It has been a while since I posted some nice flatbread recipe! But then there are a couple of recipes coming your way soon 😀 I love trying out different flatbreads/parathas because not only are they easy to make but also quite filling. And you can practically be as creative as you want with the filling – go all the way from sweet ones to savory ones and downright spicy fillings. And if you are looking to sneak some healthy stuff for fussy eaters – this is the path to take 🙂
Green beans are one vegetable that is hard to be creative with – they have a unique texture and flavor and there is not much one can play around with. But the good thing is – they blend well with a variety of spices! In this recipe, I have combined some toasted almonds, desiccated coconut and some basic spices to add a great flavor combination. The coarsely ground spice mixture also adds a great crunch. Serve this hot with some nice yogurt dip or chutney for a quick, healthy weeknight dinner or lunch!
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1 cup whole wheat flour + some more for dusting
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1 tsp oil
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1/4 tsp salt
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Water as required
For the filling
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300 grams green beans
- 4 dried chillies broken into halves
- 1 tbsp chopped almonds
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp oil for preparing the filling + Oil to cook the parathas
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Servings: 6-8 parathas
Method
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In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt and oil. Add water slowly and knead to form a dough. Let the dough sit while you prepare the filling.
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Chop the beans really finely.
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Take a large saucepan. Add 1/2 tsp oil to it. Add the dried red chillies, cumin and roast for a few seconds. Add the almonds and coconut, lower the heat and roast till the coconut changes color lightly. Take this mixture onto a separate bowl. Once the mixture is cool, blend it to a coarse powder and set it aside.
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To the same pan, add another 1/2 tsp oil. Add the chopped beans, sprinkle some water and salt and let the beans cook. Sprinkle water as required. (Don’t add a lot of water or overcook the beans – I like the beans to have a slight crunch)
- Once the beans are cooked, add the blended spice mixture. Adjust salt to taste. Cook for 1 min.
- Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Let the mixture cool down before preparing the parathas.
- To prepare the parathas, divide the dough evenly into 6 to 8 parts depending on the size of the paratha you like. I make smaller parathas as it helps with portion control.
- Take one portion of the divided dough onto a clean surface dusted with wheat flour. Roll it out into a circle about 4 inch in diameter. Place 1 to 1.5 tbsp of the filling in the centre of the rolled out dough.
- Pull the sides of the dough and bring it to the centre to completely enclose the filling. Now dust some flour and gently roll out this dough to your desired thickness.
- Heat a skillet. Spread 1 tsp of oil on it. Place this rolled out dough on the skillet. Smear some oil on the top surface. Once the bottom portion gets cooked, flip and let the other side. Press the paratha with a spatula while it is cooking so that it cooks uniformly.
- Repeat the process with the rest of the dough.
