Onion Stuffed Paratha/Roti Flatbread Recipe

Hi friends, it's Teenuja here. Today I'm sharing my recipe for these delicious onion stuffed parathas. They are soft roti flatbread stuffed with lightly spiced caramelised Spanish sweet onions, then cooked on a griddle until golden and slightly crisp. Today's recipe is sponsored by Idaho Eastern Oregon Spanish Sweet Onions. When it comes to stuffed rotis, the possibilities are endless. But if you are running low on veggies, then onions are a great way to add some beautiful flavours to plain parathas. I am not one to rave about onions all the time, but Spanish sweet onions are the one that I tend to keep as pantry staples as they offer a mild taste. Typically very large and globe shaped, they are among the most versatile onions. They contain more sugar and less water than sweet onions and are ideal for caramelising, sautéing and grilling. You'll usually find these Spanish sweet onions in the stores from mid-October to early March. If you'd like to learn more about these Spanish sweets, check out the USA Onions website where you'll also find additional tips about cooking and storage. Onion stuffed paratha is really an uncomplicated recipe yet very satisfying. As usual, you'll find the printable recipe on our website. The link is in the description below. We'll start by making the dough. I am using a mixture of spelt flour and all-purpose flour. In a large mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour. Next, add the sifted spelt flour. You may also use a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. Next, add a little salt to taste. Give this a mix. Then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. I am using safflower oil but vegetable oil or melted coconut oil will also work. Mix in the oil. Then add boiling hot water. Make sure the water is boiling hot and not just warm or cold. This drastically changes the texture of the flatbread. Mix with a spoon and gather to form a dough. Then once the mixture is cool enough to handle, start to knead it with your hand into a soft pliable dough. Transfer the dough on the work surface and continue to knead for about 2 to 3 minutes. You may add a little oil to help with the kneading. The dough should neither be too dry or stodgy, nor wet or loose. It should be non-sticky at this stage. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. You may grease the bowl to avoid the dough from sticking to it. While the dough is resting, let's prepare the filling. Depending on the size of the onions, you may need 1 or 2. I used about 1 and a half large Spanish sweet onions. Finely chop the onions. To help prevent your eyes from tearing, refrigerate the onion 30 minutes to 1 hour before cutting. Then always cut the onion from the neck end first, leaving the root for last as most of the tear-inducing compounds are found at the root. Any leftover raw onion can be kept diced and frozen for later use. Now heat a little oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chopped onions. Add a pinch of salt and let the onions sweat while stirring occasionally until they start to change colour to a light golden brown. Spanish sweets release beautiful flavours when they are caramelised. I find them to be the ideal variety to use in this stuffed paratha recipe. Their appealing sweetness complements these flatbreads rather than overwhelm them. Next add all the spices, cumin, coriander powder, harissa or chilli powder and turmeric. Spices are very versatile in this recipe so you can really just use your favourite spice combos. Stir and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes until the moisture has evaporated and the onions are slightly caramelised. Finally, add some chopped coriander leaves and stir. Fresh coriander or cilantro added at the last stage of cooking balances the acidity of onions. Although Spanish sweets tend to be a lot milder which is why I recommend them. If you don't like coriander, parsley is a good substitute. Turn off the heat and let the onion stuffing cool. While the filling is cooling, place the dough on the work surface and divide into 6 equal portions. You may do so by shaping the dough into a ball then cut it into 6 equal triangles. Keep a small ball of flour handy for dusting. Roll each triangle into a ball between the palm of your hands. Then dip each ball of dough into the flour and lightly flatten the edge. This will make it easy to roll out into a thick disc. When rolling out the dough, try to flatten the edge to slightly thinner. Pick up the flattened dough and scoop it in the palm of one hand. Place 1 heaped tablespoon of onion filling in the middle. Then pull the edge together towards the centre and close and seal in the filling. Smooth the dough out again into a flattened ball by gently rolling it between your hands. Repeat this for the rest of the dough and keep aside. Flour the work surface or board and place one ball of stuffed dough in the middle. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin into a thick or slightly thinner flatbread but take care not to let the filling escape. Alternatively you may just flatten the dough using your fingers until you reach the desired thickness. Repeat the process until all the remaining stuffed dough have been rolled out. If you are keeping them in a stack, make sure to flour each layer so they don't stick to one another. Heat a lightly greased griddle on medium temperature and transfer the paratha on the hot griddle. Brush a little oil on the top and cook for about 30 seconds. Then flip and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, flipping again at 20 to 30 seconds interval until both sides have nice golden spots. Parathas may slightly puff up while cooking but they won't inflate like a pillow because of the filling. Remove from the griddle and place in between a clean kitchen towel to keep the parathas soft. These hot, soft and delicious onion stuffed parathas are ready to serve. Enjoy them on their own as a snack with filling of your choice, as a wrap or with curry. Today I am serving them with some jackfruit curry and cucumber raita. You can find both of these recipes on the channel and on our website. I'll link them up for you in the description below. This onion stuffed flatbread is an ideal recipe for batch cooking as they can be kept frozen once cooked and cooled and they can be reheated whenever needed. If you've enjoyed this recipe, don't forget to give us a thumbs up and leave us a comment. We love reading all of them. And if you try this recipe, take some pictures and tag us on Instagram. Please subscribe to the channel if you haven't already and make sure to enable your notifications, it's the little bell icon. If you don't want to miss any of our recipes, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter. We'll email you every time we have a new recipe. See you soon for another video. Bye.