- 200g/7oz wholemeal flour
- 2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
- pinch salt
- leftover cooked potato, chopped or mashed
- cauliflower, carrot or squash, microwaved, steamed or boiled until soft
- frozen peas or sweetcorn, defrosted
- spring onion, chopped
- cooked, shredded chicken or lamb (optional)
- 1 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut, soaked in a few spoonfuls of hot water (optional)
- spices, such as ground cumin, cinnamon, coriander, curry powder or paprika, to taste (optional)
- chopped fresh coriander, to taste (optional)
- squeeze lemon juice
- Kid’s job: Place the flour in a large bowl and gradually pour in 125ml/4fl oz lukewarm water and the oil. Add a pinch of salt. Mix the dough together into a ball.
- Kid’s job: Knead the dough for five minutes- either in the bowl or on a clean surface. The dough should feel soft and stretchy and not too sticky. Different flours absorb different amounts of water, so you may need to add a little more flour or water if the dough is too sticky or dry.
- Kid’s job: Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with the cling film. Leave to stand for about 15 minutes while you make the filling.
- Kid’s job: You can make four different fillings in small cups or one big one in a bowl. Just mix together the ingredients you fancy and mash them up with a spoon or fork. Make sure you taste the filling and that you like it. Add a pinch at a time of pepper and spices, and taste.
- Kid’s job: Divide the dough into four, but trim and keep a bit to one side which you can use to fix any holes that might appear when you roll out the breads.
- Kid’s job: Roll out each ball on a lightly floured work surface or table. The dough should be about as thick as a pitta bread (approximately 5mm).
- Kid’s job: Place two tablespoonfuls of each of the filling mixture on the centre of the rolled doughs and gather the edges together so that the dough wraps around the filling.
- Kid’s job: Pat the dough to flatten carefully so that the filling is trapped inside. Roll out the stuffed parathas thinly as you can – don’t worry if some of the filling leaks out, you can ignore it or do a patch job with the extra dough.
- Adult’s job: Heat a large frying pan and then pour a teaspoon of oil onto the surface of the pan. Use a piece of kitchen paper to spread the oil evenly over the pan. Cook one paratha (or more if you have a large frying pan) for about three minutes on each side, or until it is starting to brown.
- Adult’s job: Repeat with the other breads adding a little more oil each time. You can keep the breads warm by placing them on a baking tray in a warm oven. Serve with yoghurt, dips or alongside a curry. Cold parathas are also great for picnics or lunchboxes.