Mini Broccoli Cheese Paratha
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You’re going to love broccoli in an entirely new way with this Mini Broccoli Cheese Paratha recipe! See how to make a vibrant green dough mixed with cheddar cheese, paneer, chillies, garlic, and a variety of spices to have a unique snack or as a side with your favourite mains!
If you’ve been following the blog for awhile, then you must be surprised to see a broccoli recipe on here. I can easily count on one hand how many broccoli recipes are here - Garlic Butter Sautéed Broccoli and Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry with Udon Noodles. Yep, that’s it… until now!
What compelled me to actually incorporate broccoli into my cooking? Well, my mother! For her 2024 visit to Canada, she first stayed at my uncle’s place. When I got back from my honeymoon and was going to pick her up to have her at my place for a few months, the snack that she had prepared before we hit the road were these broccoli parathas. Okay, fine, she didn’t make them specifically for me, they were made from leftover dough, but the parathas were rolled out and cooked fresh for my wife and I to enjoy, and we both knew that I had to try making this myself at home!
As a way to further explore Indian cooking - or to just get started if you happened to stumble across this recipe by chance and you’re brand new to the cuisine! - then I certainly encourage you to prepare these Broccoli Cheese Parathas as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started for free today by signing up to my free email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be delivered right to your inbox!
To see my mom and I in action preparing and cooking these delicious healthy parathas, then be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this post! It would mean a lot to me if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already, and don’t forget to press the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get cooking!
What is Broccoli Paratha?
Let’s begin by answering what is a Paratha? You can identify a soft, thin and flaky Indian bread as a triangular layered paratha. This bread is an iconic one across households throughout India! You typically make parathas with atta flour (a type of whole wheat flour that is very finely milled), and parathas are served either on their own or as a side dish. I’ll provide plenty of serving ideas later on in this post!
While our Broccoli Cheese Paratha shares similar characteristics to a regular paratha in the sense that both are made with atta flour, and both are cooked on an Indian cast iron pan known as a “tava,” the Broccoli Cheese Paratha that we will be preparing today is a bit different because we’ll be making a flavourful broccoli puree that will be added into our dough, in addition to some paneer, cheese, and a variety of spices.
Why You’ll Love Broccoli Cheese Paratha
Simple to make: Cooking the broccoli, preparing the broccoli puree, making the dough, and then making the bread seems like a lot of work, but it’s not! I recorded the entire process and it didn’t feel too tedious at all! I’ll show you in this recipe how to ensure every step of the process is seamless and gives you some very tasty parathas!
Excellent use of broccoli: Did you by any chance purchase too much broccoli and now you’re not sure what to do with it? This paratha recipe is an excellent way to use it up! As I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential, Make Cooking Fun!!, if you’re looking for inspiration to try new creations in the kitchen, then looking inside your own fridge or pantry is a great way to start! You could also be looking to use up some leftover cheeses and paneer that you have, so these simple ingredients can come together into something super delicious!
Great snack: These Broccoli Cheese Parathas are actually quite well balanced. We have all of the vitamins and minerals that come from the broccoli, protein from the cheese and paneer, and fibre from the atta flour that will help keep you full. Of course you can pair the parathas with a meal, but if you wanted to have them on their own with some chai, such as Masala Chai or Ginger Chai, then that will be satiating too!
Perfect for kids: You would never guess that there is broccoli in here, but it’s a wonderful way to sneak the vegetables in for the little ones! You’re using a fair amount of broccoli in this recipe, so you’ll reap all of its benefits in this delicious snack or side.
How do I keep the broccli cheese parathas soft?
For your final breads to be soft, then your dough must be soft. As you’re preparing each bread, making sure that the dough that is not being used is covered so that it stays smooth. Exposing the dough will make the bread dry out.
Also, once each paratha has been cooked, be sure to cover it with a paper towel or kitchen cloth so it stays warm and doesn’t dry out!
Tools Needed to Make Broccoli CHeese Paratha
Ingredients To Make Broccoli Paratha
For all ingredients and their quantities and to save the recipe for later, scroll to the bottom of this post or press the “Jump to Recipe” button for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card. You’ll know exactly how much flour, broccoli, paneer and cheese you’ll need based on how many parathas you want to make - no need to do mental math on your end!
