Cauliflower Stuffed Flatbread | Gobi Paratha

The first time I heard 'Gobi Paratha' was in the movie Mujhse Dosti Karoge (2002). What?... yeah it is true. The first time I had it was in my late twenties at my workplace canteen. Thanks to them to kick start my trials of making parathas. The first-ever paratha I made was the Broccoli Aloo Paratha from Life Scoops, which was the first time I learnt about the concept of a food blog. It was M's sister-in-law's food blog so we could trust and make it with added help from the author herself. The Broccoli Aloo paratha was a good start but I went on to learn the humble aloo paratha and left broccoli for the salads. Thank you, Shema, chechi!

Photos updated on 12th March 2017

Cauliflower Stuffed Flat-bread | Gobi Ka Paratha

What is Gobi Paratha?

An unleavened whole wheat Indian flatbread stuffed with spiced grated cauliflower and roasted on tawa with ghee and served with pickle and yoghurt. There are two ways to make Gobi Paratha, using cooked cauliflower or using raw cauliflower. I have made the raw version which seemed easier but it can get tricky. For this recipe, the cauliflower is grated and cooked with spices for a lip-smacking paratha.

How to make stuffed parathas? (watch the video below)

The two components to making any stuffed parathas are cooked and cooled stuffing and a soft whole wheat flour dough.

There are two ways of making any stuffed parathas and it applies to this Cauliflower or Gobi Parathas too:

with a single dough ball
with two dough balls

I used to make it with a single dough ball until I saw the second method in a video. This is a little bit more work but foolproof and also makes foodies like F enjoy each paratha that has ample stuffing. Update 2017: These updated images are with a single dough ball method.

How to prepare the stuffing for gobi parathas?

The general rule of thumb to make stuffed parathas is to first ensure the stuffing is moisture-free. Remove or try to avoid grating the large stalks of the florets while making the stuffing. You can grate each big floret using the hand-grated or transfer all into a food processor and pulse it for a few seconds and you are done. You may also squeeze the grated cauliflower to discard the juice before adding it to the pot to cook. Cook them until all the moisture is removed. This will help you to roll the stuffed dough easily without spill-outs. Well, you cannot avoid the stuffing from showing it is good if it comes to the surface as it gets fried in ghee making it tastier... yum!

Cauliflower Stuffed Flatbread | Gobi Paratha

Makes 8 to 9

INGREDIENTS

For the Paratha Dough

1 cup of wheat flour
Approx ½ cup of water
Salt to taste

For the Gobi Paratha Stuffing:

2 teaspoon ghee
2 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 to 3 green chillies, finely chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon dry mango powder
2 cups of finely grated cauliflower florets
a handful of freshly chopped mint leaves
a handful of freshly chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste

For Making the Gobi ka Paratha:

Lots of Ghee

*Clean the heads and slice off any bad sections of the cauliflower. Rinse quickly and drain or pat dry well. Use only the florets portion of the cauliflower and not avoid the fat stems. Use a hand grater to grate finely or pop them all into the jar of a mixie and give it a pulse! Squeeze off excess moisture before you toss them into the pan.

METHOD

Prepare the Paratha Dough:

Add flour and salt to a wide-mouthed bowl or basin and mix.
Add water while kneading the mixture until all come into one big mass.
Cover and let the dough rest for 30 to 40 minutes.
Knead lightly and divide the dough into 5 equal-sized balls.

Prepare the Stuffing:

Heat ghee in a Kadai or any deep and wide vessel on a low flame.
Add coriander seeds, ajwain and ginger - Sauté this until the raw smell of ginger is gone.
Add the grated cauliflower (read * above), salt and all the spice powders - Sauté this on a medium flame until all the remaining excess moisture is gone.
Add the fresh coriander and mint leaves along with finely chopped green chillies or chilli flakes
Combine well and keep it aside OPEN. (If you close it with the lid, then the steam will fall back like water and make the stuffing wet again)

Assemble the Gobi Paratha:

Take one dough ball and divide that into two equal balls (if trying one ball method, then stuff, close, poke, dip in flour and roll)
Roll each of them into a round shape the size of a poori or hand pie.
Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the prepared stuffing in the middle of the rolled dough.
Use the spoon to spread it across leaving space around the edge.
Place the other rolled dough over this and press the sides.
If you find an air pocket, then use a fork to get rid of the air pockets.
Dip this in flour or dust flour over both the sides and the work area.
Roll this without ANY or least pressure - and without turning the side.

Make Gobi Parathas:

Heat a tawa on a medium to high flame.
Place the rolled stuffed dough and wait for some bubbles to show up.
Flip the paratha and wait for more bubbles to show up.
Flip again and apply ghee all over the paratha.
Flip and apply ghee on this side too.
Roast further if you want it crispy.
Serve hot with pickle and yoghurt.

Tips:

I first make the stuffing, let it cool while I make the dough, and let it rest while I have my chai... 😛
I usually make three or four stuffed pieces and then roll one by one.. and cook them and then move on to make the next three. this way, the stuffed dough will not get dried and you can save gas too.
Try to avoid grating the stalks and stick to the florets portion for making the stuffing.

So, how do you like to use Cauliflower?

Update 2017: As parathas continue to reign in my dinner table, I plan and make two to three around my chai time and click pictures with the natural light. Then I go ahead and stuff the rest of the balls and wait for F to arrive before I roll and roast. Parathas from tawa to plate are the best way to eat! 🙂 Isn't F one lucky man? :-p