How to make delicious and healthy spinach lentil flatbreads for children

Paratha is a popular breakfast dish in North India that is enjoyed immensely. Although many have tried parathas with potato, cabbage, and turnip, it is worth trying the Gujarati Raj Rani Paratha, which stands out for its taste and color combination, making it a royal dish.

This type of paratha is traditionally prepared in the city of Surat, Gujarat state. Its specialty lies in having a filling of vegetables and cheese, and it is topped with Sriracha sauce, mayonnaise, and cheese, giving it a tangy flavor. Visually, it resembles a pizza and can be served cut into small pieces. It can be made for a children's lunch or for a weekend breakfast.

Raj Rani Paratha Recipe

Ingredients for the dough:

Ingredients for the filling and topping:

How to make Gujarati Raj Rani Paratha?

First, you need to knead the dough. In a bowl, mix wheat flour, besan (chickpea flour), salt, and a little oil. Then, using water, knead a soft but well-binding dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10–15 minutes to make it easier to roll out the paratha.

Next, prepare the spicy vegetable filling. Heat a little oil or butter in a pan, sautéing garlic paste and finely chopped onion until lightly browned. Then, add carrots, beetroot, cabbage, bell pepper, boiled corn kernels, and French beans. Add mashed potatoes and grated cheese to them. Season the mixture with turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, coriander-cumin blend, chatni masala, and a small amount of magic masala. Finally, add green garlic leaves and fresh green coriander. Cook the filling for some time, then let it cool so that it does not leak out when shaping the paratha.

After this, take a ball of the kneaded dough and roll it out slightly. Place the prepared vegetable filling in the center, fold the edges, and gently roll out the paratha, ensuring the filling remains inside.

First, lightly fry the rolled paratha on a hot griddle on both sides. Then, brush the edges with oil and cook over medium heat until crispy. It is important to allow the paratha to cook completely so that the dough is not raw.

To achieve the signature Raj Rani look, drizzle a little Sriracha sauce and mayonnaise on the cooked paratha. Add the remaining vegetable filling, grated cheese, and hard cheese. It is advisable to cover it and cook on low heat for a few minutes so that the cheese melts. Finish by garnishing with fresh green coriander.

The hot Raj Rani Paratha is cut into small pieces, like pizza. It can be served with green chutney, tomato sauce, or cold yogurt. This paratha, rich in vegetables, cheese, and dairy products, turns out very tangy and delicious.

A small tip: when preparing the filling, do not add too much water, otherwise the paratha may tear while rolling. The mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce can be adjusted to your taste to avoid excessive spiciness or heaviness.

In India, different dishes are prepared in every region; from Rajasthan to Kashmir, one can find many culinary masterpieces. Although each region has its own popular dish, there are also recipes known only to local residents. The famous Punjabi singer Sunanda Sharma recently popularized such a chutney during one of her podcasts.

Sunanda Sharma, who gained recognition for her powerful voice, spoke in the podcast about the recipe for berry chutney that her mother makes at home. She noted that she prefers to eat the chutney instead of marinade during meals.

During the conversation, Sunanda mentioned that various types of chutneys are made in their home, including mint and guava chutney, as well as berry chutney. A simple way to prepare this Punjabi chutney is presented below, which can be served as a side dish with roti and vegetables or with dal and rice during lunch or dinner.

Berry chutney has a slightly sweet and tangy taste, so it can be served with paratha for breakfast. Additionally, this chutney can be paired with dal and rice, making even a simple dish more appetizing. Since this chutney is sweet, children enjoy eating it as well.

During Navratri or any other fasting period, people often tire of monotonous dishes such as kuttu flatbreads, fried donuts, or dry vegetable side dishes made from potatoes. In such a situation, an ideal alternative is potato and kuttu flour curry (aloo-kuttu kadhi pakoda), which has a sweet-sour, spicy, and light taste. This dish is prepared without using legume powder, turmeric, onion, or garlic, making it not only very tasty but also easily digestible.

When fresh yogurt and a mixture of kuttu flour are simmered with rock salt, green pepper, and flavored oil, and then crispy potato and kuttu donuts are added, the flavor of this dish becomes twice as rich when served with samak rice. The simplest recipe instructions are presented next, including chef's secrets!

For the donuts:

1/2 cup kuttu flour

2 boiled potatoes (mashed)

1-2 green peppers (finely chopped)

1/2 teaspoon rock salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

Peanut or pure ghee cooking oil

For the curry base and dressing:

1 cup fresh sour yogurt (well whisked)

2 tablespoons kuttu flour

2 cups of water

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

8-10 curry leaves

1 inch ginger (grated)

2 dried red chilies or green pepper

Rock salt to taste

1 tablespoon ghee (for tempering)

Finely chopped green peas

Preparing the donuts: First, you need to make the donuts. In a bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, kuttu flour, green pepper, cumin, and rock salt, adding a little water until a thick batter is formed. Heat the oil or ghee in a pan and fry small donuts until golden and crispy, then remove them.

Preparing the curry base (secret trick so the curry doesn't curdle): In another vessel, mix the whisked yogurt, kuttu flour, rock salt, and 2 cups of water. Whisk thoroughly with a whisk to ensure there are no lumps.

Making the tempering: Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a pan or pot. Sauté the cumin, curry leaves, grated ginger, and chopped green pepper in it.

Cooking the curry (main life hack): Now pour the prepared yogurt and kuttu mixture into the pan. Keep the heat high and stir constantly with a spoon until the first boil appears. (Constant stirring prevents the yogurt from curdling).

Adding the donuts: After the boiling starts, reduce the heat and cook the curry for 8-10 minutes so that the kuttu flour is completely cooked. Then add the prepared donuts and cook for another 2 minutes.

Serving: Garnish with a drizzle of cumin and dried chili prepared in ghee, as well as finely chopped green peas. Serve hot with samak rice or kuttu flatbreads!