Paneer Paratha (Stuffed Cottage Cheese Flatbread)

Make dough: Mix atta with salt and water into a smooth, soft, pliable dough (slightly softer than chapati dough). Rest covered 15 minutes. Make filling: Combine grated paneer with green chilli, coriander, cumin, anardana, garam masala, and salt. Mix well. The filling should taste assertively seasoned — it will be enclosed in plain dough, so it needs to carry all the flavour.

About 10 min

Tip: Drain the paneer if it is watery (press between towels for 5 minutes). Wet paneer filling makes the paratha tear when stuffing and produces a soggy interior.

Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Roll one portion into a 12cm disc. Place 2–3 tbsp paneer filling in the centre. Bring dough edges up and seal into a ball enclosing the filling completely. Gently press flat. Dust with flour. Carefully roll out to a 20cm disc (3–4mm thick). Roll gently and evenly — the paneer filling may cause small tears at the edge (this is normal and can be sealed by pressing with fingers).

About 10 min

Tip: Rolling paneer paratha too aggressively causes the paneer to push through the dough. Use light, even pressure and roll outward in all directions, not back and forth.

Heat tawa on medium-high. Place paratha on dry tawa. Cook 90 seconds until small bubbles appear. Flip. Apply 1 tsp ghee on the cooked side. Cook 60 seconds, flip, apply ghee on second side. Cook pressing gently with a spatula (for even contact with heat) until both sides are deeply golden and crispy with dark spots. Serve hot with cold yoghurt, white butter, and green chutney.

About 15 min

Tip: Generous ghee is not optional in a good paratha — it is the ingredient that creates the crispy, layered exterior. Insufficient ghee produces a dry, tough paratha.