All stuffed breads are a special treat, but this one is pure decadence! Great with a cup of tea for breakfast it’s also a delicious tea time snack for many. Basically a dessert paratha, it’s also something often fed to fussy kids who won’t eat anything else.
A Special Wheat Flour
While that may seem surprising, the paratha, even with the added sugar and oil, isn’t totally unhealthy.The flour used for all Pakistani and Indian flatbreads is known as Atta and is made from a durum wheat. This is a very hard wheat that is high in protein and gluten, making it ideal for bread making. Some of the health benefits of Durum Wheat, according to blogger tarladalal.com are:
High Fibre & Protein Rich in ZInc & Magnesium High in Vitamin B1, B2 & B9 Rich in Phosphorus High levels of Iron & Niacin
This makes it good for the body (literally) from top to bottom. From the brain, to the skin, eyes and bones, all of the above vitamins and minerals provide much needed nourishment. In addition, these vitamins and minerals aid in fighting diabetes, boosting the metabolism, preventing anaemia and providing the body with much needed energy. So, plenty of good reasons to feed this to your kids and I promise you, they will love you for it!
Ghee (Clarified Butter) or Oil?
Traditionally, parathas were made with ghee, as that was the preferred fat in most South Asian cooking. Ofcourse, now a days, most of us, myself included, use alternatives, such as canola oil, avocado oil or any other oil of choice. However, that being said, unless you’re vegan and on a low calorie diet, ghee has many health benefits that make a strong case for using it. Full of many vitamins, insulin resistance and cancer fighting properties (based on research) it’s a good choice when feeding those fussy kids. As for those calories, 2-3 teaspoons of ghee go a long way when making a paratha and kids can usually handle those calories. Especially the fussy ones, who don’t eat much else all day long!
The Recipe
The recipe for the sugar paratha (meetha paratha) is slightly different than that of the other stuffed parathas. In the easy-aloo-paratha-recipe, the spicy potato filling is added in between two parathas and then shallow fried. In the sugar paratha, the sugar and oil/ghee are rolled and twisted into a ball, to form flaky soft layers.
The purpose here is to prevent the sugar from oozing out as it melts. This can actually make your Tawa (griddle) sticky and ruin the paratha as you try and flip it. As such, the fat and sugar are spread and rolled into the layers.
As the sugar melts and spreads to the sides, it doesn’t ooze out but instead, creates a crispy, caramelized edge, leaving a soft, flaky center.
The dough is shaped into 4 balls and then rolled into 4-5 inch discs. The ghee/oil is spread evenly on the surface of the disc. This is then layered with the sugar and rolled into a long stretchy, thin roll.
This roll is then twisted into a ball, flattened and rolled out with a rolling pin. This process is what helps create the flaky layers.
Once shallow fried, the result is a soft, gooey center and crisp, chewy sides. Sweet and delicious, you won’t be able to stop eating these parathas!
There are different ways of making the sugar filled paratha but this is my favorite and preferred method. Better a sweet and sticky paratha than griddle I say!
A little tedious to make? Yes! Well worth the effort? 10 times Yes!!! So go try your hand at this recipe before you miss out!
