Gobi Paratha
Jan 18, 2016, Updated Jan 02, 2018
Gobi paratha is a popular flatbread stuffed with spicy cauliflower filling. It's enjoyed with yogurt, pickle and some chai on the side.
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A healthy, nutritious and filling breakfast – Gobi paratha is a popular flatbread from India stuffed with spicy cauliflower filling. It’s enjoyed with yogurt, pickle and some chai on the side. It’s also great to pack for lunches.
I have told you guys about my lunchbox story before isn’t it? All through my school life, my mom sent me parathas for my lunch every single day. Okay maybe not every single day but 90% of the time. I really used to be jealous of all the other kids who would get sandwiches, noodles etc. in their lunchbox. I would always complain to mom that send me something else but it never really made much difference. And I know for a fact that most kids in north India would have faced similar situation, the ones who grew in 80s and 90s that is! Now things have changed so much that kids don’t even like taking lunch boxes to school, they all prefer eating in the canteen! We used to eat in canteen like 2-3 times in a year and it used to be such a treat!
Anyway as much as I disliked the paratha in my lunch box when I was a kid, now I absolutely love it. I guess we don’t value what we get, I never valued the fresh healthy homemade breakfast. lunch and dinner I got to eat every day. But now I do, like so much! And parathas? I make them at least twice a week for breakfast. Paratha is so versatile, you can fill it with anything you like and it’s like a complete meal in itself. This flatbread is made with whole wheat flour or what we call atta. The version I am sharing today – gobi paratha is stuffed with cauliflower [gobi = cauliflower in Hindi] and happens to be one of my favorites! Like most Indian breads, this is vegan too.
Parathas are usually made in 2 ways – by stuffing the mixture in the dough or by mixing in the ingredients while kneading the dough. The stuffed parathas are more popular and the most famous ones are filled with spicy potatoes (aloo paratha), paneer (paneer paratha) and cauliflower (gobi paratha). It’s weird that I have not shared the most popular parathas on my blog till now. I mean I have shared the most weird ones like this kale paratha or broccoli paratha but not aloo and gobi. But better late than never I guess, I am finally sharing the recipe for this super delicious and simple gobi paratha.
The way I have made this paratha is the traditional punjabi method. A lot of people cook the grated cauliflower and then stuff it but usually in punjabi households this is how it’s made. And since I am married to a punjabi, I can vouch for that! ?
Paratha and roti are the 2 most common breads made in North Indian households. They are like made everyday! But if you ask me that are they easy to make? I would say yes and no. Yes because paratha and roti are really simple to make with minimal ingredients and no because it does take some time to master them. In the beginning, your parathas will tear apart when you fill them, they will look like map of Australia and what not! Trust me, I have been there and so I speak with experience. All you need is practice and then paratha making will be a breeze for you. So let’s see how we make gobi paratha.
Method
In a bowl mix together atta, oil and salt. Add water little by little and mix.
Knead to form a smooth and soft dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 equal parts.
For the stuffing, mix the grated cauliflower (grate using a grater or use a food processor) along with coriander powder, chopped green chili, ajwain seeds and chopped cilantro. Do not add the salt and garam masala at this point. Meanwhile heat a tawa (griddle) on high-medium heat.
Take one of the dough balls and using your rolling pin roll it into a circle. Apply little oil (optional) and place 2-3 tablespoons of stuffing in the center. Sprinkle salt and garam masala powder on top.
Now take all the sides of the dough and pinch it all together.
Press the pinched dough down to seal all the gaps.
Now using your rolling pin, roll the dough again to a circle of 7-8 inch diameter. The trick here is to apply equal pressure while rolling. If you do that, your paratha will turn round automatically. Don’t worry if you can’t make a round, it will come with practice.
Transfer the rolled paratha onto the hot tawa.
Cook the side for a minute or two and then flip over.
Apply oil [around 1/4 teaspoon] on the half-cooked side and flip again. Now apply oil on the other side as well.
