Stuffed Gobhi Paratha Cauliflower Flatbread

Method

1. 1

   Make the wheat dough: Combine wheat flour, ghee and salt. Mix oil into flour with fingertips. Add warm water gradually — about 3/4 cup — kneading for 7 minutes until soft, smooth and pliable. The dough should be slightly softer than chapati dough so it stretches around the filling. Cover with a damp cloth. Rest 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Prepare the cauliflower filling: Grate the cauliflower finely on a box grater — use the fine side. Grated cauliflower must be completely dry for the filling to work. Place the grated cauliflower in a clean cloth. Squeeze firmly and repeatedly until all visible moisture is removed. A dry filling prevents the paratha from becoming soggy during cooking.

3. 3

   Season the filling: Mix the squeezed grated cauliflower with chopped green chilli, ginger paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder, amchur, ajwain, coriander leaves and salt. Taste the filling — it should be well-seasoned, spicy, tangy and fragrant. Divide into 6 equal portions.

4. 4

   Divide the dough: Divide the rested dough into 6 equal balls.

5. 5

   Stuff the paratha: Take one dough ball. Roll it on a lightly floured surface into a disc about 10 cm wide. Place one portion of cauliflower filling in the centre. Bring the dough edges upward around the filling, gathering and pinching firmly at the top to seal — just like sealing a stuffed dumpling. Press gently into a ball, sealed side facing down.

6. 6

   Roll the stuffed paratha: Place the stuffed ball on a lightly floured surface, sealed side up. Roll gently from the centre outward with a rolling pin into a round about 18 to 20 cm wide. Roll slowly and carefully — if you press too hard, the filling will push through the dough and tear it. If the filling breaks through, seal the spot with a pinch of dough and dust with flour.

7. 7

   Cook on a hot griddle: Heat a flat griddle on medium heat. Place the rolled paratha on it. Cook 1.5 minutes until small bubbles form and light brown spots appear on the bottom. Flip.

8. 8

   Apply ghee generously: Apply 1 tsp ghee on the cooked surface. Flip again. Apply 1 tsp ghee on the other side too. Press gently with a spatula. Cook 1.5 minutes per side after adding ghee until both sides are golden with crispy, slightly charred edges. A well-made gobhi paratha should be very crispy outside and the filling inside should be cooked through.

9. 9

   Keep warm: Place each finished paratha in a clean cloth to stay warm and soft. Continue making all 6.

10. 10

    Serve with accompaniments: Serve hot with cold yogurt, a piece of fresh white butter (makhan) and a small serving of mango pickle (aam ka achar).

11. 11

    Note: Gobhi Paratha is the winter breakfast of Punjab — made when fresh winter cauliflower arrives in November. Different parathas mark different seasons in Punjab — aloo paratha (year-round), gobhi paratha (winter), mooli paratha (winter), methi paratha (winter). Punjabi dhabhas (roadside eateries) are famous for their stuffed parathas served with white butter, yogurt and pickle — this is the dhabha paratha experience.