Delicious soft stuffed paratha or roti flatbread filled with lightly spiced caramelized Spanish Sweet Onions, then cooked on a griddle until golden and slightly crisp.
This post is sponsored by Idaho-Eastern Oregon Spanish Sweet Onions. For full disclosure, please read below at the end of the post.
We’ve partnered with Idaho-Eastern Oregon Spanish Sweet Onions today to bring you this delicious recipe for Onion Stuffed Paratha which is excellent eaten on its own as a snack or for breakfast or makes a great side accompaniment to various dishes like curries for lunch/dinner.
Parathas are somewhat thicker flatbreads that are often stuffed with various vegetables, although plain parathas are also very popular. 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 ones 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 caramelizing, sautéing, and grilling.
If stored properly in a basket or mesh bag, these onions can last up to 4 weeks at home. It’s important not to keep them in plastic, or with potatoes or other items that release moisture.
Spanish Sweets are really large so I often use only part of an onion, then cube and freeze the rest, ready to have on hand for quick additions into other dishes.
With more sugar and less water content, I find these Spanish Sweet Onions to be the ideal variety to use in this stuffed paratha recipe. Their appealing sweetness complements these flatbreads rather than overwhelm them. As they contain less water, they don’t make the rotis soggy either.
Onion Stuffed Paratha
Onion Stuffed Paratha is really an uncomplicated recipe yet very satisfying. It’s an ideal recipe for batch cooking as these flatbreads freeze well and can be reheated whenever needed.
Spanish Sweets release beautiful flavours when they are caramelized, so brown these onions with some spices before filling them into the flatbreads. Spices are versatile in this rendition and you can really just use your favourite spice combos.
A handful of fresh coriander (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.
Tips to make perfect Onion Stuffed Parathas
- It’s important that the water that is used to make the dough is boiling hot and not just warm or cold. This drastically changes the texture of the dough and subsequently, the roti.
- Once the dough is formed, knead for a few minutes and set aside to rest for at least 20 minutes. Leaving the dough to rest will let the gluten relax and this results in soft flatbreads.
- Let the onions lightly caramelise for more flavour.
- Make sure onions are not soggy and all liquid has dried up. Leave the cooked onions to cool before using as the filling, again to avoid getting soggy flatbreads.
- When initially rolling out the dough, flatten the edge slightly thinner than the centre.
- Keep the work surface and dough lightly floured to avoid the dough from sticking.
- Don’t roll the dough out too thin or the filling will escape.
- Cook the flatbreads on a lightly greased griddle and brush the top of the roti with a little oil before flipping it. This will ensure even cooking and soft rotis.
- To keep cooked parathas warm, place them in between a clean kitchen towel. If you prefer them slightly crispy, place them on a plate and don’t stack them. Serve immediately.
- Freeze the parathas once they have cooled in a freezer-proof container or bag.
Enjoy these Onion Stuffed Parathas on their own as a snack, with the filling of your choice as a wrap or with curry. Check out the selection of curry recipes from the blog. I particularly love them with some jackfruit curry and cucumber raita.
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Yield: 6
Onion Stuffed Paratha
Delicious soft roti flatbread stuffed with lightly spiced caramelized Spanish Sweet Onions, then cooked on a griddle until golden and slightly crisp.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Resting Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Ingredients
For the roti dough:
- 120 g whole/sifted spelt flour, or whole wheat flour
- 200 g unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons oil (any cooking oil, sunflower, safflower, avocado, olive oil)
- 240 ml boiling hot water, adjust quantity as required
- More flour for dusting
- More oil for kneading, brushing and cooking (about ⅓ cup)
For the stuffing :
- 1 - 2Idaho-Eastern Oregon Spanish Sweet Onions, finely chopped, *see notes
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon harissa or chilli powder, optional
- Salt to taste
- 15 - 20 sprigs fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- In a large mixing bowl, add the spelt and all-purpose flour, salt and one tablespoon of oil.
- Mix with your fingers, then add the boiling water. Continue to mix with a spoon and gather to form a dough.
- Start to knead the mixture with your hand into a soft pliable dough. You may add a little oil to help with the kneading. The dough should neither be too dry/stodgy nor wet/loose, it should be non-sticky at this stage.
- Place the dough back into the bowl and let it rest covered for at least 20 minutes. You may grease the bowl to avoid the dough from sticking to it.
Prepare the stuffing
- Finely chop the onions.
- Heat the oil in a pan. Once hot, add the chopped onion. Add a pinch of salt and let the onions sweat for 3-5 minutes.
- Next add all the spices cumin, turmeric, coriander powder, harissa or chilli powder and salt to taste. Stir and saute for 5 - 8 minutes until moisture has evaporated and onion is slightly caramelised.
- Finally, add some chopped coriander leaves and stir. Turn off the heat and let the onion stuffing cool.
Make the stuffed parathas
- Divide the dough 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 bowl of flour handy for dusting. Roll each ball of dough into the flour and lightly flatten into a thick disc either using your fingers or a rolling pin.
- Flatten the edge to slightly thinner. Place 1-2 tablespoons of onion stuffing in the centre. Then, pull the edge together toward the centre, enclose and seal in the filling. Smooth the dough into a flattened ball again. Repeat this for the rest of the dough.
- Flour the work surface or board and place one ball of stuffed dough in the middle. Roll out using a rolling pin or your fingers into thick or thin discs taking care not to let the filling escape.
- Heat a lightly greased griddle and transfer the paratha on to the hot griddle. Brush a little oil on the top and cook for about 1 minute then flip and cook for about 2 minutes, flipping again 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.
- Hot, soft and delicious Onion Stuffed Parathas are ready to serve. Enjoy them on their own as a snack, with the filling of your choice as a wrap or with curry.
Notes
*Depending on size, you may need one or two large Spanish Sweet Onion. I used 1½. Any leftover raw onion can be cubed and kept frozen for later use.
How to store the Onion Stuffed Parathas
These onion stuffed rotis can be frozen for up to 2 months or even more. Once cooked and cooled, place in a freezer-proof container or bag in the freezer.
In the refrigerator, they will stay soft for 2 days if they are kept in an air-tight container or ziplock bag.
To reheat, place on the griddle on low-medium heat until the roti is soft and pliable. You may also reheat them in the oven at about 150 degrees Celsius until they are warm. Keep an eye on them so they don’t turn out crispy unless that's how you want to enjoy them.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 363Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 438mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 6g
Nutrition info is calculated using an online recipe analyser. Values are estimates only. Nutritional information may change considerably if ingredients are changed or processed in a different way. Different online calculators provide varying results. Hence, we suggest you calculate the values based on your own preferred nutrition calculator. We are not certified nutritionists and information provided on this website should not be used as medical/nutritional advice.
Full disclosure: This post is sponsored by Idaho-Eastern Oregon Spanish Sweet Onions. We only endorse products and services that we like, enjoy, use and that we believe, based on our experience, are worthy of such endorsem*nt. We value the trust of our readers, viewers and subscribers. We believe in honesty of relationship and opinion. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are 100% ours.