Press with a spatula and cook the paratha till both sides have golden brown spots on them. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
Gobi Paratha is now ready! Serve it with yogurt, chutney or pickle and of course a steaming cup of chai.
* Ghee is often used to fry the parathas, however I mostly use oil. You can use ghee but then this recipe won’t be vegan
* My husband doesn’t like over-stuffed parathas so I filled them not too much. If you are new to making parathas, I would suggest not filling them too much else the stuffing will come out and it will become difficult to roll them.
Gobi Paratha
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup whole wheat flour also known as atta
- 1/2 cup water or as required to knead the dough
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oil [I used avocado oil]
Stuffing
- 1 cup shredded cauliflower [from 1/2 head of a small cauliflower]
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ajwain seeds [carom seeds]
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- salt to taste
- garam masala to sprinkle
oil, for pan frying the parathas [I used avocado oil]
Instructions
Make the dough
- In a bowl mix together atta, oil and salt. Add water little by little and mix.
- Knead to form a smooth and soft dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts.
Make the stuffing
- For the stuffing, mix the grated cauliflower (grate using a grater or use a food processor) along with coriander powder, chopped green chili, ajwain seeds and chopped cilantro.
- Do not add the salt and garam masala at this point. Meanwhile heat a tawa (griddle) on high-medium heat.
Make the paratha
- Take one of the dough balls and using your rolling pin roll it into a circle. Apply little oil (optional) and place 2-3 tablespoons of stuffing in the center.
- Sprinkle salt and garam masala powder on top.
- Now take all the sides of the dough and pinch it all together.
- Press the pinched dough down to seal all the gaps.
- Now using your rolling pin, roll the dough again to a circle of 7-8 inch diameter.
- Transfer the rolled paratha onto the hot tawa.
- Cook the side for a minute or two and then flip over.
- Apply oil [around 1/4 teaspoon] on the half-cooked side and flip again. Now apply oil on the other side as well.
- Press with a spatula and cook the paratha till both sides have golden brown spots on them. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
- Gobi Paratha is now ready! Serve it with yogurt, chutney or pickle and of course a steaming cup of chai.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gobi Paratha
What flour can I use to make it gluten free?
hmm try with makki atta or almond flour. I am not an expert in gluten-free cooking, sorry
Hi Manali, was wondering if one can use frozen cauliflower rice to reduce the preparation time? Will the mixture get soggy?
you can but I would sauté the frozen cauliflower in a pan until it dries out. Else it will release too much moisture and ruin the filling.
Does the cauliflower stuffing get cooked along with the paratha? I’ve always cooked it separately before adding it to the dough so I’m curious to see how this turns out. I’ll make it this week 🙂
Hi Pooja, yeah it doesn’t taste raw at all. That’s how my punjabi MIL makes her, I usually cook it separately too but here I have shared her version 🙂
These look great.
I always have a problem with gobi paranthas in that the grated cauliflower mix seems to get very wet whilst sitting in the bowl waiting to be put in the paranthas
Can you help?
don’t add salt in the mix. Sprinkle salt on top while you are rolling.
These look delicious! I love paratha, so I need to try this. Thanks for the detailed explanations and the clear pictures!
It sure was! 🙂
haha I am sure I would have happily traded, I love peanut butter sandwiches!!
Thank you Mira!
Thank you Joscelyn!
haha and I would have jealous of your lunch-box! We never value what we get! Thank you dear!
I wish I could send you some! Thanks Jen!
Thanks Dannii!
Parathas are like staple here in the North and yes, many moms still pack it regularly for school tiffin box…and when we are kids we always like to dig into our buddie’s tiffin box…haha.. nice to know about your school days. The Gobi Parathas look yum Manali. I never miss making them when they are in season. I generally do not add garam masala to the stuffing, shall give it a try this week.
Thank you Uma! Oh yes moms in North India can never get tired of parathas 😉
This looks really delicious! I love flatbread, so I definitely need to give this recipe a try! 🙂
Thank you Jess!