Parathas are a quintessential, popular unleavened Indian flatbread that is made with whole wheat flour or atta. Paratha is made of two words – “para” and “atta” where par means layers and atta means whole wheat dough. Parathas are made either by laminating dough or as stuffed parathas, which is what I will be showcasing in this recipe.
Parathas are associated as a North Indian food. Stuffing for parathas can vary anywhere from only potatoes, to minced cauliflower, or radish (mooli) parathas, to leftover daal which is stuffed into parathas. There are meat parathas too where the dough is stuffed with keema or lamb.
What are Radish and Purple Yam Parathas?
I recently made these Potato-Paneer Spinach Parathas and they went completely viral on Instagram with over 2.4 million views! When my kids were little, I would think of ways to include protein, carbs and vegetables into a meal. I also wanted them to understand and learn different Indian foods and get them accustomed to it.
I would make spinach or beet doughs and fillings would vary from potato to finely grated paneer, and cauliflower (just one ingredient in the middle of the paratha) along with spices like garlic, ginger, green chillies, cumin seeds and cilantro. My kids devoured the parathas and it became a regular meal at home.
Radish is Mooli in Hindi. Mooli Parathas are very popular, and with Ube or Purple Yam or Kaand (in Hindi), I gave it some thought and it sounded like a wonderful combination.
The dough is made with whole wheat flour, along with a quick boil of beautifully colored purple yam, that is pureed and added into the flour, along with a bit of salt and oil and kneaded until it forms a soft pliable dough.
Purple yam or kaand is in season. I love to steam it or even roast it. It tastes so good.
The stuffing is added to the dough, covered into a tight parcel and then rolled until thin enough. It is then cooked on a skillet with a bit of oil or ghee until you see brown spots on either side, and served hot.
This way I was able to ensure that they get all the nutrients in the paratha to make it a wholesome meal, accompanied with some plain yogurt and mango pickle.
What is the stuffing for the Radish and Purple Yam Parathas made of?
The ingredients of the Radish stuffing is:
- Radish or Mooli: Radish is grated using a box grater. Grate using the coarser side. Use the white long radish that looks like a carrot.
- Alliums: garlic and green chillies
- Spices : cumin seeds, Kashmiri red chilli powder and garam masala are the spices used in the stuffing
- Cilantro
How to make the Radish stuffing?
Radish has high water content, so you want to squeeze out all the water before using the radish as a filling, else you are going to get a very soggy, not fun paratha.
There are 2 ways to squeeze out the water:
- Squeeze a bit at a time between the palm of your hands, really hard to release the water. Discard it and set the radish aside.
- Place all the radish in a muslin cloth, twist it from the top and squeeze out all the water.
The stuffing is made by adding all the remaining ingredients to the radish on a large plate, and mixing it well until it is well incorporated.
- TIP: The mixture has a loose texture. So I use an ice cream scoop to get a heaped scoop of the filling and make a ball between the palms of my hands.
How to make the purple yam dough for the Radish and Purple Yam Parathas?
The purple yam dough is made with 4 ingredients:
- Whole wheat flour : you can use any brand that you are comfortable with for the whole wheat flour. I use the Sujata brand from the Indian store.
- Purple Yam puree : Purple Yam is cut into chunks and boiled in water until fork tender. It is then pureed along with the water to make a smooth puree, which is used to bind the dough.
- Vegetable oil : to bind the dough and make it smooth.
- Salt
The purple yam dough is made by binding all the ingredients together in a large deep bowl. Be sure to cool the puree until you are able to handle it. It should be warm so that the dough binds well. You want to use up all the dry bits of flour in the bowl to form a dough. If the dough is slightly sticky, add 2-3 tablespoons of additional whole wheat flour and then bind again until it forms a smooth dough.
- TIP: When you touch the dough after it is bound, it should form a nice smooth indentation.
Divide the dough into 11 portions and roll each portion between the palm of your hands to form a round ball. Flatten each ball to form a small disc.
Essential tips on how to assemble and cook the Radish and Purple Yam Parathas?
The steps are listed as below:
- First roll the small disc of dough to about 5 inches in diameter.
- Next add a ball of the stuffing in the center of the rolled dough.
- You want to start gathering the dough around the stuffing in a pleated fashion such that it forms a parcel, with extra dough on the top. Pinch off the extra dough, and then flatten the round ball to form a flat dough.
- Using a rolling pin, with gentle continuous movements, roll out the dough to form the paratha about 7 inches in diameter. Be gentle so as not to break the paratha.
- You want to cook the paratha on a hot skillet, using a little bit of oil or ghee around the paratha, and on top as well.
- Cook the paratha for 2 minutes until there are brown spots on the bottom. Flip the paratha using a spatula, add oil on the top of the flipped paratha and cook the other side for 2 minutes. You will see the paratha puff into a round ball. This comes with practice so do not fret if you do not see a puffed paratha.
- You want to have brown spots on both the sides of the paratha. Set it aside on a plate once you are done cooking the paratha.
What kind of marble board can I use for rolling the dough?
The marble board that I have is linked here. It is about 10 inches in diameter, has feet, and I use this for rolling out all the Indian unleavened breads.
What kind of whole wheat flour shall I use?
You can use the whole wheat flour brand Sujata that is available at the Indian store. You can also find Indian whole wheat flour on Amazon at the link here.
What kind of Kashmiri red chilli powder shall I use?
The Kashmiri red chilli powder is available at the Indian store, or you can purchase it from Amazon at the link here.
What shall I do with the leftover Radish and Purple Yam Parathas?
You can cover the leftovers in aluminum foil and store in the fridge for upto a week.
