Stuffed Palak Paneer Paratha

Being from Delhi, I love my flatbreads, especially parathas. Stuffed paratha are a very popular north indian/punjabi breakfast.They parathas are satisfying and give your day a solid start. Growing up we would have stuffed paneer parathas or aloo parathas for breakfast every other day. Mooli or gobi parathas were made during winter mornings and they paired so good with hot chai. The combination of palak and paneer is very popular in vegetarian india cuisine. Classic north indian palak paneer recipe is one of the best way to serve serve spinach & paneer together. Stuffed palak paneer paratha tastes different though there are similarities in ingredients. Due to spinach these parathas are very soft and have a fresh taste to them. The paneer stuffing make them protein rich and nutritious.

Ingredients

Spinach. Spinach Bunch or Baby Spinach. You can use frozen spinach as well after thawing but the color of the paratha will be dark. Atta (Whole Wheat Flour) - Indian Atta is best for making Rotis or Paratha. It is fine ground and I won’t suggest a substitute. Whole wheat flour in American stores is coarsely ground and the parathas will be quite heavy and tough to make. Atta is easily available in 2, 10 or 20 pound bags at indian and pakistani stores. My favorite brands to use are Aashirvaad or Laxmi Foods. If you can spot it at your store, I suggest buying atta made from sharbati wheat which is finest variety of wheat. Paneer. Homemade Paneer is great for parathas. But you can use your favorite store bought too. Onions Fresh Cilantro Green Chilies - I use birds eye chilies which add heat. Spices - Like Cumin Seeds, Amchoor (Dry Mango Powder) and Garam masala.

How To Make Palak Paneer Paratha

See recipe card for detailed instructions.

Serving Palak Paneer Paratha

These spinach paneer parathas taste the best when served right off the tawa. The best thing about stuffed paratha is that you dont need many side dishes. I love them with butter, yogurt, green chutney or achar. You can serve the stuffed palak paneer paratha with aloo sabzi as well. Dont forget a cup of chai. Or serve it with sweet lassi. These palak paneer paratha taste best when made fresh or a few hours ahead. I do not recommend freezing them.

Variations You Can Try

You can add fresh cilantro, ginger & garlic while grinding the spinach. Gives a nice flavor to the dough. Sometimes, I add boiled grated potato(about ¼ cup) to the paneer filling. You can sautè the paneer before adding onions and herbs to it. Similar to how I make the paneer stuffing in this recipe.

Some Tips For Making Soft & Tasty Paratha

Make the spinach dough fresh. Blanching spinach is optional. When I use baby spinach, I dont blanch the leaves. They will cook when the paratha cooks. Do not add a too much salt to the dough else the dough will become loose. Rest the dough for 10-15 minutes. Homemade paneer is best for the stuffing. Add the salt to the stuffing only when you are about to fill the parathas. Dont over fill the stuffing in the dough. Avoid rolling the parathas too thin(will not be soft) or thick(will remain uncooked). Use a heavy tawa or cast iron griddle for roasting the paratha. Press the paratha as less as possible while cooking for soft paratha.