I am not a habitual paratha maker. I have had to learn certain key aspects by trial and many errors! I would like to share with you all a few things I have learnt along the process. I do still have a long way to go 🙂

This is about stuffed parathas.

First and foremost, if you get the dough right – you are half-way there! It needs to be soft, smooth and not sticky. Secondly, the filling should not have any wetness. If it happens to be even slightly wet – the rolling process becomes tricky.

It will not spread smoothly enough, thereby causing breaks on the paratha surface. Bearing this in mind, the salt needs to be added at the last minute, just before parathas are made otherwise, the filling is likely to sweat, becoming wet!

You might already be aware of the third one – When you roll the dough first to a 3″ size circle, ensure you keep the edges thinner and the center thicker. Next, the quantity of the filling – should not be too much nor too little.

Add a touch more salt to the filling so that it balances out. But if you are watching your salt intake, do add accordingly.

And then,  whilst rolling, I used to always wonder which surface would be best – whether the side where the gathers are present or the other surface. The answer to that being, it needs to be rolled on both the sides.

Beginning first across the surface with gathers after dusting. After a couple of rolls, dip, dust with flour and roll on the other side. Change over a couple of times, all the while bearing in mind we are trying to spread the filling evenly all around. The flour used for dusting should not be excessive either.

Whilst cooking on the skillet, press, move it a bit, press, move it again. Press at the edges, the middle and all over. Ensure you see good brown specs all over whilst cooking adding the oil or ghee to the surface and edges.

Cook at medium to medium low to ensure even cooking. A paratha tastes best if served straight from the skillet onto the serving plate.

It was again, my daughter who prompted me to buy spring onion at the Asian store. Her insistence has nearly always lead to diverse, yet homely meals:) I had bought some paneer (Indian cottage cheese) too during that visit.