Atta flour: My favourite brand is Aashirwaad. I’ve noticed that more “regular” grocery stores in my area are carrying atta flour by some brand or another, but if you can’t find it, you can try visiting your local Indian or South Asian grocer, or just buying it from my link on Amazon!
Ghee: For cooking the parathas. I’m using Amul ghee, but if you want to make your own ghee, I definitely encourage it!
Garlic cloves: You can add them whole into the blender or food processor.
Cilantro: One bunch tightly packed. This helps bring an even more prominent green colour and some flavour to your parathas.
Cheese: I used white old cheddar to get lots of flavour and a nice creaminess. However, you could also do other semi-hard cheeses, such as Havarti or Monterey Jack.
Paneer: Due to the lack of time, I used store-bought paneer. However, for even better results, I recommend you make your own paneer!
Broccoli: Cut your broccoli heads into florets.
Italian seasoning: This is made with oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, dried rosemary and chili flakes. I know you may find it interesting that Italian seasoning is used in an Indian recipe, but the popularity of using Italian seasoning on a topping for pizza is actually booming in India! For more details on how to make the most amazing homemade Italian seasoning, be sure to check out my recipe here.
Chilli flakes: There are already some in the Italian seasoning, but some extra never hurt!
Ground black pepper: You can use pre-ground black pepper or freshly ground black peppercorns.
Salt: Salt is a non-negotiable to bring out all the flavours we have in our dough!
Green garlic: I don’t have it available in my area, but if you do have it, I highly recommend this addition. However, if you can’t find it, then there is no substitute for it, so you’ll need to make your parathas without.
Water: As needed to give a smooth dough.
How to Make Broccoli Cheese Paratha
Making the Broccoli Stuffing
Begin by cooking the broccoli for 4-5 minutes.
Once the broccoli is cooked, immediately transfer it into an ice water bath. This blanching step helps to preserve the green colour, which will be key to make the parathas bright and vibrant.
Then, transfer the broccoli to a food processor along with garlic and green chillies and add as little residual water from the ice water bath as needed to puree to a smooth paste.
Next, start kneading in a stand mixer. Mix the atta along with grated paneer, salt, chilli flakes, grated cheese, Italian seasoning, green garlic leaves (if using) and cilantro and black pepper. Then, start adding the broccoli purée.
Knead until you have a smooth, soft and supple dough that is not sticky. If the dough is too wet, add a bit more flour. On the contrary, if the dough is too dry, then add a small amount of water. Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes under a damp kitchen towel.
Rolling out the Dough
Take a generous ball of dough and roll out until roughly 1/8th of an inch thick. Use a 3 1/2 inch round cutter tool to portion out
Cooking the Paratha
Heat a pan/tawa on medium high heat and place your paratha. Cook for a minute or two or until you have brown spots on the underside.
Flip the paratha and cook other side. While it cooks, spread some ghee on top of the paratha and around its edges.
Serve hot!
Variations of Broccoli Stuffing Preparation
Instead of blanching the broccoli, you could choose to save some time and add the cut up florets of broccoli to a large bowl filled with boiling water. Let the broccoli steam in the hot water for 5-8 minutes. This will help soften the broccoli and cook it just enough to proceed with the rest of the process to make the stuffing.
A disadvantage of this method is the lack of ice water to shock the veggies to halt the cooking process. While not very noticeable, it will have an impact to the level of green that pops out in the final stuffing and paratha.
Tips for Guaranteed Flaky and Tasty Broccoli Cheese Parathas
Make sure to cut the broccoli into florets before rinsing them thoroughly. This will help cleaning the broccoli much easier before cooking.
Ensure that once you are done grinding the broccoli mixture to prepare the stuffing, the consistency is as fine as it can be. This will prevent holes or tears from forming while shaping and cooking the paratha and make them lighter and flakier while cooking.
Avoid adding too much water, if any while processing the broccoli stuffing. A food processor vs. a grinder is much more preferred to avoid excess water. The goal is to keep the broccoli mixture dense throughout the paratha and if the stuffing is too wet, it’ll likely result in extra atta flour being required to get the correct consistency.
Ensure that you achieve a soft and not sticky consistency while kneading the dough. This will make the rolling process much easier and result in a softer bread overall!
If you don’t have a round mould or cookie cutter, then you could use the bottom of the glass to make your round cuts.
