Easy everyday recipe for Cilantro Paneer Paratha wherein paneer and cilantro are incorporated in dough itself. This greatly reduces the time, effort and skill needed to make this paneer paratha compared to making stuffed paneer paratha. These Paneer Paratha can be frozen for later use and prepare in just few minutes on weeknights. For those not familiar with this flat bread, Paratha means thin flat unleavened shallow fried bread, mostly made out of wheat flour.
Two Great Ingredients – Cilantro & Paneer
Paneer, also referred to as Cottage Cheese, is one of the most popular and favorite ingredients in Indian subcontinent, and is treated as a royal ingredient. During my childhood, we used to get paneer only on special occasions. Entrees with Paneer were always featured special in any gathering. Due to this popularity, the number and variety of recipes using paneer have grown over time. Paneer paratha, paneer naan or other stuffed flat bread with paneer is also and evolution in Indian cuisine to incorporate this royal ingredient.
Cilantro is one of the most common herbs used all over the world and is easily available. Even if a recipe does not call for it specifically, you can always top any recipe with chopped cilantro to enhance its flavor as well as benefiting from cilantro’s numerous health benefits.
Health Benefits of Cilantro Paneer Paratha
Cilantro Paneer Paratha incorporates two great healthy ingredients; protein rich royal paneer and cilantro, which is a great cleanser. Paneer, is well known for its high protein content, but not many people know about cilantro’s body cleansing abilities. Cilantro is great at getting rid of heavy metals from our bodies and works as an anti-septic, antifungal and anti-inflammatory agents. I have also read several articles that claim cilantro is good at preventing food poisoning, urinary tract infections, digestive system upsets and prevents certain types of cancer.
Cilantro Paneer Paratha Recipe for Busy Families
Making stuffed paratha is a time-consuming process that is not feasible during busy weeknights. But this version of cilantro paneer paratha is easy to make due to two changes.
- Firstly, rather than using paneer stuffing, both cilantro and paneer are incorporated in dough itself.
- Secondly, you can prepare the half cook parathas during the weekend and freeze them for as long as you want. I usually make them in bulk and then use over the course of next few weeks. Or if I am traveling, my husband is able to make them for himself and kids.
How to Store Paneer Parathas
If you are storing fully cooked parathas just for a few days, put cooked Parathas in a covered plate lined with clean kitchen towels/paper towels or inside an insulated casserole. This will keep the paratha warm and soft until serving time. These Paneer Paratha stay good and soft refrigerated for almost 4-5 days. Store it in a casserole or airtight container lined with paper towel.
For longer duration storage, it is best to freeze the paneer parathas. To freeze fully cooked paneer paratha, make stacks of parathas with parchment paper in between each paratha. Put them in a Ziplock and freeze. It is easier if each Ziplock has the number of paratha that you will need in a single meal. For my family, this number is five. To thaw just take out one pack from freezer and place it in the refrigerator the night before.
Reheat your paneer paratha in the microwave for 30 seconds. Covering them with a damp paper towel while reheating. You can also warm them on a hot griddle by placing each side of parathas for approximately 15 to 20 twenty seconds. Don’t over heat them as they are already cooked.
If I know in advance that I will be freezing my paratha for a long time (up to a few months), then I prefer to freeze half cooked parathas. In this case, let the half-cooked paratha cool down on a cooling rack fully. Separate cool paratha by inserting parchment paper in between each layer. Now place the stacked paratha in the Ziplock as described above and freeze. Follow the same instructions for thawing, but for cooking you’ll need to use griddle. Make sure to keep the griddle on medium heat and proceed with the cooking process per main recipe.
Cilantro Paneer Paratha Ingredients
Produce
- Cilantro: 1 cup/50 gms, chopped
Dairy
- Paneer: 200 gms, mashed
Pantry
- Multigrain Chapati Flour: 2 cups or 250 gms Plus extra for dusting (I have used Laxmi multigrain chappati flour)
- Ghee: 3 tbs to fry paranthas
- Salt: ½ tsp
Paneer Paratha Method
Dough Preparation
- Place 2 cups flour in a medium bowl.
- Mashed paneer, chopped cilantro and salt in flour.
- Start mixing the paneer, cilantro mixture with the flour.
- Gradually start adding water and continue to knead till the dough comes together like a ball.
- Once the flour is all together, knead it for 5-7 minutes using your knuckles until smooth.
- Make sure that dough is soft enough and not stiff. You can check it by pressing your finger against the dough and see if it leaves an impression.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap or cheese cloth and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
Rolling and Grilling
- When you are ready to grill, start by preheating your cast iron skillet or griddle over a medium heat.
- While the skillet is getting heated, divide the dough in equal size balls.
- Take one dough ball, flatten it between your palms, and dust lightly in dry flour.
- Roll out the dough ball using rolling pin to 3″ in diameter circle, then brush a light layer of oil.
- Fold it again into a ball. This step will make layers in the paratha.
- Start rolling again, during rolling, dust with more dry flour if needed. Turn the heat of the griddle up to medium-high.
- Dust off the excess flour from the rolled paratha before placing on the skillet.
- Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and the side that is down on the griddle starts to brown in small areas.
- This will only take a few seconds. Flip the paratha using a pair of tongs.
- Smear ghee and cook the Paratha until it is cooked through to make it golden brown and crisp.
- Keep flipping the Paratha during the above process. Once done, remove from the tawa and transfer to a perforated surface to make sure it doesn’t get soggy because of its own steam.
- Repeat the process with remaining dough balls.
Recipe
Cilantro Paneer Paratha
Equipment
Ingredients
Produce
- 50 gms Cilantro 1 cup chopped
Dairy
- 200 gms Paneer mashed
Pantry
- 250 gms Multigrain Flour 2 cups Plus extra for dusting
- 3 tbs Ghee to fry paratha
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Dough Preparation
- Place 2 cups flour in a medium bowl.
- Mashed paneer, chopped cilantro and salt in flour.
- Start mixing the paneer, cilantro mixture with the flour.
- Gradually start adding water and continue to knead till the dough comes together like a ball.
- Once the flour is all together, knead it for 5-7 minutes using your knuckles until smooth.
- Make sure that dough is soft enough and not stiff. You can check it by pressing your finger against the dough and see if it leaves an impression.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
Rolling and Grilling
- When you are ready to grill, start by preheating your cast iron skillet or griddle over a medium heat.
- While the skillet is getting heated, divide the dough in equal size balls. I was able to make 8 dough balls out of it.
- 1Take one dough ball, flatten it between your palms, and dust lightly in dry flour.
- 1Roll out the dough ball using rolling pin to 3″ in diameter circle, then brush a light layer of oil and fold it again into a ball. This step will make layers in the parantha Start rolling again, during rolling, dust with more dry flour if needed.
- 1Turn the heat of the griddle up to medium-high.
- 1Dust off the excess flour from the rolled parantha before placing on the skillet.
- 1Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and the side that is down on the griddle starts to brown in small areas
- 1This will only take a few seconds. Flip the parantha using a pair of tongs.
- 1Smear ghee and cook the Paratha until it is cooked through to make it golden brown and crisp.
- 1Keep flipping the Paratha during the above process. Once done, remove from the tawa and transfer to a perforated surface to make sure it doesn’t get soggy because of its own steam.
- 1Repeat the process with remaining dough balls.
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