Stuffed Palak Paneer Paratha Recipe. Whole wheat spinach paratha stuffed with spiced paneer (indian cheese) filling. Palak paneer paratha is super easy to make and is perfect for lunchboxes, while traveling or for breakfast. We love it with yogurt (raita) & achar for quick dinners too.
Being from Delhi, I love my flatbreads, especially parathas. Stuffed paratha are a very popular north indian/punjabi breakfast. They parathas are satisfying and give your day a solid start. Growing up we would have stuffed paneer parathas or aloo parathas for breakfast every other day. They paired so good with hot masala chai.
The combination of palak and paneer is very popular in vegetarian india cuisine. Classic north indian palak paneer recipe is one of the best way to serve serve spinach & paneer together. Stuffed palak paneer paratha tastes different though there are similarities in ingredients. Due to spinach these parathas are very soft and have a fresh taste to them. The paneer stuffing makes them rich and satisfying.
Ingredients
- Spinach. Spinach Bunch or Baby Spinach. You can use frozen spinach as well after thawing but the color of the paratha will be dark.
- Atta (Whole Wheat Flour) - Indian Atta is best for making Rotis or Paratha. It is fine ground and I won't suggest a substitute. Whole wheat flour in American stores is coarsely ground and the parathas will be quite heavy and tough to make. Atta is easily available in 2, 10 or 20 pound bags at indian and pakistani stores. My favorite brands to use are Aashirvaad or Laxmi Foods. If you are able to spot it at your store, I suggest buying atta made from sharbati wheat which is one of the finest variety of wheat.
- Paneer. Homemade Paneer is softer and definitely contributes to soft parathas. But let’s be real, store bought paneer is super convenient and works great! I use Gopi or Verka brand paneer (these are available in most american stores and latter brand is sold at Costco).
- Onions - I prefer using red onion at home. Onion adds a mellow sweet crunch to these parathas.
- Fresh Cilantro
- Green Chilies - I use indian green chilies which add considerable heat.
- Spices - Cumin Seeds, amchur (dry mango powder) and garam masala powder.
How To Make Palak Paneer Paratha
- Wash the Spinach and blend
Add blanched or (raw)baby spinach spinach leaves to a blender, add water, cumin and salt. Blend to a smooth puree.
- Make The Spinach Dough
Place whole wheat flour in a bowl. Add hing, oil and add the spinach puree a little at a time, incorporate it in the flour and start kneading.
- Make a smooth & soft Spinach Dough
Using the heel of your palm and knuckles knead the dough very well until smooth and pliable. Use knuckles to spread the dough, bring it all together and knead again. The dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky. Rest the dough. You can knead the dough in food processor as well adding spinach slowly and not all at once.
- Make The Paneer Filling
Add crumbled or grated paneer to a bowl and add the chopped onions, cilantro and green chillies along with salt & spices.
- Let's Roll Parathas
Set a tawa or griddle on the stove to heat up. Divide the rested dough into equal portions. Pinch equal portions and make them into smooth balls.
- Shape The Dough
On a floured surface,flatten the dough ball. Sprinkle some dry flour and with the help of rolling pin, roll it in a 4 inch circle.
- Stuff the Dough
Place about 2 tablespoon of filling in the center and bring around the sides of the dough to make a small round parcel.
- Finish rolling the Paratha
Dust the rolling surface liberally and roll the stuffed dough parcel into a 7 inch circle.
- Cook the paratha
Place the paratha on hot tawa. Flip when you see bubbles on top,brush oil, flip and let cook on the oil side, brush oil on the second side, flip and cook till both the sides are golden.
Serving Palak Paneer Paratha
These spinach paneer parathas taste the best when served right off the tawa. The best thing about stuffed paratha is that you dont need many side dishes. I love them with butter, yogurt, green chutney or achar. You can serve the stuffed palak paneer paratha with aloo sabzi as well. Dont forget a cup of chai. Or serve it with sweet lassi.
These palak paneer paratha taste best when made fresh or a few hours ahead. I usually freeze stuffed parathas so won’t be able to tell you about it.
