Beetroot Paratha

As we know, Beet Root is a root vegetable with very low calorie content, but rich in almost all the vitamins and minerals. The red pigment gives a distinct attractive red or pink color to the dish. In fact, Beets are used as coloring agent in food preparation instead of artificial coloring agents. Beet can be eaten raw or cooked into tasty dishes.

When we start talking about Paratha, we think of the stuffing to go in its preparation. But, there are Parathas made without any stuffing. What we will see here is a Paratha made without any stuffing, but using Beet as an ingredient of the dough itself to give the eye catching Red color and the Beet Root taste to the Paratha.

Ingredients:

Beet Root – a big one

Atta (Whole Wheat Flour) – 2 cups

Salt – as required

Red Chilli Powder – ¼ tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1 pinch

Grated Ginger – 2 tsp

Cumin Seed – 1 tsp

Cilantro (Coriander Leaves)- 3 tbsp

Amchur Powder (Dry Mango Powder) – ½ tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

Method:

Clean the Beet Root well and ensure all the impurities are washed away well. Cook this soft in a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water. Peel the skin and discard. Grind this cooked Beetroot in a mixer to make a smooth paste. (We can also make it as raw paste without cooking. Peel off the skin, cut into small pieces and grind the pieces to a smooth paste with required water.)

Take the whole Wheat Flour (Atta) in a large mixing bowl. Add Salt, Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder, Dry Mango Powder, Cumin Seed, Cilantro and Grated Ginger. Mix well and ensure all the ingredients are combined evenly.

Add the Beet Root paste. Mix well. Add very little water if required and add a tbsp of Oil also. Knead it well to make a smooth and soft paste. Coat the dough with a spoon of Oil and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Now, knead it again. Take a big lemon sized ball of dough, roll it and flatten it into a smooth round thin disc. Dust some wheat flour while rolling so that it does not stick to the rolling board or rolling pin.

Sprinkle little Oil in a hot Tawa or griddle and cook this Paratha in it.  When the bottom side is cooked partially, flip it and cook the other side also after sprinkling little Oil on the Tawa and pressing the Paratha gently with a ladle.  Flip once or twice till both the sides are cooked well and evenly. We will get an eye catching Red Beet Root Paratha ready for serving.

Serve hot with a Raita or Pickle etc. It can be served with some tasty gravy also.