a few layers of aluminium foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and then cook in a hot frying pan on both sides to crisp up the paratha.
Step-by-step instructions for making Spinach and Black Bean Paratha
1. Make the filling
Begin by making the filling for the paratha as it needs time to cool completely before stuffing. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and sauté over a medium heat until lightly golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the ginger, ground coriander, cumin, chilli powder, smoked paprika and salt. Stir briefly and quickly add the black beans, garam masala and water. Stir well. Mash the mixture with a potato masher until it resembles a bean burger patty texture that holds together when mixed. Some whole beans are fine. Continue to cook until the mixture is fairly dry, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the filling to a plate to cool completely. Once the filling has cooled, mix in the grated cheese and coriander.
2. Prepare the dough
To make the dough, mix together the flour, gram flour, salt and kasoori methi if using in a large bowl. Wilt the spinach in a dry saucepan (do not add any water). Place into a vessel suitable for blending or transfer to a blender jar. Add the warm water and blend until you have a totally smooth purée. Add the spinach purée to the flour mixture and bring together using a spoon until you have a rough, shaggy dough. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add the oil and knead for a further 3-4 minutes. Cover the dough with cling film and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.
3. Enclose the filling inside the dough
Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and repeat for the filling. I roll the dough into approximately 100g balls and the filling into 80g balls. Cover the dough with cling film to prevent it drying out. Roll or pat the dough out to about 8cm in diameter. Place a portion of filling on top and pinch the dough together to fully enclose it inside. Repeat for the remaining dough and filling portions. Cover with cling film when all the fillings have been enclosed.
4. Roll the paratha
Now, place the disc on a rolling board or clean work surface. Dust with a small amount of additional wholewheat atta and gently use your middle three fingers (palm-side down) to pat the dough into a thick round disc, starting from the centre and working your way outwards. This will help distribute the filling evenly. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough in a circular motion. You can use your hands to turn it as you roll. Once the paratha reaches the desired size, I stop at around 25cm. Carefully roll up and down a few times to even out the surface. The paratha is now ready to be cooked.
5. Cook the paratha
Pre-heat a tawa or non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. Place the paratha down and cook for 30-40 seconds. Flip it over with a spatula and brush a small amount of oil all over the surface of the paratha. Allow this side to cook for a minute before using a spatula to flip it over. Brush a small amount of oil on the second side. Once the paratha is golden brown all over, remove from the tawa. Keep warm on a plate lined with a kitchen towel or place inside an insulated container. Repeat this process for the remaining parathas.
Spinach and Black Bean Paratha recipe | How to make high protein Indian paratha
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With love and Spinach and Black Bean Paratha,
If you prefer to use ghee in your cooking, you can replace the oil in this recipe with ghee.To freeze, cook all of the paratha as per the recipe directions. Allow to cool and then stack the flatbreads, placing a piece of baking parchment between each one. Wrap the stack in a few layers of aluminium foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and then cook on a hot frying pan on both sides to crisp up the paratha.
Sanjana
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