How do I reheat the parathas?
The parathas can be reheated, either in the microwave or on the stove. I prefer the stove, so that it crisps up slightly on the edges.
What can I serve the parathas with?
Parathas are an important part of a traditional breakfast from the Indian subcontinent. Traditionally, it is made using ghee but oil is also used. The paratha is usually eaten with dollops of white butter or makhan on top of it. Common side dishes are curd, fried egg, omelette and/or mango pickle, along with some raw red onion slices as well.
Parathas can even be eaten as a main meal as it is in our home.
Other vegetarian recipes that are popular on the blog, that serve as main meals are:
If you do make this recipe, please do not forget to tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.
XO
Amisha
Radish and Purple Yam Paratha
Ingredients
Purple Yam (Kaand) Dough
- 250 grams purple yam, washed, skin peeled, chopped into large chunks
- 1 1/2 cups + 1/3 cup water
- 400 grams whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Radish (Mooli) filling
- 700 grams, skin peeled and coarsely grated
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- Additional whole wheat flour
- Neutral oil like vegetable oil or ghee for cooking the parathas
To serve
- Yogurt to serve
- Mango pickle to serve
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method
Purple Yam (Kaand) Dough
- In a small pot, on medium heat, add 1 ½ cups of water and bring to a boil.
- Add the purple yam and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until the yams are easily poked with a fork. Switch off the stove.
- Strain the water into a container – it should be around ⅔ cups of water. Add the yam and water into a blender, along with ⅓ cup water and blend until you get a smooth puree. Cool until warm, you should be able to touch it with your bare finger.
- In a large bowl, add the whole wheat flour, salt, 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil and the yam puree and knead the dough with your bare hand for about 2 minutes, until you do not see any flour on the sides of the bowl. Keep kneading for about 2-3 more minutes until you get a smooth, pliable dough. If the dough is sticky, add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of additional flour and knead again until it is not sticky. Add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil and massage for another minute. Cover with a damp cloth or damp paper towel and set it aside for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 10 portions, and roll each portion into a ball between the palm of your hands. Set aside.
Radish (Mooli) filling
- In a large bowl add the grated radish and 1 teaspoon salt, stir to combine with your hand. Let it sit for 10 minutes. It will release water. Take about ½ scoopful of the radish mixture and squeeze out the water between the palm of your hands, and set it aside into a medium bowl. Repeat for the remaining radish.
- Alternately place all the radish in a muslin cloth, twist it from the top and squeeze out all the water.
- Add the remaining ingredients like cumin seeds, garlic, green chillies, salt, garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder and cilantro.
- Mix until well combined.
Assemble and cook the parathas
- Setup an assembly line of the yam dough balls, radish mixture and a small bowl with whole wheat flour.
- Place your marble board and rolling pin ready on your work surface as well.
- Place a medium to large skillet on medium-high heat on the stove.
- Flatten the yam dough ball into a round disc and dip it into the bowl of whole wheat flour, and place it onto the marble board.
- Start rolling the flattened disc to form a round disc about 4 to 5 inches in diameter.
- Using a ½ cup ice cream scoop, place the radish mixture in the middle of the rolled dough, and start wrapping the dough around it like a small parcel with excess dough on the top. You can pinch and remove the excess dough. Flatten the round ball into a disc.
- Sprinkle whole wheat flour on the top of the disc and on the marble board, and gently start rolling the dough into a large disc about 6.5 to 7 inches in diameter. Use gentle and continuous back and forth strokes to move the dough around in a circular motion, such that it flattens and grows in diameter to form a large circular disc.
- Gently place the paratha onto the heated skillet. Add about 2 to 3 teaspoons of oil or ghee around the paratha, and on top to grease it. Cook the paratha for about 2 minutes. Flip it using a spatula, onto the other side, you should see that the flipped side will have brown spots. Add ½ a teaspoon of oil or ghee on the other side of the paratha. Cook the second side for about 2 minutes. If rolled well, the paratha will puff up like a balloon. This takes practice but you will eventually get the hang of it once you make it a few times.
- Flip it again to see if the second side is cooked well, and has enough brown spots. If yes you can flip it again and place it on a large plate on the side.
- Repeat the process for the remaining 10 parathas.
- Serve immediately with yogurt and some mango pickle and/or onions.
Note: Cover the leftovers in aluminum foil and store in the fridge for upto a 4-5 days.
Notes
What kind of marble board can I use for rolling the dough?
- The marble board that I have is linked here. It is about 10 inches in diameter, has feet, and I use this for rolling out all the Indian unleavened breads.
What kind of whole wheat flour shall I use?
- You can use the whole wheat flour brand Sujata that is available at the Indian store. You can also find Indian whole wheat flour on Amazon at the link here.
What kind of Kashmiri red chilli powder shall I use?
- The Kashmiri red chilli powder is available at the Indian store, or you can purchase it from Amazon at the link here.
What shall I do with the leftover Radish and Purple Yam Parathas?
- You can cover the leftovers in aluminum foil and store in the fridge for upto a week.
How do I reheat the parathas?
- The parathas can be reheated, either in the microwave or on the stove. I prefer the stove, so that it crisps up slightly on the edges.
What can I serve the parathas with?
- Parathas are an important part of a traditional breakfast from the Indian subcontinent. Traditionally, it is made using ghee but oil is also used. The paratha is usually eaten with dollops of white butter or makhan on top of it. Common side dishes are curd, fried egg, omelette and/or mango pickle, along with some raw red onion slices as well.
- Parathas can even be eaten as a main meal as it is in our home.
