Stuffed Bathua Parantha or Lamb quarter stuffed flatbread as we may call it is probably one of my favourite ways to eat bathua. Ok let me admit it, stuffed paranthas are one my highest ranking guilty pleasures. I absolutely love them and use anything and everything as stuffing but then I digress, let’s get back to Stuffed Bathua Parantha aka Lamb quarter stuffed flatbread.
Bathua (Hindi) is almost a weedy green leafy plant found in abundance during winter. Known as lamb’s quarter or pigweed or goosefoot in English, primarily because of its shape. It is also known as Cheel Bhaji in gujurat areas, Kaduoma in Kannada, Chandan betu in Bengali, Pappukura in Telugu, Paruppukkirai in Tamil. It is an integral part of winters in the north and is probably my most favourite winter green ever.
One of the most popular ways of eating bathua is mixed with mustard leaves to make a world famous dish called “Saag” but I think using it is just for that is limiting bathua so much. I make paranthas, raita, salads, a stir fried in itself, I even ate a bathua pie somewhere which I have been meaning to try for sometime now.
I love bathua so much that it pains me that it is a green not so commonly available in Bangalore. A few weeks ago when my parents arrived from Delhi they got a whole lot of bathua with them and I was on a bathua high for a while. Among many things we cooked were these Stuffed Bathua Parantha or Lamb quarter stuffed flatbread and I am telling you these have the chances of becoming my most favourite paranthas ever. These were so good. Served with a bowl of curd, some green chutney and pickle these transported me magically to Delhi winters.
Stuffed Bathua Parantha | Lamb quarter stuffed flatbread
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup warm water
For the filling
- 2 cups chopped bathua saag lamb quarter leaves
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 tsp oil
- 2 green chilli chopped
- to taste salt
- pinch turmeric
- 1 tsp amchoor (dry mango powder)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- Oil/Ghee for frying
Instructions
- Mix whole wheat flour and water together, knead to make a soft dough. A well kneaded soft dough leads to softer paranthas. Keep aside covered with a wet muslin cloth till you prepare the stuffing.
- In a heavy bottom pan or kadhai, heat oil. When hot add onions and green chillies. Sauté till onions are translucent and cooked.
- Add all the dry spices and bathua leaves and sauté till the leaves are cooked and the mixture relatively dry. Set aside for cooling.
- Distribute the dough in 10 balls and roll each ball a little, spread a little ghee/oil on it and place 2-3 tbsp of filling in the middle (more filling the better though if you are novice start with less and increase slowly), cover from all sides and roll the parantha to 1/2 inch thickness.
- Repeat for the rest of the paranthas.
- Heat a tawa or a griddle and cook each side of the parantha till golden brown, add 1/4 tsp of ghee/oil on both sides.
- Serve hot with curd and pickle
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