While technically these parathas can be made in traditional circular shapes, what sets them apart is the process of rolling a generous portion of dough out and then cutting and forming small round portions using a 3 1/2 inch round cutter.
If you don’t have a tava pan, a cast iron pan will do the job just fine!
You can use tongs to flip the parathas while cooking if you don’t have a fish spatula.
Can You Make Broccoli Cheese parathas in Advance?
Yes, technically you can! However, I’ll be honest with you and give my full disclosure that Broccoli Cheese Parathas will be much more delicious when enjoyed freshly! That being said, my suggestion to save some time is to make the dough in advance so all you have to do later is cook the bread.
How to store extra Broccoli parathas
If you are anything like me, I would make sure there is no unused dough! Paratha is just so good, so personally I can’t imagine how there could be leftovers. However, in the event that there is leftover dough, I would suggest wrapping up the dough in plastic wrap and placing it in the refrigerator. Make sure to use it within 2-3 days, the dough may turn dark the longer it stays in the fridge.
If using refrigerated dough, take the dough out of the fridge at least an hour before to allow it to come up to room temperature. This will make the dough pliable and make the kneading process easy.
Any extra cooked parathas, on the other hand, can be wrapped in a moist kitchen towel and stored in an airtight container. To reheat, simple place your parathas in the microwave, hot tava, or the oven for 30 seconds to a minute to bring them back to life.
How to Serve Broccoli Parathas
Because these are little parathas, you can serve them as a snack. You can enjoy your mini Broccoli Cheese Parathas on their own or for breakfast or as a side with your favourite curries, as you would with regular parathas.
If you make these Broccoli Paneer Parathas full-sized, you can use them as a wrap for Scrambled Eggs or Egg Bhurji.
To Dip
Other Delicious Indian Bread Recipes
Watch How to Make Mini Broccoli Cheese Paratha Here:
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Mini Broccoli Cheese Parathas
Ingredients
- 2 Cups atta
- ghee, store-bought or homemade
- 2 small broccoli heads, cut into florets
- 2 garlic cloves
- 8-16 green chillies, stalks removed
- 200 g paneer, store-bought or homemade
- 50 g white cheddar
- 3 tsp Italian Seasoning (see below)
- 1 bunch cilantro, 1/2 Cup when finely chopped and packed
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp chilli flakes
- salt to taste
- 1 green garlic, green part separated (optional)
- 2 Tbsp oregano
- 1 1/2 Tbsp dried basil
- 1/2 Tbsp dried thyme
- 1/2 Tbsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 Tbsp chili flakes
Instructions
- Begin by cooking the broccoli for 4-5 minutes.
- Once the broccoli is cooked, immediately transfer it into an ice water bath. This blanching step helps to preserve the green colour, which will be key to make the parathas bright and vibrant.
- Then, transfer the broccoli to a food processor along with garlic and green chillies and add as little residual water from the ice water bath as needed to puree to a smooth paste.
- Next, start kneading in a stand mixer. Mix the atta along with grated paneer, salt, chilli flakes, grated cheese, Italian seasoning, green garlic leaves (if using) and cilantro and black pepper. Then, start adding the broccoli purée.
- Knead until you have a smooth, soft and supple dough that is not sticky. If the dough is too wet, add a bit more flour. On the contrary, if the dough is too dry, then add a small amount of water. Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes under a damp kitchen towel.
- Take a generous ball of dough and roll out until roughly 1/8th of an inch thick. Use a 3 1/2 inch round cutter tool to portion out
- Heat a pan/tawa on medium high heat and place your paratha. Cook for a minute or two or until you have brown spots on the underside.
- Flip the paratha and cook other side. While it cooks, spread some ghee on top of the paratha and around its edges.
- Serve hot!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
146.57Fat (grams)
7.52 gSat. Fat (grams)
4.25 gCarbs (grams)
14.81 gFiber (grams)
6.42 gNet carbs
8.38 gSugar (grams)
4.04 gProtein (grams)
7.94 gSodium (milligrams)
291.84 mgCholesterol (grams)
18.46 mg
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Welcome to Cooking With Anadi. This platform is all about making cooking exciting and finding new ways to bring classic flavours and recipes at your service. Join me in my personal journey in the world of cooking. Hope you have a great ride!