Variations You Can Try
- You can add fresh cilantro, ginger & garlic while grinding the spinach. Gives a nice flavor to the dough.
- Sometimes, I add boiled grated potato(about ¼ cup) to the paneer filling.
- You can sautè the paneer in bit of oil before adding onions and herbs to it.
Some Tips For Making Soft & Tasty Paratha
- Make the spinach dough fresh.
- Blanching spinach is optional. When I use baby spinach, I don’t blanch the leaves before grinding. They will cook when the paratha cooks.
- Do not add a too much salt to the dough else the dough will become too soft and you will have difficulty rolling the parathas.
- Rest the dough for 10-15 minutes.
- Finely chop the onions, green chillies, cilantro that you are adding to the paneer filling else big pieces will rip your dough while rolling the parathas.
- Don’t over fill the stuffing in the dough - might rip the paratha while rolling.
- Avoid rolling the parathas too thin(will not be soft) or thick(will remain uncooked).
- Use a heavy tawa or cast iron griddle for cooking the paratha.
- Press the paratha as less as possible while cooking for soft paratha.
More Flatbread Recipes To Try
Stuffed Palak Paneer Paratha Recipe
Equipment
- Tawa Or Griddle
- Rolling board & oil
- Bowls & Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
Make Spinach Puree
- 6 oz spinach leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3-4 tablespoon water or as needed to blend
For The Spinach Dough
- 1.5 cup atta (whole wheat flour)
- ¼ teaspoon hing powder
- 2 teaspoon oil
- Spinach Puree
- extra dry atta as needed for dusting while rolling the parathas
- Cooking oil as needed while roasting the parathas
For The Paneer Filling
- 1 cup grated or crumbled paneer
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
- 2-3 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
- 2-3 green chilies finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon amchur dry mango powder
Instructions
Make The Spinach Dough
- If you are using spinach bunch, I recommend blanching spinach leaves and the using the. Blanching spinach is optional. When I use baby spinach, I dont blanch the leaves. Spinach will cook when the paratha cooks.
- Add washed & blanched spinach leaves to a blender jar. Add water, hing cumin and salt. Blend to a smooth spinach puree. The puree should be thick.
- Place whole wheat flour in a bowl. Add oil and gradually start adding the spinach puree a little at a time and kneading. I didnt use any extra water to knead the dough. Add the spinach puree, incorporate it in the dough and knead. You might have some leftover puree.
- Using the heel of your palm and knuckles knead the dough very well until smooth and pliable. Use knuckles to spread the dough, bring it all together and knead again. The dough should be soft and pliable but not sticky. Cover and rest the dough for 15 minutes. You can knead the dough in food processor as well. Just be careful about adding spinach slowly and not all at once.
Make The Paneer Filling
- While the spinach dough is resting, make the paneer filling. Add crumbled or grated paneer to a bowl and add the chopped onions, cilantro and green chillies along with salt & spices. Tip:- Add salt only when you are about to begin rolling the parathas else the filling may turn watery. You can make the filling a night before without salt as part of meal prep.
Make the Parathas
- Set a tawa or griddle on the stove to heat up. Divide the rested dough into equal portions. Pinch equal portions and make them into smooth balls by rolling them between your palms.
- Dust the dough portions in dry flour and roll into a 4 inch circle using a rolling pin. Place about 2 tablespoon of filling in the center of the rolled dough and bring around the sides of the dough to make a small round parcel. Refer ti images in the post to get an idea.
- Dust the rolling surface liberally and roll the stuffed dough parcel into a 7 inch circle. Dont press too much while rolling, ideally place yur rolling pin half on the surface and half on the dough for even rolling thickness. Avoid making the parathas too thin.
- Place the rolled paratha on hot tawa. After 15 seconds or so, or when you see bubbles on top, flip the paratha, brush oil (about 1 tbsp), flip and let cook on oil side, brush oil on the second side, flip and cook till both the sides are golden. Dont press too much when cooking the paratha.
- Repeat the above steps for the rest of the dough.Serve warm parathas with yogurt, butter, pickles or chutney.
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